This is a guest post by CNW TUBC Student, Joanna Izydorczyk.
If I had to describe the morning meeting of November 15th in only one word, I would choose the word. Inspiring. All of the students at our Harlem campus were told that we were going to have 4 or 5 guest speakers, Tricoci alumni from another campus that morning to talk about how they got their foot in the door with the industry…some even working at Mario Tricoci Salon in Oakbrook. I didn’t expect their words and their stories to be so touching or thought-provoking. I was very glad to be proven wrong.
All five of the ladies had their own testimonies, each one being different and inspiring in their own way. My personal favorite was Kristen’s story. She told us about how she went to a “hiring event” in Las Vegas for the Kelly Cardenas Salon. She was so passionate about what she wanted to do and her confidence pushed her to fly to Las Vegas to follow her dreams. She told us it was very hard work, nonstop, all day, but she held her head high because she knew she was skilled and passionate about what she wanted. This story boosted my confidence and restored my enthusiasm for this industry.
In addition to telling us their stories, the ladies also threw in a whole lot of motivational quotes and tips to keep us going. “Be nice to everyone.” This quote seems so simple yet has so many different connotations. One of the ladies explained to us “you never know who is in your chair or who is sitting next to you or what your classmate could become.” Networking is a huge part of this industry and it starts right here with us students and the people that we come in contact with.
I enjoyed hearing all of the Tricoci alumni speak so much that I didn’t want them to leave, and I bet many others felt the same way. I think the reason that we enjoyed them so much was because they weren’t trying to impress us, but instead showed us truth. We got into Tricoci because we love what we do. And because of Tricoci University, we will be good at what we love.