the fresh perspective...

Excuse me, how much??

We've all been there.  You go somewhere and you know how much you always pay.  That coffee shop that has that latte you love, that breakfast spot that makes you weekly cheese denvers...  You know how much it is.  Then one day, the price goes up.  What?!  Do you feel like you've been taken off guard?  Do you feel a little silly when you have to dig in your wallet for more change cause you thought you had the exact amount?  It's weird.

Well we're raising some prices at the shop and even with our best intentions of signs and posts, we're sure to not have informed everyone.  I know that someone will slip through the cracks and be a little taken off guard by the change.

Why do prices go up anyways?  There's always the obvious 'inflation'.  Business expenses go up so the price goes up.  Product prices go up so the service price goes up.  Employees get raises and, oop, prices go up.  I can say for our shop that when we do increase prices in services it's for a myriad of things.  I would like our loyal clients to know that when prices go up at Freshair, we want to make sure that you are not feeling at all that it's for nothing.  We aim to increase customer services, product selection, and overall experience for anyone who does choose to spend their hard-earned money in our business.  We value your opinions and support, and because of you, we aim to be better, always.

I have been styling hair for almost 15 years and have a license and a lovely clientele and I always make sure that I keep up with training and educating myself.  This year, for the first time ever, I will be changing my schedule to accommodate my growing family.  My prices will be going up in June and I anticipate that I may lose some clients because of less availability and higher prices.  I urge anyone who is struggling with higher prices to chat with your stylist about it.  It's okay to ask why.  It's your money and you should feel comfortable when you have to part with it.  If your stylist is becoming too expensive but you love the shop you go to you can discuss it with your stylist.  They may be able to refer you to someone else who does great work at a lower rate.  Think of it as paying for experience.  Someone who has had their hands in many heads of hair for over 20 years has probably seen it all and may have a solution to most hair issues, adversely, someone who has had their hands in heads for 5 years may do a great job as well.  The clincher is the experience and the expertise.

Just because I have been cutting hair for over 14 years doesn't mean I've NEVER had someone call back and complain, or tell me their cut was crooked, or thought I was bunk.  It happens.  I'm human.  My skin has gotten very thick over the years and I've learned not to sweat the small stuff...but I'm still raising my prices! :)

That's the fresh perspective...

the fresh perspective...

Winnipeg is the greatest place to live.  Check out this image.  If you live here, you'll know what this is all about.  If you don't, well, thank God you don't... We love spring!  That's the fresh perspective...

the fresh perspective...

It's been pretty wet, cold and rainy these past few days and it looks like there's more 'bad' weather to come.  A poem for your weekend...

The Blues

When the shoe strings break On both your shoes And you're in a hurry- That's the blues.

When you go to buy a candy bar And you've lost the dime you had- Slipped through a hole in your pocket somewhere- That's the blues, too, and bad!

Langston Hughes

That's the fresh perspective...

the fresh perspective...

Blah, blah, blah... It's official, we are expanding!  If you haven't been in the shop for a while, you should get in here before the summer ends.  We're going to be giving our shop a complete over haul.  It's funny, all I do (apart from making folks look good) is talk, talk, talk.  Sometimes I tell the same story to some clients cause I'm not sure who has heard what yet.  It's crazy.  On a busy day, I probably am talking for at least six hours!!

I find that talking about stuff helps me stay accountable and keeps me on my toes.  It's been so long that we have been talking about expanding and now that we are, I want to shout it from the roof tops!  I know I've been on here thanking everyone for all their support, and this, and that, and what-not, but I really need everyone to know that I am so grateful and happy that we are still around.  I'm so happy that we are still able to give everyone the service and care that we provide whenever our doors are open.

We want to be better and know that there are ways to grow and keep growing, but it's the support from all our family, friends, staff and most importantly the folks that patronize us on a daily basis.  Thanks to you clients that trust us with your hairs, and your colors.  Thanks for trusting our opinions on products.  Thanks for giving us a part of your hard-earned wages.  I know that some of our services and products are on the higher end, but thanks for understanding that phrase, 'you get what you pay for'.  We really want to go to the next level with our new expansion and we want all of you that walk in our shop to experience the new changes with us.

We were good before, but we are going to be better!  Clients: any advice you want to give us?  Please do!  We are here for you, and want you to enjoy yourselves.  I've said enough, I've said it all. Danke...

That's the fresh perspective...

the fresh perspective...

A CHANGE 'GON COME... We're knee-deep in to 2014 and there's a lot going on this year for Freshair Boutique.  We're looking to do a little expanding and changing the look of our shop from the roota to the toota.  I too am expanding and will be changing my schedule come September, yikes!  For someone who is always 'up for something new', I am feeling a little nervous.  Change is good but also scary...

What makes change so terrifying?  From moving cities, to giving birth.  New hair styles to new jobs.  From renovations to huge financial decisions...  All these types of changes are, in my opinion, an attempt to better our lives in one way or another.  But why does it feel like it's somehow going to end badly?

You what folks? I don't have all the answers.  I'm just here to shed a little light, offer some perspective, and hopefully open your eyes to a different way of looking at things.  I always love to hear people give their opinions because it helps me see things differently and opens my mind to new possibilities.

I wasn't always up for listening to other people's opinions about most things because I always thought that I was right.  Even now, sometimes I have to check myself when I think that my way is the only way and the best way.  I have a lot of ideas about how things should be and how things should go.  I am changing though.  I have to if I want to make the best out of the one life I have been given.  Are you changing?  For the better?  That's the fresh perspective...

the fresh perspective...

YOU THINK YOU KNOW, BUT YOU HAVE NO IDEA.... I'm just going to rant for a teeny bit ( not too long...).  Last night I went to see Off the Beaten Path: Women, Violence and Art at the WAG.  It was very intense and made me think of many, many things... Most of all I thought about WOMEN.  What a special group of people we are! I mean, seriously!  I applaud all of us and I'll say that I don't acknowledge our gender enough.

We do so much on a day-to-day basis and even if you aren't a wife or mother, you're probably a sister or daughter so you still qualify to be great!  I am a woman who wears many hats but it seems to me that I receive the most praise (no pun intended) for the things I have become and not the person/woman I am.  Before I was a wife and a mother and a business owner, I was just a girl, a young woman, Praise.  No one seemed to tell me how fabulous I was then...

Fast forward many years, and after the mother/wife label I'm all of a sudden soooo much better than the Praise I was?  I mean, okay, my life has become more complicated but I think we should hi-five all the ladies, single ones and married ones.  Let's send a shout-out to the mothers and the non-mothers, let's give a hip-hooray for the full-time working chicks and the ones that don't get paid to work.  We need to focus on supporting each other even if we don't have the 'proper titles' yet.  The fact that we are women is reason enough to celebrate us.

Don't hesitate to support or complement a lady you know.  No matter what she does, or how she lives, she could use some encouraging words.  We all can.  That's the fresh perspective...