Moxie:

1. vigor; pep  2.boldness; nerve  3. the ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage  4.skill; know how

Moxie is who I am and what I’ve always been.  All throughout my childhood my moxie seemed to show up quite often (for more backstory please see my blog post, “I Didn’t Choose the Moxie Life the Moxie Life Chose Me: the early years”).  I’ve heard it said that personality is determined by the age of six and, for me at least, this was very true! If you ask my family they’ll tell you I’ve always known my own mind, knew what I wanted, and wasn’t shy about telling everyone exactly what it was I wanted.  And I wasn’t afraid to work hard to get it, whatever “it” was.

While growing up in rural New Mexico I spent my days helping take care of the farm. (My favorite job was driving the water truck not just on the farm but into town even before I had a license. But that’s another post for another day!)  My bucolic upbringing helped me learn and appreciate the value of hard work and I knew that this would serve me well in my future career as a plastic surgeon. Yep, that’s right, a plastic surgeon.

I often daydreamed and planned out my future while working the farm or riding our horses.  My idea was to go to hair school and then work as a stylist while attending medical school. As an A+ student I never doubted that this was a workable plan. I was drawn to the beauty industry and decided this was how I wanted be part of that world.

At 16, I packed up my moxie and my other belongings and moved across the country from New Mexico to Florida. By working full-time and going to school full-time I was already working Behind the Chair at the age of 17. I loved being a stylist and helping my clients feel fabulous about themselves. But as satisfying as this was I knew I wanted even more.  My Moxie Life was just beginning!

At 17, I was hired by John Paul Mitchell Systems as their youngest educator ever and began traveling the world teaching and training other stylists. Being an educator allowed me to touch the lives of hundreds of people. From Florida to Chicago I continued to hone my skills as a stylist and leader while managing a world-class salon.  After returning to Florida, and saying goodbye to those Chicago winters, I knew I was ready to take my Moxie Life to the next level.

Founding Moxie to Go was the natural step towards my goal of bringing beauty and confidence to everyone I meet. My journey so far has been indescribably amazing and I have made so many connections, both personally and professionally, and been given more opportunities than I could have ever imagined.  I’m so excited to now be able to share Moxie To Go with the world and launch this beautiful site. And who knows where my Moxie Life will take me next. Dr. Rachel Cole does have a ring to it.

To be continued….

Rachel Cole/Celeste Greenlee
Author/Editor