"You have to stick with it..."

Until recently I would rather pick up a scorpion than my Denman brush.  The slow, tedious wrapping technique required a level of patience I had not yet acquired.  Fortunately for me, a colleague suggested I slow down and imagine the process being a transfer of energy.  He said, "You have to stick with it until the hair gives up its energy to you; until it surrenders to you".  Despite being armed with this new analogy it was obvious I didn't have the patience or "feel" for what was happening during the final seconds of the process.  I should have practiced it more.  

A few days later I was giving a product knowledge class at a salon and the receptionist asked if I would demonstrate a reconstructive process on her. Happy to reward participation I obliged.  When complete I asked for a blow dryer and brush.  Yep, you guessed it; I was handed a Denman.  

I think I spontaneously laughed out of fear then looked at her like she was handing me a speeding ticket.  I composed myself, smiled, took a deep breath then grabbed that brush like a Jedi grabbing his light saber and did EXACTLY as my colleague described. 

I even repeated his words to the class and those bending necks to see all the while reassuring myself that I could do it.  The group grew from four to seven just as I reached the 99% dry mark.  As countless times before, the hair began to swell.  My heart pounded, sweat beaded on my brow and my pace quickened resulting in even more volume!  I don't know why but my mind drifted to a traumatic childhood vacation when my father refused to look at the map instead sped up only to get us lost faster! Slow down I thought to myself and then I remembered the transfer of energy. 

I pulled the brush from the hair, took a shallow breath and went back in; this time with a softer hand and slower movement. Patiently, persistently, and with the determination of a salmon to spawn I exaggerated my stroke wrapping the entire surface of her head remembering to turn inward slightly when I reached the ends. I could see the shine developing as her hair transferred its energy to me. My patience had rewarded me with a beautiful finish and incredible feeling of satisfaction and pride. 

Patience pays and when you do the thing you fear the most the death of fear is certain. 

"...if you look good you feel good,..."

Staff Sergeant Aponte was a section sergeant in my first platoon and he repeatedly said to all of us “if you look good you feel good, and if you feel good you’ll look even better”.  His message was that of empowerment.  All of us have the ability to change our situation from the inside out or from the outside in.  It’s that understanding of the “inside” that helps beauty professionals to create a vision of the “outside”.  Who we are, who we think we are, and who others perceive us to be – for many, are three entirely different people.  I believe that through a better understanding of my clients I can “sculpt” their ideal image inspiring them every time they look in the mirror. 

"...I wanted to help people."

I studied psychology in college because I wanted to help people. I joined the Army because I needed the money to realize that dream, or so I thought.  After graduating college, the Army took me to places I didn’t want to be and some places I never wanted to leave.  During that time I applied what I had learned in college and surprisingly enough, it wasn’t weapons that liberated Kuwait, or equipment that rebuilt Bosnia, it was soldiers.  People just like you and me.  Extraordinary individuals who through design were made to look alike.  Despite the sea of camouflage I learned to look deeper, listen more intently, and connect with people by taking the time to get to know them from the inside out.

"...what really matters..."

My father taught me that business is about people and if you take the time to get to know them, they will reach into their pockets and spend with you versus a competitor.  As with any good student, I took the lesson my father taught me, applied my own life experiences, and came up with my own belief.  For me, people and relationships are what really matter and if we take the time to get to know one another, through shared experiences we will enrich each others lives.