You aren’t an independent contractor. Here’s a post explaining why and here’s another post that can help you figure out how to proceed.

Thanks! 😀
I guess I should clarify more. I didn’t mean unifying us in the sense that we should all be considered Jack and Jills of all trades (I actually agree that there’s no reason stylists should ever have to sit though classes they’ll never use). I just mean that when it comes to pushing for change in the beauty industry, all beauty professions need to work together since we are part of the same industry overall. We definitely face different challenges, but there’s enough degree of overlap that we could benefit from each other’s support (especially with regards to deregulation, since those bills are proposed to deregulate all of our professions). It’s more about being a force with the numbers to make a difference than it is about us being considered the exact same profession. 🙂

Maybe your view is different because you do have an interest in all three areas, but as a licensed esti and nail tech who couldn’t apply an acrylic nail to save my life, I can see why people who might have been around in the days of Vidal (or at least the downfall of his brand) might want a little elbow room from the other two incredibly valuable and no-less-important industries.

Just a thought; thank you SO much for all of your hard work on this blog!!

Anyone who says they haven’t come across at least one person in this industry who wasn’t at least a little mentally unbalanced is lying or clueless. It’s a sad statement about the way our country stigmatizes mental illness and fails to legitimize it as a serious problem. I’ve met hundreds of professionals struggling with psychological problems, from eating disorders, drug and alcohol dependencies, plastic surgery addictions, depression, and bipolar disorder. This industry attracts artists and eccentrics–people who feel deeply and experience life powerfully. At one salon I managed, an employee locked herself in the bathroom with her shears and threatened to open her wrists. Another overdosed on pills and nearly died. I’ve had coworkers spend time in and out of rehabilitation programs for anorexia, cocaine, and severe depression. It’s important for us to recognize those problems and support those who suffer from them. To fail to mention those problems as legitimate issues or pretend they don’t exist would be a huge disservice to them, so I don’t think anyone would judge you for mentioning it. I certainly wouldn’t.

My education felt extremely rushed, we spent a lot of time learning about things that were entirely irrelevant to the skin. And not only that, but I felt like I only got a 3 month education even though I paid for a 6 month education because our teacher was absent the last few months and the school never provided a substitute.

I also agree that every state should have the same educational requirements, it doesn’t make much sense that each state is different. I also think that you should have a license to be a makeup artist because of the rampant contamination of brushes and spread of disease, especially in retail stores.

I also think schools should be much more cautious of who they let into their schools. At my school I met two scam artists (its a LONG story) and most of the other students there were extremely mentally ill and it distracted from the learning experience. In a class of about 10 people, I was the only person who got my license if that tells you anything

Hi Jeri! Sorry it took so long to get back to this. The book can be found by clicking HERE.

Superstores buy diverted product through salons they own, without technical permission to resell. (A Walmart purchaser told me that they would buy all retail pro-exclusive hair products through Smart Style). I haven’t seen their contracts, but I’m willing to bet they’re legally permitted to do what they’re doing, or we’d see more aggressive lawsuits from manufacturers. Where DeJoria stands apart is that he is extremely vocal about discouraging consumers from buying JPMS from anywhere but a salon. He loudly proclaims the value of a professional’s expertise and has done whatever he can to secure the brand as much as possible. Before OPI sold to Coty, George Schaeffer was also aggressive about stopping diversion, regularly having stores like Target, Publix, and Giant Eagle served with C&DS, and even sending in educators to buy out the entire store’s stock. There’s no way to eliminate diversion, but the fact that they try is commendable.

I was also a little shocked to see that team-based pay wasn’t mentioned, and that the problems which stem from the two structures that were mentioned weren’t discussed at all. (Then again, that boring tax, labor, and payroll stuff is my fun hobby, and definitely not for everyone, lol.) Personally, I’ve been seeing a massive shift to hourly with commission bonuses. Over the last two years, I’ve been contacted most frequently by salon owners who want my help restructuring their compensation to that system, but I always say that we each experience our own versions of the beauty industry, so maybe my experience isn’t reflective of theirs. You know how it is, each area is so different.