Always a Student

As a stylist, we are part of industry of ever growing change.  The styles change, they evolve, and new discoveries are being made everyday.  As a professional it is our responsibility and a service to our clients to stay in up to date with the latest trends and techniques.  Most Stylist  make the mistake of spending too much time behind the chair and not enough time sitting in a chair as a student.  The key to becoming a successful stylist is remembering that you must always be a student.  As a student you are in a position to learn and master skills.  It is impossible to know everything, and if you are someone who thinks that you know everything and you have nothing to learn, you will never reach your full potential or become as successful and you would like to be.

You tube videos and tutorials have become a huge success over the last few years.  The consumers sitting in front of their laptops, desktops, tablets, and phones are eager to learn and unfortunately soaking up a lot of incorrect information; But why are our clients resorting to you tube to  figure out what to do with their hair, how to take care of it, and self diagnosing hair issues?  It's because their stylist aren't giving them what they need and they can't because they don't know themselves and they are looking at you tube too. There are not enough stylist that have professional you tube channels.   As a stylist you are a professional.  You paid to go to school, you studied cosmetology and mastered techniques, graduated, went before a board, took two test,  passed, and received you cosmetology licence.  It is time for us to start acting and walking like the professionals that we are.  It is so important to go over and beyond the required continuing education hours that is needed to keep your license.  Be a STUDENT!  Yes some of these classed can be expensive, but it is an investment.  It takes money to make money, what you will learn from these classes and take back to your salons will pay for the class 100 times over.  Some of the top educating stylist offer dvds.  Start a library of dvds and make sure to watch some every week.  We must study everyday and put into practice what we are learning, this is the only way to become great and move to the top of this industry.  

So let's take this industry and our clients back.  When your client leaves your chair they should feel like my stylist knows their hair and knows what they are doing.  They should pick up the phone or drop by the salon so that if they have questions instead of listening to someone who is not even licensed and if they happen to be on you tube they will know what is bull and what is real because you have educated  them first.  So I challenge you all to start fresh in 2017 and sign up for a few classes, purchase a few videos, and study.  Remember, Always be a student.