The Time I Almost Quit Doing Hair

I know we all struggled during covid and read stories of others struggles and obstacles during that time. However, I have never shared one of my biggest struggles I ever faced during covid. The only person who really knows what all happened is my boyfriend Jake and he helped from making a decision I definitely would have regretted. I almost quit doing hair during 2020 after covid started. Instead, I honestly learned my biggest lesson about pushing through obstacles and not giving up.

When covid started I was less than a year into my career at the JcPenney salon. When you are in beauty school you are told the first five years of doing hair are the hardest. You can ask other stylists too and you will get the same response usually. The first few years of doing hair are the hardest because you start out at a lower pricing and are still trying to gain clients trust and build up a regular clientele. As the years go on you not only gain clients, but you gain knowledge, speed, and skill and can charge reflecting that. So in 2020 I was already just trying to stay motivated and push through dealing with being a new and young stylist. Then covid hit. We all remember how uncertain things were and how sacred everyone was for what would happen to the world. Being out of work for a couple months was scary because we didn’t know when we could come back and what our “new normal” was going to look like in the salon. When I got the call I could come back to work though I was SO excited and had some instant relief. Even though the first year was hard I had been learning a lot and liking my Job. I thought getting back into a normal routine would really help ease some stress and worries. However, I also had no idea just how crazy things were going to feel.

Anyone who worked in a customer service or food service job can attest to covid truly brought out the worst sides in people. Remember in the beginning how even though we all had fears and worries there was a sense of community? We all had each others backs and we would see a lot of positivity and people making the best of things. However as months went on there became a lot of different sides and opinions forming. And let’s be honest we all started to grow restless in how things were going and we just wanted things back to the way they were. This caused customer service to become extremely difficult. Basically daily we would be yelled at by customers over things we had no control over. Wether it was a corporate policy they disagreed with, not having an appointment available at the time they want, our shortened hours, or not being able to fix an at home hair job to the level they wanted. It was always our fault. It felt like we just couldn’t please a lot of people. And when it came to at home hair jobs anyone who has been in my chair knows I will never judge you for it. I will always fix things the best I can without judging you but sometimes there is only so much that can be done. Sometimes the hair needs to become healthier or grow out more before we can fix it to the level they want. I would always do the best I could to make everyone happy, but during covid that was truly impossible. I began to second guess if I chose the right career or if I had what it took to be successful.

I kept these feelings bottled up because not only did I feel like I was failing in my new career, but I felt like I would disappoint friends and family if I told them what was going on. I didn’t know what to do but started spending evenings scrolling through job listings on Facebook to see if I could find a job that I could make more money in and not feel like a failure at. One night my boyfriend Jake saw me scrolling and asked what I was doing. I just told him I wasn’t sure but had just been keeping an eye out to see if a different job stood out to me. He said “But I thought you loved doing hair?” And as I started to cry all I could get out was “I don’t know anymore.”. After I broke down and finally told him everything that had been going on and how I had been feeling he gave me the support but also tough love I needed. He reminded that since I had met him in beauty school this career was all I could talk about. We knew the first few years would be hard and that it was ok to feel stressed and overwhelmed at times. Covid was making this year extra hard, but that I shouldn’t quit now. Things were going to change and already had started to some. He reminded if I quit now right at the beginning when I knew it would be the hardest I’d regret it. He was absolutely right. Those first couple years of doing hair were very difficult at times. Adding covid to the mix definitely didn’t help, but it also did make me stronger in the long run.

If I had quit doing hair my first year I would have regretted it. There so many times I questioned what I was doing but I kept pushing, Some days I just needed to cry because of the stress and feeling overwhelmed but I knew that was ok. Sometimes we just have to let ourselves feel those feelings for a moment then wipe the tears and face the obstacles. I am now four years into doing hair and have accomplished more than I though possible. I have been featured by numerous brands/pages on Instagram. I have reached the level of Master Stylist at the JcPenney salon. And I have built up such great clientele. I look forward to seeing my clients and doing their hair. And now I even love the challenge of color corrections! I love transforming hair and helping my clients to feel better and achieve their desired goals.

Yes, sometimes it is ok to quit and move on from something. But if I had quit when I wanted to it would have absolutely been a mistake I would have regretted. There is a quote from Elbert Hubbard that says “There is no failure except in no longer trying.” And that is completely true for my situation. I would have quit before giving my career a fair chance. After telling my boyfriend I realized it was ok to need some support and motivation but I couldn’t quit. I started setting reasonable and realistic goals for myself with my salon manager Sarah. She would help me set goals that would keep me motivated and excited, but also were achievable. Even today I still set goals with Sarah, they just have gotten bigger and some I may not hit in the year I want, but I have learned that is ok too. It isn’t me failing if I don’t hit my bigger goals. The fact we can set big goals for me keeps me motivated to keep improving and working hard. The fact I try to reach them and not give up is an accomplishment in itself. I am so lucky to have a kind and supportive manager who can help me see my full potential. If I don’t hit a goal for the year then I can set it for my goal next year and I will know what I need to work on. Another quote from Eddie Harris Jr is “It takes a dream to get started, desire to keep going, and determination to finish.”. That is something that helps me remember to keep going and not give up. Obstacles and stress are temporary, and they do make us stronger when we come out on top.