BY: JADE LEONARD
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Jacob Webster, Kevin Stephenson, and Kayla Evans
She’s glam, she’s on fire, and she’s living right now! Strutting in her purpose, a vessel of love and inspiration for black women in the $500 billion dollar beauty industry. Creating captivating content with makeup, fashion, and travel adventures.
Hebrews 11:1
“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
If you’re reading this is a sign to embrace new beginnings and leave old ways behind. Everyone makes mistakes so you can let them go. Manifest your goals with outcomes and stay committed to them. You may find that you have a better way to achieve the outcome than what you originally thought. A unique phase of life is approaching and positive changes are ahead.
TUN: Who is Morgan Fitzpatrick? How do you want to be remembered?
MTF: “Honestly this question was really hard for me to answer because I feel like you think about your legacy a lot but personally, I have not. I want to be remembered for my selflessness and being a vessel of love. It might sound weird but I want to be empty when I leave earth because I know that I used everything that God gave me.”
COVID especially made her look inward and discover the depths of her trauma and use it to heal, build self-awareness, and understand why God placed her here. At the end of the day, she wants to ensure she did what God called her to accomplish. In this season, she’s actively doing it! Giving heart, willing to help, and inspiring women, especially black women, to live life to the fullest, nurture themselves, and heal. To know it’s okay to ask for help when you need it. To know it's okay to give yourself a break.
Society puts added pressure on black women, from being a highly educated population yet underpaid, balancing relationships, combating racism, and the effects of police brutality on our families. In an effort to break the stereotypes of black women, we’ve taken on the Superwoman Complex and our mental health has paid a price, trying to “do it all”. Be the best, break the barriers, and live a life of our ancestor’s wildest dreams.
Yes, it's amazing to want to give and help, but you gotta hang up the cape every now and then and give back to yourself: mentally, spiritually, and physically. “Black women keep the world turning and spinning." Morgan encourages black women to be the best they can be. How? Through her style of content and ensuring her art translates to her supporters. Things could change in a few years, but right now? Her purpose is to uplift black women to be their best selves.
Improving Your Health
Can you relate? Struggling with anxiety, getting to the breaking point of feeling it in your body? It’s not a great experience. Stress kills! Especially among black women. Black people are viewed as hard but we don't have to be so strong, we don’t gotta save everybody. Habits and traits among yourself may not contribute to your best self. It's not a linear path or healing overnight; life is ever-changing. And… we need to keep talking about it…Therapy. More black people should try it. Be vulnerable.
“I can’t be at 110% all the time especially when I’m facing my own battles and challenges... how can I serve other people?” 3 years ago, Morgan wouldn’t have been so candid in an interview but speaking her truth could help someone else who's dealing with the same things while providing resources and problem-solving steps she took. “Take in and meet people where they are. A lot of times we have all these expectations for how we view life, view people, and what we want in life when really none of it holds weight. You never know when your time is going to be up. Going with the motions has helped.”
Mind
“Don’t wait till you're burnt out, crying in a corner to get started on bettering your mental health. There’s a misconception that you need to go to therapy when something’s wrong with you. You can be the happiest person on the earth and still need something to talk about. Changing my mindset. Once you get into a negative space it’s hard to pull yourself up, mind shifts, and thinking about things in a positive manner." --MTF
Body
“I’m at peace when I make time for myself. If I don’t have a solid routine I get burnt out and ya’ll won’t hear from me. Going to the gym, especially working out, and eating healthier have made a huge difference. Foods with a lot of sugar affect your body and the way you think. You don’t have to get to the breaking point!" --MTF
Soul
"Journal, prayer, and getting closer to God have really helped. Without God, I wouldn’t be to get to a level of discernment so I'm really grateful." --MTF
Growing up, Morgan was a shy and always independent girly girl who loved getting dressed, nail polish, lip gloss, and getting her hair done. In high school, she started experimenting with makeup. Back then MAC prolong wear foundation was the “ish”. When she got to college she wanted her own business. “Growing up you don't see a lot of black business owners. Also not a lot of black-owned beauty brands.” The whole nature of not knowing surrounded black women's hair care and makeup. The beauty community for a long time didn't have products for us, but times have changed.
When opportunities came up to promote her talents, the inner shy child would show up and would not talk about her business. She was afraid to take up space like a lot of black people are -- like we don’t belong or the fear of failure. But now? She’s loud about her brand, unapologetic about forming her lane on this avenue, and creating room for black beauties around the globe, “If I speak up and help make a difference and touch someone else, that would mean the world to me."
Morgan attained a Bachelor’s in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations from George Mason University, where she started her business, MTF Cosmetics, in 2017, shipping orders out of her dorm room between classes while having a full schedule and working jobs. So that hustle aspect hits differently when it comes to MTF.
Finding Balance between 9 to 5 & 5 to 9
Let’s face it... it’s hard. But not .. impossible. Morgan works as a Senior Marketing Coordinator for 8 hours of the day; so her days are jam-packed:
MTF: “Imagine if I had all this time to create. I'm not at a stage where I can go full time yet and there’s nothing wrong with that, everybody’s journey is different. I would rather take my time than rush. It's all about time. My job is teaching me a lot of professional skills that I can translate into my own business. In the meantime, I'm working on mustering up my faith for when that time comes.
Time Management & Marketing Tips
Make sure everything’s planned out to a “T”
Create a content calendar and schedule. “I like to switch things up. You can have your timed and sponsored posts. But if I take a picture and it's cute!?! and it's not on the schedule? Imma post it!”
Helps with goals and what you want to achieve
Helps with business
Rebrand as much as you want
Get a Social Media Manager, “She's been helping me out so much”
Brand awareness over orders right now (videos are a great paid social strategy and a key part of the buyer’s journey)
TUN: What makes MTF Cosmetics unique?
MTF: “As I grow as a person my brand grows. MTF stands for my full name and when I named the brand, I wanted it to be unique and personal to me. The most unique thing would be naming the brand after me. The inspiration aspect is something I’m translating into MTF cosmetics. A vessel of empowerment for black women and men in beauty to be their best selves because I support the LGBTQ community.”
TUN: What’s an obstacle you had to overcome when starting your business?
MTF: “Everything. My biggest obstacle was not knowing what to do next. No one passes down how to run a successful business. It was bittersweet because I tell people all the time, no matter what field of work that you want to do, the only person that’s standing in your way is you. I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn’t just started and done it.”
To defeat those obstacles?
Learn more about business
Research
Ask questions to people who are in the field
Attend webinars
Network with successful business owners
Look at brands you are inspired by and their systems
“You cannot be a successful person without being teachable because we don’t know everything.” --MTF
TUN: Who’s your favorite makeup influencer?
MTF: “Top of the list is Ms. Jackie Aina. I know that's like everyone’s favorite but it has to be because she literally paved the way for how black beauty is viewed. She's the ultimate standard of everything and I appreciate what she has done. Taking those harsh comments about her skin and her work. I’m of lighter skin so I could find my products in some things but she couldn't and there are a lot of women and men in beauty who are still struggling to do that.”
TUN: What are a few tips for networking or social media?
MTF:
Be yourself
You can't cut corners
Build your own community
People forget to add genuineness
Don't force relationships
Don't believe everything you see on social media
Who you surround yourself with has a big impact on you
Set the standard of how you want to be treated or people will abuse that
TUN: What were 3 main takeaways from Sharing her story virtual conference?
MTF: “Oh yes! I love that conference, shoutout to Briana. She's amazing. I love her so much. She’s one of my best friends and just to brag on her a little bit, she started her own mentoring group called sisters with a mission and that was her first conference.
Collaboration over competition
Vulnerability is an important piece of making yourself and relationships thrive
You cannot heal without feeling. Letting yourself feel the feels during the negative times and celebrating the positive moments as well.
TUN: What does faith mean to you?
MTF: “Faith is everything. I would be nothing if I didn't have faith. Knowing God got me through whatever as long as I put my trust in him. Faith for me is also giving up control. Once you give up that control it's like a burden lifted off of your shoulders. Yes, I am in control of decisions I make in my life but God is bigger than I am. It's okay to take breaks. that's so important.”
Follow Morgan on IG for content and visit MTF Cosmetics!