Gratitude – Keep the Career Passion Burning

By AHP Staff

We all experience days when we wake up on the wrong side of the bed, and for no particular reason, we just feel cranky. The best way to change a grumpy mood fast is to start counting your blessings. After all, you are part of an incredible industry. Gratitude is the fuel that will keep your passion of being a hairdresser or barber alive.

Here are six reasons to be grateful you chose a career in the beauty industry.

You’re an artist.

As a hairstylist or barber, you create amazing works of walking art every single day. Using your creativity, you can flex your creative muscles, and you actually get paid for creating art! Each client, each day, brings new opportunities to use your talent and skills. You’re never bored as no two days (or clients) are ever the same. You’re living your dream AND paying your bills. How sweet is that?

Opportunities abound.

There are limitless opportunities within your career. You can travel the world, work for a brand, be an educator, or become a salon or barber shop owner. If you work independently, you can be your own boss, set your own hours, have a flexible schedule. You have the unique opportunity to determine how much money you’ll make depending on how much you want to work. You will always be able to use your craft, no matter where you are. That’s not just job security—it’s FREEDOM!

It’s scientific.

Every hair creation is possible because hairdressing and barbering is based on scientific principles such as geometry, the color wheel, and chemical reactions. Professional hairstyling doesn’t happen by chance. When you were in school, you learned the science behind hairdressing that helps you determine precisely how to create the look your clients want and innovate new styles. If you give a haircut or apply color and it doesn’t turn out the way you planned, you might have miscalculated the science. But you also have the power to fix it. You are in control of your education and researching the science to make it right in the future.

You have constant inspiration.

Because the beauty industry involves people, it's an industry that is always evolving, changing, and growing. To stay inspired, attend a class, event, or trade show. Learn about new products, new techniques, new formulas. Network with other professionals to share experiences and expand your personal growth. There is never time to become bored or stagnant because there is always something new to learn or try!

“If I am reincarnated, I want to be a hairdresser again because I love this passionate profession. It’s artistry. It’s scientific. It’s love. It’s people.” —Farouk Shami

You have purpose.

It’s so sad when someone has to go to work each day doing something they’re not passionate about, or feel doesn’t really matter in the scheme of things. What are most people looking to find through their job? What do people value most in a career? Purpose. We all want to feel we are making a difference in some way. There are very few professions that can offer a fulfilling, meaningful purpose multiple times, every single day. Hairdressers and barbers are fortunate enough to have physical confirmation of the difference they’re making in people’s lives with each client. You are not only creative artists, but you are also counselors, therapists, confidants, sounding boards, shoulders to lean on, and self-esteem boosters. The positive impact you have on your clients and the love you spread should brighten your day and dispel even the crankiest of moods!

You love your people.

This brings us to what is probably the most important reason you love being a hairdresser or barber: The people. YOUR people! The relationships you have with your clients fill a special place in your heart. Each one is unique and beautiful in their own way. The connections you’ve been able to form with these amazing humans should evoke over-the-top gratitude for the career you’ve chosen. You've watched relationships evolve from first dates to having their first child. You've seen shy, young pre-teens grow into stunning, confident adults. You've been a safe place to cry when they’re experiencing heartache. You've shared tears of laughter with them. All of these moments are the reasons why you love what you do.

Yes, we love our people, but that doesn’t just mean clients. It means other hairdressers, too. We’re talking mentors, coworkers, and employers who become family. We are kindred spirits brought together by our passion for this amazing industry.

We have so much to be grateful for as hairstylists and barbers. Sure, there are always some areas of our career we may wish were different. But if you focus your mind on all you have in this profession to be grateful for, your passion will never simmer.

“Hairdressers are a wonderful breed. You work one-on-one with another human being, and the object is to make them feel so much better, and to look at themselves with a twinkle in their eye.” —Vidal Sassoon

Article courtesy Associated Hair Professionals