Issue link: https://www.ahpindiestylist.com/i/1380995
N ot a m e m b e r ? J o i n at a s so c iate d h a i rp rofe s sio n a ls .c o m 25 at a crossroads where I felt my career was branching off into another direction." While a shift was happening in Leal's career in Santa Monica, an opportunity arose at a salon in West Hollywood. "I told myself I wouldn't work for another start-up," she says, "and I didn't want to start over at another salon. But here I was taking an education director role and a master stylist position. This is where I would be for an entire decade, filled with growing an education department and working as a professional hairstylist." Again, at another crossroads, Leal made the choice to go to a small boutique salon to work for herself. "I started at a salon inside a super chic women's social club called the AllBright," she says, "but starting a new business in January 2020, and then going into a pandemic in March—and seeing everything I was so excited about come to a halt—was heartbreaking." "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."—Audrey Hepburn MOTIVATION TO GROW When asked what motivates Leal, she pauses. "That used to be an easy question to answer," she says. "In the beginning, my focus was to prove that being a hairstylist wasn't just a job, but a professional career. Once I saw all the good and bad that comes with hard work and accomplishment, though, I started having different motivators. Now, my motivations change yearly. "Today, what motivates me is having a new appreciation for my craft and being happy with everything that led me to the place I am today. What "Over the years, I had to overcome the fear of new beginnings and recognize that failure is a much- needed part of the journey; we only grow so much by staying in one spot."—Nicole Leal