Today we’d like to introduce you to McKenzie Freeman.
Hi McKenzie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
From a young age I was naturally drawn to creativity and self-expression. Beauty quickly became one of the ways I explored that — I loved learning techniques, watching tutorials, and experimenting whenever I could. After my mother passed away, I was primarily raised by my uncle, and during that time those small moments of learning and creating helped me feel connected to memories of her, especially remembering how much she loved getting dolled up. Looking back, I think I always had a quiet feeling the beauty industry would eventually become huge part of my future.
As my love for makeup grew, I started experimenting with false eyelashes and quickly fell in love with them. I quickly realized that lashes were the direction I wanted to pursue. In 2020. While many things felt unstable because of COVID, I took a leap of faith and launched my business, Mckenzie Artistry. I wasn’t perfect at first, but I was ready to bet on myself, and I kept showing up, practicing, and praying that consistency would eventually pay off.
As momentum grew, I began renting space with my lash mentor, who later became my best friend and now business partner. We spent years working side-by-side in a tiny 150-square-foot studio. That space held long days, late nights, growing pains, celebrations, and the kind of bonds you can’t manufacture. It became a small community for us and our clients, which felt like a family.
It didn’t take long before we realized we had outgrown the space and began envisioning something bigger than just us two. We started asking ourselves: what if more artists could experience this kind of support, collaboration, and belonging?
That question became the foundation for House of Artistry.
We intentionally designed it as an open-concept beauty collective — a place where multiple providers could work alongside each other, collaborate, and build genuine relationships instead of working in isolation. Our goal was to create not just a salon, but a home for beauty professionals — a space where creativity thrives, businesses grow through cross promotion, and no one feels alone in their journey.
At first, the concept felt risky. Mixing multiple independent providers in one shared space went against the growing trend of private suites. But it didn’t take long for people to see the magic in it. Word spread , artists connected, and clients fell in love with the energy.
Today, House of Artistry is filled with an incredible group of talented women, loyal clients, and a level of community support that still humbles me. What started as a tiny shared room and a big dream has grown into something far greater than I ever imagined.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth
road — but I think that’s what
makes the journey meaningful.
One of the biggest challenges has
been mental health.
Entrepreneurship looks glamorous from the outside, but behind the scenes it can be challenging. There were seasons of comparison, burnout, and questioning whether I was even cut out for this. Social media especially can magnify doubt and imposter syndrome — constantly seeing what everyone else is doing can make you feel behind, even when you’re actually building something solid.
Starting my business in 2020 added another layer. Launching during the height of COVID meant uncertainty was constant. Client traffic was unpredictable.
Regulations were changing. Fear was everywhere. I had to work twice as hard just to build trust and get people in the door.
Another major challenge was opening House of Artistry. The vision was big — and bringing that vision to life required intense labor, a ton of research, long nights, and significant financial risk. Literal blood, sweat, and tears. But if we were going to build something after all this time, it had to feel intentional, elevated, and aligned with our mission.
I believed in the vision so deeply that the emotional weight of making it succeed sometimes felt heavy to carry. It felt like my heart was on the line — but I think that same passion is what kept me moving forward even when I felt like I had nothing left to give.
Mental health struggles taught me self-awareness. Comparison taught me to run my own race. Fatigue taught me discipline. COVID taught me resilience. And building the salon taught me that the bigger the vision, the stronger your backbone has to be.
Looking back, none of it was easy — but it was all necessary to not only bring my dream to life, but to grow as a person.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m the owner of McKenzie Artistry, where I am a licensed esthetician specializing in custom eyelash extensions, facials, and beauty treatments designed to enhance each of my clients natural features and desires. This business eventually lead to opening House of Artistry, a beauty collective salon & spa in Norfolk, Virginia, which I co-own.
In addition to working with clients, I also create logos for beauty professionals and small businesses. I absolutely love digital design, and helping bring people’s brand vision to life is truly rewarding.
Beyond services and design, I’m currently working towards expanding in mentorship and education to new beauty professionals entering the field. My goal is to be almost like the big sis I never had and provide honest guidance, share real experiences, humanize the industry, and help people build strong sustainable careers.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I don’t think I could summarize my success into just one quality or characteristic.
However, one major theme would be resilience — specifically the ability to keep showing up even when motivation isn’t there. Passion gets you started, but discipline and resilience carry you through the days when things feel heavy, uncertain, or slow. There were many moments when quitting would have been easier, but I made a commitment early on that I wouldn’t base my consistency on how I felt that day.
Another key quality has been adaptability.
The beauty industry evolves constantly, and building a business requires wearing many hats — artist, marketer, customer service representative, manager, leader, etc. Being open to learning, pivoting, and growing has allowed me to turn obstacles into opportunities rather than roadblocks.
Authenticity has also played a huge role. Clients don’t just come for a service — they come for an experience and a connection. By showing up as my real self, l’ve been able to build genuine relationships and a loyal community, not just a client list.
Ultimately, success hasn’t come from a single breakthrough moment, but from thousands of small decisions to keep going, keep improving, and keep believing in the vision — even before there was visible proof that it would work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mckenzieartistry.glossgenius.com/portfolio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mckenzie.artistry?igsh=OXo1aGcyY2EzcW5o&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18Bs3UviVC/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/cbszNK3Hep
