Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kaitlyn Mcmanus. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Kaitlyn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I think I started at the perfect time! I began my cosmetic tattoo apprenticeship in January of 2022 with the owner of The Archery, Jonelle Salzman. Prior to that, I was going to school for art/art education and working in the restaurant industry. After a few semesters, I started second guessing my major choice. I didn’t think that teaching would be a good fit for me long term. While I set school aside and was just working, my sister, who tattoos, mentioned she thought I should get into eyebrows. She had worked with someone at her shop (who I coincidentally work with now) that was in the cosmetic tattoo industry and she thought I’d find great success in that field. I took her advice and sought out my apprenticeship soon after. I think that the down time between school and my apprenticeship was perfect. I had time to question what I wanted to do and if I really wanted to take the risk/take on the responsibility of being a small business owner.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Kaitlyn McManus, I’m a cosmetic tattoo artist based out of Minneapolis, MN. My primary focus is machine work, meaning, I create realistic looking eyebrows or eyeliner with a tattoo machine. I love making my clients feel confident and beautiful. Clients needs range from hair loss due to alopecia or chemotherapy, all the way to over-plucking with lack of regrowth, or just thinning/sparse brow hair.

While I was going to school for art education, and in my free time now, I enjoy drawing with graphite or charcoal. I typically lean towards still-life’s or portraits. I believe that both of those have helped me develop an attention to detail that helps me every day with building custom brows for my clients. I take great pride in listening to my clients wants/needs and building their brows together, checking in with them every step of the way.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Reviews, reviews, reviews! At the end of every appointment, I ask my clients if they’d be willing to leave me a google review. I know when I go to make a purchase, or I’m searching for a service provider, one of the first things I do is head to the review section. A positive review goes a long way!

Aside from reviews, I offer referral discounts to my clients. If they refer a friend/family member/coworker/etc., they both receive money off of their appointments.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I really enjoyed the book, “Atomic Habits,” by James Clear. The book focuses on changing habits. It can be extremely overwhelming being both front of house (service provider) AND back of house (social media manager, marketing, administration, etc.). The book helped me foster better habits that ultimately made me better at managing all of the hats you have to wear as a one person business. I highly recommend it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brows-by-kaitlyn.square.site/
• Instagram: kmac_cosmetictattoo