We recently connected with Holly Scholten and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Holly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so one thing we think people don’t talk about nearly enough is investments – either time or money. What’s one of the best or worst investments you’ve made and what did you learned from the experience?

I think the best investment anyone can make is the investment into other people.

Working mainly in the bridal industry, clients don’t want to feel like customers. They want to know that their wedding, one of the most important days to them, is also important to you. On such a personal day, they need their service providers to be personal too.

I can do what’s fun for me and make money from it, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t really mean anything if there’s no connections and nobody to share it with. Lasting impact can only come from genuine connection. I owe everything to the Lord, my support system, my parents and family, my husband, my clients, and so many others. They have made me who I am today.

Surround yourself by people you want to become like and be the type of friend you wish you had. People are going to influence you and you have the power to influence others, but it’s important to choose carefully how you’re impacted and how you impact others. Investing time into other people and trying to love the way God loves will always pay off in the end.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I loved makeup in high school (2014-2018) but didn’t professionally pursue it until the end of college. I had a friend tell me she wanted to work in the wedding industry because she loved planning, weddings, and events. This conversation sparked an interest in me and in 2021 I began researching bridal makeup, techniques, sanitation processes, and more.

I booked my first client in 2022 after I graduated college with degrees in finance and economics. Since my first wedding, I have served well over 100 clients all over the state of Michigan!

I love providing clients with the opportunity to experience something new or something they don’t normally get. I love highlighting and bringing attention to the many different, unique, and beautiful features women have! I feel most fulfilled as an artist when a client loves their results and is confident in their appearance. In a society that aims to profit off women’s insecurities, I love to leave girls feeling truly beautiful by highlighting the natural beauty already there.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Social media is where the majority of my clients come from. Specifically, Facebook and Instagram. It is interesting how marketing is ever changing as technology evolves and advances. We now live in a time where those planning a wedding can shop for their vendors on social media and they often feel more comfortable with a vendor who has a social media presence. This has changed so much from only looking at local salons, meeting vendors at bridal showcases, or just word of mouth. While all these things are still factors, we now have the ability to see social media portfolios of vendors all over the state, country and world. The rise of freelance and traveling vendors has expanded in the last few decades as well, so the market is just continually shifting and evolving!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When I initially started to book clients, I wanted to become the best artist I could be in order to service as many people as I could. This felt like the obvious thing to do. As I’ve grown personally and professionally, I’ve learned that having the knowledge and skill to preform a wide variety of looks is useful and important, but it’s more important for me to create and perfect “my” makeup look. I want to have my signature look and have people book me because of my talent, rather than getting booked just to recreate another artists work. When I first started servicing people, I was hired solely on the fact that I was charging cheaper prices than industry standard. I think as a newer artist I wanted to take any and every opportunity that came my way. Now that I’m developing my business and my specific talent, I have a desire to be hired by brides who did their research, connected with my work specifically, wants the look, skills and techniques that only I possess, and is willing to pay for services only I can provide.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hollyjmakeup.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/hollyjmakeup?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hollyjmakeup?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-scholten-farrell-a59a63213?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Other: Pinterest: https://pin.it/6aJrEtc TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hollyjmakeup?_t=8goPVY99dPv&_r=1

Image Credits
Madison Kristine Photography https://madisonkristinephotography.com/