When I first joined the education team I was a part of for nearly a decade, my biggest draw was their deep involvement in the fashion world. Specifically? Their work at New York Fashion Week. Growing up, NYFW was a dream that felt so far away — one I never thought I’d touch. I had dabbled in some modeling as a teenager and was absolutely obsessed with Project Runway, but I never thought my hairstyling career could be the ticket into that world.

Fast-forward to my fourth year of educating with the company, and my invite of a lifetime finally landed in my inbox. I was going to NYFW. My inner child was screaming. But my inner adult? Absolutely terrified.

The arrival.
I had only been to New York once before. Stepping into the city as part of an elite hair team felt surreal — and I instantly realized I was way out of my depth. On the evening I arrived, my inbox pinged with all the show assignments and tools I’d need. Scrolling the list, my heart stopped. I didn’t have the right size curling iron.

Suddenly, my excitement spiraled into full-blown panic.
Never mind that I had been teaching for years or that I was selected for a reason — my inner voice told me I was an imposter, and this was proof.

Even as I type this now, I laugh at little Kendra, calling my husband in tears, convinced this was the end of my NYFW dream over a curling iron. My hands were flying across my phone screen trying to hunt one down, hoping that the “city that never sleeps” would magically have a beauty supply shop open at 10 p.m. (Spoiler: it didn’t.)

Help is often just one ask away.
That sleepless night, I decided my plan was to just show up early and own up to my missing tool. I was the first one at headquarters that morning — coffee in hand and nerves on edge — when the girl organizing everything smiled and simply said, “No problem.”
She pulled open a cabinet full of extra tools like it was nothing. And because I’d been early and was there to help, she invited me to come back to Bridal Fashion Week in a few weeks too, and I did and that experience contained so many moments that I will forever be grateful for.

That was my first big lesson at NYFW: most of the obstacles I created in my head weren’t obstacles at all.

Growth outside the comfort zone.
I went on to work that fashion week — and three more after that — and each one stretched me far beyond my comfort zone. I learned how environments can be intense and sometimes toxic, yes. But they can also spark a growth you don’t experience when you play small or safe.

Those first NYFW opportunities showed me that stepping into big dreams will always come with a side of imposter syndrome. But when you push past it — ask for help, trust your skill, and just show up — that’s where your true growth happens.

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Takeaway:
Your biggest dreams rarely wait until you feel “ready.” They wait until you say yes anyway. Every new level will make you feel like an imposter all over again, but that’s just proof you’re stepping into something bigger. Don’t let a curling iron — or anything else — talk you out of showing up.

You belong there,
Kendra