Girl A real world definition: Being the person that does a specific thing well enough for a client to get recommended to an associate of that client. As in “My girl gives an amazing bikini wax.” or “You should try my girl.”
I can remember when it hit me that I was going to be someone’s girl. I was sweating grotesquely on the treadmill at the gym, and I heard one of my clients tell another person that she should go see her “girl” for facials. I knew she was referring to me since I see her monthly for facials. It was weird. I was someones girl. It felt strange. Messed up. Suddenly being someones “girl” made me feel menial. I am sure that I probably said something like that to one of my friends about my esthetician at some point, but I’d never noticed how owner-like and demeaning it sounded until it was said about me. I might as well be Kunta Kinte for all the importance my name and rank were. All my training, skills, and knowledge. All the unique qualities that made my work special had been reduced to one word “girl”.
Now I am NOT saying that my client did anything wrong. Please don’t take this post the wrong way. I am just sharing how I felt when it was said. In fact, after all those emotions I thought how silly feeling like that was! My clients love me. Hell, this one loved me enough to send someone else to me! What more could I ask for? And yet no one says let me send you to my “girl” or (God forbid) “boy” when referring to their dentist or tax attorney. So why does someone who has a life altering job like mine get reduced to girl status?
I think it may all come down to the stigma of what I do. Historically “Beauticians” are about superficial things. Ditsy things. Things that don’t take brains. I think this idea is changing. People are starting to respect my industry because they realize that what I do isn’t easy and brainless. Hopefully this blog is helping to correct any misconceptions about the beauty industry because in the end I don’t mind being someones “girl”, but I’d much rather be their Skin Fitness Expert and Esthetician.