We recently connected with Andrea Luke and have shared our conversation below.
Andrea, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
Becoming a business owner has been one of the most rewarding goals I’ve completed in my life but I think every business owner, at some point thinks about going back to a regular job, especially on the really tough days.
As a business owner you do not get to physically leave your office at 5pm each weekday and mentally or emotionally check out until the next day. Business owners are constantly thinking about their work 24/7 and invested mentally, physically and emotionally in every aspect of the company. So, on tough days when you’d like to call in sick or take a personal day, it would definitely be nice to do so without knowing there are a million little things that need to be done because others are counting on you. Business owners have to be incredibly self motivated to continue keeping up with so many aspects in our rapidly evolving world, so there are times when, yes, it would be nice to go into a job and just be told what my specific tasks are, plain and simple, no guessing what should happen next.
However, the good days have outweighed the tough days so much more for me as a business owner which is why I continue to press forward. The tough days have made me stronger as a business owner and person. There are so many benefits to being your own boss as well. I’m grateful I get to make my own schedule, be with my family more, take vacations without asking for time off and most importantly fulfill my calling as a bridal beauty expert because I absolutely love helping a brides feel beautiful. One recent moment I am most thankful for in being a business owner was being able to help my husband’s family this past February when my mother in law was very ill and passed away. I was close with my mother in law and I’m grateful I got to help with her care, be with my husband and his family when they need support and all times of the day and night without being restricted or worrying about taking time off from a corporate job.
There are many times I lay awake at night thinking about what I can be doing better or I may suddenly wake up in the middle of the night wondering about certain tasks. I am always thinking about my company because I am so invested physically, mentally and emotionally in what I’ve created. Brides are counting on me to bring them a flawless day of beauty on their once in a lifetime day and I take that role very seriously. I truly enjoy all that I do though because creating Hill Country Bridal Stylists has been an incredibly rewarding experience and a career I never imagined I would have. I have had the opportunity to work and connect with so many other amazing hair and makeup artists who make up the Hill Country Bridal Stylists team as well. Without these talented ladies behind me there wouldn’t be no HCBS! They give their whole heart into making brides look and feel more beautiful than they ever thought imaginable on the most special day of their lives. We love meeting our brides, their friends & family, hearing about their love stories and just being a part of this moment in their lives, by the end of the 6-7 hour day with them, we’re like best friends. A few years ago one of my brides and discovered we had so much in common and only lived 5 minutes from each other, she has become of my very best friends to this day.
In all I am much happier as a business owner despite obstacles because I know I am carrying out my God given calling. I have the opportunity to touch lives with my talent and knowing my exceptional team of stylists and I have brought happiness to bride on one of the most special days in her life, fills my soul with joy that a corporate job could never do.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I became a makeup artist 7 years ago after finishing my bachelor’s degree at Incarnate Word University. I decided a 9-5 corporate job wasn’t really for me and wanted to do something more creative. I received certification through Glam Lab Makeup Studios in 2016 along with participating in education with Alicia Guevara, renowned pro beauty artist.
I have always loved the beauty industry and really fell in love with all the beauty world has to offer after working at a cosmetology & esthetics school enrolling students. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what I do! It is such a privilege to be able to help women look & feel their absolute best and just give them all the extra feels during their life’s special moment. I love meeting all the people I get to work with, hearing their stories and seeing their faces light up when they look in the mirror after I have finished their makeup.
In 2022 I created Hill Country Bridal Stylists after seeing the need for a beauty team specific to the Hill Country, where I live and most love to work. HCBS is a team of on location expert hair and makeup artists who have a passion for carrying out each bride’s hair and makeup vision by listening and understanding what qualities are important to her and her wedding party. The HCBS team will bring everything needed for a well coordinated, easy going day of beauty right to your venue or hotel in San Antonio, Texas Hill Country or surrounding areas.
Our wedding hair and makeup artists have extensive experience specializing in soft, romantic bridal beauty for the bride who wants to exude effortless confidence. HCBS believes in helping you feel like the elevated version of yourself by enhancing your natural beauty. The HCBS team will truly listen to your vision with a comprehensive consultation beginning 45 days prior to your wedding day to understand your style perfectly then personalize a look using premium products to ensure your style will stay flawless from the first look to the last dance.
Brides can expect a truly exceptional experience from start to finish with our talented team’s expert attention to detail and genuine passion for making this the most memorable day of their lives with an exceptionally organized day. We believe each bride deserves to sit back, relax and truly enjoy the day without having to keep her bridal party in line throughout the day. We achieve a stress free day of beauty by customizing a timeline of services including each person’s name in specific timeslots to ensure everyone receives the time need to create their desired styles and keep the day running smoothly on time. The timeline will also include expert hair and skin prep instructions for flawless styling on the big day.
While we specialize in special occasion/bridal beauty we also enjoy working with you on formal events, headshots, family photos, styled shoots or date night glam!
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
I became a makeup artist by pure accident. I previously worked in the beauty industry enrolling students in cosmetology and esthetics courses at Paul Mitchell the School-San Antonio, which is where I really fell in love with the beauty industry. I left PMTSA to finish my bachelor’s degree and travel with my husband for his work. Once I graduated I continued helping my husband run his asphalt paving business but I wanted a creative outlet for myself on the side.
I was scrolling through the beauty/salon jobs on Craigslist just curious to see what was out there one day and came across a post for a one day course on how to become a makeup artist with Glam Lab Studio. A lightbulb went off in my head and I was very intrigued. I signed up for the class that took place in Houston and spent the day learning about the ins and outs of becoming a makeup artist.
Over the next 5-6 years I worked with various bridal hair and makeup companies for fun on the weekends to perfect my skill in makeup artistry and mostly as a stress relieving activity. I have never heard of the term “hobby job” but that is exactly what my accidental creative outlet turned into.
In 2022 I began noticing a need for a bridal hair and makeup company more central to the Hill Country, where I live as most companies are based out of San Antonio or Austin for brides getting married in locations like Fredericksburg where the wedding business has begun to boom. At this point I was no longer working with my husband’s company and I began to think more about having my own bridal beauty business. So I decided to take a leap of faith and create Hill Country Bridal Stylists, a team of hair and makeup artists who specialize in working with the quintessential Hill Country Bride. I love working with Hill Country brides, they are very easy going and laid back. They also have a very specific beauty style, an effortless, soft, romantic glow which our team specializes in.
I never thought doing something I love so much could become my full time career. I really enjoy makeup artistry as a stress reliever and creative outlet but helping brides feel more beautiful than they every imagined on their once in a lifetime day and just connecting with them was a fulfilling reward I never expected to come out of my journey as an MUA and business owner.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
I am nothing without my team! I have an amazing group of talented hair and makeup artist behind me who have supported my vision to be an exceptional bridal beauty company and stepping into my role as a leader over the last 1.5 years has been a journey for me. I am not naturally a leader but also not necessarily a full follower either. So I have had to learn how to be a better manager for my team through different scenarios and situations.
Over the last 1.5 years I have focused on connecting with my team and building a community so we will work better together to create happy brides because we are all continuing to get to know one another. We primarily communicate through text messaging and don’t always see each other on a regular basis because of the nature of our business. So, I find it helpful in building relationships and trust by actually coming together for a team meet up. During our meet ups we will do an educational training, talk about various topics, share ideas or just do a fun activity that has nothing to do with beauty. I believe seeing each other in person helps tremendously in maintaining high morale.
I enjoy offering incentives to my team for a job well done. They take such pride in their work and care with the clients, which means so very much to me so I like to offer rewards or something fun to look forward to. I believe this encourages them all to want to continue to go above and beyond for the client. Our current team incentive is a drawing for a $100 gift card. Those named in a client reviews will have their name put in the drawing.
I believe above all else, praise, encouragement and validation is incredibly important. I like to share all the praises clients give me in feedback about their services with each team member. Its encouraging to have validation from your clients and know they were happy after all of the work that goes into styling brides or their bridal parties. I want my team to know how valuable they are to me and how much I appreciate the big and small efforts they put into making the business thrive and grow so I tell them often.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hillcountrybridalstylists.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hillcountry_bridalstylists
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/hillcountrybridalstylists.com
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/DK4N-4Bo6IE
Image Credits
Lyndsay Lyon @lyndsay_photography Lori Blythe @loriblythephotography Megan Smart @megansmartphotography