Q&A: Maile Pacheco, Founder of beGlammed
How Maile Pacheco turned her career in makeup artistry into her own tech startup
Maile Pacheco’s story as a makeup mover-and-shaker began just over 10 years ago, when she got her start in the stockroom of a Las Vegas M.A.C store. From there, she worked her way up, eventually pioneering a position for herself: artist relations specialist. In the role, she served as the crucial connection between M.A.C and a community of pro artists working in TV, film, editorial and beyond.
In 2014, Pacheco recognized a blank space in the market for on-demand beauty services and pivoted into entrepreneurship, launching beGlammed with the help of some venture capital. The smartphone and web app enables clients to book a local makeup artist or hairstylist right to their door, Uber-style.
Today, the app has expanded to 20 cities, including Toronto, its first international market, and it’s coming soon to Vancouver. At home in L.A., the company counts celebs like Mariah Carey as fans.
“[Mariah] would have us come by at 7 in the morning to get her ready for her shopping day, and then come back at 7 in the evening to get her glammed up before going into the studio with Justin Bieber and French Montana,” says Pacheco. There’s only one word to describe success at that level: “Surreal.”
ON THE POWER OF MAKEUP
“We really have the ability as artists to affect the person sitting in our chair. Making somebody [feel] beautiful can change their life and create impressions they’ll never forget.”
ON KEEPING HER COOL
“I try to shut my eyes when things may get a little hectic and take a second to breathe and collect myself. I also love getting acupuncture.”
ON BEING HER OWN BOSS
“Being able to create ideas and see them become tangible things, [and having] a team behind me who also believe in the vision and mission of making women feel beautiful while putting freelance stylists to work—had I known how rewarding this feeling would be, I may have started this company sooner.”