Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Lyness Kendall.
Jessica, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My passion for Beauty Asylum Hair & Makeup stems from playing 15 yrs of competitive softball. Through the seasons of life – youth, adolescence, and even college I had a team of ladies I knew I could depend on. We were a solid group of women working together, every day, to achieve our goals.
After college, I ventured out into the beauty industry as a quick way to meet new people in a new town. I was immediately hired and trained through Bobbi Brown Cosmetics over a stent of four years. While I worked in the department store, I began to take on additional jobs. I would work weddings and shoots as a side hustle. While some gigs were paid, most gigs were just to build my portfolio work. By having a creative outlet and connecting with new people, I discovered how much I liked hair & makeup. But, something still felt like it was missing.
After relocating to Charlotte, NC, I began to question whether or not if this would be a career for me. I continued to work at the department store until I landed a corporate job with a fortune 500 company as their lead hair and makeup artist. That was all it took for me to leave retail. On a regular day of work at the new job, I was expected to have 8-10 people hair and makeup ready in a 2-3 hour time frame. It was also up to me to figure out the logistics. I was able to capitalize on the time I worked in cosmetics by reaching out to ladies that could help assist. The more l started to work with the stylists regularly the more things felt right. At that moment, I realized what I missed the most, the unity I’ve had my whole life, my team! From that moment, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. BA started with 4 ladies and we’ve continued to grow into a community of 30+ stylists in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. I’ve learned to trust my instincts with this business and everything else has fallen into place.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the longest time, I felt lost because I had no idea what I wanted to do as a profession. In college, everyone was declaring a major while I felt forced to make a decision. I did everything my parents wanted me to do growing up. I played ball, I was an all-star athlete, and I earned a full-ride scholarship to college. I was skating by living their dream. Until one day, I became pregnant and I dropped out of college at 21 years old. It definitely wasn’t easy to push through alone. Through the struggle of losing myself, I was able to take a journey that led me to find and love who I am today. (It only took 8 years!) The best piece of advice I can offer a young woman is don’t compare yourself to what others are doing. Sometimes, the best ideas take a little longer to develop. Embrace the moment as a chapter in life that leads you to something great in the future.
I’m still learning in this business today, but I love being able to refer to my community of people.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Beauty Asylum Hair & Makeup – what should we know?
Beauty Asylum is a team of published hairstylists & makeup artists specializing in bridal & multimedia Hair & Makeup. The last four years, I’ve worked towards building a team of talented stylists with the focus on community, customer service, and artistry. We are known for housing the top stylists in the beauty industry. When I interview ladies to join our team, I look for customer service, teamwork, and then skill set. So much of what we do is an experience. I believe in the consumer and I also believe in the artist. We have been recognized through multiple outlets and I am so proud to host a group of award-winning beauty professionals.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
Search local networks. Supporting local has a huge impact on building a brand. It’s also good to understand there is enough pie to go around and it’s ok to help one another in this industry.
Pricing:
- Airbrush starting at $120
- Updo starting at $110
Contact Info:
- Website: beautyintervention.com
- Phone: 980-202-2655
- Email: bookme@beautyintervention.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/beautyasylum
- Facebook: facebook.com/beautyasylum
- Twitter: twitter.com/beautyasylum
Image Credit:
Shauna Veasey Photography, Hales Photography, Abigail Thomas Photography, Marcie Meredith Photography, Paperlily Photography
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