I Am Essential

What I learned over the past nine months about my career during the pandemic is that I am deemed a non-essential worker. I have been blessed in the last twenty years to work for major television networks. I have had the honor of taking care of presidents and countless A-list clients. I’ve also helped prepare brides for their weddings up until the pandemic. It started simply as the scroll at the bottom of the news. Then, we had warnings from state officials. All of a sudden, the virus hit like a hurricane and sat idly over the world, wreaking havoc over everything. Including, yes; all I have worked for. Postponing or all together canceling events and weddings I was booked for. Stopping anyone from visiting Cleveland, Ohio, especially celebrities and my cliental.

I hold four licenses in my state. When I received each one I thought, “Great I will have no boundaries. I could cut hair in any barber or beauty shop in the state. Perform manicures or skin treatments. I even hold an instructors license. Right now there is nothing I can do! When I started being a makeup artist, I lost most of my hair clients. I’ve been in the makeup business for nearly two decades and do not want to put myself in the position of starting over all over again for hairstyling.  Being pretty much unemployed now, I’ve considered doing hair again.  I am learning that chain hair salons don’t value their stylists. For instance, in a lot of cases stylists are paid minimum wage or a few dollars more. It is crazy to think this is about what I was paid 30 years ago doing hair and there has been no increase.

Then I wonder, could I teach? Teaching in cosmetology schools pay instructors about $12 an hour. What a joke. In order to apply, I would really need a desire to teach.  I also wouldn’t want to waste the time of an employer if I wasn’t going to stick with it. So here, I am; very frustrated and feeling stuck due to this virus, as many are. Being a freelancer, you have to bust your butt getting your name out, asking for reviews, and networking --  it all can be a lot of work. People who not in the business may not understand that sometimes, you don’t get a paycheck because you have overhead costs. Many makeup artists or stylists also have to pay for their own health insurance, only to have a huge deductible to reach. You definitely do this profession because you love it; generally you won’t get any paid sick days or vacation days and no pension account.

At the start of COVID, stylists were told to close. So many single Moms were trying to make money for their families, owners trying to pay rent. The bottom line and industry has taken a hit.  When I hear comments like the CARES bill was too generous, it made me very upset. SERIOULSY??? Too generous? People who say this don’t understand how far behind we will be this year. How that money was capped and only given out for a short period of time. Once it was over, that was it for the rest of the year. Not even coming close to what we need to survive in business or in life.

I am lucky because my husband is an essential worker in IT we aren’t going starved. However, I would be if I wasn’t married.  I hear how salons have had to invest into PPE to make their salons safe. Some businesses see clients aren’t coming back in on a normal schedule afraid to sit in a salon for a long appointment. Stylists are wearing masks for hours at a time, some not remembering or having the time to stay hydrated throughout the day creating new health issues.  Lastly, owners and staff fear being infected by COVID-19. If this happens having to close for another 10- 14 days again with no income coming in.

I guess through all of this, we stylists could accept a job that we will might be over qualified for. Possibly with a lower wage, but would it be worth the risk?  We have to decide what is best for our families. Before this “non-essential” title headlined my profession, I didn’t think it would be singled out and put on the back burner of the economy. However, now I know this; I may not be an essential worker but I am very essential!  I am a mother, wife, and caregiver to my Mother – a woman that could be easily a victim of this deadly virus. Right now, I wait and I try not to stress. I know that as much as I believe I have it planned it out, God laughs.