Life and Work with Ryan Gillis

I grew up in Daytona Beach Florida.  In the 3rd grade we took a field trip to Blue Springs State Park. It is a manatee rescue center/park.  I must have been between 9 or 10, this was a field trip I would never forget.  Walking around looking at all of the scars on the animals, quiet tears streamed down my face. Some of the water was crystal clear, some not.  But the park was beautiful.  There were several small lakes or maybe they were ponds, I don’t recall, with so many of the manatee in them.  I remember saying to myself that I had to help them.

We moved to Illinois after the following year, just in time for middle school. I never forgot about the manatee.  In high school my plan was to go back to Florida for marine biology and help the manatee.  At the start of my junior year of high school my guidance counselor suggested that I go to beauty school. I said thank you, but I got a plan! Long story short she talked me into going and I convinced myself that by doing this it would be a great way to make money in my dorm at Florida Southern State so I could just study and do hair for cash and wouldn’t have to worry about finding a job, sounded perfect.

Fast forward a few years, I am head over heals in love with doing  hair, and I find out that the manatee are not on the endangered species list and they are doing okay…. It seemed like fate was intervening.  Fourteen years into doing hair, 10 years with a mentor, 20 trips to New York for hair classes, thousands of continuing education hours, three certifications and not a single day yet worked in my life, I decided to move.  I decided to leave the most winsome  clients, and exquisite co workers to take a chance.  To bet on myself, walk my walk, and to just have fun.

I landed in Arizona by total chance.  Again fate or the universe or whatever you wish to call it was in my life once again.  Telling me, “don’t let anyone tell you you can’t”.  The people, ideas, experiences Arizona  has brought to me are noteworthy. It took me 6 months to reestablish myself in the beautiful city of Scottsdale. About three years in, an ebullient client of mine finally retired….for about 3 months.  I will never forget how hard we laughed about how short lived this retirement had gone.  It made me think of the manatees odd timing but it did. I had once thought my retirement was going to be on the ocean with the serene safe peaceful animals.  I couldn’t believe he was bored all ready. He then asked if id like to go into business with him.  Another great and brilliant mentor enters my life.

Helping others, human or animal, is in my heart.  I am fervent about making others feel enlightened.  This was suddenly and opportunity to build a team.  To build a culture of like minded professionals who wanted to spread the love.  For those that know me know that ‘I am Love.’  I had to try this.  I heard that voice again telling me “don’t let anyone tell you you can’t”.  So, hello  Amazing Lash Studio Franchise.  There I went again,  down the tunnel of change shattering my world into a million pieces. Our first studio has 11 rooms, 15 stylists, 8 front desk coordinators, and sits as one of the top studios in the valley. About a year and a half in I remember taking a walk one evening, I looked down and thought ‘wow I’m back together again, a new comfort zone established. There have been so many trial and errors. But also the most profound life lessons you can receive.

I was taught a long time ago to gravitate toward the uncomfortable.  That what was uncomfortable was only so because I wasn’t great at it YET or didn’t understand it fully YET.  I, thankfully, chose to believe that it was a great thing to start with the most uncomfortable things first.  To except it so it could be out of the way.  Then you new for sure that what was left would be all up hill.  I decided to believe in a new way of being.  Decided that I was going to trust myself enough to figure out anything.  I was not going to run from things but, give patience and love to something unfamiliar to me.  I also reminded myself that the worse case scenario of life would be moving back in with my mom…(and lol I like my mom).

I have not saved the manatees.  But 18 years of working with people, truly listening, and believing in myself, the power of following through, and the beauty in others put me on the path to where I now stand.  I do hair.  I do lashes. I do makeup.  I teach, coach, mentor, exchange, motivate, and inspire.  Creation is what I do now. Its a wonderful life and just getting started.