We were lucky to catch up with Maria Hannifin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Maria , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. So, we’d appreciate if you could open up about your growth story and the nitty, gritty details that went into scaling up.

I have been in the Bridal Makeup and Hair Business for almost ten years now, and while most people like to think it just blew up over night I’m here to tell you it wasn’t quite that easy! I am so proud of where my business is at today, I have scaled my business so i no longer need a part time job, it is currently my full time job, I am home with my babies during the week and accept clients when it’s convenient for me and my family and get to pick my own hours! I truly feel like the luckiest woman! I get to make people feel and look beautiful for a living, I fill my creative cup daily! And receive many travel and wonderful opportunities! Some things I did to scale my business to where it is at today:

– invested in masterclasses and workshops

– learnt the ins and outs of social media

– I networked online and in person

– I supported other Artists

– built relationships with brands

– presented myself professionally

– worked on my skill daily

– I built trust with clients and focused on giving them an experience!

– did countless free jobs that portrayed the ideal client I wanted to book!

– stayed true to myself and my style

– business books and podcasts

The one time I felt like I had taken a risk was when I finally let go of my part time job! I had been with a company for probably around the same amount of time since my business launched and there came a time where it no longer made sense to continue working there. I was scared to death because it was stable, i had friends and people I knew for a long time, it was familiar.

But making that decision allowed for many more opportunities of growth within my business, i grew more personally, I was able to focus on new business goals such as opening and online eccomerce site , where I sale templates and digital guides for Brides and other Crearives! I was able to work on more projects such as filming an online course, and I know that decision as hard as it was has made it so I could give more to where my passion lies!

Maria , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a preferred destination Bridal Hair and Makeup Artist and Educator, offering services for high end weddings and events across the globe! I am available to provide services for a variety of events including, engagements, large bridal parties, bridal photoshoots, elopements, weddings, and special occasions. With a presence in Salt Lake City, Park City, Southern Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and beyond; I am recognized for my natural soft glam elevated makeup style, and highlighting my clients unique beauty.

Expanding my skill set and sharing my knowledge with clients is one of my favorite things to do, along with providing them a makeup application that will NOT cover, instead create and enhance the BEST Glowing Natural Version of them!! My job is to Elevate their Bridal Look, and give brides the confidence they are looking for!

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Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

One of my dreams is to provide Bridal Hair and Makeup in Europe! Anywhere in Europe! So currently I am focusing and manifesting a lot of my energy into booking that dream bridal client!!

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

I had to learn that not everyone will be a fan of my type of makeup style, and that is okay! To focus my time and energy on what I like to create because that is what will set me apart from others!

Don’t try and be like every other makeup or hair artist, find your niche, practice, master it and you will attract the clients that want to work with you, resulting in many more positive experiences!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mariahannifinmakeup.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariahannifinmakeup?igsh=MTdiNGU1aWc5aHAzOA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariahannifinmakeup?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Other: hopp.bio/mariahannifinmakeup

Image Credits
Madison Larsen Photography Courtney Gracie Photography