Meet Jillian Wright, co-founder of Indie Beauty Expo and long-time supporter and advocate for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Jillian has dedicated her career to providing a platform and voice to indie beauty entrepreneurs all over the world. Read about Jillian's journey - who has inspired her, how self-care fits into her life (and what her ideal #SelfCareSunday looks like), how she defines beauty, and more - below.
What is beauty to you?
When I think of beauty, I imagine the soul first. When someone illuminates kindness, generosity, humor, and a sense of calm, it shows on their face. A beautiful person is someone who is selfless and helps others. From a purely physical standpoint, I always look at the negative space. What I mean by that is when I studied art in college, I was taught to not only look at the subject, but to also look at the lines and curves that person created in the space surrounding them. This to me is where beauty lives.
Have you always been comfortable in your own skin? What has your journey to self-love looked like?
It has ebbed and flowed throughout my lifetime. I’m not the same person I was when I was a young girl. Like everyone, I have my insecurities and they change from decade to decade, but I try not to dwell on them because life is too much fun to be worrying about stuff that doesn’t really matter. I do however take excellent care of my skin. This is very important to me. I love the feeling and look of healthy skin. This makes me feel confident.
How does self-care fit into your life? Describe your ideal #SelfCareSunday.
I absolutely love going to Pure Barre, getting a pedicure and two hour massage. This to me is the best way to spend my Sunday. Though I’m dying to try an infrared sauna. There is a place in Manhattan that I want to try called Higher Dose. As for my regular schedule, self-care for me means eating well, listening to great music, being creative and building IBE.
Who has been the most influential woman in your life? What’s the best piece of advice or words of wisdom you received from her?
When I was in high school, I was an apprentice for an artist named
Joy Wulke. I would ride my bike to her house and in the back was her artist studio. I would tinker around and prep the materials she used to build her sculptures. Mainly, I cleaned and broke tempered glass for her. I spent a fair amount of time with her, especially over the summers. She didn’t look me in the eye and give me any words of wisdom, but she lead by example. We just spent a lot of time together. Sometimes time is better than spoken words of wisdom. She was independent, intelligent, kind, a wonderful cook, and loved a good time. To me, she was amazing. When I think of her, experiences come to mind - things that we did together, sculptures I helped her build, art openings I attended. She was instrumental in shaping who I am today. She died a few years ago of a brain tumor and I was devastated. I really couldn’t believe she was gone, but luckily, I have photos and memories of my childhood with her that will never be forgotten.
What has your daughter taught you? What do you want her to know about beauty and self-care?
My daughter is fiercely independent. I love being her mom. She is funny, loves music, her friends, baking and traveling. She is constantly teaching me, so it’s a work in progress. I want her to know that a little dirt won’t kill her! This is the best advice my father gave me when I was a kid!
What is your long-term vision for yourself and the Indie Beauty Expo?
We are only scratching the surface of what we want to do with this movement. There is so much to learn and discover but, ultimately, we do what we do to support the entrepreneur in the beauty space. It’s that simple.
If you could stand on the peak of a mountain and say or shout one thing, that all the girls and women in the world would hear, what would it be?
Be smart, stay strong and never give up.
To learn more about the Indie Beauty Expo, visit the Indie Beauty Expo website at www.indiebeautyexpo.com or follow their updates on social media at www.instagram.com/indiebeautyexpo.
