Is it a pro or a con to be able to personally advertise around the clock what one does professionally during their working hours? Both. Life’s a paradox.
Everyday, I have the opportunity to wear a quality makeup application during work hours as well as in public, outside of the business walls. I also have the option to not wear makeup, or even more speculative, wear an untidied makeup application. I feel the tension in this question: As a professional Makeup Artist, when is my personal face on marketing duty and when is it off? If I’m going to sustain a business around word of mouth, better try my best to not have representation working against me, particularly within the walls of F.A.C.E., but also out in the everyday world. In an industry built upon making people look and feel good, I find it important to maintain a presentable client facing appearance. If every woman who wears makeup (or wants to) is a potential client, they want to receive the same invitation and trust through appearance.
Not every profession has built-in opportunity to gainfully advertise its work in front of a rotating audience. I can go anywhere and be around fresh sets of people. They can view my makeup art on myself, the canvas. This goes for hairstylists and nail technicians as well. It’s easy to bring up, “I love your {insert surface feature here}” because it’s visually present and easy to compliment. It’s a lot harder to see that someone just provided a wonderful massage.
Seen another way, not every profession has the built-in pressure to gainfully advertise its work during personal hours. Unless a photographer decides to walk around with their photograph, a painter with their painting, or a poet with their poetry, professional advertising of their finished product can’t hitchhike with them. There’s no visual cue to easily bring it up.