I started my journey in this amazing industry as a hairstylist in 2004, 19 years ago. Not because ‘I always knew I wanted to be a hairstylist since I was a little girl and it was my calling’ but because I had a year before my financial aid ran out and I had a gut instinct that this was a way out for me.
A way out of ‘what’ you’re probably wondering.
From the ages of 4-6, I experienced homelessness and then again in my teens. I moved out and was on my own at the age of 17. Because of my upbringing and trauma I experienced that programmed a mindset that set the tone that would carry into my career as a hairstylist.
A need for survival, approval (people pleasing), an obsessive drive for success,
a lack of boundaries, unhealthy coping mechanisms, high anxiety, financial, insecurity, fear, low self-worth, etc.
This survival-mode of working aided in my success for many years. Because failure wasn’t an option, I lived and breathed my craft. I put little time or effort into a personal life, much needed therapy or self-care.
I have educated for 17 of my 19 years as a stylist.
I led the charge of independent education, creating formats, structures and tours.
Amassed a social media community of over 600k and showed up authentically during the many evolutionary periods of my life and career.
Created my own color line, worked with massive brands, traveled to 38 countries, won awards, stood on stages educating for crowds of sometimes up to 4,000 or more, incurred a nice fat annual income, I had been the International Director of Education for a leading product line…I had worn many hats at that point.
Starting from a Regis in a mall, I had achieved accolades as a stylist I could only imagine and still, often times I was panicked, physically and mentally sick, full of anxiety and empty.
Enter the pandemic. My work- my sole identity, my source of survival, worth and confidence was taken from me and I crumbled. My Xanax dependency which had always been there in various forms/substances to numb my anxiety, trauma, stress, pain, anger, etc (binge eating from a young age, binge drinking in my 20’s, opiates in my 30’s…now Xanax at 39) took a dangerous turn which forced me to address it.
I checked myself into an inpatient treatment facility and for the first time in a long time I took a long, hard, honest look at why I’ve been operating the way I had been. Especially with work.
I’m now grateful to be 2 years sober which has given me unmatched clarity to view everything through a different lens.
My experience as a stylist and an educator had been greatly effected by the work I had done. When I returned to work I completely redesigned my pricing, clientele and schedule in a way that brought the most joy and least amount of stress and anxiety.
This was after that 7 year hiatus from taking clients. This was something I never thought would’ve been possible because of the way I was working behind the chair before (double/triple booking, emotionally charging/discounting, 12 hour days, not eating lunch, not taking deposits, no-shows, saying yes to red flag situations in fear of letting people down, no boundaries, being resentful, etc) had I not worked on deep-rooted trauma responses.
I’ve become much more financially, energetically, physically and spiritually free.
My anxiety has been reduced in a way that’s almost hard to quantify with words.
I’m at peace now.
Most of these points
are tied to self-worth.
What is truly important to you at your core…on a soul level?
What makes you tick or brings you the most peace?
Is it happiness, success, time, freedom, relaxation, quality moments with your family, creativity, traveling, spirituality, respect, excitement?
I can help you identify and tap into your values to create the life you want instead of you ending up with the life you’re left with after work.
How are YOU going to properly care for your clients when YOU'RE on the verge of burn-out?
And respectfully, forget about them for a minute…
what about YOU?
Why are YOU doing this?
What do YOU want and how do YOU want to feel?
I'm a Transformation Specialist, I help my clients transform their lives, their careers and I also create through the art of hairdressing.
I redefined my relationship with work and my previous need to constantly people-please and say yes to everything and everyone.
I have clear boundaries with my time and energy.
Owned and operated 2 salons, moved to Los Angeles from a small town in NW Florida, stopped taking clients to work full-time as an educator for 7 years.
Through all of my success, what I had never done
was worked on
my trauma.
My trauma had driven me but it had also broken me. I took a long time off from from my profession to do some much needed INNER WORK. Which was excruciating at times. Not only were substances an unhealthy coping mechanism for me…but so was work. Does ‘workaholic’ sound familiar?
Through many therapeutic methods, some deep inner work, working with a few coaches, some retreats over the last 2 years- I’ve been able to completely reframe what being a stylist means to me.
