Girl Power: Celebrating the Heroic Women of 2013

The beauty of style in the workplace

How do you feel about beauty and style in the workplace?


What is your style?

As accomplished women emphasizing our intellectual abilities is always first on the list of priorities. We need to always be the true professional who is secure in our skills and abilities; this is how each of us got to where we are today, this will always be the key factor in where we go tomorrow and how we make our way in the career world. But let’s admit it how you dress matters. Yes, you heard me how you dress matters, how you wear your hair matters, the application of makeup or lack of it matters and how you present yourself matters.

After doing some research to get a feel for how other professionals feel about this topic. I came across a quote from David McKnight the founder of DAMstyle, an image consulting firm in New York. "Professional presentation is critical and we must be constantly aware of the unspoken messages and personal brand that we are communicating to our audience."

Mr. McKnight went on to say “the biggest fashion faux pas that professional women commit stems from not understanding how to dress for their body type. Imitating styles found in magazines or on celebrities is a risk. True professional style must be synchronized to your professional image goals and internal identity, rather than what you see on your favorite fashion blog. Once you define your image goals and embrace your unique identity, then it's time to curate a versatile wardrobe that is inclusive of items that communicate your desired messages to the world, appropriate for any situation or environment."
So how can women navigate the potential land mines of appearing attractive, polished and professional while still conveying a sense of competence and accomplishment?
Well we need create our own style that is professional, polished and stylish. We must keep our hair freshly cut and styled so we can can highlight our best professional features, our makeup needs to be kept to a minimum and looking fresh and above all else we must convey a sense of confidence. Don’t misunderstand my view on this. I just feel that we are women in the workplace and as such we need to be women looking professional not downplaying ourselves to fit into some mold others think we need to be in. That being said I never downplay myself what I do instead is dress in a style that is appropriate for each professional situation I’m about to enter. Frankly I bring my A game with me everywhere I go, that my friend is my best workplace style.
And remember the best accessory a woman can wear is her confidence.

Cheers,

Toni

How do I get the most from my Cosmetology and Skincare Education?

Enrolling in any Beauty School Program is the first step in pursuing a career as a Cosmetologist, Makeup Artist, Nail Technician or Esthetician. In order to make the most of your time spent in school, it is essential to work hard while there, learn as much as possible, listen to your teachers, ask a lot of questions and keep learning. Then practice what you've learned on friends, relatives, school clients, etc.

Here are a few tips from The Health & Style Institute to make it as easy and beneficial as possible.

Prioritize Your Time - When embarking on any pursuit of higher education, it’s essential to prioritize your time. Between your cosmetology courses and working in the salon, it can be difficult to devote time to a social life. While maintaining your mental health is important, carefully choose your evenings out. 

For example, you should consider staying home for the evening if you have an important exam the following day. 

If you begin to feel overwhelmed with your courses and workload, speak with your instructors. All of your instructors have successfully completed cosmetology school and will offer you their expert advice on succeeding in your courses. 

Review Your Notes – Cosmetology students don’t always have to sit in a classroom like other students, but that doesn’t mean that studying can be neglected. You can make sure you keep up with your studies by reviewing notes on a regular basis. Whether you take handwritten notes, type notes, or have a photographic memory, you should take some time to review the lesson you learned in your last class before you arrive for your next session. 

Spend Extra Time Studying Hard Topics – You may find yourself having more success with some cosmetology topics than with others. If so, it is important to spend more time studying or practicing those you find more difficult. Most students find strengths and weaknesses during their time in school. Take any available opportunity to spend more time studying and practicing the topics that you find hardest, and ask for additional guidance from your teachers and mentors. 

Follow State Board or International Protocols When Practicing – Once you have advanced in your education to labs and student salon activities, follow state board protocols in all your actions, such as sanitizing hands, putting used tools in your soiled container, using a gloves when required and always following the directions of your instructor. Implementing those protocols during practice will further embed the behaviors in your memory so they become as natural as breathing. You’ll have more than enough to remember when you’re taking your state board exam, so anything that becomes automatic in your actions prior to then, will be one less thing to remember.
Study with Friends - While some topics can easily be reviewed at home on your own, there are other areas in which you can benefit from having a study partner or study group. You can ask a few of your fellow cosmetology students if they would like to start a study group. Meet up once or twice a week to discuss the various lessons learned that week. This will allow you to get another point of view on certain techniques and catch up on lessons you may have missed or have difficulty with. 

Ask for Help - Teachers and administrators are there to help you; our Health and Style Institute staff wants you to succeed. Trying to power through the program on your own can leave you missing out on valuable knowledge. If there is something that you do not understand, ask for clarification. If at some point in your program you are experiencing transportation, child care, or other personal obstacles that may jeopardize your progress, communicate with the staff to work out a solution or to find out about student support services that may help you overcome your challenge. 

Take Care of Your Equipment - During any cosmetology program, you will be provided with equipment that helps you learn the skills you need to succeed in the beauty industry. Once you receive your equipment and products, which may include professional products, curling irons, 4-in-one machines, lab coats, manicure kits and textbooks, it is important to take care of it. The better care you take of your equipment, the more useful it will be toward your education and your state board exams. 

Stay Dedicated to your Learning - Throughout your education, it is important to continue to build onto your knowledge base. Practice your new skills. Look through hair, skin, nail and style magazines to stay on top of the latest trends and tips. Talk to your teachers about their careers, and ask for advice. There are an unlimited amount of resources available to you at your school; it is up to you to take advantage of them. 

Practice your people skills - The key to success in the beauty industry is repeat customers that's where good interpersonal communication comes in. If you truly care about people and you love what you do, that will shine through. But if your people skills are lacking, it'll be tough to secure repeat business, no matter how good your technical skills. Your school can work with you to improve in these areas as well. Succeeding in a beauty career requires working well with others and understanding their needs and desires, from the common to the quirky. 

Prepare for interviews and attend career development workshops - Unlike in other occupations, interviews for beauty and wellness jobs include a practical component. If you're a massage therapist, you'll be asked to give a massage. If you're a nail tech, you'll be required to do someone's nails. There's no bluffing your way through a job interview in the beauty industry you either have what it takes (and what a particular spa or salon is looking for), or you don't. Be prepared that if your interviewers offer feedback while you're doing your service, to incorporate their suggestions, which requires thinking on your feet. You’ll need to be able to show that you can tailor your services to the individual. 

Stay positive- Some days may seem overwhelming; some days may even seem a little boring. Keep focused on your goal, make the most of each day and each learning opportunity and before long, you’ll be looking back at your school days wondering where the time went.

So take the most from your post secondary education and use it to create your future.

Cheers!

Toni

HAVE YOU STARTED CREATING YOUR 2014 GOALS?

Every Year I sit down on Jan 1st and map out my coming year. Yes friends I sit down at my computer and create my goals. I do this in a somewhat orderly fashion and break out my goals into quarters.

2014 Goal Worksheet©

This year was particularly difficult because I currently have many irons in the fire, as they say! Yet as my husband would say "you always have a lot of irons in the fire, now if only we could get you to focus on just one, we would be very wealthy."
Well he is probably right but I just can't help myself. I enjoy living my life to the fullest and I love doing many things and my favorite of course is sharing knowledge with others. So today I'm going to share my goals as well as my goal worksheet.

In 2014 I have 3 specific areas of goals I have to map out.

1. Women in Gear

• What projects can I create that will have benefits to assist others this year?
• What marketing and outreach will I do to share my workshops with others?
• What steps will I take to spend more time creating a better blog?
• What tradeshows will I attend I reach out to a biggest audience?

2. Younique Products Direct Sales Presenter

• How will I share my company products this year?
• What steps will I take to deliver better customer service?
• How can I show more customers the benefits of becoming a presenter?
• What marketing avenues will I take to create a better business?

3. Instructor & Operations Coordinator Esthetic Institute

• How can I improve my teaching skills?
• How can I deliver a better product to the company I contract with?
• How can I manage my time better to give EI a the best of me?
• What can I do to assist the EI team to become the best Institute in the country?

Friends these are the type of
questions you ask yourself as you begin the process of creating your Goal Worksheet. It is about how you take yourself from where you are today to a step ahead tomorrow.
Goals are just the pathway into planning your best year yet.

Cheers!

Toni