Meet Raney O’Keefe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Raney O’Keefe.

Raney, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have a background performing in theatre. This is where my love for the transformative and celebratory effects of makeup took hold. A few years after I finished college, I was unhappy with the types of jobs I was working and the lack of value I felt in what I was offering the world. Realizing how much I enjoyed makeup, but unsure of whether or not I would be able to simply “turn it into a career”, I enrolled in a makeup diploma program at The Blanche MacDonald Centre for Applied Design in Vancouver BC and commuted there from my home in Olympia, WA every weekend for a year.

I began freelancing for MAC cosmetics in and around Seattle, and after about a year my husband and I moved to Atlanta. I signed on for more cosmetic retailing and freelancing and quickly realized that selling in a retail environment was not for me. I decided to start my own business as an independent makeup artist. I created a website, purchased print and web advertising, and HUSTLED. I mean, the door-to-door, introduce yourself, show up alone to networking events type of hustle.

I was new to the city, didn’t know anyone, but in 2008, it still meant something to do that kind of grassroots outreach. And I met the right people. People who generously accepted me, championed me and referred me to their clients. I haven’t forgotten that, and I really try to pay that forward to others who might need support.

Has it been a smooth road?
If you look at my work calendar for two months from now, I look unemployed! If you look at my work calendar from two months ago, things look great. I haven’t had a 100% linear journey upward, but I’ve only had a couple of years where I thought that maybe I wasn’t going to thrive. And that was actually AFTER eight years of a lot of success!

What this has all taught me, is that each year isn’t going to look the same, and honestly, some years I’ve wanted different things out of my lifestyle. I’ve struggled with competition (heck-I’m kind of an old goat in this town now! haha:)), I’ve struggled a lot with social media (I hate it), and the pressure to grow a following, and I’ve struggled to embrace downtime.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I offer makeup, hair styling and lash extensions. Lash extensions are exclusively in house, and the other two are both in-studio and on-location. I self-taught myself to style hair when I saw that most people hiring makeup services also needed hair done as well.

I feel really proud of how many styles I’m capable of doing — vintage, edgy, very earthy and natural, and women of all ages. I invested early on in beautiful branding elements and have never wavered from that. I knew right from the beginning that I would always be at a higher price point, and that what I needed to offer was a bespoke experience that radiates quality in all areas of what I do.

That hasn’t come without investment-in time, in fostering relationships, in creating an atmosphere for my clients, and heaps of attention on those individuals who put their trust in me. That reputation means everything to me.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
For better or for worse, Atlanta is a very appearance-obsessed city. In all kinds of ways. It’s a wonderful place to have a business in general, but even better to have one in the beauty industry.

I think both of these elements bode well for someone starting a makeup business here. There are many different business models of course, from on-call mobile services to Salon Suites, to film-only artists.

Just realize that while you can always change your area of expertise, your reputation starts the minute you put yourself out there.

Contact Info:

• Address: 318 Cherokee Avenue SE #102 Altanta, GA 30312
• Website: www.raneyokeefe.com
• Phone: 360-970-7375
• Email: raney@raneyokeefe.com
• Instagram: @raneyokeefe

Image Credit:
Ben Vigil, Matt Altmix, Sarah Witherington, Jeremy Harwell, Heidi Geldhauser

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