Perspective

Life is truly all about perspective. I just got finished reading an article online about Elizabeth Smart. The now 21 year old kidnap victim has finally decided to speak out about her ordeal. Yes we imagined the worst, she was assaulted and repeatedly raped over the 18 months she was held hostage. What she shared about her experience truly floored me.
"I have never let it hold me back, and I have gone on to do everything, so far, that I have wanted to do, and I think that's so important." She added, "We all have our trials, and we all experience hard times, but I don't think we should ever let it disable us from what we want to do." In the salon we work with and on people all day, every day, day in and day out. We all know someone, maybe more than one person that is constantly complaining about their life, rotten kids, hate their job, marriage is a mess, an extra wrinkle here an extra pound there, whatever it may be. Yes while all those problems are well, problems the worst that would happen may never be as bad as one of Elizabeth Smarts days. Unfortunately this year I also lost two very special people in my life. My father passed away a year ago November and my sister lost her fight with brain cancer in early September. While I do have my day to day struggles I do stop and think with the worst thing that may be happening to me, I’m not dying of brain cancer. I get to see my kids grow another day. I get to share a laugh with a dear friend, a memory with my mom, an inside joke with my sister, and another day on this earth to try and get it right. It may not always be buttercups and roses every day, but while we are still on the right side of the grass, there is always hope.

Breakthrough Success Training

More Nail Gurus

I met Athena Elliot about 10 years ago while working for Nail Tek. She was my "booth" neighbor at a show in Texas when working for Star Nails. She was this ball of energy I wasn't quite sure what to make of. She had these outrageous nails that had cut outs in them she had fashioned from hole punchers and was trying to get something going with them. That was when I first realized we were birds of a feather. She had an unbelievably inventive and creative mind coupled with passion and determination to get you on board whatever the project. I know we kept in touch for a bit but you know, life gets in the way of the best of intentions. I was so happy to have a chance meeting with her again this past Chicago show. While having lunch with LaShaun Brown-Glenn she mentioned Athena wanted to meet up for lunch. Once again her enthusiasm and sheer "chutzpa" was so intriguing we chatted for a long time about the business, marketing and life in general. Oh yea, I remember this girl. Upon first meeting, Athena can be a whole lot to understand. You have to know she goes 100 miles an hour and if you can't keep up, oh well. I find it so energizing and motivating to have her in my circle of friends, even if it's just to catch up with her in a 10 minute phone call. She is a warehouse of ideas, marketing tips and business knowledge but most of all a visionary. One of the things I love best about her is she is still learning. Asking for advice, taking notes in others classes, looking for those additional things that if she knew, she could get to the next level. Athena is not afraid of a challenge and usually doesn't even hold her nose before she jumps in. She sees a goal, uses the Laws of Attraction and the Power of Positive Thinking and like a dog with a bone does not let go until she has achieved what she set out to do. Athena has made the leap this year from Nail Tech of the Year to "Celebrity" Nail Tech. Just by the sheer determination of wanting it, she worked every opportunity toward that goal. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next but I know one thing, it will be BIG, Texas BIG!

The true gift we give

So Wednesday night, this week I gave my sister her last manicure. It was bittersweet. I think we overlook the true value in our jobs. While many may consider it a superficial, ditzy, airheaded profession I know it has a deeper value. I started cosmetology when I was 15 years old. Being the youngest of a family of 4 girls and the queen diva (a former model), beauty and fashion were part of my vocabulary at a very young age. I spent hours pouring over fashion magazines in my mini walk in closet as a kid. The four of us "Morgan" girls spent many hours at the kitchen table at our own mini cosmetic counter brimming with the latest beauty must haves. I enjoyed every aspect of cosmetololgy and studied each area and its many techniques. The area I didn't recognize at first as the most important became evident several years into the business. This business is about people, not beauty. It is about the connections we make with our clients, how we make them look and feel and help them grow in their own lives. I know we are not supposed to get too personal with clients but how can you not? Especially nail clients that are in every week or every other week. Thats more than I see some family members, actually more than I see a LOT of family members. Many clients tell me it is the first they have stopped all day and done ONE thing for themselves. It is their "therapy" their time away from the harried world they try and navigate each day. To be able to help them stop, and relax if only for a brief time and send them back out to the jungle refreshed, renewed and fabulous looking is our gift. To be lifters, that help lighten anothers load. As I reflect on the events at hand I realize that the connection with people was really what I was looking for all along. Beauty was just the pathway.

Nail Gurus Cont'd

Maisie Dunbar is a tech that had been on my radar for quite a few years. I have attended several of her classes, read her articles and caught up with her at industry shows. It has been so inspiring for me to watch her chart new territory in her career. Her accomplishments and awards are too numerous to even begin to list. A successful nail tech, salon owner including the honors of AVA Salon of the Year 2007 award, educator and celebrity stylist is just the beginning for this serial entrepreneur. Maisie developed Bluffajo, a trendy new make-up line and was awarded the make-up line of choice New York 2009 Spring fashion week. Founding MD Beauty Consultants is Maisie's latest venture. Sharing her years of experience and unparalleled industry knowledge is a natural progression for this beauty visionary. She is all about empowering the nail tech and giving back to the industry that has given her so much. I interviewed her for an article last year and her words ring true to her commitment to being the best and continuing to learn. Maisie says: "The best advice I have for newbies is to partner with a salon/people that are doing what you would like to do. remember success is not going to happen over night just stay consistent and practice perfectly every time, find a good mentor, and never stop learning. Be a green apple and strive to become a red apple. When you stop learning, you stop living." Maisie credits her success to dedication, hard work and persisting to be the best. "I am committed to excellence and part of that is my commitment to education and I will take any business, technique, etc. class to improve my skill or to equip me with knowledge. I am still taking classes. I take at least 10+ classes a year. nails, skin, and body classes. With me having my makeup line I have added another project I have keep learning about. I love to learn!" Maisie and I are trying to organize a VIP event for the Mid-America Classic. Stay tuned for this mighty duet of knowledge coming your way! Details to follow....

NAHA'S

I am ashamed to say in all my years as a beauty professional, I have never been to the NAHA'S (North American Hairstyling Awards). I have looked in on them, read about them, pulled up their photos online for inspriration, but never once attended the event.That all changed for me and I'm not sure I can ever miss another. I had the pleasure of attending with one of my mentors, Vicki Peters. The draw for me this year was to support another mentor of mine Geno Stampora, who was being inducted into the NAHA hall of leaders. The event was a who's who of industry legends, icons, visionaries and up and comers. There were also about 200 students in attendance this year which was so inspiring to see. Many of you that know me through the nails venue do not know that I am a full on cosmetologist, beauty dork. I study and perform services in hair, make-up, skin care, nails and even waxing. I love it ALL> It was almost surreal to see my hair heroes up close and personal, be able to snap photos, shake their hands and offer my thanks for the years of inspiration, motivation and dedication to this great business that we share that is beauty.I had the chance to tell Nicholas French that I was amazed by his work, just loved it and he thanked me sincerely and said, "You don't know how much that means to me, you know we are never completely satisfied with what we do ourselves." These artists and legends are just like us..Working with passion and commitment, often for little or no pay, labor of love with total devotion to their art and their audience. They have incredible teams around them and are so appreciative of every contribution. The Fashion Forward winner, Faatemah Ampey was so humbled and charming with her down to earth words of gratitude for the wonderful team that helped her fulfill her vision "on a 3 dollar budget". It must be an honor to share the journey with one of these amazingly talented individuals. I couldn't help but wonder as I sat there why are NAILS no longer a category in this amazing event? They used to be. The past winners were not even listed in the NAHA tribute journal. The past winners of what was the "Permanent Wave" category were listed, not offense Eric, you know I love you! How did we let this happen? We can no longer sit back on our perch of the red headed step child of the beauty industry.With so much amazing talent, passion and creativity in the wonderfully dedicated nail artists of the world, we need to band together and get back in the spotlight. Bonnie Bonadeo has done such an amazing job growing this event. The NAHA'S are going to be pushed further with more exposure to the fashion community at large and nails must get back on the platform. I am going to make it a mission of mine to get this category back in the NAHA'S... Who's with me???

Amazing Weekend

So this weekend upcoming has got to rank right up there with the best. For me, to be able to spend it with two people that literally changed my life. I am spending the weekend with my first mentor, or maybe it's a tie for first, but I digress........Anyhoo I am jetting off to honor another mentor who is being inducted into the hall of leaders. Many moons ago in a far off land, Cleveland to be exact, I was minding my own business at a Fashion Focus in Cleveland Ohio trying to get my CEU's and a plan. I noticed one of my nail gurus, Vicki Peters, was teaching a class on goal setting. Perfect! I soaked up all the information I could mesmorized by this living legend whose articles I read like a religion. It totally dusted off the squirrels in my brain and got me thinking, I definitely need to talk to this lady. I waited after the class through the well wishers, photos and such for my moment to ask my question. "I have been in this industry for so many years, done so many things, but am unsure what's next for me." I lamented. She looked me square in the face, not knowing me from Eve and said point blank, "YOU need to be an educator, walk with me." On the way down to the show floor, she did share with me that although her class was goal setting she really had not a clue what she was doing tomorrow. She was so down to earth and accessable I could not believe my good fortune. Surely, I must have caught her on a good day. She can't possibly be this generous all the time, with a complete stranger no less. Little did I know at that time, generosity was her middle name. Vicki walked me right down to the show floor and introduced me to several regional managers from top manufacturers and said I would be sending a resume. Well, talk about a kick in the butt!! I thanked her for the inspiration and the introductions and promised to follow up. And follow up I did. By the fall show I was working as a manufacturers educator and was looking forward to seeing Vicki to share my story. I bought her a lighthouse candle holder and gave her a note, thanking her for her belief in me. That was truly the beginning of my new path. To grow enough to help others. Vicki and I will be attending a very special event this weekend of another mentor of mine, Geno Stampora, who is being inducted to the NAHA Hall of Leaders. It was about the same time back in the far off land of Cleveland that I met Geno. I was hooked from the start. I could learn a lot from this guy, I remember thinking. We saw each other each show, year after year and I watched him grow at an amazing rate. I needed to know what he was reading and who he was studying. Every show we managed to find a few minutes to connect and be there for each other. How proud I am to be in the company of such giving and talented individuals. How fitting just this morning I read about Steve Farbers book "Greater Than Yourself" In it he states “The greatest leaders that I’ve seen, the best extreme leaders that I’ve met over the years are the ones that never seek credit for their own greatness, but instead, invest themselves in such a way as to make other people around them greater than they are. So instead of shining the light on themselves, they lift other people up and build a track record of creating superstar after superstar.” This is what true leaders do. I had the opportunity to speak to Geno on the eve of this great honor and he is so appreciative. To have worked so hard and finally looked up to take a pause to see that yes, we were paying attention. I shared a quote from June Carder Cash that in her life she was "Just trying to matter". I assured him, yes, you matter and we are all better for it.