Here's the essay that won my niece a Vegas trip:
It's difficult to explain how it feels when someone places their entire outward identity into my hands. In that moment, I have the power to elicit radical change. Once I earn their trust, sometimes that is exactly what occurs. Life altering, head turning, eye popping reinvention; the kind that brings others clamoring for their own new look. But sometimes, the most effective change is the most subtle, and the most personal. Adding a few wisps around the brows accompanied by a shoulder squeeze and understanding nod can lighten the load for an exhausted mom. Finishing that last snip on a sleek new bob along with a word of encouragement can give that young executive the confidence she needs to go out and nail her interview. And the swell of pride that is visible to all when you dare that 40-something guy to "Go for it!" and buzz his balding head is a reward not easily matched in other professions. In this arena, there is magic. Science and technique entwine with style, creating illusions of effortless transformation. We as stylists are rock stars, artists. Yet our hair dressing abilities should occasionally take a back seat to our people skills. Just for a moment, sometimes it's about being a friend. Put down the brush and hold the hand of an elderly client who can't suppress tears over losing her husband. It's all right to lay down the shears in order to hug the ecstatic client who just got engaged. How else do you build the kind of trust needed to keep clients for life? Good technique? Quality designs? Knowledge, education and experience? Absolutely. But never forget there is a person attached to that hair. Dress the hair, address the person. Truly learn to care. Therein lies real success.
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Nice work, Lisa!
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