Getting Off The Ground

My new career has taken off - actually both of them. :-)

The past two and ahalf weeks I have been feverishly learning everything I can about my new employer and the signature color and cut looks they offer. It has been an exhausting but rewarding experience thus far - and we haven't even had our official grand opening yet (that's tomorrow).

In the midst of all of this, I took my State Board practical exam in Topeka. Let me say, that experience was the most nerve wracking I can remember. The whole way home I second-guessed myself and ran over all of the supposed errors I thought I'd made and the things I couldn't remember if I did properly. It was a nightmare!

For three days before the exam I hardly slept. Then I took the exam and hardly slept for days thereafter. I'd run into a girl there who was retaking her exam and she had to come back and retake the critical blood spill section. Her overall score was a 92% but since she'd failed the critical portion, she failed the entire thing and had to stop work and wait two months before she could retake that section. The idea of that happening sent me into a bit of a tailspin.

So when I received my letter two days ago, I whooped and hollered so much I couldn't stand myself - passed with a 94% and 100% for the critical blood spill. My son never had any doubts (nor did Tonya, you little stinker). For the first night in more than two weeks I slept like a log.

Today is my first day off in ten days and I'm hitting the second part of my career full-force in the midst of a full-blown storm outside. I just LOVE writing amidst thunderstorms! I've been furiously working on cleaning up and perfecting my second draft for posting as an eBook on Amazon. More and more I am convinced that this window of opportunity could lead to success in this industry.

For the past several years, there have been just dramatic changes in the publishing industry that will never allow it to go back to its former days. Think of it as the i-Tunes of publishing. Online music changed that industry in many ways for the better. That is my (and many others) hope for the publishing realm.

And I want to be one of those on the ground floor to see it happen.

So soon you will see http://www.readersmatrix.com/ and http://www.indiewritersalliance.com/ on a computer screen near you.

Then shortly thereafter you'll see the first of my novels, Running into the Darkness, hit the screen.

The small screen, that is. But hey, I'll take the big screen maybe someday too. :-)

But first things first - getting off the ground with my cosmo career. Isn't life interesting these days?

That's what I thought.

Skidding Into Home Plate

We are now in the home stretch.

My son and me, that is.

It is May and that means high school graduation is officially three weeks from today. He's counting down the days as we speak (or type, in my case).

The job search for myself is also taking off and hopefully landing somewhere wonderful soon. Tomorrow I have two job interviews at two different types of salons. One is a corporate-type facility while the other is a private, very upscale salon. Each type has its perks, but if all goes well and the vibe is right, I'd love to have the luxury of leaning toward the private salon.

For most of my life, I have worked the corporate lifestyle and mentality. Time is never one's own and your value is determined by someone else.

Not that I'm into money alone, mind you. I've had some wonderful jobs where I got paid well.

But it's just that the time/money thing is so heavily connected that you don't have the freedom to really live. Part of my doing the cometology thing is to finally gain back some of my own life and be able to live again. That's really hard to do in a corporate environment.

So if all goes well, I'm hoping for a chance at the private salon. It will be an enormous risk, something that is a real struggle right now. But with risk comes the chance for reward. Plus it gives me another opportunity to show my son that mindset not just in word but in deed.

So here's hoping for sunny skies ahead these next few days and weeks. I'll let you know when I skid into home plate.

Fond Farewell

Tomorrow is it - the big day.

The last day.

Yes, tomorrow is my final day of cosmetology school. It feels almost surreal. I've been so busy lately that I have hardly had time to process it all. Plus the last few days I've been preparing an enormous meal for 150 people.

I'm catering a wedding dinner for a friend for a little extra cash. Hey, I'm an entrepreneur now, remember?

Being so busy has also helped the time go by quickly. From the little bit of buzz I've been picking up at school this week, sounds like there may be a little send-off from the gang.

Yes, I'll probably cry a bit.

These months I've shared alot with these girls and guys - their heartaches and joys, losses and gains - that it is hard not to be sad in a way. Likely I will never see them again after this.

But yet I'll also be running off and starting employment in the next few weeks once I get my temporary license. Then it is off to Topeka to take my practical exam and obtain my full-fledged license. After a few years of working hard, hopefully I'll get to open up that long-dreamed-of salon.

In the meantime, I'll savor my last few hours with the girls tomorrow. Let us eat cake!

Nine Months Down

Check off another milestone in nine months of my schooling.

Today I completed the remainder of my final tests in anticipation of my graduation next week from cosmetology school. After having already completed and passed my State Board written examination, it almost seemed redundant.

But I still aced it!

It seems so strange to think that nine months ago I started this journey. Now it is nearly complete. At first, it felt as if the idea of nine months was going to drag on and on forever. At this stage, it seems almost surreal that I'm almost done. However, this week things have begun to drag again in anticipation of that 1,500 hours mark.

Gee, I wonder what next week will feel like???

Monday and Tuesday I'll be putting in whole days (booked solid, by the way). Wednesday morning I'll put in two and ahalf hours. Then it is off to packing up my stuff and loading up the bus.

Several girls have already gotten a little teary-eyed when we start talking about next week. Others keep saying they wonder how it will feel when I'm no longer there.

Hopefully it will give them incentive to make it to class everyday so they too can be missed soon.

For me, I'll be off tackling that first job in my chosen field. Then onto my future dreams of salon ownership.

Can hardly wait!

After all, look how quickly nine months have passed.

One Down - 200 More To Go

Well I have completed one major step in pursuit of my new career path and aspirations.

I passed my written State Board exam this morning!

It's hard to believe that eight months ago I started cosmetology school and now have only one more month to go. Then I'll get scheduled for my practical examination in Topeka.

For now this is a huge hurdle to have surmounted. I feel such relief tonight!

To graduate from school I'll need 1,500 hours, however a student may apply to the State Board to take their written exam at 1,000 hours (with the school's permission, of course). After several weeks of waiting, last week I finally received acknowledgment that they were approving me to proceed.

Having passed with a 91% means that the moment I certify completion of 1,500 hours I can accept employment and start working in a salon prior to my practical exam. Sometimes the wait to get into an available testing date for the practical can take a month or two. This way I won't be hampered by more time without an income stream into my happy little home.

But it does add a little more pressure for that crazy practical because if for some strange reason I DON'T pass my practical I then lose my temporary license immediately, must cease employment, and spend more time and money to retake the exam.

It can be a little hairy I've heard.

That's okay. For now I'm celebrating this little moment in time. Then in a month's time I'll celebrate the big completion.

Just under 200 hours more to go - woo-hoo!

Faith and Fear

Graduation is fast approaching!

This time I mean me from cosmetology school. My son's graduation will follow shortly upon its heels but at the moment I've got alot of decisions to make for myself first.

Isn't it amazing that in just two and ahalf months I will be taking up the mantle of cosmetologist and accepting my professional grade shears from school? It's so freaking AWESOME!

Sorry - I am an 80's child remember.

So several options lay before me, but I'm having trouble throwing one very risky venture aside - that of establishing my own salon. My original plan called for me to work about three years in a salon to learn additional trade secrets and then to open my own place. Then that changed to maybe two years. Recently I decided to re-evaluate after one year. But now faith is taking a stranglehold on me.

There seem to be some other things happening in the heavens that may be pointing in the direction of sooner rather than later. Much sooner. I can't yet share all of those specific things yet, but I've been deep in prayer concerning this possibility. Some of my close family and friends have also committed to praying for leading in this regard as well.

I'm scared to death!!!

But I'm also jazzed about the possibility of becoming a small business owner in a short amount of time. The decision needs to be made very soon.

Any of you praying readers out there are invited to join with me in seeking the Lord's direction.

And whatever direction that may be, I'll step out in faith - regardless of my fear.

First Prize Pics

Couple of pictures tonight from my first place win at the Salon Fair and hair show a couple of weeks ago at school. One is of my model as we were waiting for line-up and the other is last minute touch-ups before the big strut.

I'm still waiting for the professional pictures of us actually walking the runway, but that will have to come from the school. That may take awhile.

In the meantime, enjoy checking out my fringing technique and the lovely little shot of the violet tail (don't think you can see it very good in the waiting pic though).

That day was still so wonderful. It even snowed for several hours before the show began, almost like a little smile from God. He knows how much I love snow. :-)

Short and sweet tonight, as I'm still working on getting back to full health. Supposed to sing Sunday, but may have to cancel if my voice doesn't return soon. Hopefully it will be raring to go though for Christmas Eve.

I hope it snows - later that night anyway.

Keep It Coming, Lord!

Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my GOSH!!!!!!!

Do you think I might have something exciting to share tonight?

It's been a long and tiring day. Choir rehearsal was great this evening even though I was thoroughly exhausted because of a very busy and emotional day.

Today was our school's Salon Fair and hair show. All of the floor students (classroom attendees not included) participated with models and/or mannequins to present to the audience. Several students had two and three models and several had a slew of mannequins for the judging. Area salon owners and managers came to the school to view the hair and make-up stylings of the participating students and interview those who will be graduating soon.

It's quite an exhausting process just preparing for it, much less spending time that day preparing ourselves and our models to strut the runway.

Little old me had just one model. I don't really have alot of people in this area I know who are available during the daytime hours. Needless to say, I was thankful for the one.

The last several weeks I've been cutting (yes, the fringe technique previously mentioned), coloring, and playing with make-up and styling ideas with my model. She's been a real trooper and brought in some great examples for costuming and such from her own wardrobe, on which I added my personal "twist". The show was centered around entrants in the categories of the seven deadly sins or seven heavenly virtues.

I chose "Wrath" as my model's image. Had so much fun with it too.

So today as everyone was working, I looked around at the pretty up-do's, hair extensions, and costumes. Then I looked at my exhibit and wondered how I was going to do. See, there was a contest at stake but I wasn't so much worried about that as making a good impression on the salon owners and managers who might consider hiring me after graduation. In thinking about that, I put myself in their shoes and decided that if I was a salon owner going to a hair show that I'd prefer to see what students capabilites were in regard to cutting and coloring and not so much with the fluffy stuff.

So I left the flat iron and curling iron in my locker and pulled only my blow dryer. That way I could really highlight the texture effects of the beyond the fringe technique of the cut I'd accomplished. Plus there was the highlighting and color effects sprinkled throughout the style as well. Figured I'd let the hair speak for itself.

Well I got my wish, in that after the show I had alot of interest from salon owners and managers and have several additional very viable options open to me. One salon with multiple locations even had all of their managers there and two of these managers were "fighting" over me. It was so fun!

Then call me absolutely shocked when the contest winners were announced. My entry won flipping FIRST PLACE in the model category. I was so stunned I yelled - "you're kidding me!" in front of everyone.

I laughed and cried and happily took home my first place certificate and the $25 gift certificate (too bad it wasn't $250 :-) but beggars can't be choosers). I'm still a bit in shock tonight.

Thank you once again, Lord, for the continued confirmation that I'm on the right path You've opened before me.

Standing Amazed

The blessings just keep coming and coming.

Can't remember if I told you about the schooling exactly that I'm currently participating in. I'm attending a cosmetology school with the plan to work for someone else for a couple of years and then open my own salon and day spa. Those plans seem to be getting a big push of late, but I'm not quite ready to share what's happening in that arena yet.

Needless to say, with my anal tendencies (yes, I am able to admit it) I have been working really hard on some European fringe techniques after watching a special video over and over again. One of my fellow students let me practice the technique on her about a month ago and I've been perfecting it ever since, picking up little nuances and incorporating some of my own little specialties with it.

The last two weeks, I've had three clients come in (one a repeat - made me feel so honored) who were game on letting me try the technique on them. They all loved the final result. Yesterday I had a lady from my church come in for an appointment after seeing my hair at church on Sunday. This lady had severely damaged hair and it looked like the last person to touch it had taken a very dull razor to it.

What a mess!

So first of all I proceeded with a special conditioning treatment to rebond the keratin protein in her hair strands. Then I started in on the cut and style. After all was said and done, she absolutely loved it and wore it with pride and glory to the ladies Holiday Pizzazz last night at the church. When she was up on the stage I couldn't help but sit there in the audience just beaming with amazement - she looked so fresh and funky in her new do, and I'd accomplished it. Several people kept commenting throughout the evening and she gave me alot of credit for "saving" her hair.

This morning at school I received a call from a lady who is friends with this particular client. She was so impressed with the cut I'd given that she wanted something similar and also decided it was time to put some fresh color on her hair.

I could hardly contain my excitement - I have just made a name for myself and have clients now who are walking advertisements for my technique.

Lord, your blessings are on a roll. I stand humbled and amazed!

Hurdling Hurdles

Not quite sure what to make of things today yet.

This afternoon I visited a cosmetology school. I was very impressed as it is a brand new school location with all new equipment in a bright and cheery setting. For the last several days I've completed some research online and via phone with the area cosmetology schools and selected one that I thought would fit my schedule for nights. When I get a daytime job it will be a rough schedule and will be rough for eighteen months.

The length of time it would take only attending part-time is not a pleasant prospect. Plus I would have to drop choir for a whole year and ahalf. I wouldn't be finished with my schooling until my son is halfway through his senior year. Ouch!

HOWEVER - I discovered today that I could potentially still continue my unemployment while attending vocational training schools or certain types of classes. Of course it doesn't specify exactly what type of classes and vocational training, and after holding on the phone line for ages I decided to wait until tomorrow morning to clarify.

But if I can still collect unemployment while attending school in the daytime instead of evenings, classes would only run for ten months instead of the aforementioned eighteen. Now there's only one more hurdle to jump if this one truly pans out.

Financial aid to cover my classes.

I'll worry about that hurdle when I come to it.

The Fork in the Career Path

If you had a chance to choose a different career path, would you do it?

As a matter of fact, I'm in that position right now. Only thing is if I hadn't gotten laid off I'd have never had the courage to consider any sort of career change.

Been in the finance industry for twenty-plus years. It's something I rather fell into, and like pretty much anything I've tried, I ended up being good at it. There's been some absolutely wonderful moments.

Without my job I'd have never had the opportunity to visit Alaska - twice! I've had the chance to go all across this country because of my job. I've also seen the best and the worst of the industry. But the thing I still love is working with people and seeing those individuals realize the great American dream.

Working in the industry has kept me close to the entrepreneurial spirit that keeps this country humming. Have to admit, however, that being so close to the entrepreneurial bug caused me to get bit a long time ago.

Close to ten years now I've wanted to open and operate my own business. The benefit is that I've had the experience to know and understand the pitfalls that lurk in the realm of small business ownership. God also bestowed upon me a very creative soul that isn't satisfied unless I'm stretching, reaching, and learning new things everyday.

So crazy as it may sound, I'm thinking about taking some night classes, getting my cosmetology certification, get some experience under me and then opening my own upscale salon and spa.

The little town we live in is one of the fastest growing areas in the state. There's also alot of money out here and virtually no salon like I envision, just little stop and chop shops (as I like to call them) and a small family-owned stylist salon that caters to a different crowd. This place is ripe for a real salon and spa to service the area.

I've already even thought of a name and have a general floorplan set-up. Of course it would be best for me to have certification and experience in the industry first, but this was one of my dreams when I was younger.

It's something I'd completely forgotten about until last week when my son and I drove by a cosmetology school. Told him about that dream too and he commented that I'd had alot of dreams when I was younger. I told him that I'd never fulfilled any of them. Had the chance once, but was too afraid to take the plunge.

That's water under the bridge, as they say.

But this is something that I could do. This is something that I know I'd be really good at, if given the opportunity. May sound crazy, but I just have to check into this a little deeper. If I take night classes then I can still take employment in finance when it's offered to me.

Once I have my certification, however, I'll have an opportunity to take a different fork in the road.

If I have the courage to pursue the career change.