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

Kacie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Everyone wants to be a business owner, right? I mean why wouldn’t you want to have full control over your schedule? Vacations whenever you want. Half days whenever you want. Endless money. No one to tell you that you can’t have two weekends off in a row. Company credit card. It’s lavish and everyone’s dream.

What everyone doesn’t see is that lavish dream also comes with a big weight, endless challenges, and lengthy line of problem solving. At the end of the day, the problems that arise within my business, whether big or small, are my problems. Sure, I have people in place to help me with those problems. But they are mine. The financial struggles are mine. The staffing issues are mine. The client complaints are mine. And they are my problems to lose sleep over at night. And they are my problems to stress over while I am “enjoying” that half day. Or while I am sipping that pina colada on vacation.

The problems don’t just disappear when you own a business. You are never truly “off”. There is forever something in your inbox. Forever something or someone waiting on you. In a way this becomes your normal. I am 11 years in the business – owning Lashes and Lace is all I have ever done in my career so while it does present it’s challenges, it’s all I’ve ever known. I don’t know how to truly be “off” and I definitely wouldn’t know how to work for someone else. I often daydream (and sometimes even say outloud on the rough days) about what it would be like to just give it all up and work for someone else. To get a regular job – maybe go back to school and be a PA. It’s really easy on days when you’re at your whits end to want the complete opposite of what you currently have.

But the truth of it is, is that I’m addicted to this wild, ever-growing, all encompassing industry that I have watched grow since it was birthed. While I may never truly be “off” work and sometimes send emails until 2am while on vacation, I thrive on the rush of being such an integral part of someone’s most important day of their entire life. A piece of me and what I do is hanging on walls of homes all over the world. I make a difference and make women feel truly beautiful. And that’s worth it all. So, maybe one day I’ll opt for a ‘regular job’ but for now, I’m good here!

Kacie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Kacie Faulling and I am an international hair and makeup artist based in Charleston, SC. I have owned Lashes and Lace, Charleston’s premiere bridal hair and makeup company for the past eleven years which was voted #1 top Big Day Beauty Salon by Bride’s Magazine! We have also been placed into the Knot Hall of Fame by being voted the Best of Weddings since 2012. Our team is made up of over 20 incredibly talented hair and makeup artists who complete nearly 600 weddings per year.

During my career, I have done hair and makeup on celebrities such as Gavin DeGraw and Florence + the Machine for the Blake Lively Wedding. I have personally done hair and makeup on thousands of weddings in countless states and also internationally, most recently, Jamaica.

This past year, I published my first book ‘Can I Get a Witness’ which shares my personal journey on how I got started in business, the challenges I faced, and my struggles through being a woman in business, and a mom. My book is currently available online on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-a-Million.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Truly hustling. I started Lashes and Lace when I was young, single, and completely on my own. I didn’t have a business partner or any type of loan or financial backing. Facebook was just starting out but social media definitely wasn’t what it was today. So my only option was to get out by foot and go from wedding coordinator office to office. I barely had any money but I took what I did have and made price menus and little goody bags to hand out. I didn’t have a portfolio so I would ask coordinators to let me do hair and makeup for their brides for free to gain their trust. I did free work for almost a year to gain the trust of the wedding community. It was TOUGH. But I did it. I am a firm believer in hard work to this day – I do believe in social media but I don’t believe that it’s enough. There’s still something so powerful about getting out and meeting face to face. It’s important to put the physical work into your brand.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I have pivoted more times than I can count. Just a few months ago my landlord downtown was significantly increasing my rent. I made the decision to move from a first floor 800sqft space to a second floor 1500sqft space to save over half the cost. It was a scary decision but our brides absolutely love the new space and it turned out to be such a great decision!

Pivoting in business is a good thing. That means you are taking risks and growing. You can’t get very far without either. I’ve also tried countless ideas out in my business and wasted so much money on things that just tanked. It’s all trial and error. When something just isn’t working, I try not to look at it as a failure but a learning opportunity and that is exactly when I pivot and choose a new direction.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lashesandlacechs.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lashesandlacechs

Image Credits
Laura & Rachel Photography