Hey! So nice to speak with you! Can you tell our readers a little bit more about yourself?

Emily Miller. I'm originally from O'Fallon, Illinois and I currently live in Belleville, Illinois. My bridal studio is located in St. Louis, Missouri

Where are you originally from and where do you live now?

I love the Midwest because it's very affordable. I can have a nice home with a low mortgage payment which affords me the ability to travel and invest in my business.

Tell us a little bit more about what your company does and how it started? How does it help your customers?

I started as a commercial makeup artist and hair stylist and I now do primarily Bridal makeup and hair for St. Louis and surrounding brides. I recently expanded my reach to San Diego, California and am open to destination weddings as well.

My degree is in psychology, I worked 10 years in the corporate world of which I could barely stand it and would cry in my car and quit jobs every few months. I think I had over 20 jobs by the time I was 30. I started my business in 2010 and have been thriving since, but the road prior to that was very, very difficult.

My business creates Bridal looks that are natural, authentic and classic.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice will help them?

Oh wow, so many things. 1. stay true to your style, regardless of trends. 2. you will run into frustrations with clients and they might give you a poor review. Don't sink into self pity, but rather learn from it and how you can do better next time. 3. You have to spend money to make money. 4. Make and decision and do not look back. Always move forward. Don't dwell on mistakes.

What was one feedback from a happy customer/client that you won't forget about?

I have been told on a few occasions that I am a true artist. i love to be told that because ultimately what I do is create art. It's an outlet that has saved my life over and over and although I love making others happy, I ultimately need to make myself happy first before becoming the very best I can be with my team and clients.

Where do you see your company in the future?

I have a team of 25 artists, I will continue to build my team and take as many weddings as we can in St. Louis. I see myself traveling more outside of St. Louis and doing weddings at large venues around the world. I envision becoming an online creator for women over the age of 40. I love that age group because we have been to war and back and beauty is still important to us.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

The biggest misconception is that we just put makeup on people. That is not even the half of what we do. We are the first ones to see the bride on her wedding day. We start her day with her, our attitudes and positivity towards her and her group matter a lot. Energy is contagious. I know for myself, I am planning her look in my mind as soon as we meet. I am there to bring her vision to life during the trial and again on her wedding day. I get to know pieces of her life at the trial and I make suggestions on what looks I think she would do best in. I ensure the products I mix together provide longevity. The night before her wedding I am going over her look in my mind. The day of her wedding, I'm there to bring calm, peace and joy.

We are not just people who slap makeup on someone lol.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business and how did you deal with it?

Learning to let go. Taking what I'm an expert in, executing it, then letting go of the rest. There are many things that could rattle someone up in this business and I've run into a lot of them. I learn to breathe, let go and smile.

What was your favorite music artist and athlete growing up?

Athlete was Michael Jordan and Music artist was Michael Jackson. I guess I like the name Michael.

Any shoutouts you want to make?

Shoutout to all the wedding vendors in St. Louis. We have a very strong community of super talented people who support one another. I have seen some of the same vendors on weddings for 17 years and they truly care about their clients.

Where can our readers follow your work or learn more about your upcoming projects?

www.emily-miller.com or my instagram page @emilymillermakeupandhair. Also, Voyage Stl.