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

Hi Tara, thanks for joining us today. We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today

If I had to start all over again in this business as a bridal stylist, I would focus a lot of my marketing budget towards
Styled photo shoots, branding shoots, and bridal expos
Partnering and collaborations with other artists and wedding vendors and venues
Staying on a consistent schedule for social media (pre planning my content for the week has been super helpful)
Load up on those insta stories!) (social media should not be the whole strategy but should be part of it)
Never be afraid to ask for reviews from previous brides!
Follow up with every single bride in your email and DM’s there’s gold in keeping it simple!
scheduling trials before booking!
Investing in mentorship and coach is imperative to building a successful business, learning through others will help you skyrocket your career and jumpstart success.
Investing in paid lead generation was lucrative, I had my best success through partnerships collaboration and social media.

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?

Hey! I’m Tara- I’m the Owner of Tara Michelle Bridal.

I offer onsite location bridal hair and makeup services to brides and their bridal parties on their wedding day! I travel all over the map to serve others, and I absolutely love it. I love making my clients look and feel beautiful on their wedding day. I love creating my bride’s dream a reality. Together through a consultation I create a vision of their wedding look specifically custom to each client. I also have co ownership to a hair extensions company with my business partner Rachel Guglielmi.

I have over 10 years of experience in the industry. I completed beauty school right out of high school. I’ve worked behind the scenes at NYFW, worked hundreds of weddings/events/ photoshoots, and lots of coffee to jump start those early mornings! Ask me the earliest I had to be up for a wedding…It was 2:00 a.m. !

One key element I learned is to practice practice practice. And then when you feel confident enough practice 50 more times. Practice makes progress, putting in those reps will pay off. Once you can do it in your sleep you know you’re good to go! The beauty industry is constantly changing keeping up with education and styles is critical.

Investing in yourself and most importantly believing in yourself is imperative. And as a fellow stylist i’m never embarrassed to whip out my mannikin to try new techniques and styles. Always being open to change is important. Being a left handed stylist has its challenges, this year I’m paying it forward to other stylists by launching a coaching program to help build their businesses and strengthen their skills. Through trial and error, I have found hidden gems that have helped secure tons of bridal bookings. I enjoy teaching and education and building relationships with other stylists in the industry.

Ultimately, I love to elevate a brides experience when it comes to booking their hair and makeup. I like to take away their stress on their big day. Cross every T and dot every I. I pour my heart out into my clients, and make sure that they are taken care of. I’ve set up systems and processes to ensure no inquiry slips through the cracks!

I’m most proud of building this business from scratch, and the ongoing support from my loving husband family friends and mentors. If I never got laid off from corporate I wouldn’t have had the courage to pursue my dreams full time. My mentor Jen Zondlo shared this piece of advice with me, that I’d like to share with you, “Through every adversity lies a seed of equal or greater benefit.”

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

To be completely honest, I self funded. At the time I was currently working at a corporate job, to supplement income. I took this position in corporate at first so I could close on a property I was in the middle of purchasing.

The business really took off after I was let go from the corporate company I was at, and afterwards my business blossomed.

It was relieving to know how aligned the journey as an entrepreneur was for me. I opened an LLC went to the bank and opened a business line of credit. I ran ads, paid for leads on a paid advertising site, bridal expos, and collaborated with other artists.

It was a leap of faith, the line of business line of credit helped me invest in myself and my business through education and coaching.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being absolutely authentic in who I am and what I have to offer. Being super clear with my messaging and who I wanted to attract as a client. Pretending to be someone you aren’t is exhausting and will lead to burnout. Being authentically you is refreshing, soul fueling and powerful. Common feedback from my clientele fuels me to be an even better stylist for future brides. It’s encouraging to hear that I have a credible reputation through past brides testimonials.

Additionally, it is a team effort. Collaboration over competition every day. There is always room for growth, there’s no need to step on others toes to be a great stylist. Collaborating and partnerships will fast track your success. There’s plenty of weddings for everyone! Having an abundance mindset instead of scarcity has changed my life, the right clients will find you. What’s always meant to be will find a way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.taramichellebridal.com
• Instagram: taramichellebridal
• Linkedin: Tara D’Amico
• Other: Currently in the process of rebranding
  the website up now is www.bohobridalhairco.com
  IG: @tara_bohobridalhairandmakeupco

Image Credits

John Agnello Photography & JGFilms LLC