Daily Inspiration: Meet Kelly Motley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Motley.

Hi Kelly, 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?
I am the sole owner of Kellymade Lash & Wax. I was born and raised in Michigan but I knew I wanted a change. So I packed up my car with nothing but clothes + my dog and headed towards the south in 2014! My first job was in Smyrna, TN and my apartment was in Murfreesboro.. that is how I landed here. I have been in the medical field majority of my life, having a passion for dementia and the elderly community. In 2016 I was hurt lifting a patient which resulted in a permanent back injury. The doctor told me if I didn’t get an office job I would never recover.. so I did just that. I hated it, I have a Bachelor’s in Social Work and love to interact with people. I could not handle sitting in front of a computer all day processing documents like a robot. I saw a close friend, who lived in NC post about lash extensions on her instagram, which I had no clue about being the tomboy that I am. Once she explained the details I was intrigued, found a lash tech in GA that I personally knew and asked about her course. I took a weekend trip and got my certification, this was in 2018. I had no clue what this would do for my life. After months of lashing friends in my dining room, I enrolled in another more detailed course. By this time I was getting good, clientele was returning and I felt a difference in the confidence women gained with lashes. I was also still working a full-time corporate job to ensure my bills were paid, lashing primarily in the evenings. Then in 2020 Covid hit and the world took a spin, I was laid off from my corporate job and was not sure what I was going to do. I wasn’t happy where I was and knew I needed to take a leap of faith. I decide to enroll myself in Esthetics school so I could open my own business and make lashing my full-time gig. Eight months later, I graduated early and opened my first Lash & Wax Studio!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nothing has come easy. I missed meals to travel to clients after work and lash in their homes for convenience. I used credit cards to pay rent because I needed supplies to lash. I even put some of my school on credit cards because I had to pay $850 a month in order to attend. To top it off I learned not 1 second of individual lash extensions while in school which made it that much more difficult to see value in the process. I think being patient is the only thing that helped me prosper. I prayed, listened to the signs I was given and stayed true to my passion and goals. I knew what I wanted for not only Kellymade but for myself as an entrepreneur.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I primarily provide lash services but I am also a full-body waxing salon. I fell in love with body waxing in school but I am most proud of the relationships I have built while fighting through this journey. It has been hard, I have lost clients, gained clients and failed personally as well as professionally along the way. I go above and beyond for my business, I am constantly furthering my education, I want to make every person who walks through my door feel like a beauty queen when they leave. I have never had someone disappointed in what they receive at Kellymade, that alone makes me oh so thankful for my willingness to always keep going.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is in order to be successful you have to believe in yourself. You have to believe that deep down you have what it takes to give yourself the exact life you dream of.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vagaro.com/kellymade
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/kellymade.mb 

Image Credits
Leah Ellis Photography