At Broken Arrow Beauty College, we take pride in doing everything in our power to help our students succeed after graduation. We have learned that when our students enter the career field, there are a variety of different paths that they can take. Whatever path they decide is best for them, we are proud of their accomplishments and leadership in the beauty industry.

Meet Krystle

Krystle Bertrand is a Broken Arrow graduate that has gained some valuable experience in the industry and has returned to Broken Arrow to get her Master Instructor certification. We caught up with Krystle to ask her about some of her accomplishments. We also wanted to see if she had any advice to current students or people who may be thinking about a career in the beauty industry.

What Does a Beauty Career Look Like?

When we asked Krystle about what she is doing in the industry now, she told us, “I work for Regis Corporation. I’m a District Leader [over] two Smart Styles and two Super Cuts.” Krystle graduated in 2015 and has already worked her way up the ladder at Regis. This is an awesome example of hard work and determination, but the career path didn’t always face upward for Krystle. When asked about her transition from school to working in the industry, Krystle said, “I actually went to just a small salon for just a couple weeks and it wasn’t the right fit. They were deciding if they were going to sell the salon or try to rebuild it. So, I was only there for a couple weeks. But after, that I started at Smart Styles as a stylist and progressed and was promoted to manager in under a year.” This shows that sometimes you have to look around a little bit for the perfect career fit after school. The best career path can take some time to find but when you do, it can really be rewarding, just like it has been for Krystle!

Favorite Thing to Do at Work

In talking to Krystle, we wanted to find out what her favorite thing about her job was. When asked this she told us, “I like that I get to…meet new stylists and guests everyday. I get to coach and train as well as do hair.” She also told us that her favorite part of working in the beauty industry is, “the creativity of it. Probably styling. I love styling hair – weddings, prom – stuff like that. That’s where you really get in and show your creative flair. Doing a cut, doing a color, and things like that are…when you’re able to put your artistic twist on an updo or style, [that] really shows your personality in the hair.” This resonated with us big time! When you get certified and licensed in cosmetology you become a collaborative artist with your clients and the people you work with. You help people create a vision for the way they want to look, then you make it happen for them. From the sound of it, Krystle has mastered and loves this creative process.

How Was Broken Arrow?

Naturally, we had to ask Krystle about her experience at Broken Arrow. We wanted to know what her time here meant to her and how it helped her succeed after graduation. She told us, “The teachers here were excellent about providing me all the information that I needed for the industry. What I loved was that their program had so much to offer and I made sure I got the most of my education. So, every class that they offered, I took it! [] I was able to get everything that I needed to be set up for any part of the career that I wanted when I left.” At Broken Arrow, we hold ourselves to a high standard. Our goals and objectives are centered on helping students create a career that they love, so we are glad to hear that we are getting the job done! Thanks Krystle!

Words of the Wise

To cap off our chat with Krystle we asked her if she had any words of wisdom for people who are planning on going into the beauty industry. She gave us some great advice. She told us, “don’t put yourself in a box because they bury people in boxes. So, you want to make sure you’re outside of the box and if you’re going to have a box, fill it up with all of the things you need. Don’t put yourself in it.” She explained a little further when she said, “If I ever find that anybody is struggling, that’s kind of my motivational piece. It makes you stop and think ‘well, yeah, you know, I don’t want to kill my career so why don’t I get out of this box before they think I’m dead and bury me.” Sound advice from someone who works hard at a job that requires her to always be outside of the box. If you ever find yourself in a low spot, do something different. Try something new. Learn something fresh.

So, if you have been thinking about building a career in the beauty industry, jump out of your box and contact us to learn more. You can enroll on our cosmetology program and start your journey to an awesome career just like Krystle! We are excited to help you get started!