Advice for Future Professionals From a Hair Pros Graduate

We’re proud to have such incredible alumni at Hair Professionals Career College. Gina Greenwood is just one impressive example. She graduated from our cosmetology program in 1999 and now owns Lola by Gina, a salon in St. Geneva, Illinois. As owner and master stylist, Gina is dedicated to providing incomparable customer service. She lives by the idea that beauty isn’t about how you make someone look. It’s about how you make them feel.

Creating a Great Experience

If you ask Gina what every stylist needs to know, it’s how to give your client the best experience possible. “Customer service goes beyond being nice and friendly,” Gina says. “It’s about how you present yourself. It begins with the self-care of the service provider. If you want to give people the added confidence that comes with looking and feeling your best, you need that too.” There’s an unfair stereotype placed on cosmetologists. Gina wants to change that. It’s her goal to change the respect level in the beauty industry by teaching future professionals how great they are. “As stylists, we need to see our value and worth,” she says. “We need to behave as though we value ourselves. Respect is earned with how you treat yourself. It combines mind, body, and soul and [involves living] a healthy lifestyle and being kind to yourself.”

Maintaining Your Clients

As a seasoned stylist, Gina knows that maintaining existing clients is more difficult than acquiring new ones. Keeping loyalty means forming strong client-stylist relationships and building a level of trust. Every visit should be as great as the original visit that caused your client to fall in love with you. “You should be a part of your guests’ dinner conversation,” Gina says. “Someone should talk about how amazing their experience was with their friends and family.” Clients usually switch stylists because they’re craving some type of change. To maintain a lasting client/stylist relationship, beauty professionals need to constantly grow and evolve along with their clients. The way you make someone feel during their appointment can make a $40 haircut experience feel like a $1,000 experience.

Valuing Yourself

To create a great experience for your clients, you show self-respect first. “Many parents try to talk their kids out of working in beauty,” Gina says. “[So] as stylists, we need to see our value and worth. We need to behave as though we value ourselves. Respect is earned with how you treat yourself [first].” Gina wants to empower clients with added confidence while also teaching professionals how to respect themselves. She wants both current and future stylists to follow their dreams and realize how great they are.

Let Us Help You Reach Your Potential

At Hair Professionals Career College, we can help you follow your dreams. Whether you want to own a salon like Gina or not, we’re here to help you achieve your goals for the future. Contact us today to learn about our cosmetology, esthetics, nail tech, and educator programs!