We recently connected with Amanda McKnight and have shared our conversation below.
Amanda , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?
When I started my business in 2012, I was lucky enough to have connected with two awesome ladies who were wedding planners. They had a space where multiple wedding vendors could advertise their business and meet with their clients. They asked if I wanted to join,and they allowed me to do makeup trials there. They recommended me to their brides. When I started out, I worked off of a table in their space. As I grew, I had my own section in their space with my own station and lights,pictures of my work, etc.
I found out that my bridal clients wanted the option of being able to get not just makeup services from me,but hair as well. So, I tried to coordinate working with hairstylists from an outside salon. That didn’t really work because they had their own clients and schedules. I decided to post on Facebook to see if anyone I knew was interested in doing hair with me, and literally the first person I talked to was a perfect fit. We had been in beauty school together, and I thought that she had a great work ethic and style.
Since my first location, I moved to a second location where I had grown enough to have 2 station set ups, I was able to start advertising, and have another makeup artist and hairstylist joined the team. However, as we grew were needed more space, and honestly I had no idea how to find it. Every space I had been in was inside another business that had been recommended to me. I finally found our current space on Craigslist.
In our current location of the past 5 years, we have gone from 400 sq ft to 700 sq ft. Our team has also grown to 7 members. We have gone from 10 weddings my first season to 154 weddings in our 10th year of business. It’s taken 10 years to get this far. If I had believed in myself more and not let fear and doubt get in the way, I probably would have achieved this a few years sooner.
Starting and running a business isn’t easy. For me, I tried to take it slow and steady. I try to learn from different experiences,obstacles, successes, and mistakes that I make each year. I use those to change my strategies and policies, and improve as much as I can. I have learned that the type of service that I offer is an art form,and just like art there are different styles for everyone. Just because they don’t like my style doesn’t mean it’s bad, it just means that they like a different style. That’s ok. It took awhile to learn that, and not take every rejection so personally.
I definitely could not have done this alone. I work with phenomenal people in the wedding industry every day. Those people trust me and my team, and have recommended us to their clients. My team members have a passion for making others feel beautiful in their own skin. Because of these people, I was able to build and scale up my business. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, I believe it takes a community to help a business thrive.
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 got into the beauty industry because I always saw my mom looking so put together no matter where she went. She always has her hair fixed and her makeup on, and she looks put together. I wanted to emulate her and be as pretty as her. I unfortunately had acne pretty bad as a teenager, so I did not feel beautiful. My mom took the time to help me learn how to apply makeup that was age appropriate and highlighted my beauty.
I started doing makeup because I wanted to help other people feel good in their own skin. There is something beautiful about each of us, and my job is to highlight that for others. My team specializes in enhancing others looks for their special events using airbrush makeup and hair styling services. We just bring out your natural beauty, not change you into someone else. I think that concept gets lost in a world full of filters.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Networking. Hands down. Wedding clients are not like most clients. This is not typically a repeat service. 90% of our clients are new clients, every single year. Not only are they new clients, but over 60 % of our clients are from out of town. Through networking and working with other local vendors, I get a lot of referrals. Past clients are also a great source for referrals. Those referrals usually turn into clients.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I am honestly not the best at social media. However, I have been attending conferences, classes, and researching how to do better on social media. To me it all comes down to learning new things and being consistent on posting. I find that when I am consistent on posting,that I have more interaction and growth. You don’t have to be a tech whiz, just be consistent.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.southernsirens.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernsirens
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/southernsirenstn/
- Other: Tiktok : https://www.tiktok.com/@southernsirens
Image Credits
Anchor and Veil Derek Halkett Photography Brittany Photographs Erin Morrison Photography Nelya Photos Jaynabiery Photo Juicebeats Photography, Tonya Damron Photography