The Vault Member Spotlight: Kayla Farley
Kayla Farley is a full time makeup artist, Owner of First Class accessories boutique & brand consultant/marketing director for small businesses.
Kayla started "FaceByKayla" back in 2016 as she was trying to find her purpose. She tells us more about how this endeavor came to be, “Growing up I always dreamed of being a cosmetologist, but as I started to express myself with my brushes; I realized my true love was makeup. After doing my first client I knew that I had found my purpose. This was to uplift women and help make them feel beautiful inside and out. I worked on building my brand all while working three jobs to provide for my son who was one year old at the time. As social media started to become more popular, I realized I had a passion for creating content & developing marketing strategies to help my small business grow.”
It is inspiring to see how Kayla took something she personally enjoyed and was able to begin pursuing a career out of it.
Kayla gained a passion for makeup artistry, but also for being a business owner. She goes on to tell us about how her brand First Class came to be, “In 2018 I accepted an entry level marketing position for a multi-million dollar beauty brand. After being with the company for nine months I decided I was ready to start my own e-commerce brand. Dec 2019 - First Class was born. Uniquely designed with both the Rebel & Minimalist in mind, I created a collection that encourages people to invest in their self-care journey through fashion. Look good, feel good right?”
Kayla has been able to create a brand that focuses on confidence and feeling good. It is with no doubt that her true heart and intentions show through her efforts: “I encourage my clients and customers to remember that no matter what destination they are headed to in the journey of life, they can still look fly doing it. Always remember to exude self-love, break down barriers & be unapologetically YOU! In 2021 I decided to use my expertise to help other small brands grow and the rest is history.”
First Class is an accessory boutique which consists of products like necklaces, earrings, bracelets, sun glasses, socks and much more. Kayla tells us her brand and products are unique because they have been uniquely designed with both the Rebel & Minimalist in mind. Kayla also details, “All products are hypoallergenic and created with quality materials for my girls with sensitive skin that want to look 'Bougie on a budget.'"
Clearly Kayla loves what she does and has a passion for her business that consists of, “Creating content, having photoshoots, building a community, and most importantly motivating/inspiring other women!" She also gave us some advice on how to balance a career with a social life and personal relationships, “Take it one day at a time. Plan! Prioritize! Be Organized! Stay focused and never lose sight of the end goal. It's okay to take time off to enjoy family/friends, but always remember that hard work pays off! As an entrepreneur you will not be able to make it to every family get together, birthday party, etc. so being transparent with yourself and family is important!”
Like many of us can relate, the pandemic took a toll on Kayla’s businesses and income. She gave us some insight on how this affected her, “That was one of the most challenging times of my career. As a full-time makeup artist, I never thought I would see the day I wasn't able to do what I love most. I had to really pivot my entire business and figure out how I would generate revenue to feed my family. I started doing Zoom makeup lessons. 1:1's, group classes, etc. I also started offering 1:1 business coaching for anyone looking to grow their brand. Again, this was a very challenging time for me, but I'm glad that I went through it because I learned how to be versatile, how to pivot my biz, and most importantly it taught me patience + resilience.”
We appreciate getting to know more about Kayla and her businesses. Resilient and passionate women like her are what make up the amazing Modern Day Wife community! You can visit Kayla’s business profiles on Instagram: @shopxfirstclass and @faceby.kaylamua as well as her business websites to book and shop her products www.facebykayla.com and https://www.shopfirstxclass.com/.
