I live to be inspired.  If I can influence someone to inspiration, then I've done my job.

 

Bio

I grew up in suburbia, Whittier, California in the  sixties, went to high school in the seventies and fell in love with the craft of hair in the eighties.  Apparently, I've been playing with people's hair since I was able to latch on to my mom's and grandma's locks before I could walk.  About the age of eleven, I started secretly adding peroxide to our household shampoo when I saw an episode of The Waltons when Sue Ellen experimented with a homemade hair bleach concoction using household ammonia, soap flakes and hydrogen peroxide.  Her results were disastrous, but I was intrigued. I was fascinated to watch my sister's hair become lighter (she thought it was all the time she spent at the beach) and I was hooked.  Of course I started experimenting with cutting and color on my friends and myself.  I hope there is no photographic evidence.

Always involved in and consumed by one creative project or another, much of my free time throughout high school was spent in the music and theater arts departments. I sang tenor in our vocal ensemble, and played Curly in Oklahoma, Conrad Birdie in Bye Bye Birdie and the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz.  Of course I loved helping out with everyone's hair and makeup.   I tried sports and was fairly athletically inclined, but I just didn't have the jock mentality--as much as I understand the necessity of competition, I really just want everyone to succeed and find their own personal best. 

After high school, I pursued a career as an actor in Hollywood while at the same time going to community college and to beauty school.  It wasn't until I met a few people who worked for Vidal Sassoon that I discovered how really cool doing hair could be.  I was so impressed with their attitude of the hairdressing industry, that I said goodbye to my agent, dropped out of school and signed up for a course at the VS Academy in Santa Monica, CA.  Before I even finished the course, I had applied to do my apprenticeship at the VS Salon in Beverly Hills.  I got the job and I got the bug!  And it's been an exciting and rewarding journey ever since.

 

Professional

Since the beginning of my career in 1986, I have held that both teaching others and continuing education for myself were primary to maintaining mastery of my craft. It is essential to me to be aware, to know the new technologies and trends; I keep my skills sharp and on the cutting edge to better serve and inform my clients, to find inspiration and hopefully, to inspire others in return through my work.

 

Work History

 

Current

•   Hair Color & Keratin Smoothing Specialist at Joseph Cozza Salon

Past

•   Hair Colorist at Treat, Aveda Lifestyle Salon

•   Hair Colorist at diPietro Todd Salon

•   Hair Stylist at Hairspray, the Broadway Musical

•   Hair Colorist / Color Instructor at diPietro Todd Salon

•   Hair Colorist / Department Director at Zendo Urban Retreat, Aveda Concept Salon

•   Sr. Tinter / Permer, Art Team, Instructor at Vidal Sassoon Salons

 

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Education

 

•   Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy Certification

•   Aveda advanced training

•   Redken Academy

•   Vidal Sassoon Apprenticeship Training Program

•   Los Angeles Community College

•   Wilfred Beauty Academy

•   Rio Hondo Community College

•   California High School