A Letter to Future Professionals

September 2011

 

     Hello future professionals. I am so honored to have this opportunity to speak with you. It really doesn’t seem that long ago I was on the other side of this screen, right where you are, with the world of beauty unfolding before me. I remember I couldn’t wait to be finished with school and classes, get my license and get on with my career. I attended a show as a student and I was hooked, immediately to this world of beauty and knew someday I would be the one on those stages teaching the classes.

 

Dallas International Congress of Aesthetics 2009

 

      Once I graduated I took a job with a large day spa, one of the first in the country and it would end up being a terrific first job in the business. It’s very important to land in the right place, so do your research and hold out for the best fit. This spa allowed me the opportunity to learn not just hair but make-up and nails to fill my beauty skills and service opportunity. It gave me more to offer my client and more value as an employee. I worked diligently at keeping up with each field by taking as many classes as I could and reading trade magazines. You my young friends have a wonderful thing called the internet with the answer to any question at the tip of your mouse. Take advantage of as many learning opportunities, you probably wont get fired for knowing too much.                                 

     As the years flew by I continued working hard perfecting my skill levels. I took a job as a manufacturers educator and that’s when the truly amazing things started to happen. These higher level trainings put me in a whole new pool of talent and afforded me amazing people to work with. I began talking to my mentors and having lunch with my heroes.

 

Geno Stampora and I circa 1994

 

      A very good friend and mentor to me (Geno) suggested to just go up to whomever you want to meet and introduce yourself and ask if you can include them in your network, worked every time. I met the most talented and giving professionals just waiting to mentor the next generation. I began writing for some of the trade publications, the same publications I poured over and read cover to cover not so many years before.

 

NailPro Show 2009

 

         I have been a salon owner, a manufacturers educator, a speaker, an author, a patent holder, regional education manager and most recently I just got back from New York fashion week where I worked with the Dashing Diva nail team. I am also producer and marketing segment director of  Nail Talk Radio. Who knew 30 plus years ago all this would have unfolded for me, just a kid with a couple of dreams from Cleveland Ohio. So my words of wisdom? Figure out what your passion in this business is and pursue it with relentless determination.  

1.  Keep learning, growing and stretching yourself and amazing things happen. Play nice, it is a small beauty world.
2.  Don’t burn any bridges unless you know how to fly.
3. Run your own race, don’t be quick to be a follower, take your time to be a leader.
4. Don’t be discouraged by the naysayers, we all begin at the same line. How hard we work determines where we end up.

      So for the same person that was told at one of my first jobs that I should really pick something else, maybe this is not for me, to have just finished Mercedes Benz New York fashion week and am right now as you watch this just getting back from London fashion week.

     I guess I'm pretty happy I stuck with it. Beauty has been such a wonderful, fulfilling career for me and I know, if you persevere, it will be even more wonderful for you.