Today we’d like to introduce you to Katharine Miliano.
Katharine, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always wanted to pursue a career in hairstyling. I thought about attending a vocational high school for the cosmetology program but ended up going to a traditional high school instead. Again, I thought about attending a cosmetology program after high school but ended up attending Bentley University to fulfill a double major in finance and accounting. After graduating from college, I was attending grad school for a Master’s in Accounting when I found out I was having my daughter. I realized that I wanted to raise a child not to focus on money-making and doing whatever job had the highest income even if you weren’t passionate about it. I have grown up with many adults that do not like their jobs at all, and the stress and unhappiness follow them home and affects their personalities and outlooks on life. I wanted more for my daughter.
I decided after I had her that I would finally pursue my love for making others feel beautiful. When my daughter was just a few months old, my relationship with her father ended, leaving the responsibilities on me. As hard as I knew it would be to change careers, I decided it was all worth it, for her and myself. I chose to change my accounting job and was lucky enough to find a great small firm with amazing people who were flexible with my schedule and really helped me out a lot. I sold my house, moved into an apartment and used my savings to attend Hair’s How in Wakefield, MA. I remember going in just about a year exactly to the day I first inquired with them about attending and handing them an enrollment check. Lisa, the manager, was more than willing to help me with a part-time schedule, and I thank her every day for that. It took me about 19 months to graduate, receiving my cosmetology license in December 2017. I will forever be grateful for my family, the women at Hair’s How, and for my little angel, Addison for giving me the courage and support I needed to finish school. I had been working as an assistant at Carl Michael Salon while I was in school, and still working at the accounting firm as well.
Once I got my license, I became an associate at the salon, which paired me with a higher level stylist as my mentor. I worked her schedule with her, helping her with all of her clients. I also had 1 shift a week to start building my clientele as well. I absolutely loved finally getting to play with color, cuts, styling, and braids – it was surreal to me that I was finally doing this after so long. I recently completed the associate program and as of June 2018, I have taken my own shifts at the salon. I still work at my accounting firm as well, as they are flexible and supportive of me while I enter the stylish world. It has been a difficult but amazing journey and I couldn’t have done it without the support and help of my family, the flexibility and encouragement of my teachers at Hair’s How and the women at Carl Michael Salon, and the inspiration and motivation my daughter gave me, I love every minute of my career so far as a stylist and I am so excited to see what is in store for me to come.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road for me, I am a single mom who decided to change careers and I had a ton of help and support from my family, my school and those I work with. I had to work, at some points, two jobs while going to school part-time and balance trying to still have as much time as I could with my daughter. I struggled with missing a lot of school due to my daughter in and out of preschool with all the colds and bugs she got, which in turn I would then get as well. At times, I thought about quitting school and going back to work full time – I felt I should be using that time to work, save money and not be spending that money on school, I had to stay up late doing homework or extra work from the office, and I felt so guilty missing out on some of this time with daughter. But I knew that in the end, it would all be worth it because it was going to better our future. You should love what you do, and I know as a stylist, I love what I do, I am interested and curious and passionate about it, For a job you feel that way about, it is always worth it. I believe that if you truly want something, no matter how hard you think it will be to get to reach a goal if you work hard enough and put in the effort, you can definitely achieve it,
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Carl Michael Salon – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Currently, I am a stylist at the Carl Michael Salon, which is a Redken Elite Salon in Wakefield, MA. I am constantly looking to further my education and I am trying to take classes as often as I can in all different areas – color, finish work and cutting. My favorite has to be working with color. I love working on balayages and fantasy colors the best – there are so many creative options for placement and choice of color. I am constantly playing around with new techniques and color combinations. I really love making people feel beautiful and good about themselves and I look forward to connecting with and building relationships with all my clients.
Who have you been inspired by?
So many people inspire me in different ways. My mother inspired me to work hard as she always worked one or two jobs at a time while maintaining a home with two kids. My aunt inspired me as she was a single mom of three kids and showed me that family will support and help you through tough times. My daughter inspired me to want to make a better life for us, a life where you try to go after your dreams and you work hard to get there. I had inspiration from so many teachers, co-workers, and friends who were all trying to, or already had, succeeded in reaching their goals.
Contact Info:
- Address: Carl Michael Salon
407 Lowell Street
Wakefield, MA 01880 - Website: www.carlmichaelsalon.com
- Phone: 781-245-9700
- Email: kathym.carlmichaelsalon@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @kathydoeshair
- Facebook: Kathy at Carl Michael Salon
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
