BLOG: Open Your Eyes
Last Updated (Thursday, 08 October 2009 12:51)
This morning when I woke up and opened my eyes, the first thing I did was read a newsletter from Crystal Wright that stated that she had closed her Hair and Makeup Agency after 23 years of business. This wasn’t a surprise because she herself told me that she would be shutting down the Crystal Agency to focus more on education; instead it was a wonderful reminder of how important and fulfilling education can be.
The biggest mistake I see in this industry, and others, is when someone thinks that they know it all. It seems simple but it happens much too often. On the other hand, the most successful people I know are those that understand that they must never stop learning. No matter how successful you are and no matter how many years of experience you have in your field- there are still things to learn. That’s the way life is in general. When you can truly open your eyes and ears and discover new things, you will become a better person and be better at what you do.
I choose very specific people to highlight and interview on YourBeautyIndustry.com and each time I interview someone I learn something new. I know I have said this many times before but my hope is that you are experiencing it in the same way as I am. I interviewed Tom Brophy, a salon owner and former Art Director for Vidal Sassoon who has been in the industry for over 20 years and he spoke about the fulfillment he gets from teaching. He told me that he gets inspired by the students that he works with. Gretta Monahan, an entrepreneur and stylist, told us about how she chose to take management classes when she was in the middle of running several successful stores. They are both perfect examples of the “never stop learning” theme that I try to represent on this website. Both were at the so-called top of their game but knew they could and can continue to benefit from learning more.
There are great resources out there for you in the form of books, websites, classes and workshops but you need to first acknowledge that educating yourself is crucial and you should never be afraid that by taking a class, you are presenting your self as inexperienced. You can’t continue to grow, especially in a time where there’s a lot of change in the form of technology, unless you keep an open mind and allow yourself to at least learn something new. You then always have the chance to decide what you will do with that new information but if you don’t give it a chance, you are holding yourself back. Taking a step to gain more knowledge doesn't show inexperience, it demonstrates intelligence. In any field, it is important even after years of experience that you are growing.
I love the professional hair industry because you are forced to participate in education in some form. I also know that there are many Hair and Makeup Artists currently taking classes and workshops, learning new methods and going on to beat out your competition because you are more informed. I applaud all of you that are continuing your education. For those that aren’t or that are on the fence, now is your time to get the competitive edge. You can start here since you are already reading this. Don’t just skim through YBI articles, take a few minutes to read them and open your mind to see that you can learn from your peers. Not everything is free like the YBI site but you should be looking at spending money on education in the form of classes and workshops as an investment. Invest in your career.
For all of my freelance readers, Crystal Wright knows how important education is and she is a wonderful and engaging speaker. It is my opinion that she has the experience and the knowledge that can take you to the next level in your career. Visit her site today to get the information on her DVD’s, book and her upcoming workshops and consider it all an investment. http://www.crystalwrightlive.com/.
For everyone else I hope we can all open our eyes to new experiences, new people and continue to grow.
Want to chat more about this? Post a message on the YBI Message Board about your experience in continuing education or send me an email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
by Sandie Torres, Editor-in-Chief/Founder of YourBeautyIndustry.com
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