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

Kymm, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Years ago I was trapped, but it didn’t appear so on the outside. I had a new house, new car, fiancee and successful position as an office manager at an architectural firm. The American dream.

Only it wasn’t. My job was mundane and definitely not creative. I began to dread driving to work. Each day my soul died just a little more. I had dreamed since a child of working in the beauty industry. Not in a salon or spa but rather my own mobile beauty business. There wasn’t a business model to follow, those services weren’t even offered in my city.

I had a mortgage, credit cards, car note and other financial responsibilities – the ultimate prison for dreams. But as Fate would have it, the firm began to lose business, so when HR called me in to inform me of my layoff status – I smiled. I was free.

Within a month, my fiancee ended the relationship and I lost access to the house. My career, home and relationship simply vanished. I had already lost everything, so there was nothing else to lose.

I moved in with my mom. I could live with failure, never again would I live with regret. I got a part time job in cosmetics and started hoarding makeup products with an employee discount. I purchased a business name and tax ID and taught myself how to build a website. Now what? I knew nothing about marketing or business management.

I needed clients. But how would they find me? I knew brides, models, actors and social media clients all needed photos. So I started networking with photographers, offering my services at no charge in exchange for professional photos. Immediately I started getting booked. And I posted the photos on my website – slowly building a portfolio of work. I never said I wasn’t available – no matter the distance, time or difficulty. Every person I met was a potential client or business contact.

Eventually a photographer offered to pay for my services – she was also new to the industry. She was very supportive of my work. Once she began to blog her images, her career exploded – overnight she was the most sought after wedding photographer. And she referred me to every client. Suddenly I was booking dozens of brides – including sessions for engagement, portraits, bachelorette, rehearsal dinner and practice. And those brides continued to book me for special events, family photos, etc. (Today they book me for sessions with their kids for prom).

I worked for free. I stood for hours. I answered every email and phone call. I drive for hours, I lugged equipment in the hot summer and cold winter. And I didn’t complain. Dreams are messy, challenging, overwhelming and sometimes exhausting. But if you enjoy the journey, every moment is worth it, every moment is another accomplishment that YOU did – because you knew all along it was there, the ability to manifest the creative forces bestowed upon you.

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?

Being a makeup artist is so much more than applying beauty products. You are literally changing the appearance of a woman for a very special event or for photos. Both occasions, although celebratory, can also cause anxiety and self-doubt. A deep trust is required to allow someone to adjust your appearance and it’s my job to not only make them look their best but also feel their best. Confidence building is extremely important.

Suffering from self-conscious issues throughout my life, I wanted to help empower women to overcome their negative self-talk. That was my core objective. I truly never focused on the financial side of business but rather performing a service that would be an experience so memorable and enjoyable, that the client would seek out my services on a regular basis.

It is challenging to convey this by simply posting a website, I had to get to know each client, on a one by one basis, and build a relationship based on learning about their lifestyle and beauty their concerns. It was very important for me to create a safe space, I continue to strive with that for every client. I make sure to share a wide variety of work letting everyone know that they were welcome regardless of size, gender, age, financial status, race or religion.
Many times clients will mention their comfort in contacting me because they saw other women that were their “size” or age range. It’s intimidating to only post clients that are considered culturally beautiful, other clients may not feel like they meet that standard and feel uncomfortable because they assume you may not have that clientele. I have a personal standard and treat each client as an investment. No matter how long the day has been, or if they are the tenth face I’ve worked on that day – I put in the exact same amount of effort. Each client deserves fresh energy, patience and my full attention.

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

Over the course of my career, I’ve worked with celebrities, politicians, journalists, professional sports players, actors, models, comedians, chefs, etc. I have been booked on a private jet, exclusive NY hotels and private estates worth millions. Many artists strive to access this client base. We think it will be glamorous or more rewarding to work with someone famous. I thought so as well. But I realized that although the exposure and opportunities were undoubtedly exciting – this type of client base has access to these services, and more more, on a regular basis. I began to realize I wasn’t fulfilling my Purpose, my core reason for embarking on a journey to empower women. These clients didn’t need an empowering experience nor did they appreciate the effort.

But a bride, with cancer, cried when she looked in the mirror.

A mother of the bride, took my hand and said she had dreaded her own daughter’s wedding because she felt so ugly – smiled and said how beautiful she looked.

A terminal child, after I applied glitter and rhinestones gave me a tight hug, only to not be here any longer.

A bridesmaid who emailed me later to say she forgot she could be pretty, and I reminded her that she is – and how she’d never forget again.

I have hundreds of these stories. And this is my Purpose. I want to make a difference, and these are the clients whose life can be changed by simply seeing their beauty the way I do.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In the beginning of my career I was booked by a photographer who was also building his portfolio. He had booked a bride and offered her a free bridal portrait, he contacted me and said he wanted the images so he could promote his work. He offered to pay me for her hair and makeup, but I told him that I would do it at no charge if he would also share the photos to publish. After doing her hair and makeup the bride was very excited and shared that she wished she could afford to hire me for her wedding day. During the photo session I noticed that she had an army tag around her neck and she explained that her fiance was deployed but he was coming back for just a few days to get married. I asked her when her wedding was and she mentioned that she needed to get ready early that morning.

So I had a choice, I could keep that morning open and hope to get a booking that would pay well or I could sleep in or I could book this bride because I wanted to impact her wedding and not make a decision just based on monetary gain.

I told her I would to her hair and makeup that morning for $50. Needless to say she was ecstatic. Everything went well the morning of her wedding. Soon she was posting the photos on social media, but what I didn’t know at the time, was that she worked at one of the largest banks. And I got a dozen bookings from her coworkers alone over the next year.

Sometimes creatives get distracted by the financial side of business and forget the reason you wanted to build the business in the first place. To be independent, to make a difference, to have the ability to donate or discount services when applicable. To be a BOSS.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.whosthefairest.beauty
• Instagram: Whosthefairest
• Other: Google: Who’s the Fairest?