Rising Stars: Meet Cathleen Cleary

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cathleen Cleary.

Hi Cathleen, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
After an education at the Aveda Institute Chicago and an apprenticeship in one of Chicago’s top salons, I left the city to live the dream in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I was drawn to a life in the mountains and once I got there, I needed to figure out how my career would look away from the hustle & bustle of the city.

Moving to the resort town of Vail, my job title as a Color Specialist was going to have to transition in order for me to find a path that brought me success in a different way than I had been accustomed to. While contemplating how that would look for me, I realized my interest in formal and editorial hairstyling was something I could focus on while living in one of the nation’s most desirable wedding destinations. I founded a traveling hair & makeup company, called Weemala, which I owned from 2009 – 2011.

I sold the company to the makeup artist I worked with at that time and opened up a small salon and retail shop in downtown Breckenridge, CO but I continued to work with the company Weemala for the next 10 years until I left Colorado for Michigan in the Fall of 2021. I find myself incredibly excited to trade in the mountain views (that I called my office) for lake towns, lush vineyards, and luxury barns as the next chapter in my ever-evolving career path! I feel so blessed that my job makes me as happy as it does.

The fact that I get to be fully dedicated to this creative industry and have the bonus of traveling around to some of the most beautiful areas of Michigan feels a little too good to be true sometimes. I rebranded my business in 2021 adjacent to my move as CRC Bridal Beauty and offer on-location hairstyling all over Michigan as well as parts of Illinois and Indiana.

I also have a hair and makeup package specifically for elopements and tiny wedding parties which I have grown extremely fond of as I hope their uniqueness and popularity continue to grow!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I knock on wood pretty often because I truly don’t have much to complain about, but yes, there have been struggles. Transitioning to a whole new area as a newly rebranded company is rough. People don’t recognize me, they haven’t worked with me yet so they don’t know to recommend me.

I spent 13 years building relationships in the wedding industry in Colorado and to an extent, have to start all over again. As resistant I was to social media a few years ago, I now have to give it a whole lot of credit because, without it, I wouldn’t have the networking opportunities that I have today.

In 2008 when I embarked on this freelance career path, I remember walking from hotel to hotel passing out my business cards and I’m reminded of that adventure once again. I don’t really view it as a struggle today… the way I see it is as motivational. I gotta get back out there and make brand new relationships and it’s just as exciting as it was when I was fresh and new!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have no ego when it comes to my work.

What I do is meant to make the person wearing it feel beautiful & confident. From the beginning consultation until it’s time to walk out the door, I work individually with each person’s hair type, length, face shape, and personal style to create a look that compliments all of the elements of the event and lasts both throughout that day and timelessly in the photographs that are captured.

I like to describe my style range as soft and romantic, classic, and glamorous.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I love collaborating with others in my industry in what downtime we do get throughout the year to let the creativity run wild!

Contact Info:

• Email: crcbridalbeauty@gmail.com
• Website: www.crcbridalbeauty.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/crcbridalbeauty
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/crcbridalbeauty

Image Credits
Shelly Anderson Photography, Brain Paul Malik Photography, Karlee Mikelson Photography, Studio This Is Photography, and Seraphina Photography