Friday Feature

Friday Feature: Kristi Lynn with Makeup By Kristi Lynn

Makeup by Kristi Lynn

Please introduce yourself and your business.

Photo by Amber Marie Photography

Photo by Amber Marie Photography

Hello! I am Kristi Martinson, owner and lead artist of Makeup By Kristi Lynn soon to be co-owner of WINK Hair and Makeup Team with Krystal Lehman! We are a team of professionally trained hair and makeup artists that specialize in wedding and event hair and makeup. 

Why did you start your creative small business?

Makeup By Kristi Lynn started in 2009 because I had such a passion for making women look and feel confident and beautiful, but also for the artistry and creativity of makeup. I am an artist and I love that every canvas isn’t the same. Every face, every set of eyes, every mouth has a different shape and color. I love constantly learning how to enhance natural beauty and teaching what I know to clients and other artists.

What does an average day look like for you? What things/responsibilities are you juggling?

7-7:30a- Wakeup, check emails, see if there are any anniversaries for past clients.

7:30-7:45a- Try to roll out of bed (I am NOT a morning person!)

7:45a-12p- Play dates, errands, & dance parties

12-2p- NAP TIME!! Catch up on emails & phone calls, map out trials, schedule artists with weddings, double check wedding and photo shoot dates with artist schedules

2p-7:30p- nature walks, play dates, art projects (I love painting with my daughter), more errands or house work.

7:30p-11:30- Check emails, schedule appointments, work on rebranding, research new trends and techniques, put together invoices and wedding timelines, triple and quadruple check wedding and photo shoot dates with artist schedules, various administrative work.

11:30p- Try to go to sleep...but I usually end up sending out more emails or watching makeup videos.

What has been a struggle for you as a creative small business owner?

When my daughter was born in 2014, I was able to quit cosmetic retail and focus on raising my daughter and re- launching my business. It was terrifying leaving a steady job with benefits without knowing for certain if I was going to make it. Everyday in the beginning was a struggle. Last year I had to reintroduce myself to the wedding world because I had taken myself out of it for 3 years. The first 3 months of 2015 I didn’t get any inquires, I had nothing booked for the upcoming year and I almost gave up. But one day, I got an inquiry for a wedding. Then one day I got booked. By the end of the year I had done over 40 weddings, 2 album covers, several commercial, boudoir, and head shot shoots all by myself. I still cannot believe how blessed I have been.

Everyday is still a struggle, but it’s a new kind of struggle. Last year my struggle was keeping afloat. This year my struggle is learning to be organized not just for myself, but my team and

finding that balance of working and being a wife and mother. I love the struggles that this year has brought me.

Photo by Cheyenne Kidd Photography

Photo by Cheyenne Kidd Photography

 

What has been a joy for you as a creative small business owner?

I have had so many joys as a business owner; it’s hard to narrow them down. One of the best feelings professionally is seeing my work make a woman blossom and come alive when she looks at herself in the mirror. So many women sit in my chair and immediately begin telling me what they believe is wrong with them. My goal is to make those insecurities disappear and show her the beauty everyone else already sees.

Also, seeing my work featured on wedding blogs and in magazines always gives me butterflies. That is definitely a joy that puts a huge smile on my face and bounce in my step.

What productivity tips do you have for my readers?

I recently discovered 17 Hats and I have quickly become obsessed. It has definitely helped organize my life. Other than that, create a schedule for yourself and keep to it.

What resources or tools have helped you in your business?

Other people that know the business and have been doing what I want to do for years have been a huge help. I am amazed that so many people have been open with sharing their knowledge and experience with me. I have learned more about marketing and building my business from a handful of fellow wedding vendors than I would have anywhere else. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate everyone that has helped me along the way.

What tips do you have for readers who have (or want to start) a creative small business?

Introduce yourself to everyone, give everyone a business card, and get one in return. Utilize your fellow creatives. They hold so much knowledge and are happy to share what they have learned from past mistakes and victories to you. You just have to reach out.

Photo by Six Foot Photography

Photo by Six Foot Photography

Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?

My only other pearl of wisdom I have for anyone looking to start their own small business is to surround yourself with people you trust and get along with well. I love the women I work beside and I chose my team based on how talented they are, how willing they are to learn and take criticism, and if I liked them as a person. As a result, I love what I get to do and whom I get to do it with. Their successes are my successes and visa versa.

We’ll end on a light note: What is your favorite clothing store?

It’s so difficult for me to shop in an actual store with an almost 2 year old that has no idea what it’s like to sit still. Since having my daughter, I have become an online shopping addict. I could spend hours looking through Revolve Clothing. And Nordstrom. I could do some serious damage in Nordstrom. 

Friday Feature: Amy Perdue with Plume Events

Plume Events

Please introduce yourself and your business.

Image By Brett & Jessica

Hello!  My name is Amy Plant-Perdue.  I am a wife, a new mommy, and a lover of English, dogs, and all-things vintage.  My husband and I welcomed our first son, Graham, last August, and he is the biggest blessing and the greatest joy in our lives!  My mom and I work together doing vintage rentals and event planning.  We named our company Plume because we love the symbolism behind feathers and birds.  In literature, they represent flight, freedom, and independence, especially from things and people that could potentially hold us back from our goals and dreams.  Plume as a verb means to decorate, adorn, or arrange, so it couldn’t have been a more perfect name for our business!  We love shopping for new, interesting pieces for our inventory and styling them for weddings and parties.  We also enjoy meeting couples who are in love and helping them bring their ideas to life for their dream weddings. 

 

Why did you start your creative small business?

When I got married in 2013, we knew we wanted to start a vintage rental company, so when we were shopping for the wedding, we were also shopping for what would become our rental inventory.  We love antiques and the “hunt” for amazing pieces, and we work really well together, so we knew we wanted to have a business together and one that involved antiques.  We loved the idea of vintage rentals because it gives our clients access to the beautiful pieces we have without the cost of purchasing them themselves.  We genuinely are sad when we see pieces that just sit in antique shops waiting to be sold, and no one is enjoying their beauty and value, so renting pieces people otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford or don’t have the need for long-term gets them out of antique stores and helps create beautiful weddings and events!  The vintage rentals expanded into event design and styling, and that led to wedding planning and coordination.  It has been so fun to see our business grow and to be challenged with new opportunities!

What does an average day look like for you? What things/responsibilities are you juggling?

 My average day is a balance between my roles as a mom and as a small business owner.  In between feeding, playing with, and reading to my son and the millions of things that need to get done around the house, I use every spare minute to work on business tasks.  I spend a lot of the day on the computer, answering and sending emails, connecting with other vendors, updating our inventory on our website, working on wedding details, or searching Pinterest or Etsy for inspiration.  I love when I get to get out of the house to meet with couples or meet with another vendor to talk weddings or just catch up. 

What has been a struggle for you as a creative small business owner?

Whew—where do I start?  Haha!  Owning your own business is definitely rewarding and worth all of the struggles, but it is hard.  I have struggled with self-confidence and my tendency to compare myself to other people in the industry who I assume are doing better than I am.  I have to remind myself that everyone in the creative industry has to work their butts off to stay relevant and attract business.  I also have to remind myself to stay focused on what I love about event planning and vintage rentals and to stay true to my style and my goals and not worry so much about what other people are doing.  When I do that, I am a much happier person, and good things happen for my business! 

What has been a joy for you as a creative small business owner?

I love almost every aspect of my business.  I love the challenge of finding new ways to market myself; I love that part of my job involves shopping and Pinterest searches; I love being organized, scheduling meetings, keeping up with spending vs. profit, and maintaining a website; I love meeting new people, hearing about their relationships, and taking their crazy ideas from just that—ideas—to an amazing wedding day.  But I think my greatest joy has been knowing that I am pursuing a dream I have had for a long time and being proud of myself for taking this risk.  I am proud that my son will see me working hard to build my business and that he will learn to take risks in his own life for the things he is passionate about. 

What productivity tips do you have for my readers?

Image By Brett & Jessica

Image By Brett & Jessica

My biggest piece of advice for anyone who is multitasking, whether it be with a child, a second job, or another major responsibility, is to devote some uninterrupted time to each task every day.  Sometimes you can successfully feed a baby while typing an email one-handed, but sometimes that’s just too much.  I’ve realized that I get most frustrated when I feel as though I’m trying to do it all at once, so when I feel that starting to happen, I make a decision.  For the next hour, am I going to be Mommy, or am I going to be Boss Lady?  I pick what is going to be most feasible, and I put all my attention and efforts into that one thing and enjoy it with my whole self.  I hold my son and play peek-a-boo without thinking about an email I received and planning out my response in my head.  Or I put him in his exersaucer, which he LOVES and I know is a place he will be entertained and safe, and I work on the computer without feeling guilty that my son is playing independently.  It isn’t always an easy thing to do, but when I can manage, I always feel significantly better emotionally and way more productive.   

 

 

What resources or tools have helped you in your business?

Networking!  The absolute best thing I have done to grow my business is to reach out to other people in the industry.  Not only can you potentially get new clients that way, but you become more knowledgeable about your industry and better equipped to help your clients.  Meeting with awesome people in the wedding and creative industries also helps me to stay positive and focused on my goals. 

What tips do you have for readers who have (or want to start) a creative small business?

 I really just can’t say enough about networking.  Reach out to other people you think you could or would want to work with and people who you would consider your competition.  You never know what opportunities will come from a simple, kind email or a coffee date!  Another important lesson I have learned is to value your talents and make sure you are charging what you are worth.  It is really hard to decide what that is in the beginning, and you have to start somewhere, but remember you are running a business, and your time and talents are worthy of (at least) a decent living.   

Image By Brett & Jessica

Image By Brett & Jessica

We’ll end on a light note: What is your favorite clothing store?

Old Navy.  Hands down.  I LOVE Old Navy.  I shop for every person in my life there because the clothes are super cute and reasonably priced.  And they almost always have something—or everything!—on sale.  I think eighty percent of my wardrobe, my husbands, and my son’s is from there haha!

Follow Plume Events on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and their Website. Also, find Plume Events featured on Style Me Pretty and 100 Layer Cakelet.

Photos by Brett & Jessica

Photos by Brett & Jessica

Photos by Brett & Jessica

Photos by Brett & Jessica

Friday Feature: Megan Leiss with Spring Forth Farm

Welcome to my "Friday Feature" blog series highlighting female creative small business owners! I hope these posts will give you insight into what these women do and what their lives look like. I also hope you'll find these posts helpful if you're in the creative industry, you run a small business, or you're thinking about starting a small business. You can catch up on the "Friday Feature" series here:

Randi Russell with Carry Your Heart Events
Emily Guyer with Justified Paperie
Katy Osborne with All About That Hair NC

Julie Poole with Juliepatoolie's
Megan Leiss with Spring Forth Farm

Spring Forth Farm

Please introduce yourself and your business.
My name is Megan Leiss and I am a native of Hillsborough, NC.  I own and operate Spring Forth Farm with my husband, Jonathan.  Spring Forth Farm is a small flower farm in Hurdle Mills, NC and we grow fresh, seasonal flowers for florists, businesses and  weddings and events.  Our farmer/florist business model is “purely seasonal,” meaning we only use material in our event work that we grow and harvest off the farm.  Our flowers are top quality and as fresh as possible.  I love the artistic process of walking through the fields to see what is blooming before starting on arranging for an event. This inspires me to envision the various combinations of color, flowers and greenery and the different ways they might all come together in a vibrant and rich manner. Though we are not certified organic, we farm using organic and sustainable principles so that in our business venture we are also caring for creation, increasing soil health and supporting biodiversity of wildlife on the farm.

Why did you start your creative small business?
I started Spring Forth Farm for many different reasons.  The first is that I absolutely love flowers and the beauty that they bring into this world.  The second is that I wanted a small farm business that would allow Jonathan and I to create a self-sustaining homestead where we grow our own food and make our own electricity through solar energy.  The third is that I wanted the flower business to make enough money to allow us to grow vegetables for a local food pantry.  I believe that everyone should have access to fresh and healthy produce and I am glad that I can help make that happen in a small way.  Our farm also donates 5% of our gross income to a local food bank.

 

What does an average day look like for you? What things/responsibilities are you juggling?
I love that no two days are the same!  While we are getting our flower farm off the ground, Jonathan and I are also building a small, passive solar and energy efficient home from scratch.  Yes, we are doing 90% of the work ourselves and are learning as we go.  Jonathan is also a Durham City Firefighter and I am a preschool teacher.  Any given day I start my school day at 7am and get home to the farm around 3pm.  Then I work the rest of the day on the farm or on our house.  Farm tasks range from planting flower transplants, starting seeds, harvesting and arranging flowers, troubleshooting a struggling or failing crop (with lots of tears and worry), and communicating with brides or other clients ordering flowers for events.  During the winter months, farm tasks could include farm planning, building hoop houses and maintaining our perennial flower patch.  I am constantly juggling all of these different things in my life.  While they are all such rich and beautiful things, I struggle with feeling torn between giving both the farm and our home building enough attention.  Afterall, our move-in date for our home totally depends on how much time we can devote to building the house.  But we are moving forward, slowly and surely.  

What has been a struggle for you as a creative small business owner?
The biggest struggle for me as a small business owner is figuring out when to “leave” work.  It is all too easy to talk about farm business too late at night or over dinner.  We started giving ourselves a time frame for turning the business talk “off.”  This will be an ongoing struggle to keep the business from infiltrating every aspect of our private lives.

What has been a joy for you as a creative small business owner?
Flowers make people happy!  They make us happy too and there is nothing quite like seeing someone’s face light up when they see our fresh flowers.  I love bringing that kind of joy and beauty to people.  It has been a delightful surprise for me to see how Spring Forth Farm flowers have been so well received in our business community.  

What productivity tips do you have for my readers?
Get a good night’s sleep and eat regular and healthy meals!  I know it sounds a little obvious, but it is truly what keeps me full of steam (and boy do I need a lot of energy each day).  

What resources or tools have helped you in your business?
The most invaluable resource that I have found is having a mentor.  I interned with Linda Chapman at her established farm, Harvest Moon Flower Farm.  She is always willing to listen to my woes, answer my questions and encourage creativity in my flower arranging style.  Spring Forth Farm would not have gotten off the ground so successfully without her guidance, support and the information I learned from interning on her farm. The other resource I depend on heavily is being a member in a flower farmer organization called the Association of Specialty Cut Flowers.  Growers share information about growing practices.  We help each other trouble shoot issues, give advice on pricing and much more.  The community in this growers group is so supportive and enriching.  We have also found books written by other flower farmers to be incredibly helpful.

What tips do you have for readers who have (or want to start) a creative small business?
Start small.  I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to start small and slowly grow your business.  Spring Forth Farm has started small because of the house building.  This turned out to be a big blessing to have 2-3 years of figuring out our business model while not being overwhelmed by the business.  For example, we started out thinking we were going to have a farmer’s market business.  When we started up 2 years ago, we applied to 5-6 different farmer’s markets and didn’t get one call back.  At first we were devastated but then we decided to change our business model to fit where the demand was for our flowers.  So we decided to go the wholesale route.  This has been an amazing change in our business because we pre-sell all the flowers before doing our  weekly deliveries.  At the farmer’s market we would have no guarantee of any sales and would spend 4-6 hrs of time between set up, market hours, and take down.  Also, our quality of life is richer since we adopted a wholesale model.  Farmer’s markets are time consuming and exhausting and take up the weekend.  We do have a direct marketing aspect to our business through wedding flowers and a small business bouquet subscription program.

What advice would you give to brides?
Our advice to brides when it comes to wedding flowers is “be flexible!”  When using local farms for your wedding flowers it helps to have a more flexible approach to the colors and flower types for your wedding day.  Brides that work with Spring Forth Farm for their wedding flowers understand that we are at the whim of mother nature.  They trust that our flowers will be beautiful no matter what and are happy with whatever flowers are blooming the days right before their wedding.  This means that if you have a September wedding, you won't be able to get peonies from our farm since they bloom in May, but dahlias will be blooming like crazy.  Our May brides can’t get dahlias, but they can have peonies since that is what blooms in May.  Working with farms takes a flexible mindset.  I also recommend booking in advance.  It is a common misconception that farms will always have availability.  This is not true, we book our wedding weekends pretty fast and are usually unable to accommodate last minute wedding orders because we already have a wedding and have our florist orders to fill.    

Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?
I think that it is very important to not count on your new business supporting you for the first few years.  My goal was to teach preschool until the farm was established enough to support me full time.  I am currently in my final year of teaching, yay!!!!!!!!! Jonathan will not leave his job at the fire department.  Having a steady source of outside income, with additional benefits like health insurance, lessens the stress of the farm and improves our quality of life.  

We’ll end on a light note: What is your favorite clothing store?
I don’t really shop.  But when I have to replace clothing, I go to My Secret Closet in Hillsborough.  However in order to keep from accumulating too much stuff (I am kind of a minimalist when it comes to stuff) I have a “one in, one out” policy, meaning that for each piece of clothing I buy, I have to get rid of a different piece of clothing. 

Friday Feature: Julie Poole with Juliepatoolie's

Welcome to my "Friday Feature" blog series highlighting female creative small business owners! I hope these posts will give you insight into what these women do and what their lives look like. I also hope you'll find these posts helpful if you're in the creative industry, you run a small business, or you're thinking about starting a small business. You can catch up on the "Friday Feature" series here:

Randi Russell with Carry Your Heart Events
Emily Guyer with Justified Paperie
Katy Osborne with All About That Hair NC

Julie Poole with Juliepatoolie's

Juliepatoolie's

Please introduce yourself and your business.
Hi my name is Julie Poole and I own Juliepatoolie’s in Burlington.

Why did you start your creative small business?
I started my business five years ago because I saw a need in Burlington and wanted to fill that. I wanted to be a different type of invitation business. Today’s bride wants something that fits the atmosphere that she has created and wants the invitation to be an extension and statement piece of her wedding. Typically you go in and flip through albums and pick ABC, 123 - I enjoy sitting down with brides one-on-one and creating unique invitations.

What does an average day look like for you? What things/responsibilities are you juggling?
An average day for me starts out following up with any messages left the day before then I jump into either quoting or designing for all sorts of events including wedding, anniversary, birthday, baby, etc. In between designing I am helping clients that come into the shop. I’m a one woman show so I’m also doing all of the day to day business chores as well.

What has been a struggle for you as a creative small business owner?
One struggle that I deal with is creating a good work-life balance. It is so hard as a one person business to get everything done and still try to have a normal social life, without feeling guilty every minute that I’m not at the shop doing something.

Photo by Sara-Anne Photography and Styled by Delightfully Chic

What has been a joy for you as a creative small business owner?
It is always a joy hearing from clients and being able to be small part of their big day. I love working with them and watching their face as they see the final product.

What productivity tips do you have for my readers?
I will probably need to take my own advice more than anyone - but I think setting a schedule for your day is a good tip. This is something I have just recently tried to put in place. It is so easy for me to see the mail alert and want to immediately jump over and answer it - but that slows me down and distracts me from what I am currently doing so I have tried to create a routine for the day as far as checking emails, voicemails and updating social media.

Photo by Sara-Anne Photography and styled by Delightfully Chic

What resources or tools have helped you in your business?
I would say other business owners - most people are willing to help you with networking or referring you to someone who can help you with a specific problem. One of the best things I did when I opened my business was call another business similar to mine on the West Coast (California) - they were willing to share some of their knowledge on vendors, tips they learned and how they set up their store. Since we were not competitors they felt they could share everything with me. That was a wonderful resource for me and actually made me think twice about some of the vendors I was going to use.

We’ll end on a light note: What is your favorite clothing store?
I love TJ MAXX - I have a problem - I probably go three-four times a week. You never know what you are going to find! 

Bohemian rustic wedding invitation

You can see more of Julie's work and follow along with her on her website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Friday Feature: Katy Osborne with All About That Hair NC

Welcome to my "Friday Feature" blog series highlighting female creative small business owners! I hope these posts will give you insight into what these women do and what their lives look like. I also hope you'll find these posts helpful if you're in the creative industry, you run a small business, or you're thinking about starting a small business. You can catch up on the "Friday Feature" series here:

Randi Russell with Carry Your Heart Events
Emily Guyer with Justified Paperie
Katy Osborne with All About That Hair NC

All About That Hair NC

Katy Osborne

Please introduce yourself and your business:
Hi, my name is Katy Osborne. I am 24 years old and a Gibsonville native. I am currently engaged to my wonderful fiancé Chris. I have no children, but I do have three lovely rescue cats that I care for deeply. I enjoy the simple things in life, like hiking, fishing, and swinging in my hammock.

I am a hair stylist and make-up artist at Urban Chic Studio in Burlington NC and wonder of All About That Hair NC. I have been working in a salon for three years now, and have enjoyed every bit of it. I have worked in the make-up industry for almost seven years. I got a passion for hair and make-up at a young age. The way it can completely transform someone is what hooked me. But most of all it is the smile you get when a client looks in the mirror for the first time after you are done. And the genuine gratitude you receive for helping someone achieve the look they so desired. I love to do everything from bridal hair and make up, to trying the newest color trends and cuts! I recently started a blog on all things hair and make-up. I have really enjoyed putting some of my time into sharing my passion with everyone to see!

Why did you start my creative small business?
There are many factors that made me want to pursue this career. As a child, I got to watch my talented mother do make-up artistry. I immediately became fascinated with the art of making people the best possible version of themselves. After many years of being in the make-up industry and completing beauty school, I decided to start out on my own beauty journey. Since then I have branched outside of just working in a salon and have started doing freelance hair and make up for photo shoots and weddings. I started doing my blog as a way to interact with my clients and to expand my knowledge with those who may also be interested in this industry.

What does an average day look like for you? What things/responsibility are you juggling?
Usually my morning starts off pretty early. I am a little bit of a busy body so I can always find something to do before I go into work. Before I go into work I always like to take some time to drink a cup of coffee and try to post a blog. When I get into the salon I usually work a full day of making people beautiful. Once I am off, I usually spend my nights either with my wonderful fiancé, friends or family.

What has been a struggle for you as a creative small business owner?
I think with any business it is always hard to set yourself apart from everyone else in your trade. Being in a profession where there are so many other hair stylists and make-up artists it was really a struggle, at first, trying to figure out how to make myself different from the other talented professionals. Another struggle is getting your services out to the public. It is easy to grow once you have built a positive reputation for yourself but getting there can be challenging at first.

What has been a joy for you as a creative small business owner?
My greatest joy is getting to work with my clients. I enjoy getting to establish individual relationships with each of them. They are the most rewarding part of my job.

What resources or tools have helped you in your business?
Taking continuing education classes is an important part of keeping your skills up to date. With all the new trends that pop up every year, its crucial to constantly be challenging yourself to learn all that you can so that you don't fall behind. Another great resource is to network with those in your particular field. I find myself learning tricks and tips from stylists who have been doing hair much longer than I have. Watching others and asking questions is a great way to build knowledge.

What tips do you have for readers who have (or want to start) a creative small business?
Networking is a great way to meet other small business owners and new people. Get involved. Join some local small business groups and ask questions on what they did to grow their business. When I decided to step outside of my box and join a local small business owners group, I met some of the most creative people with some amazing ideas. Not only did they have great ideas on how to help grow my business, but they also used me as a reference if anyone needed someone for a hair or make up job. A great way to grow your business is by growing your network!

What wedding day hair and makeup tips do you have for future brides reading this blog?
For the wedding hair, it is always best to wash your hair the night before. The less heat that you can put on your hair the better. Worried about your hair being greasy? That's nothing a little dry shampoo can't fix! And always make sure to do at least one trial run before the wedding. This will help the bride feel so much more at ease on her big day!

When it comes to make up, I like to tell my brides to think of one thing they really want to accentuate. If you want a bold lip, maybe do a more natural looking eye. If you want to play up your eyes, try doing a soft lip in a nude pink. Lashes are always my best friend when it comes to bridal make up. They are really great to use even if it is just for the pictures. It makes such a big difference.

What is your favorite clothing store?
I love going to little boutiques and shopping. BoHo Blu is one of my favorite go to stores! But you can never go wrong with Belk either because they carry most of my favorite purse brands! I tend to get into a little trouble every time I go there!

Is there anything else you'd like to share with my readers?
Check out my blog and instagram! I would love to hear from you!

Instagram: @AllAboutThatHair.NC

Blog: AllAboutThatHairNC.wordpress.com