We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kat Ivanov a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kat thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

There are so many definitions of success, some are financially based and others are more personal. I think if you can come home from work everyday and know you made a difference in someone’s life, you’ve been successful. It takes a lot of hard work and self awareness, and it’s more of a journey than a destination. I think the biggest factor to success is being open minded and listening to others who have walked before you. We don’t know what we’re doing all of the time and it’s detrimental to have mentors and other business owners you can surround yourself with and learn from. I’ve been very lucky to have other people and bosses around me who were supportive of me starting my business and even took me to lunch to give me advice. Find those good people in your life who want to see you succeed, and the rest will follow.

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.

We provide on-site hair and airbrush makeup for weddings, photoshoots, and events. I went to cosmetology school in 2014, and since then have worked behind the chair as a hairstylist, for other hair and makeup companies, and as a cosmetology instructor. I believe this has helped create a cohesive business model and has allowed us to provide well rounded services to our clients and education to our artists. The majority of our team are licensed cosmetologists and estheticians, which I believe has taken our services to the next level because we can help educate our clients on their beauty needs and provide salon services as well. Our mission is to make all of our clients feel comfortable and confident. Sometimes the beauty industry can be a little overwhelming, and our goal is to enhance your natural beauty and help you feel like the best version of yourself. I think our mission statement is what I’m the most proud of and the environment we try to foster. I believe because of this, we’ve been blessed with some amazing clients who in turn take our job to the next level. It’s been a win-win.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective strategy for me personally in growing clientele has been word of mouth and reviews. Your reputation is everything when it comes to people trusting a vendor, and when someone vouches for you it helps tremendously. The Knot has been a great way for us to advertise our services and has really helped build our clientele and connect with others.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I recently read a statistic saying that most people leave their jobs when they don’t feel appreciated, and I couldn’t agree more. I’ve personally stayed at jobs because my bosses were so good to me, and it made it very difficult to leave. They were flexible, empathetic, and professional, and those are bridges you never want to burn. I believe that’s how you manage a team and maintain high morale. I’ve learned from my past employers that feeling respected, and appreciated is how you retain employees, so that is my personal model now. Again, learning from those who have walked before you is invaluable. It also helps to communicate, connect, and have fun together.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ivanovartistry.com
• Instagram: ivanovartistry

Image Credits
Kristen Giles Photography, Rowan Noelle Photography, Porter House Portraits, Sonder Photo Co, The Silhouette Studio