Dianne.

There once was a woman who walked the walk.  I thank God I was in her path.

Dianne had almost four decades on me, but her youthful energy put me to shame!  Every day, with nothing but joy, inspiration and excellence, she marched into her salon and behind her chair ready to be happy and make others happy, too.

Selflessly, Dianne invested in me.  After attending so many educational trips and hair shows, I’ve finally lost count of the classes I’ve attended, the certificates I’ve achieved and the number of times I got to see her apply her makeup in a dimly lit hotel room, bright and early in the morning.  Dianne modeled what she believed: Keep moving and improving, be happy and love what you do.

When she was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer towards the end of 2013, I wasn’t sure how much more time we would have with her… and I wish now that I had soaked it up just a little bit more.  The new owners of her salon managed the employees poorly and everyone jumped ship in about three months.

Having been under the care and supervision of such a wise and generous boss for eight years, I knew that I was certainly too spoiled to work for anyone less incredible than Dianne.  With her consistency and ethics seared well into the front of my mind, Glass Door Salon was birthed in her absence, but under the perceived shadow of her wing.

Not only do I think about her every single day, my guests have continued to ask about her over the last year – again – every single day.  They remember her laugh, the atmosphere she created, and her giving nature.  And while I remember those as well, I also remember the time she helped me prank the salon that my water broke… and the time we laughed so hard on a wild taxi ride that we all nearly peed ourselves… and the time she saw me leave the salon feeling downcast and chased me out into the parking lot to shout encouragement.

Dianne taught me how to cut bangs, patiently guided me in color formulas until I knew what the heck I was doing, and hired me on faith that I’d be worth it.

She made me worth it.