Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Williams.
Hi Tiffany, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am a fiercely driven entrepreneur of a growing bridal beauty company, creating authentic and customized luxury experiences for local and destination clientele. My journey in the bridal world started almost 15 years ago with a job that I took as a “side hustle”. I was an immigrant from Belize and a recent college graduate trying to figure out my life plan. While working at a physical therapy clinic and contemplating graduate studies in the same field, I got a part-time job with a wedding planning firm assisting with weekend events. Little did I know, that decision would change the trajectory of my life. I fell head over heels in love with weddings and my temporary “side gig” soon turned permanent.
When the company’s owner decided to retire in the third year of my tenure, I was tasked with managing the brand on my own and fulfilling our remaining client commitments. I was young, driven and presented with an amazing opportunity, so I completed our previously booked events and continued the business for two additional years before moving on to my next endeavor. I later joined an up-and-coming bridal beauty team as their in-house coordinator and quickly realized that this was a perfect fit! My older sister, who was a cosmetologist, always recruited me as her model, so I already had an affinity for hair, makeup and all things beauty-related. This new role simply allowed me to marry my love of beauty with my existing wedding and event planning skillset. My duties relegated me to the office; communicating with the clients, managing the stylists and ensuring that things flowed seamlessly behind the scenes. However, being fully immersed in the world of bridal glam prompted a new passion to blossom. I became addicted to watching styling and makeover tutorials on YouTube, began recruiting my friends as models and spent most of my paychecks on makeup. I was a budding, self-taught artist with natural talent and an extraordinary eye. Within my first two years with the company, I transitioned from office to artist and soon became one of the most highly requested stylists within the group. I maintained my position in the office and was instrumental in elevating the brand to a national level. After almost a decade there, working with hundreds of amazing clients, I decided that it was time to move on. I launched my company, Bronze + GLOW Beauty, mid 2020, born from a desire to create a truly authentic and personalized experience for my clients.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As with any journey, there are obstacles you may encounter, but I have been blessed to have the support of my family, friends and colleagues to help me overcome those challenges. The internal struggles of self-doubt and recognizing my worth were probably the most challenging because it really degraded how I viewed myself. For several years I was conflicted because I loved my job but remained committed and loyal to a company that no longer served me, ultimately sacrificing my mental well-being in the process. It forced me to do a lot of self-reflection and introspection to realize that I have the agency to control the narrative of my journey. Being an immigrant woman of color came with its own set of challenges, creating countless roadblocks to resources along the way, but these have only pushed me to become more creative in my problem-solving techniques and added so much value to me and my business.
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?
Bronze + GLOW Beauty is a licensed and insured bridal beauty company providing luxury, on-site makeup and hair services for Florida-based and destination clientele. As an artist, I believe in enhancing a client’s natural beauty, making them look and feel beautiful, confident and like the very best version of themself. While I do love a timeless aesthetic, I’m best known for my versatility, creating classic to more distinct editorial looks and my ability to work on a range of culturally diverse clients. I have worked hard and sacrificed a lot to be in this position and I credit that to the two qualities I am most proud of, my drive and work ethic. There is such a talented community of artists in Central Florida that do exactly what I do, but my unique background in weddings, approachable and calm demeanor and impeccable attention to detail are just some of the reasons clients gravitate to my brand.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Yes, and I wish someone told me these things a lot earlier in my career! Stop wasting time waiting for the perfect moment for things to align; that moment may never arrive! Many of us plan and strategize for so long, waiting around for the ideal opportunity to present itself while other great opportunities are passing us by. Please, please, please block out the nay-sayers who tell you that you are not good enough and while you’re at it, quiet the voice of self-doubt in your head deterring you from fully pursuing your passion. Those who try to deter you are not fearful of your failure, it’s usually their own insecurities that they are projecting on you and in some instances, they are just fearful that you will be greater than they are! Arm yourself with the tools to thrive in your market.
Any investment in yourself will bring value to your business, so read the books, take the courses, find a mentor or hire a coach. Constantly seek out all the resources that will elevate your skillset. Do your best to create authentic relationships with others in your field of business. Don’t try to forge relationships solely to get something from it, there should always be reciprocity. Lastly and probably the most important piece of advice is, don’t compare yourself to others; we are all at different stages in our journey and others may naturally be further ahead than you are. With the overwhelming influence of social media, we are constantly bombarded with images of perfection and ideals, just remember, most people only show you what they want you to see. Stay true to yourself and know that you possess something unique in the product or service you offer. With your consistent investment of time and implementation of the right strategies, you will get to your desired destination.
Pricing:
- Pricing for Bridal Hair & Makeup starts at $250
- Pricing for Bridal Party Hair & Makeup starts at $150
Contact Info:
- Email: bronzeandglowbeauty@gmail.com / hello@bronzeglowbeauty.com
- Website: www.bronzeglowbeauty.com
- Instagram: @bronzeglowbeauty
Image Credits
Antoine Studio, Kristen Weaver Photo, and Infinite Loop Photography
