the ramblings of a chronic over thinker

started from the bottom now we where??

clearly at the top! using gold to lotion is a sign of wealth, right?

not familiar with the drake song? started from the bottom now we’re here! here meaning the top! the pinnacle! success! “look ma we made it!”

I done kept it real from the jump
Living at my mama house we'd argue every month
*Playa, I was tryna get it on my own
Workin' all night, traffic on the way home
And my uncle calling me like, "Where ya at?
I gave you the keys told you bring it right back"
*Playa, I just think it's funny how it goes
Now I'm on the road, half a million for a show

so if you’re not a drake fan, or familiar with the song, it’s cool. it’s really just a statement of success and stating how far one has come to reach the top. but what is the top? what is success?

i was in a great conversation about success and we concluded that success isn’t the top. success is the amount of times you slipped off the top and then had to climb back up again. that’s one of the real meanings in my humble opinion. the ability to KEEP going no matter what comes or what goes. we start to believe that ‘making it’ is all we need to be focused on. the reality is, making it and continuing to stay positive, in spite of life/living, is what we should be pushing as a narrative. “look ma, i made it!”, is great and everything, but believe me, you’re not going to just get to coast after that. trust that things get more complicated when you have a view from the top.

feels amazing!

i definitely feel like i have reached ‘success’ here and there a few times, and it felt amazing, it felt wonderful, it felt good! i have also slipped off my ‘top’ probably more than i reached the top, but i’m still here, enjoying every slip, slide and climb. i wonder if jeff besos slips here and there? i mean, he IS human right?

✌🏾-p

*replaced the derogatory word

the ramblings of a chronic over thinker

changes: it’s a love hate

i love change! i do! anyone who knows me knows that i’m always up for change. i think it’s really the indicator of growth. i strive to do my best to grow everyday when i can and with that—changes! i’ll be honest, i’m a hairstylist that became a business owner. a lot of the business issues/stuff my company has gone through in the last 14 years are in part due to me and my (sometimes poor) decision making. the shop hinges on my knowledge and understanding of supply and demand. i didn’t read financials well, and wasn’t bothered by their gibberish to want to gain clarity. i developed a healthy distaste for cra and all things tax related, and once again, felt no pressure to address concerns. fast forward to now—business courses, a degree, a family, and i can see how i need to change the way the shop has been operating.

CHANGE IT UP

hopefully you all received the emails with the new process for tuesday appointments. we won’t have ayoub at the desk, as tuedays are quite slow and there aren’t enough booked stylist to warrant support staff. we are hoping that most of you can book online, or through email, or even leave a message! no one will be answering the phone so keep that in mind when you are trying to book or get support. ayoub will return the messages as soon as he returns on wednesday.

we truly do thank all of you that patronize our shop! you are the ones that keep us going and motivate us to grow and improve! if you have any questions, issues or concerns, please let me know. i hope my message finds you well!

ayoub will be at the front wedesday, thursday and friday, do not fret!

✌🏾 -p

MISSION: To put the best YOU together, while making a difference to the earth and ourselves.

VISION: To inspire a better way for beauty.

VALUES: Excellence- We believe in loving what we do, and are so passionate about our craft-that it shows in your hair, every time. 

Caring-We believe in upholding and sustaining the essential balance between beauty and caring for our natural environment.    

Connection-We believe in caring for YOU-and we will make anyone feel welcome because we know how to be kind. 

Elevation- We believe life is more beautiful when you are continuously growing, learning, and giving back. 

Inspiration- We believe in inspiring YOU in everything we do…inhaling with meaning and exhaling with intent.

the ramblings of a chronic over thinker

do we have enough time for this?

that’s a lot of time!

there’s a misconception about salon services that i would like to address with this post. if you look closely at our pricing, you should notice that, apart from experience, time is the factor that will cost you. the longer a service, the more it will end up costing. when you’re looking to book an appointment, ask yourself some simple questions like, what do i really want? how long am i willing to sit for? can i afford it?

one huge hang up is colour transformations. if you have jet black hair and you want it ‘blonde’ but only have 3 hours to spare, no, not good. you should be booking a COLOUR CORRECTION because there is more time with this service than a FULL HIGHLIGHTS service. when it comes to lightening hair, we offer the three hour spot to accommodate a basic colour service. but if your hair is really thick, long, or super dark, that time might be more like 5 hours! maybe you don’t need a transformation, maybe you just need a retouch of your highlights but your hair is really thick AND long. you’ll probably be spending upwards of $300+ on your mane and at least 3 plus hours in the shop.

these cornrows took 2 hours

this updo took an hour

these highlights took three hours

have you ever noticed the timing on our services when you book online? for example, in our shop, the service BLOWOUT is 45 mins and the service BLOWOUT AND PRESS is 90 mins. the timing for the blowout is a placeholder and MOST hair types work with this length of time. if you have super thick long heavy hair, that 45 min blowout you booked could be 60 mins! in our shop, after the first appointment, we do our best to adjust your service for future appointments.

all of this to say, pay attention to the timing a little more than the pricing. i’ve seen a few bookings where a 90 min service time booked a 45 min service time because the cost of the shorter time service was more favourable. that’s tricky because you and you 90 min hair want to pay less and complain if the service provider isn’t quick enough! what? not cool.

we want to make sure that you are getting the service you need at the time that works best. honestly, if you’re concerned, book a consult. it’s 15 mins (not much time) and will help clarify any confusion about time and price. remember, good things take time, sometimes even your hair!

✌🏾 -p

the ramblings of a chronic over thinker

shopping and retail, oh my!

i like a 75% off sale myself…

i woke up this morning to an email from a supplier titled ‘spring something or the other’. the point of the email was to remind me, as the business owner, that i should be looking at ordering and stocking up for spring so i’m 'ready’. spring?! for real? it’s not even christmas people!

retail is a huge portion of my business and now that EVERYTHING is so pricey, it’s tough to decide how to navigate the store and my retail purchasing. we have black friday coming up (we’re not even american), then boxing day and then what? new years, valentines and all the reasons that you can buy stuff? that is what is coming up next. it never ends. i feel like the retail tango is hard on me. do we really need this much stuff? gifts? personal items? is it necessary at all? we buy what we need and that’s fine, that makes sense to me. but, it’s when we buy what we don’t need, buy because of a prompt, or buy because it’s 75% off regardless of needs, that’s the troublesome part.

so you come into the shop and buy some shampoo and conditioner, in three months, you can re-up. if there’s a sale along the way, sure, stock up! but is it necessary to purchase all the time? i can’t expect all my clients to buy items every time they come to the shop can i? it is definitely a conundrum i struggle with. all the reporting says retail is one of the best strategies to make money, but is it? i have suppliers emailing me with black friday preorders and deals, just to follow up with more emails about holiday gift sets or deals. how can i buy every time i get the prompt if MY products aren’t moving off the shelf?

suppliers attempt to deliver this scarcity type concept for the month of december. they try to make us understand that if a client needs a product during the holidays and i don’t have it? shame! shame! i have to make sure that i have all the things ready for a client to come and shop/spend. it makes sense because the formula for retail includes a markup so yes, it’s an ‘easy‘ way to make some revenue. but then i worry about how much my clients spend and if they indeed really need all the things i sell? i know sales bring folks in and sales prompt folks to buy but is that okay? who is policing my clients accounts? i can’t convince someone to NOT buy something if they think they need it even though i believe they don’t. …i mean, retail therapy is one of my fave types of therapy….

these are cool, i like the handles

all of this to say, be smart with your spending. buy only what you need and if you have time, go through your product cupboard and see what you have that you use and what you have that you don’t use. take stock before you purchase and don’t be easily prompted by my sales and marketing tactics to buy my stuff, or do!😉😉

✌🏾-p

the ramblings of a chronic over thinker

can you believe it?

counting down the days

november is here. we have this month and another before we wrap up 2024. it has been an interesting year and as a business owner, there was some good and a lot more bad. as a mom and wife, there was a lot of good with some bad sprinkled in. what should be my focus? does one perspective hold more weight than the other?

the year is coming to an end and i’m reflecting through two different lenses. through the business lens, it’s been tough and i foresee at least 3 more tight years ahead before my perspective can shift more positively. through the personal lens, 2024 was good. only a few accidents, no deaths and all my loved ones are happy and mostly adjusted, heavy emphasis on the mostly. i mean, we still have eight weeks left so maybe i should cross my fingers?

i suppose this two way view is quite common for most of us. there’s an intersectionality here that makes issues sometimes contradictory. prices need to go up (business lens), but my kids need food and to engage in social activities (personal lens). higher prices on the personal side are very stressful because i aim to try to give my children a life not just similar to mine, but better. when i was making minimum wage it was $5.25/hour. now it’s $15+/hour and it’s still not enough to live well, not to mention to raise a child! personally, this christmas will be interesting once it’s all said and done. ‘businesslly’, i’ll be happy to wrap up 2024 and move on.

depending where you stand, what do you see?

i’m practicing acceptance and leading by example. these traits, i hope, should guide me pretty well while i wear both hats. i can accept the changes (rising costs) and lead by example (sell more products) in my business. i can accept the rising costs of food and goods and try to adjust my lifestyle (maybe start a garden or get some chickens?) and i can lead by example at home by doing my best to maintain the rules and regulations i set in my home.

it’s difficult to manage contradiction in any way but maybe also not so difficult?? i don’t know the answers guys, i just keep coming with the questions.

✌🏾

-p

the ramblings of a chronic over thinker

checking in!

tick tock

i’m about half way through my business course and i must say, i am learning interesting things. i learned the TRUE cost of products. i learned the REAL definition of inventory and i learned to ask for what i need from my accountant. all in all, great progress. the progression made during the last few months will prepare me for the new year around the corner!

2025 marks a fresh start for many. freshair boutique would be turning 15 and i will be another year older and another year wiser! the last bit of this quarter, i’m going to focus on preparing for the new year using the new methods i’ve learned in this course. i’ll get back to the basics. sometimes i need to remember that owning a business is quite rewarding, and having a space like this to vent, ask questions, and converse, is great! do you have a place you can open up in? do you feel supported in your life? maybe you have a business? are you feeling good about it?

you doing okay?

hit me up if you have any business tips or words of advice and encouragement! i love hearing from the internet wink😉😉.

times are tough out there and let’s try to be kind.

✌🏾

-p