My Journey To Hollywood

Since fifth grade, I’ve been captivated by the artistry of hair.

My future career journey all began with innocent attempts to style my own locks, often resulting in impromptu haircuts and colorful experiments, mom was shocked to say the least. I would go upstairs with long hair and come back down with a chin-length bob. By the time I was in junior high, my aunt was a cosmetologist. I started coloring it and always changing it up. I also had a grandmother, that was like another mother to me, that used to sit in her dining room every night to do her skin and hair care routines.

She’s always been such a beautiful woman. She told me that I must start a routine by the time I turn 20 so that I would age beautifully. She’d teach me her tricks and at the time I didn’t think much of it, took it all in, and learned from her. 

How the journey Started …

By the time I reached junior high, my passion for hairstyling had blossomed into a full-blown obsession. I knew I wanted to do hair and makeup for the STARS! My best friend, Lindsay, and I used to dream about it. So much so that we both went off together to Toni & Guy in Dallas, TX to study cosmetology. I was adamant about going to one of the best schools in the world. If little ol’ me from a small town in Arkansas had a chance to work with movie stars, I’d have to learn from the best! I searched and searched throughout my senior year to try and figure out where I could go and what I could afford.

When I found it, I set up a tour and told my parents we were going. Of course, they weren’t super thrilled. But I talked them into a four hour journey away to go see it. I knew it was right the moment I walked in, and I became even more sold as the tour went on. I thought about it the whole way home trying to strategize how I would make it work.

A couple of days after being back I told my parents I was going to go and that I was going ASAP. They thought I was crazy but I found an apartment, signed up to start, and started packing.

Crazy Story

The day we were leaving to move, we were about to head out. I told my parents I was going to check on my dog one more time before we left. Thank God I did! I walked into the backyard and there was blood everywhere! All over the side of the house, the ground, the furniture, I mean everywhere! A little bitty chihuahua had bit half of my labs ear off! So of course, this delayed my trip.

I tell you this because in my blog, The Start of My Career, I share with you another story. In it, the opposition always tries to hold you back when you are trying to do great things. I truly believe you are being tested of your will power. So in that moment, my parents immediately wanted to call the trip off. I said no way! We rushed him to the vet, doctored him up, took him to family members, and then we continued on our journey.  A  week later I was sitting in class learning how to cut hair. Thank God I did because 2 months after I joined, the tuition almost doubled! 

Toni & Guy’s training was an Amazing Journey!!

It was very advanced and had so much to offer me. They started every month with only 10 students max and each month you would move to the next theory. By the fourth month, you were working on people. I loved it. They would let you consult with your client and map out the plan all on your own. Then, they would check to see if you were on the right track before starting. I remember the very first day I was so nervous.

My first client wanted an all-over color touchup. She was a level 3 and I forgot to put gloves on. My teacher watched and let me start. About halfway through, she walked by and whispered in my ear, “I bet you won’t do that again.” I laughed so hard. At that point, I still hadn’t realized what I had done. My hands were black for days. It reminded me to slow down and stay calm.

I really loved how they ran things and allowed us to grow through our mistakes. They also had a challenge, If you show enough advancement and independence, they will assign you to their glass room. In that room you no longer needed an instructor. I was determined to get in there. They also had an art group that would come in and out to teach advanced classes and put on different shows. I always volunteered to help to sponge up their knowledge. I remember a colorist once told me,

“go wash this highlight out and use chocolate to tone it. Count to 30 and rinse. Not a second sooner or later.”

I was so nervous!! Chocolate for blond highlights??!! But it looked amazing. I learned so many little tricks from them. They traveled the world putting these shows and classes on. By the seventh month mark, I finally achieved my goal. I had free range to practice my confidence in being on my own and it really set me up to succeed in the “outside” world. 

Towards the end of my journey, the administrative office called me in and asked about my goals. I told the administrator about my dreams of working in Hollywood. Later, I was given a pamphlet about Makeup Designory and told it was the best makeup school in Los Angeles. I checked it out and devised a plan to get myself out there. I moved back home to Arkansas, worked in a salon for experience to hone my skills, saved up money for three years, and then took the leap. This was definitely not the most ideal plan…I did not want to move back to Arkansas, especially not for three years! But sacrifices had to happen to get to my ultimate dream.

Starting my LA Journey…Finally!

I started out by testing the waters and see if I like the school and LA. I moved in with a cousin for a month and lived in the living room on a blowup mattress. There are so many crazy things that happened, again being tested…how bad did I want it. From getting robbed in the subway, to getting lost in the middle of the night in downtown LA during Halloween, to seeing wild random highway shutdowns with 50 cops guns out and having a front row seat. So many stories I could share, it truly was like I was living in a movie itself.

The first makeup course took me a month and I loved it. I went back to Arkansas, packed my bags and moved back to finish the schooling. It took me another three months of hard work. I remember my beauty makeup teacher, Cyndi, told me the first day,

“If you miss a day, are late for class, miss any homework, or cause any problems, I will not refer you to any jobs. This class is only for four weeks and if you can’t handle four weeks of this, you won’t be able to handle this business.”

So I made sure to do just that! Sure enough, it paid off. Once I graduated, I had to move back to Arkansas…again, we were told that we might only make $50/day if we were lucky. And neither my parents nor I could afford it.

But as soon as I got back, my makeup teacher had referred me to another teacher who was designing a thirty-day movie. I was so bummed that I was going to miss out on the opportunity. I told the woman the truth of my circumstances and she actually said I could stay with her at no charge while I worked the job. So of course I took her up on it. I flew to LA, rented a car, and lived at her house. It wound up being a beautiful home and a wonderful family. I loved it so much. That job turned into several jobs after that with me flying back and forth from LA to Arkansas to work them. To hear more about these stories, I share more in my other blog ‘The Start of My Career’. It has definitely been a beautiful journey!!

Reflecting on my journey, I’m filled with gratitude for the experiences that have shaped me and the people who have supported me along the way. Every setback has been a lesson, and every triumph a testament to the power of perseverance and passion. As I continue to pursue my dreams in the industry, I’m excited for all of the beautiful adventures that lie ahead and the opportunities to inspire others to chase their dreams as well. Just as others have guided and inspired me on my journey, I hope to empower and uplift the next generation of talent to turn their dreams into a reality. If that is you, checkout my courses here!

Xo!