#WhyNotMe Entrepreneur Spotlight - Kim Bean

May 31, 2023

By Neal Lilliott

Image of Kim Bean, Founder, whatsbeanHappening

#WhyNotMe GBC Entrepreneur Spotlight:

Lights, camera, hair, makeup! As we burst into June and summer sunshine, startGBC has pride in celebrating this month’s George Brown College entrepreneur, Kim Bean, a talented and accomplished hair, and makeup artist. Like so many of our amazing entrepreneurs, Kim has various strands to her entrepreneurial offerings and now encompasses it all under her lifestyle brand whatsbeanHappening!

About Kim Bean

Kim is a hairstylist, makeup artist and creator of whatsbeanHappening.com, a beauty, fashion, and lifestyle brand. She also works in film and television doing hair and makeup and has completed more than forty different film and tv shows in the past eight years. Kim started her business in 2009 as a creative outlet featuring blogs and tutorials about beauty, food, and style. Today her online store retails professional haircare, makeup, skincare, fashion, handcrafted jewellery, and sustainable lifestyle products from around the world. whatsbeanHappening.com retails animal cruelty-free products, sustainably packaged, vegan/vegetarian with clean ingredients. She also offers tutorials, blog posts and product reviews providing professional beauty and style advice to all ages, ethnicities, genders, identities, and budgets.

Academic Background

Bachelor’s Theatre and Communications, Brock University. Certificate in Waxing & IPL Hair Removal, George Brown College, Certificate in Business for Estheticians, George Brown College, Certificate in Nail Technician Program, George Brown College and Certificate in Social Media Marketing, George Brown College.

What made you want to become an entrepreneur?

I was fortunate to have amazing mentors who taught me from a young age into adulthood how important it is to be self-sufficient and confident in myself and my ideas. I love creating and I’ve always been a solutions-orientated person who likes to challenge the norm and discover new things.

Why did you create your business?

I enjoy making people feel good and pride myself on finding the best option for every client. I was born and raised in Northern Ontario and was often told to be realistic, that the North would never be filled with movie stars or any sort of fashion and glamour that I read about in magazines. I went away for school, travelled, and lived in Toronto for a decade before deciding to bring home as much glamour as I could wholesale. Then the film industry in the North took off and now my dream and the industry work hand in hand. Right place, right time, right state of mind.

What successes have you enjoyed so far with building your company?

I have built a following across social media platforms of over 20K. I offer my clients and viewers the same tips, advice, and service I give models, actors and celebrities. I will be relocating to the UK this June for six months to teach and help facilitate the opening of a beauty school in central London. My business will operate out of this same facility while I am abroad, retailing and introducing select Canadian beauty brands to the European market, for the first time. My business is still entirely female-owned and led.

I have also had the privilege to afford time away from work to spend with my terminally ill family.

What is one piece of advice you would give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

You can have it all, but you can’t have it all at once. Sometimes achieving your dreams takes a decade or two. You must be honest with yourself, fearless and flexible. I’ve spent my whole life preparing for the life I’m pursuing and I’m still doing my homework. The best thing you can do is lose the ego, come at the world with positivity, ask for help when you need it and show up for other people.

Any books, videos or podcasts you would recommend?

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay, a great read. MaryAnne Damarzo (on TikTok or Instagram) gives amazing tips and insight for any type of businessperson.