Ginnette Minarik - A Cosmos Guide to the Industry: Getting to Where You Want to Be

ISBN: 9781483511580

About the Author

Ginnette Minarik has been in the industry for almost 10 years, having graduated with honors from the Vidal Sassoon Academy. She noticed that cosmetology school graduates didnt have many people to lean on or look to when they needed guidance and help. Everything she has written in this book are things that she wished someone would have taught her when she was just starting out. She wanted to give new up-and-comers the knowledge that she didnt have.

Ms. Minarik has worked as a beauty school educator for four years, and has taught about 400 students in that time. She has been behind the chair for 9 years, working for Redken for a third of that time. Currently she is the Redken Artistic Educator for Northern California, as well as a Master Colorist in a Northern California salon.

She travels and educates stylists all over the country. Ginnette has come across many stylists who all say the same thing about their struggle, and what they wish they would have known.

In her spare time, Ms. Minarik attends art galleries, which helps her get inspiration for hair color. She is a self-confessed Foodie and takes advantage of all the different cultures in the Bay area. She loves music, and attends concerts when she can. She is the author of a blog through her website www.hairbyginnette.com . Her love of travel and exploring new places fits right in with her career as an artistic educator for Redken.

Dedication

To my mentors... Thank you for believing in me, inspiring me,

and pushing me to be better.

To have a passion in life is one of the strongest emotions we can have, to experience it every day is a gift, and to earn our living doing it is the blessing only few of us discover... hairdressing for me is all of the above.

Thanks to Vidal, I did realize my dream

Kris Sorbie,

Redken Education Artistic Director and President

Kris Sorbie LLC, NYC

Foreword

Congratulations!! You are getting ready to embark on an amazing journey called your career.

Why did you choose to become a hairstylist? To make lots of money? To make people feel good about themselves? To make sure you are not sitting in a cubicle for the rest of your life? Are you a people person? Want to do wedding hair? Photo shoots? TV work?? Fashion shows? Think back to the day you decided to go to school and start on this amazing path.

When I think back, I can remember how excited I was to start school. I couldnt wait to get my first job. I couldnt wait to start doing what I knew I always wanted to do. So I want to officially welcome you to the club. You are one of us now. The crazy club of the hairstylists world. Its a journey that will make you cry, smile, laugh, stress out, make money, lose money, grow as a person, make awesome friends, and learn so much about yourself and others. Are you ready?

I have been a hair stylist since 2005. I have had so many ups and downs. So many struggles. So many highs and lows. Many times in my career, the reason that I had downs or difficult times was because of the unknown of the business.

The world of hairstyling is so wonderful. To be honest, most people only focus on the good and the glamorous part of the industry. No one talks about having to sit at the salon for hours just waiting for a walk-in so that you can make some money. No one talks about how hard it is and how skilled you really must be to start and keep a great clientele. Not just people that come in and out of your chair, but a thriving clientele that are actually worthy of your time and skills.

Looking back, there are many things that make me say, Wow, I wish someone would have taught me that, just so that I didnt have to make the mistakes to learn the lessons. This is what Im here to do for you! Consider me your personal hair mentor. Everyone needs at least one.

I have compiled a few subjects that I know are so important as a beginner stylist, not only from personal experience, but also from working with cosmetology students for over three years. I have seen my students graduate from one of the top schools in the country, and then give up on their dream and career. Why is this happening? Its from lack of knowledge about the business aspect of the industry. Think about it.

People go to college to learn to go out into the work force. These days, most students graduate at the age of 24-26 and have 2-3 majors. They are more prepared to hit the work force than ever! Now think about cosmetology courses. A full-time program lasts about ten months. After that, you are thrown out into the work force.

Sink or swim, little fish.

In 10 months you need to learn how to cut, color, bleach, style, plus understand the business aspect. To top it off, most Cosmo grads are under the age of 24. Many of us were fresh out of high school. There is a statistic that states that 80 percent of Cosmo students drop out of the business within the first 5 years. I started to ask others and myself, why? Lack of knowledge was the number one reason.

Well, it is my mission to change this; the lack of knowledge, and to change that 80 percent. It makes me sick to my stomach that many of us are giving up on this amazing career that can take you so many places. There are not too many careers out there where you can make your own hours and make as much money as you want! The possibilities are endless. Why not hit the ground running?

This book will help guide you through the crazy salon business world. I know that it can all seem overwhelming. All you have to do is take it one step at a time.

So You Just Graduated, Now What?!?!?!

I know I had this question when I finished school myself. Actually it was more like, Yes, Im done with school. Lets bring in the big money. All I have to do is get a job. I was so secure and sure that all I needed to do was finish my 1,600 hours of schooling, and I would be set for an amazing hair career.

Little did I know how much I didnt actually know. Business skills, customer service skills, technical skills, TAXES, budgeting, booth renting vs. commission salons, tips and scheduling... I was blessed enough to have been given the opportunity to attend the Harvard of beauty schools, The Vidal Sassoon Academy in Los Angeles, California. My whole life I had wanted to be a hairstylist, and I was sure that my passion alone would ensure that I would become successful and rich. Boy, was I WRONG!!

During school I learned how to cut, color, and style hair at the basic level. What I didnt realize is that it was the basic level! I thought that since I was at the best school in the world, I would leave there with an edge over the rest of the people that would be entering the salon business. Yes, this is true; to an extent, I did.

My first job out of beauty school was an assistant job. I was the right-hand man of a very successful business owner who has had her doors open for 20 years. I was stoked; she hired me on the spot because of my impressive resume. I walked in, went to the reception desk, asked the girl at the desk if I could drop my resume off, and that I was looking for a job. I still remember the day very clearly.

It was a summer afternoon around 3:00 p.m. Little did I know that as I was handing in my resume, the salon owner was listening to my every word. She was standing right behind the desk. She called me over and said, Can I have your resume, please? not even a Hi, nice to meet you. She looked it over in front of me. I just stood there and watched her... AWKWARD!! She looked up at me and said, Can you start tomorrow?