Kirsten Kjaer Weis is the founder of the Kjaer Weis make-up brand, a certified organics line.
Kirsten grew up on a farm in Denmark, and spent her childhood dreaming of big cities and world travel. On a whim, she enrolled in cosmetology school, where the studio owner took an interest in her, and encouraged her to move to Paris to finish her training at the prestigious Christian Chauveau School of Artistic Makeup.
After completing the rigorous program at Christian’s school, she returned to Copenhagen, a move that fortuitously coincided with the opening of the city’s first artist’s agency. Her skill and expertise landed her coveted gigs working on magazine covers and fashion editorials for the likes of Elle, Lucky, Marie Claire and Vogue. She also added to her portfolio new work from high-profile advertising campaigns and music videos. In conjunction with running Kjaer Weis, Kirsten remains an in demand make-up artist.
How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
I grew up on a farm in Denmark with lots of siblings in very down to earth circumstances. My upbringing was kind of no-nonsense in a sense. I think when you grow up with a big family you have to listen to everybody and make it a team effort and I think that definitely translates into being the type of leader that I am today. All my life I have been a part of a big team, being 1 of 6 children, and now I am able to really appreciate my team and know that I couldn’t do it without them. I also feel like there was a calmness that I grew up in despite what was going on around me and that’s something that I always try to hold on to today.
How has your previous employment experience aided your tenure at Kjaer Weis?
Working as a makeup artist was basically the seed that landed me in creating my own makeup line. So I would say it’s been not just influential but it has been an essential piece to creating Kjaer Weis. What the market provided at the time in terms of makeup brands didn’t satisfy the large gap there was for products that were non-synthetic yet high performance. The green products were not on par with the conventional brands and I wanted to change that. I would say my job as a makeup artist for over 20 years has been an instrumental piece in building Kjaer Weis. Besides that, I think having the experience out in the field is a huge benefit because you are able to know what works in terms of colors and textures and what women really want.
What have the highlights and challenges been during your tenure at Kjaer Weis?
A huge highlight has been seeing something that you originally have as a vision slowly but surely turn into a physical realization. In that process there were a couple of major highlights, like hitting the right texture in our Cream Blush. It is was a challenge getting the glowy finishes that you see in conventional brands because they are able to use silicones. When you need to replicate that texture with natural ingredients such as oils, waxes, and butters it’s a lot more challenging. The second major highlight was actually getting to hold the first prototypes of Marc Atlan’s packaging design. In both cases I knew I was on the right track and I was watching my vision become a reality, despite all of the challenges that I may have faced.
What advice can you offer to women who want a career in your industry?
Having a passion for what you do goes a long way. No matter whether you’re looking to become a makeup artist or start your own company, I feel that passion is essential. When creating a line you have to expect a lot of trial and error along with long hours, including weekends. It has to be a labor of love where you follow your intuition. If you want to become a makeup artist, there are two big ways to break into the industry. You can attend a makeup school where you learn the basic techniques and get proper training or you can go out there and try to assist a great makeup artist and learn under their wing. It all goes back to having a passion, following your passion, and being persistent.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career to date?
Not cutting corners is essential, even when you feel like you are running out of steam. When fear sets in that you are running out of money or time, you really just have to go inwards and ask yourself why you started in the first place. Then you can trust that everything is on the right track. If you’re going to put your name on something you have to make it the best you can without any compromises. It will comeback tenfold in the response that you receive. Also, there will be a lot of areas in starting a company where you are not an expert. You just have to ask questions and remember that there are no stupid questions. You must have a good understanding of your own business in order to make it successful.
How do you maintain a work/life balance?
You have to carve out time for yourself and be strict with yourself, even when you might not want to. In my case, it’s mornings where I have certain routines that are important to me like meditation, working out and eating a healthy breakfast. I think it’s really important to cultivate an inner life because that will help you in situations of crisis. Just taking time for you as well as spending time with family and friends is crucial for life balance. You basically just have to enforce it for yourself and make sure that your own needs don’t always come last, especially with the stress of work.
What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace?
I don’t have children but I know many women with very successful careers that do. Juggling both work and children at the same time is a huge responsibility. At the end of the day, I still feel that the biggest responsibility lies on women in terms of being there for their children but also for doing their job. I also think that a lot of the time with women, if they are assertive they can easily be labeled as too aggressive. There is definitely a double standard. It is important to be aware and realize that it’s still an issue to be heard at the same level as men.
How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life?
I haven’t had a specific mentor but I have had wonderful people in my life that have been very forthcoming with support and it’s something that I greatly value. I always try to give that back when I can now should somebody need advice or encouragement.
Which other female leaders do you admire and why?
I think what women like Oprah and Arianna Huffington represent along with many other female leaders is that they truly created their own path. They stepped out of a paradigm that was maybe meant for somebody else. I think it’s an inner calling and I feel that both of these women do it with powerful inner strength and humbleness yet a sophistication that makes them magnetic in a way that transcends. They went their own way and carved out a path for themselves that was their soul’s journey.
What do you want Kjaer Weis to accomplish in the next year?
The vision for Kjaer Weis has always been to become a truly global brand. Of course I want nothing more than for Kjaer Weis to continue to grow, however within the next year our goal is to try expand in the US and Europe where we already have a footprint. We also want to expand into a lifestyle brand with a blog and video content that matches our aesthetic.