Complacent Stylist: Building An Empire
Thank you to everyone for the overwhelming support and appreciation shown towards me for writing this column.
It’s not easy to share and as many of you know, I’m not one to do things for attention. Instead, I write to you in order to keep myself sharp and provide the support to all of you who read, call, come to classes, and rely on us for information.
With so many of you responding, I have received lots of requests for how I started my business and arrived at where I am now. So, let’s take a trip down memory lane…
Starting Out – Customer Appreciation
When I started out as a stylist, I didn’t have much of anything. I borrowed a lot to open my first salon, I didn’t know much about running a business, and I especially didn’t know about advertising and marketing. I got by with the help of friends and clients, and my appreciation for them ran me right into a great business building idea… Customer Appreciation Night.
I started with just one night at the end of the month and it grew to include several nights throughout the month.
Why did I do it this the way? What made it so successful?
This is going to sound terrible and it is, so if you’re sensitive and have a heart, I understand… but I was hungry and had bills to pay.
I knew everyone had the most money saved up by the end of the month because the first of the month is rent, bills, and life. Hosting a party at the end of the month ensured that people would have a decision to make. Do the right thing, save your money and pay your bills OR be late a week and have really good looking fun hair!
Guess what? Within 6 months of opening the salon, we were able to hire shampoo people and a front desk person. I didn’t have to run back and forth anymore. Within the next 6 months, I had an assistant and hostess to go around cleaning and bringing clients refreshments.
Everyone Loves a Party!
A lot of people especially love private parties… there’s just something to be said about attending an event that is not open to the public. So I presold tickets to my own clients and anyone else that would listen to me for 30 seconds. In turn, my salon created a magical event with the following:
- I used the presale money to get giveaways… because who doesn’t like leaving with goodies?!?
- We convinced the local restaurant owner to cater the event so they could promote their food.
- I knew all the local bartenders because I used to drink back in my twenties. So I had them come in and promote their bar by pouring a few bottles of wine and some drinks.
- We pumped up the music until the police showed up for noise complaints.
- And we gave consultations to our clients and their family members.
Looking back on it now, the amount of alcohol we served was a bad idea but at the time, whoa baby did we have fun! Nowadays, you can have an ‘alcohol sampling’ which is a fancy way of saying, “Get FREE beer, wine, or liquor!”
The point of the night was not to do anyone’s hair. It was to do consultations, get them excited and book them to back in very soon. Some people did get their hair done at these parties, but they had to come back the following week to get the color balanced and haircut evened out. But even then, we would have a laugh about it instead of them being upset.
The entire party created such energy that we started getting a ton of referrals. People naturally felt like they were part of something and wanted to show off.
Recognition
These customer appreciation parties soon led to some weird occurrences outside of the salon… people would recognize me! I would be sitting at a restaurant trying to eat, at the grocery trying to figure out what to eat, at the hardware store trying to figure out how to fix stuff and people would come up and say, “Hi Eddie! When is the next party?” or “Thank you so much, look at how well my hair is doing!” After a while, I had become a little local celebrity. It was important for party attendees to try and impress me by doing what I told them and showing off their great hair!
My little self who started small began to expand and exact change in my area. I knew everyone, the people who made coffee, the checkers at the grocery, the restaurant staff, bank tellers, dry cleaners, and the gas station guy. It didn’t matter where I went, I knew everyone and most importantly they knew who I was.
We have to remember that we are mini local celebrities. On a day off, the last thing we want to do is get up, dressed and out the door, but we are our own best advertisement.
I used to make myself an appointment at the salon and have an assistant apply my color so it was always fresh looking. I didn’t enjoy getting dressed up all the time, but it was necessary…. we are, after all, symbols of fashion. It was the worst to see someone outside of the salon looking “normal”. It deflated the whole image, especially in today’s social media world.
It’s easier now to advertise yourself but at the end of the day, we still need to physically do hair. Those people are local and come from all around your local neighborhood and a lot closer than you realize. The best social media are your neighbors and neighborhood. Be a brand, be an image, be a celebrity, be the product that they can’t get online or anywhere else!
- Published in Celebrity Hair, DIY, Hair Care, Hair Salon, Hair Styling, Hair Tips, Hair's the Bling, Lifestyle
Why Exercise Is Damaging Your Client’s Hair and How to Prevent It
While women exercise they want their hair secure and out of their face. The hair is usually thrown in a bun or ponytail and off they go. It’s also very likely that it’s the same ponytail or bun every time… because humans are creatures of habit.
As a stylist, you are likely cringing at this point because you can begin to see the damage that can come while your clients get their calorie burn on.
Ask your clients about their hair routine while they exercise and turn it into an education on damage and prevention. Plus, I’m going to make this super easy for you by breaking it down into easily explainable chunks.
Let’s begin with the damage talk. Explain to your client that hair cuticles are cells that overlap like fish scales. When the hair is healthy and smooth those scaly cells fit nicely on top of each other. When those cells don’t lay smoothly it causes these 3 signs of damage.
- Frizz – Dry and bleached hair is caused by exposure to UV light.
- Split Ends – These unflattering ends are caused by too much sun exposure and sweat.
- Breakage – Women who exercise a lot may find that their hair is breaking at the place their hair tie lies.
Now, onto the prevention part. Here are 5 things to share with your client to prevent damage to their hair while they exercise.
- Wear your hair differently each time you workout. That way, you’re not pulling at the same spot all the time, causing breakage.
Wearing your hair in a loose bun or braid to avoid matting and contact with sweaty skin. Tangles and sweat cause your hair to dry out.
- Use hair ties made of ribbon or fabric. Saying no to elastic makes sure the hair isn’t too tight.
- Run early in the morning or late in the afternoon. This way you avoid the sun’s most harmful UV rays.
- Use a conditioning and/or keratin treatment occasionally to keep hair, hydrated and strong.
Lastly, you can use this prevention chat to pitch a hydration product or a smoothing service. By expressing what to look for and how to prevent damage, your exercising clients will thank you with their loyalty.
- Published in Hair Care, Hair Products, Hair Salon, Hair Styling, Hair Tips, Lifestyle, science, shiny hair
Weed whacking hair??
This skilled hairdresser changes things up with a unique technique of spinning her shears around her finger…”weed whacking” the client’s hair as she goes. Mad skills or just mad?
Una verdadera artista del cabello:
- Published in hair cutting, Lifestyle
If you don’t do these 4 stretches now, you’ll hate yourself later.
Stylists who feel well, work well… especially for creatives like yourself. The physical demand of spending the day on your feet with the repetitive movements of shampooing, cutting and blow drying are ripe for injury, strain, and pain.
“Duh,” you may be saying right now, so let me get to the point… Increasing your flexibility will lower your risk of stress and injury and it only takes a few minutes out of your day.
A healthy hairstylist understands that special attention needs to be paid to your neck, wrists, and hands. Below, you’ll discover the 4 stretches you should start doing today! Without them, you are taking a chance with your money making skills.
Neck Stretch
Nerves that innervate the muscles of your arms and hands begin in your cervical spine, aka your neck. This is why starting at the neck in this sequence is important.
- Inhale and look up for 10 seconds.
- Exhale and lower your chin to your chest for 10 seconds.
- Inhale and bring your head to the center.
- Exhale and lower your right ear towards your shoulder for 10 seconds.
- Inhale and bring your head to the center.
- Exhale and lower your left ear towards your shoulder for 10 seconds.
- Repeat 3 times
Wrist Stretch
- Sit down, lift your arms over your head and interlace your fingers with your palms together and facing towards your head.
- While your fingers are interlaced, turn your palms up to face the ceiling. Don’t worry if your arms do not straighten completely. Straighten them the best you can without pain.
- Hold for 10 seconds and lower your arms.
- Repeat 3 times.
Thumb Stretch
- Create a fist with your right hand and point your thumb towards the ceiling.
- Gently pull back on your thumb with your free hand and resist the force with your thumb.
- Hold for 10 seconds and switch to your left hand.
- Perform 3 times per hand.
Fingers Stretch
- Stand and place your palms facing together in front of your face.
- Bring your elbows to your body’s center and touch them together.
- Slowly spread your elbows apart while lowering your hands to waist height.
- When your hands are in front of your belly button stop and hold for 10 seconds.
- Bring your hands back to the height of your face and relax for 5 seconds.
- Repeat 3 more times.
- Published in Hair Styling, Lifestyle
A Timeless Men’s Trend from the Great Depression!
By the time the Great Depression hit, the undercut had already been THE go-to look for young men in Great Britain. Here at home, the undercut became the symbol of young working class men, the builders of railroads…skyscrapers…farmers and factory workers. All things being cyclical again, these amazing images from the Great Depression showcase clean lines, classic barbering and an undercut that’s still on trend.
- Published in Hair History, Hair Trends, Lifestyle