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

McKinzie, 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?

Being in the beauty industry can be looked upon as a mediocre job where all we do is make people pretty, and because of that I think that its misunderstood that we are able to make a very good living just making people feel good about themselves. At this point in my career I can confidently say that I am able to make a full time living doing something I absolutely love and am passionate about. Three years ago, I would have never thought that I would be able to that. I was always under the impression that the beauty industry offered mediocre pay and we had to work hard, long hours to make it work. While I can say now that that is not the case, it definitely was not that way from day one. I started in this industry with no plan, no friends to do services on and just running on pure faith that it would work out how it was supposed to. I wasn’t sure how I was going to gain clients, and just hoped that they would make their way to me. Looking back I truly don’t think that I bet on myself and didn’t fully believe in myself. I had no money to buy extensive products for my lash extensions & facials, and even had to heat up facial towels in a microwave because I couldn’t afford a towel warmer. Everything I made from doing lashes and facials went back into my business for the first whole year so I made nothing except a few dollars here or there when I absolutely needed it. I think that because I did that, I was able to reinvest in my business and buy good products and expand my service menu which inevitably brought more clients which expanded my revenue. I think if I were to go back and do it again, I definitely would have bet on myself sooner and pushed harder to reach out, put myself out there and gain clients quicker than I did. I think that would have gotten me to a place where I could make a full time income a lot quicker than the route I took, but in all honesty I am happy with how my story has played out and have learned important lessons along the way.

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 esthetician and lash artist who specializes in custom facials, lash services and brow laminations. I started in the beauty industry in 2010 as a freelance makeup artist and in 2019 I went back to school to obtain my Esthetics license and am now a full time solo esthetician and lash artist. I truly believe that something as simple as a facial, or as extensive as lash extensions can truly change someone’s whole day and self confidence. I love being able to make people feel their absolute best and my motto is to always make everybody feel like somebody. When people come into my space I want them to feel as though I am a safe space for them and for them to leave with their cup more full than when they came in.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media for me has always felt like a daunting task, but in 2020 in the midst of a covid shutdown, social media was all I had to connect to my clients and was the perfect tool to obtain new clients. I had just started my business as a solo esthetician in November of 2019, and just a few short months later I was forced to shut down and had no idea if I would ever be able to open again. While I did have a few shorts days of wallowing and feeling the weight of the world shutting down, I quickly had to think of ideas to keep me in the forefront of peoples minds in case we ever did open back up. I took to Instagram and started sharing anything I could that had to do with skincare, lashes and even my daily life during quarantine. I think my educational posts and lash posts really helped people understand skincare and lash extensions better and made me someone who was knowledgeable in those arenas which I think set me apart and helped me gain clients when we were able to open again.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part for me is being able to make everyone feel amazing in their own skin and being a place where they can come and feel fulfilled both physically and mentally. Whether its a facial that relaxes you and works on skin insecurities, lashes or brows that make your day to day life easier, or just a good vent and chat session I am able to offer something for everyone and I know that whatever service I offer is going to give them a confidence boost. I know what it’s like to struggle with insecurities and self confidence and what beauty services have done for me and my own confidence and I am thrilled that I can be the one to make someone feel amazing.

Contact Info:

• Website: Revivalbeauty.co
• Instagram: @skinbymckinzie (will be @revivalbeauty.co as of 11/17)

Image Credits
Joan Fisher Heather Marie