We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kevyn Clanton. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kevyn below.

Kevyn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had started sooner?

This is a question I’ve struggled with so many times throughout the years. I’ve known I was passionate about makeup artistry from the time I was in elementary/middle school. However, in my teens and early twenties, I never imagined being able to make a good living as a makeup artist. I chose a career path that would offer stability and guaranteed income for my little family. It wasn’t until my mid/late twenties that I realized I needed a more fulfilling career, and I didn’t want to waste any more time working in a career I wasn’t passionate about. After graduating from cosmetology school and deciding to fully shift my focus on building my business, I have loved every minute of it! I get frustrated with my younger self for not following my dreams earlier. However, the tools and knowledge I learned from my past career have helped me run my business more smoothly and for that, I am thankful! I definitely believe that timing is everything and have to trust that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be. Who knows if I had gone into this career when I was younger and if I would have had the knowledge and maturity to run a successful business? So I think my timing is exactly of starting my creative career is exactly where it’s supposed to be.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Kevyn, and I am a professional Makeup Artist located in Kansas City. I mainly focus on bridal but I also work in other areas as well. I work with a couple of photographers doing makeup for family photos, engagement sessions, newborn sessions, headshots, boudoir, and so much more! I am also going on my second year with KC Beauty Crew, working on the Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleaders. For my clients, I definitely believe in quality over quantity. Most of our weddings have two artists, so we can ensure we have enough time for each service and guarantee we, as artists, aren’t rushing through services. Our clients are paying good money to have a luxury service and deserve to have our full attention to detail and timelines that allow for that. All our brides receive a mini facial before their services. We bring cryo tools for lymphatic massages the morning of their wedding. We also offer on-site IV Drips for our brides and bridal parties on the morning of their weddings.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I feel like I pivot quite often! I always try to be hyper-aware and do “check-ins” with myself at least once a month. I am not afraid to pivot and shift anything that isn’t feeling right or working out the way I planned. One of the biggest pivots I’ve made is starting my second bridal business, CK Beauty, with my business partner. I had already spent over a year building up my own bridal business and networking, so starting over and starting a whole new business from scratch definitely wasn’t something I saw coming. However, I could not be more thankful that I did! I made the decision to pivot and pour all my time and energy into building this new brand almost a year ago, and I don’t have a single regret. In the end, I knew that for the kind of growth I want for myself and my business, having a business partner to help create this shared vision would be the best step! We both bring different strengths to our business, and having someone with similar core values but a different way of thinking than my own is what makes us such a great team!

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Truthfully, I can’t really name a specific book or any other material that has helped me in this area. However, I feel like most of my beliefs and values when it comes to management and entrepreneurial way of thinking com from past experience with previous jobs and life experience. I will always believe in having a great work-life balance and with a strong emphasis on family. I can definitely tell you I’m not one who ever liked the idea of having to work during the holidays or having a limited number of vacation days. I strongly believe for myself and our team, I will never ask these things of any artist that works on our team. My main belief in regard to running a business is making sure our team knows we value them as a human before anything else. I always aim to make our processes and policies align with the things I hoped for as an employee.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ckbeautyteam.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevynclantonartistry/

Image Credits
Kylah Clark