How I came to be an, Educating , Barbering,
Cosmetologist.
My Cosmetology journey began in high school; where I attended a dual enrollment career center. I believe this was one of the greatest opportunities I have had in my lifetime- I immediately fell into a long lasting passion for hair. Being able to focus on a passion that would become my lifelong career while only being in High School gave me a massive amount of pride that I desperately needed. I am proud to say I completed the 1,400 hours the state of Indiana requires for Cosmetology in tandem with graduating High School, all by 18.
My love for clipper cuts did not begin there; when my father gifted me my very first salon chair, he asked me to break in the chair, and give him a haircut- It was then that I realized I had barely even held a pair of clippers while in school, and had no clue what I was doing. I cried of embarrassment; reflecting on all that time in school- just to land here in this moment, not knowing how to even use a clipper or how to begin a men’s haircut.
That moment has always stuck with me- graduating, and still not understanding how to cut 50% of the heads out there; turns out, this is a shared experience amongst most Cosmetologists. That really annoyed me to be honest, and I became pretty determined to become comfortable, at best, while doing clipper cuts.
Soon, In a salon environment I became the Impromptu teacher of how to do clipper cuts and a step-in when fellow stylists were finding themselves “lost” in their haircuts; whilst my own retention rates were through the roof and my clientele quickly grew. Because of the stability of my clientele, most of my career I was able to have my own independent studio; I spent a decade providing over a thousand clipper cuts a year, continuously striving to attain the cleanest most efficient clipper cuts.
I want to step back from behind the chair and be an educator for Cosmetologists like myself; teach about the skills I have gained that I know are the most applicable to clipper trends today; share what I know about tools I recommend, such as when to use them and help you to understand the tools you already use; define barber verbage which will strengthen your clipper cut consultations; show you my key ways to never get “lost “ in your clipper cuts; of course, fading: the most desired technique by clients today- how to blend while create symmetrical fades within all your clipper cuts.
My classes are full of all my “pro-tips” in hopes that I can build confidence in cosmetologists within their clipper skills. I hope to be a well known face within the Kalamazoo salon community as a clipper cut educator. I have begun and will continue to develop curriculums on many subjects within clipper cutting and salon professionalism through creating booklets used in the classes and for purchase on this site.
Thank you for visiting my site, I hope to be able to assist you in your educating needs!
Austynne BlaineLicensed Cosmetologist Since 2009