A Lamp Unto my Feet and a Light Unto my Path

Many times, a lot of stylists are faced with where do I go from here? Do I stay true to the game (of being a full time Cosmetologist) or should I go part time and get a 9 to 5? Cosmetology has been my life all of my life, when I was 5 months old my mom opened, owned and operated her own Beauty Salon about 10- 14 minutes from Birmingham's city center. I began doing $7.00 pedicures (lol at memory lane) in the salon around the age of 12 Summer of 2002, believe it or not many of the clients had major trust in me and they allowed me to do their feet. They stayed true to me, they would get their toes done every time they visited the salon which was mostly every week to two weeks, they would tip me wonderfully which increased my confidence, (but then it was almost a year later when I encountered my first set of bad, no horrible, awful feet I quit, just like that, my stomach wasn't built for bad feet, my clients were speechless, they got over it though .) It was that same summer that my mom allowed me to began shampooing only who was beauty shop family ( meaning they had been coming so long they were relieved that my mom finally unleashed me, making their wait time, of course a lot less). I guess I use the term "unleashed" because there was not a day that passed by that I didn't beg and plead with my mom to please let me shampoo, please let me help. Just being allowed to drop rollers, spray and drape clients, etc., was so boring, and we both knew I was already good at what I knew. So on the day that I was unleashed I was doing my usual pleading and begging and of course the clients up front were backing me up telling her that she should go ahead and give me a try and when she said,"Well alright I will let you shampoo Mrs..." I flew to the back, see I was born ready, I was born for Cosmetology and you know how it's the cage that usually stops a bull from attacking its prey, well that's exactly how I was with those shampoo's because I had something to prove. Something serious to prove. Long story short, before I was even tall enough to reach the shampoo bowl my mom had been teaching me how to shampoo her hair, she knew I was a beast at it, it was just my age factor, the salon, the "rules" (State Board, etc.), and then after more serious clients who I would have never voluntarily touched, began watching me, seeing my work and then requesting me to shampoo them, my confidence was built. That was all I needed. Fast forward to high school when most of my peers were going for advanced degrees (I never could figure what a Advanced High School Diploma proved? One day I 'll figure it out), I went for Cosmetology, graduated with all of my hours May 2012, went to State Board and got certified April 2009. Fast forward to today Feb. 2014, most of my clients are natural they usually visit the salon once every week, two weeks or three weeks at the most, lately many of them have been venturing out into more protective styles such as braids, twists, sew-ins, etc., (at the moment I don't do sew-ins nor braids, gots to do better, I know) or they're wearing their hair in its natural state more, which only require home do's, it's beautiful and it's free. I too, wear my hair in protective styles and its natural state during spring and summer months only though. So I totally understand, it's not just my clients, I see a lot of my peer stylist (is that what I should call them?) clients do the same thing as well. So? I have to step my hustle up.  9 to 5 I do not think is for me, that I do know, however, I pray that I do not have to go there but if that's what it takes then that's what I'm going to do. God got me, that I do know, more so than anything. So as always, I'm praying, trusting and believing. He has always been and always will be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto path.


Until next time, Bye beautiful....