Phyllis Mario

I would say basically it's that I had a drive. I'm a strong woman. I got divorced from my husband, who was also a hairdresser, and we had a salon together. When I got divorced, that's when I went back to school to get my bachelor's in education, and I just had strived that I had to take care of myself and try to make the most money I could in my field. That's it in a nutshell.

When I first started to teach, before I got into the school system, I worked at a private academy. The woman there strongly wanted me to be part of the team, to be an instructor to go from city to city doing different hairstyles and different things. She was inspiring and pushing me to do that. She thought that I was talented enough to do it, but I chose not to at the time because my children were young, so I ended up being a cosmetology teacher instead. It wasn't a good time for me then, but she was really pushing me and thought I had the talent.

Never think that you get married and get taken care of. You have to always take care of yourself first. You have to be able to bring in your own money, have your own career. Everything else is a plus. A lot of these girls at 18 think they don't need to do anything and just marry someone who's gonna work. Well, you know sometimes that doesn't work. I've taught my students, and most of them were women, were girls, this lesson: always take care of yourself. If you're a youngster coming out into the field, I always advise my students not to go to a mama and papa salon, a local salon. Try to strive for your big salons. If you live in Boston, you want to be in the city of Boston. Or you live in New York, you want to go into your better salons, because that's where you'll learn more, because they have the money to send you out for education. Some people just stay in a mama and papa salon, and they stay there forever. If they don't do it when they're young and starting, they're not going to do it later on, because once they have their clientele, they're not gonna move anymore. So go for big before you go for small.

There's always opportunity in the beauty industry. If you're a youngster coming out into the field, I always advise my students not to go to a mama and papa salon, a local salon. Try to strive for your big salons. If you live in Boston, you want to be in the city of Boston. Or you live in New York, you want to go into your better salons, because that's where you'll learn more, because they have the money to send you out for education. Some people just stay in a mama and papa salon, and they stay there forever, and it's not a great thing out there, in my opinion. If they don't do it when they're young and starting, they're not going to do it later on, because once they have their clientele, they're not gonna move anymore. So go for big before you go for small.

I think value is respect and hardworking. You know, be proud of what you do. Have compassion for what you're doing. I think if you have those few things, you're gonna do okay in life. If you're a hard worker and you have respect for others, you'll do well.