the fresh perspective...

A Hairy Situation Guys.  I had a mini crisis earlier this week and a third of my hair vacated my head.  It was awful and I almost cried (okay I cried a bit).  I'm not going to go into the gory details, but I will say that it got me thinking about all the times I've told clients, or friends that the beauty of hair is that it grows back.  It's just hair.  It grows back.  It's just hair.

I'm starting to feel a little better about myself and I have to remember that I tell people everyday that, "it's only hair".  Funny how I'm so confident at telling people their hair woes can be rectified when the problem is not mine.  Well things got tough I cried.  It's crazy because I always make it clear to any one who sits in my chair that any hair situation always has a solution even though it may mean the solution means time.  Time to let the hairs come back because, time and time again it's proven that they do come back...

I'm almost over it.  I'm closer to being over my hair loss than I was earlier this week.  That's it.  Hair is just that.  It's hair, and it grows...that's the fresh perspective...

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the fresh perspective...

Salon Etiquette PART 2 ~ BRINGING PICTURES The last salon etiquette entry was about re-booking your appointment and this one is about pictures.

Why is it that clients are always apologizing to their stylist for bringing a picture?  I don't get it?  Whoever said it was a bad idea?  I think that somewhere down the line clients had began to feel that bringing a picture to your stylist was insulting to the stylist and his/her craft.

It seemed that the clients felt that the image would make me feel like I couldn't create something different.  Maybe I would feel too constrained with my 'vision' for my clients hair and my creative juices couldn't flow because the magazine clipping of Meg Ryan was causing me to have a tiny mental block...  Pshaw!  I love pictures!  I love magazine clippings that are worn out from years of carrying in a wallet.  Even more than that, I love actual photos that clients carry of the hairs from their past.  When they were young and wild and free...

Pictures allow me to really see what you see or what you would like to see on yourself.  Pictures allow me to see what YOUR definition of chocolate-brown is.  Pictures give me a small idea about how much time your really want to spend on your hair. Unless your stylist says to you, "DO NOT BRING ME A PICTURE. EVER!", please do.  We welcome them and only want to help you on your hair journey.  And as cheesy as that sounds, that's the fresh perspective...

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"Baby, let me be your motivation." -Kelly Rowland

All in all I had a pretty good weekend.  Got to rest a little, watched some sports (my fave), cooked a little bit...  I really can't complain.  Now that September is in full swing I can't help but to think of all the things I have lined up from now till the years' end.  I'm hosting thanksgiving dinner, running a 5k, taking boxing classes, taking hair classes.... I'll stop. I realized something about myself in the last few weeks.  I'm a bit of an overachiever with a high penchant for "gettin' stuff done".  What's my secret?  It's just who I am.  I like to have a few things going on at once and I find that I operate best at this level.

I looked up the definition of Motivation and here is one of the many I found:

MOTIVATION

Internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in people to be continually interested in and committed to a job, role, or subject, and to exert persistent effort in attaining a goal.

Motivation results from the interactions among conscious and unconscious factors such as the (1) intensity of desire or need, (2) incentive or reward value of the goal, and (3) expectations of the individual and of his or her significant others.

Is that it?  If so, then why are so many of us stuck in a rut and can't pull the trigger on much of anything?  Why do you think that so many people google this word at an alarming rate every day?  I'm not saying that I am the most motivated person on earth, but I'm not nervous about setting a goal and then actually accomplishing it.

What is the best motivator for you? Money? Vanity? Fame? Something external or is it more internal?  Just something to think about this work week...

Peace

the fresh perspective...

Crappy Hair

So, let's face it.  We've all been there, excited to get your hair done only to realize you hate it?!  If this has never been you then, bravo, stop reading.  It's rare that some folks may not have experienced disappointment in a service that they had paid for.

I think that's how we all should look at it. Our clients (you) pay us to do a service (hair) for them.  Most times it works out but, other times it may not.  This is completely normal and the point of my post today is that it's okay to 'complain'.  It's okay to speak your mind if you were confused about the service(s) you were receiving.  It's okay to hate your cut and color.   It's okay to wish you never tried something new.  The fact is, it's hair.  It grows everyday and after a few months -if your hair actually grows- you have new hairs to tamper with.

We need to realize, as stylists, that we may sometimes swing and miss.  We may sometimes suggest something that was not really suggestable (yeah. I made that up).  We may have cut your hair a little too short.  If you don't tell us then we assume everything is okay.  If you are ever unhappy with your hair, as my client, I would hope that if you liked me enough and respected me enough as your stylist, you would tell me.

Stylists and clients do have close relationships and that's why I think it's best to be honest if you are unhappy.  Obviously there are ways to express your unhappiness that should not include expletives or references to one's mother, but this type of reaction is only going to get you a bad reputation amongst salons.  If you're truly upset then don't call the shop till you've had some time to relax, and think it over.  Don't forget that it is just hair and the professional that caused your emotional collapse can probably fix it if you speak to them in a respectful tone.

I could regale you guys with stories of situations in which a client was unhappy and reacted negatively but that would be pointless.  No one likes to be yelled at or called names.  If your service was less than stellar it is your right as a paying customer to speak to someone in charge, just remember that the individual you are 'complaining' to is a person just like you.  That's the fresh perspective...

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Just a small, tiny, wee, little wish...

I would just like to say a little something. In all the years I have been hair cutting I just realized that very few people ask for that 'in-between' length.  Why is that?  Is it an unflattering length?  Is it weird cause it's being grown into something else and therefore that 'in-between' length is ugly?

I would really love to cut someone's hair to that length.  Not jaw, but kind of cheek, lips, ear range you know?  Or maybe you don't.  All I know is that I would love for someone to sit in my chair and ask for that.  Maybe my wish will come true...

Peace

Some more images of 'in-between' lengths...

Okwumabua Olympics 2012?

  So I hope we all had a fruitful weekend and are now ready and rested to take on the new work week.  We are in the process of doing some mild renovations so I'll tell you that I am not that rested, but my weekend was fruitful.  I accomplished almost all that I set out to do.

Today I will do more running around and if possible try catching some more of the Olympics.  I love the Olympics!  In high school athletics was my jam and I dreamed of representing Canada...  Oh well...

Something about the Olympics does fascinate me.   Countries from all over coming together... Watching the opening ceremonies and seeing all the contestants in their native wears...  All the volunteer dancers and bodies moving in unison for my entertainment... Whoo! I love it!

The mere fact that they only happen once a year can only speak to the fact that the Olympics are no joke.   Four years needed to draw up plans, four years to practice routines, four years to hone your skill, not to talk of the money spent...

I am part of a wedding in less than two weeks and although we didn't have four years to plan it, it will be great!  All the painting and the buying of 'stuff', the Costco lists and the sleeping-arrangement-layouts are not for nothing, and on the 5th when my family starts to arrive, our wedding games will begin and just like the Olympics, will be over before we know it.

FYI: Canada is on the medal board with one bronze so far...

Peace