How I Got Started

What my profile doesn't say is that I have been a licensed cosmetologist (or hairdresser) for the last 18 years. I began beauty school in the fall of '88. What a year that was! For those interested in a bit of nostalgia, I will relate the story of how my career got started.

My best friend, was being forced to attend Beau La Reine College of Beauty Culture. It was really cutting into our hanging out time! She taught me the importance of mousse, and gel...and we really went the rounds about not using Aqua Net for every style. It was a staple in my house. Mall hair could not be effectively created without spraying mega doses of the stiffest hairspray ever invented! At 16, it was all about being in style, and boy was I! Can you say claw bangs? I needed desperately to be taught the ins and outs, and what better way than to go with my best friend to beauty school? I did have some talent...I wasn't going in completely devoid of knowledge. I was doing hair early in life. Age five, I was using a curling iron by myself. When I was 8, I got three of those Giant Barbie heads you could style and put their make up on, for Christmas that year. None of them made it to the next Christmas. By 10, I was cutting my own hair, and using my little sister as a guinea pig for my scissor happy moments!

But my favorite reason...the one that really brings it all home? Toni Home Perms! Oh yeah...my mom thought that I needed curly hair, and would subject me to that awful torture at least once a year! They never turned out, always stunk to high heaven for weeks, and the frizz! Why did anyone think that looked good? This is the real reason I went to beauty school. I felt a need to rid the world of Toni. At least my world.

Anyway, I talked my mom into letting me go to beauty school. It was a logical choice. My plan was to make money for college. I went to my school counselor and got all the information I need to get a "work release". I began going part time Monday - Saturday. Half the day I went to high school, the other half I went to beauty school. I attended all day on Saturdays, for a grand total of 2000 hours of practical and theory work. Great times! 2 years of my life spent working on little kids and elderly women. Those were our patrons, because let's face it, the price was right and our instructor could fix anything!

So many things were learned in that short time...the best lesson of all: don't sniff isopropyl alcohol. Ask Misty, it really burns when it gets squeezed up your nose. I think she is still really mad at me for that! The other valuable lesson: never wear your wiglet while driving with other students wearing their freshly dyed and styled wiglets. This can lead to the running of red lights and other passers by wondering what the hell made a nest on your head! But hey; when you are bucking for extra credit, you will apparently do anything to not have to give one more old woman her weekly shampoo and set!

I graduated ( thankfully ) beauty school, and high school at the same time in 1991. I went to work in...you might guess...a mall. It was the perfect place for an 18 year old girl to work and play. I would work, cruise for hot guys, shop, eat, hang out...my life was complete! Shortly after I began my career as a stylist, the manager I was working for decided she was moving on. She came to me and informed me that I was the best candidate to take her place. She worked it out with upper management, and voi'la! I was the manager of a salon, in the mall! Oh the power...the rapture...the sheer swelled head! I was only 6 months out of school.

I was on top of the world. I was the boss. Me, in control. My staff hated me! I was young, full of myself and did what I wanted to. Let's just say, I had a lot to learn. And learn I did! I had more than my fair share of learning experiences, with staff and clients alike.

One of the first that comes to mind is the first time I had to fire someone. I didn't have to fire her, I wanted to. This girl did not get along with anyone. She was very unfriendly, and she hardly ever smiled. Many people complained about her work, coming back for re-dos on haircuts and perms. I just did not have enough gumption to tell her myself that she needed to find another job. I also did not have enough maturity to sit her down and explain to her what she was doing wrong and give her a chance to fix it.

My supervisor happened to be the salon the day this girl was fired. I was upset at the thought of having to face her, and began to cry. Yeah I know...lame! My boss asked me what was going on. So I told her. The next thing I knew, she was out talking to my employee, telling her that she was no longer needed. I had a sigh of relief, then came the guilt. She lost her job because of me. How could I live with myself? In a few days a new stylist came in to take her place and I began to feel like it was the best thing for everyone. The lesson here? I learned that I was not going to let someone else make those decisions for me again.

Confession: I was glad that I did not have to work with that girl anymore. I loved being the boss! I hoped that this was the last time I would be in a situation like that, boy was I wrong! The ups and downs of beauty school seemed like cake, compared to what I was going to face in my career at the mall! But best of all, while my friends were taking out loans to pay for college...I was making money to pay for my new car! It was an awesome feeling to be ahead of the game.