Melissa Hibbért: Finding Your Power in the Pivot

Melissa Hibbért, founder and CEO of SHYFT Beauty knew that she was destined for a career in beauty since she borrowed her mother's red lipstick to wear in high school. She earned her cosmetology license while still in high school. Then, while a student at Fisk University, she found an abandoned hair salon in her dorm, reopened it, and with a few of her high school friends operated the salon on the weekends while she took classes and held down two part-time jobs.   

But while Melissa, loved beauty, she suppressed her passion for more than a decade. She had an impressive career in brand licensing, marketing, and advertising with The Olsen Twins, The Jordan brand at Nike, UniWorld Group, BET, and the Los Angeles Times. However, when she decided it was time to pivot to the beauty industry, she couldn't land a job with a beauty brand, even with her stellar resume. So, she decided to make herself a client and created a marketing plan that fueled her pivot. First, she became a makeup artist for film and television, starting with BBWLA and more than 30 other reality series. Next, she opened a creative booking agency. She again pivoted to combine her marketing skills and beauty acumen to help beauty entrepreneurs succeed.

Melissa shares the keys to a successful pivot, which include identifying your strengths, making sacrifices, having a playbook, developing the right mindset, and paying attention to what your heart says. She also explains why she has no time for Imposter Syndrome.

Learn this and so much more on this episode.