Meet Trina Albus of Magenta & Beauty Beyond 40 in Santa Monica

Today we’d like to introduce you to Trina Albus.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Trina. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in metro Detroit but ended up in Southern California. Over the past 22 years, my career has taken me to the south, NorCal, and the east coast before finally settling into Santa Monica, a place that has finally felt like home for nearly ten years now.

I’ve always been interested in math and computers, and so I started my career as a computer programmer at Price Waterhouse. Remember the Y2k bug? Those were some long nights…and the thankfully world didn’t end. I stayed in corporate IT for about ten more years, eventually moving to New York City, and working at Discovery Channel and Time, Inc. Back in those days, I was fascinated while watching technology evolve and push marketing toward the emerging field of digital marketing. Since much of media we were consuming was moving online, a whole new set of analytics were available to measure popularity and performance in a way that was never possible before. It wasn’t long before social media marketing became my expertise; I was very passionate about this new field that merged technology and analytics with media and marketing.

After ten years in NYC, I left the city grind behind, moved out to Santa Monica, CA and eventually started my social/influencer marketing agency for beauty brands, MAGENTA.

I love teaching and public speaking, so a few years later, I was recruited by NYC-based Association of National Advertisers (ANA) as a digital marketing instructor and for two years, I traveled around the U.S. teaching social media and influencer marketing seminars to top national brands, including Microsoft, Nintendo, and Coca-Cola, Intel, and Visa.

When I turned 40 a few years ago, I launched a YouTube channel all about anti-aging skincare called Beauty Beyond 40. I’ve always been obsessed with skincare and makeup. There is something so empowering about putting on a bright lipstick to instantly change your mood and your outlook; it can give you the boost of confidence you need to get through a challenging situation. I’m very passionate about all the advanced skincare products and devices available today (e.g., microcurrent devices NuFace and ZIIP), and my channel focuses on empowering women to take care of their skin naturally before turning to injectables like Botox or fillers.

Over the years, as my channel has grown, I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with many brands, including Korres, Paula’s Choice, Frank Body, Yensa, and Dermblend. As an ipsy Open Studios creator, I regularly collaborate with ipsy on brand videos for upcoming monthly Glam Bags.

My shibu inu, Koko (@kokotheshiba) is a huge part of my life in Santa Monica. He is my joy; he keeps me focused on the present and makes sure I get outside to enjoy the beaches of Santa Monica and Venice – right outside my door.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Entrepreneur life is not easy. Juggling running my agency and managing my team, traveling across the U.S. teaching seminars, and creating videos for my YouTube channel kept me working long hours every single day, including weekends. I started to burn out and eventually decided I had to prioritize what to keep working on. It was a difficult decision because I really loved everything I was doing, but ultimately, I decided to quit my teaching position and focus on growing my YouTube channel. Making YouTube videos has allowed me to expand my professional skill set beyond what I thought I was capable of, and shown me that I’m more creative than I thought. When I first started my channel, I was surprised by how much I loved the filming and editing process. It’s very detail-oriented work, but creative at the same time; the best of both worlds. The content creation process has made me a better marketer, and a better partner for the many influencers we work with through my agency.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with MAGENTA & Beauty Beyond 40 – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
MAGENTA is the social and influencer marketing agency for beauty brands. We work with top skincare, cosmetics, and haircare brands across the U.S. As an agency, we stand out for two reasons:
#1 Because we focus on beauty and we are Los Angeles based, we have been fortunate to build close relationships with the local thriving beauty creator community. Influencer marketing is a key component of every brand engagement we have these days, and through our relationships, we are able to pair the best influencers for each brand to take that brand to the next level. Today, we work with influencers across the U.S., but we are proud to say that our influencer marketing offering began organically here in Los Angeles.

#2 Because of my technology background, our agency is very strong with analytics. Data informs most of the decisions we make, and since we’re a boutique agency, we’re able to move quickly to optimize our efforts. The social media platforms we’re working are constantly making feature and algorithm changes, and the data helps us quickly understand when something isn’t working and allows us to pivot toward a new approach.

Some of the brands we work with today are Jordana, Milani, KARYNG Skincare by celebrity dermatologist Dr. Karyn Grossman, Amazing Cosmetics, and WEI Beauty. And over the past nine years, some of our favorite past clients include KARDASHIAN Beauty, GLAMGLOW, Dr. Brandt Skincare, and Jouer.

A huge part of my day-to-day career involves the melding of MAGENTA and Beauty Beyond 40. As an extension of my YouTube channel, I post regularly on my Instagram page about both beauty and fashion. I was recently tapped by Coach to host an event in their Beverly Hills retail location. I featured a new Coach handbag and dress on my Instagram page to promote an in-store event, and most of my agency brands were gift bag sponsors for the event. It was a win-win situation; I felt so fortunate to have this opportunity to bring both of my worlds together.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I plan to keep building up my agency MAGENTA by expanding my team and growing our portfolio of incredible brands. I also plan to keep growing my YouTube channel to inspire more people with my passion for skincare.

Looking back, if you would have told me at 22 years old while I was coding at Price Waterhouse that I would someday be running a beauty digital marketing agency, I wouldn’t have believed you. And back then, YouTube wasn’t even invented yet, so the idea of being a YouTuber was inconceivable. I am grateful to live in a time where technology is advancing so quickly and creating new opportunities for the future that we haven’t even thought about yet.

Contact Info:

• Address: 2800 Neilson Way
  Suite 3 Santa Monica, CA 90405
• Website: magentaagency.com, trinaalbus.com
• Email: trina@magentaagency.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/trinaalbus
• Facebook: facebook.com/beautybeyond40onyoutube
• Twitter: twitter.com/trinaalbus
• Other: youtube.com/beautybeyond40

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