Cosmetology Student Success Story: Johanna Stromberg
I am super excited to share the success of this student, Ms. Johanna Stromberg. Over the past months I have personally witnessed the interaction she has with her clients, the staff, and her peers. Not only is Johanna a great individual and studious future professional, but she gets the hard work and dedication it takes to own this career. Johanna social media postings are always showing off her talent and creativity and was one of the main reason I even booked my little girl with her this past week. This career was made for Johanna and I can’t wait to share her story with you.
About Johanna 
“I graduated high school in 2016. Following graduation, I took a gap year so I could focus on working and saving as much money as possible for school. Since the time I was fifteen; I have spent my summers doing farm work on a local raspberry farm here in Lynden. In my previous years I have spent a great deal of my free time dedicated to another one of my passions, that is music. I have studied and been trained to sing classical music for the past nine years, and I absolutely love it; people are always surprised to find out I like to sing opera!” shared Johanna.
Most little girls love the “beauty” and they see around them growing up and Johanna was no different and it was a core reason she choose to pursue a passion she found at such a young age; “I can remember from the time I was a very little girl, I always loved to play “salon”; more often than not, my mom would find me (and the bathroom) coated in bright lipstick, hot pink blush and a shocking amount of glitter, because after all, there was no such thing as too much sparkle! . Today, I may no longer be covered in glitter or wear hot pink blush, but my love for beauty has blossomed into a passion that continues to only strengthen. I love to make people feel beautiful. There is nothing more fulfilling to me than when I see a smile light up my client’s face, a sparkle in their eye and a new bounce of confidence in their step as they leave my chair. That is why I have chosen this career, because I believe every one deserves to feel special. I always look forward to coming to school because at the end of the day, I am the same little girl who loves to play salon and I still believe a little sparkle never hurt anyone!” It is especially exciting to witness that ‘sparkle’ she exudes and spreads onto her clients. Johanna is always one of the first to make eye contact and share a warm smile. If your ever feeling out of sorts and in need of a boost, come and meet Johanna and I can guarantee that you will leave with a different outlook for the day. Sparkle on Johanna!
The Evergreen Experience 
We asked Ms. Johanna what were some things that she liked about her cosmetology program and what types of assignments she has felt helpful to her so far within the curriculum and her response was, “It is funny you ask me that, because I really enjoy everything. However if I had to choose a favorite, I love highlights. I love them because they add so many dimensions to your hair. You can really give clients that soft youthfully and natural look. I also love updos because you can be so creative with them. It reminds me of sculpting; you can create beautiful shapes and textures that totally transform a person’s style. The options are endless; you are limited only by your imagination.”
“Anytime you are assigned to work on a real person, it is a huge learning opportunity, because there is no better way to practice or learn. I find it very helpful that my educators push my comfort zone and make me do things on people regardless of whether or not I want to, because that is what it is like in the real world of a salon. There have been many times I have said to myself, “Well, I guess I’m going to either sink or learn to swim.” and so far, I think I have become a pretty good swimmer,” said Johanna. Not only does Johanna embrace the encouragement to step just one more step outside of her comfort zone but welcomes the challenge. More times than not Johanna will take her mannequin work to different educators asking for feedback to grow from. You see the eagerness to learn, to succeed, to try the newest look on Instagram or Pinterest and to conquer it.
What sets Johanna apart from other cosmetologist you ask? Well Johanna shares, “I can honestly say my client’s are the most important thing to me, and when they come to sit down in my chair, I can make them this promise, and that is to always put their needs and their desires first. Based upon my own experience, I am not convinced every other stylist does that. From the moment I shake their hand, to the moment they leave my chair, I am there to serve them; it’s not about me because this is their time, and they deserve my undivided attention. It is my job as a stylist is to listen, communicate and deliver their vision the very best I can. I want to make sure they are made to feel special. One of my favorite ways to do this is by giving them hand massages. It is an easy thing to sneak in while I am waiting for their color to process or for my educator to come check my work and they always really appreciate it. I once had an educator tell me something I will never forgot- she said, “People may not remember what you said or what you did, but people will never forget the way you made them feel.” Twenty years from now, if my clients remember anything about me, I hope they always remember the way I made them feel.”
“Clients should book with me because I find myself inspired by the unique and individual beauty of each of my clients. It is my job as a stylist to bring that out. By the end of their service, it is my hope and desire for them to see the natural beauty I see in them. When I combine my artistic skills and creative ideas with their own unique beauty, the results are spectacular,” commented Johanna.
The Next Step 
Although Johanna has a bit of her program left before she gets licensed, she is already taking steps she needs to in order to set up her success after graduation. “At this point in my education, there remain many unknowns regarding my future employment. There is a salon in Bellingham I have been shadowing at over the weekends, and I would love to work there, so keep your fingers crossed! However, with that being said, I do have future goals, and one of those includes my desire to get established in the wedding industry. In fact I have recently enrolled in advanced makeup classes this Spring, and I already have been asked to do hair and make up for two weddings this Summer and another one this Winter!”
Johanna leaves advice for those that are meant to follow the beauty path with words of encouragement, “My advice to them would be, don’t expect this to be easy. Ignore anything any one has ever told you in the past about cosmetology being an “easy way out. If you come into school with this mind-set, you are going to be in shock. Most people have no idea how draining this process can be and how much dedication and hard work it takes to do this. I remember one of our first tests in school; it was on color theory. That was a really hard test, I remember spending a good 20 hours studying for it. I say this not to try to scare future students, but to let them know that this is a serious process and you shouldn’t do this unless you know that this is what you really want to do. But above all, my advice to you is this: you have to believe in yourself and trust that you can do this. There will be people who tell you this isn’t a real career, or that you are just wasting your time; but if you apply yourself and take advantage of the opportunities given you, you will find success. I stress this because at the end of the day this is your future, your career and your dream- and only you can turn your dream into a reality.” Wise words from this young lady only reassures her ultimate success will be within her fingertips. I know Johanna will make a positive difference in our industry and the Evergreen family couldn’t be more proud and excited to share a bit of her journey to the top.
So why did she pick Evergreen Beauty College? “To be perfectly honest, I knew I wanted to come here after the first time I came to visit. Imminently the warm atmosphere struck me. The staff is always smiling, and you genuinely get the impression that they love their job. I was also very impressed by how hands on Evergreen’s approach to education are. The majority of student’s time is spent doing practical work, and I believe that is invaluable. One thing that really sets Evergreen apart from other beauty schools is the importance they place on the business side of our education. We have a special business curriculum we go through to make sure we have a basic understanding. When we all graduate, most of us will be self-employed and once we enter the real world, that knowledge and skill is huge will be priceless,” shared Johanna.
Johanna is set to graduate in early December 2018 and what better way to support her other than to come and get a service done from her at our Everett campus! And if you are interested in continuing to follow Johanna on her beauty school path, you can also check her out on Instagram @stromberg.johanna. Congrats, Johanna. You are on your way to a “sparkly” future in the beauty industry and I can not wait to see the difference you make!
If you are interested in pursuing a career in the beauty industry, you can check out our programs or contact us at one of our three locations: Everett, Renton or Yakima!
