We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachel McMillan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Rachel, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
As a wedding vocalist and bridal make-up artist, these are career paths that truly demand a confident person in it’s entirety. I wasn’t always confident though. I just did little things here and there that would eventually get me to the point where I am now. I call this the Mr. Miyagi method, where nothing makes sense when you’re doing it, but it will come into play at the most vital times.
When I was younger and a naturally shy person, I wasn’t one to strike up a conversation first. To combat that, I got a job as a server at a restaurant.
I would often visualize where I wanted to see myself and figure out, little by little, the steps I needed to get to where I wanted to be. One of the first examples I have of this is when I was a freshman in high school; we had morning video announcements, which were just older students behind a news desk on camera delivering news about school activities, what was for lunch, and birthday shout-outs. I remember envisioning wanting to be behind that desk and on camera, and a couple of years later, I made it happen and was one of the main student anchors for a year and a half before graduating. I won many awards in student journalism, and getting over the fear of speaking publicly or being on camera only helped my confidence grow. This plays a significant role in my pursuing a career in radio years later.
Furthermore, I would love to credit that growing up with powerful women in my family also contributed to my confidence and self-esteem. My mom wore red lipstick, high heels, and business suits every day for work, and I grew up thinking that was normal. I also knew at a young age that to grow as a person, I would need to take risks and put myself out of my comfort zone. That and focusing on my passions and pursuing them relentlessly left me with little to no doubt that if I wanted something to happen badly enough and if I worked hard to achieve it, it was within reach.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a very passionate individual who feels incredibly lucky to be able to do what I do. Starting in High School, I was involved in Choir, Theatre, Debate, and Journalism. All those things translated pretty well into what I did as an adult. After graduating high school and heading into college, I pursued music and journalism.
The summer before starting college, I thought it would be wise to launch a music event planning company or become a “promoter” and use most of the money I received from my graduation to throw my first concert. I rented out an 800-person capacity venue for $1,000. I contacted friends and parents of friends with businesses for sponsorships, and I had $700 from graduation and hoped to make extra money to cover expenses. I ended up having a pretty good turn-out and broke even, maybe made a profit of like $7. But, through doing that, I learned much about my potential and wanted to see what else I could do.
While going to school, I had it in my head that I wanted to work in TV until I toured some news stations and realized what the hours were like. I couldn’t picture myself hounding people in a vulnerable state to get a story. I’m not saying that’s always the case, but it’s just something I couldn’t see myself doing long-term.
Then it hit me: I have a background in music, so it would make the most sense to try out radio. At this time, I was heavily trying to get into the rock/metal scene in Kansas City, and an underground online radio show reached out to me to talk about my first show and my future as a young promoter. They liked my interview so much that I was offered a position as a volunteer co-host for SLAM radio. I did that for a year and a half and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. This was podcasting before podcasting was the “it” thing like it is now.
Not long after that, I started as an intern for a local station, but my college wouldn’t give college credit for it, so I interned “illegally” because I just wanted the experience. After seven months of an internship, I was hoping to get hired. Still, nothing happened, so I took a step back and took almost a year off from radio until I was browsing on Indeed for a radio job and came across a position with 96.5 The Buzz, an alternative station I grew up listening to and hoped I would work for one day.
I applied and crossed my fingers, received an email a few days later for an interview, and I remember crying when I got the job offer. I worked part-time as a promotions assistant for 96.5 The Buzz and 98.9 The Rock.
My job was to assist with concert set-up and events for the station, and I even dabbled in some voice-over work. I specifically remember crying when I first heard my voice on the radio in my car doing a Sprint commercial. I knew through this job, I would have once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to meet idols of mine, see countless concerts for free, and provide that experience to friends, family, and even other listeners of the station. I was with the stations for almost four years until the dreaded pandemic hit. There wasn’t much need for large gatherings such as events and concerts, believe it or not. So, as sad as it was to lose that position, I very much appreciated the time and memories created through those opportunities.
I’ve always been a little bit of a workaholic, but I made sure that it was always something that I enjoyed doing. So, while working part-time at a radio station, I worked full-time as a business travel consultant at a travel agency. And I also fronted my first band. I was busy but having a lot of fun in the process.
During the pandemic, and after being unable to do live events, work in travel or music. I had time to sit and reflect on how I wanted my life to look after this was over. I decided to go back to school, which gave me something to look forward to. I ended up getting Covid before the vaccine came out and was so sick I lost taste and smell as well as my voice for two weeks. I couldn’t talk normally for a while, let alone sing. At that time, I was in a band, but we weren’t getting together in person; we were writing our songs virtually. With my bandmate’s guidance, I purchased a beginner music studio to learn the process of recording vocals from home.
After losing my voice, I had racing thoughts, like would I be able to sing again, or are my vocal cords done for? It was a long process, which ended up being about a three-month-long recovery. During my vocal recovery, I just started playing with makeup and documenting the makeup looks I did. I got a little traction and received products from a few smaller beauty brands in exchange for a review. And I fell in love with the beauty industry and being creative in that way.
I simultaneously worked on my vocals and my makeup looks. I documented things and uploaded singing videos, even if they weren’t the best. Then, someone I knew from the local music community reached out to me and asked if I was interested in joining a wedding band. I was shocked and almost tried to convince myself that I wasn’t good enough to pursue it. But something in me just snapped, and I said, “Life is too short. If it’s not now, then when? and why not me?” So, I sent in an audition tape and was hired that day.
It was maybe my third gig with the wedding band; I remember getting ready for the gig in a small town in Iowa. It was a gorgeous vineyard with an outdoor terrace. I was on this gig with another female vocalist; she complimented how I did my makeup and asked me if I’d ever considered doing it professionally.
I said, “Actually, yes!” She told me that Posh KC, an award-winning Wedding Hair and Makeup team in Kansas City, was hiring. I reached out to Posh KC on Instagram, hoping for the opportunity to do makeup for weddings. All the makeup looks I documented on my social media from the year prior helped me get the job. I came in for an interview and started the week after. Going back to my Mr. Miyagi method, nothing makes sense, and you don’t know when you’ll ever actually use a skill until one day, you are in a situation where it is needed, and having that background knowledge comes in very handy.
The funny thing is, I have wanted to be a makeup artist since I was 17, but I did not want to go to cosmetology school because I didn’t care to learn about hair. If I had known about the loophole of not needing to be licensed to do makeup in Missouri, I would have started sooner! But Life has a crazy way of making things come full circle.
I am now the Lead Makeup Artist at Posh KC, and I now get to teach makeup lessons! We also won 2023 Best Hair and Best Makeup Stylist of the Year, which other wedding vendors nominated for, and I think that is a great honor.
I’ve now been singing with Patrick Lentz Entertainment for over three years and with Posh KC for 2.5 years. I am fully involved in the wedding industry, which is such a happy industry to be in. I am honored to be a part of so many people’s most important day of their lives, and I do not take that for granted!
I also help my partner run a music collective based in Kansas City called The Garden DIY. We book musicians and vendors for monthly shows and host an open mic every Thursday night at the Combine.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The most important qualities that have helped me through my journey are learning emotional intelligence, being more solution-oriented, and being a better listener.
I’d love to tell you about this mental exercise that I do called “Brain Dumping”. I set a 25-minute timer, find a blank journal, and write down all my problems or anything weighing heavy on me in black ink. It could be the slightest annoyance; I will write it down and number all of my problems. Once the timer is done, I’ll take a few minutes to read every single problem, and then I will go back and write solutions in red ink for every problem. I feel like this trains your brain to see the light at the end of the tunnel and be more solution-oriented. You may not have all the answers. Sometimes, it’s one of those things where time has to pass to get closer to an answer that will put you more at ease. But I swear by it and know it has helped me put some things in perspective and feel like I can piece out my problems and break them into more manageable tasks. If you feel overwhelmed, I encourage you to try this sometime.
There is a book that has helped me called “Attitudes that Attract Success.” by Wayne Cordeiro. One of my favorite quotes that he mentioned is by Charles R. Swindoll. “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.” another one that Cordeiro says is, “If you are going through Hell, don’t stop to take pictures.”
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
My biggest area of growth has been learning to take criticism, listen better, and work better under pressure. Especially as a makeup artist, trends are constantly changing, so knowing how to pivot and being a problem-solver at the moment is essential. Weddings have a tight deadline; sometimes, weddings can run late, and the bride may want to try something new that they didn’t do for their trial. I’ve truly learned to lean into having faith in my abilities and listening to their vision for what they want for their special day. Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like work because you feel like it’s just a girl’s day and it’s a fun, happy environment. It’s easy to enjoy the day because you are making people feel beautiful and know you are helping contribute to a core memory for them.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelmcfeelingood/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/No1ForgetsTheSykoChild
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-mcmillan-41049961/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RachelMcFeelinGood
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/thegarden_kc_diy/
Image Credits
ADayToAdore Photography Cassie Nigro Photography ARC Media
