Well so much for blogging every day, every other day, once a week........It is harder than I imagined. Even though I love to write, there are just non blog worthy days, then there are blogworthy days without time to blog about them. I'm glad to be busy though. Too many people in my biz aren't busy enough these days, so I won't complain about being busy. I finished up my article on Work-Life balance, with little time to spare, March deadline. I find it ironic I was in such a panic/rush against the deadline given what the title was......the irony was not wasted on me! In researching for the article I discovered some interesting strategies about work life balance. I think it is safe to say we are ALL feeling a bit out of balance these days, what with the state of the economy, but stressing about it does no good. It's not like if you worry enough you can actually change things. The strategies I wrote about are simple, back to basics that we tend to forget over time. One newsletter I signed up for stated that we have fallen back to old habits after realigning our values after 9/11. It's easy enough to do. Miss a dinner here and there, not return phone calls as often as we did, not check in with old friends anymore. Many say the economy is forcing people to return to basics. Dinners at home, with friends and family. Having gratitude for all we really have. The best picture this year shares with us a whole other world that is so deeply impoverished it is just plain hard to imagine. We tend to forget how rich we truly are and how much richer we could be if we quit counting money and counted relationships instead. I'll post a link when the article comes out but in the meantime, just keep swimming!

Top Ten

I am a pack rat. THERE I said it, now everyone knows. I hate to throw anything away. Sometimes this has huge advantages, sometimes, not so much. Ask my husband and he will tell you of the disadvantages but I say" Love me, Love my piles" its as simple as that. One of the things I really hate to throw away is a great article with great content. With the Internet I had decided that anything that can be researched and found on line, that hard copy can be tossed. Until you go to find an article and the host is no longer hosting it. So back to square one, or pile one as it were. I subscribe to a lot of other peoples newsletters to get great ideas, it's called environmental research....anyhoo if I write about the ones I have saved then I can throw them away! Genius! Here goes, the first of many to clear my desk!! This first tidbit comes from Tim Wackel. sales guru. A client gave me his website and I check it often. For some reason I saved this top ten list, although I'm not sure what it was top ten of ...regardless I found it a value. Enjoy

1) Set and exceed written goals, not just work goals but life goals.

2) Accept responsibility, own all of it, the good, the bad and even the ugly.

3) Prepare, what is the next purpose of your next client interaction. What are you doing to prepare for it?

4) Ask great questions, though provoking, not mind numbing.

5) INCREASE YOUR KNOWLEDGE, Strive to know more, about your product, your client, your competition.

6) Sharpen your communication skills, How much time did you spend last year improving your listening, writing and speaking skills?

7) Know the line between persistent and pest.....nuf said

8) Build long-term relationships, Do you really know what is important to your client?

9) Have a clear definition of selling, understand what it is you are doing, and continue to improve it.

10) Read, Write and Exercise, What are you reading to get you to the next level? All the information you need has already been written, go find it!

Ok so.......One down, many, many to go:)

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr

So it rarely happens, in fact I can't even remember the last time..... but it happened today. The IRATE customer. She was getting her hair done and her scalp was really dry from the color process she had on Tuesday. It was in fact shedding in large chunks of dead skin. Freaky, we recommended an oil treatment and VIOLA! Chunks gone, scalp like a baby's behind. We are golden. She moves onto brows......20 minutes later emerges as Cruella Deville. Being busy behind the chair.......(thank god)........I only got bits and pieces of what was happening. Even trying to focus on my client didn't work as we both noticed her tantrum. "Oh my God ! You ruined my face! I hate them! " While the esthetician and her hairdresser try and console her things spiral out of control to a full fledged hissy fit. She comes to me and asks "Can you fix these, they aren't even, is there anything you can do?" Well first of all, I am already with a client.....second of all, while they may not be to your liking, they look even and outside of glueing hair back on, not a whole lot I can do. I recommend brow powder to thicken them up until they grow in a bit.......what else can you do? What do YOU do?? Experts recommend the same things in dealing with these clients. Keep your cool. Engaging in the argument will NOT diffuse the situation. Nod and listen. And listen some more and listen some more. Let them blow off the steam. More than likely if they feel heard they will calm down. Have empathy, "I understand that you feel this way."Ask what it is that you can do to provide a solution that works for both parties. Sometimes you just have to let them take off, settle down and think about what the best approach would be. What did I decide to do? We did not charge her for the brows, offered the brow powder for free and let her huff off. I will give her the weekend to calm down, then purchase a lash thickener from the skin care line we use that can also encourage brow growth. All I can do is extend the olive branch.....Hopefully she will take it. Stay tuned........

My name is Millie and I am a self-help-aholic. Many of you that know me know I am ALWAYS reading a book, or two or three at a time. For instance, right now.....I am listening to The Answer, reading The Sedona Method, How We Love and Design Your Best Year Ever. Ok so I admit, this time, I am a bit over the top and need to cut back. I just can't help myself though....obviously...no pun intended. I LOVE strategies, insights, observations and the like. I love a great quote, theory, idea. I am a junkie. While in Cali visiting my daughter last week I met with Stephanie Yaggy editor of Nail Pro Magazine. We had a conversation over lunch about the state of the industry and where our roles were heading. Although tough economic times call for cutting back I have to admit I am busier than ever. Why am I so busy? Many years in the industry, many services that I offer, making sure to accomodate each and every clients wants and needs. Readers of industry trade magazines fare better in these crunches. They have resources to pull ideas from, other professionals to learn from and perhaps commiserate with. NailPro can be a tremendous resource in tough economic times.......What do these two seemingly unrelated threads have in common? Stephanie asked me if I would be interested in writing an online column for the NailPro website. Millie's tip of the week. So ALL the random reading I have done over the years will finally have an outlet. Yay! If I let out some it will make room for more, that makes me very happy. I am so looking forward to sharing my hints and tips with the world. Stay tuned to this very blog for more details to come!

Geri Valentines

Geri Animal Print

I Love Geri

Everyone should have a client like Geri. She is always on time, books ahead, but is flexible if I need to change her appt. She is also my best walking advertisement. The funny thing is.....I did plain ol' gels with polish for years...maybe a french here or there but one adventurous day I asked her if she wanted to try something different not knowing if she would go for it. She is fun, very fashionable, picks out the best gifts, has good gossip but best of all.......once I offered something a bit different, now.....she lets me do whatever I want on her! She trusts me as the professional and is game for just about anything. She has sat through HOURS of nail appointments (including numb butts for both of us) while I figure out the latest technique. She has sat through squishy gels, filing and refiling all for the sake of art, and improving my skill level. There is something in it for her though... Geri gets a great deal, killer nails at a fraction of what they should cost!. Most of the nails on my slide show are Geri's. She is a three week standing, like clockwork and is usually my last appointment so we can play. I get a lot of my inspiration online, from several sites, from Geri's likes and dislikes and my never ending curiosity. A girl needs to have fun, and a creative outlet, so for that I say get yourself your own Geri and start creating!