Sexy Visage’s Journey to Self-Love in the Beauty World

In this interview with Mattilynne Mcclellan, the founder of Sexy Visage Makeup Artistry & Spa, we explore her inspiring journey in the beauty industry, emphasizing self-love and exceptional customer service. Her Omaha-based studio stands out for its bespoke makeup and skincare treatments, including acclaimed airbrush makeup and luxury facials. Through her work, Mcclellan not only enhances her clients’ outward beauty but also nurtures their inner confidence and self-appreciation.

Discovering Your Niche

SBS – How did you identify your niche in the beauty industry, and what inspired you to focus on these specific services you offer?

Mattilynne – I am a makeup artist and an esthetician, and my niche is all about self-love. What inspired me were my clients. Many of them come in and talk about how they don’t love their selves. I have a lot of clients who are overweight or some who are very underweight. So, my main focus was loving yourself, doing makeup, performing facials, and things like that. I noticed that when I did someone’s makeup, it really transformed their personality, so that’s what made me. I don’t necessarily focus on the service I provide but just on the customer service I give. 

Commitment to Quality

SBS – How do you ensure that you provide the best quality to your customers? 

Mattilynne – I do a lot of different trainings. On the esthetician side, I’m learning every single day, whether I read books or magazines in my spare time or sign up for different courses. That’s how I make sure that I can provide that level of service to my clients.   

Cultivating Client Relationships

SBS – What approach do you have to build client relationships in your business?

Mattilynne – It really depends on the person. Sometimes, I have clients who are completely silent. They don’t want to talk, and they just want to have a breather. Other times, I have clients who just want to talk the entire time and tell me their life story, which I’m okay with because I love me some tea every now and then. Basically, I feel out each client to see where their head space is.

I really believe in going above and beyond for my clients. On the esthetician side, I have an aromatherapy bar where clients can pick and choose which scent they love, and then we’ll incorporate that into their facial. On the makeup side, I offer my clients different add-ons, whether they want to do collagen eye patches, a facial massage, or something that can make the service feel more pampered and more luxurious.

Trend Awareness

SBS – How do you stay up to date with trends in the skincare and makeup industry? 

Mattilynne – Everything in my studio I have tried on myself, even skincare lines and makeup. I’ll try it on myself for 30 days, and if I like it, I’ll ask a couple of my clients to come in for a complimentary service, and I’ll do a facial or makeup on them to see how I can incorporate it into my business. If it goes past that trial phase, then I’ll use it.

Balancing Creativity and Business

SBS – How do you balance creativity with the business aspect? Is it difficult?

Mattilynne – Oh my gosh, it is so difficult! A couple of years ago, when my business first kicked off, I felt like I was drowning. But I feel like I now have a pretty good system. I’m off on Sundays, and I don’t take any work on those days. That’s my refresher period where I just need to chill and relax. I don’t even answer my phone. On Mondays, I’m off as well, but I use that particular day to do social media stuff and follow up on all my emails. Throughout the week, Tuesday through Friday, I have regular appointments, and Saturdays are strictly reserved for weddings. You have to have a system to stay organized.

Effective Marketing Strategies

SBS – What marketing tactics are the most effective for you to attract new clients and retain the existing ones?

Mattilynne – To retain my clients, I have several systems in place. On the bridal side, I have a refer-a-friend program where brides can refer their engaged friends to the business, and they’ll get some money, or they can pick products or a service.

I also run quarterly promotions for my clients. The one I just finished was about Valentine’s Day, and the next one will be for Mother’s Day. That’s to get new clients in the door.

I use Google. Google has been a big turning point for me. I’m also in a magazine. I am on every major search engine that you can think of. I also have my website, and then I use other small platforms (like The Knot) and social media. Social media right now is so huge, but I would say the ones that are working for me the best now would be Google and word of mouth. 

Financial Management

SBS – How do you handle the financial aspects of your business (pricing, costs, revenue streams)? Do you have a person handling all of that, or are you doing it alone? 

Mattilynne – I do everything on my own. I used to run my dad’s business when I was young, and he taught me at a young age, so I already have experience with that.

I do market research. I look at other people in my area and base my prices on that. I don’t try to be higher. I also don’t try to be too low. I like to be right in the middle or a little bit above the middle because I want people to see value in my services.

At the end of the year, I do a full audit of my business with my accountant, and we see what brought in more revenue than other things. Then, I pivot based on that. I also use QuickBooks a lot to keep track of all of my things, and then I also write things down just in case because I always think, what if technology were to fail? I always like to have a backup.

Team Dynamics

SBS – Do you have a staff, or are you working on your own?

Mattilynne – I actually have three employees. I have an assistant, and she helps book my brides. I have a makeup artist and a hairstylist who work under me.

SBS – How do you train them and make sure they provide the same quality of service that you do?

Mattilynne – I put all of my employees on a six-month probation. In the first 30 days, we start from the basics. It doesn’t matter how much experience they have. They automatically start like they don’t know anything, and I tell all my employees to forget everything they’ve already learned because I want them to have the same high-quality services as me, if not better.

Leveraging Technology

SBS – What role does technology play in your business? Do you use some tools for booking appointments, or are you doing it manually? 

Mattilynne – I use technology all the time. I love technology. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without it. I use several different systems. One of them is called HoneyBook, which I use for my brides. It has been a huge game-changer. If someone is in the wedding industry, I cannot recommend HoneyBook enough! From the moment that my clients inquire, it automatically sets up their login file. From there, I can send over proposals, guides, and questionnaires. It’s phenomenal! I also use a booking site, just for my regular clients.

Words of Wisdom

SBS – What advice would you give people who would like to start a similar business?

Mattilynne – Don’t give up! There’ve been times when I thought I couldn’t do this. I didn’t know what was going on. But then, there were other moments when I was convinced I could do it. That would be the main thing. 

Identify your “why,” and if you hold on tight to your “why,” I feel like you can achieve anything you want. You should also have an open mind. You may want to get into the beauty industry for fashion, but then you may start to do weddings, and you might like that more, and that’s okay. Have an open mind, see what you like and whatever you do like, and figure out your niche and your “why.” Once you have that, you’ll attract the right people.