Forward Markethink

      Surrounding yourself with forward thinkers and marketers and visionaries pulls you ahead of the game. No doubt about it, it just does. There's no denying the graviational pull. There is a saying if you want to know who you'll be in 5 years, look at who you surround yourself with. I am fortunate in that area, very fortunate. With social media, everyone can surround themsleves with top minds. Todays tip is from HubSpot marketing. HubSpot is all-in-one inbound marketing software that helps businesses generate more leads online. Much of the valuable information they provide is FREE to subscribers.
      With Cyber Monday on everyone's mind I did what I always do.. some research. According to Hubspot, The power of online marketing is growing and online shoppers are expected to grow from 137 million dollars to 175 million dollars by 2016. A whopping 52% of shoppers will do their shopping online this year. Holiday spending this year is expected to be anywhere from 92-96 billion, with a B. For the first time in 2011 Cyber Monday surpassed black Friday as the biggest shopping day of the year. Holiday sales will reach 54.5 billion, up 17% from 2011. What are you doing to capture this growing trend? Are you taking advantage of mobile and search options? 53% of smart phone users and 64% of tablet users will use these devices to research and make holiday purchases this year. If you are not mobile app ready your gift card purchases could take a big hit this year. More and more marketers are using things like search marketing and paid search campaigns this year and investing in this technology. Are you checking to see how do your emails show up on a smart phone? Is all your content just as accessible on a smart phone or tablet as a computer? Are all your share and buttons working? Can consumers access coupons and offers easily? What about gift cards? If you are not prepared for this onslaught of mobile consumers your marketing efforts will suffer. Imagine one of your clients has a relative that lives out of state and would like to purchase a gift of beauty. Where are you in the search results for your town? How easy is it to access information, special offers and deals? Online shoppers have a serious case if ADHD. If they have to spend too much time figuring out your site, they are on to the next salon with the click of the mouse or a swipe of the finger.

 

      Email campaigns show no sign of slowing down over the coming years. Over 41% of mobile users say an online email influenced their purchase. 54% of marketers said their email campaigns were extremely or very successful and 93% of them said they plan to maintain or increase the level of their email investment in 2012. Email is a powerful tool that consumers have come expect. Don't miss the opportunity to market to your clients directly with holiday offers and holiday events. Think about offering an online special with an in salon gift, combining the best of both worlds.
A huge percentage of retailers are having terrific success with social media marketing. 44% of shoppers have bought a product they've seen shared on a social media sight. I'm not convinced the statistic for salon visits can translate as high here. It's kind of the Group On fail mentality. Salon consumers don't just look on a site to determine where they will get their nails done next like picking out a place for dinner. There is a bit more to it than just a great offer. I do believe that if your work shows up constantly in different news feeds the potential for gaining new clients definitely increases. I have had this happen myself. Client reviews and testimonials go a long way in convincing potential new clients to give you a try. So the bottom line is to consistently share your best offers, and your best content and make sure it is easy to share.

Here is a checklist recommended by Hubspot.
For mobile and search. Make sure your website is mobile optimized. Check that emails are easy to read and buttons are clickable on a mobile phone. Consider creating a mobile app to support your marketing.
For email: Plan your holiday email calendar. Decide what offers you will send via email, like coupons or special deals. Make sure your emails link to an optimized, mobile-friendly page on your website. Have a plan in place to measure your emails effectiveness.
For Social: Share your best content through your social accounts. Showcase client testimonials. Utilize Pinterest for photos of your work. Make sure your content is easy to share.

Incoco Nail Polish Applique

 

     So I was lucky enough to win the Incoco Fall Facebook contest, one YEAR supply of Incoco nail polish appliques. Funny story actually. I'm on Facebook late one evening...12:47 to be exact, minding my own business when a nail friend pops up in my messages and says
"You won with me on the Incoco grand prize. I got the email this afternoon and told them they could contact you. I am absolutely ecstatic!"
Wait, what? Me? I vaguely remember entering this contest on her wall. Could it be? Well naturally the paranoid, skeptic in me takes over. I was cautious, hesitant to respond. Then I notice she has messages another friend in the message also. Now I'm really confused and paranoid. So I private message this other friend asking her if she knows this girl. Well she entered the contest as well and is thrilled. I am still paranoid. I tell the first friend well they have my email, I will just wait till they contact me. The other tech, is now asking her to send her the email and she does it, she gives up her email. Maybe it's just my cyber/paranoia, I immediately send another private message.."Are you Crazy?! change your password right away! people can hack your computer".. Now she is paranoid as well.. asking me to quit freaking her out. The whole thing looking back was quite comical and when I received my email from Incoco the next day I was so embarrassed.  I had to apologize, big time.. too funny, we shared a chuckle. But... A girl can't be too careful. So back to the grand prize...

 I had heard so much about these new nail fashions from all the buzz at NYFW. So many of the top nail fashionistas were using them for top designer shows. I couldn't wait to try them. The company was actually kind enough to let us pick out our own designs. My first set I put on myself and I have to say they have held up quite well. I finally got the chance to use them on a client today. All things being equal and having used several different nail "coverings" from Minx to Design FX and a few in between I have to say I really liked these appliques. They come with two cuticle shapes to choose from. It takes a bit to get the hang of it but once you have chosen the size and removed the clear film these apply like a dream. Very pliable and easy to mold to the nail. All told with a manicure it took me about 40 minutes from start to finish, adding a base and top coat UV gel. I did tear one of the thumbs and had to use the extra large size but it was easy enough to trim and shape to the size I needed. Here is the result, my client LOVED them.

 

A Big Thanks to the folks at Incoco for my prize! I really love them. Check them out at Incoco.com

4 Social Media Musts

Four rules social media according to Peter Shankman one of the founding editors of AOL news. Opened HARO a PR firm that catered to the dot.com world.

1. Be transparent. Companies can no longer think they will not get caught pretending to be something they are not. The universe is too small now and the internet too big to ever think you can hide behind the curtain. It’s not a matter of if, but when you will get caught. Your biggest threat is not state board or action 5 news, it’s a disgruntled client that knows how to use google. Everyone is a publisher. Used to be reporters would have to beg to get a story written, now with blogging a few clicks and the whole world can read your inner most thoughts and beliefs.    

 

2. How do you reach your audience? You have hundreds or thousands of followers and you want to get information out to them do you know how they want to receive that information. Very simple ASK them. Remember we talked about the fact that social media is a dialog, not a monolog? If you don’t give your audience the information how they want to get it, they will simply go somewhere else to get it. Do your clients want to book online? Make that an option. Do they want to get text reminders? Get in the game and get software that offers that feature. Do they want evening appointments? If you don’t accommodate another salon will.

3. Brevity. The average attention span is getting smaller and smaller. The whole world has ADD. Why do you think Twitter and facebook have grown so fast? 140 characters or less. 2.6 seconds. The average person is being interrupted 17,000 times a day to listen to your message. Not only are they getting interrupted by advertisements, they are getting hit up by friends, family, spouses, ex-spouses, I even am getting texts as I prepare this segment. If you have to try and wrestle their brain for attention you had better have a good message. In other words, learn how to write. I was standing in the post office line today and the girl in front of me was sending out a box, from a company that had thanks for your patients. I’m pretty sure the person she was sending the box to was patient, not sick. Even though blogging is an informal form of writing learn the art of crafting the best words possible to tell your tale. 90% of all communication comes through the written word at some point along the way. Good writing is about being brief. Brevity is the heart of social media.

4. Top of mind. Peter recommends checking in to Face book and first getting the birthday wishes sent out. He separates them to some fb messages, some tweets and some email messages. Also look to the right and Facebook will let you know who you haven’t connected with in a while. You haven’t talked to Cindy, write on her wall. If you connect with enough people on a regular basis it will translate to dollars for you. Build relationships. Because you were top of mind. Not necessarily from that client, what about from their friends? People who said, I need a good nail tech. can anybody help me out. When you are top of mind, you get the gig. Follow these simple steps and your social marketing efforts will truly pay off.

Thanks Giving

      This week is all about thanksgiving. Not just the meal, but the actual action of being thankful. I say action because thanksgiving is a verb. To be acted upon. I know I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I have my health, my sanity, a wonderful business with the most amazing clients, a wonderful place to work with giving and generous co-workers, great kids, a wonderful albeit sometimes dysfunctional family, what more could a person ask for? The whole process of being thankful starts the universe in motion to give you more to be thankful for. Constantly wishing for more and never being satisfied is the path to never ever having enough. So in the spirit of this thanksgiving my marketing tip is to be thankful and give back to your awesome clients. 

 

      Take the time this season to identify your top clients. Whether you have a computer program or have to research by hand figure out who spends the most money in your salon. Don't assume. Having done this exercise myself I can tell you that there will be a few that will surprise you. I've mentioned many times doubling your business is as easy as having each client send you one more. Yes, it's that easy, and that difficult. But what if you sweetened the pot a bit? Take your list of top clients and give them a gift certificate for 10, 15, 25 dollars, the amount is up to you. Include a note that genuinely thanks them for their business expressing one or two unique, special things you appreciate about them. And here's the fun part. Give your clients a matching gift card to give to a friend that they think might enjoy your services. You know, the one they keep saying they gave your card to. What if every client they gave a gift certificate to came in and tried your services? Do you think you might be able to convince them to come back? More often than not people are willing to give us a try, but they're afraid to right? A gift certificate for a portion of the service could just be the incentive they need to give you a try. I don't recommend an amount for the whole service, there is more commitment on their part if they have to pitch in a bit of their own hard earned cash. So get busy, dig through your records and find those top clients.

 

      There is so much power in thank you. research shows living in a state of gratitude is transforming. Find ways to sprinkle it into your daily existence. Grateful people are happier, healthier more successful and more likely to maintain good friendships. Jon Gordon author of The Energy Bus recommends 4 ways to practice thanksgiving every day, not just on Turkey day.

1 Take a daily thank you walk. Take a simple 10 minute walk each day and say out loud what you are thankful for.
2 Meal time Thank you's Not just for Thanksgiving day, go around the table and have each person share what they are thankful for.
3 Gratitude visit. Write a letter expressing gratitude to someone. Then if you can visit the person and read it aloud. Research shows that people who do this are measurable happier and less depressed a one month later.
4 Say thank you at work. Companies can spend billions of dollars collectively figuring our rewards programs. The cheapest form of recognition is a simple, sincere thank you. Energize the people around you by letting them know you are grateful for them and their work. And don't forget to thank your clients. For more tips from Jon Gordon visit jongordon.com.

IN~spiration

     Today’s tip is about inspiration. I had the honor of being interviewed by London Wright of Stylz4women and one of the questions he asked me was where do I get my inspiration. For me that ones a no brainer. I get inspiration from others. I love to read about success stories and realize that everyone really starts out about the same place. To understand that everyone makes choices and if you wait for things to come to you , well you might be waiting a long time. I love people who take action and follow a passion relentlessly towards excellence.

Interview with Millie Haynam

     This weekend I had the chance to do just that. I read on Maisie Dunbar’s facebook page that she was going to be at a fundraising event in North Canton, only about an hour from me. I immediately contacted her and asked if I could come help her in any way. I went down to the event which was a fundraiser that the O’jay’s put on to raise money for college scholarships for kids from their home town, Canton. She was in town to aid in the fundraising event and had a booth at the event Sunday. I got up bright and early and got myself down there to spend some time with this amazing lady. I thought geez, when is she going to be an hour from me again. Point is if there is something you can do, then by all means just do it. Maisie had a total of 3 events going on that weekend trying to promote her salon and her cosmetic line Bluffa Jo.

Millie Haynam, Maisie Dunbar

  
     She was out working her brand. We had several hours to chat about the business and we swapped stories about how many people don’t truly grasp the sacrifice and dedication it takes to make it all happen. It was worth every minute of the drive to be able to brainstorm with one of the industry’s brightest stars.

     Then on top of that, today I had a nail date with one of my nail art guru’s JaNiese Newton in Detroit. I met my nailfriends Jada and Kim and we rode up 3 hours to Detroit together to have a play date. Even better Dayna Knight drove down from Ontario Canada to join us. We spent the afternoon watching nail art videos, watching each other playing with new nail art stuff and we even went on a field trip to two nail supply houses in the area.

Nails by JaNiese

 

     Again, something we planned to help each other grow as nail artists. We all had a few Ah Ha moments. Success is dedication, sacrifice and persistent pursuit of the goal. I have set my schedule up at the salon to work two 9 hour days and two 8 hour days behind the chair so I can have two days a week off. At least one, or honestly most times both days off it gives me the opportunity to work ON my business, not just IN my business. If you are not where you want to be ask yourself what would it take to get there. What information or skill that if you knew, could get you closer to your goals. Take stock and really figure out what the top few things would be and go after them. Start your own nail friend group and keep after each other to keep growing. P.S. Jada, Dayna, Kim and JaNiese, homework is due in one week :)

Millie Haynam, Kimberly Jones-Hammond, Jada Cunningham, JaNiese Newton, Dayna Knight

 

(Original post August 2011)



Increase Your Marketing Muscle

      This weeks marketing tip is all about getting more traction for your marketing efforts.
Why not partner with your manufacturers? These companies we spend our hard earned dollars with have marketing departments that spend time and money getting their product out to beauty editors, bloggers, trade magazines and consumers. When branding your salon, partner with your manufacturers and use some of their marketing muscle. If you don’t have a one on one relationship with someone at the company send an email or better yet call and introduce yourself. Tell them a bit about your salon and that you would appreciate partnering with them to market their products and your services. Get to know their educators, establishing relationships is easier than ever with facebook and twitter. Spend some time on their websites to grab some of their press coverage. Pull a look off their website, put it in a nice frame and write the caption steal this look. Look to see if they have gotten press. Most manufacturers will post their press on their sites. If you can get a hold of the magazine, do the same. Frame it with the caption Steal this look, or from the celebrities to your nails right here at your salon. Ask If your manufacturer doesn’t have press releases ready you can go to their site and adjust the wording for your needs. Ask about artwork as well, high resolution images look best in newsletters and press releases. Look for marketing opportunities for new product releases, this is the most obvious choice but here’s a few other ideas.

     Open houses and anniversary events. For my third anniversary I found out the gift included crystal. I called Nail Tek and asked for a deal on 100 of their mini crystal files to give away at my anniversary celebration. They were glad to help and gave me quite a deal on the files. I promised to follow up with a photo and a press release, which I did and it landed in Nail Pro. Press for us and press for Nail Tek, win win. Contact manufacturers for deals on small samples for your goodie bags. When you get good at getting press they might even give you free samples. Don’t forget to ask your distributors. They often times have access to samples for the right occasion. Post photos of your work on manufacturers Facebook pages. Many consumers “like” their pages as well and your work is there for all the world to see. Tweet photos and use your manufacturers name with a hash tag on Twitter and interested consumers will find your work there also.

      Check manufacturers websites often. I often use their marketing copy for my newsletters and posts. Check the trades as well, many manufacturers put their trend releases into the magazine as an insert. Don’t just flip past it, scour it for marketing opportunities and ideas. There is already so much available to us for just the asking so why not work smarter not harder? Partner with these beauty giants and your marketing efforts can be colossal!
(Original post August 2011)

Lessons from Bossy Pants

     Todays tip is a break from the usual tip. Rather than the usual business book I just finished a little book called Bossypants by Tina Fey. Regardless how you feel about her, the book is laugh out loud funny and is brimming with real world advice from one of the worlds most successful and prolific comic writers. Here are just a few nuggets.

      Tina Fey did not have that big break you most relate to successful people. She immersed herself in her passion at a very early age directing shows at the Summer Showtime while still in high school. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in drama, she moved to Chicago in 1992 to study improv. Moving to Chicago would lead her to being in the right place at the right time. An important fact many never realize. You can’t become a professional surfer if you live in Oklahoma. Her first job at the YMCA was the morning shift from 5:30 to 2:30 she shared with another woman. When there was an opportunity to advance she wasn’t afraid to pull out the stops and claim it. While she is adamant that girl on girl sabotage is the worst form of behavior, her college education finally gave her the advantage to get ahead and she used it. The job advance helped her to pay for improv classes and a year later she got a job with Second City Touring Company.
Touring with Second City was a great job she loved but the cast had to do original sketch comedy written by the resident Second City Troup. One leg of the tour they decided to ditch the scripted scenes and do all their own original work. While they had fun, word soon got back to Second City and they were in big trouble, except they didn’t really care. She wasn’t afraid to break the rules, and she could because she is super talented, ambitious and a hard worker. Breaking the rules while waiting for opportunities to come to you never works out to well.

      Her rules of Improvisations that will change your life are worth mentioning. The first rule is Agree. Which works better in improve than life. No you are not going to agree with everyone and everything, but you can respect what they have created and at least begin open minded. Next say yes instead of an automatic no. Start with a yes and see what happens. Not just yes but yes and, agree and add something of your own. Don’t be afraid to contribute, you have to power to add value. Next, Make statements. I can totally relate to this one. As a young stylist coming up I learned early on to say Wow I love it, it looks fantastic on you. Instead of a sheepish Do you like it? Don’t raise questions offer solutions. Lastly there are no mistakes only opportunities. Happy accidents that give you the opportunity to discover the next great thing.

         Tina Fey had to break through the stereotyping that women are not as funny as men, or that no one would watch a scene with just two women. She and Amy Poehler blew up that myth big-time. By this time she was at Saturday Night Live in a writers room waiting for the read through and a lot of noisy comedy bits were going on. Amy had just done something vulgar as a joke with Seth Myers when Jimmy Fallon, who was a big shot at the time, turned to her in a faux squeal and said “Stop that! It’s not cute! I don’t like it!” She stopped what she was doing for a moment and looked him square in the face and said “I don’t f-ing care if you like it.” And went right back to her bit. Tina remembers a cosmic shift happened right then and there. Amy made it quite clear she was not there to be the cute dumb blonde, she was going to do what she wanted to do and didn’t care if you didn’t like it. So Tina’s advice? Ask yourself the following question:” Is this person in between me and what I want to do?” If the answer is no, ignore it and move forward doing your best work. If the answer is yes she recommends the Sesame Street piece called “Over! Under! Through!” Seriously she does. If who you have to get through is a jerk, find someone above or around them who is not a “jerk”. Find neutral ground and don’t waste your time trying to change opinions, they will change when you’re the boss. Great wisdom from a talented lady.

originally published 9/5/2011

Just Keep Digging :)

     This week is more a success tip than a marketing tip. I was catching up with my sister who just got back from a HR seminar in Las Vegas and she shared with me the newest research about how our brains work. I shared that I didn’t think I could ever be a coach because I get so frustrated when people don’t just do what they are supposed to do. She said, “It’s not that simple.” Peoples brains are wired or programmed or whatever term you want to use. This hard wiring forms pathways in the brain that are entrenched the older we get. So the older we get the harder it is to set up new pathways, new habits, different choices. We start down the new path enthusiastic, with loads of energy but when the going gets tough, many people give up and go back to the path that is entrenched in their brain, the easy path. I know this from personal experience and I’m sure everyone that has learned something new has had the same challenge.

      Many of you know I am a runner. But what you might not know is I started running at 48. I had cleaned up my diet and knew that was only half the battle to wellness. I knew I had to get exercise and I knew I could run anywhere without an expensive gym membership. I started interval training running literally sixty seconds, then walking, running walking and gradually built up my times. Sometimes I had to count in two thirties to get there, sixty was too big a number in my head. Then I found a program a tool, on ITunes called Podrunner that had free downloads for runners. So much easier than trying to keep track in my head. Now I set an alarm every morning to run and if I don’t run in the morning, I run before I go to bed. New pathway. Burned in my brain over and over. I get up and do it. Point is everything we start that is new starts a new pathway, a new trench. We have to dig deep, be persistent and consistent to make headway. So maybe coaching is not about telling but about picking up a shovel and helping to dig.

      Don't get frustrated and give up. Find someone or something to help you dig. Whether it’s an accountability partner, a mentor or a few good books and cd’s. I listen to or read motivational materials every day. It’s like bathing for me, I stink if I don’t. So on this holiday and the anniversary of one remarkable year of Nail Talk Radio blazing new trails set your sites on a few new paths.
Commit to 2 hours at least per week to market yourself and your salon. Reach out to like minded individuals in your town or in cyberspace that can help you dig. Remember the path of least resistance will never guarantee you to go any further than your own front door. Take off your limits, allow yourself to soar.
(This blog post is a reprint from July 2011)

Re-light Your Fire

     Passion. It is what separates the good from the great. The booked from the bored. The open from the closed. If you don't have passion for what you do, it is obvious to everyone. To your boss, your co-workers and especially your guests. Passion pushes talent to new heights. When someone is passionate about what they do it's palpable. They have a more intense energy, a drive and attraction that draws people to them without even trying. Passionate people enjoy better relationships, better quality of life and more successful careers. So if you are only lukewarm about your life and your work, bored with this business of beauty, is there a way to ignite your passion? Absolutely. Everyone's journey is unique and you will most likely have to apply a few different strategies and approaches to find out what works best for you. It will be worth the effort, I can guarantee that much.

 

     Re-evaluate your goals and determine if you are working towards your dreams. If you've lost your passion chances are you're on the wrong path. It's easy enough to do, after all there are so many choices and avenues on the way to your goals. Get back centered and dig deep. Are you really pursuing your life's dream or someone else's vision for you.  Did you get sidetracked by an opportunity that seemed like a good idea at the time? When you get back on track to your true path passion returns and reenergizes your life.

     Are you so busy planning the future that you've lost sight of the now? Take time to savor small pleasures and victories in your personal and professional life. I have many people around me that remind me of this all the time. It's easy to lose sight of how much we have already accomplished when the work is never done. At every new level of success, celebrate the achievement, remember someone is struggling to get where you are. Happiness is in the here and now, constantly thinking and planning for the future robs you of that. Happiness and joy are key ingredients for passion.

     Consider your spiritual side. A deep faith and belief in your higher power often times provides safe harbor through the storms of life and answers the deeper questions. Seeking your purpose can lead you to finding your passion. We have a new priest from the seminary helping out at my church these past few weeks and he exudes his passion for his faith. I just love watching and listening to him and am so drawn into his teachings because of his passion. Being around passionate people is transformative.

     Develop your relationships with other passionate people. Passion is contagious. I try and surround myself with people that have a deep passion for what they believe is their life mission. Just engaging in conversation with such passionate people can give you a fresh outlook on your purpose. Ask yourself am I as passionate about what I do? Remember people are drawn to passionate people, seek out some new, fresh relationships to jump start your own passion.

      Take time for yourself to reignite your passion. Make a list of things that you have been putting off. Develop a plan for how you are going to pursue areas of interest that you normally wouldn't take the time for. Spending even 15 minutes a day can reap big rewards. When you start to feel passion emerging, or re-igniting it is electrifying. You will start to develop new habits and create new successes and the cycle becomes self sustaining. Being passionate is great marketing. I love this quote from John Wesley, Christian Theologian "When you set yourself on fire, people love to come and see you burn.”

Oh and one last thing, if you want to research further on your own, don't use the work computer when you google how to become more passionate...just saying.

Is Being an Entrepreneur Hereditary?

   Today marks the 4th year of my fathers passing. While  I can choose to make it a sad day, I instead choose to make it a celebration, or maybe a dedication. My life path is very similar to my fathers in many ways, both personally and professionally. We both chose the road less traveled, not the beaten path, the well worn, sure thing. I guess we both had a spirit that could not be contained by corporate America. I only was able to truly respect his hard work ethic when I became a business owner myself. The sacrifice, commitment and dedication it takes to own your own business, set your own sail. As a business owner you remove yourself from the work cycle. The pats on the back for your hard work and efforts and gold stars on your papers to hang on the fridge. It can be a lonely journey with no one cheering you on, telling you "great job!" or "well done". It takes a certain character that can flourish in this vacuum of always wondering if you made the right decision. You sweat each detail, sometimes each payroll many times paying your staff before you pay yourself. There are benefits, yes, benefits. The pride you can take with each accolade, or award, or finished week with your sanity intact. So with this anniversary I reflect on the man, the strengths and weaknesses, much like my own. Did I do everything right? Hell no.. Did he? Probably not. But you know what? It's ok. After being an owner myself and understanding what it takes to keep all the plates spinning I have a different reflection of the past. I know myself the sacrifices I've made. The events I've missed or at best shown up late for. It isn't that family is not more important, it's that it is. My drive of being an entrepreneur is so dedicated to family that I strive to provide a better life. We miss things so that we can provide for future, better things. Well that's the intent. Does that always happen....maybe not, but it doesn't change the intent. The wanting so bad to provide a better life and better future for your family. I get it, I understand so much more now. And I'm thankful. For the conversations we shared about life, work and family. I understand the quote "the road to hell is paved with good intentions", and as far as I'm concerned, so is the road to heaven.

ISSE Midwest 2012

     One of the biggest stories of the show has got to be Bloom.com . This new social beauty website is kind of like Pinterest, but for just beauty enthusiasts. I spoke with Carrie Chambers as a coincidence at another booth and she shared all the up to the minute news about this brand new marketing vehicle. It is right up my alley. Professionals can sign up with a free Bloom beauty pro account to display your contact info, services and social media links. You can add your head shot or logo, create your online portfolio by uploading photos of your work and organizing them in virtual "Look Books".  You can tag trends and products you've used and get featured on their Be Inspired pages.

 Just like Google the more your photos get rated, the more exposure your photos gain. Share your work instantly with your own credit and direct links with your photos, no worries about someone else taking credit for your work. Go viral on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Blooms new Iphone app connects consumers with local beauty pros. Every time a user clicks  'looks good' on your photos it increases their popularity on their Be Inspired page and moves them up in the Beauty Pro Directory. Users can even click on your phone number and book appointments from the Bloom Beauty Trends App. With over two hundred thousand beauty enthusiasts and growing this looks to be a huge advantage for your marketing efforts. Check them out at www.Bloom.com. I'm looking to have the founder Julie Mahloch on Nail Talk Radio some time in the future. I did an interview for them as well and look forward to sharing that soon.

     I caught up with longtime friend Lynn Long at the Seche booth raving about the new Seche Fast Dry One Coat polish. This high intensity polish is rich,  long lasting, and can cover even glitter in one coat. With high durability and high shine, mine is still shiney without even a topcoat and with the quick dry time, it's sure to be another winner from the Seche family. Check it out here Fast Dry One Coat

 

 

     Had the opportunity to spend time with one of my mentors Geno Stampora. He spoke with some future professionals and shared his valuable life coaching wisdom. I always get re-motivated myself spending time with this amazing man.

     CND released their new Holiday additives with all new glitter and shine. They were kind enough to donate free samples for my nail art Fabulous finishes hands on work shop and we loved the effects. I also got to play with the LCN Nail Candy packaged in easy to use application bottles for easy breezy caviar effects.

   I also received free samples from LCN, Soft Landings, Dashing Diva, Dazzle Dry and Bella Finito so a big shout out to them for adding such value to the class.
   I also held two classes on Social Media and Blogging that were awesome and I did record both. So hopefully I will have some dvd's available soon so be on the lookout for those. One of my nail traveling buddies Gina Malson took Simmy's efile certification class and really enjoyed all the knowledge Simmy packs into her training classes. Spent some time at the Nail Pro competition area catching up with friends. Anna Maria Paty has joined the judging team and was joined by Rachel Mouritsen and guest judge Pauline Lina Feinauer. Anna Maria shared with me how impressed she is with the way the competitions are run and the attention to every last detail to make sure they get things right. Looks like they are really putting together a winning team behind the scenes. Make sure to check out our NTR page for the winners. All in all, the show was a bit smaller than the norm but packed full of amazing classes and vendors. Everyone commented about the quality of the show. Hopefully it continues to grow and gain the loyal following it deserves.