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

Alright, Rachel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

I got my first client the day I stepped out on faith and not fear. I was looking for a job years ago and a friend suggested I go to the local mall to find a job. I was hesitant at first because I didn’t want to work at the mall, I hadn’t worked there since I was a teenage, and now being in my early 20s I didn’t want to go backwards. However, I decided to humble myself and go apply for a few jobs. I went and applied to a few stores and walking past a kiosk in the middle of the mall, I saw a makeup artist and decided to ask, I figured what’s the worst that could happen, either they hire me or not. At the time, I didn’t have much experience doing makeup but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try. The owner asked if I had did my makeup, which was very simple and minimal, but she liked it and hired me on the spot. I started working 2 days later and was completely swamped with people throughout the mall wanting services that weekend, I didn’t know what I was doing since I hadn’t had much experience, but I winged it and caught on quickly. That day was a test of my faith and I’m so grateful I did, because so many people supported me and continued to allow me to grace their face with my artistry.

Rachel, 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?

Faith guided meet into the industry, but God allowed me to stay in the industry. I have had so many jobs throughout my life, but makeup and beauty has always been the one that’s remained consistent. I am so grateful to be able to do what I love full time and have so many support my craft. I get the opportunity to work with so many elite individuals whom continue to inspire me each encounter.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The best and most effective strategy for growing your clientele is to provide exceptional customer service, engaging clients with personality, and treating each person you encounter with respect and compassion. My phrase is “not just makeup, but an experience”, the experience that clients feel after a session is what allows retention and referrals. Most of my clients tend to refer me to other friends, family, and colleagues which has truly scales my clientele to an entirely new level!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson that I had to unlearn was that business is easy and all you needed was skill and clients. Well, let me tell you that it’s truly more than that! Having skill and clients doesn’t mean you will scale, doesn’t mean you’ll become successful and definitely doesn’t mean you’ll maintain success. I’ve had to pivot multiple times in order to keep up with what’s current in my industry, which is ever changing, but also with how life keeps evolvingn each day. Continue to learn your craft and try new things, some may stick and others may not, but that’s ok, you’ll learn what works for you throughout that process. Never forgetting that growth in any form is a process that takes time and when you truly trust your process, your journey becomes magnificent.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rachelreidbeauty.com
• Instagram: @rachelreid.beauty
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelreidbeauty?mibextid=ZbWKwL
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@RachelRbeauty

Image Credits
Cat Harper Photography