The Journey To Beauty Industry Success: Emily’s Story

Emily Sanchez always knew a corporate career was not in her future. In high school, she thrived in classes like art, music and creative writing.

Emily felt happy and confident in activities with the art club and the photography club. She felt smothered and out of place in courses where she had to conform to rules without any room for creativity. When all of her friends started applying for college, Emily just could not see herself taking that path.

She knew a traditional college would not be right for her. Emily also knew she needed advanced education to create the kind of life she wanted, and preferably close to Seattle, to stay close to her family. She was not exactly sure what career path to take, but she knew it had to be one that let her express herself.

Since she was small, Emily enjoyed styling hair and experimenting with makeup. She thought a job in the beauty industry would be fun.

An internet search for “beauty schools in Washington,” brought Evergreen Beauty to her attention.

The First Step

After exploring the Evergreen Beauty website, Emily decided she needed to learn more. She called the school and asked about their hours, how long the program would take and what the enrollment process was. To her surprise, the person on the other end asked her to come in for a tour and to see the school for herself.

Immediately, Emily felt welcomed and scheduled a tour to see the Bellevue Campus, though she could have chosen from the Everett and Renton Campuses as well. She was excited, but she was also nervous. After all, enrolling in a course is a big deal. And what if it was not a good fit for her after all?

Emily went to bed that night thinking of what a career in beauty would mean to her. She felt excited by the thought of photo shoots, fashion shows and maybe even becoming a celebrity stylist.

As she drifted off to sleep that night, she felt proud of herself for exploring her options and taking control of her destiny.

The Journey Begins

The next morning, Emily woke up feeling excited and ready to go. She got dressed, did her hair and makeup, being sure to pay extra attention to her looks that day. After all, she was going to a beauty school as a prospective student and she wanted to dress to impress.

Driving to the school, she got more and more excited with each passing mile. When she pulled up to the school, her heart started racing, her palms got a little sweaty. She felt like what happened next could have a big influence on her future.

As she entered the school, she was greeted by smiling students, teachers and clients. Everyone looked so polished and put together, like real beauty industry experts!

After she was greeted, the admissions counselor asked her to fill out an interest form. The form asked questions about the type of work she enjoyed doing and what kind of career she wanted. Once the form was completed, she went into the admissions office to learn more.

The counselor told her about the program, courses, credits and the hours and services needed to complete the program. Next, it was time for the guided tour.

The Tour

As she walked around the school, Emily saw the dispensary. It was so exciting! All kinds of hair color, permanent waves, rollers, relaxers, styling products, styling tools and fun things were just waiting for her to explore.

The dispensary was like a dream come true for a beauty product junkie like Emily. She could definitely see herself in that space.

Next, Emily went into one of the classrooms. In the past, classrooms were not where Emily wanted to spend her time. She was nervous. What if it was the same as high school? What if it was a stuffy, sterile environment?

All kinds of questions raced through her head as she walked with the admissions counselor to the classroom. Emily held her breath and walked in. To her surprise, this classroom was like none she had ever seen before.

The walls were covered in posters showcasing the color wheel, fashion forward hair color and haircuts and information about hair, skin and nails. The classroom had large workspaces and mirrors and looked like a working salon.

In the classroom, students were working on wrapping perms on their mannequins. The teacher showed students proper technique. She encouraged them to keep working to perfect their craft. As she walked around, the teacher called out questions to make sure students understood the lesson. The room was buzzing and busy and all the students were engaged and excited about what they were learning.

After the classroom, Emily took a tour of the facial room. A reclining facial bed, a steamer, lots of facial products and wax pots lined the room. Emily simply could not wait to get her hands on them. The school was making Emily feel like a kid in a candy store and she was starting to think this might be the path for her.

Once the facial room exploration was complete, it was time to visit the clinic floor. She saw highlights, color, relaxers, perms, manicures, pedicures and special occasion updo styles.

She saw students applying makeup and having fun, while learning skills that they could use to create the career they wanted.

The Decision Is Made

After her tour was complete, Emily knew then and there that Evergreen Beauty school was for her. For the first time, Emily was excited about school and could not wait to enroll and get started.

She filled out an application, applied for financial aid and went home feeling completely confident she made the right choice.

Once home, she called her friends and told them what she had done and they were thrilled for her. They all said they could see her making a success of herself as a cosmetologist and wanted to know when they could come and get their hair done.

When her parents came home, Emily told her family about her decision to enroll at Evergreen Beauty School. Not only were they supportive, they were thrilled she had found a way to put her artistic skills to use. Her parents had worried that without a college education, Emily would have trouble making a living.

Cosmetology school offered Emily a clear path for career success. They were so happy she had taken the initiative to enroll in Evergreen.

The Learning Process Begins

Once Emily started her program, she knew it would take hard work, dedication and passion to succeed. She worked hard, applied herself and made sure she mastered every concept and technique her teachers gave her.

She made flashcards to memorize skin diseases, the chemical structure of hair, hair disorders, nail diseases and other important information.

She took her mannequins home and worked until her cornrows were neat and tight. She practiced finger waves until her model looked like she just stepped out of the 1920’s.

Emily learned the importance of managing her financial accounts and her time. She learned about inventory control and the importance of retail sales as a revenue source. Emily’s teachers taught her how important marketing and promotion is in getting clients. They taught her that full books mean full pockets and gave her lots of great ideas to recruit clients and keep them coming back.

It wasn’t all hard work, though. Emily had a great time meeting new and interesting people and getting to know their stories.

Emily met people who had just finished high school and people who were starting their second career. There were also people who had served in the military and were now exploring a creative career. People of all ages, races, and experiences came to Evergreen to get the training they needed.

The clients she worked on as a student were also great contacts for Emily. She learned the importance of communication, customer service, and being customer focused. She learned how to relate to customers and coworkers in a friendly, yet professional manner. She enjoyed getting to know people and make new friends.

Emily’s Steps To Success

After a few months in school, Emily decided to really push herself and broaden her horizons. Through networking, Emily became a staple in local fashion shows and photo shoots. She worked hard to promote herself and make a name for herself as a beauty expert.

Emily quickly built a strong portfolio of her work. She compiled photos of her hair styling skills, makeup skills and a long list of professional experiences. She could prove she was a motivated, hard working stylist.

Through her work on fashion shows and photo shoots, Emily built a network of professional contacts to use as professional references.

Salon Success

After completing the program, Emily took her state board licensing exams and passed with flying colors. The state of Washington emailed her license to her. She was officially a cosmetologist and ready to start her career.

With her portfolio, professional recommendations and license in hand, Emily made a list of the salons she would like to work in. She emailed a resume and cover letter and scheduled interviews.

After reviewing all her job offers, Emily picked a salon that offered continuing education and opportunities for growth. Within six months, Emily had built a nice client base and was earning enough money to move out of her parents’ house and live on her own.

Now Emily goes to a job she loves and makes people look and feel great. Every day is different because every client is different. There is always opportunity for Emily to express her creativity and flex her artistic muscle. Emily makes a great living doing what she loves and is now working on the next step in her career journey; becoming a platform artist.

With a license as a cosmetologist, Emily enjoys the freedom to work anywhere in the world. She knows the only limit to her success is her determination and imagination.

The End Is Still Unwritten

Emily’s journey to career satisfaction and success began with a simple phone call to Evergreen beauty school. Emily had the skills and knowledge to get a cosmetology license and start an exciting, lucrative career.

With determination, hard work and perseverance, Emily will continue to grow and learn new skills. She became an in-demand stylist: behind the chair and on photo shoots, for fashion shows and more. With a cosmetology license and passion, you can be like Emily and write your own story and take it anywhere you want to go.

Making the decision to enroll at Evergreen set Emily up for success in a fun, exciting career that she loves. Emily earns enough money to support herself and she lives a comfortable life. She can afford to travel and is constantly energized by the creative people around her.

Far from a stuffy corporate job, Emily is living the life she loves and doing work she is passionate about. Thanks to her own initiative and help from Evergreen.

Make This Your Story

We hope you enjoyed reading this story! While this was a work of fiction, it paints a real picture of what you can expect when you enroll at Evergreen Beauty. Start your own beauty industry success story by scheduling a tour today!