As the sun began to stream through the opening of the cutrain in my room at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orelans, I was reminded that this was our last day of an incredible journey. We had shared our vision and mission for Six Figure Hairdresser with hundreds of salon owners and stylist. We had sold out of our material, heard great industry leaders speak, made connections that will make a lasting influence on our business, we even helped build a clean water well in Africa at the same time. For three days we had spoke non stop and encouraged salon owners and stylist that they too could empower themselves with the support of SIx Figure Hairdresser, now it was our turn to sit and listen and be inspired and that we did…
I made my way down to grab a coffee and bagel before the Power Up session( brought to us by Salon Biz). I met my partner Harry in the cafe and we made our way back to the ballroom to hear the first speaker. As he finished up Harry urged me to sit in on Frank Gambuzza’s break out session. I had met Frank the night before and had noticed he had a magnetic energy about him. Of course, it could have been our common love for the state of Tennesee. I spent most of my childhood there and Frank landed in Knoxville where he has 4 successful salons. Two hair salons, one babrbershop of his namesake, and one spa.
I took out my notepad and quickly began to take down all of the signifigant points Frank began to make. I felt like I had hit the lottery as I wrote and nodded my head yes… Frank spoke of the times changing, how fast industries change and your ability to adapt to the changes or even better yet, foresee the changes before they happen and become faster than your competition. He spoke of “Mindshare”, you know, if I say “coffee” you think “Starbucks”, “laundry detergant”-“Tide”, “hair salons” – “Lola Salon, Villa Rica, Georgia”, ha! Ok. the last one is mine, but I had to throw it in there, but you get my drift.
As Frank continued to speak I couldn’t help but feel a sense of panic as I remembered I had not bought souveniers for my children, and Harry had mentioned we may catch an earlier flight back home. As much as I hated to miss the last few minutes of the session I feared even more the disappointment from my youngest ones if I came home empty handed. I knew Harry would be getting out of his session with the awesome Kerry Bennett in just a few minutes, so i grabbed my things and rushed across to a souvenier shop on Bourbon Street to get a few masquerade masks, keychains, and pralines (for my Mom). I was finishing checking out when Harry called and let me know we would stick with our original flight plan and meet for lunch at the Domenica. I could have stayed to hear Frank after all… but life lessons have a great way of showing up and making a lasting impact. If I hadn’t left I would have missed out on the greatest learning experience of the entire trip.
I made my way back to the Domenica where we met up with Kerry Bennet from Atelier Salons, and Laura Watkins from Pure in Kentucky, both recognized as top salons in the industry. I sat myself between Kerry’s manager Rob, and Laura’s manager Jennifer. Of course all we could talk about was what we had learned from our breakout seesions. I pulled out my notes from Frank’s presentation and began to tell them how “if you permit it, you promote it”.. “the fast eat the slow’… then to my surprise, I hear the joyous voice of Frank Gambuzza as he reaches across the table to shake Harry’s hand and to greet us all. I had to admit to him I was telling his secrets and at that moment he closes in on the notes I had taken from his session, then he quizes me.”Did you get “Tide?”…. “what did you like the most?”..” Did you get the Kangaroo and the elephant at the end?” I froze for a brief second, I thought ‘ Oh my goodness, should I lie?” … I decided I would confess. I looked at him and said, “No, I was afraid we were going to leave before I could get my kids a souvenir, so I snuck out at the end”.. As i felt the rush of heat come to my face, Frank just stood back and laughed. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “I’m glad to see you have your priorities in order, those years don’t last long”. A peace came over me and I realized the best lesson of Serious Business had saved itself until last. I believe if you can’t find balance in your career you will be swallowed up by your drive for success and during that time the clock is still ticking. Your children don’t stop growing, moments don’t stop happening. Sometimes you have to stop, get up, and make sure that every part of your life is fed and satisfied. Serious Business was an awesome experience and if it weren’t for Harry Wood and his intense drive to become better and make me better I would have never been able to go, but when I got home and handed out those masks, and keychains, and saw the smiles of gratitude of my childrens faces it made me realize I can’t take this time with them for granted. They grow up, I know all too well, they leave to make their own lives. So while I enjoy my position in this industry as a motivator and leader I enjoy better still my position as a mother. Thank you Frank Gambuzza, I learned more from you than I could ever express, and a million “Thanks” to you Harry Wood, I could have never experienced this ride if it weren’t for you! You men are the best!
The end of the year is drawing near. The holiday season is fast approaching and our busiest season is fast upon us. This last quarter of the year is the most lucrative time for us. During the holiday season hairdressers make 30% of their income in November and December. Clients you haven’t seen all year come out of the wood work, new clients come around, so many opportunities present themselves that if we simply took a few minutes to make a plan of action for the New Year we could set ourselves up for success for the entire year and possibly double our income. With the right plan of action and changing a few habits we could even sustain ourselves during the “slow” times and truly make them a thing of the past.
Now, there is no scientific formula on how long it actually takes to create a new habit. Some studies show after 21 days some small habits can be formed, others may take a little longer but the most significant changes occur after about 66 days of repetition. The great news for us is that there are 95 days left this year. That’s 13 weeks and 4 days to take advantage of this busy season and make 2013 our most successful year yet.
The clock is ticking, however we still have some time to do some evaluations. How has 2012 gone for you? Are you prebooking at 100%? Did you know prebooking can increase your income by at least $15,000 a year? That’s right. That means if you could prebook every client you have during these last crazy busy months you could sustain your business throughout the entire year. With the right habits formed and changes made you could be just as busy July 22 as you will be December 22.
How about your style and appearance? Do you need a little tweeking or could you use an entire reinvention to get you fired up about your career again? How about punctuality? Are you at the salon clean, pressed, and ready for the day well before your first client arrives? Or are you rushing in the door and greeting them in your chair as you walk by to put your things in the back?
Try this…you have 1 week to evaluate your business (YOU are your business). That leaves 12 weeks to create new habits to put into place and be ready to ROCK the new year.
Committing to a transformation can help you evolve into the best hairdresser you can be, you simply need to pinpoint the changes you need to make to make your dreams a reality.
Make this season count and figure out what processes you need to change to reach your goals.
- Consultation?
- Technical?
- Customer Service?
- Finishing?
- Mentally?
- Education?
The clock is ticking but you are in control of how much money you make and how many lives you touch. Don’t sell yourself short. Grab this life by the horns! It’s yours for the taking. You can change the game. You have 95 days…..GO!
It’s funny, but it’s true! The more we do, the more energy we have to do even more. The momentum of our accomplishments pushes us forward, and we often find we can achieve more than we ever thought possible. As I struggled to get into the gym the other day this module suddenly occurred to me. I had not felt like going to the gym at all but I had made a training appointment to keep myself accountable so I sucked it up and went. After I was finished with my session I decided to stay another hour and do cardio. Experiencing that one accomplishment made we want to continue to do more. As I thought about The More You Do, The More You Can Do an amazing lady popped into my mind and I thought her story could inspire all of us and make us realize how endless the possibilities can be once we have our momentum going.
Leslie Munsell’s life originally did not start out in the fast lane of glitz and glamor. Leslie actually had her sights set on business and the world of economics. However, after graduating from Macalester College Leslie landed right in front of an Aveda salon where she made a third space for herself and began taking in the scenery of the world of beauty and she created the foundation for her career. Leslie began to use her gift of seeing beauty to help to inspire the world to see it as she did. She began freelancing for modeling agencies and traveling the world. She is a pioneer for Aveda and leader in developing the most prestigious programs in the industry. After falling in love, Leslie made her home in Miami. 11 years ago Leslie had the opportunity to open a Van Michael Salon and on top of her already busy career, she took a chance and went for it. She admits at first it demanded much of her time. Now she credits an amazing staff, the Van Michael systems and a freedom that comes with delegating to being able to pursue more avenues in the world of beauty and to expand her territory of positive influence.
Following her desire to reveal true beauty and her entrepreneurial spirit, Leslie began developing her own line of cosmetics. Beauty For Real was born two years ago and during that time Leslie has not only changed faces, she has changed lives. Her beauty line is not meant for the glamour girl. Leslie focuses more on natural looks that reveal the soul. What impresses me so much about this line is that Leslie dedicates every month to a Heroin of Beauty and Grace. These are outstanding woman who not only look beautiful, they are doing beautiful things as well. Every month Leslie donates 25% of the sales of the favorite product of the Beauty and Grace heroin to her charity of choice.
Leslie has built on the momentum that was created over a decade ago in Minnesota to create many avenues of beauty and ways to change lives. She has no special powers or advantages that aren’t available to all of us. She was simply inspired by other women in her life to take what she was talented at and make a difference in the world. She is the true meaning of The More You Do, The More You Can Do. Check out her website at www.Beautyforreal.com and read the stories of the Beauty and Grace Heroins. You may know someone who deserves the honor as well. Not only is Leslie making a positive statement in the industry, she is developing products and an atmosphere we can all relate to and learn from. So, the next time you come upon a task that may seem overwhelming and the dread is weighing more than the reward, remember Your accomplishments are your momentum! You can do anything!! Just go for it!
Building your business and making it a success really depends on how well you are at promoting yourself and realizing that everyone you come into contact with is a potential client, or they may know someone who they could refer to you. It just takes a little planning and preparation to get the ball rolling. Marketing has exploded into many arenas over the last few years from grassroots to social media and trying to put all of them into practice can be a bit daunting. Having a plan and evaluating the type of business you want to build is crucial to your success. So let’s begin with the basics.
Business cards-Don’t leave home without them! Create a business card for yourself that is easily understood and to the point. Include your company logo, even if you are a freelancer or work as an independent, you will want your logo to…
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Sex, politics, and religion have always been the three taboos in the salon industry however; a “change” is on the horizon and the integrity of our industry is on the chopping block. All across the United States there is legislation being introduced to deregulate our industry and other industries that are governed by state boards. Legislators are attempting to streamline professional boards and eliminate cosmetology state boards and the regulations that protect the consumer, our clients, and ourselves and it is up to all of us to raise our voices and keep our industry beautiful.
What “Deregulation” means is that if any one that feels like they are qualified to do hair, they have the right to do so, without any kind of training or advanced education. In some states legislation has been introduced that does not even require a high school diploma to receive a cosmetology license. If deregulation is passed in a state the risk of safety and chances of infection will sky-rocket. Legislation believes that it is up to the consumer to decide who is a qualified stylist, makeup artist, nail tech, etc. At what price?
If you will go to the Professional Beauty Association website at www.probeauty.org you can access valuable information about legislation in each and every state that could have an impact on the safety and health of your business. As well as join a grassroots advocacy group to make sure that awareness is brought to these issues. Get involved and find out who your local representatives are. We have to keep a personal interest in the industry to protect the business that all of us have gone to school for and been committed to for years. As stylist we take pride in the accomplishments that we have made and we are on the cusp of a talented explosion with all of the platforms we can showcase our work from. We certainly don’t want our successes to be watered down by misinformed legislators. Let your voice be heard. Join us here at Six Figure Hairdresser to keep the industry standards and level of integrity at an all time high.
You are the C.E.O., we are all the C.E.O. of the business that we run behind the chair. Whether you are a salon owner, an employee, or a renter, the success of the empire you are building greatly depends on your entrepreneurial spirit, and if you want to acheive Six Figure freedoms you have to run your business behind the chair just like a C.E.O. runs a company behind their desk.
You are in control of how much money you make and once you have decided where you want your business to be you simply have to measure your drive. Do you have what it takes to build be a leader in your salon? In the industry?
An entrepeneur leads and is always in search of a market to tap into and corner, to be a pioneer in their industry. They are always looking for opportunities to grow and expand their territory. An industry leader is continually in search of ways to improve their guests experience and to offer the highest quality of service for the consumer.
Of course being an entrepeneur and a pioneer is a challenge, however if it was easy everybody would do it. It all begins with your desire to achieve your dreams and your ability to lead and inspire, and you can do it! You have already been appointed to C.E.O.( Creative Execution Operator). What are you going to do with it?
One of the greatest joys in life is watching the sun go down and thinking back on your day and realizing that today was a great day. I got to experience one of those moments yesterday as I replayed the day over in my head and thought of the days events. It started out with a trip to the Aveda Institute in Atlanta where we attended the Color Revisioned class. It was our first visit to the new institute and needless to say, Aveda has outdone themselves once again. I always sense an excitement in the air before a class and for good reason. Aveda has some of the best education in the world and the best educators. We arrived a few minutes early to the class and as we approached the door we were greeted by none other than Jeffery Scott himself. Score!! I’ve attended Jeffery’s classes in the past so I knew we where in for top of the line training and that’s exactly what we got. Jeffery actually worked on the team to make this new launch a success and to make Aveda color a top contender in the world of beauty.
Thank you Aveda for endlessly striving to make this world a better place and for giving all of us the opportunity to learn from the best educators and spend time with most talented hairdressers this industry has ever seen. As we sat in class discovering all the new possibilities we were about to take back to our guests, I looked around and truly felt blessed to be in the same company as salons like Jameson Shaw and DRee and Co., and of course Aveda Institute Color Educator Meredith VanSickle just to name a few. We were all thrilled to know that Aveda uses only wind power to produce the products we use and almost all of the packaging is from 100% post-consumer recycled paper.
Getting excited about Aveda color has never been a challenge. They have given us artist a palette of endless possibilities and now they have improved those possibilities once again. There isn’t a look that we can’t achieve now. From the avante garde looks we can achieve with the Pure Pigments, to the sun kissed brights we can achieve with the new Extra Lifting Creme and their pastel tones. Grab your ear muffs for the new reds. If you thought they screamed before…….the Intense Base makes the old reds sound like a whisper. BRAVO! for the Universal Zero N. SHINE On Aveda!
And thanks for the generosity you have shown all of us through this launch!
We are closing in on another brand new year and now is a great time to reflect on our accomplishments of 2011 and congratulate ourselves on a job well done! When we think back on this past year we have to ask ourselves how did we do? Did you set any new goals that you accomplished this year? Did you fall short on any? What will you do differently next year? Every great accomplishment begins with an idea. As hairstylist we are visionaries by nature and the difference between accomplishing our goals or merely tossing up a few ideas is our plan of action. Some goals will require many steps and processes while others can be as simple as changing one habit or pattern but the first step that needs to follow your ideas is to create a vision for your goals. Take a few minutes and really think about the kind of business you want to generate for yourself in 2012. Write your goals down. Did you know only 3% of people have written down goals? You will find so much more success in life if you live it intentionally. Once you have your goals written down take some time to create a vision in your mind of what accomplishing these goals will do for your life and your career. Try to be as specific as you can in your vision and think of why you want to make these accomplishments. You may want a new car, or to go on a family vacation without any worries of bills when you get back, maybe you want to give more of your time or your money to charity. Your goal could be to become a mentor or educator. The possibilities are really endless. Don’t let your goals overwhelm you. Think of the process that is going to get your there and create small goals. If you’d like to have a 99% retention rate for 2012 and you were at 30% in 2011 you might want to take it a week or a month at a time and break down your overall goal into baby steps. Daily goals are a great motivator as well. The more goals you reach the more momentum you will gain and before you know it you will more than likely accomplish more than you imagined. The mind is a powerful tool and we will manifest what we dwell upon so why not think of a better life with a better career and more opportunities to reach out and impact people? Our hope is that 2012 is going to be your best year yet, just remember that you are in control of your business and a Six Figure Hairdresser doesn’t sit around and wait to see what life is going to hand them. We take our position in the driver’s seat and we MAKE IT HAPPEN!! Happy New Year!!!
Having a cosmetology license is like having a ticket to ride. Even in this tough economy with the unemployment rates at record high levels and people holding bachelor and master degrees can’t find a job we still manage to be needed and opportunities still present themselves to us as often as we open our eyes to them. Of course we aren’t in the market for a job, we are in the market for a career. Deciding where you are going to start your career should be one of the most carefully planned moves of your life, especially in this industry. With vast amounts of diversity whirling around our business and stylist from all walks of life behind the chair, finding a good fit is crucial to the success of YOUR business and for the company you decide to work for. True, it is exciting when you get that license and you are ready to conquer the world, you will go to work just about anywhere. However, that isn’t really fair to you or your career. Cool your jets a second and do some evaluations.
What is your own personal style? Are you edgy with an avant-garde style? Do you like to play it safe or a you a risk taker? Maybe you like a more classic approach and enjoy an atmosphere that is calm and serene. What kind of clientele do you want to cater to? College students, professionals, soccer moms, kids, musicians, super models? The possibilities are endless and there is a fit for all of us. The key is figuring out where do you fit and how can you be an asset to that environment?
Another important factor in deciding where you are going to plant yourself is aligning yourself with a salon that shares in your personal beliefs and mission in life. Do they carry a product line that you can believe in and work with? Do they offer additional education and help cultivate your skills as an artist? Do you want to work in a salon that is departmentalized and specialize in only cutting or coloring or maybe you would like to be a make-up artist or an extension guru…maybe you want to do it all!
The point is, do a little soul-searching before you race out to snatch up the first offer that is handed to you. Examine yourself and create a plan that will serve as a firm foundation where you can plant your seed of creativity and grow into a landscape of beauty. Find a place that you feel like you could spend your life at, not that you will spend your entire life there but you will spend much of it… Creating a successful business has to be done through stability. Position yourself in a place that you feel like you can grow and connect with the team and also with the community that surrounds you. A seed can’t grow if it’s laying on top of the ground being shuffled from place to place and never taking root in the soil. You are in control of your business and your success is going to be determined by the decisions you make and your ability to devote your time and energy to nourish the roots of your career and bloom where you’re planted.
It doesn’t have to be a night of Academy Awards, with bright lights flashing from the paparazzi, or Entertainment Tonight standing on the sidelines for a Six Figure Hairdresser to sashe’ down the red carpet and stake their claim in the industry. We are on stage everyday designing looks and developing ideas to make our business one of the best. When the envelope is opened and your name is called, what are you going to be known for? What are you recognized for? What makes you different from any other stylist out there? It could be the way you educate your clients so that they can emulate the salon look at home, it could be your impeccable customer service skills, or the way you always think of them on special occasions. Perhaps it’s your gift of seeing a better color or cut for them that could enhance their best features. Or it could be your contribution to the industry by developing more ergonomic tools for a healthier career. Brands are endless and are always unique in design. We may all have been cut from the same cloth but our finished product is our own. If you left the business tomorrow, what would your clients miss most about you? That’s your brand. Establish it and make it famous!
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