Meet the Ambassador: Allison Haunhorst
Meet Allison of Paul Mitchell The School Columbus - our newest MONEY Ambassador. The ambassador program is a community of school leaders who want to make a lasting impact on our industry. These individuals are passionate about financial literacy, believe in the power of education, and want to help shape a new generation of beauty and wellness professionals. We sat down with Allison to ask her a few questions about her new role as a MONEY ambassador.
Why are you passionate about financial literacy?
Before moving into my dream field (beauty industry) I was a bank manager. In fact, I was a manager in general for over 15 years. That background has always given me a passion to teach and train! My favorite part about working in the bank was teaching not only my staff, but educating my customers who came in as well. To be able to blend these two areas of my passion and knowledge together will be one of the most exciting things I have ever been able to do in my career!
Why do you think financial literacy is important for students?
Financial literacy is important for our students because majority of them are new adults, meaning they have not had experience beyond a simple checking account and debit card. We are here to mold them into future professionals and they cannot be well-rounded without knowing how to handle their own money. Even if they are not new adults and have some experience, it is also our job to help them understand how to manage their finances once they start their business!
Which part of the MONEY program are you most excited about?
The connecting questions. I feel that is a place where I can really create discussions and show how important this is.
Many people identify with having negative or unproductive money stories. What’s your money story?
I grew up very poor and in a very poor neighborhood, BUT I never KNEW we were poor. My mom did a great job of penny-pinching and budgeting to make sure we had what we needed and she never let the stress show. As I grew older and realized how little money we had, I made it a priority to never be like that. I didn't look down on my mother at all - she was a rockstar! I just knew I didn't want to struggle the way she did. I put myself through college and worked my butt off, taking any feedback thrown my way. All of that hard work paid off! Now I am living the life I want to live where I don't have to stress as my mother did! I can take her out to dinner now and on vacations and repay her for all of her work. I am not "wealthy" by any means, but I have put myself in a position where I can live comfortably.
Imagine every beauty and wellness student was provided financial literacy education. How do you think this would change our industry?
I think it would make a huge difference, however, it has to be the right person teaching it. This is not a traditionally "fun and exciting" topic to talk about, but if you have someone in the position who is excited it will make a world of difference. If this class is taught with enthusiasm and it is creating dialogues (which I fully intend on doing) and every student had access, it would be world changing. It would change the students life dramatically knowing how money works and how they can make it work for them.
