ABOUT Dee Marie
the People have always been the work.
I’m Dee Marie, a positive psychology coach, speaker, educator and 20-year grooming-industry veteran.
I partner with colleges, career schools and grooming organizations to help talented people build the mindset, relationships and practical strategies they need to succeed.
My work lives at the intersection of two worlds that make perfect sense together: developing students and developing service professionals.
Because whether someone is trying to finish school, build a sustainable business or grow into a stronger leader, talent is rarely the whole problem.
People need a plan. They need support. They need to believe they belong in the room—and know what to do when things get hard.
I learned people before I studied psychology.
Long before I earned a master’s degree or became a credentialed coach, I spent 20 years behind the barber chair.
Thousands of people sat in front of me. I listened to their stories, helped them work through decisions and learned how trust changes a conversation.
The barbershop taught me that people don’t need to be talked down to'; they need to feel seen, tell the truth about what is happening and leave with a next move they can actually make.
That lesson still shapes everything I do.
Positive psychology gave me the research.
Coaching gave me the process.
The grooming industry gave me the real-world education.
I know the grooming industry from more than one side of the chair.
I didn’t just work in the industry. I built in it, taught in it, managed in it, and literally helped to re-write the book on barbering.
I owned The Suite Spot Beauty and Barber, managed the West Loop location of Floyd’s 99 Barbershop, managed Bespoke Men’s Grooming and served as an educator at Tricoci University of Beauty Culture.
I have experienced the business as a technician, educator, manager and owner. I understand the pressure of filling the book, serving clients, managing personalities, leading a team and trying to build a real business around a skill you love.
That experience is why I now help grooming organizations develop the business owners and leaders behind their brands.
The goal is not to turn creative professionals into corporate robots.
It is to help them build businesses that are profitable, sustainable and strong enough to support the lives they are working so hard to create.
I also know what it means to take the long road through school.
It took me five attempts and 26 years to finish college.
I stopped out four times—not because I wasn’t capable, but because I was first-generation, working, managing life and trying to navigate a system nobody had taught me how to use.
Every time life got heavy, school was the first thing I let go.
On my fifth attempt, I stopped trying to prove that I could do everything alone. I asked questions sooner, used support and built school around the life I actually had.
I finished my degree and went on to earn a Master of Science in Positive Psychology.
Today, I use that experience to connect with students who may not respond to another polished speech about working harder.
I help them understand the pressures that can push capable students away, identify what could interrupt their own progress and build a practical plan for staying connected when school gets difficult.
Two lanes. One body of work.
At first glance, student-success programming and grooming-industry development may look like separate businesses.
They are not.
Both are about helping capable people move successfully through a transition:
From student to graduate
From graduate to working professional
From talented technician to sustainable business owner
From individual contributor to confident leader
From knowing the work to building a future around it
My role is to help people understand what gets in the way, recognize the strengths and resources they already have, and build a realistic way forward.
Credentials and experience
Master of Science in Positive Psychology
ICF Associate Certified Coach
Student Success Coach in higher education
20-year grooming-industry professional
Former owner of The Suite Spot Beauty and Barber
Former manager at Floyd’s 99 Barbershop, West Loop
Former manager at Bespoke Men’s Grooming
Former educator at Tricoci University of Beauty Culture
2016 Barber Educator of the Year
Curriculum contributor to Pivot Point International
Work featured in Seventeen, Modern Salon and Beauty Launchpad
Let’s build something your people can use.
I partner with colleges, career schools and grooming-industry organizations to develop practical, evidence-based programs for students, professionals and emerging leaders.
Tell me a little about your organization, audience and goals. I’ll follow up to discuss the right program or a customized engagement.