We were lucky to catch up with Michele Hundley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Michele , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

A good portion of our business is in the wedding industry. We also provide services for film, production & corporate events.

I always say it’s not JUST hair & makeup. Too often clients get wrapped up in comparing costs from company to company and forget there’s so much more to it than just the services provided on the day of. This is especially true when it comes to weddings. Whether the bride knows it or not, they are paying for their overall experience with the company they hire. They’re paying for the company’s professionalism, dependability, great communication and talent. Also, everyone on the M3 team is personable and enjoyable to be around which is huge.

We pride ourselves on providing a stress-free beauty experience from beginning to the end. Excellent customer service is the foundation of our business. We go above and beyond and truly care about each one of our clients. This is what sets us apart from the industry standard. We’ve had clients initially go with a competitor because of budget reasons but end up reaching back out to us when they’re not happy with their experience or results from the bridal trial. If we still have availability, we gladly take them on. Another great illustration of how we’re different is shown in the reviews we receive from our clients. They’re lengthy and bride’s are over the moon about their experience and want to share it with the world.

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?

My heart has always been with the arts. I grew up dancing most of my life so it was no surprise when I majored in dance at a nearby college after high school. My senior year I took the only makeup courses the University offered and fell in love. I attended a pro makeup school after graduating and started my career as a freelance makeup artist. After a few years of building my personal brand, I decided to start a hair & makeup company with a team of talented individuals.

I personally am a huge fan of the natural look and it’s the type of makeup I’ve always enjoyed doing the most. It was only “natural” that I would seek out artists who had the same vision which is why we are now known for ‘natural glam’. Most of the brides we work with wear little to no makeup and want to still look like themselves on their wedding day. Artists can be known to not always listen to the client and do their type of makeup which may result in too heavy of an application. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard “I felt like a clown” or “I wiped it all off immediately” when a bride is describing a previous experience, I’d have a lot of dollars. The biggest compliment I hear on a regular basis after a wedding is the bride saying she still felt like herself, just a better version. We listen and we care.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

I started the company in April 2010. Each year was better than the previous and the company had a bright future. January 2014 changed everything. I woke one morning and couldn’t walk. This was after ignoring a few other random unexplained symptoms over the course of a month. But we women are notorious for brushing things off. I could no longer do that. An ER visit resulted in a diagnosis I’d never thought I’d hear. “You have leukemia.” My life changed over night. They gave me less than a 10% chance of survival and I had to start aggressive chemotherapy immediately. I wouldn’t be able to work for years and that’s if I made it.

I thought it would be best to close the doors but my ex-husband who was my business partner at the time wanted to keep the company going in my absence. The company hung on by a thread for 3+ years until I was able to work again. Even then, I could barely work part time and went through a divorce. I had to rely heavily on the office manager that was hired. The business was finally getting back on its feet and then a pandemic hit. I became very familiar with rock bottom. We’re in the events industry and there were NO events happening. Once again, the company was hanging on by a thread but we made it through. So much has happened over the course of a decade and I’m still astonished we’re still here. I think that says a lot about M3 Beauty that we’re still standing.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients come from referrals. We’re fortunate to have wedding planners, venues, photographers and past brides who refer us on a regular basis. It’s the best advertisement we could ever hope for.

There have been many times people refer us and I either don’t know them or I didn’t realize we were even on their preferred vendor list. Those are full circle moments for me because I remember that was one of the hardest thing in the beginning of owning this business…getting referrals. It only happened after years of being in the business, building relationships and having a great reputation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://m3makeup.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m3beautyweddings/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/m3makeup/
• Other: We don’t have a strong presence in the other medias. Instagram is our strongest social media presence. Although we were hacked in December 2022 so I had to start all over again after having a profile since the beginning of Instagram and with close to 4K followers. (I’m telling you…A LOT has happened over the course of a decade! Too much.)

Image Credits
My headshot: https://lillieshawnimagery.com/ 8 Bridal Images: 28 North Photography Rudy & Marta Lily & Lime Erika Grace Matlock and Kelly Alexis Kline Anna So Elf Photography