My journey didn't end at Ouidad. I worked at many salons, from locally owned spaces in Brooklyn and White Plains to well-known brands and celebrity owned spaces. Every salon had its own energy, rules for engagement, dress codes and signature services. They even had their own way of curating apprenticeship education and after my second salon position, I realized the apprenticeship education was the gold anyone who decided to work in a salon was searching for. Paying closer attention to this discovery, I came to understand that there was one common thing missing:

Structure.

Every salon had its “system,” but those systems often existed only in someone’s head. Apprentices were left guessing: What comes next? How long until I get to take clients? What does growth even look like here?

I learned quickly that without clear guidance, potential gets lost.