Today we’d like to introduce you to Darren Knight.
Darren, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began my career in cosmetics in 2006 working at the famous Marshall Field’s on State Street in downtown Chicago! I was a broke college student and needed a part-time job. I saw a “now hiring” sign on one of the entrances so I decided to submit my application! They hired me and told me that the only position that had open was in the cosmetics department. I was reluctant to take the job because I never saw myself working behind a makeup counter but I desperately needed the money and was in no position to decline the offer. I made $9.25 an hour and worked for, at the time, a new brand that I had never heard of called “Philosophy.” I quickly found my niche and fell into place and before I knew it I was moving to St. Louis, Missouri to take a job working for Christian Dior as the market Beauty Director. I fell in love with cosmetics because I was able to help people feel better about their self. It’s funny but cosmetics is very personal for a lot of people. Some people wear makeup because they are insecure and want to hide or they don’t feel comfortable with their looks. Sitting someone down and showing them how to enhance their natural beauty and helping them realize that they are beautiful with or without makeup is a very magical thing. Dior was the perfect entry-level position for me. I met so many wonderful people and leaders that taught me so much about the industry and, still to this day, I keep in touch with them!
Fast forward a few years and I took a job where I was able to travel all over the country managing the Kiehls Since 1851 account for Dillard’s Department Stores. That was a fun job and that is where I fell in love with traveling and relationship account management.
For the past six years, I have worked bareMinerals cosmetics. Bare (as we call it in the industry) is the number one clean beauty brand in the world! It has been an amazing experience to grow with such a celebrated global brand! Currently, I am the Regional Sales & Education Executive overseeing a team of executives, managing multi-channel account distribution for North Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska. I work cross-functionally with our retail partners and merchandise leadership teams to ensure that everyone feels beautiful in her (OR his) own skin. It’s a lot of fun and I am afforded the privilege of getting to travel often for fun business trips! Most of all, still to this day, I enjoy the power of helping people feel beautiful. bareMinerals was founded by a woman named Leslie Blodget and her focus since the beginning was being the “girlfriend brand” and providing the “girlfriend experience” every single day! In the past 25 years, the brand has soared to unparalleled heights within the cosmetic industry consistently procuring awards and accolades for our best selling Original Foundation! Nothing ignites me more than knowing that I helped someone feel beautiful! Call me old fashioned but I still believe in the power of good conversation and a smile! I incorporate this in my daily business dealings and it has always worked for me!
Last year, I decided that I wanted to take on some new challenges and grow more in my personal life. I had spent my twenties setting and achieving goals in my life professionally but I felt a bit lacking in my personal life. I turned 32 and, in true retail management fashion, I took an “inventory” of my personal life. I’m 32, no kids, single, no pets, lots of great friends, and no fun hobbies. I thought of ways I could leverage fulfillment in my personal life without having to make drastic alterations. I decided I could invest time in a couple of hobbies! From that point, I started a Wine and Food Club. It was a great idea but a LOT of work and it ended up being a total flop! We met once and that was it. If I had more time to invest in it, it would probably still be around but nevertheless, it is what it is. I had a huge passion for food, friends, wine, and entertaining and I continued to search for ways to find a way to an outlet that passion. I remembered that I had created an Instagram for the Wine and Food Club and one day I logged on and thought, I’m going to use this as my foodie Insta-blog and thus the Turtlecreek Foodie was born!
Has it been a smooth road?
I recently read Oprah’s book “What I Know for Sure”— it’s a great book and if you have not read it, you definitely should! I hope that it will leave you feeling enlightened as it did me.
I shared this detail with you because it will provide you with the understanding of why I begin answering this next question with the phrase, “what I know for sure.”
What I know for sure is that if your path doesn’t have obstacles then you’re probably not on the right path. That being said, if it is terribly rocky then perhaps you should try and find a new path that works but what I really do know for sure that when you’re passionate about something, nothing can stop you. I have had many setbacks— whether it was a job I wanted or a relationship that failed because I chose my career over love; setbacks are definitely real and they defiantly hurt! The trick is that you cannot allow it to break you. You also have to remember that the face of success is different for everyone and you cannot compare yourself to anyone. I am very competitive and truly enjoy friendly competition with my peers but if I wasted my time looking around at others and what they were doing, I’d never achieved what I have. I focus my energy on being grateful and because of this, I can hardly recall the struggles because the good times outweigh the struggles in a big way!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
What is bareMinerals? Well, for starters, bareMinerals is the number 1 clean beauty brand in the world. We are known for our clean products that have minimal ingredients and provide outstanding cosmetic benefits! The makeup feels weightless on the skin and reaches a vast shade range so you’re sure to find the perfect foundation match! Specifically, our wheelhouse is our complexion franchises— we offer something for everyone! Loose, pressed, liquid, stick… whatever you want, we have it! bareMinerals brings the #powerofgood to the beauty world and it’s full of good for your minerals and free of harsh chemicals!
The Turtlecreek Foodie is my foodie Insta-blog. The Insta-blog delivers fun recipes, restaurants, and unique travel experiences (involving foods) to my followers. What I love most about @turtlecreek.foodie is that there are NO RULES! Nothing is off limits! I talk about keto friendly foods, how to repurpose leftovers, to fine dining in New York City! I recently was on a business trip to Iceland for bareMinerals and we visited a tomato farm as part of our group activity and that was a fun post! Additionally, it is my aspiration that the @turtlecreek.foodie Instablog be all inclusive and continue to reach a diverse demographic of followers from all walks of life, all over the planet!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Dallas is a mecca for entrepreneurs and enterprise! The city is diverse and cultured yet still has a small town feel where you can really get to know everyone and make a splash!
For people starting out that is questioning if Dallas is the place to begin, I’d say YES without hesitation!
Contact Info:
- Address: 3500 Fairmount Street, Dallas, TX 75219
- Phone: (314) 440.1998
- Email: darren_knight@live.com
- Instagram: @turtlecreek.foodie
Image Credit:
Juan Hertado, Tim Turner
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
Cheryl Ann
March 14, 2019 at 9:29 pm
What I know for sure Darren, you are fantastic!
Very well done article/interview!