We are happy to announce this month's Graduate Spotlight, Mélé Egbe, whose success shows their dedication and love for the world of beauty.
Life After Graduating
"It’s been a journey, I got through the first 5 years which WILL make or break you and I can say that in year 6 everything started coming full circle, things just started to click, for example; in the way I cut hair, formulating became a second language, and knowing my limits made me aware of what I wanted to give and receive from this industry! Some things just take time, it’s important to understand that!"
Separating yourself from others to get opportunities
"One thing that separates me from others is my driven purpose to want to be the best! I am constantly educating myself and I do tons of trial and error with that education. When I show up to work, I make sure to show up as my truest self. People want to be around authenticity, I tend to create more when I’m tapped into authenticity, and I am more fluid in my approach to creation. Also having a good attitude, being positive, being polite, and being respectful at work is a must, no one wants to be around a grouch or bad energy for 14 hours a day! Money doesn’t live in negativity."
A Day in the Life
"A typical day starts at 5 am and ends hours later! At the top of the day I run through the schedule/scenes with my team, I then prep the talent for the upcoming scenes, and head to set to keep an eye on any out of place hair or scene changes, during takes I re-set hair into its original place. On hour 6 the whole crew heads to lunch, following lunch I do touches and re-prep the talents hair for the remainder of the day. By hour 12 we wrap the day and I clean and prepare myself for the following day! A 12 hr day is a short day, expect 14-16 hr days! Discipline is important because you’ll be exhausted and still need to maintain a high level of work!"
Getting into this path of the industry
"I wanted to work among the elite and was very intentional with my preparation and faith. I found myself at the right place right time, a production company was looking for a stylist who worked with textured hair and I happened to be available. After that my network grew and I kept working!
A tip I would give to others wanting to get in is, to have the willingness to learn, “set” life is completely different than the average job, with new experiences come new challenges and you have to be open and positive about the process".
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*"If interested in learning more about working in the industry feel free to reach out!" - Mélé Egbe