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

Alright, Mandi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

In order to explain how I launched my business, I need to rewind a bit and explain how I began working within the beauty industry. At first, harnessing my passion for all things hair and makeup came as more of a fun, part time hobby. My only clients were booked via word of mouth, as I did not publicly advertise. As time went on, I began to become busier and busier, needing the help of additional artists. That is when I realized this hobby of mine needed to become an official business.

Lucky for me, I personally knew several professionals to help make this dream of mine come true. They were able to guide me and helped me set Beauty Brigade up for success. An accountant friend of mine, helped me to create my LLC in accordance with state guidelines; as well as aided in obtaining my EIN. A small business attorney helped me to create the Articles of Incorporation, and filed certain legal paperwork necessary for the business. I also had a background in administrative practices, and was able to obtain local licenses necessary for my business to operate.

Now that I had the foundation of the business set, I needed to create a presence in order for new clients to begin finding and booking Beauty Brigade’s services. I had a graphic designer friend of mine create a logo, and also paid a student intern to create my first website(I previously operated online under Facebook and Instagram only). It was here that I obtained an upgraded email address(matching my website domain) instead of using a basic server email address, such as yahoo or gmail. I did not want my personal phone number listed all over the internet, so I also obtained a Google voice number that clients could call and it would ring directly to my personal cell phone.

After setting up behind the scenes, and the visual online presence, I needed to make sure I had a team of artists who were an extension of myself. I reached out to every hairstylist and makeup artist that I had previously worked with in my career to see if they were interested in joining the team, and briefing them on how working with me would work for them.

All of these processes took about 2-3 months of time, it didn’t just happen overnight. After the initial set up, there were still things that I continued to change, tweak, and work on over the course of the first year. Things are still changing and being upgraded as the business continues to grow.

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 am a licensed cosmetologist, with a bachelor’s degree in Event Management and an AA focused in business. I would say that these credentials work alongside my career path perfectly, as being a business owner in the beauty industry for special events. It sounds like I planned this out perfectly, but instead everything fell imperfectly into place over the course of many years.

My love for the all things beauty started at a very young age. I remember being a little girl and requesting my hair be styled in specific designs for school. Then when I became of age to begin wearing makeup, I would spend my lunch money on makeup instead of food. When I graduated high school, I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do. I attended a local college and began obtaining my AA, meanwhile one of my good friends began attending cosmetology school. Her and I spent weekends glamming ourselves in front of the mirror for hours, and it was after that I realized I needed to do the same as her. I attended cosmetology school in Florida and obtained my license in 2007.

I then moved to Orlando, thinking I would begin working in a hair salon. Turns out, I was wrong. Every salon told me I needed experience, which I did not have. In 2010, I heard that MAC Cosmetics was hosting a hiring event. After several interviews, and one makeup application interview later, I was hired as a freelance artist for MAC, moving into a permanent sales position one year later. During my time in this position, I learned so much from my co-workers and local trainer. Working here was great for my artistry skill set, but I wasn’t a salesperson. I wanted to apply makeup to people’s faces, not sell it. So in 2012, I moved on from MAC and began working under an onsite hair and makeup company in Orlando. That’s where it all clicked, and I knew THIS is what I was meant to do. I worked under this company for about 2 years, but then decided I could do this on my own. That is when I began working for myself and taking clients via word of mouth. Fast forward 8 years, and I am still doing exactly that!

It’s been a whirlwind, and I am so grateful to where my path has led me. I am so thankful to every client that has trusted me with their beauty services over the years, because I would not be where I am today without them. My job continues to bring me such great joy because there is no greater feeling than seeing my clients faces light up when they see their finished look.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Treating people like people and not a number has definitely always been something I have focused on. As a wedding based business, the client needs to know you are focused on their special day, and not just seeing them as a dollar sign. I always believe in communicating with all of my clients with kindness and respect. I feel this can go such a long way!

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Managing people is hard work, I am not going to pretend like it isn’t. Something I will always scream from the rooftops is simply treating people with kindness and respect. When communicating and speaking to my team of artists, I always make sure what I am saying is clear and concise while utilizing a positive tone. I also usually find ways to thank them for their hard work on birthdays and holidays, so they know they are appreciated. I think this is SUPER important for all business owners to know. A little bit of kindness can go a long way. When it comes to having disciplinary talks if a team member does something “wrong”, I always ask to hear their side of the story/situation. I listen first, then speak with a stern but still kind tone, offering advice or a remedy to the situation. Flying off the handle and screaming at someone is not the way to handle any negative situation, its only going to fuel the fire and escalate the situation to something much worse.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beautybrigadellc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beauty.brigade.bb/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beautybrigade.BB

Image Credits
Josie Brooks Photography Jennifer Holly Boudoir Millenium Moments Sydney Marie Photography Jessica Jones Photography Mint & Barley Photography