Meet Trailblazer Yady Ochoa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yady Ochoa.

Yady, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I remember being a young girl in Colombia, four siblings and a single mother to provide for her kids. We weren’t privileged to soccer practice or lacrosse. I had to learn ways to entertain myself, and my outlet was through beauty, being able to express myself through hair and makeup.

One of my favorite memories is when my mom would let me play with her makeup, and at times I actually got to apply it on her. A few years later, I was becoming a pro with applying Red lipstick and a sharp cat eye, however unlike Cinderella, at the early stroke of 8 pm, I had to wash it all off for bed.

My favorite holiday became Halloween, simply due to the fact that I could wear makeup, and I got to be in it all day! A few times, I fell asleep in glitter and felt like a fairy princess.

We moved to Virginia when I was 9, and by 13, I was determined to master my craft and learned that beauty really was my passion. I practiced doing makeup on myself and anyone I could get to sit in my chair. After two years, I finally got my break and booked my first gig, a Quinceanera! I was beyond ecstatic, yet nervous, considering the fact the matriarch of the family had threatened to wash her face off if I didn’t do an exceptional job. She ended up loving the makeup, and I even booked a few other parties through referral.

I was learning more and more about makeup and my passion was growing stronger and stronger. While shopping for new colors, I came across this magnificent bright blue eye shadow that was hypnotizing. The blue mimicking a feather of a peacock, and I knew I had to have it, it was called “Electric Eel” and that was how I discovered MAC COSMETICS.

MAC was the place to be in early 2000. The boys and girls, the talent, the energy,  the makeup, and the music, it all was illuminating. After years of applying for the job and being told I wasn’t good enough, especially by a brand that I idolized, to me that just gave me more drive and more momentum to prove to them that I belonged there.

I took matters into my hands and finally reached out to the regional manager inquiring what it was exactly that they were looking for, I expressed my passion and admiration for the brand and finally landed myself a second interview. Before I knew it the early seeds were being planted, and I was pinning my black corset with a MAC pin and I felt like a glamorous vintage pin up queen.

Working at MAC was like Miranda Priestly, yes from The Devil Wears Prada. The industry was fast and growing rapidly and no error for mistakes, as there was a reputation to uphold at MAC. Only the best of the best, the crème de la crème. I was perfecting my skills in the fast lane, which led me to Philly and then to MIA.

After maturing my skills and being able to practice on a daily basis for years, I said goodbye to MAC and found myself wed to Michael and gifted the biggest gift of all, my son Mason.

Mason being our biggest joy, and blessing gave me the courage to jump into the industry, however this time independently.

I began freelancing and just followed in MAC’s old motto “word of mouth.” I had some clients built up from referrals to building my portfolio on Instagram.  I now run two businesses.

I have been humbled and moved by how many people give me encouraging messages, as well as like my work and comment and ask what products I used.

Pro tip, my fav eye shadow is Nylon from MAC, Temptu airbrush foundation and anything from DIOR cosmetics.

I still catch my breath thinking that the girl from Colombia who had used beauty as an outlet, was able to flourish and learn and grow and now stand independently.

My message to anyone who’s being held back by any Birdbox is to just let go. Take that leap of faith. Follow your intuition and things will fall into place the way they’re meant to be.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road especially nowadays when makeup is so big and there are so many talented makeup artists. You have to prove yourself on a daily basis, but that’s OK because it has made me the artist I am today. My advice to all women especially the younger women is to never ever give up or think “it will never happen.” This sounds cliche but you truly have to believe in yourself in order for others to believe in you.

Alright – so let’s talk about your work. Tell us about Hair & Makeup by YadyOC – what should we know?
I personally offer all types of makeup services, from the no-makeup look to bridal, night glam, production, editorial and to Halloween and transformational makeup.  My team takes care of hair for the most part and they are talented published makeup and hair stylists.

I’m known for my speed, I can efficiently complete a full face with lashes, contour and individual temporary lashes in 30 minutes.

I’m most proud of how far I have gotten, I was a team of one to now having a team of at least 10 running around South Florida working on wonderful brides to be and their bridal parties.

I think what sets me apart from others is the fact that I care. I don’t do makeup just for the money, I do makeup because it’s my passion and I actually care about the end result and how my client feels while in my chair and after.

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
What I’ve learned about sisterhood is that some are just too shy or restricted by their society to actually speak up and ask questions. We’d rather keep to our pride sometimes, instead of just asking for help. I think it would be fantastic if we all could collaborate on how to spread that knowledge rather than the competition.

Pricing:

• Makeup with lashes and contour start at $100
• Bridal hair and makeup $400 it includes lashes, contour, individual lashes, airbrush, and a gift bag.
• Hair and makeup starts at $200

Contact Info:

• Website: YadyOC.com
• Phone: 2679750513
• Email: Yadymua@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yadyoc/

Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.