Check Out Rachel Watson’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Watson. 

Hi Rachel, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
It sounds so cliche but it’s true, since I was young, I knew I wanted to be in the beauty industry and never had any sort of a backup plan because I was so certain. I started beauty school my senior year and went every day from 2-5, I never took any sort of college entry exams since I knew it would just be a waste of time and that I was going to do what I had always wanted. I made the decision after high school that I would take a year off while I figured out where I wanted to go, I knew my small town couldn’t provide me the experience and career that I wanted. I decided when I was 19 that I was going to move 10 hours away from everything I knew and head to Nashville (this was in 2008) I enrolled at a private beauty school in Franklin and then made the big move. While I was in beauty school, I knew that I wanted to specialize in something but didn’t think the salon environment was for me and that’s when I really decided to hone in on the wedding industry and specialize in bridal hair and makeup. I immediately started with weddings, working with friends, getting bookings through Craigslist and word of mouth, and then I went and freelanced with a bridal beauty team. In 2011 I made the switch to start taking on my own weddings as an independent artist, by 2013 I was getting more and more bookings where I needed to add an extra person to help and hired my first senior artist who is still with me today. Each year I have built some incredible relationships with other vendors and have been so lucky with the brides who seek out our services. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Finding a niche has been what I would say is the biggest struggle, as well as charging your worth and establishing a healthy work/personal balance. At first, I wanted to be as affordable as possible but what I didn’t realize is I was barely breaking even when I factored in my kit cost, time, and paying my artists. A few years ago, I worked on a complete pricing restructure so that I knew if I was working, I was making a number that I was comfortable with and in turn it elevated the experience for my brides. I have 4 kids and a husband so it’s important that I am still making sure that I’m not working on my computer into the late hours of the night and then doing trials all day, I have to find the right balance. You would think being in the bridal beauty world that your niche would be obvious but I think everyone specializes in different looks and its okay to tell a bride that you’re not a good fit and refer them to someone who seems to align with their vision and has specialized in the look they are wanting. I prefer a natural glam makeup look but I can do it all, it’s just where I feel I excel the most and if someone came to me wanting something that I knew another artist does amazing at, I would send them their way. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a hair and makeup artist and bridal beauty business owner, I specialize in on-location wedding hair and makeup as well as boudoir hair and makeup. I am most proud that I got here myself, that I make a 6-figure income because I worked hard for this, I don’t have a 9-5 job that I have to clock in to and let someone else tell me what I’m going to make, it’s a great feeling to give yourself credit for what you have. I think a big thing that sets me apart is that this was never a second thought for me, I didn’t just get into weddings and hair and makeup because it became trendy, I’ve been doing this before YouTube was a thing, I learned by being educated and lots of practice and trial and error, I have seen the highs and lows of the industry and the rises and falls and I’m proud that I had the determination (or stubbornness) to stick it out and keep going. I have 4 kids and one of them being a daughter, I hope that she is especially inspired by my journey and that I’ve always done what my heart was telling me and not what the world was. When I got pregnant with her, I was halfway through beauty school and panicked, wondering if I should just “take a break or find a different career” the world loves to tell people that the beauty industry doesn’t make a lot of money, I love to laugh at their ignorance. I hope all my kids are not altered by what people tell them when it comes to their passion and if they love something, they can make it into whatever they want and excel as long as they are willing to put the work in and not give up. 

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Nashville is such a hot spot for everything right now and next to Vegas we are one of the top destinations in the US to have a destination wedding, that’s crazy to think about. I also feel like every year as wedding trends change, 10 new venues pop up to appeal to the new trends, not to mention the hundreds of venues we already have, there is literally something for everyone. Since the pandemic hit, I have seen where lots of our industry is having to turn away bookings because we are so booked from all the brides who had to reschedule and then the ones who decided to wait until it calmed down a bit, add that to the new brides who are wanting to get married within a year, it’s a wild time. I really don’t see this industry slowing down and just see it growing and expanding, I’m hoping that this will also help the suburbs get some amazing venues to bring more business for all the other wedding professionals to expand. 

Pricing:

• Our bridal hair and makeup pricing starts at $500

Contact Info:

• Email: Rachel@rcobridalbeauty.com
• Website: www.rcobridalbeauty.com
• Instagram: @Rcobridalbeautyteam
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcobridalbeauty/

Image Credits
Rachel Oxford Collective
Kendall Parsons photography
kartsie photography
Hannah Leigh imagery
Howl photography
Shannon lee miller
render collective