Education is the Key to My Story...
Hey there! Today I want to tie in some personal background information for you all and why I value education so much for myself as well as others. As most of my clients know my story already, some of you readers may not... before becoming a hairdresser, I was set on being a teacher just like my dad (yes, I was the ultimate daddy's girl). This past week I had four new clients and I found myself sharing the story of "how/why did you become a hairdresser?" with each of them. Today it got me thinking, I should write this down somewhere! So here it is!
All throughout high school I was an all year-round athlete and excelled in academics. I pushed myself so hard because I knew I wanted to get into a good college and pursue my dream of being a 3rd grade math teacher or a 9th grade algebra teacher (math nerd alert!). Upon graduating from my small private all girls school I got accepted into multiple universities and decided to choose the one with the best teaching program and the one that offered me the most scholarship funding to help financially. I chose Central Michigan University. I lived in the dorms with 3 other roommates whom I didn't know until move-in day and started realizing I loved the "freedom" of college...no uniforms...no attendance was taken in class...no 6am rink times before school(fun fact: i was a figure skater my whole life) oh and did I mention there were Boys in class with me! Crazy i know! lol anyways, clearly I was slightly distracted but I loved everything I was learning being in this new environment and of course a little from the classes I was taking! As the time went on, the roommates and I grew closer and we started to realize we couldn't afford to get our hair done in salons so I said "my grandma used to color my hair sometimes and I've watched my hairdresser do my hair a million times, how hard can it be?" well after Many experiments I eventually started getting pretty good at this hair thing. Dorm room haircuts were a hit!! Then one of my girlfriends was enrolled in cosmetology school and she had told me about this amazing traveling hairdresser/education team that was coming to our college town and they needed hair models!! aka You could get your hair done for Free!! Obviously I was like YASSS sign me up! So I went to the prep day before the big show and they gave me dark velvety brown hair with a neon pink strip in the front...definitely not the norm but I embraced it! I loved the energy in the salon that day and watching and learning from all of these artists! The next day was the show and this educator filled a room of at least 300 hairstylists, salon owners, and cosmetology school students and there I was on stage getting my hair styled with other models and this educator had my full attention! After that moment something told me I was there for a reason and if I could combine my passion for the arts and teaching this was what I needed to pursue!
...5 years later...
Here I am doing just that everyday! I am living my passions while teaching and inspiring others! I own a salon in downtown Chicago doing what I love behind the chair everyday! I still model for education shows when needed and I also travel all over to different shows and soak up all the education I can to be able to be the best hairdresser I can be for all of you! Last year I traveled to Fort Lauderdale for Behind the Chair Color Cut & Style Show and was beyond inspired! The education and friendships I made that week were priceless! This coming weekend is the America's Beauty Show here in Chicago and I can't wait to be a part of the weekend learning, educating, and growing with fellow stylists! Being an educator will always be in my spirit thanks to the role model my dad has been my entire life! He sends me daily emails every morning with an inspirational quote :) He has taught everyone in his life something and I hope to be able to do the same!
Education can come in so many forms...reading different books, attending local classes in your neighborhood whether that be a cooking class or a photography class, talking to someone in a different department at your office on break, webinars, audiobooks, and of course YouTube and Google! How many of you learn how to do something or what something means via googling it?!
Now that I've rambled on with my story of why education is so important to me, I want to know your story! Comment below or share your story on IG or FB and #hollibeauty on the post so I can see it :) Have a wonderful day xo Megan