I shoot pictures as I travel and post things from behind-the-scenes (BTS videos on my YouTube Channel) to street scenes, flowers and two “series” The New Light in My Room and OutSide My Window, which I have been shooting for years. This past weekend, I had the honor of sharing ideas at the ARROJO EXPO, and while there shot a picture at night outside my window, posted to Facebook and had this reply, “Amazing...but even more amazing your room is paid for and so is your time.... You are considered successful ... Remember when you paid to go everywhere?!”

After presenting haircolor with the amazing John C. Simpson on day one, this post was still swirling around in my head as I walked over to share ideas at the Success Symposium on day two of the Arrojo Expo. I was invited as one of five speakers that morning which included Nick Arrojo, Jeff South, myself, Peter Anthony and the legendary Gordon Nelson.

Nick started off the morning sharing ideas for success and lessons from his life that included how he was the youngest ever artistic director for Sassoon and how he was head assistant by 17. Nick also shared how he created his brand with only $25,000 and had to wake up a homeless man from his doorway so he could open his salon the first day.  What struck me was, he remembered when he was working hard and paying his dues for success and shared what worked and the struggles too. Jeff, Peter and myself shared ideas for success and then Gordon Nelson took the stage. 

If you don’t know Gordon, click here, what Gordon has done in his life ranges from working as a hairdresser on a US military base to working with Sassoon, notice not just at Sassoon but with Vidal Sassoon in the 1960’s, to then eventually being responsible for all the Regis Salons across all salon brands. Again, if you haven't stopped to click the above link and you don't know Gordon Nelson, please do it now. The story he shared will have more meaning.

Gordon shared that when he decided to go to work at Vidal Sassoon, he looked at other salons in London that offered more comforts, like better work schedules and hours, but Sassoon offered to work him hard, treat him badly until he understood how hard you still have to work to be the best. Gordon Nelson holds the record for completing the Sassoon Apprenticeship in the shortest time, one year. The apprentices were required to work very long hours, doing very detailed client attentive work, assisting to heroes of hairdressing and train one night a week.  Gordon did all his assisting duties and also trained five nights week completing his intensive training in only one year, the fastest ever, or as Gordon joked, he actually did what would be five years of required training in one year, which could also be the longest.

Both Nick and Gordon went on to share the unbelievable schedules they both keep now traveling to share ideas that make us all more successful, and I realized they still work that hard today. Just then, the question reentered my mind, “...Remember when you paid to go everywhere?!” and I had my answer. Yes, I think that’s what makes us all truly successful people successful and not a lottery winner or a successful for nothing celebrity. Lottery winners statistically go bankrupt and most known talentless celebrities spinout of control, but successful people who remember when they paid to go everywhere stay successful, because of that memory and its importance to them. In many ways and other ways, successful people still pay, the bigger the platform the more it takes to get to the next level and the more you need to get there. But, the one thing successful people all do is they remember how they got to be successful, hard work and paying dues everyday.