Why?

I sometimes wonder how I ever ended up in the Beauty Industry. I was the youngest of three girls. I wouldn't consider us "girlie girls". We were all smart and enjoyed sports. My hair was in a constant tangle by the nape of my neck. Our dad would have us helping on whatever remodel was next in the house. My mom would keep a low maintenance style and even had her perm era. Didn't we all though?

Being the youngest, my sisters were busy with jobs and boyfriends. There was no one to help guide me in my early stages of womanhood and beautification. I submerged myself in every infomercial for a hair or makeup gadget. I read educational books on makeup at the library or bookstores. I even bought a VHS off of a TV commercial to teach me hairstyles. I was committed.

At every slumber party, there is always the one girl doing their friend's hair. That was me! I also was a go-to makeup gal! I remember being the pro at covering zits and even had a couple classmates I barely knew ask me to cover their zits. I happily obliged. Although, I now know proper disinfection and sanitation and wouldn't share makeup as I did as a teenager, little did I know, I was preparing my whole life.

At the age of 16, I was ready to leave my job at Godfather's Pizza in pursuit of, well, anything else. I opened up the Indianola Record Herold and started checking the classifieds. One day, an advertisement came in for a personal assistant. I thought this sounded exactly like what I always wanted. It was asking for strong computer skills and I had just passed my Windows 99 class with a 97%. I had a full portfolio and I was confident.

After a brief phone interview and portfolio review, I was hired! I was making $7 an hour! I was at minimum wage, $5.25 per hour, at Godfather's Pizza. I was moving on up. I was the personal assistant to a local Mary Kay Director. What a dream come true! I wrote her team communications. I designed and wrote a monthly newsletter. I would handle inventory and maintaining stock. I also was a helper to some of her team members for large parties. I absolutely adored my job!

At the young age of 19, I decided to take my lifelong journey and passion in the beauty world and make it a career. I attended La'James International College of Hairstyling and graduated in December 2005 with my Cosmetology Diploma. I was Licensed in January 2006. I have loved where this industry has taken me. I adore to see someone smile and feel confident.