“Eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we will die” Dave Mathews band

I’m not even really sure where and when I first came across this ball of passion named Ruby Devine. Maybe it was her name, which is beyond fab, her generosity on social platforms, her commitment to showing up, her courage for sharing her art, but none of that matters now really. When you meet Ruby, you just know you have stumbled into one of the most beautiful energies you will find in a human. Ruby has a gift, and I am so grateful that she agreed to share some insights into what fuels her heart and her art. Meet Ruby Devine…
N: What does passion look & feel like to you?
R: Passion feels very close to obsession. Passion feels like a deep guttural, churning feeling of “I MUST do this”. And with that I would say passion looks like a tireless person working feverishly to be with a person or complete a project all because “I MUST do this”.

N: Why did you become a hairdresser or educator?
R: I became a hairdresser as a means to an end. I have always had difficulty with retention and attention so let’s just say, I wasn’t the highest marking student especially in high school. I wanted very badly to go to a art and design private school, but due to the low grades and my lack of commitment to high school, my mother was very hesitant to back me financially and also those bad grades made me ineligible for scholarships. The local community college in my area offered a cosmetology/partial business diploma program. At this point my only experience with hairdressers were very low end haircutting salons, so I had an ignorant mind set of “anyone can be a ‘hairdresser”. After the first week of school and learning how vast the opportunities were with a cosmetology license, I felt like everything fell into place. And from there, I thrived in beauty school.

I became and educator first as a network educator with Bumble and Bumble in 2004. There is where I got better training on speaking, and teaching skills. With social media platforms and my personal seeking of continuing education, I have had the opportunity to share with a whole new grouping of stylists.

N: What is the biggest challenge you have had and how did you overcome it?
R: My biggest challenge has been insecurity. I have always lacked confidence, and probably will always suffer from that. The lack of confidence has often stopped me for going for something bigger and reaching outside of my comfort zone. With constantly seeking out continuing education and an awesome network of stylists that encourage me and mentor me, I continue to work on that confidence.

N: What is the greatest lesson you have learned?
R:  That the root of all evil, especially in hairdressing, is fear. Fear will stop you from all greatness. Fear stops you from thinking outside of the box. Fear will stop you from staying inspired and free to imagination.

N: What is one skill you believe all successful educators need to have?
R: Compassion. You must have compassion for others to help and understand that information doesn’t always come easily to others. Also, compassion helps you find patience to stay with a person mentally until they can “get it”.

N: Why are you so passionate about sharing your behind the scenes work in the salon with other professionals?
R: I believe that there is SO much to learn just by watching a salon work. How is the salon set up? How are their working stations? How are their clients greeted? These little moments are often overlooked as education opportunities.

N: Favorite quote?
R: Eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we will die. Dave Mathews band

N: Coffee Bean or Starbucks?
R: Starbucks

You can find Ruby on Instagram @rubydevine on Periscope and on Facebook for all types of awesome!

Love + Awesomeness-
Nina