Conversations with Kristen Koskella

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Koskella.

Hi Kristen, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California by my parents Kelly & Tammy Koskella. Homeschooled my entire life, danced for a good portion and always had creative outlets. I was working full-time by 16 and in beauty school by 18. If you would’ve asked me then what I thought I’d be by now? I thought I would be married with kids and owning a house, but life had other plans.

I have been through the ringer but this isn’t about what ‘happened’ to me, it’s about how I got to where I am now & it’s someone who is fortunate enough to push through the barriers of struggle to have the career that I love, to be surrounded by the people that I love and to be able to travel the world that I love.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I used to wish I had an easier road, but I wouldn’t appreciate anything the way I do now. I have been faced with a lot of struggles along the way but the wounds are what made me and the scars are what kept me going.

I work in a business where the hustle is what you have to strive for. Standing for 12 hour days, chasing the jobs, never saying “no”. It’s not the luxurious life people think it is. Can it be worth it? Absolutely! But is it hard? YES.

My body cannot keep up and it hinders a lot of things that I do. I have advanced PCOS & Endometriosis. I have had three surgeries in two years, been on countless treatment plans, lots of bed rest and I’m not even close to being done with this.

The amount of pain I’m in on a daily basis is something I don’t like to complain about because I truly believe your mentality has a lot to do with it. Yes, I’ve had my moments and my hard days (more than I’d like to admit) but, it makes the good days that much better.

It is very hard lugging a makeup & hair kit around for hours on end when your entire body wants to give up. But if I gave up, what would that accomplish? Nothing. I have big goals and even bigger dreams, I take them one day at a time and I’ve learned the hard way to ALWAYS listen to my body. The work will be always there, but you will not. Take the rest.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
For those that don’t know, I am a professional makeup artist, self-taught hairstylist & men’s groomer. I work a lot with personal clients, campaigns, commercials and events.

When I was just starting out in 2018, I knew I wanted to do makeup, but I didn’t know what direction. I grew up in the film industry, all I knew was film and an occasional photoshoot. I said yes to everything I could, assisted as often as possible, and built a resume.

Sports was something I always loved. My dad and I watched it all but back then, I NEVER thought in a million years that I could mix the two. Men wear makeup? What?! A wild concept. But here I am, almost 13 years later, working with some of the top athletes in the game and I truly to have to pinch myself. It’s everything I never knew I wanted and I couldn’t be happier to be blessed by the career I am building for myself.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Lucille Ball once said, “Luck? I don’t know anything about luck. I’ve never banked on it and I’m afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: Hard work – and realizing what is opportunity and what isn’t.”

I do not consider myself a lucky person. I don’t win things and I don’t gamble. My dad is the hardest working man I’ve ever known and he always taught us if we want something, we have to work for it. We didn’t grow up with a lot of money and looking back now, I’m grateful for that. It taught me how to be resilient, to never give up and to believe in something.

When I get a call for a big job, or for a celebrity, I don’t think “wow I’m so lucky”, I immediately say, “you did it. You earned this” because that’s honestly all it is. I have worked very hard, with a lot against me, I’ve dealt with negative people along the way, I’ve been torn down and ripped apart, but I got back up. Every. Single. Time. I earned these calls, I earned these rates, and it deserves to be celebrated.

I don’t take my clients or these calls for granted. I often question if I’m ready because it feels surreal, but you know what? I am ready. I’m receiving these for a reason, and I’m so beyond thankful to be trusted in this capacity.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.kristenkoskella.com
• Instagram: www.Instagram.com/kriskoskella