Meet Michael Pettine: Hair Colorist Stylist Writer Life Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Pettine and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I realized after my second job as a hair stylist, that as long as I was on a fixed salary or giving over fifty percent of my earnings to someone else, I would most likely struggle financially to become financially independent within the salon industry. I also aspired to create more individually as I have also been able to think and create more, while being a out-of-the-box thinking sort of artist rather than being confined by traditional policies and procedures and thought processes. Also, the idea of education via in salon work shops/training and giving back to the hairstylists community combined with the ability to employ and create opportunities for others, was very important to me. So, I opened my first salon after three years experience in the salon industry backed only by my ambition, one year of college and passion. I was twenty five years old and a business owner ! As exciting as it was, this endeavor came with lots of obligations. I took the responsibility very serious and happy to say, it was a success! 

What should our readers know about your business?
I’ve really come full circle in the business world. I began as a salaried stylist in a salon, opened my salon three years later, moved out of New York to Miami to become salon manager in the new Aventura are, which BTW had only just incorporated! LOL. Dating myself here! I sold that salon after ten years in that location. Then I had the mid-life crisis and it took me on a journey into the airline world. I kept my clients and began a personal VIP appointment only business which allowed my to work the flexible flight attendant schedule. Thorough the flying , my eyes opened wider into the world we all live in. This only added to my cultural exposure. I soaked up style in Italy, France Spain England and more. I was able to do cultural comparisons and see for myself how passionate people from other countries were about their work. This also exposed me to the realities of the United States. With the crash of 2008 and the recession, I faced another challenge. I lost my job with the airline and so, I opened another salon. But I had developed a caveat! I loved to travel and the realities of having employees, once again reared its ugly head. I relearned- that I could not leave the salon to travel, because salon employees need constant guidance. Even the best salaried manager, I could not trust because of my past experiences. I once had a manager in my salon in Aventura who I trusted my life with. She was arrested for embezzling. Another time, I had a business partner who was responsible for paying our bills, head of the business office. I discovered she had embezzled and had to sue her to remove her form the business. However ,through my traveling I had developed a clientele in Miami, San Diego and New York and I needed to travel, but I could not as long as I was responsible for a staff. So, I sold and became a free lancer. Ahhhh, but alas, this change opened the door to movie production opportunities, working with VIP confidential clients, having time to write and also be with my family more. But the challenges are always there! Life is full of challenges. I overcame mine with learning in therapy early on, that, will power is not enough. One must surround themselves with people who believe in themselves and you. It’ s important to rely on positive people who share your aspirations and dreams but most importantly, accept you for who you are. The most important lesson I’ve learned in my business journey? Make people earn your trust! Trust is a gift and can be used in ways to destroy anyone. Don’t give up on your dream and have passion because you will work your ass off. Understand that in order to grow, we all can only work so hard especially if we value a family and friends. So, be prepared to limit your business growth or learn how to trust people. because no great financial success can happen with only one person. It truly takes a team to build an empire. People are always and will always be our greatest resource. It is not money or luck that creates success, it’ s a team of people who believe in the same goals. Today, I’m happy to see hair stylists having more opportunities than ever before. With social media, independent studio rentals and free lance stylists working on their own terms, consumers are no longer held to the traditional norms of salon business. Its great for the consumers but the down side is, salons all over the country are struggling to stay afloat. I do see an end to the traditional salon industry of the last seventy- five years. Today only more independent salons, not influenced by big product companies and star stylists, will survive. They’ll need to keep expenses down and rely more on themselves. This is primarily because of the costs of salon operation and stylists being able to free lance on their own. However, this all will come at a cost.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Where do I begin! Miami is my favorite place to be. Whenever the plane comes in for a landing, I always am thankful to call it home. I live in other peoples paradise. But, COVID19 has changed so much. Culturally Miami has grown tremendously. Whether you enjoy concerts, theater, culinary delights from food trucks to the ‘Scarpetta’ in the Fountain Blue Hotel on Miami Beach, there’ s food for everyone here! The PAM-Perez Art Museum is spectacular when opened. I live in Mid town and with COVID19 have been saying in and or staying close to home. The Daily is on Biscayne Blvd and offers a no frills great menu with plenty of outdoor seating. When our beach loving friends visit in the winter, we always visit the 12th street beach for the diversity with sun and fun later at the Palace on Ocean Drive, SoBe. The Miami Beach Golf Club on Alton Rd is very close and gives the others in our group a different outlet. The Hard Rock offers gambling and food within 20 minutes drive from Miami Beach also. If shopping is your thing, you must visit The Shoppes at Mid-Town. You won’t be disappointed.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, my mother Elizabeth M. Pettine RIP 5/30/1934- 7/26/2012. Mom was twenty – three years old at my birth. She suffered being married to a charismatic and handsome man who returned from the Korean War with PTSD which was not a diagnoses yet. He was a insufferable alcoholic who led our mother through years of abuse. I watched this woman get up each time he would knock her down until one day, she walked out with her six children. I learned to be strong, never give up and work hard for what you need or want in life. My mother had dreams and passions which were nearly destroyed within the confines of her marriage but she never gave up trying to escape. That she did after seventeen years of extreme physical and emotional abuse. During these years in the 60’s and 70’s, Mom began wearing wigs and I realized at that young point in my life where I was about eight or nine years old, that I loved styling moms wigs! She affirmed my skills and that of course built up my confidence. But those times in a small city one hour north of Manhattan Ny, Ny times were different and as I went through my teens. I didn’t want anyone else to know I enjoyed playing with hair. After all, father always criticized me as being a momma’s boy. Not being masculine enough for him. So, I didn’t reexamine the salon industry until I saw the movie ‘ Shampoo’ in 1975, starring Warren Beatty , Goldie Hawn and so many other s I loved on screen. That was it! Within a few weeks , I was in beauty school. Once in the business, about four years into it and as owner of a salon, I discovered a little known German company called Goldwell International, who was introducing its new line of hair color into the USA market. I became hooked on hair color and began my career to become a master hair colorist. Once I moved to Miami in 1986 where South Beach was being born, the runways shows, designers and all their eccentricities offered numerous opportunities to work with great productions and people. Finally, Brescia University, because as a late in life adult university student, after the 2008 economic fallout, I went back to school to accomplish finishing up my college education. This was something I started right after beauty school. The experience was life altering. I finished in 2015 with a BSW Bachelors in Social Work in Alphi Chi !! Only another who has been through this, can appreciate these feelings. This education opened my eyes to the other ways in which a person can give back. By possessing the ability help others. I cam to realize the main reason I was so into doing my moms wigs when I was so young is, because it made mom so happy! I became addicted to making people happy. But now , through writing, speaking and sharing my experiences I found a way to reach so many more people and hopefully help them find happiness too.

Website: https://www.scarpettarestaurants.com/ https://shopmidtownmiami.com/ https://www.pamm.org/ https://palacesouthbeach.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miamihaircolorist/?hl=en
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-pettineiii-b7749460?challengeId=AQHef5JYaiMPTwAAAXZh3R2j30lLOI5Uzx-RN_xBxF3cwuckU0toe7VYWfOmsExCfTiBrvhMlLNBBu8jmBueP94hNPh7s6m32g&submissionId=7d649a28-c89e-5016-9fb9-f9f68dc11f3b
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.miamihaircolorist/

Image Credits
Helen DeLilillo