What its like owning a bridal beauty team

Behind the scenes of a Bridal Beauty Business Owner

Hey Girl Hey, I constantly get asked the question of how do you do what you do. Or if running a growing wedding hair and makeup team is hard and i’m hear to give you a peek behind the curtain and dishing out a few tip of how to manage it all.

“It takes a village”

If your new around here let me first start out by saying i have the best right hand girl who helps on the back end of my business to make sure that things run seamlessly. Shelby is my Social Media and Communications manger and from Instagram, Facebook and helping out with emails from time to time the business never misses a beat. The honest truth when you run any kind of business is that you cant do it all by yourself. Trying to do everything and wear all the hats in your business will lead you straight to burn out.

Shelby is one of the 5 people that i have help me on the back end of things but she is my only full time office help who is also a member of my bridal team. My other staff members are freelancers that i check in from time to time when i need to save myself time and have others do the work that i necessarily don’t need to do myself like graphics, flyers, a few pr task, book keeping, and accounting. Business tip to anyone looking to grow their business is to hire out even if you have someone to help you on task a few times a month because time is our currency.

“Being a business owner you wear all the hats so staying organized is a non negotiable”

I think that its so funny to me how when it comes to anything that has to do with my business i become super ocd. The organization is to an entire different level. But if you ask me where that one cute top i love so much i literally have no clue what happened to it lol, But seriously in order to run an efficient and successful business of any kind you need to be organized. A few of my ultimate favorite apps or softwares that helps me operate and manage my hair and makeup team , assistant and freelance office staff. are Asana, Google Calendar, Zoom, HoneyBook.

Asana is great if you have multiple projects going on at once. You can break them down into smaller task and assign them to a team member. They can mark the job as complete. Google Calendar is literally life y’all. This is how i send out wedding details to me team members and book consultation calls with potential clients. Zoom, omg has been such a game changer for me.

As an online educator, last year i started to take on one on one clients who needed help with the back end of their business and video meetings where i can share my screen, record webinars and masterclasses has been ever thing plus more for me so if you do a ton of videos content for your business i highly suggest to check it out.. Lastly Honey Book is like the ying to my yang. It does everything i need it to all in one. But creating a simple system and work flow im able to have any of my other staff members to log into our honey book and communicate with clients, send files, take payment without them having to leave the platform its seriously amazing but dont take my word for it. You can try it out free for a full week just to see if you like it.

TRY HONEY BOOK NOW!

The Clients Experience is Everything

When i attended cosmetology school in 2012 at Paul Mitchell the words under my name said “day maker” an i don’t take those words lightly, which is why im huge on customer service and experience.. Regardless of if my team an i are available for your date or not you will still receive the same level of responsiveness and guidance the same way as if you were one of our booked clients.

Giving or clients guidance through the entire process is Key

While everything on the back end gets handled accordingly we are always front and certain by guiding our client through the entire process leading up until their big day. It’s our job as the pro to take the clients hand and walk them step by step through our process.The lovely bride feature in this photo above is one of our many destination brides Dacia. From coordinating via email on the best dates to plan for a trial run while she was in town for her final venue walk through and tasting is the number one time that i always suggest for a trial to our out of town brides. If all else fails i had plenty of brides fly in from out of the country a few days before the wedding and we accommodate the best we can with our team to set a trial up during those few day plus its a huge bonus to look photo ready during your rehearsal dinner photos lol

Being flexible with our clients is a must especially when over 50% of them are in a different state and sometimes a different country. Letting them know that we have their best interest in mind in how we build that trust. During this Beauties trial i took a few photos that she showed me and asked her if i can cook something up special just for her. From communicating with her leading up until her trial she completely trust me to do whatever i had in mind because she knew that we were already on the same page of what she wanted for her big day.

We’re Your chaos Coordinators

So normally im not really big on coffee..unless chi tea lattes counts then never mind lol. I get a bit OCD a.f when it comes to creating a brides timeline. Our bridal beauty team is made up of timely, talented and highly trained hair and makeup artist and based upon a brides final head count will determine the number of stylist we bring on a wedding and the amount of time we allot for each bridal member.

I read the timeline, then re-read it then again 3 more times just to make sure that everything aligns perfectly and then we send it over to the bride to view. When hiring a Bridal Beauty Team it is our job to help the bride round up all of their ladies so assigning each bridal party member with a time slot for styling take the ease, stress and overwhelm away from our client which is why we are day makers :)

We do more than help you look picture perfect, We help you create memories.

We take pride in helping our clients make their day the up most best best not only being a resource in providing them with list of amazing vendors vendors that they may need to cross off their to-do list.But we make their days by helping them create memories that they can look back on years and years from now to see how stunning they looked in their wedding photos. We understand that choosing your hair and makeup vendor can be a huge investment but it comes with a piece of mind for precious moment like the photo above when Dacia did a first look photo with her father (que the water works) what a precious moment that will always live on to look back on.

Customize-able Beauty based on your personal standards

Here at Alter-Image Bridal Hair and Makeup we are all about diversity and looking like the best version of your everyday self but that goes for your bridal party as well. It’s very important to me not only as a business owner but as someone who has family and friends of many different colors and shapes that we represent everyone. During the inquiry process brides recognize the fact that we constantly include images of ladies who look like them and tell tell us how much they appreciate it. over 75% of our brides have a mixed race of bridal party members and after viewing our social media they express who they love the customize in our beauty standards so that everyone feels comfortable with their services.Not only do we want to make sure that the bride looks perfect but we want to make sure that girl girl tribe looks and feels the same.

You Glow Brighter when your Happy

We provide confidence and timeless natural beauty that your entire squad will love.

These are just a few of the things that i learned to embrace and enhance when designing my business to become better and better over the years. Our team is beyond amazing and they go above and beyond to make sure that everyone feels confident in the way that they look. Its a continuous journey to better myself, and the way that i operate and manage my team and the best piece of advice to anyone who is looking to start a bridal beauty team or any job in the wedding field is to go for it and highly invest in the best education..

If you haven’t already checked out my freebies over in the education section of our site make sure to head over there now for free educational downloads and webinars.

Chat with you beauties soon

xoxo-Jasmine

Photos from today’s blog were shot by Shelby Stewart of The Wedding Click

Proven ways to shift your mindset

Daily habits to implement into your life to shift your mindset

When it come to your mindset, It can be your most helpful tool or the most hurtful tool that you can use within your personal situations or business life.

If you are someone who is constantly thinking of the worse case scenarios of what could happen you need to stop it right now! How can you say you want a positive and happy life when your constantly thinking of the negative.

Change your Language

It’s amazing how the simplest of things such as changing your language can help you in many situations.Have you ever said out loud “I cant do this” or “im not smart enough” These are all harsh things that we are saying to ourselves on a daily basis. Other then saying something like” I can’t do this” maybe change it up and say something like “ This will take a bit of work to do” Just but changing it up you re no longer limiting yourself of the things you “can’t do”

Start a Morning Routine

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? Is it grabbing your phone and scrolling on social media before you step out of the bed? If so girl you need to switch it up. I no longer sleep with my phone near me at night time. If i want to pick up my phone i have to physically get up and out of the bed to walk to where it is.

The very first thing i do when i wake up is to do a quick 5 minute yoga or stretch and then head out on a quick power walk. If the weather is not agreeing with me i do a quick workout in my living room then take my dog out. After i took sometime to get the blood flooding through my body i sit down in front of my diffusser take a few deep breaths in to smell whatever essential oil i’m using fro that day (lavender is always my personal favorite) I dive right into 15 minutes or yoga or a nice meditation session.

This is a great way to focus on the goals you have for yourself for the day or just to clear your head and create space for what you need that day.

Give your self a positive self talk

Now you maybe rolling you’r eyes at this as you read it but let me tell you this. During most of my set backs and struggles when i’ve felt like ive fell off track of my goals i give myself a quick pep talk other wise non as affirmations to give myself a quick reminder of why i am actually where i am for a reason. Where i am today is actually the person i need to be to get to the next level of success in my life and business.

I challenge you to :

Create: 5 power things that you can say to your self or write down in a journal of how amazing you are and speak your current struggles away as if they where never a road bock

Ex: “I have money flowing to me from many directions” or “Clients love to work with me because of the energy i create through my photos”

These simple tasks can create a major shift and can even become your secret weapon.

And of course! I had to save the best for last…

Self Care

As a licensed cosmetologist Self Care, Wellness and Health are all tied into my job tittle. The way that we feel on the inside can boost us up or hold us back. As service providers we are always worried about our clients and making sure they their needs are always met. But when it come to our needs, our stress, nutrition and over all taking care of our selves it gets put on to the back burner.

you may work a part time job while juggling to make your business take off and by the time you come home and try to work on your business your tired so you call up the closest pizza delivery place. Or you may get home and your little ones are yelling at the top of their lungs and all you want to do is take a nap in the peace and quite. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. These are the most crucial time that you can hop in the shower put a few drops of your favorite essential oil and sock in jut a few minutes. Say a few words to yourself or out loud of what will help you in the moment an tackle the rest of your night.

When it comes to being a business owner it has many rewards but in order to reap those reward you must “do the work even if you don’t feel like it”

Take a few minutes to make a better food choice for yourself that will help boost your energy. Or take those extra minutes before you go to be to do yoga because your back has been killing you for the last 3 days and you know you need to do something about it. I see focusing on Wellness and Health countless way that can boost up your levels of self care. Think of if as a preventive method now so its not a necessary method you have to do from neglecting your health. This will help you look and feel amazing and save you tons of money from unwanted doctors visits.

4 crucial habits tied into the success of being a successful entrepreneur

Have you ever wondered has some people can come out of the wood works an be so success which seems like over night. Or maybe you even seen someone who been working hard to pursue their business and their hard work is finally paying off. Its because they learned some of the most important habits it takes to master daily in order to actually get the results they been work towards.

Success Leaves Clues and they’re sitting right in front of our faces yet we still don’t do them…why?

There can be many reasons why we over look some of the most small and simplest of habits and choose to believe that you don’t need improvement on them.

Mastering these 4 habits will transform your life and i think you’d be surprise on what my top 4 are.

• Action Tacker

• Personal Care

• Frugality

• Sharing

These may be a shocker but these are a few of the top 4 habits that’s helped me transform my life from having multiple part time jobs to only working for myself in my bridal hair and makeup service base business. Let just right on into my number habits as its the most important.

ACTION TACKER:

Taking action is in my opinion the most important because some people never even get to step one. I once heard one day while listening to a podcast (you will hear this ALOT as i beige listen to podcast) of how people are living their lives backwards. Image always working hard for someone all you life and people everyone else dream, problems, and desires before your own. You will look up 20 years from now and realize that you never lived for yourself,went for that goal,started that business or even moved an inch on the ideal you thought about 10 years ago.

This doesn’t make you selfish if you decide to pursue your dreams what is selfish is having a gift that you know you can personally help people with and holding it all to yourself. Someone is wanting for you to guide them rather it be on skincare, health,business,coaching and they are waiting for you. The client you say you dont have are out their just waiting for yo to start an I truly believe that in order for use to truly appreciate the time we have on earth is to give our gifts to as many people that needed us to give them to little push they needed to make a change. Which up what their eating to save their health or even get their hair done because they where feeling done and they enjoy the personal time they have with their stylist.

The path to success is to take massive determined actions-Tony Robbins

PERSONAL CARE:

YOLO! who’s heard this before it stands for You only live once. An if you ask me i say that’s even more of a reason to get it together NOW an stop waiting until until the time is right. Sorry to break it to you but there will never be the perfect time to start you just have to do it. Making sure that you are in the most functional state possible start with being a bit more aware of what your eating, how much time you are spending on yourself a day and i’m not talking about doing your makeup i’m talking about your over all well being.

Go an get a massage not being you want it but because you need it. As service providers we are always worried about our clients and making sure we fulfill their needs but we often for get our own person needs. TREAT YOURSELF EVER ONCE AN A WHILE! If your worried about how this time can be used to be productive think of a massage as an productivity booster that you need once a month.

Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work-Stephen King

Fragility:

Down sizing your monthly bills may be something that you need to look into. Between changing my car insurance, getting a cheaper apartment, cutting our Starbucks runs and actually trying to stick to a monthly budget are things that’s put more money into my pocket that i choose to spend on education.

The amount of money that some are so quick to purchase new clothes, shoes, bags,cars and other flashy material items can be used to accelerate your growth when you implements the steps given correctly. Next time you go to make a purchase as yourself if its needed or wanted and if its wanted think of a smarter way to spend that money. We other mindlessly spend and not even realize it.

Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving- Warren Buffett

Sharing:

Just like what parents say to their children when they learn how to play with others “Sharing is caring” and if you care about the success of others then share. Share with you loved ones advice that you know can help them with a certain situation. If someone posts a question on Facebook and you know the answer don’t just scroll by and hope someone else tells them the answer. The more we put ourselves into situations of helping others the efforts will come back for us 10x folds.

If your like me and believe in karma then you know you only get what you put out and if your not putting any good or helpful vibes they won’t come back to you in return.

We make a living by what we get; We make a life by what we give- Sir Winston Churchill

Daily Habits are something that we should focus on daily! Think about going to the gym you don’t go into the gym on day one workout for an hour and expect change. These are things that you have to work on over and over again to see a change.

If you’ve made it this far id love to share a huge air hug with you for spending you time reading this article as your support is truly appreciated. I would love to hear what some of your habits that you like to use daily in your life below in the comment section

Image taken by Alex Thornton