You Are Never Too Old to Pursue What's In Your Heart
Getting married as a teenager did not make Tammy Gregory’s dreams die, they just put her visions of being in the beauty industry on hold for longer than she had planned.
When her kids were older Tammy went to beauty school and loved every minute of it. The teachers, the learning, and the feel of the fashionable Icon Shears in her hand.
Graduating one of the oldest in her class in 2014, Tammy proudly donned her graduation outfit and received her diploma and cosmetology and nail technology certification. Her dreams were really coming to fruition.
Now, five years after completing school, Tammy finds herself not cutting hair and doing nails, but three years ago started training the students sitting at the desks learning the trade and instructing the art of the Icon Shears in their inexperienced hands at Fullen School of Hair Design in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
To the eight students presently in her class, Tammy advises them to look at their teaching not like a regular school but more like this is their job. To dress up every day and realize and live a life in the beauty industry.
How is life different for the young students now as compared to your training and upbringing? “My aunt taught me how to apply makeup; now the kids learn from watching videos on youtube.
With technology now, it’s hard to keep the kids off their phones. And have their clients be their #1.
Also, in high school the kids learn more with technology and not as much hands-on. This business is book learning but so much of it is hands-on. We teach paper and pen, and the kids are like, What’s that?” she says as she follows it with a laugh.
Also, kids seem to have challenges learning the new color techniques. And there are always new cuts and colors. Then they have to get 8 Continuing Education (CE) hours every two years.”
Tammy, what is your ultimate goal; your big dream now?
“Well, I have a son who is 18 and enrolled in beauty school. Which I am excited about. My goal, the one that would make me feel complete, was to learn to teach. I am doing that. I feel that I have met my goal.”
To Tammy the travesty is not that she started her career later in life. The travesty would have been to allow that to stifle her dream.
“And” she quips, “We all know that dreams never die.”
“Live so that you die with memories, not dreams.”