We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Meleah a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Meleah, thanks for joining us today. Do you manage your own social media?

Social Media seems to be the way to become more well known in any industry. It has been an adventure learning the tricks and how to handle social media successfully.

I get lost down the rabbit hole so many times! Once I start posting, I discover new people and want to engage with them. I guess that’s the point right? But it has become more fun as well as more work.

I have a wonderful person who helps me and I also do some on my own. Each day there is something new to learn. I am enjoying the challenge and excitement of learning how this part of the business works. There is so much to learn about when and how to post, hashtags, comments….it is really fascinating.

I see why people have full time careers in Social Media. I was interviewing a company to possibly work with and I learned 5 new things right in the first 5 minutes of our conversation.

For my business, photos speak the loudest. I am constantly looking for good quality images form my past brides. I consistently upgrade my phone to the best camera and video resolution.

Meleah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I love making people look and feel beautiful! Appearance is so crucial to our self confidence. If it is a special occasion, we all want to look fabulous. Or maybe we just need an every day update to boost our image.

I started in the fashion industry as a model and fashion stylist. The work evolved into makeup artistry and makeup classes. I discovered the fulfillment of helping people look their best. When someone looks in the mirror and sees a new version of themselves they love, it makes my day. I now teach private classes and group makeup and hair classes.

I also have my own line of cosmetics and skin care that is long wearing, simple to use and affordable.

I started working with brides about 20 years ago. The romance and happiness of the day is addicting. I love to bring out a bride’s natural beauty and help her be the best version of her self. I work on the entire bridal party including moms and even grooms. From my styling background, I know what the camera sees and can make everyone “camera friendly” yet still look like themselves.

I bring a crew with me, depending on the size of the group. We spend 3-4 hours and beautify the whole party. We keep everyone on track, calm and on time.

I also teach first dance lessons. I have danced my entire life and have a unique way of teaching that gets results in a short amount of time. First Dance Lessons are a fun way to connect with your partner and give you more confidence on the dance floor. Your guests will be surprised when you both look so polished and professional…and maybe show them a fancy turn or dip.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I have always loved helping people look and feel better about themselves. I just didn’t know it would turn into a business.

I went to college for Fashion Merchandising and gravitated toward the beautiful aspects of design, makeup and display. I got a job as a fashion stylist for a prominent commercial photographer and did styling and clothing prep for fashion shoots and magazines. I learned what the camera saw in a face, in clothing, and what lighting could do. I use those lessons every day.

I would help the models with their makeup if I had time, and that became more and more fun. I began modeling myself and learned more about stage makeup, hair, and how to create a polished look.

A hair stylist friend happened to ask me if I was interested in helping with weddings and that was a turning point. I found a niche where I was happy. I continued to get better and more popular and now I do over 100 weddings a year. I love making happy brides!

When one bride asked me if I could help her with her first dance, I said yes. I have danced my whole life, and was already teaching several types of dance/fitness so why not? Turns out I have a unique way of teaching bridal ballroom that people relate to. I can get them dancing in just a few lessons. So that has become part of my services as well.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

I love to teach people how to do their own makeup. After teaching several classes I realized my clients needed a product line that was good quality, affordable, and accessible. I needed my own line.

I had no idea where to start so I started going to beauty trade shows. That is where I discovered Private Label Cosmetics. There are several companies who provide this service and you just have to investigate each one to find a good fit.

It took almost a year of research and a considerable investment. I ordered a variety of products from different companies and started testing them on myself and my friends. I learned a lot about quality, quantity, longevity, allergies, packaging, scents…there is so much to learn! But I finally narrowed it down and took the leap.

Once you decide on what you will carry, you have to label it. With private label, you can add labels or have them stamped right on the package. There are hefty minimums for hot stamping so I opted for stick on labels. This is still one area I would like to change. I recommend going for the hot stamping if you can. It is much more professional.

You also need to learn about how much to stock. You can typically order 6, 12 or more of a product, but if it does not sell or sells slowly, you have money just sitting on the shelf.

Then you have to get everything up on a website. It is much easier now with so many outlets and help for e-commerce. But 20 years ago it was not. So now I am learning again to update and take advantage of so many e-commerce possibilities.

Every day is a new adventure!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.meleah.com
• Instagram: @meleahandco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Make-Up-Hair-Dance-by-Meleah
• Twitter: @MeleahN
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/meleahnelson/playlists
• Yelp: Makeup, Hair and Dance by Meleah
• Other: Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/meleahnelson/