"...I feel most creative when I’m sharing my experiences."

This may sound funny but I feel most creative when I’m sharing my experiences.  It’s when I reflect that I truly feel the value of my work.  I think we are inundated with stimulation throughout the day and either consciously or subconsciously that stimulus manifests itself in our work. 

I’m still at the beginning of this new career, a generalist perhaps, and not yet having chosen to specialize in either styling or color therefore I think I’m open to all stimuli.  I reflected on this question and tried to reference the brilliant colors of an Arizona desert sunset or the sharp, jagged texture of Phoenix’s South Mountain, but sadly I couldn’t relate the images to my work.  I thought of music, paintings, and pictures in magazines but still I could not draw a correlation. 

While pondering this thought, the phone rang and like countless nights before, found myself sharing my day with my daughter. As I described the events of the day I could feel my voice getting louder and my pulse quicken.  I could feel the smile on my face and actually see the entire day play out in my mind as I shared what I had done and what I’d do differently tomorrow. 

 

After hanging up I began to write about what I was feeling and it all came together.  I don’t always know why I do things, can’t always make correlations between things and actions, I just know that when I remain open to my environment and share my experiences, the creativity flows.

"...make a positive impact on the lives of others..."

Returning to school was an enlightening experience.  I thought going in that being a hairdresser simply meant that I could be creative, connect with people, have my own hours, and make a good living.  A few weeks into school I entered the Professional Beauty Associations (PBA), Beacon competition and won.
 

Just a few months later I was in Las Vegas attending the PBA’s Symposium listening to industry professionals and icons like Geno Stampora, Christopher Benson, Eric Fisher, and Vivienne Mackinder open my eyes to an industry that extends well beyond a hydraulic chair.  Then it hit me, this career change although challenging, isn’t a change at all – it’s an evolution. 

 

Beauty is a business and I am acquiring a new set of skills to enhance my current abilities.  This industry is exciting, challenging, and full of endless possibilities to make a positive impact on the lives of others and that is what being a hairdresser means to me.  So whether I’m styling a single client preparing for a job interview in Phoenix, teaching a seminar in New York, or directing the global launch of a product line in London, I will be positively affecting the lives of my clients and inspiring them every time they look in the mirror.

"...it only takes a minute to let down your guard and let in a blessing."

I was recently asked, "If you could make one change in the world, what would it be and why?"  My answer stems from my belief that we’ve developed a fear of conflict, fear of being judged, and fear of being different. We talk over, around, at, and behind one another rather than with each other. We associate or affiliate with, and become members of something instead of simply connecting to one another.  We log on and off, tune in and out, like or dislike and seldom take the time to even comment on what we see, hear, or feel. 

I remember hearing a terrible comment once that if you are an idiot but remain silent you’ll keep your critics guessing, however if you open your mouth you’re sure to confirm it. A critic can only influence us if we give them the power to do so. Our fear of rejection has become more powerful than our desire to express our individuality and has stifled our courage to act. If we continue to confuse association, affiliation, proximity, and membership with being connected to life, we will lose the skill and passion required to be involved in it.  

Where we used to step up, now we step out. We remain unheard, unseen, unaware, and unaccounted for because it requires an investment we’re no longer willing to make, that is of ourselves. Too bad, it only takes a minute to let down your guard and let in a blessing. So let’s connect with one another. Talk with each other. Drop our fear of being judged and embrace our desire to be heard, to share, to contribute and to be involved. The next time you want to send someone a text, invite them for coffee and when they arrive give them a big hug, it will remind you both how important you are to one another. 

"...it’s not where you’re at, it’s who you’re with..."

I have always felt most comfortable being involved.  Life is not a spectator sport, and to think that many of us are content to sit it out, be benched, or live vicariously through another person's experiences, are unfathomable to me.  I need to remain connected to people and although technology allows us to interact with one another in multiple ways and on a global scale, nothing beats the sincerity and simplicity of a handshake. 

After I was nominated for The Matrix Spread the Love Tour I went on the website and began to research last year’s journey and it wasn’t the places or events that excited me as much as it was the people and experiences shared along the way.  I was inspired by blogs and videos and all I could think about was being right there with them. 

As I’ve mentioned before, the Army took me to places I didn’t want to be and some places I never wanted to leave and despite the reason I was there, one thing remained constant, it’s not where you’re at, it’s who you’re with that defined my experience.  After all, there are only so many salons you can work at or ways you can fold a foil, however the unique way in which we interact and share our experiences with one another are infinite and truly how we spread the love for our industry.

"...it doesn't require any less time..."

One of the nice things about knowing my clients and maintaining a good sense of humor with them is the latitude they grant me when discussing potentially awkward subjects. Rebecca arrived a few minutes late for her color service; winded and visibly agitated she began venting her story without even saying hello. I helped her into the smock, got her in the chair, and settled into what I have learned to be a hair dresser's most important implied task, listening.

Several minutes into her service she stopped mid-sentence, gave me a smirk through the mirror, and said, "You're not even listening to me are you?" I laughed out loud and said "Of course I am, despite being blessed with selective hearing unique to all males in our species, I'm hanging on your every word." She smiled, crossed her arms, and as if channeling my mother asked, "So what did I say then?"

Loving a good challenge, I put both hands on the back of the chair, leaned in and said, "You wish people understood that time is money and that price doesn't just reflect the physical item. You're frustrated with the customer who only wanted one of the three dozen cupcakes she ordered a week ago based on an RSVP and couldn't understand why you charged full price even though she was only taking 12 with her." "Exactly!" she said slapping the arm of the chair.

She went on to explain passionately that whether you're making one cupcake or two dozen every step takes time. I smiled wide and chuckled. "What's so funny?", she asked. I replied, "So in essence you're saying that it doesn't require any less time or effort to fill a cup with flower than it does a teaspoon?" "Nope, none at all", she said. "Funny," I replied, "because it doesn't require any less time or effort to cut an 1/8 of an inch or 6 inches of hair and I'm going to remind you of this conversation the next time you look at me funny when I charge you $65 for a 'trim'".