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What is cosmetology's biggest task?

Hi, my name is Bella. I'm in 10th grade and I love doing hair so I've been thinking about being a hair dresser but I'm not sure what the hardest tasks are and I'm not sure what it all would look like. I also want to open up my own salon.

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Denise Marie’s Answer

The most successful people are those who can identify what they naturally do well and enjoy so they can build upon that skill set. My daughter also enjoyed styling hair but figuring out what you do well with hair is the first step and you can do that in cosmetology school where you will be exposed to everything hair (color, cut, trim etc.) and skin and nails. While at school, get involved with everything you can and take advantage of any opportunity to take additional classes. Once you get a sense of what you enjoy, upon graduation you can choose to work for a salon where you will practice what you have learned and develop your niche. While working for a salon sign-up for in-person classes and give yourself time to gain as much experience as possible while networking with industry contacts inside and outside of the salon. Salon salaries are not high but it is the perfect place to grow and learn. In my daughter’s case she worked for a salon for 2 to 3 years during which time she expanded her network and trained doing everything she could. She quickly learned that she enjoyed styling above all else and became extremely creative becoming the "special occasion and wedding stylist" at the salon. She eventually left the salon to join on-site wedding teams and after 1 to 2 years of that she developed a reputation for being an expert in her field. She has an Instagram page where she markets her work and built a book of wedding clients for years to come. She makes a fantastic living and is able to coordinate and schedule her hair trials and weddings in a way that work for both the bridal parties and for her life as a wife and mom of two little girls. She is very successful in her trade now and runs her own teams. It took time to build but she is extremely happy with her line of work. Apart from styling hair, understanding how to work and speak to clients when helping them reach their styling goals is important (quality customer service is key to building a business), learning how to price the quality and time of your work (crucial for running a business), coordinating bookings and keeping an organized calendar of clients are all skills you will need for this path. In my daughter’s case she also needed to learn how to draw up contracts for her clients. In your case, if you want to own a salon you should take a basic business course in addition to cosmetology school so that you have a foundation in running a business and dealing with financial transactions such as paying taxes, having the right insurance etc. Also, don't be afraid to speak to those who have gone before you. Let them know you are just starting out and was curious about what the pros and cons are to this path and what they did well and what they wish they could have done differently. Their experience won't be your exact experience but there will be wisdom in what they offer to share.

Summary:
Step 1 – Identify what you enjoy and pursue that path – don’t give up no matter how difficult it might get. Everyone is created with natural talents and abilities so pursue what you know you enjoy.
Step 2 – Apply to cosmetology school and build your skillset
Step 3 – Build relationships in the industry and expand your network
Step 4 – Sign-up for additional classes and learn as much as you can about the industry and obtain a basic understanding of running a business
Step 5 – Give yourself time to build up a reputation and a client base in your specialized area of expertise
Step 6 – Enjoy your contribution to the world making women feel beautiful and never limit yourself to what you can learn and expand upon

Best of luck to you!
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