Tuesday, January 27, 2009

I just finished an article for Les Nouvelles Esthetiques & Spa
American Edition about the Hotel Spa 2009 projections. Such high hopes had been given to double digit growth for these lodging related spas that hotels and resorts couldn't build them fast enough. Now with occupancy rates flat for the first time since 9/11 many of these spas are bracing for a rough year. I spoke with many industry consultants who believe it is like anything else in an overinflated market, time for an adjustment. Many spas that were put together without much thought or sustainability are finding empty treatments rooms. Spas traditionally do well in hard economic times, after all, people still want and NEED to pamper themselves. This economic slump has a very different feel to it though. For the first time it affected me personally. My husband got laid off in November and if it hadn't been for his second job driving pizza around we would have been in far worse shape. Gloom doomers and naysayers on tv and radio, newsprint and internet warned the public to not spend at local small businesses, heck even bigger businesses for fear they wouldn't be around to fulfill the gift cards. What ever dollars people would have spent to keep the ecomony moving forward got lodged somewhere inbetween fact and fiction. So what is normally a high season of gift cards with an opportunity to finally head into the black and out of the red left many businesses short. Good news for me is at least there's cash in the coffers this winter, unlike Januarys past with weeks of gift card usage , can you say anybody got any cash?? Anyone?? I guess it all evens out in the wash. As for me, well my husband did land another job that started after the first of the year, 2nd shift so I can't remember what he looks like, but we're digging back out. As for Natural Beauty, restructuring made a big difference in the business dynamics and saved me a lot of dollars the new administration was likely to take back anyways. So what is the point after all this rambling? Everyone is going through their own economic conditions that are quite different. Spewing more negativity will only make the economic slide more slippery with more casualties. Staying positive, while realistic is the only way to ensure survival. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I'll post a link to the article when it comes out.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Crazy, Busy, Saturdays!

So Saturday in the salon, usually a crazy, zany blur for professional beauty girls. Today was no different, except for the fact that I have to appreciate more than ever the fact that I am still a crazy, busy girl and how much I LOVE my customers. Today especially, started out the day with one of my favorite nephews, (ok so I only have two but they are my favorites) then a great NEW client, glad as He[[ to have NEW clients, then my favorite couple, Dolly and Thom, the hilite twins,well not really, Dolly gets one color now. As an ex hairdresser she is a pleasure as a client, unusual, I know. Her hubby Thom works for Progressive and has a similar job to what I did as a road warrior for Nail Tek so we have loads of business schtufff to gab about. Lets see then there;s Hope, great gal, been with me along time. I think she stays with me cuz we had a haircolor allergic journey and I spent the better part of a year buying color and testing it on her until we found one she was not allergic to. Anyhoo.......she loves messy trendy haircuts, totally fun to cut! Then there;s Ruth, dear Ruth. I have been cutting her hair since opening Nat Beauty and she is I'm afraid, failing. Her daughter has been faithfully bringing her in for 7 years now and this is the first time I felt a tinge of sadness to really see a significant slide in her well being,. Oh crap, she's a sweet old gal none the less. Next up Suzanne, changed her appt from a pedi to a mani, which was fine with me since I'd been running 15 minutes behind all day......at least I might catch up, (or be 15 minutes late to bed, you never do catch up). She is a pleasure to work on and visit with and we have a lot of similar life philosophies, she is much more spirited in her religious convictions than I am and I admire her spirit and strive to have her unwavering faith. Norma was on deck and simply one of my most elegant gals, very chic and savvy for an older gal, something we all should aspire to...anyhoo she offered my husband and I tickets to the play in Hudson this eve, so I am learning from my daughter and graciously accepting. Last but not least one more of my sisters wants my beautiful gel nails so.......what are sisters for, to help make you even more fabulous than you already are! So that is my day full of beautiful, wonderful clients that I am so thankful to have making me tired!

Friday, January 23, 2009


Well I finally figured out my Partigone dust filtration system. I've had it for a couple of months now, first tried to attach it to my mani=pro and the attachment they sent was too short. So....I had to use the vac on the stand. Well that didn't work too well. Still dust everywhere. So I emailed the company and told them it was a Partigone wrong (they did not see my humor) and I needed to know how to send it back. Well......there is only 30 days for return. Of Course. So I told them it did not fit my hand piece. There is a free attachment that is longer they could send for just the postage. I think it cost me about 5 bucks. Well well...BIG difference. Man that puppy pulls ALL the dust right into the vac, not a speck anywhere else. I think it will take a few times to get used to the extra apparatus on the hand piece. Kind of awkward at first but maybe I won't have to dust the salon every day?? Totally worth it. So Now I am A Partigone right girl!! YAY! Had a new client for gel fills. Seems a local gel girl has vanished and her clients are all finding me. Said client had gone to a few nonstandard salons, if you get my drift and was told they were gels. Um..... NO...... they're not. WHY do salons LIE to customers.
Millie"Did they use a powder and a liquid?"
Client"Yes".
Millie"Than those are called acrylic nails".
Man this really PI$$es me off!!!! How are clients supposed to know the difference?? They are being sold a stack of lies and charged extra. So ANY non nail professionals reading this.......if it's a powder and a liquid and stinks to high heaven, you are NOT getting gel nails. I took before and after pics. My camera died so the before is still stranded until I get fresh batteries but I used my phone for the after, can't really see the details but they were a beautiful make-over! And she was so thrilled her cuticles were not bleeding! And yes she rebooked!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Gel Nails Slide Show

Well it's finally here.......Ta Da....My Blog. adventures of a Professional Beauty Girl will share my ADD life of being a salon owner/writer/mom/vegan/hairstylist/nail tech/skin care girl/toenail fixer upper and the list goes on. I am currently writing an article for Les Nouvelles Esthetiques on Hotel Spas and their financial outlook for 2009. Very interesting research. Got to visit the Spa at Walden in Aurora Ohio........man what a beautiful property. Spoke with Katie at the Spa at the Sedona Hilton, very cool girl.....the article is almost finished so what's next?? Setting up the rest of this site. I hope to have educational articles, webinars, and all around interesting stuff to share. I am a workaholic so that helps...kinda...I love learning about this business and the people in it so watch for posts about beauty GURUS too that happen to be friends of mine, maybe yours too. I'll try and post links to my various articles and posts to new ones. Gotta make the money now......