Geno Stampora says loving his clients is what made him successful. Geno Stampora talks with Mary Beth Janssen about going beyond the comfort zone.

A self-described "average boy from Point Pleasant, New Jersey," motivational speaker Geno Stampora has been a hairdresser, salon and school owner, distributor, platform artist and a life enhancement coach. He regularly consults with manufacturers, distributors and salons, and has educated many industry educators and artists. He talks about his passion for continual personal growth.

"I am so in love with the beauty industry," Geno says. "This love affair-and my story-really had its beginnings in high school. It took me five years to get through high school. The highest grade I ever got was a ‘C'-in art class.

"It took me many years to challenge that a C student is a very average person. I went to work thinking, ‘If I could just be a bit above average, that be a wonderful thing.'

"I haphazardly fell into beauty school. My belief system was ‘If I could just make $25,000 to $30,000 a year, I'll have made more than my father ever made.'

"I began to realize that my belief system was holding me back. All I really wanted was to have a $300 day behind the chair. But all growth comes outside the comfort zone. You can't be comfortable and expect to grow and learn and become the best you can be. I started to push a bit, and before you know it, I was bringing in $400 a day.

"Now, truthfully, I've never been a really talented hairdresser. But I'm a great listener. I love people so much and I really take pride in my clients. I was actually making more money than most of the people I was working with simply because I so valued my clients. They would keep coming back to me.

"Aligned with all this was my discovery that I needed to move out of my comfort zone, try new things. When you're comfortable, boredom begins to seep in. I believe that when you're bored, you're boring. When you're boring, especially in our business, it affects your clientele, your income, your attitude, your health, your everything!

"So I began a mission to quite simply be all that I could be. It's a great adventure for anyone. We can develop the habit of reading, studying and always looking around. The lessons are all around us.

"The easiest way to break out of your comfort zone is to sit down and have a conversation with yourself. You need to be honest. The two greatest flaws that an artist has are that we can very easily lie to or placate ourselves. We can justify so much.

"I believe that all of us, at times, have to challenge our limited belief systems. We're fortunate to be in this industry surrounded by many wonderful givers. We have to learn how to give, too. Give away creativity, give away ideas, give away knowledge and help other people. We develop faith and strength through this practice.

"If you become a giver, you actually become more attractive to others. It's easier to build a clientele, to create strong relationships, to develop friendships. People want to be around you. They want to learn from you-and know what you know.

"How many times do I walk into salons and hear people say, ‘Business is down.' I say to them, ‘In the United States of America, business should never be down.' You should never have a problem building customers-not if you understand what it means to develop customer loyalty.
"One of the biggest flaws in the beauty industry is that we don't market ourselves well. We are entrepreneurs and controlling our own destiny and our own business when we stand behind that chair.

"When you are a true giver, people can sense that there are no hidden agendas, no ulterior motives. The more pure you can become, the better the chance that people will listen to you."