Conversations with Cat Sherwin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cat Sherwin.

Hi Cat, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My career has definitely not followed a conventional path!
I grew up in the UK and originally took a very traditional route. I studied International Business at university and spent seven years working in corporate sales and marketing. On paper I had done everything I was “supposed” to do, but I knew I wasn’t fulfilled creatively. Becoming a makeup artist had actually been a childhood dream, but growing up I never really saw the arts as a realistic career option.
Eventually I reached a point where I knew I had to find out what might happen if I followed that instinct. I left my corporate career, travelled for a while and ultimately moved to Australia, where I retrained and essentially started my life and career again from scratch.
Australia became an incredible training ground for me. I worked across television, commercials, advertising, editorial, live television, entertainment and events, and over the years had the opportunity to work with an extraordinary variety of people and productions. What began as a leap into the unknown gradually became an established career.
After more than a decade in Australia, I felt another pull to challenge myself. I had always been fascinated by the American entertainment and advertising industries, so in 2016 I moved to the United States. Once again, I left behind an established network and started building relationships in a new country and an extremely competitive market.
Ten years later, Los Angeles is home and my career has continued to evolve. Today I work as a Makeup Artist, Hair Stylist and Groomer across advertising, branded content, corporate productions, publicity, television, editorial and entertainment. I’ve been fortunate to work with major international brands and some incredibly talented and recognizable people, but I’m equally grateful for the long-term clients and creative relationships I’ve built along the way.
One of the things I love about freelance life is that no two weeks – sometimes no two days – look the same. I might be grooming an actor or executive for an interview one day, working on an advertising campaign the next, and then travelling for a production somewhere completely different. After more than twenty years in the industry, I still love walking onto a set and seeing all the different creative pieces come together.
I also think my understanding of beauty and my role within it has deepened over the years. The technical and creative side will always matter enormously to me, but increasingly I’m aware of how important the experience you create for someone is too. A makeup chair can be a surprisingly intimate space. People may be preparing for a huge campaign, a live appearance, an important interview or simply stepping in front of a camera when they don’t feel completely comfortable doing so. I want them to leave my chair not only looking polished and camera-ready, but feeling confident, relaxed and like themselves.
Looking back, there have been several occasions when I’ve essentially started over – changing careers, moving countries, rebuilding networks – and none of them came with any guarantees. I don’t think I could have predicted the career I’ve had when I first left the corporate world. It’s been challenging, unpredictable, exciting and incredibly rewarding, and I’m still curious about where it evolves next.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, although I think that’s probably true of most long creative careers!
One of the biggest challenges of freelance life is learning to live with uncertainty. You can have an incredibly busy period where you’re turning work down, followed by a quiet stretch that makes you wonder if your phone will ever ring again. I’ve learned that those cycles are part of the industry, but that doesn’t necessarily make them easy.
I’ve also rebuilt my career and professional network in new countries twice. When I moved to Australia, I was starting an entirely new career. When I moved to the US, I had years of experience behind me, but very few local relationships. In a relationship-driven industry, your reputation doesn’t automatically travel with you. You have to earn people’s trust again, one job and one relationship at a time.
Immigration has added another layer to that journey. Building a career in another country while also navigating the complexities and uncertainties of the US immigration system has required a great deal of perseverance. It’s also made me appreciate what I’ve built here and the opportunities I’ve had along the way.
Then, of course, there was the pandemic. Like so many people in production and entertainment, my work effectively disappeared overnight. The industry has continued to change since then, with shifts in budgets, production models, technology and the way content is created. There have been periods when work has been extraordinarily busy and others when it has been much quieter.
I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is not to interpret every quiet period as a verdict on your talent or your career. Freelancing requires you to continually adapt, maintain relationships, keep learning and sometimes simply hold your nerve.
I’ve also had to learn that resilience isn’t always about pushing harder. Earlier in my career I probably thought it meant saying yes to everything, working endlessly and proving that I could handle whatever was thrown at me. These days I have a much greater appreciation for sustainability – protecting your health and energy, knowing your value, maintaining boundaries and building a career that you can actually enjoy living alongside.
There have absolutely been difficult chapters, but they’ve also given me perspective. I’m proud that after more than two decades I’m still here, still working, still learning and still genuinely excited when a great project comes along.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a Makeup Artist, Hair Stylist and Groomer, and one of the things I love about my career is the variety of work I get to do. My background spans advertising and branded content, corporate productions, television, publicity and press junkets, editorial, e-commerce, live events and red carpet.
Over the years I’ve worked with major international brands including Microsoft, Amazon, AT&T, American Airlines, Honda, Walmart, Capital One and JPMorgan, as well as networks, studios, publications and production companies. I’ve also been fortunate to work with some wonderful actors, musicians, athletes and public figures, including Andy Garcia, Tom Holland, Steve Martin, Martin Short, William Shatner, Lenny Kravitz, Ringo Starr, Charlie Sheen, Jason Segel and many others.
I specialize in polished, camera-ready makeup, hair and grooming that still allows the person in my chair to look and feel like themselves. Sometimes that means creating a more elevated beauty look; other times the best work is almost invisible. With men’s grooming in particular, there can be a real art to knowing when enough is enough. The goal isn’t for someone watching an interview or looking at a campaign to think about the makeup – it’s for the person to look healthy, confident, polished and completely natural on camera.
I think one of the things that sets me apart is the breadth of my experience. I’ve worked across so many different environments that I’m comfortable adapting quickly – whether that’s a large advertising production, a press junket with a tight schedule, a live broadcast, an executive interview or a small crew on location. Every set has its own rhythm, and being able to read that rhythm is just as important as the technical work.
The makeup chair is also a very human space. Sometimes you have only a short amount of time with someone before they’re expected to walk onto a set, speak live, face a room full of press or perform in front of a camera. I want that time in my chair to feel calm and easy. Being technically prepared matters enormously, but so do discretion, intuition, professionalism and knowing how to read the person sitting in front of you.
I’m proud of many of the individual projects and people I’ve worked with, but I think what I’m most proud of is the longevity of the career itself. I’ve been doing this for over twenty years, across different countries, markets and areas of the industry, and much of my work comes through repeat clients, recommendations and referrals.
Having someone trust me enough to bring me back – or to recommend me to somebody else – still means a great deal to me. In a freelance industry, I don’t think there’s a much better compliment than that.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I’ve never been particularly comfortable with the idea of networking if it means walking into a room thinking, “What can this person do for my career?” For me, the most valuable professional relationships have developed much more organically.
My advice would be to focus on building genuine relationships rather than collecting contacts. Be interested in people. Stay in touch. Support other creatives. Recommend people when you genuinely believe they’re right for an opportunity. And don’t only reach out when you need something.
So much of my career has grown through referrals and relationships that sometimes go back many years. One person introduces you to another, a producer moves to a different company, someone you worked with years ago remembers you for a new project, or another artist recommends you when they’re unavailable. You often have no idea where a relationship might lead, which is another reason I think it’s better not to approach people with an agenda.
I also think your reputation is being built on every job, not only through the finished work. Of course your craft has to be strong, but people also remember whether you were prepared, reliable, adaptable, kind to the crew, respectful of boundaries and easy to have around during a long production day. This industry can involve intense schedules and a lot of moving parts, so being someone people trust matters enormously.
When it comes to mentorship, I’ve learned from many people throughout my career rather than having one formal mentor. Other artists, photographers, producers, stylists and creatives have all taught me something – sometimes through advice and sometimes simply by watching how they work. I think it’s important to remain curious and humble enough to keep learning, regardless of how experienced you become.
And I believe in giving that back. I’ve recommended and supported other artists throughout my career, and I’ve also been incredibly grateful when people have done the same for me. There is enough room for us to help each other succeed.
Ultimately, I think the best networking is quite simple: do good work, be a good human, nurture your relationships and play the long game. Some of the most valuable connections in my career have unfolded in ways I never could have planned.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.catsherwin.com
• Instagram: catsherwin
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cat-sherwin-6900a8167