Lola to host industry night for cosmetology students June 3
Lola By Gina, 11 S. Second St. in Geneva, will be hosting an industry night for cosmetology students from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, June 3. They will have keynote speakers talking about different aspects of the industry, a round table discussion getting input from students as well as guiding them through the transition from student to stylist. Food and refreshments will be available. If you are interested in attending, RSVP by May 28 by contacting (331) 588-5649 or contact@lolabygina.com.
Gina Greenwood is celebrating 20 years in the beauty industry this year. Over the years, she has experienced incidences in which people have looked down on her career choice as being "just a hairdresser". "It does hurt" Gina explains, "to be so passionate about something that is often times perceived as meaningless work."
It was one particular incident in which it had become overwhelmingly evident that the industry needed a huge shift in the way it was perceived.
Gina owns Lola, a small salon with a big personality. They are on a mission to change the world one head at a time. Gina had a young woman who worked as concierge in her salon. She was so inspired by what the stylists were doing she decided she wanted to pursue a career in cosmetology herself.
According to Gina, Emily was motivated, kind, hard working, ambitious, beautiful inside and out, and had a smile that would warm up a room. She had all the qualities to be an incredibly successful hairstylist. "When Emily came to me and told me she was going to enroll in cosmetology school I was elated as I knew our industry was going to gain an amazing asset. After being in school for only about 6 weeks, Emily came into my office and told me that she had to quit school and put in her two-week notice. I was shocked to say the least," Gina said. "I asked her what was going on. She explained to me that her parents were completely against her decision to pursue the beauty industry as a career. They told her she would never make any money and never be respected. They felt so strongly about this that they said they would completely cut her off if she continued. She would be forced to leave their home and they would not support her in any way. Emily was only 19 so she felt that it just wasn't an option."
"This was a breakthrough moment for me. I knew something had to change. For my industry to be disrespected this way. This career has allowed me to be the breadwinner for a family of 6, buy homes, cars, raise children, and take great vacations. Not to mention all of the lives I have impacted along the way, the lives of clients and fellow hairstylists alike," Gina said.
Forbes Magazine shows the average yearly income of a hairstylist as $23,000 a year. "That is ridiculous" Gina said. First off that number is skewed. "To come up with that number they count all of the cosmetology licenses that are current and divide it by all of the revenue brought in by the industry". "Because so many hairstylists are undervaluing themselves there are thousands of hairstylists that are doing hair in their basements, changing next to nothing, and not claiming their income not to mention all of the people that got their license, got discouraged and never pursued a career in it. This is a HUGE problem and it needs to stop."
So what is the answer? How do you go about changing the respect level of an entire industry?
Gina says "It's up us, we must encourage the stylists that are not making a livable wage to find a mentor in the industry. Being a hairstylist is not an easy job. You must use extreme vulnerability every single day. There has to be accountability as well. This industry is so much more than just giving someone a haircut. This industry is about designing a style that is going to best compliment the person wearing it. To make them look and feel so beautiful that they feel empowered. Then we have to teach them exactly how to recreate it at home. From there we have to create a schedule to maintain that shape to keep them looking their best. Then there is suggesting color that will best compliment the haircut. A color that will make their skin radiate and make their eyes pop. If all you are doing is giving the client the haircut they asked for and sending them on their merry way you are doing a huge disservice to them. What if the client is attracted to a haircut that their hair texture, head shape, and lifestyle does not support? It won't look good, they won't be able to work with it at home, they will feel unattractive and insecure. It is not their job to know all of this. It's ours, the professional hairstylist. It is so unrealistic to think that you are completely equipped to be able to master all of these things straight out of cosmetology school."
"Training programs are a must! I believe that every hairstylist should find a salon that offers a training program," Gina says.
It will be led by a person that is dedicated to your growth as a stylist. They know the more equipped you are as a stylist the more successful the salon will be as a whole. Everyone wins. The stylist wins by being able to make a living, the client wins by being given the added confidence that comes from looking and feeling their best, and the salon wins by being profitable. The community also wins.
" When you KNOW you look good you behave differently. You are more affectionate with your partner, you are more patient with your children, you are kinder to strangers, and you are more adventurous in your pursuit of greatness. That energy spreads like wildflowers and everyone benefits. We are truly changing the world one head at a time!," Gina says.
Gina is dedicating herself to elevating the industry starting with the cosmetology schools. "I want to be a mentor to these students. I want them to know that I don't care where they came from, how they were raised, who they were raised by...they can reach levels of success that they've never even dreamed possible." Gina says. Her next step is the high schools. She would eventually like to visit middle and elementary schools as well. Gina wants people to know that a traditional college degree is not their only option. College is not for everyone. We need people in the trades.
"The beauty industry is the greatest industry in the world. There is absolutely NO LIMIT as to where you can go with it," Gina says.
Gina began her cosmetology career at hair professionals in Oswego in 1999. She was 23 and a single mother in search of stability for her and her daughter. Before the completion of the her courses she was introduced to her very first mentors Stephen and Tricia Wake of Focas salon in St. Charles. They guided her through their training program which consisted of advanced cutting and coloring techniques as well as business strategies. Gina worked her way up to senior stylist and eventually artistic director at Focas. She spent her days off educating herself as well as others in the industry. In 2012, Gina made the very difficult decision to open her own salon. She had a vision of elevating the beauty industry by developing other future professionals in her field.
What started out as a very small 175-square-foot suite Lola has blossomed into a 1,500-square-foot salon with 5 chairs able to accommodate 10 stylist. Gina plans to expand in a few years turning Lola into a 12 chair salon able to accommodate 24 stylists.
With nearly 20 years of experience under her belt, Gina has become a master stylist and a mentor to young stylists who are in search of guidance in becoming a successful hairstylist with maximum earning potential and becoming mentors themselves.
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