Gina Kleinschmidt is a New York City based hairstylist who specializes in men’s cuts, extensions and special occasion styling. The prestigious Aveda Institute Minneapolis graduate, Gina started her career in her native Minnesota before moving to New York City in 2010. Gina's life motto? Do what you love and love what you do. “It’s self explanatory,” she says. “Because if you don’t, then what kind of life is that?”
This is the story of how she came to discover her life’s passion.
I Used to Braid My Horse’s Hair All The Time!
Horses are believed to have healing powers. They have been used as a therapeutical tool for people facing emotional, behavioral and learning challenges for over 50 years now. So you would think that giving a horse to a child whose parents divorced would help it deal with its emotions, right? But would you ever think that owning a horse could spark an interest in hair in a child? Well, it certainly has in Gina’s case.
Gina’s parents divorced when she was about five years old. Growing up, she spent every school year with her mom in Minnesota, and would travel to Colorado every summer and holiday to see her father. In efforts to compensate for the travel commitment, the emotional challenges, as well as the lack of friends in Colorado, Gina’s father decided to give her a horse to take care of.
Eager to keep herself entertained, young Gina would spend countless hours playing with the horse. “I used to brush and braid my horse’s hair all the time!” she recalls. As it turned out, the horse instructor Gina had at that time quickly noticed her interest in hair and decided to teach her some of her own braiding tricks. “And that’s what I would do. I’d sit there and practice braiding on myself and my horse,” she explains.
Fifth Harmony styled by Gina during the band's 2015 Summer Tour
I Always Knew
Although Gina excelled in many sports growing up, including swimming, skiing, and ice skating, she says she always knew that hair was what she wanted to do. Even though her parents encouraged her to go to college before settling in for career in the beauty industry, she decided to stand her ground and applied to beauty school instead.
Beauty school was, in Gina’s words, 'the best time of her life'. She woke up every single day loving going to school. As she recalls: “The minute I stepped my foot into Aveda’s Institute I just knew this was what the rest of my life would be like.” And she just couldn't wait to make it happen.
It Was Always Styling I Was Good At
After years of practicing on herself and the horse, Gina quickly became an expert in styling. At beauty school, she was the first one to master finger waives among fifty other students in her class. As she recalls:
“It was always styling I was good at. Cutting I wasn’t. Cutting and coloring I was fine at, but when it came to styling I was the best in class. Without a doubt.”
Gina’s passion for styling explains her love of production and wedding hair. “I love production and bridal hair because it’s all styling,” she says. “If I had to choose one thing I wanted to do for the rest of my life I would choose styling. I think it’s so fun and creative,” she adds.
Fifth Harmony styled by Gina during the band's 2015 Summer Tour
If It Doesn’t Feel Right It’s Because It’s Not
So what’s Gina’s secret on finding your passion? It is very simple, yet so often we choose to ignore it.
“Don’t do what you think you are supposed to do,” she says. “Don’t do a certain job or go to a four year college just because you think you are supposed to do it. Do what you want to do and always follow your gut. If something doesn’t feel right it’s because it’s not.”
Gina believes that once you find what you love doing, you will find a way to make it your income source. However, she stresses that money should not be the main indicator when deciding on a career path. She suggests:
“It’s not about how much money you are making. If you love doing something, you will find a way to make money out of it and you will be fulfilled.”
Gina is an exceptional hairstylist. Even though she was fortunate to discover her interests at a very young age, she has had to work really hard to perfect her skill and to create a life she has always dreamed of. Her enthusiasm, persistence, and remarkable work ethic, allowed to work in some of the best hair salons in the country, as well as have her work featured on the MTV Video Music Awards, the Today Show, and New York Fashion Week, among many others.
Still, what’s really remarkable about Gina as a person is how in tune she is with her inner-self. She has mastered the skill of listening to the inner voice and letting it guide her through life. This, in turn, allowed her to make great career choices and has contributed to her successful career.
To see more of Gina’s work visit her website and follow her Instagram.
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