Hello, my name is Satya. I’m from Minneapolis and I’m a hair stylist and I love my job. I work at the Hair Police.

I would consider myself artistic in general. I would say I’ve been working here for thirteen years. I was nineteen and I started out as a receptionist never thinking that I would actually still be here all these years later. I had some grand visions of being, you know, some fine artist somewhere but now I get to do art everyday on real people, which is better.

I felt kind of thrown into the deep end, so to speak. The salon’s kind of industrial, definitely more alternative in nature. And I wasn’t that weirded out by that, I was a little more alternative anyway but is was like over-the-top, where I was like, okay, I feel like I need to have pink and green shoes or something.

I like all of the styling that I do because there’s a wide variety of options. I can do your basic haircut, and I can do a basic haircut because some people get scared that I’m going to give them a Mohawk or something and I don’t. So I’ve had a few people, “Oh you should cut my daughter’s hair” and then the dad’s like, “Don’t take here there” [laughs] because they think I’m going to just make it too wild.

So I do a lot of extensions, do a lot of dreadlocks, do a lot of really fun, crazy colors, bleach out big chunks of it or make a rainbow on your head, or putting my daughters hair in fun little pigtail things. She doesn’t have a lot of hair yet so I can’t do a lot with her, but I will do plenty of things with her hair when she has more hair. My daughter is three with barely any hair, which for a hairstylist mother is sort of a bummer.

But it’s nice. I have a wide variety of fun things I get to do at my job everyday. Everyone has their own things. For one, I can’t believe I’m still here and for two, it’s still as fun as when I first started. It’s actually more fun because now ‘cause now I (obviously) went to beauty school and I got my license and now I do hair. So I’ve kind of seen a lot of different angles of the salon. I’m an independent contractor so I’ve got my manager’s license. Yeah, so I’ve kind of run the gamut. I used to get my hair done here in high school. It’s just been a really nice turn of events.

I’m sure that some people would look at my life and say, wait, you start work at eleven or twelve? Rollin’ in at the crack of noon [laughs]. Sure, some people don’t really consider it as real of a job as their nine-to-five job that they’re there sitting in their office, working their asses off. [Sarcastically] and here I am lolly-gagging around. You know, talking to people about their crazy lives and doing fun hair that makes people happy…it’s still a lot of work. But I think a lot of people would not consider it a job job.

It’s a different type of a job. My job I stand on my feet all day, you know? I get to wear whatever I want, yes, but I’m not going to walk up in my pajamas either. I still feel like I have a professionalism about me. I’m providing a service that’s just as needed as whatever service they’re providing. Possibly even a better service [laughs] depending on their job.

I like, with my job, that I get to see immediate results and the appreciation. But I think, in general, a lot of people do not appreciate their job. A lot of my clients complain about their jobs. Sometimes it’s just a bad day and sometimes it like, maybe you need to go off the beaten path. Because sometimes what’s going to make you happy is what you least expect it to be.

I never thought that I would be a hair stylist. I was a strait “A” student. My mom thought I was going to be some grandiose…like go off to college and get a million degrees and save the world or something. You know, most parents think their kids are perfect but she was upset when I went to beauty school. She was like, “You have so much more potential. You should use your brain.” I use my brain everyday talking to people, you know, making them feel good about themselves and helping them out with their problems. I still feel very competent in what I do, and I like that.

There’s always a risk being self-employed, as with anything. So I’m going to say everyone should just run off and [say] “I hate my job!” You know, if you have a family and house and stuff, yeah, you have to provide. But I think that’s why you just have to have a business plan or just maybe don’t have all your eggs in one basket.

I know a lot of people that work maybe their job that they don’t love to do something they love on the side. Selling something on Etsy. I know plenty of people that start selling something on Etsy and they quit their job at the bank or whatever. And guess what? Now they’re full time making jewelry and loving their job, doing stuff for fashion shows or whatever. It might have taken a few years to get to that point. I think that’s what people need to realize. They can’t just up and be like, “That’s not fair. I want to be a musician.” Well, you gotta practice first, build up places and people that like you and venues. There’s a lot of steps before you’re like, “I’m famous!”

I think everyone should appreciate the job that they have because hopefully you can find something that fits your niche. I like doing hair. I like people. I like being creative. I like art. For me it’s a good job. You know, for someone else that loves math, being and accountant or working in an office, something more regimented, is probably going to fit the bill of a personality like that.

I think that, the older I’ve gotten, the more I appreciate my job. I just wish that more people would appreciate their own job in the same way. You know what, maybe look at your life and say if I really hate going to work everyday then maybe I should try to find something else to do. So you find what works for you. I was really lucky. I was really lucky. I still feel really lucky. •