Just about every day, I wake up and spend an hour working on my hair and makeup. I don't just do this because I work for a beauty supply company. I focus on my appearance because I love it. Some people play sports, I dye my hair and do my makeup. It's a genuine hobby, and something that I am passionate about.

Naturally, I was overjoyed when I was told I got the job at a beauty supply chain. I had been shopping there for ten years, and trusted the same employees that would be my coworkers to teach me. These employees taught me how to go blonde, or the perfect shade of red. I was proud to work for the store.

I didn't know what to expect when I took the job. Previously, I had worked at a grocery store. I wasn't expected to know recipes or the perfect snack for a Friday night. Now that I worked in beauty, I had to learn all of the answers. How could I let down the wide eyed, sad girl who was aiming for blue hair and was let down by a faulty dye that turned her hair green? What was I to tell the excited girl who needed the perfect makeup look for date night?

I wanted to be a beauty pioneer, a true professional. I immersed myself in all things beauty, even more so than I had when it was just for fun.

I didn't have an easy start. I was not and am still not a licensed beautician. I have no formal training in beauty whatsoever. Everything I know, I learned from my own mistakes and triumphs. However, I feel like this was actually a benefit. I could relate to someone who only had a bathtub to rinse their color out in, rather than a fancy shampoo bowl. I knew which hair dyes were good for the price, I didn't only have knowledge on professional color brands. I felt like I could relate.

And I do. Every once in awhile, I get a customer who doesn't trust me for a minute. But for every one of those customers, there's a handful who do. Who look to me and my experiences for help. I laugh whenever a girl looks at me and says "I want fake eyelashes as long as yours!" I wear crazy lashes, I'll own it. Or when someone asks me about my fiery red or jet black hair. It warms my heart to feel like I am inspiring my customers.

In a way, they are inspiring me. I have more times than once seen a girl walk in and said to myself "I need to try that color!" or "I love her eyeshadow!" Heck, even the boys inspire me. One of my regular customers does his makeup, and he blows me away.

I love my job. It makes me happy that I have regulars who know me by name. I smile when someone comes back and tells me they love the product I chose for them. It makes me feel like I made a difference.

Sure, I didn't pay the fee to become a beauty expert in the eyes of cosmetologists. But I became one the day I took my job. And my education is never over. Every day, my customers teach me something new about the subject I love. I could never ask for more.