Abstract
PurposeThis paper aims to explore how Indonesian males who are entrepreneurs in make-up artists navigate their businesses in a society that relies on hegemonic masculinity. This goal is reached by concentrating on male make-up artist entrepreneurs in five Indonesian provinces and investigating how they actively rewrite their gender and inherent vocations by societal norms.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts a qualitative phenomenological approach with methods. In-depth interviews and observations were conducted with 28 informants in five provinces of Indonesia.FindingsThese findings show that, aside from self-concept, family support is the most crucial determining factor that pushes men make-up artists to become businesses in the face of so many rejections. Persistence in battling for their fate is also critical in efforts to erase themselves, who are constantly subjected to hegemonic masculinity. Aside from that, it appears that the government's role in attempts to promote gender equality in all fields of business in Indonesia remains limited.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the gender and entrepreneurship literature by providing a broader exploration of male entrepreneurs working in the field of female make-up artists in a society that still adheres to hegemonic masculinity.