Tic, tic, tic, tic, was the sound of the white timer sitting on top of the china cabinet when I was a child.  It was purposely placed out of my reach by my mother, to time my piano practices.  Initially practice time was thirty minutes, then forty-five, and by the time I was a teenager, it was an hour or more.  At least by my teens I was tall enough to sneak  and quickly change the timer.  However, I was often caught cheating because the theme songs of MASH and Three’s Company would always begin and end on time, telling my mom the truth.

 Practicing piano everyday became a habit for me, and recently I discovered that practicing is a common habit of many successful beauty industry professionals. For the past few weeks I have been interviewing beauty industry professionals who are arguably the best at their jobs.  From freelance artists to multi-million dollar business VPs, the drive and passion for education is synonymous. 

 “I still do test shoots when I’m not working,” says Michael Dueñas, celebrity stylist and founder of Hairroomservice.com.  This statement along with similar comments from other leading professionals made me appreciate the practice time and the ticking sound of the white timer from my youth.  Through the years I’ve learned that practice may not make one perfect, but it surely can make one prepared. 

 Alexander Graham Bell said, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”

Prepare to be the best by studying your craft, attending classes and shadowing mentors.  Set an imaginary timer and get to work! Remember not to cheat because ultimately you’ll only be cheating yourself.

C. Jeanine Fulton brings over 13 years of business training, creative style and writing savvy to the beauty industry.  She is an inspirational speaker and author of Industry In:Site, 101 Top Beauty Careers.  Jeanine also develops programs and communication content for schools and product manufacturers while working by the motto, “Fun Education is the Best Motivation!”