Belinda
When did you first decide to follow your passion?
Depending on where you are, passions come and go, they feed your inner passion…passion evolves. Learning is my true passion, so I follow where it may lead.
Best accomplishment?
Getting married, having children, running a business, going back to college…it’s all an accomplishment, and I would do it all again!
Best part of working your passion?
I get the opportunity to be with various personalities. From the employees to the clients, everyday becomes a fabulous experience and I never wish the hours in a day to be over.
Name a defining life moment?
When I was in high school I nearly lost my life in a car accident. It made me realize how precious life really is. Because of that, I never take one day for granted, and my daily goal is to get the most out of each and every day.
Best advice for someone wanting to open a salon?
Be open, and be a good listener, for wisdom is all around us…but to get you must give.
When did your passion hit you?
I have always loved doing hair. I practiced on my dolls and my family and friends. When I was younger, I got my hair done at a very impressive salon. I loved the atmosphere, and it was then that I realized “hey, I can do what I love and make a career out of it.” I asked my stylist that day “how do I get started?” She recommended that I call TSB (of course). That same salon is where I got my start.
What (work) did you do before working your passion?
I attended college, and was a waitress, secretary and receptionist.
Best thing about TSB?
TSB gave me so much confidence through the educational program that I actually felt at ease when I took my state board. State Board Instructors could actually distinguish a TSB student with our near perfect work. (Felt good)
3 things that you are passionate about?
God, being grateful for everything that life has to offer, and giving back.
During your career, what is something special that you rewarded yourself with?
The rewards for my success have been endless.
Kira
When did you first decide to follow your passion?
Initially I attended to put myself through college. I wanted to be a physician’s assistant, but I realized that I was making more money doing this than I would after graduate school. PLUS, I get to be creative, and be myself. I express myself in every way!
Best accomplishment?
Showing my 12-year old daughter that she can do and be anything she wants. Follow your dreams. And establishing my business.
Best part of working your passion?
Being myself.
Name a defining life moment?
Having Jade, my daughter.
Best advice for someone wanting to open a nail salon?
Make the decision then set your goals. Each day work towards accomplishing the goals. Never compromise your standard.
When did your passion hit you?
When I opened my business.
Best TSB moment?
Met so many good friends there–that I STILL have–I’m happy to see them successful too. They are friends for life–we share common goals.
What (work) did you do before working your passion?
Supervisor for a reservation center.
3 things that you are passionate about?
God, family and my business.
Salon Visage has been successfully hiring TSB graduates for 25 years, and plan on hiring them for the next 25. Need I say more?
– Frank Gambuzza, salon Visage, Spa Visage, Studio Visage, & Frank’s Barbershop
Partnerships …it’s all about partnerships. My wife and business partner Mary, and I were Tennessee School of Beauty “sweethearts”.
We all knew that TSB supported us as we grew in the industry. Now as salon owners we have a strong partnership with TSB, teaching classes for their students and relying on them as a excellent recruits for our salon. Thank you TSB.
Brandon Harris
Partner/Manager
Salon Biyoshi
Phillip ‘Mr P’ Ivey
Master hairstylist Phillip Ivey has won an Oscar and been nominated five times for an Emmy. None of these awards, he says, is more precious than being inducted into the Tennessee School of Beauty Hall of fame in 2003. He has also garnered an Academy Award as part of the hair and makeup department of ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ which also snagged Oscars for Best Picture and Best Actress (Jessica Tandy).
After graduating TSB in 1971, Ivey worked at Continental Hair Fashions in Sevier County for eight years. He moved to Atlanta, where he styled at a high-end salon in Phipps Plaza. Ivey began to branch off there, taking jobs with fashion photographers and doing hair for commercials.
In 1980, Ivey snagged a show-biz gig as a stylist for the TV remake of ‘Splendor in the Grass’, starring Melissa Gilbert of ‘Little House on the Prairie’.
Ivey’s success led to jobs on more than 60 feature films and numerous television series and movies.
Ivey has helped turn back the hair of time in movies including The Shawshank Redemption, Gods and Generals, the recent box-office hit Seabiscuit and huge hits like ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and ‘The Alamo’.
In Shawshank he helped do the coifs of 500 prisoners. For Seabiscuit 600 background players got 1930s hairstyles.
Ivey has been the personal stylist for Billy Bob Thornton, who was transformed into Davy Crockett for The Alamo.
Other celebrities Ivey has worked with include Jodie Foster, Morgan Freeman, John Lithgow, Faye Dunaway, and Randy Travis.
The highlight of his career was meeting Mary Tyler Moore. Ivey’s hair skills helped turn her into Georgia Tann for the 1993 TV movie Stolen Babies. Tann headed a black market baby adoption operation in Memphis during the 1930s and 1940s.
I grew up watching her on The Dick Van Dyke Show. I loved her flip (hair style), he said. In the movie she was in her death makeup and she had that flip going. I said, Mary I’ve got to change your hair.
His recent projects have included ‘We are Marshall’, ‘A New World’ and ‘The Wager’.
Mr. P says he’s retired these days, but that doesn’t stop him from helping out the students at Tennessee School of Beauty. He recently guided them through a production of ‘Annie Get Your Gun’, performed in Maryville, Tennessee at the Clayton Arts Center.
He also spends a great deal of time as the president of the Damon and Stella foundation. This is a non-profit organization that is an alliance of artists and health care professionals dedicated to two objectives: Awareness Campaign: removing the stigma associated with mental disease through an aggressive PSA campaign; The Care Fund: to financially assist those who cannot otherwise afford treatment.
For a complete listing of Mr. Ivey’s Theatrical Movie Biography visit here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0412396/
To learn more about The Damon and Stella Foundation visit here: http://www.thebendingtree.org/
“Tennessee School of Beauty graduates have always been very well prepared. Their excellent work performance is a direct result of the instructors’ hard work and strong focus. We have hired many of their students and have long been impressed by their work ethics.”
Marwan and Regina Zaouk
The Belleza Salon and Spa Family
Brooke
When did you first decide to follow your passion?
I always knew I wanted to go to Cosmetology school, but I also wanted my 4 year degree. So, I did that first, and then I went to TSB. I became interested in their Esthetics program, so I took it as well.
Best part of working your passion?
The endless opportunities.That doors keep opening for me. I’m doing so many diverse things with my TSB degree.
Name a defining life moment?
When I was hired at The Breazeale Clinic.
Best advice for someone wanting to be an Esthetician?
Don’t ever give up. Get face-time with as many people who work in the industry as possible.
When did your passion hit you?
In middle school, I was always the one experimenting on my friends’ hair and look. A few of them lost eyebrows or ended up with burnt scalps, but I always knew I wanted to do this!
Best TSB moment?
TSB had a speaker who was a TSB grad and a famous make-up/stylist to the stars. It was incredible to hear how he had succeeded. He talked to our class about always following our dreams. It was inspirational.
What (work) did you do before working your passion?
I was a nanny at a daycare.
Best thing about TSB?
The diversity of the students. It was like a family or a sorority. I met so many fun, cool people.
3 things that you are passionate about?
Family, medical side of Esthetics, transforming someone’s look and seeing how it makes them feel good inside and outside!
Sarah Nelson Phillips
I have to say a long overdue thank you to TSB I graduated in 2000 and have loved my profession ever sense! I can proudly say I own my own home and have built an amazing clientele (booked about a month out)!!! I really owe it to the instructors for always pushing us to do better and to be a step ahead, it has really paid off! I now live in Miami Oklahoma and have been doing hair for 11 years. Wow time sure does fly. I work at the best salon in the county voted 2 yrs in a row! Thanks again for the best education !!
djalmar
I was only 21 when I arrived to this country without knowing what to do with my life or my career. With little direction, I thought of the amazement I found in beauty and fashion magazines since being a young boy and set out to explore the industry. With the encouragement of two new friends (Susan and Ed Fox), a tremendous desire for success, and minimum knowledge of the English language, I enrolled at The TSB in Knoxville, TN in search of my dreams.
Now, almost 16 years has gone by since graduating from TSB and I’m still strongly involved with the industry. However, I don’t cut hair behind a chair or work in a fancy salon; I own two photo postproduction companies in Los Angeles, California that cater only to the fashion and beauty industry. Thanks to my knowledge acquired through the years, starting at TSB, I’m partly responsible for some of the beauty trends today.
You’re probably not familiar with my companies, or even my name, but you’ve seen my work on the magazines that you look at with your clients every day to use as reference points for new hair styles, fashion and make-up application.
For the past 10 years I have worked closely with some of the best photographers in the industry such as: Mike Ruiz, Odette Sugerman, Nigel Barker, Amber Gray, Chris Nicholls, Chris Wadsworth, Dan Lim, Gabor Jurina, John Van Der Schilden, Kurt Gardner, Max Abadian, Joseph Moran, Randee St. Nicholas and Troy Jensen.
My company has been involved in projects with companies like: Revlon, Cover Girl, Jafra, Deep, Jouer Cosmetics, Alfaparf Milano, Vidal Sasson, The Discovery Channel, Sony Music, Interscope Records, Capital Records, Spring and Mercer and The Lifetime Network.
Some of my celebrity clientele includes: Katy Perry, Kate Beckinsale, Prince, Kellan Lutz, Kim Kardashian, Kelly Clarkson, Kathy Griffin, Christina Millian, Nicole Scherzinger, Jamie King, Jason Lewis, Kim Cattrall, Katherine Heigl, Tyra Banks, Nicki Minaj, Anna Ortiz, Vanessa Williams, Ricky Martin, Parker Posey, Lindsay Lohan, The Jonas Brothers, Hayden Pannettiere, Zac Efron, LL Cool J, Deborah Cox, Debbie Harry, Jody Watley, Terrance Howard, Jay Manuel and Carla Gugino.
Also, my work has been featured in fashion and beauty magazines like: Elle, L’uomo, Zink, Spot, Rouge, Trendsetter, The Advocate, YRB, Prestige, Ebony and VIV Magazine, and the cover of Italian Vogue.
My success wouldn’t be possible without the help and support of many people in my life. Starting with my friends and family which are my biggest fans. Also, all my family from TSB that started my career in the industry. Thanks a million to Miss Wells, Page, George, Adam Brown and Miss “V”- who still today can’t say my name right! Love you Miss “V”!
You might sometimes look above and ask yourself “why me”, but always remember that even though things in your life might not make sense today, they will in the end. Like said in the novel “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, the true meaning of life is “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” Like in my life- the best is yet to come and this is just the beginning!
For examples of Djalmar’s digital postproduction work, visit his websites, www.CastaneraDigital.com, and www.TotalRetouch.com.
