Beauty School Rocks!

I enjoy highlighting positive things folks are doing and wanted to share the news with you.



Students and employees from ITS Academy of Beauty schools in the Fort Worth area, as well as its sister school in New Mexico, Olympian University, raised $1,200 from a recent 5 K run/walk to benefit the Susan G. Komen foundation for breast cancer research.



Forty members laced up to form the school’s team, “Beauty School Rocks,” including Margie Wisniski, chief of operations of ITS Academy of Beauty and its affiliate schools throughout the U.S. Thirty men and women from the schools operated two booths at the race, one in the main expo and another in the kid’s area, and provided thousands of bags with free samples of shampoo and conditioner, coupons and a list of services at the award-winning cosmetology school.



“This race was very personal to us,” said Wisniski. “We were honoring Deborah Marie Chambers , a dedicated nurse who passed away from breast cancer in 2007. However, she is just one of 39,620 women who have died from breast cancer and we are doing our part to see that this tragic statistic declines.”



Additional statistics from 2013 from the American Cancer Society include: 64,640 new cases of carcinoma in situ will be found (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer) and 39,620 deaths from breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, other than skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer.

Our “Beauty School Rocks” team is one of many ways ITS Academy of Beauty and our affiliate schools are championing causes that matter in our communities. We teach our students about outward beauty, but we encourage kind acts to develop inner beauty as well.”

ITS Academy of Beauty provides students with a distinguished environment that mirrors many of the upscale salons that will employ the cosmetology students after they graduate and earn their cosmetology license.

According to a U.S. News and World Report hairdresser is cited as one of the best jobs of 2012. In a March 21, 2012 article in USA Today, beauty salon sales grew 5.4 %.4 in the last two years vs. a 2.3% sales increase in 2009. With the Bureau of Labor Statistics projections of 15.7% employment growth expected by 2020, the future of hair salons and the future of hair stylists should continue to grow.
In addition to the award-winning cosmetology school in Fort Worth, the company owns and operates ITS Academy of Beauty schools throughout Texas and Lawton, OK, Olympian University in New Mexico, Hair Benders Academy in Florida and International Academy of Hair Design in Arizona.

For more information visit www.beautyschoolrocks.com or call 1-877-275-4442 to be connected to a school in your area.

Rejection Stinks, But You Don't Have To

I was searching my files for an article I wrote for a nursing magazine and found this blog article from last year. I don't have any new rejections, but thought other writers may benefit from one of my blog reruns. Plus, it gives me something to post while I think of a new topic to write. Here it is...

I saw the email in my in box and my breath caught in my throat. I was expecting a response from a major publishing company about the book. A “thumbs up” would be the catalyst for an exciting new path in my writing and speaking career. It would also be a dream-come-true for my co-author Jackie.

The first couple of sentences were complimentary, “clearly written, stories that excellently illustrate your points, something that would prove of benefit to the general reader etc.” But the bottom line was no.
I had to remind myself to breathe. I could feel my chest tighten. My throat seemed to shut down, as if words trying to form there would no longer be able to escape. I looked out the window and the gentle rain seemed to be a substitute for the tears that would not fall from me. I come from stoic stock and crying just gives me a headache. I find it best to move on.

This letter was one of many rejections I’ve received in my life, but this one hurt more than most. I notified Jackie, who I knew would be disappointed as well. I sat for a moment and thought about what I would do. I pulled out my sample query letter and book proposal, searched the internet for another publisher and sent a revised letter off to someone new. I still didn’t feel better so I queried a couple of literary agents as well.
For a moment I felt like a failure, but then I realized the situation was the perfect opportunity to practice what I preach and take steps to erase my own negativity. Step one is acknowledging the negativity and deciding to do something about it. That comes automatically to me now so I skipped off to step two, erase and replace. I searched for new publishers and agents and set a new course. I didn’t beat myself up for being rejected, I concentrated on what I could do – try again. The third tip I tell folks is to smile. I took a shower instead.

No one likes rejection, but rejection and a smelly body are a bad combination. After my shower I started to dress. The closet doors in the master bedroom have mirrors. I stared at my reflection and gave myself a cheesy smile. No, I didn’t feel like it, but I did it anyway. As I dried my hair I thought about what really keeps people in a funk. I think it is loss of hope. There are any number of disappointing things that can happen to us, but as long as we can hold on to a glimmer of hope, there is the prospect of a better outcome in the future.

Even though I have written, lectured and coached folks on erasing negativity, I am only human and have bouts with personal negativity. But, with practice, I have learned to employ tactics to minimize the amount of negativity I allow into my life. And you can do the same.

If you would like to watch a you a short you tube video on Three Tips to Erase Negativity, go to

http://youtu.be/208XAm-x3R8

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have queries to write, people to call and smiles to fake until I can generate an authentic one of my own. Ha! Just writing about fake smiles made me laugh, a little laugh, but a laugh all the same. And the rain stopped. I’m feeling more hopeful already.