Art is in my DNA. Both sides of my family are very creative in all aspects. I started private drawing and watercolor training when I was 4 years old, and always knew I would grow up and be an artist. The last couple of years in high school, I struggled with what exactly I wanted for my future. I interviewed for an art scholarship. I didn’t get it which ruled out art school. Thinking about spending my life as a starving artist, having to do art to make a living, not just because I wanted to, struck me as something that would make me miserable. I needed to find a practical career, but one that would satisfy my need for a creative outlet. So i chose the hair industry!! Thinking about spending my life as a starving artist, having to do art to make a living, not just because I wanted to, struck me as something that would make me miserable. I needed to find a practical career, but one that would satisfy my need for a creative outlet. At the time I had just started seeing a new hairdresser, and we connected pretty quickly. Chatting over those first few appointments, getting to know me, she encouraged me to consider cosmetology school. I thought she was nuts! I grew up on a small farm, I just learned how to wear eyeliner and lip gloss, and always failed at doing my own hair. Over the next few months the idea sort of took hold of me. My 17 year old brain thought, what the hell? If I hate it, it will only be a year of my life wasted. So I signed up for Cosmetology school… The summer after high school and before cosmetology school I went to my first hair show. It was my first real glimpse of a world I knew I belonged in, but was completely terrified of. When I walked into that big show room floor, I remember saying out loud, “These are my people.” My first day of cosmetology school was extremely intimidating. Everyone was talking about how they had always known that this is what they wanted, and how they have been playing with hair their whole life. I said, “I don’t know why Im here, I just know im supposed to be.” And it turned out, I was right. My previous training in art made doing hair, especially hair color, came naturally to me. My first year in the industry, I got accepted into the Paul Mitchell Educator Program. And over the course of the next couple of years, blood, sweat, and tears, I was trained by the best and became a Master Colorist. After that I became an Artistic Educator for Sexy Hair. After that I helped Michael O’Rourke launch his product line as a platform artist. I have been so fortunate to learn and work with the best in the business. After all of those amazing experiences, I came back to my chair, even better equipped to serve my clients. Ive shared my love of this industry and passed on what Ive learned to students and professionals alike. September 28th, 2019 will be my 15 year anniversary of being in this incredible industry. I cant wait to see what the next 15 will bring!