Recently Sandra Bruce, General Manager of Milady, was asked to give a keynote address to a graduating class. Her message is inspiring, and I wanted to share it all with you. Feel free to pass the message on to your graduating students or current students.
On behalf of Milady, the learning company that creates textbooks and digital resources for beauty students just like you, I’d like to congratulate you for completing the first step in what will be a beautiful and successful career. On occasion, I’m asked to speak at a graduation ceremony, but our current reality has created yet another opportunity to adapt and overcome. So, it is with this in mind that I am sending you this message and sharing with you three simple, but powerful challenges.
You are a generation of digital socializers. You Face, you Tweet, you Tok, and you Tube. Yet, your career choice is one of a few remaining careers in which you actually get to touch lives. YOU can make a difference! You don’t simply create a fantastic hair style or flawless skin or funky nails, you create self-confidence, inner-peace, wellness. So, I say to you, take every opportunity to make a difference! Treat each of your clients with care. Give back to your community. Support a good cause. Volunteer your talents to a local hospital, half-way house, or hospice. Allow your skills to make a difference in your life as well as others’.
To make a difference, you must Invest in yourself. Do not settle for just a license to practice your skill. Invest in your professional development. Continue to learn. Learn from your salon, learn from manufacturers, return to your school to learn from the educators who taught you the basics, log in and learn from Milady. You don’t have to go far to find opportunity to learn. Zig Zigler says “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – – that’s why we recommend it daily.” Learning is motivational. You want people to respect this industry, to respect your career choice, to take you seriously? Invest in yourself and continue to learn to be the best you can be!
Lastly, I say to you never forget to Say Thank You. Thanks to your teachers for their guidance. Thanks to your friends and family for their support. Thanks to your customers for their loyalty. Thanks to whatever higher power you believe in for the strength to persevere. We do not, no matter how great we are, or we think we are, we do not succeed alone. So, take the time to say Thank You and recognize the gifts that are given to you each and every day.
Graduating is a huge accomplishment, but it is only the beginning of many challenges you will face. We at Milady congratulate you for your success and we say Thank You. Thank you for allowing us to make a difference and for trusting us to be your learning resource, not just now but as you grow your career opportunities in this wonderful industry of hair, beauty & wellness. We wish for you all a lifetime of learning and career success!
Sandra Bruce
Vice President and General Manager, Milady