Educator Feature | Gena Kropinak
Basic Design & Hair Cutting Educator
What is your name and position?
My name is Gena Kropinak, and my position at The Style Academy is Classroom Fundamental Educator and Student Advisor.
Can you share a little background on your career in the industry?
I worked behind the chair for many years in a few different salons. I loved being able to channel my creativity into my clients, and seeing how a new look made them feel so amazing. I loved all of the relationships that I was able to make with the people who entrusted me to do their hair for their biggest life events. I was always excited to go to work because each day was a new chance to make someone’s day better or special.
What made you choose this career?
My love for people, my love for creativity, and my love for the fashion industry. Hair, Makeup, clothes all of it! This is a career where the sky is the limit.
What’s the most valuable thing you have taken away from your education?
I learned a lot behind the chair, how to create amazing hair but also how to build relationships and a successful business. I loved doing formal hair, I learned that a good make-over can take 10 years off a client and be a game-changer for how they feel about themselves.
I realized that there are not many jobs where you become such an important part of someone’s life. I had clients that I met because I did their hair for their wedding, I blinked and then was trusted with their baby’s first hair cut, that same babies graduations formal style, and then their wedding day and then their babies first haircuts, the relationships that you build, are truly a lifetime of someone’s biggest celebrations and sometimes sorrow (funerals). You see generations grow up and it is so gratifying to be so entrusted and a valued part of their lives.
Who are some of your favourite artists to follow?
I follow a little bit of everything, I follow a lot of Wella Artists, some Redken artists, and many Instagram accounts.
What is the most important thing you want your students to take away?
I want them to feel confident with their fundamentals, if their skill set is strongly in place they will have the ability to be great stylists. Learning the fundamentals can be challenging for them at first. Watching them grow as they journey through their program is very rewarding for me personally.
What has been your biggest aha moment as an educator?
The students learn so much in the short time we have them. I have learned over the years how to help students that are struggling with a new skill set to look at something from a different angle or in a different light. Then you see the aha moment when it clicks! I learn something new each day from my students. This is a very rewarding industry, but it takes hard work and determination. In the end, it’s my goal for my students to think to themselves, because of you I never gave up!
What keeps you inspired /motivated?
I love everything about this industry, watching the trends circulate through the years is so enjoyable, taking a skill or trend that you have seen before and putting a different twist on it is such a great creative outlet. You always have the opportunity to meet someone new, try something new and create many styles and trends for your clients. I love that we are always learning, creating and teaching.
Who are some of your favourite artists to follow?
I follow a little bit of everything, I follow a lot of Wella Artists, some Redken artists, and many Instagram accounts.
What is the most important thing you want your students to take away?
I want them to feel confident with their fundamentals, if their skill set is strongly in place they will have the ability to be great stylists. Learning the fundamentals can be challenging for them at first. Watching them grow as they journey through their program is very rewarding for me personally.
What has been your biggest aha moment as an educator?
The students learn so much in the short time we have them. I have learned over the years how to help students that are struggling with a new skill set to look at something from a different angle or in a different light. Then you see the aha moment when it clicks! I learn something new each day from my students. This is a very rewarding industry, but it takes hard work and determination. In the end, it’s my goal for my students to think to themselves, because of you I never gave up!
What keeps you inspired /motivated?
I love everything about this industry, watching the trends circulate through the years is so enjoyable, taking a skill or trend that you have seen before and putting a different twist on it is such a great creative outlet. You always have the opportunity to meet someone new, try something new and create many styles and trends for your clients. I love that we are always learning, creating and teaching.
What do you love most about teaching?
Watching students learn and grow is extremely gratifying. Teaching the Fundamental skills to my students can be challenging for them. Sometimes students have never held a comb or parted or sectioned hair when they first start with me in the classroom. Seeing them reach each achievement and watching their confidence grow from their first day to their last day is very rewarding.
What are some of your biggest achievements?
I feel so blessed to be given the opportunity to become the Fundamental Educator for The Style Academy. I was trained for the position by my mentors. Siobhan Loos, Carol Scott, and Deb Forsberg and Daniel Pritchard. They shared their lifetime of knowledge with me so that I could share those skills with our students. I am so grateful to them for training me and sharing their passion, knowledge and experience with me.
Who has been your biggest inspiration and why?
I have worked along side a lot of amazing stylists and people so from a work aspect I can’t choose just one.
What have been some obstacles that you’ve faced in your career? How have you overcome them?
I choose to stay home with my children when they were small and I wouldn’t change that for the world, but once they were old enough to be in school full time I really had to work hard to rebuild by clientele to a full time status. Through hard work and determination I was able to do so.
What are your favourite services or area of your career that you enjoy the most?
I love all of it!
What is the one piece of advice you would share or that you received over the years?
Be a day maker, do your best, be honest, be reliable, continue your education, never ever stop learning, if you think you know it all its time to re-evaluate (because there is always opportunity to learn) have fun, treat others the way you would like to be treated even when its difficult, don’t be afraid to fail through failure we learn some of life’s greatest lessons!
Photos of Gena’s family
