Today we’d like to introduce you to Meghan Wick.
Hi Meghan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My creative journey started behind the camera, capturing landscapes and the natural world. I loved the technical side of photography, but something was missing—I wanted to work with people, not just places.
When I transitioned into portrait and brand photography, I quickly noticed a pattern. My clients would show up excited but then suddenly become self-conscious the moment the camera came out. They’d apologize for how they looked, fidget with their hair, or ask if we could “just Photoshop that later.” I realized that no matter how skilled I was as a photographer, if my clients didn’t feel confident, it showed in every single shot.
That’s what led me to makeup school. I thought if I could help clients feel more prepared and polished before we even started shooting, we’d get better results. But what happened next surprised me completely.
The makeup chair became this intimate space where clients would open up in ways they never had during our initial consultations. They’d share their dreams, their fears about putting themselves out there, their vision for their business. By the time we got to the actual photoshoot, they weren’t just camera-ready—they were glowing from the inside out, and it translated into every image.
The real turning point came when I took a position with another company outside my own business. I found myself having the exact same conversations I’d been having with my photography clients, just in a different context. “What will you do with these images? Here’s an idea for your website copy. Here’s how you could talk about this service.” I was naturally drawn to helping people connect their visual story to their brand message.
That’s when I realized I wasn’t just a photographer who did makeup, or a makeup artist who took photos—I was helping women align how they looked with how they sounded, and both with who they truly were.
I rebranded to Fern & Flame Studio because I wanted to create a space where beauty and branding could work together seamlessly. Instead of clients having to coordinate between multiple professionals who might not understand their full vision, they could work with someone who saw the bigger picture of their confidence journey.
My ultimate vision is to grow this into a creative hub where I partner with other talented women—stylists, designers, writers, strategists—all focused on helping women and business owners feel completely aligned. Because when you look the part and sound the part, you can’t help but feel the part too.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not smooth—more like a winding mountain path with some beautiful views and a few steep drops.
One of my biggest learning curves was figuring out where I actually fit in the photography world. I tried everything—weddings, families, corporate headshots—because I thought I needed to say yes to everything. Each niche taught me something valuable, but exploring and not being linear is actually crucial as an artist. You have to try things to know what lights you up.
The isolation of being a solo entrepreneur hit me harder than I expected. There’s this constant background hum of worry about where your next client is coming from, and when you’re working alone, there’s no one to bounce ideas off of or remind you that slow periods are normal.
But honestly, the biggest challenge has been the unpredictable client flow. Some months you’re booked solid, and then you hit a dry spell and start questioning everything.
The pivot in 2020 forced me to really examine what I wanted this business to be. When I came back to it and decided to approach it as something that enhances my life rather than something that has to sustain it completely, everything shifted. I’m more creatively open now, less stressed about chasing trends, and ironically, I think that makes my work better. There’s freedom in not having to be everything to everyone.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Fern & Flame Studio?
Fern & Flame Studio is where beauty and branding live under one roof—and that’s not something you see everywhere. Most women are used to piecing together services from different providers who don’t necessarily understand their full vision. We solve that by offering both camera-ready beauty services and brand-ready marketing support in one seamless experience.
On the beauty side, I specialize in makeup, hair design, and spray tanning for women preparing for weddings, photoshoots, galas, or any moment when they want to feel radiant and confident. But it’s not just about looking good—it’s about creating an experience where clients feel seen, heard, and celebrated.
The branding side focuses on helping female entrepreneurs and creatives build magnetic, authentic brands. I offer personal brand photography, website and social copy, content creation, and brand strategy—all designed to help women show up online with the same confidence they feel in person.
What sets the studio apart is this unique combination of services and the deeper understanding that comes from it. When I’m doing someone’s makeup for their brand photos, I’m also thinking about their messaging strategy. When I’m writing copy for their website, I understand how they want to be seen visually. It’s holistic in a way that traditional service providers can’t match.
I’m most proud of creating a space where women don’t have to choose between looking polished and being authentic—they can have both. My core values center around confidence with compassion, intentional collaboration, and what I call “clarity through story.” Every service is designed to help women connect their true story to their brand identity.
Whether someone is getting ready for their wedding day or launching their business, my job is to help them show up as the best, most authentic version of themselves. Because when your outer confidence matches your inner clarity, that’s when real magic happens.
The ultimate vision is to grow this into a creative hub where I partner with other talented professional creatives to offer a full spectrum of services for women who want to feel completely aligned—inside and out.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
The biggest leap was leaving a stable “corporate’ job to pursue Fern & Flame Studio full-time, and then making the bold decision to completely rebrand from just photography/styling to this dual beauty-branding concept. Both felt terrifying and necessary at the same time.
Leaving the 9 to 5 job was scary because you’re giving up that predictable paycheck and benefits for something that’s entirely dependent on your own hustle. But staying felt riskier to my soul, if that makes sense. I was having all these natural branding conversations with my photography clients, and I could see this bigger vision forming, but I couldn’t fully explore it while splitting my energy and I was getting tired.
The rebrand to Fern & Flame was probably the scarier risk because it meant potentially confusing existing clients and starting over in some ways. People knew me as a photographer/makeup artist—now I’m saying I also do brand strategy? It felt like I was asking them to trust me in areas where I didn’t have an established reputation yet.
But here’s what I’ve learned about risk: the biggest one is often not taking it at all. Staying safe and comfortable means you never find out what you’re truly capable of. Every risk I’ve taken has taught me something, even when things didn’t go exactly as planned.
I think calculated risks are different from reckless ones, though. I didn’t just quit my job on a whim—I had been building the business on the side, testing the market, understanding what my clients actually wanted. The rebrand came from listening to what was already happening naturally in my client relationships.
My perspective now is that risk is really about alignment. When something feels risky but also deeply right, that’s usually a sign you’re growing into who you’re meant to be. The scariest decisions often lead to the most authentic versions of ourselves. And honestly, once you take that first big leap, the smaller risks feel more manageable because you’ve proven to yourself that you can handle uncertainty.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fernandflamestudio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fernandflamestudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fernandflamestudio/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandflamestudio
