We were lucky to catch up with Andrea Kentebe recently and have shared our conversation below.

Andrea, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

All 2022 I had been thinking about moving to Atlanta. I was so scared and hesitant. Come January, I made the decision to just go for it. I set a date and went for it. I took a leave from my job and moved to Atlanta to chase my dreams. I really wanted to be a full time Makeup Artist. I packed up my little Toyota Corolla and May 1st, I drove the 10 hours to Atlanta. I decided to DM a few models when I arrived to see if I could boost my portfolio and get my name out in the area. One of the models I DM was co owner of Exclusive Models Management here in Atlanta, Chrissy. She invited me to a content mixer her company was throwing the very next day. It was such a great experience. I met models, photographers and artists. The mixer was such a great networking opportunity and I am so grateful for Chrissy for the invite. Thanks to that mixer I have a few projects in the works and I can’t wait until I am able to share them with you all.
I still get scared sometimes and wonder if I made a mistake moving out of state, but to be honest every time I get in that headspace something happens that snaps me right out of it. I have been blessed with so much since moving here and I am eternally grateful to all that have had a hand in that. One of the models/artists I met at that content mixer, 1energy, told me that my first year year will be the hardest and to remember that anytime I feel like giving up. So far it’s worked! I can’t wait to look back on this risk that I took in a year and see how far I’ve come.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a freelance Makeup Artist. I started doing makeup as a model out of necessity. I had a poor experience at a photoshoot and realized I needed the skills to be able to keep the quality of my work and my confidence at an all time high. My friends noticed my skills and began asking me to do their makeup. Fast forward a few years and I have done makeup at fashion weeks, weddings, proms and so much more. I named my business Kemi’s Studios after my late grandmother. I love enhancing the natural beauty of my clients and bringing their vision to life. I love love love a beautiful soft glam look. But I also love getting to be creative and letting my imagination run wild.
Since moving to Atlanta, my main goal is to get at least 20 clients per week. I’d love to have consistent clients too and form meaningful relationships with them. At that point I could have my own studio space and maybe even some MUAs working under me.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Many makeup brands offer MUA discounts. For many of them, all you need to do is prove you’re a working makeup artist. I HAD NO IDEA. I have been spending so so much money buying quality products and buying various shades of those products. I am so glad someone told me about this, so I hope this helps someone.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Consistency is key. I just try to post consistently. That’s it. My followers appreciate knowing that there will be good quality content waiting for them whenever they come to my socials. Most content creators say “record everything. everything is content”, but it’s not. Always make sure your content represents you and your brand. Nobody is going to a makeup page looking for home decorating tips. Stay true to you. Also, make sure that the quality of your content is something you’re proud to have represent you. Followers tend to scroll past low quality images and videos.      

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kemisstudios.as.me/
• Instagram: @kemisstudios
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFvJhTyy91Z-0Vjdo5Flj0g

Image Credits
VS1ATL Marcel Collectives Crispy Photographs