Why did I open a Hair Salon + get Certified in NLP?

My Acne Story:

I used to say this vision has been in the making for 17 years, but truthfully, in the development phase I started to realize this vision was birthed early into childhood.

My mother kept my hair in a bob as a child. She lovingly use a round brush every morning to bevel it under. To our dismay, it always tended to flip forward rather than under. One day, I decided to try it out myself when I was around 7. I studied how the hair fit between the bristles and how the temperature changed with the hairdryer. Through this observation process, I discovered how to manipulate my hair so it actually turned under like it was supposed to.. I remembered showing her and being so proud of my discovery!

Fast forward through adolescence and many decisions later, I graduated hair school and was searching for my first job. To my surprise, no southern-belle-blonde salon was willing to take a chance on a fire engine redhead wearing Urban Outfitters. I even had a salon owner look me up and down and say, “we don’t have a junior position available for you.” So, I made my own job. I opened my own salon! With whispers of how bad of an idea it was not having prior salon experience. . I remembered my success at 7 years old and I was confident in my capabilities. 

I began to learn the industry as one that is full of superficiality and ego. This didn’t settle well with me and as I began to burn out, I discovered a way to reignite passion by offering my clients a unique experience in actual emotional support.. after all, there’s a running joke that hair stylists are “therapists.” This is when I became certified in NLP as a skill to truly help make a difference in the lives of others. I AM a true humanitarian Aquarius after all! I’ve been practicing for a few years now and can honestly say, this is the most rewarding gift I’ve ever been entrusted with. 

the founder

Ultimately I became a hairstylist and salon owner, but I also completed the Esthetics Program at the Aveda Fredric's Institute, Cincinnati, in 2007.

It was then that my passion for skin was developed. I had originally planned on becoming an artist in the field of makeup, thus I was seeking credentials in foundational skincare... but my experiences had a different plan.

Here I was, with stars in my eyes at 18, dreaming of all the artistic makeup looks I would create, while learning how to help others have more beautiful skin, and mine began developing cystic acne for the first time ever. Until this point, I had dreamy porcelain skin. I was trying all the remedies, skincare lines, and even a dermatologist who told me I would have this "problem" until I was elderly. He said the only remedy was isotretinoin (commonly known as accutane). If you know this drug, the side effects are serious and potentially life altering. In addition, it required regular blood work, a pledge of abstinence and birth control just to get started.

I felt completely inadequate and doomed, and almost risked my health for clear skin. Luckily, the rebellion within took me down a different path. I KNEW deep inside that this dangerous drug, which isn't guaranteed to work, wasn't the only solution. 

Following the embarrassment of my skin's seemingly impossible situation, I have spent the rest of my life researching acne. Not only from the skin's surface, but inside the skin, our daily bodily system's, the psychology of our mindset about acne and the power our beliefs hold in our ability to treat acne.

This has been a 17 year research as well as trial and error on myself to create a system that truly treats acne at the core in our mind, body, and soul. I created the Acne Army skincare line based off this research and put the 17 years of research into a program to fully equip anyone dealing with acne to treat acne without compromising their body with scary and harmful drugs. In fact, this program results in the body functioning at a healthier state.