How to Succeed in Cosmetology School

Succeeding in cosmetology school comes down to a few habits: reconnecting with why you started when motivation dips, celebrating small wins along the way, finding a mentor, focusing on progress over perfection, and reaching out for help instead of struggling alone. These aren’t abstract tips. They’re what we watch work for students in our own cosmetology program at Summit Salon Academy in Tacoma, where small class sizes mean instructors actually notice when a student needs support. Whether you’ve already started school or are thinking about enrolling, here is what you need to know to succeed in cosmetology school.

What to Expect: An Emotional Journey

You can expect to feel an array of emotions throughout your time in cosmetology school. Excitement, fear, optimism, connection, anxiety, hope, and confidence are just a few. Try to keep yourself from labeling any of these emotions as good or bad. Know that they are just a part of your journey.

Along with these emotions, you may feel like your motivation is being taken on a rollercoaster ride as well. It’s okay, motivation isn’t constant. You will probably go through a few of these stages at least once, or maybe several times, during your time in school:

• The Honeymoon Stage: You’re just starting cosmetology school or are in the process of applying. Everything feels new and exciting, and you are ready to face this new challenge. Your beauty education starts here.
• The Challenge: Maybe you are struggling with a certain technique, or maybe the thought of rolling even one more perm makes you want to scream. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Challenges are a part of every worthwhile goal. Every successful cosmetologist and esthetician has faced challenges too. Just remember, without the challenge, there wouldn’t be room for the comeback.
• The Comeback: You grab your mannequin head and get to practicing. Cue the movie montage. This is the part where you grow into the stylist you have always dreamed of becoming, one step at a time. You got this.

We all love the feeling of being in the honeymoon stage or celebrating during the comeback, but these aren’t the only parts of your journey into beauty. If you find yourself facing a new challenge, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading for some of our best advice to help you rise. After all, we’ve been doing this for a long time so we know a thing or two.

Remember Why You Started

One way you can rise is to remember why you started. Motivation is tied to purpose. Once the shiny newness of the honeymoon stage wears off and you are several hundred hours into your schooling, it can be easy to forget your original purpose, or wonder if it will be worth the effort. Try to remember what you are working towards.

Did you want an education where you could use your creativity? Were you inspired by the chance to help those around you feel beautiful and confident? Maybe you just wanted the flexibility that comes with the beauty industry. Whatever your reason was, remember what led you to start cosmetology school in the first place, and reconnect with that purpose.

Here are a few ideas to help you connect with your big picture:

• Write down and reread your goals.
• Make a vision board of what your life could look like once you’ve graduated.
• Tell your friends the story of why you started cosmetology school.
• Create a list of daily affirmations about who you are and who you want to become.

We asked our friend and local salon owner of Union Salon, Shea Lovrovich, why she chose to pursue beauty, and here is what she had to say:

“It truly is an amazing career, being able to touch someone’s life in such a personal way and create the perfect style for them… [it’s] what keeps me motivated. I have been doing hair now for almost 14 years and my career has also been able to mold and change with my life giving me freedom with my schedule as well which I think is hard to find in a lot of careers.”

Working towards a goal takes time, but the feeling of accomplishing something worthwhile is worth it in the end. You got this.

Celebrate Your Wins

Your journey isn’t all about the challenges, though. It’s about your wins as well. Whether your win is big or small, don’t forget to celebrate it.

Take a look back at your time in school. What have you learned since you started? This could be something as big as mastering a new haircutting technique or something as small as remembering to take an after picture of your work. Did you clock in on time today, or better yet, early? Celebrate it. No win is too small.

Resist the temptation to believe you have no wins, or that your wins aren’t good enough. Remember, perfection is the enemy of progress.

Find a Mentor

Finding a mentor knocks out two birds with one stone: it can help you visualize what your future could look like and gives you a support system. We recommend having both an online mentor and a local mentor you can meet with in person, so you get both inspiration and hands-on support.

There are plenty of online mentors you can look to. Here are just a few of our favorites:

• Michael Cole: watch L’oreal Global Business Educator and co-founder of Summit Salon Business Center (SSBC) Michael Cole interview and coach successful beauty pros who were once starting just like you.
• Vivienne Mackinder: learn foundational cosmetology and business techniques from the seven-time winner of the North American Hairdresser Awards (NAHA), Vivienne Mackinder.
• Priscilla Flete: hair stylist, natural hair educator, and editorial artist, Priscilla Flete is an inspiration to us all.
• Sam Villa: As the global artistic director for Redken, Sam Villa challenges the status quo and inspires change. Check out his online educational tools and learn from a master.

We also recommend finding a mentor in your local area that you can connect with. Try looking at local salons or spas, plenty of owners would be happy to pass on their wisdom and mentor an aspiring beauty school student. Your mentor could also be an instructor at your school or your go-to esthetician.

Progress Over Perfection

Our next tip is to remember that progress is more important than perfection. If you have ever messed up on a haircut (we’d be surprised if you haven’t) or fallen short of a big goal, try to see it as a learning opportunity.

Every successful beauty professional has experienced setbacks at some point. Even industry icon Vivienne Mackinder has said that failure “taught me a lot on how to do things differently or better.”

When master colorist Lisa Walker made a mistake as both a professional and a beauty influencer, she didn’t give up on her goals or shy away from her mistake. She took it as an opportunity to grow:

View this post on Instagram, a post shared by Lisa Walker (@lisalovesbalayage)

What came from her determination? She now has nearly 100k followers on Instagram and a thriving business.

We have all had days where we are at the top of our game, and we’ve all had days where we are not. Learn from your mistakes, and remember that perfection doesn’t exist. If you are progressing, growing, and learning, there is no way you can fail.

Boost Your Motivation

Need a few tips on boosting your motivation? We have a few that may do the trick for you. These motivational boosters can help you build your confidence and get back on track when you need it.

1. Find Some Quick Wins

Have you ever heard that if you wake up and make your bed in the morning, you will be more productive? Sometimes all you need to boost your motivation is a quick win. Making your bed in the morning gives you an immediate sense of accomplishment. Here are a few ideas to translate this principle to beauty and find some quick wins of your own:

• Post your work on social media.
• Clock in on time. Remember, on time is 15 minutes early.
• Plan out a cute and professional outfit to wear to school. When you feel good, your confidence will shine.
• Research and find some inspiring salons and spas in your area you may want to work at.

These quick wins should be something you can accomplish in just a few minutes or so. The idea is to get a quick sense of accomplishment to boost your motivation.

2. Practice Makes Perfect

One of the best ways to boost your motivation is to mix quick wins with long-term wins. Practicing a difficult technique may take time, but practice makes perfect, and mastering foundational techniques will give you confidence.

Working on mannequin heads may seem boring at times, but drilling the basics into your muscle memory is one of the best things you can do for your skills and your confidence. Even after winning seven NAHA competitions, Vivienne Mackinder still practices her techniques on mannequins today:

Vivienne Mackinder put it this way: “I think when you do it really well it looks super easy but it’s not: that’s the biggest deception of all. People go ‘Wow, she made that look so easy,’ yeah, but I practiced it and practiced it. I still pull out my mannequin head.”

3. Have an Addition Mindset

Our last tip to boost your motivation is to have an addition mindset. Sometimes when our motivation lags, our mind begins to think of ways to take away the pain. Maybe you wish you had fewer hours, less work, or fewer tests ahead of you. We recommend focusing not on what you want to take away, but instead on fun things you can add to your routine that inspire you.

Watch a video on a new technique that inspires you, and then practice it on your mannequin doll. Add a new social media class that looks fun to your day. You can even go out and buy a new outfit for school if you want. Whatever you add to your routine, just make sure it is something you find fun or exciting. The point here isn’t to make your to-do list even longer, it’s to make your want-to-do list longer.

Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

Comparing yourself to others is a nasty trap. It can be easy to look around at your classmates, or others already in the industry, and feel inadequate in comparison. However, we all have different strengths and weaknesses. Comparing your weaknesses to others’ strengths is never a good idea.

As researcher Brene Brown says, “Stay in your lane. Comparison kills creativity and joy.”

Instead of comparing yourself to others, compare yourself to your past. Look one year, two years, or five years back. Are you a much different person? How much have you changed? What new things have you learned and grown from? We encourage you to write these things down or share them with a friend. Now consider yourself one, two, five years in the future. Will you be different? Will you have learned and grown from a dozen other things? Yes, of course. Today’s challenges will become stepping stones to tomorrow’s successes.

Your future is as bright as your belief in yourself. We believe in you.

Reach Out for Help

Our last tip to help you rise above any challenges you may face in beauty school is to reach out for help. Whether you need a shoulder to cry on, or someone to celebrate your wins with you, the staff at Summit Salon Academy in Tacoma is here for you. You can always reach out to instructors, the owners, or the rest of our team. We can help you make a plan to overcome your challenges and move towards your big-picture goals. Just don’t forget to reach out to us to share your accomplishments and brag about your wins as well.

Remember you can reach out for help from those outside our school as well. Friends, family, or even your favorite hairdresser can be great sources to look to. If you ever feel like you are alone, know that you have a whole team behind you. We are all rooting for you.

Study at Summit Salon Academy in Tacoma

Are you ready to take on this exciting rollercoaster of a journey? We can’t wait to help you get started. Contact us to schedule your tour of our school and see if we may be the right fit for you. We hope you feel how much we genuinely care for our students when you meet us. Let us be the team behind you on your way into this rewarding industry.