Spotlight On Success…Meg Young, JOUER Public Relations Director

The purpose of "Spotlight On Success…" is to highlight influential pillars in the community who are beautiful both inside and outside.  Our goal is to pull back the curtain on these glamorous movers-and-shakers, to show you that even if the road seems a little rocky, fulfillment and success is still within the grasp of your perfectly manicured fingers. 

This week we are honored to bring you Meg Young, Public Relations Director at JOUER Cosmetics. She is the quintessential beauty girl and can wax as poetically about products as she can about charity and serving those in need. 

Almost a year ago Meg moved across the country to Cali, in pursuit of personal and professional happiness…and of course, a little sunshine.  In this short time, she achieved the dream, and so we turn the Spotlight On…Meg Young.

Miss Fake It 'Til You Make It (MFITYMI): How you break the mold and push yourself to land your dream job?

Meg Young (MY): My foray into PR began with a college internship in the Publicity and Special Events Department at Saks Fifth Avenue. At the time, I was still set on pursuing my childhood dream of a career on Broadway, but I quickly found PR’s glamorous events, fast paced environment and stable career path more alluring and realistic. 

I landed my first job on the beauty team at a top PR agency in New York. After working my way through the ranks I transitioned to another, more boutique agency. There I had the invaluable experience of managing the entire beauty division and helping to grow the business.

Jouer was a former client of mine, and one I had built a great rapport with. I adored the brand and the team, so we kept in touch. A few years later, in one of those stars aligning moments, Jouer offered me the opportunity to work in-house as their PR Director, a position created for me. Elated, I accepted and moved to LA.

MFITYMI: Give us the deets on your best work perk of your job?

MY: From the incredible team at Jouer to brilliant beauty editors and talented makeup artists, I get to meet and work with amazing people. The unlimited supply of Jouer products isn’t bad either ;)

MFITYMI: Who is your greatest career / beauty influence?

MY: I highly respect young entrepreneurs who have the confidence and tenacity to turn an idea into a successful business; especially in this economy. Katia Beauchamp and Hayley Barna, the Co-Founders of Birchbox, are at the top of my list. The global brand they’ve built in just three years is incredible.

 

My beauty inspiration comes from classic and natural beauties like Kate Moss, Grace Kelley, Jackie Kennedy, and Kate Middleton.

MFITYMI: What is your all-time favorite product?

MY: Call me biased, but I honestly am addicted to Jouer Luminizing & Matte Moisture Tints. I like mixing the two ( ¾ luminizing + ¼ matte) for the perfect amount of coverage and the most flawless, natural finish.

MFITYMI: What is your favorite beauty trend that you are using right now, and how can we get it at-home?

MY: I’m not a big trend follower when it comes to beauty. I tend to stick to classic, natural looking makeup, hairstyles and nails. An occasional bold-hued lip or polish is about as trendy as I’ll get.

MFITYMI: Tell us, how do you to wind down the end of a long day?

MY: I run outside as much as possible and try to make it to the beach once a week. Sunset beach runs are the perfect way to end a stressful day! While it takes serious motivation some evenings (and careful scheduling), I sleep much better when I exercise at night. Finishing the day with a glass of red wine or peppermint tea helps too.

MFITYMI: Nothing like decompressing after a busy.  So dish, what's a piece of advice you wish you had known when you were starting out?  

MY: Don’t take things too personally! When I first began my career, I was way too sensitive. As long as you are giving 110% you can’t feel disappointed if you don’t receive the accolades you may deserve.

Everyone has different personalities, ways of handling stress and management skills. You will encounter some personalities that are more challenging than others to work with. For those challenging ones, remember that 9 out of 10 times it’s NOT personal.

MFITYMI: Have you ever had to Fake It, Til You Make It?

MY: I was working with a celebrity client who had a very challenging personality. The client had a bad experience with PR in the past, so came into the relationship very aggressive. I researched some of her earlier and more obscure songs and referenced a few of them in a meeting, sharing with her my own interest in music. She was so impressed that I actually knew songs, other than her iconic hits, that a softer side came out. That extra research was all it took to get her to connect to me.

My advice to young professionals:
Be thankful for every opportunity, learn from every experience and be nothing less than gracious when a relationship comes to an end, because you never know when you will cross paths again.

My advice to young publicists:
PR is all about relationships. Learning how to leverage and cultivate those relationships is the difference between a good publicist and a great one.  

Are you as obsessed with Meg as we are, and need your next fix?  Follow her on Twitter at Meg_Young and Instagram at Megsyoung