Positivity you know like the glass is half full… optimism life’s greatest gift some people are born with it while others are still searching for it… remaining positive in today’s world is a challenge not many are up for. In the case of Natalie Rodriguez staying positive is religion and peace is the most important thing she strives for. It is in her search for serenity where Natalie finds herself in a world of creativity and sound balance. It all started for me at a very young age.After school my friends and i would go and do each other’s hair,it was just the thing to do and we had alot of fun doing it. at least i know i was having fun. i guess you can say that was my first brush with the industry.
Growing up throughout high school i wasn’t exactly sure what i wanted to do with my life. It was one of those things that was vastly approaching… so I went to community college in hopes I would figure out what I’d like to study. I thought about nursing and many other things that helped people in some way, but I always wanted to do hair. Doing hair was one thing that made me happy. When I would see the priceless look on someone’s face
after i did their hair, it made me feel like I chose the right path. I always loved drawing,painting, any form of art really. I knew I could express my creativity in doing hair. I was always amazed by the combinations of colors I could create , while providing a WOW experience for people.Knowing that I could create walking pieces of art is what drew me into Cosmetology.
Most people kept telling me that my dream of becoming a hairstylist was not
a great trade. They said Success wasn’t going to happen, but i knew how much i loved it and i wasn’t going to allow anyone to tell me different. I wanted to create works of art that walked and talked it was my art
and i knew this was for me.Going into a salon, getting to know my clients/guests and making them look beautiful, never seemed like work for me. For me it was freedom of expression, it was me.
There were things that kept me moving in the right direction. There were times Inspirational quotes were a constant reminder to keep going . They would appear right when I needed a push to work harder . They were always on time. When i attended cosmetology school i enjoyed my time there it was that one place where i felt free i was able to be creative and myself.
After graduating i wasn’t sure where i wanted to work, there were so many salons to choose from. So… i continued to work as a bartender while I was a “kitchen beautician”it wasn’t until about a year later where i got my first salon job because I became extremely busy providing hair services on the side.
First salon job was Craigs’s Hair Gallery (Reading, PA) it was a fun experience then taking my talent to Hair Art (Wernisville, PA) which had closed down i searched high and low and found myself at Tina’s Salon (Reading,PA).
Ulta his home now and i am able to do what i love, sometimes you have to travel to find a home.
People make major impacts in our lives and for me i had my aunt Norma Tamayo she was a fighter she always believed in me and whatever I chose to do. My aunt Norma was and is an example of what determination is.
I needed to be successful i was setting an example for my sisters Melinda and Julie Rodriguez who are my heart and soul it was my mission to be beyond great not only for myself but for them,they needed to see that if i
could do what I love and succeed,they could as long as they put their mind to it and know that anything is possible with faith and hard work.
Sometimes i wonder what i would be doing if i wasn’t a hairstlyist and this might surprise alot of people because of working in the beauty industry ,but kickboxing was one of my passions i enjoyed the work ethic
the discipline that came with it. the teachings of kickboxing kept me grounded and made me focus on my craft and i could have seen myslef in a ring kicking butt then doing my opponent”s hair afterwards.
I never followed the “group” or wanted to be with the “in crowd” that drum i played i marched to my tune… most girls wouldn’t want a black eye or busted lip but i would have enjoyed it , after all there is makeup to cover it all up.
Sweat dripping down my back and nerves running wild is the best way to describe my first clinic experience at school. It was a classic blow dry and i faked it til i made it. I knew i had to calm down, and once i did, i knew
that i could do this and that being a stylist was my calling. No matter what i did in cosmetology school or how nervous I got with each client, i knew i could do this. Taking what could have ended badly and putting my positive Spin on it.
The decisons we make today, shape our future. it is in the now that we build the rest of our lives. Most times i have no idea where i’m going, I just know i have to keep moving forward.
I LOVE, I LAUGH. I LIVE MY PASSIONS. -Natalie
