Adam Broderick: Career of a hair color specialist

I was working as a dog groomer when I decided to do hair. I knew I wanted to be a colorist, and when I came out of school I applied to two salons that I felt would provide a great training ground in hair color. I was accepted at Sassoon, which was the gold standard for education and for developing discipline. In the Sassoon environment, I learned a tremendous amount about professionalism, but I didn't stay long. The second salon was at a progressive, trendy, Manhattan salon, and when they called and said they had an opening in their color department, I jumped at it.

At first I was an assistant, not a colorist. The salon was located on 57th Street, where all the players in the nightclub culture of Studio 54 hung out. Celebrities like Grace Jones and Bianca Jagger came into the salon, as well as people with huge business names like Spalding, Mars and Firestone. After hours some of us would go out on the street and look for women who would agree to let us do their hair and, especially, practice our color. We didn't get paid for that! I wouldn't get home until 11 p.m., and then I'd get up the next day and start all over again. It was hard work, but it was very exciting and I loved it.

Adam Broderick, industry consultant to Clairol Professional and owner, Adam Broderick Salon, Ridgefield, Connecticut.