We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rachel McMillan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rachel below.

Alright, Rachel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I consider myself one of the lucky ones to be able to support myself through creative work. I work full-time as a lead makeup artist at Posh KC, a blow-dry bar that is located in Downtown Kansas City that specializes in blow-outs and event styling. I also sing in a wedding band a few times a month on weekends. I will say it’s a bit easier and more consistent to work in the wedding industry, which is why I feel like I can make a living. While my weekends are usually booked up, I know it is a happy industry to be in, and I typically tell people it feels like a girls’ day every Saturday morning. As a team, we share many laughs and stories with the bridal party, and it makes my heart happy to see a girl feel beautiful and radiate once we finish.

My Saturday mornings consist of me doing makeup with the Posh KC team until about 1 or 2 p.m. to get the bridal party and bride ready. Once I finish services and pack up, I will already have an overnight bag packed in my car to be on my way to my singing gig, which can be anywhere from 2 to 4 hours away. Sometimes, I will get lucky and have a gig here in Kansas City.
I usually only have enough time to check into my hotel room and have a little under an hour to get ready to perform with the wedding band and drive to the venue to make call time.

I started vlogging “A Day in the Life videos” so people can better understand how crazy yet rewarding my weekends are.
Although I did not plan to work in the wedding industry, it definitely makes sense for my life now. Before my current career, I worked at a Country Club that doubled as a wedding venue and loved it then.
I suppose things always come full circle, and that’s why it is said that things happen for a reason!

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 name is Rachel McMillan, and I am a Bridal makeup artist and a wedding singer. I grew up in Kansas City and am happy to call it home! I have been a full-time Makeup artist for Posh KC for about three years and a vocalist for over three years with Patrick Lentz Entertainment.

I absolutely love working in the wedding industry and consider it a great honor to be a part of so many people’s most important day of their lives. Every Saturday morning, doing makeup feels like a girl’s day; I share laughs and get a peek into years and years of friendship and families sharing the day with their loved ones.

When I hit the stage to sing at a wedding, I take a glance at the room and see how many people showed up to support their loved ones and their journey. I have so much fun performing, but it definitely helps when people are ready to have a good time; sometimes, I do forget that I get paid to do it!

While Saturdays can be pretty exhausting, I know it is a very rewarding career and I am enjoying my time.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

A pivotal time in my life and career, as I’m sure most people’s were, was when the Pandemic hit. Every aspect of my life was affected. At the time, I worked full-time as a business travel consultant and part-time in radio as a promotions assistant, helping with concerts and events. As a musician, I also practiced music weekly and went to jam nights and a few session recordings. I remember going on a mini weekend tour with my band at the time and hearing the news on the road about the shutdown. We got back to Kansas City, and 3 days later, the world shut down.

Looking back at how daunting it was and wondering when things would get back to normal, all I could think to myself was, “Time is only going to pass anyway.” I decided to go back to school and tried to spend time doing things I really enjoyed.
With the guidance of my bandmates, I also bought equipment to record my vocals at home and tried to learn what I could about the recording software I was using. We wrote just under 10 songs digitally, sending each other song ideas back and forth and uploading them to collaborate on.

Another pivotal moment for me was when I got Covid. I ended up losing my voice for almost two weeks; I couldn’t talk, which is even scarier as a singer when you lose your ability to sing. My vocal recovery took about 3 months, and during that time, I didn’t know if I would ever be able to sing again. I was thoroughly preparing myself to step down from singing and picked up another previously loved hobby, which was makeup.

During my vocal recovery, though I couldn’t sing, I knew that as a creative person, I needed to find another outlet. I bought a vanity on Facebook Marketplace and started doing my makeup and documenting my makeup looks on social media. I started to gain a little traction and worked with smaller brands to review their beauty products in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed it, but it was a challenge to keep up with!

Fast forward some months, I received a message from an old music friend who is in a wedding band, and they were looking for female vocalists. I stopped and almost talked myself out of it for fear of not being good enough, not experienced enough, and my vocals were still not where I should be. But I knew this was an opportunity that I honestly couldn’t pass up. I kept thinking to myself, “If not now, when?” When would I be given a chance like this? It felt like fate was trying to step in and shake me awake to realize some potential. I auditioned and was offered the job the same day.

My second gig with the wedding band, I met another female vocalist who loved how I did my makeup and asked if I ever considered doing it professionally. I remember saying “Yes, actually I’d love to!” She told me that Posh KC, a well-known bridal team, is hiring a bridal makeup artist. Again, I tried talking myself out of it, but I decided to reach out anyway! All those documented makeup looks I did during Covid helped me land the job at Posh. I have now been the Lead makeup artist at Posh going on my second year!

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

The most rewarding aspect of being in the wedding band is singing at someone’s wedding. I take that honor very seriously. I like to sit back and observe and take in all the love I see surrounding the beautiful couple in the room. If you can’t tell, I’m also an extremely sentimental person, so things hit me harder than most. I tear up a little at almost every first dance and sometimes even the one singing their first dance song. I feel so incredibly grateful to be a part of that moment.

As a bridal makeup artist, I see 5-15 brides a week. This includes makeup for engagement photos, bridal trials, rehearsal dinners, and wedding days. When we first meet at a bridal trial, it’s an introduction. Each trial takes about an hour, but that hour is full of getting to know their vision and love story. It feels like I’m helping them to the finish line, and I am happy to help them achieve something they dreamt about for their big day!

The most rewarding moment is seeing some of my past brides come to get their makeup done for their maternity photos. It’s a full-circle moment and truly a beautiful part of life to witness.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelmcfeelingood/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/No1ForgetsTheSykoChild
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-mcmillan-41049961/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1xtjxFNakg573h1TvGNexQ

Image Credits

ADayToAdore Photography

ARC Media