"Ahh-Haa" Moment

At my school there are two sections, Phase One and Phase Two.

Phase One is where everyone goes when they are doing hair. It is a huge room with around 56 "stations" similar to the kind you would find in a typical salon, except that these are free floating and not attached to the wall, instead there are two stations back to back.
There are six sinks in this room.
when we are "on the floor" (meaning practicing the hands-on stuff, actually doing hair) we are in this room and there is usually more students per stations, though never more than 40 clients.
On the floor it is loud, cluttered and slightly chaotic. With over 80 people at times all talking, many blow dryers going it is very difficult to hear what your client is saying. (I have mastered the skill of reading lips through the mirror while working on their hair. Which is actually much more difficult than you would think.)
Because we are students practicing with out licenses there are L.L.'s (in the Paul Mitchell world "Learning Leaders" or our teachers") watching over what we are doing. The rule is 1 LL per 20 students. We have to have a LL come and sign our service ticket before we start the service, after the cut/color/perm, an at the end after we have styled. I cannot count the times I have had to leave my client sitting in the chair for 5 minutes while I searched for the LL assigned to me.

This is Phase One, where 90% of the students practice, and most of my "challenges" (there are no mistakes or complaints in the PM world, only discoveries and challenges) are not a fault of my school. Just the nature of hair school in general.


Phase Two is something unique to PM schools. It is one of the few teams in the school, a sort of "extracurricular" program. To get into Phase Two you have to have at least 1000 hours (half done with school) and apply.
Phase Two is a completely different room on the other side of the school. It is smaller and set up like a real salon. Only six stations up against the walls, two sinks. There are never more than 6 students in the room, one LL. It is much closer to a real salon atmosphere, quiet and relaxed. Also, because it is a nicer atmosphere, with only students who know what they are doing the cost to get your hair done is close to double Phase One prices
I have 1500 hours and have been eligible to be in Phase Two for months now, but I don't want to be there because you are in all day which means you miss class, which is one of my favorite parts about school.
Recently I found out that there is a different team during the week than on Saturday. There is no class on Saturdays. Even still I was afraid to try out, I am never quite confident in all my skills. (... Girls only want guys with really great skills, Nun-chuck stills, bow-staff skills...)

Last Saturday, in Phase One I had an "more mature" lady come in for her weekly hair style. I finished and was walking over to the time clock to clock out for Lunch... when Whitney one of the Phase One receptionists. She looked a little bit disheveled, she told me that Mike, one of the usualy students in Phase Two had to leave for a personal emergency and I was the only one able to cover for him, to do his full foil weave (highlights) which is my least favorite service, and the one I am least confidnet it.
I said I was on my way to lunch... that I wasn't good at weaves, I rattled off the names of a few other students with enough hours fo go to Phase Two. All of these people already had clients booked in Phase One.
Saying no really wasn't an option, so I grabbed all my stuff and walked over to Phase Two. The LL and the receptionist both looked relieved that I was there and ensured me that I would do fine, they would do anything they could to help me.
I sit up my station, and escorted my guest over... I did the service and found that as I was doing it, in this salon atmosphere, things were coming easier w/o the chaos of Phase One. I could hear what my client was saying and had a nice conversation with her.
With the help of another student I did the weave with no hesitations. After nearly three hours (which is a normal time for a cut, treatment and weave) I said goodbye to my client (I have to admit that I cannot remember her name) I sold her some product and I felt pretty good about myself.
As I was doing her hair, I had an "ahh-haa" moment. I love hair, I enjoy doing it. For the last 13 months I have done hair, I haven't hated it, liked what I did. I viewed it as something I could do to make money that I didn't hate, something to help me get through my life, hopefully pay for the ridiculous tuition to the college I want to go to in a few years.
BUT, I won't only do hair to make money, but I'll be happy doing it!

I am completely confident in my technical abilities as for as cutting, perming and styling goes. The place I am not so sure about is color and highlights. Almost the only thing they get in Phase Two is colors and highlights. In my 11 months in school I have done a total of two weaves...
The receptionist in Phase Two convinced me that I would enjoy being in Phase Two on Saturdays... this way I can still go to class, but also have the opportunity to practice my color and weave skills, which are the services I will be doing the most when I'm out in the working world.

I am a little bit apprehensive, but excited.

Also, starting next week I am going to start going to both day and night school... I am going to be in Phase Two during night school because they only have class on Mondays so I won't miss it. I am excited for that.