Whew. I just got back from a whirlwind two weeks of travel and it was AMAZING. You all already know I was just in Puerta Vallarta on vacay before being back in Raleigh for just 48 hours before I was back off again to California for our BMS third quarter Mastermind training.

BMS is the business marketing and strategy program for hairstylists hosted by NBR Extensions—also known as Big Money Stylist—for which I am one of the trainers. We meet quarterly to stay accountable and to ensure all of the members are moving forward and growing.

This training was definitely my favorite so far. We did things a little differently than usual and it worked out perfectly. We realized after the last event that people are learning at different rates and different speeds, so we discussed what we could do to make this a better event for everyone involved.

Our team decided to try break out sessions instead of providing training with all the stylists at the same time like we usually do. The different sessions addressed top questions and concerns that people have when going through the trajectory of extensions, compared to what they’ve been doing before. We had 4 different sessions, 4 different times a day so there were 16 different options to choose from.

I loved working within the session model because it allowed us to give concentrated advice by addressing only about 15 stylists at a time rather than over a hundred. It was incredible to connect with people and answer specific questions that they had that might not have gotten asked if they had had to ask in front of the whole group. It’s difficult to talk about vulnerable topics, and I’ve found that it’s easier for us artists to communicate our questions in a more intimate setting.

The best thing about this particular trip is that I finally feel like I’m getting out of the awkward stage of speaking. I feel so much more comfortable speaking to a group now than I ever did before. I’ve had so many opportunities over the past year and a half to figure out what works for me and find my flow, and I finally feel like I have.

This time when I stood up to speak to the group it felt like second nature rather than something I had to prep for. I’m looking forward to educating on this level to continue to feel even more natural as we host our final quarterly training in a few months. Even more than that I can’t wait to begin hosting training in my very own studio beginning in 2020, along with traveling to train in other spaces as well. If you’re a salon owner who is reading this, and is interested in a class being held in your space, feel free to reach out.

Oh, and the last thing that was totally different about this trip? I flew first class for the very first time on my way to California and it was a GAME CHANGER. It was a completely different trip. Why didn’t anyone ever tell me that first class was like that?? I was able to recline my seat back and actually get sleep, and was fed a hot meal and all the wine I could drink.

I probably won’t travel like that all the time, but for special occasions, I highly recommend you just go ahead and splurge one time and soak up the goodness.