The Real Hair Truth

 

Are you doing something about it in your business?

Yes you can go into these super stores of beauty and just about find anything you want inside of them.  Perfumes, cosmetics, makeup, hair care, even hair color. They have a salon to also get you hair styled and whatever else. But to the real professional who has some form of professionalism inside of them. It is merely a flea market like the hair shows.  So how could you work in a company who sell boxed hair color to the consumers coming into the store. And then at the same time work in their salon. I would love to know. That to me is a sign of being in competition with your employer.

But the days of loyalty are gone. That is from a manufacturer and as I might also say from the consumer also. Pity my profession. A lot of the profession has been sliced and diced. You have nail salons to go to, Spa’s to go to. And now Salons who go ahead and offer Blow-Drying and Makeup also. The day of the salon being the place to get your beauty needs done are over. This also increases a lot of competition with in the industry with the professionals. Too many stores create an over saturation of the industry.

Leaving many professionals with out jobs and too much competition.  Nothing wrong with that but from the studio I work at by myself there must be at least 20-30 booth rental and salon advertisements to compete with. Salons now are a dime a dozen. Every strip mall built-in Orlando has a dry cleaner, salon and liquor store in them. Too many salons and too many places to purchase my professional tools, products etc.  But within my industry there are a few factions who bestow the honor of calling themselves “Representatives Of Our Beauty Industry”.  They want you to think they are there for you, but they are merely representatives of the manufacturers.

These organizations who charge over $300.00 to join say they are the “Professional Beauty Association” To represent you on all and every issue governmental to state rulings and passing of laws concerning the Beauty Industry. Believe me everyone they are a scam also. especially when the are buying the hair shows up. I always thought that if you are an oversight committee that you should remain neutral in your preferences within the Beauty Industry. But sit back and investigate for yourself and you will find out they do nothing for you as a professional in the Beauty industry.  Other than giving you a discount to their hair shows.

So many in the industry are keen to my voice and other voices have raised up to take part in informing the professional what it is all about “NOW”. Many new independent company’s are forming and the  Independent social media has taken a HUGE chunk in the education and commentary aspects of the industry. Bravo!  Informing others who and what is really out there now in the industry and who is for the industry etc. A few years ago I seen this gentleman come out of the shadows and live off his daddy’s coat tails. Selling a new product for all in the industry. Claiming,” this will change the industry” my new shampoo and conditioner.. Take it from me when some one speaks of that nature they are merely a “Snake Oil Salesman”. He made a little money but what sold it was is daddy’s last name. This guy didn’t know the difference from a hair pin and a bobby pin. But since he USED his daddy’s name he sold a few bottles and made his money and “WALLAH” he took a boogie out of the industry. Never to be seen again. I can still hear him laughing.

Times change and so do people, this was a very important to me to say a few words. I don’t lose sleep over these action anymore within my industry. I take it for what it is and how it could have been stopped, but never was.  I hold my “CRAFT’ in high regards but when it comes down to the “ELITES” of my industry there words and praises me little to me.  I used to have mentors but that is a big word to me now, which holds a lot of respect but from what I see none can fill those shoes.. Now I just have one mentor and he is the greatest of them all.

Trust me he wont sell me out.

And that’s how I feel.   The Real Hair Truth

“WHAT A SMALL WORLD!”

“WHAT A SMALL WORLD!”

Close to a year ago, a woman on the other side of the country, contacted me after reading my blog.
At first I was concerned. Why would a stranger want to talk to me? She does not know me, she’s never heard of me, we have no friends in common. I wondered if it would be rude, not to respond to her requests to speak directly. What do I do? Do I even really get how small the internet makes this entire world?
Fast forward…I gotta follow my gut! Something in her last private message behooved me to pick up the phone. Will she answer? NO!
We can never be too hasty. No sooner than I assume that I probably should not be talking to this woman, who I know nothing about….my mobile phone rings. Something compels me to pick up. Why won’t I let it go to voicemail?
Let me tell you about my experience of spending approximately an hour on the phone with a fellow stylist. A stranger to me. This woman is a pure artist. She cannot deal with big business mucking up our industry, due to greed.
Her raw passion for what we do, is felt immensely, all the way from California. Speaking to her, makes West Michigan feel like a stones throw away.
When you have the privilege of finding one so passionate for protecting the integrity that this industry deserves, how do you behave in an apathetic manner?
She cannot sit silently while big business sneaks dangerous poisons into our products, all for the almighty dollar. This poor baby, tried to take this nightmare on.
Listening to her frustrations with the behind the scenes horrors, cover-ups, and greed, that she has endured, makes me even more convinced of my truth.
Focus on what you can control. Work hard to reach one heart and mind at a time. Thinking big, does not imply talking big necessarily, but making a big impact on whatever audience is willing to listen to us.
KNOWLEDGE IS NOT POWER! The implementation of knowledge is our only hope. When we really want to make an impact…find like minds to communicate with on a smaller platform.
Why not just begin, with performing an amazing service behind our styling chair? Why don’t we begin with educating our own clientele about the tricks of our trade, the trends, techniques, technology and tools, that make us so proud to be a part of this hair mafia.
The last thing the rat race needs is another rat. Keep playing with the nice kids. After all, because of the internet…WHAT A SMALL WORLD? Signing off!

This blog was written by DN Speaks

TOWN-CRIER Online Features Claudia Diesti THE REAL HAIR TRUTH

Claudia Diesti In Documentary
Local Wellington hairstylist Claudia Diesti has made her mark styling runway hair for photographers and fashion designers, and now her experiences will be included in a 2010 documentary about the industry.

Diesti has lived and worked in Wellington for 11 years, and over the past four years has styled runway hair for designers such as Nichole Miller, Zac Posen, Nikki Hilton and Perry Ellis. “I love the fast-paced, intense pressure needed to handle runway work,” Diesti said. “The audience’s perspective is so calm and well planned. Most don’t see the chaos behind the stage, but that’s where you’ll get noticed.”

Diesti’s accomplishments caught the eye of Joseph Kellner, producer of the upcoming documentary The Real Hair Truth. She was asked to speak about her rise from a young girl who came to the United States with nothing, to her passion for advanced education — an education that has taken her across the U.S., to Europe and Asia.

The documentary will show the ups and downs of the industry and includes interviews with Rusk International Educator Phil Stone, YellowStrawberry owner Jesse Briggs and Tampa’s Scott Bentley. All the proceeds will go to scholarships for advanced education, books and tools.

TOWN-CRIER Online