Career Success: Being a Mentor

Career success to me means more than financial gain; it is also about inspiring others and being a mentor.

Wednesday’s beauty advice answers my own question, how do you measure career success? I have had career doubts for some time now after switching gears yet again, this time in my 40’s, however thanks to an email I received this past weekend, I realized that I am on the right path and it is never too late to start anew and build a successful career.

How do you measure your career success? Many, as I always have, do so by the size of the wallet. However, after basically starting from scratch after closing my business, I once again had to reinvent myself. But this time was a little scary as I did so at the same time as starting a new decade of life, the 40’s. EEEEK!

One thing has always remained constant though, and that was my participation within the beauty field. No matter where my career path took me, somehow, as many of you readers already know, I have had my hands in the beauty and hair industry.

It isn’t that I haven’t been successful in my new career choice; it just hasn’t been as obvious as I’d like. I’ve had various degrees of career success as a writer, all growing little by little, but this past Saturday, after receiving an email from a beauty student, I understood that measuring career success is more than just money.

For any of you who follow my Facebook fan page, you saw my post after receiving the email from Emily. She was writing a paper for the Paul Mitchell School in Indianapolis and was doing it on me. She asked me to answer a few questions and I did and her finished product is below.

Deirdre Haggerty has been truly inspirational to me throughout my cosmetology training at Paul Mitchell the School Indianapolis. I have recently got the honor to communicate with her over email to learn more about her as far as more details, I sent her an email asking her some questions and the next day she got back with me. This is one of the many reasons she is my mentor. She made time to answer my questions and give me some great advice for this industry. She is as beautiful inside as she is on the outside.

Deirdre was originally from Long Island. She received her initial training from Sewanhaka High School in Floral Park, NY from their BOCES program. Deirdre’s additional training consists of a Bachelors Degree in Liberal Arts from Hofstra University in New York. She also kept up on continuing education by attending cutting, color classes at salons, local beauty suppliers and trade shows as well. Her salon experience has varied between local salons and starting a family. She also balanced owning her own company outside of the beauty industry. I admire her because no matter what a busy life she leads she does very well at keeping a good balance. She still takes care of her guests that have been loyal to her throughout her career as a stylist so she is dependable to them as well. WOW! What a go-getter! This is why I admire her so much.

She owned a business with her husband that was a place for children’s parties, which she did for 10 years. She would throw parties, which would include dance parties, and she threw in “Glamour Parties” for the little girlie girls. She would do up do’s on them as well as make up. Her love for the beauty industry shows by the way she finds some way to incorporate this profession in any way possible. Her specialties are cutting, coloring styling and straightening. These are my strong skills as well.

Her endorsements consist of IT&LY, White Sands and a few others. Deirdre also represented the Paul Mitchell product line. She also obtained an achievement awarded in high school for cosmetology. Her style and philosophy is “less is more”. She said she would rather take less off a cut than more. I feel the same way because my motto is I can take more off but I cannot put it back on so “less is more” is a great philosophy to go by. She also says “beauty doesn’t have to be in your face, subtlety is beautiful”. Her best advice to me was NEVER let your cosmetology license expire and NEVER give advice to clients about doing their own hair at home. She feels it gives our industry a bad name and I couldn’t agree more. Like she said a blow out style is fine as stylist it is our job to educate our guest on recreating a style at home with the correct “Take Home Products”, but when it comes to cutting and coloring this needs to be kept up by a professional with professional tools and color. I will continue to keep in touch with Deirdre to let her in on my journey in this industry. I look forward to hearing from her and keeping in contact. She’s one awesome chick!

I am so proud of Emily. She is a single working mother trying so hard and I am so grateful to be part of her career journey.

Thank you Emily for opening my eyes so I could see my own career success and how I have been able to help you. I am a very emotional person and reading your paper made me cry. I wish you only the best in your life. God Bless you and your child. Here’s to a lifetime of Happy Styling!