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

April, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

I worked for MAC Cosmetics for 4 years, while I was finishing my undergrad degree. I had no intention of starting my business when I began working as a makeup artist for MAC. I just wanted to be an artist for them, and surrounded by something I love – makeup. I started posting my looks for work on Instagram, and this was back in 2015, when finding an artist for special occasions was starting to become a thing on social media. Shortly after, in 2016, I received a DM from someone that was local to my area, asking about wedding makeup. I was so nervous because I did not have a built kit yet, and didn’t know if I was ready to freelance. I asked a co-worker for advice, and she told me to go for it! I could not have had a better first bridal experience, and from there, APMA was born.

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 have always had a passion for makeup since as young as my parents would let me. When I was pursuing my undergrad degree, I began looking for a job that would be flexible for my school schedule. Ideally, I wanted that part time job to be at MAC Cosmetics. I applied to every location in our city, and at the last location, I happened to turn in the application to the store manager. My time there has made such an impact on my story as a makeup artist. Today, APMA services anything from weddings, special occasions, to professional headshots, and more! My goal with APMA is to help people achieve their beauty goals through continuous teaching and true connection. I am most proud of the community APMA has built over the years. I continue to say I have been blessed with the best clients year after year. I believe in look good, feel good, and if I can impact one person’s day or uplift their mood with makeup or just the connection while having a makeover done, I’m happy to serve in that way!

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

Word of mouth. From Day 1, my clientele has grown the fastest by word of mouth, whether it was former clients recommending their friends/family to me or friends hearing about a need for a makeup artist, and them plugging me in.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Mainly through social media. I believe this has been the easiest way to keep in contact with most of them because I do have some clients that are not active online, but continue to reach out for any special occasion need. As for all of my clients, I believe my response time, and their ability to depend on me and my business fosters brand loyalty. They know I will respond and show up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://apmacompany.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apmacompany/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apmacompany
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@apmacompany

Image Credits

Bre Sessions Photography, Werk of Art Photography, Kelley Raye, Momentos Photography, LLC