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

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

salonscale is here!

for you newer readers, freshair is in the middle of a business re-org. since the pandemic, many business have been in a full on slump. from lack of employees, to rising cost of goods, it’s tough. businesses are closing, and this is the time to make some decisions in the new landscape of supply and demand. we have signed up for a business course to expose the leaks in our financial bucket. this week, i introduce salonscale!

it is a new software that helps salons keep costs low in regards to services that uses products. for example, colour or highlights. we mix up your shade and apply, you pay, you love, you leave. the issue is that most employees over mix or under mix and over charge or under charge for this ‘usage’ part. salonscale is promoting transparency with product usage and because we weigh the products used to do the service, you only pay for what you use. nothing more. if you have fine hair and use less, your ‘usage’ should reflect that.

this ethical and transparent way to keep track of the usage, benefits the salon because now we can weigh the products used and then order just what we need. the software tracks the usage and if used properly will reduce waste, and keep the cost to my client steady.

can’t see through this, what’s going on?

we are hoping to roll it out sometime in the next few weeks so if you are coming into the shop and get a balayage or a root retouch, you might notice a few changes. the amazing thing i love about the software (apart from the savings part) is that it records what you used for the service and it is automatically saved so the same amount can be mixed again!

i was a little hesitant to share this with everyone but in the vein of transparency, i think it’s important to know. especially for my clients and patrons of our shop. many folks don’t know what goes into every service and style and we want all of you to be educated. it’s exciting to see the hair industry step up and provide some support to the back end of our business. if you have any question, hit me up. if you’re a stylist and have questions, hit me up too!

upwards and onwards!

-p

the ramblings of a chronic over thinker

money, money, money, money

get into my account!

wow you guys! what an amazing response to my message last week! i don’t think i’ve ever had that much engagement on here! whoo! also, big thanks to all the readers who emailed and even gave some ideas for what i can write about as this progresses. i’m blown away by all of your supports! many thanks.

this looks like njerep…

this week i’m working on the financial statements for fresh. documents like profit and loss, balance sheets and cash flow statements. all of it is swahili (shout out to my african readers).

::: side bar :::

why do we use swahili as the word to say that i don’t understand something? i wonder why it’s swahili and not gaelic or njerep? i mean, why can’t we just say, ‘i don’t get it’? ALSO, maybe it’s swahili because i’m 45 and that’s what i heard growing up and it was a common term used to say, ‘i don’t get it’. yeah, that’s probably it.

::: side bar closed :::

i know that this is one of the ways i can improve my business but it is DRYYYYYY. it is BORRRRRING. it is ‘not a waste of time’ but feels like it is. all of the columns with money going in and money coming out is a lot. bank service charges? CRAZY! salon supplies and sundries? that seems like it goes up every month (things cost more, we all know that). wages and salaries? cost of goods sold? professional fees? i could keep going. i won’t.

these bankers are pumped to help you!

it does make me realize though, how badly i am in need of this understanding if i want my business to succeed at all. business is like a formula with an amazing equation. revenue-cost of goods sold= profit. seems pretty straight forward but then….

when i opened freshair, i had no idea about any sort of business sense. i knew i needed bookings (revenue) and that my staff and products used (cogs) would be deducted from the bookings and tadah! richie rich! ok, i didn’t think i would be instantly rich, i just thought that was it.

hustle hard, closed mouths don’t get fed on the boulevard (ace hood lyrics)

well, things went badly and 5 years in, i took a business course and it helped me understand the real process of that equation. i learned about taxes (folks, pay your taxes). i learned about banks and lenders. i learned that when it comes to money, the structures that support this country are really relying on you not knowing anything when you open a business. they are banking (you like that double entendre) on you figuring it out as you go so that they can capitalize on your lack of understanding. i know this, because i lived it and i am currently working it out.

what if there was a different structure? what if there was a way that we could be vetted BEFORE opening a business? maybe just a course about what you’re about to get into? like gun ownership or a drivers license? wouldn’t it be cool if that was an option? maybe i would have never pulled the trigger on this shop if i began with more knowledge about the way REAL business works in a capitalistic culture. maybe i would have found something else to do?

i just know that this system needs help. from the documents i mentioned earlier, to the banks and lenders, it’s flawed. maybe next week i’ll talk about my idea for business fund raisers like a go fund me but not? it’s bizarre…stay tuned. i’m just tired of the banks and their ‘no solutions’ all they want to do is give me loan which solves nothing. what about angel investors? yipes! don’t get me started on that! next time… next time.

-p

The Fresh Perspective...

I love hats! What a wonderful way to express oneself! Apart from also be a fashion statement, hats are integral for sun protection. I used to think it would make me hot until I realized how much shade it provided! I also didn’t realize how much sun lightens hair. Did you know that some intense sun exposure is similar to getting a set of highlights? It’s hot!

Anyways, this post is about hats. Enjoy the images whilst thinking about how you will protect your hair this summer season.

great hair AND face coverage

I love the straw-ness of this

I’ve been thinking about maybe carrying some hats in the shop. A variety of styles for your hair and head protection, to you from me. Let me know if you are interested in getting some head coverage in the comments below. Also feel free to subscribe, it’ll make my day. 😉😉

-peace

The Fresh Perspective...

Get ready for it!

protect yourself

We’re here! We made it to June! As most of us know, Winnipeg is heading for a pure and certain heat wave. It’s looking like nothing but 30’s and up from here on out. I’m here for it because I love the heat! But even me, sun worshipper number 1, is aware of it’s dangers.

dehydration will set in…

Hydration is the name of the game here folks! For healthy hair, skin and nails, we need water first. *Consuming a proper amount of water daily will help keep your hair skin and nails balanced with moisture as well as keep you cool! I would call this the first step. Keep hydrated with water and you’re already doing more than you know

I use spf on my skin and I’m sure to apply cuticle oil to my nails as much as I can. I have a bottle in my office and one in my car. At red lights, my cuticles get some love! Honestly, if I don’t have a few bottles of cuticle oil kicking around, I would never use it! When it comes to my hair it’s a little bit tricky because I can’t always wear a hat. (sometimes the afro is really poppin off and nothing can hold it down) All of that to say, the best way to protect your hair from the sun is to cover it up. Wear a hat! If you can’t cover your head, opt for some heat protection products and serums to keep from dehydrating your mid-lengths and ends.

I love you

In store we have a great variety of heat protecting products that not only protect from your hot tools but the sun and her rays as well. Unfortunately we don’t sell hats yet, but I may be onto something. Stay tuned and stay cool! If you really want to make my day, subscribe below!

-peace

*there is a specific amount of water everyone needs, do what’s best for your body.