Market Data 
- Alexis Walker is a longtime makeup artist and career pivot coach who hosts The Hollywood Second Act Podcast.
- Walker helps people in Hollywood and other industries apply their skills to new opportunities.
- She herself started transitioning out of the entertainment industry during the pandemic.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Alexis Walker, a 48-year-old career pivot coach and Hollywood makeup artist, who lives in Los Angeles. In 2024, Walker started The Hollywood Second Act Podcast where she interviews industry veterans and business experts.
The following has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
I studied psychology in college and was on track to become a counselor. But right before I graduated in 1999, we had a tragic loss in our family that essentially threw the puzzle pieces of my life on the floor.
It made me very aware that life is fragile and fleeting, and everyone should be doing something that makes them happy.
I realized I wanted to do something that felt creative and allowed me to be around amazing people. So, I decided to go to school to become a makeup artist.
I moved to Los Angeles about 25 years ago
I enrolled in a six-month intensive makeup artistry program where we learned everything from how to do facial hair to aging makeup.
I was young and it was so exciting. I wanted to do any work I could get. I think my first job was $25 a day, and I was thrilled.
I also worked at a makeup counter early in my career so I could pay my bills while I was building my resume and making connections.
It’s such interesting work because you’re not just doing art on a piece of paper. You have a human in your chair and you have to contend with whatever mood they’re in. The people who are most successful in this industry have really high emotional intelligence.
For years, I was working hard to get into the makeup artist union, because that’s where you really start making a living. But it takes a long time to get in because you have to work a certain number of days in a certain timeframe.
In the early days, it felt like there was a secret handshake to get into Hollywood that everyone knew except me.
I worked for six years to get into the union. I remember my first union day working on a mainstream movie and I felt so lucky to be there.
Over time, I came to realize that while I was lucky to be working on various projects, they were also lucky to have me. I’m a hard worker and it took time, but I came to understand my contribution was worth something too.
I worked on so many fun projects
Getting to work with icons like Norman Lear on “One Day at a Time” and Garry Marshall were definite highlights of my career. I was fortunate to work for Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison company for many years and had the opportunity to travel the country with wonderful people on fun projects like “Just Go With It.”
When I was young, the industry felt like something I could give myself to completely. I was single for so long because I was totally satisfied with my work.
It’s a very consumptive industry. We often didn’t work regular hours. Sometimes I’d be working 19-hour days and beginning my day at 3 a.m.
I started thinking about making a change ahead of the pandemic
I was getting older, and I was starting to wonder, is this it? Is there something more I want to express or experience? But it was a long process to figure out what I wanted to do next.
During the pandemic, I was working on two multicam shows, which are traditional sitcoms like “Cheers” or “Seinfeld.” They’re great for makeup artists and shooting crews because they allow for a more traditional schedule.
At the same time, I was exploring my career options. I applied to grad school and quickly realized that wasn’t quite right. I was doing a lot of volunteering and community building, taking classes and courses on various things, just trying different things on.
The strikes in 2023 disrupted Hollywood even more. We all wanted people to have protection and the rights they were fighting for, but it was really tough for so many people to be out of work.
I think the strikes made a lot of people realize that this industry doesn’t give us very much control over our lives and income.
But changing your career in middle age often means changing your entire life, particularly when you’re in an industry that encompasses so much of your life. And that can be scary.
I wish I’d had a mentor when I was pivoting
I so desperately wanted guidance from someone who understood the industry I was leaving and could help me navigate it, but I couldn’t really find that.
So, last year I started a podcast called the Hollywood Second Act Club Podcast, where I interview amazing people in the entertainment industry who have pivoted to new careers or started side hustles. They are the mentors I wish I’d had.
Some examples of the incredible guests I’ve had on the podcast include a hairstylist turned infant and toddler sleep expert, a former music supervisor turned financial advisor, a former camera assistant turned underwater portrait photographer, and a studio marketing executive turned home organizer.
There are so many superpowers people in this business have that they might not even be aware of.
A lot of my listeners are trying to figure out how to take those skills and build a life that feels authentic and gives them agency over their work. It’s not just about switching from one job to another; it’s about building out the whole package.
I also have experts on the podcast who talk about different aspects of building your own business. The podcast leans toward the entrepreneurial path for those wanting to take charge of their own life and career.
I also completed a coaching program
I work with all types of people who want to change their careers and change their lives. I have a particular fondness and focus on people in the entertainment industry because I’m familiar with it, but I work with people outside of Hollywood, too.
I help people take the skills they already have and apply them to whatever it is they want to do next.
I also still work from time to time in the industry. The medical insurance is incredible. But it’s not so much my focal point anymore.
My heart hurts for this industry because I love it and I think a lot of people are feeling like a deer in headlights, terrified of what’s next. I know what it’s like to be freaking out, but if we can lean on one another, we can make it.
My own pivot has been challenging at times. I feel stretched thin all the time and I’m constantly having to figure out new things.
But I’ve never been happier. I’m living a life that feels juicy. I wake up in the morning with creative ideas and get to help incredible people. I’m very, very happy.
