Meet Taya Burns

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Taya Burns. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Taya, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
Growing up I can’t really pinpoint where my optimism came from, I can just remember being a normal, happy kid always playing outside with friends and typically positive on all fronts. As I’ve gotten to adulthood, I can absolutely attribute my optimism to my faith in God. I think labeling myself an optimist comes with misconceptions that I’m always happy or that everything is always going great which is far from the case. To me, being an optimist means I have adapted the mindset that no matter what I’m going through, what stress or sadness I’m feeling, I know God won’t leave me there.

My favorite bible scripture is Isaiah 54:17. I live by that because there’s two things I know for sure:

1) Life is going to life and it WILL be hard but you have to choose your hard. No matter how you feel in that moment, you’ll have to make the conscious decision to either roll with the punches and adapt, or let it roll over you.

2) Trouble doesn’t last always.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
As a kid, I always had a gift for hair styling. I’d like to say I got that from my grandmother, Dolly. I’d always be styling hair on my dolls and by high school, I was braiding/styling my friends hair. During that time, I had absolutely no interest in makeup and only wore it for special occasions. I still remember my sister doing my makeup for homecoming one year and I rubbed it off in the bathroom! Fast forward to 2015, I randomly decided to learn how to do my own makeup. I started watching Youtube videos and buying endless amounts of makeup. I started getting compliments and then booked my first bridal makeup client. My first thought was, ” you want ME to your makeup?” I was so nervous! But the rest is history that catapulted me even deeper into the beauty industry and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Since my first bride, I’ve been blessed to service brides along the east coast, work on film/music video sets, and launch my first cosmetic product line. I can’t wait to share new product launches that are currently under way.

By day, I’m a full-time mom and Marketing Manager for a technology company and by night/weekend I’m a makeup artist, hair stylist and beauty business owner based in Atlanta, Georgia. I specialize in bridal makeup and hairstyling, natural sew-ins and soft glam.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1) Flexibility. Being flexible was a huge factor in my journey because it wasn’t linear. I often battled between pursuing beauty full-time or part-time because I still loved my marketing career just as much as my beauty business. Allowing myself to let go of what I think my journey should look like and be flexible in my what I do, has allowed me to maintain both my passions and not limit myself to just one lane.

2)Customer service. Being in a saturated industry, everyone is talented and being “booked and busy” is glamorized. What’s going to set you apart and retain clientele is the quality of service you provide. I book one client at a time with ample time between appointments because I love to give my clients quality time and make sure they feel relaxed. I’ve gained an amazing tribe of clients that have turned family just by simply being a positive spirit and showing grace.

3) Always remain a learner. It doesn’t matter if you’re fresh into the industry or a veteran, never stop learning. There will always be something new to learn and it’s always great to continue to develop new techniques and skills that can save you time and expand your clientele. I love watching some of my favorite artists video tutorials or attending virtual master classes to learn new techniques and gain product knowledge.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
For me, it’s finding balance and enjoying the present moment. Obviously being a mom, working full time and running a small business is sometimes more than I can handle and can be overwhelming. It’s easy to feel guilt from prioritizing one thing over the other, or not completing every task when you planned. Not to mention all of the unexpected life things that get thrown your way. I am being more intentional on finding balance, showing myself grace to move at my own pace, and not allowing myself to fall into setting unrealistic expectations that can be brought on by social media and other outside influences. I am also being more intentional on enjoying the current moment of the journey. It’s easier said than done because my brain is wired to always be looking for what’s next or working on my next move, but I’m finding joy in the current moment and letting God take the lead.

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