Note: This interview is part of the Fired & Inspired series. All credit: Felien Geldhof & Daniele Piersons
Your beliefs kind of rule your actions
Welcome to Fired & Inspired, a conversation series with passionate creatives from different fields. We’ll talk about the sparks that started it all, the fire that keeps them going and what happens in the quiet.
In this conversation, Daniele Piersons, mindset coach & makeup artist, opens up about her journey through creativity, self-discovery, and resilience. From navigating career changes to exploring the inner work of confidence and fear, her reflections offer insight, inspiration, and practical wisdom for anyone seeking to live more fully and authentically.
Hi Daniele, if you would have to introduce yourself to a room where nobody knows you, what would you say?
Tough question… I think I would just say that I am a person that thrives on connection. Whether that is connection with other human beings, whether that’s connection with nature, animals. A big part of me being me is connecting to myself. It is a really important part for me; I’m drawn to and thrive on connection.
The Spark
Let’s talk about the start of your creative life. Can you take me back to the moment you knew you wanted to be a makeup artist and then later on to mindset coach? What was the spark that started everything?
Neither of them happened on purpose, both kind of by accident. My whole life I’ve always been very attracted to fashion, and also to film and TV, especially growing up. I think that led me down that path. You know, the 90s supermodels were the thing, like Christy Turlington, Kate Moss, all of those, like, super baddies. I was obsessed. So I actually got scouted by a modeling agency and started modeling as a teenager. Nothing super successful ever came from it, but that’s what I did. Of course, I wanted to be Kate Moss, but the universe and life had other plans.
Anyway, I did that for a bit, and then I moved to California in my early 20s. One of the last modeling jobs I did, I just despised my makeup. I said to the other model, “I could’ve done a better job.” And she looked at me and said, “You should be a makeup artist.” And I was like, “I should be a makeup artist.”
She told me about her friend who was going to this school called MUD which is one of the most prestigious makeup schools. Sadly, my grandmother had just died and left me around 10k. I bought a used car and used the rest to put myself through makeup school. And the rest was history.
Cut to almost 20 years later… Covid happened.
I was very lucky not to lose anyone close, but work shut down completely for me as a makeup artist. It really triggered everything I thought I knew about myself, because my whole identity had been wrapped up in that; in being a makeup artist. And when that was ripped away, I had to look at that. So Covid is what really started my self-development journey and my healing.
So it kind of evolved through your own journey?
Exactly. We all think when we’re struggling that our pain is somehow separate from everyone else’s pain. You know what I mean? But it’s all so collective. It just fits a mold. Everybody’s story is slightly different, but the way we feel things, and the fears we have, are all very similar.
Everybody’s story is different, but the way we feel things
Daniele Piersons
and the fears we have, are all very similar
How would you describe the relationship between outer beauty and inner peace?
I think we all probably have someone in mind who walks into a room and just lights it up. That kind of presence is more about the energy they carry, something inside them because they’ve learned to love themselves in such a way that it becomes easy to spread that love outwardly. And, in the same vein, we probably all know people who are really, really attractive by social beauty standards, but who walk into a room and completely suck the energy out of it. So it’s much more magnetic and attractive when you have that kind of peace and love inside you, in your heart. It just shows everywhere.
What excites you most about the work you do today?
I think being able to help someone, understanding how painful it is to feel stuck, anxious, insecure, and how limiting that life is. How you keep replaying the same things over and over, and then getting to the other side of that and seeing that the world in your life is totally limitless. Just being able to help other people see that, really is what excites me and pushes me to keep going.
About challenges and fear
If you look back at your career so far as a makeup artist, what were some of the challenges you’ve overcome? Like, did you ever feel like I have to reinvent myself?
Oh my gosh. How much time do you have? I actually woke up this morning and thought about a time when I dropped the ball and screwed up. You know, in jobs like this and there are tons; doctors, lawyers, whatever, where you have one chance to get things right. Of course, my job is not nearly as important as some of those, but it can be just as stressful in a lot of ways. It’s not life or death at all, but people will make it feel like it is. It puts a lot of pressure when you have one chance to do something. That’s why it’s so important to get your mindset right. When do you make the most mistakes? When you’re scared, right?! You can’t think straight, and things are going wrong. Mistakes happen, but at the same time, you learn the most from them. So yes, I’ve had a number of fumbles but nothing as bad as the Angelina Jolie powder incident, if anyone’s ever seen that video, or the Met Gala Selena Gomez thing. But moments where you just think, why did I do that? We all have them. They haunt us, but you have to think; “you know what? I did the best I could in that moment”. This is life.
Reframe the idea of failure, because failure is our biggest teacher.
Daniele Piersons
We all have moments of fear. Fear of failure, fear of getting a no, fear of not being good enough. How do you look at fear?
I think the most important thing, especially what I try to teach my clients, is that when you’re afraid of something, it’s important to get to the root of that fear so you can challenge it. Say you’re going to give a speech and you’re terrified you’re going to mess up and everyone will make fun of you. First, are you going to die? Probably not. You’ll probably be okay. Then, get to the real root of the fear. Maybe when you were a kid, you said the wrong thing in front of the class, everyone laughed, and no one sat with you at lunch. Now, you’re not eight anymore. You’re in a room with adults who are compassionate and understand that speaking in front of people is scary. They’ll likely give you some leeway if you stumble, break out in a sweat, or whatever and you’ll be okay.
So basically, you challenge the fear in a way?
Yes, exactly. And you asked me about the fear of failure, kind of going back to what I said before about reframing it. This is what I try to do: reframe the idea of failure. Failure is our biggest teacher. Yes, it sucks. But guess what? If you got everything right and started succeeding on the first try, you wouldn’t be learning as much. You wouldn’t know how to. It’s almost a disservice to you if you get something right on the first try, because then you go, “How did I even do that? I don’t even know. How am I going to do that every time?” But when you fail, you’re like, “Ah, this didn’t work.” And you learn a lot more that way. So just reframing it as: okay, if I do fail, it’s another chance and I have to learn.
What fuels the fire & self-care
Living a creative life can be beautiful and powerful, but it’s also demanding. What fuels your fire today? What keeps you motivated?
I think just accepting what is, keeps me motivated to keep going. What else could there be? I’m going to accept that I’m here on this planet, and accept that I’m here to give love and receive love. “So, hey, I have this idea. Why not follow it and see where it leads?”
What helps you to keep learning and evolving?
I think just curiosity. Staying curious and wanting to do my best. Life is an adventure, so keep learning, growing and make it fun.
When things slow down or you had a busy day at work, how do you take care of yourself?
So many different ways. I regularly meditate, and once I get into it, I love it. Meditation, affirmations, traveling by myself, even just an overnight, taking really long, silent walks, those are some of my favorite ways to connect. Anything that puts me in that flow state: gardening, making jewelry and I love my flowers. Going out, gathering random things, and seeing if I can make something beautiful out of it.
How do you personally ground yourself while guiding others through transformations? Because I think, when you have a tough session with a client, it must be hard for you too in a way. Does it impact you in an emotional level?
Yeah, it definitely can. But that’s the kind of work where you have to be mindful and separate the two. I set my intention to just do the best job I can, and when I get off an intense call, I know I’ve done my best. From there, it’s up to them, to be there for themselves and take what we talked about into their life and practice.
Everyone has sometimes moments of uncertainty, and I personally think that people who live a creative life might have more uncertainties. What keeps you grounded during a time of uncertainty?
I’ve been through so many uncertain moments, and they’ll continue as they do. But doubling down on affirmations is one of the biggest things. If I have to listen to them for hours a day because I’m feeling off, I will. Filling my brain with inspiring language, reminding myself that everything is figureoutable, because there will always be tough moments. But if you can get back to yourself, to that inner peace and calmness, it will carry you through. That’s how I do it.
Everything is figureoutable
Daniele Piersons
Coaching & Confidence
I got to know you as my mindset coach. We all know that confidence plays a very big part in everyone’s life, and it is something we struggle all with. How would you personally define confidence?
For me, confidence is that inner knowing that no matter what, it’s all going to be okay. That you’ve got this, and everything can be figured out.
And knowing that nothing is perfect. I’ve done a lot of work on perfectionism, and I still have my little things with it, but just knowing nothing will ever be perfect and no matter what, you’ve got it.
What has surprised you the most about coaching?
Not much really surprises me, to be honest. I’ve always known anything can happen in life. Maybe in the beginning, after I had done this big transformation and I was like, “Let’s go,” I was surprised that not everyone wanted to go through it with me. I was like “What? This is fun!”. I was naive about that. Everyone has to go through their own process. Some people take longer than others to want to get to that place.
Your beliefs kind of rule your actions
Daniele Piersons
Do you think there are any misconceptions about confidence?
I think a lot of people assume you either have it or you don’t. But confidence is learned. You might learn it as a child because you felt supported, or maybe because you deeply wanted something. It goes back to beliefs; what you believe is what you project outward. Your beliefs rule your actions. If you believe in your art, your program, whatever it is, that belief comes out as confidence. The opposite is true, too. You can be super confident in one area of your life and not in another and that comes down to programming from childhood. Same with love: if you grew up where your mother was unloved or abused, you won’t be confident that love is safe. It’s all learned patterns. That’s a big misconception people have.
Confidence meets Creativity
A lot of creative work requires confidence. So sharing your voice, sharing your art or your story, sometimes you have to be vulnerable in a way to do so. Where do you think confidence and creativity meet?
It comes back to belief; how deeply do you believe in something? Your life reflects how badly you want it. If you only stick a toe in, it’s probably not going to happen. But if you throw your whole body into it, something will eventually happen. Confidence really shows when you truly believe in what you’re doing. And trust; it’s learned. Like you said about creativity: is it something we practice or is it already there? It’s both. It depends how deep and how far you’re willing to take it.
If you look back at the Daniele you used to be, like many years ago and the one you’re now… What is something you used to believe about yourself that you’ve outgrown?
So many things. They all came from fear. One of the most relatable is this: I have a client who is one of the nicest people in the world, with this calm, grounded energy. When I met his wife, she had that same energy; cool, calm, salt of the earth. And I would think, I’ll never be like that. I’m pessimistic.
I labeled myself: pessimistic, glass-half-empty, introverted. But once I started unpacking what made me insecure and stuck, I realized that person wasn’t the real me. I think we’re all glass-half-full people if we let ourselves be our authentic selves. But the world programs us to believe we’re not enough. When you live like that, you’re at a low vibration, you might not even know it. So that was huge for me; realizing, “Oh, I can just wake up and be happy. That’s how this works? Okay, cool.”
Was there something you had to unlearn too?
So many things, but especially worthiness. Feeling like you have to earn your worth. For me, it showed up around money. I believed that to be worthy, you had to be wealthy. That people with financial wealth were worthy. But we all know people with money who aren’t exactly great. And people without money who are incredible. My parents instilled beliefs like, “People with money are all assholes,” or that being financially secure is only for people who already have money. When you start unpacking it, you’re like, This sounds ridiculous. But it was a huge one for me.
Growth and Breakdowns
We all go through steps of growth. Growth can feel amazing, but also uncomfortable sometimes. How do you handle growing pains?
I think the biggest thing to remember is that discomfort is temporary. And it’s okay to honor that discomfort. The only way through is through. Sometimes you have to sit in it and remind yourself you don’t have to make a huge leap most of the time, that’s not going to happen anyway.
Just remember: I have space to take one step and that’s enough. Everything I’m doing to move forward will compound.
The biggest thing to remember is that discomfort is only temporary.
Daniele Piersons
And that it’s okay to honor that discomfort.
Sometimes when I’m shaping clay, I hit this point where I just have to let go, let it collapse and start again. That moment can feel very frustrating. Did you ever hit a moment in your journey where you had a breakdown that ultimately led to more clarity in your journey?
I love a good breakdown, because so often, like you said, there’s so much clarity at rock bottom. I’ve imagined the worst; homeless, under a bridge, but I’ve never actually been there. I’ve been at rock bottom in my mind. And the only place from there is up. So I’m not afraid of breaking points. On the other side is clarity and relief. Over the years, I’ve learned to embrace that. And sometimes you almost wish you could reach that breaking point, just to get the release. You want that cathartic cry. So you have to find other creative ways to get that release. Sometimes you have to push yourself to it. Don’t be afraid of those moments. Because what’s on the other side is clarity and growth.
I’m not afraid of breaking points. On the other side is clarity and relief.
Daniele Piersons
Masterclasses and what is next
I feel most alive when: when I’m traveling by myself. And seeing something beautiful because there’s no distraction. You can just be completely in the moment. And of course I’m able to share glimpses, but, you’re just completely able to be on your own time and be in your own presence without an interruption of someone else’s reality.
One thing you’ve learned again and again is…. That I am okay! There will be moments when you think I’m not going to be okay after that, you know, whatever it is, I’m not okay. I’m not okay. And then, guess what? You’re okay. And just like, reminding yourself that no matter what, it’s going to be okay. And sometimes, you have to just let it ride out. But that is one thing I’ve learned. God, all that worrying. It was for nothing. I’m always okay.
In your own words, creative living is… Authentic living.
If you could give a master class, and what would it be and why?
I thought about this before. My best friend once said to me, “You should teach a masterclass on getting over someone”. But I think it’s not really about getting over someone; it’s more about moving through, moving through the pain. A masterclass on moving to the other side, just accepting what is, and finding that peace, even in catastrophe or whatever it is.
What is next for you? What would you do or create if there were no limits?
Who knows? There are no limits. My goodness. I grew up on television and reality shows; workout shows, makeover shows, all of these things I got obsessed with. But if the Fab Four would allow a white, CIS woman to join their show, I would love to be part of Queer Eye. If there are no limits, joining some kind of ensemble on beautiful television, a makeover from the inside out, that’s always kind of been my dream, even when I was just starting out in makeup.
Some rapid fire
Favorite season of the year? Summer
Do you follow your gut feeling or do you think everything through? I tend to be an overthinker sometimes, but mostly my gut.
Last book you’ve read? The Midnight Feast
Early mornings or late evenings? Early mornings
Favorite scent? Orange blossom
What made you smile recently? Oh, gosh, everything makes me smile. I mean, just looking at my cat, every time I walk into the bedroom curled up, being adorable
What is the most memorable moment you had during your beauty career so far? You know, I get asked that a lot. It’s hard to say, obviously. You know, I went to Paris and Milan with Danielle Savre for those conventions. So that might be part of it. You know, I can’t pinpoint a most memorable moment, but being able to fall in love with Italy and get a new sense of Paris because of those trips was pretty special.
Do you think creativity is something we’re born with or something we cultivate? That’s a really good question. I think it can be both. I mean, we’re human, we have imagination. So just in that, it’s creative as hell already. You gotta work to evoke it.
What is a quote or a phrase that sticks with you? So I want to get this tattooed on my leg. But we have a really funny story for the last trip in Italy. And this is not rapid fire now I’m telling you a story. But we were on a girls trip and my girlfriend rented this beautiful villa in Italy for her 40th. It’s out in the middle of like an olive grove, and it has a lot of land but really nothing else around. And she’s sitting by the pool, her and her girlfriend. I hadn’t got there yet, but she sees out of the corner of her eye this little black thing trotting along, and it’s this little chihuahua. And there’s no other houses around. She’s like, what the. And so they get the dog. It’s super friendly, it has a collar, and his name is Chuppy. And they call the number or they text the number and like, no response. But it was red from my friend, like, hey, we have your dog. And then no response. Then two hours later, this woman just responds. Italian woman, she was. She says she knows the way. So it was. That’s kind of the saying. That’s like, I just love that she knows the way. I gotta give it to Chuppy. But that’s my new favorite quote. She knows the way just to trust.
If you want to get in touch with Daniele Piersons, her socials are:
Instagram: DanielePiersons or DanielePiersonsCoaching
Website: Daniele Piersons
Felien’s social media platforms are:
Instagram: feliengeldhof
Pinterest: lontenco
Website: Lont & Co