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

Taylor, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Changing career paths and starting my own business was one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken. I grew up in a very small town in Wisconsin, where being an artist (particularly a makeup artist) didn’t exactly seem like a realistic career choice. Not only this, but I grew up in a time where YouTube and other social media platforms (e.g. Instagram, TikTok, etc) didn’t exist — So makeup in general wasn’t what it is today. That being said, I turned my back on my dream of being a makeup artist at the age of 18 and decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in addiction counseling.
I worked in that field for about 6.5 years; all the while feeling unfulfilled and that I wasn’t doing what I was meant to do. There were several times I remember breaking down and crying, knowing that I wasn’t on the right career path.
At the age of 25, while working full time at a residential treatment center, I finally decided to take a risk and go to a professional makeup school: Faces Etc of Minnesota. I had to borrow money from my family in order to pay the tuition; and I had no days off at all while I was in school, as I was working and in class full time.
When the day came for us to learn “bridal makeup”, I truly fell in love. There was just something about it — and I knew that’s what I was meant to do.
I started my business immediately in 2016 and began working various freelance gigs and contracting for other agencies.
There were times during the years of 2016-2020 that I was working up to 6 jobs at a time just to make ends meet; but I knew it’s what I needed to do to get to where I wanted to be: the owner of my own hair and makeup agency.
Fast forward to today, I am the owner of Taylor Marie Beauty, LLC and have a team of 14 very talented hair and makeup artists.
There were countless hurtles along the way, and I certainly still face challenges to this day; however, I could not be more grateful for where I am in my career.
I have learned so much over the past 7+ years, but if I can give one piece of advice (as cliché as it may be): never give up on your dreams. Seriously. If there is something you’ve always wanted to do and you can’t stop thinking about it — DO IT! Don’t let anyone talk you out of following your heart and don’t let the hurtles along the way stop you. Face challenges with courage, find a good support system, and take that risk! You will never know unless you try — and it just might end up being the best decision you ever make! I know it was for me.

Taylor, 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?

I am an esthetician and professional makeup artist, and the owner of Taylor Marie Beauty (TMB): a hair and makeup agency.

As an esthetician, I offer various services, including facials, chemical peels, waxing, brow & lash tinting, and lash lifts. Many of my skincare clients are TMB brides, who are wanting to get their skin wedding day ready; which is so important for the makeup application and the bride’s appearance in photos. Plus, I absolutely love being able to pamper our brides as often as possible!

Taylor Marie Beauty specializes in bridal hair and makeup, serving hundreds of brides all around the Twin Cities and beyond. We have a diverse team from a variety of different backgrounds, which allows us to be versatile in our skillsets and the services we offer. We work with any and all skin tones, hair textures, age groups, etc — And we go into every service with a very personalized approach.

Clients tend to come to us wanting more of a soft glam or enhanced natural beauty look, and I would say that is really what TMB is all about: we want you to still look like you — just a more polished version.
So many of our brides/clients say that that is the reason they chose TMB, because our work shows that we enhance the client’s features without changing their look completely.
Don’t get me wrong — if you are looking for a complete makeover and some heavy glam, we can achieve that too! We want all of our clients to love their hair and makeup, and we will do whatever it takes to make sure everything is exactly as you had imagined!

Aside from weddings, we offer hair and makeup services for any occasion; including prom, senior/family photos, boudoir, corporate headshots, and more!

Any advice for managing a team?

Being in charge of a team can definitely be challenging at times! Aside from taking courses or reading various material on the topic of management, I have found networking with other professionals in the industry to be very helpful. Taking the time to discuss ideas, managerial approaches, and sharing what has and hasn’t worked from a business perspective can really make a difference.

Along with this, I often ask for and encourage feedback from my contractors. I think it’s important for my team (or any team) to feel heard and valued. There were times when I worked for other companies where I didn’t feel those things, and it certainly didn’t inspire me to do my best work. I want everyone on my team to feel that they can share ideas and be honest about things that are or are not working for them.

I check in with my team members regularly and also host annual meetings, where I provide refreshments for the team and hire a photographer to take team photos & individual headshots. It’s a fun way to start off each new year and introduce any new artists who may have joined the team.

During these events we are able to meet as a group to recap the previous year, share new ideas, and discuss goals/strategies for moving forward. It’s a great way to strengthen camaraderie with the team!

I also highly recommend planning team outings whenever possible. It’s a fun, stress-free way to connect outside of the workspace!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I would have to say my drive to always be better than I was the year before and to make new connections whenever possible. I am a bit of a perfectionist, which can sometimes hinder my ability to relax and detach from my business, but it also pushes me to continue to grow and make improvements– both personally and professionally. I have never had the mindset that I know everything; I always want to remain teachable and learn new ways of doing things, whether that means new tricks for makeup applications or even knew ways to approach marketing or admin work.

In terms of my peers, I’ve always done my best to be helpful and to be a mentor when needed. The beauty industry in general can be very competitive and intimidating at times; which is why I think it’s so important for artists to support one another and build each other up. Although we do the same jobs, our work is different — we all have our unique strengths and skills, and that’s what sets us apart. There are so many kind, helpful people in the Twin Cities beauty industry and I do my best to be considered a part of that list!

In terms of my clientele, I will really go above and beyond to make them happy. I put my whole heart into my business and always do my best to provide my clients with the best experience possible; and I think that is what keeps people coming back or what leads to referrals from past clients. I strive to make genuine connections with everyone I work with and I take my job very seriously, because I love it more than anything — and my goal is for that to always be obvious to my clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.taylormariebeauty.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/taylormariebeautyllc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taylormariebeautyllc

Image Credits
Valea Photography
Sarah Rohe Photography
Carly Mac Photography
Grace Byron Photography