Something great about being a drag queen is that we are afforded a certain amount of ego. Drag queens are supposed to think they’re the prettiest person who’s ever lived. I always feel proud to present my work, whether it’s touring live music; my YouTube channel; my podcast, The Bald and the Beautiful; my cosmetics company, Trixie Cosmetics; my motel in Palm Springs, the Trixie Motel; my gay bar in Milwaukee, This Is It! With drag you’re basically entering a business world where you’re your own product. I don’t stress out that much. Drag beat any sort of nerves out of me. It wasn’t that long ago I was lip-synching for 40 people while somebody spilled a tray of burgers at my feet and the drunk bachelorette puked on me, and I had to take the bus home in drag. Now, we make more money, and there’s more exposure, but the actual job has not gotten easier. It’s why I’ve set some boundaries. I’m 33 years old, and I’ve been doing drag for 15 years. I have a small team, and it makes it easy to track when someone does a great job. It also makes it easy to track when the balls drop: How did it happen? How do we make sure it doesn’t happen again? In those moments, I take a step back and I go, Well, what can I control? If I ever have an anxiety issue, I take a nap. I think of it as resetting the day. For a long time, I was proud of working every day. Now I feel I’ve missed out on living a little bit. I want to have pets—I haven’t had an animal in 10 years because I’m always gone. My partner [filmmaker and producer] David [Silver], I see him maybe one day every two months. That’s not sustainable. My mom’s getting older. It’s time to be more of a human being because . . . what am I going to talk and write about if I don’t have a real life? —As told to KC Ifeanyi
Time she wakes up
About 9 a.m.
First thing she does in the morning
Brush my teeth. I’ll even wake up, brush my teeth, and maybe get back in bed and go to sleep. Psychotic.
Her definition of productivity
I’m most proud of myself when I know when to work and know when to stop. I know when to be getting in drag, or doing an interview, or giving notes on a video or something. And I know when to have a glass of wine and relax.
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
