OUR NEIGHBORS | Excelling in her field: McKenzi Bishop finds confidence through her work

“We’re 11 months apart so I’ve always been a step behind her, but it was really cool to do that together,” Bishop said.

A couple of years after finishing high school, Bishop was encouraged by a friend in real estate to start her own business staging homes on the market. M Home Staging has since been thriving over the last five years.

“When I get to see my clients be successful because I proved that staging really works — that’s my favorite part of my job,” Bishop said.

She started with design consulting and staging, but as she has honed her skills, the company has shifted to solely focus on staging, whether that be vacant homes or homes people still reside in. M Home Staging is the only company in Manhattan that solely does staging.

“I started this when I was just 19, and it was just a leap of faith,” Bishop said. “I didn’t know if it was going to work, but I worked hard and put my mind to it, and it worked out for me.”

Her eight-year-old daughter, who’s more affectionately known as “pillow queen,” often comes to work and helps her stage.

“She loves to help mom,” Bishop said. “She’ll carry all the pillows and loves to style her own. She’s a great help and absolutely loves it.”

Bishop credits much of her success to the support of her family and friends. Not only do her parents live in Manhattan but a lot of her extended family does too.

“I have a lot of family here and friends,” Bishop said. “I had a support system to help guide me. There were a lot of family and friends who came together in the beginning to help with free labor, and they helped because they wanted to see me be successful.”

Bishop likes to express herself through her sense of style. She compared it to when a beautician wants to look nice so their clients trust their skills. One part of her style that she’s embraced is her tattoos. Her first tattoo was a gift from a family member when she was 16.

Because her family and friends are so close by, she enjoys spending quality time with them.

When Bishop is not palling around with her family, she is going on weekend trips to new places. While she loves to see the world and experience new surroundings, she said Manhattan is her forever home.

“I love coming back to Manhattan,” Bishop said. “It’s a good place to rest your head.”

After five years of business, Bishop is expanding her company to the Topeka area.

“I feel so gratified and accomplished because this is something I’m really passionate about,” Bishop said. “It motivated me to stay focused and gives me the confidence to grow and set more goals.”