Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Make the Shift

 
      There has to be a shift. Big or small, unintentional or deliberate. You must decide to do what you do for you and the true benefit of others. Marketing an unauthentic, narcissistic ,semiprofessional, anything will soon be discovered for what it is. The shift for me has been building. It really ramped up when I closed my salon. What will I do with all this extra mental space. I knew I wanted to share my experience the how was another story. I can write, speak, teach all those things are great but how do I truly touch another's life? You must create change to create the shift. This lent season created a shift opportunity. I don't usually give things up, I add things. I decided to add an additional devotional to my morning. I am no different than anyone else that has personal struggles with life and career. Who do I want to be when I grow up, if I ever do? I want to do what I love and make a ton of money doing it, how is that going to happen? I deserve to be well paid and well cared for and loved. But it seems sending that out to the universe has somehow clogged the gateway. The Shift. Worrying about the riches can prevent the flow of riches. I am not naive enough to believe money is not important, money matters. It just doesn't matter as much as we think. What matters is what we give, who we help, how we make a difference. Things money can't buy. And if you think for one minute a client across the table doesn't sense if you are all about the money you are wrong. Dead wrong.


      The energy has to be of servitude, we are after all in a service business, to serve. My niece recently called me during an especially difficult time and asked me if I had any pamper time available. Without hesitation I added a facial and reflexology appointment to my already long Saturday. It was so rewarding to watch the stress melt away. She asked me after if I enjoy it as well. Leave it to the innocence of youth to cut to a question of truth. I thought for a moment and said absolutely. I love healing others, being a resource for them to recharge, reset. It is a gift I do not take lightly. I really do take my own advice. I am mindful to stay in the moment, especially with massage work. To drift to my own thoughts is to cheat my guest. So this shift in thinking has brought me signs that it is the right path. To do things for others, without the thought of immediate repayment, or any repayment at all. We have the opportunity to share many times a day but we need to get out of our own heads and be open and aware of those around us. Zig Zigler said we can have everything we want if we just help others get what they want. When we are the go-giver, opportunities come to us. Things that we never knew existed present themselves. So instead this week of crunching numbers and pushing your physical limitations to squeeze every last dollar out of the day, make a shift. Do something for another without it having any benefit to you or any chance of repayment. As I watched the Oscars last night I once again was touched by a speech. Ben Affleck was snubbed by the Academy for a best director nomination. He was however tremendously victorious.

 
      What a shift. How he chose to handle the cards he was dealt was a lesson in humility. He thanked everyone around him for his success. Especially those that helped him when he could do nothing for them, couldn't even get them a job. He said "You have to work harder than you think you possibly can, you can't hold grudges, it's hard but you can't hold grudges. It doesn't matter that you get knocked down in life, that's gonna happen. All that matters is that you gotta get up." Words he lived by and won by.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Donation Creates Marketing Sensation

      As beauty professionals we tend to be givers, sometimes to a fault. But giving back is good for business and definitely good for marketing. Giving back increases the good will of your business in the eyes of your community and raises your visibility. It forces you outside your circle and into a larger pool of influential leaders in your market. Consider different ways to engage the give back spirit to boost salon moral and team unity.
Tune in to clients lives and causes they support. Fundraising is all around us every day with each client we touch. Supporting what is important to clients creates a loyalty that is tough to match just through beauty services. Choose a budget and donation marketing plan to prevent over commitment and donor burn out. Take a few hours to sit down and create your vision for the year. Opportunities can be both obvious and subtle. Involve members of your salon to brainstorm about what causes are near and dear to your hearts. Once you create your donor vision map out an action plan and stick to it. The hardest things is to say no to someone else's needs but with a proper plan in place you can clearly focus on your commitments.

 
      Giving back can be to individual causes or larger community outreach. There are so many times over the course of the year that individuals come to us as salon professionals to donate a service or gift card to fund raisers for a friend or family member that has suffered a debilitating illness or tragic accident. While you can be overwhelmed by these types of requests I recommend offering whatever you can to support these community events. Your donation will be seen by possibly hundreds of new potential clients who will be encouraged to support your business due to your generosity. Many get write ups in the local papers and some even get local TV coverage. When I first opened my salon there was a freak tornado that ripped through the city in November. I received a letter asking for a donation and quickly offered t o hold a cut-a-thon at their event donating all proceeds to the victims. The event was covered by the local media, both print and TV and we got huge exposure, critical to my start up. I could not have afforded to pay for that kind of advertising. Many clients I have to this day were a result of my generosity supporting the event that touched the community. Don't forget to send out press releases and post your activities on your social media pages, creating events for your clients to come and support your efforts.
      Local Cancer fundraisers are always a good place to find opportunities to give back. I like to try and find the ones that involve many other area businesses to network with. One client of mine organized a wellness tent for Relay for life. I participated in this for several years and each year I offered a different service. She also holds fundraising events throughout the year that I donated my time offering mini manicures. This resulted in many new clients over the years as well as business connections I would have not otherwise made. With spring around the corner look to set up a few give back events. Plan out your Give back calendar and get giving. For more ideas, check out my blog. Adventures of a Pro beauty girl. Give Back=Get Back

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Stylize Your Guests!

 
      With all the hype of last night's Grammys the nails did not disappoint. I believe they were front and center, as well they should be. You didn't hear Ryan Seacrest asking the celebs about their hair and what product they were wearing. Yes nails really rocked the Grammy's. I had a client text me to turn on E! during the Mani-off. Thanks to Lisa Marie Santos Facebook status update, I was already tuned in. She texted "This can not be bad for biz." With nails being front and center many have taken notice. Women's Wear Daily reports nail polish sales hit a record 768 million in the US in 2012 a 32% over 2011. And there is no sign of it slowing down. As more treatments emerge including pattern nail stickers and textured polishes, gel products continue to be on the rise. Nail polish is the new economic indicator replacing lipstick. The theory goes that as the economy struggles, sales of these small luxury items rise. You may not be able to get that new Mercedes this spring but wow look at all the cool polish you can buy. Social media has also driven the upsurge with sites like Instagram. E! online introduced a "Mani Cam" at the 2012 Emmy awards inviting celebs to walk their manicures down the red carpet and while the gimmick was panned at the time they had two Mani Cams at this years Grammys and a Mani off during the Red carpet countdown. I have to say I was a bit disappointed some of the celeb nail stylists used retail products as opposed to professional. I guess in the end it still is all about moving the industry forward. Don't hate the player hate the game?


      So how do we capitalize on this exposure? Ironically enough as it usually happens I got an email with Seth Godin's blog update. Seth Godin is a brilliant marketer and change alchemist having written 14 books The Purple Cow among his most popular. Godins blog talks about Humanizing our work. In the land of cookie cutter, imitator nail styles you must break free and create your own voice in your own unique work. Godin suggests "To create something that only you could have made, or said, or conceived of." To set yourself apart. With so many new companies emerging and offering so many new opportunities you must still put your creative trademark on your work. The Internet is crammed full of ideas, between Pinterest and YouTube. Let these sights be the spark for creativity and push out your own boundaries. Practice something new, fail if you can and start over creating smarter because of it. Then post, post and post some more. Create Pinterest boards showcasing your work with links back to your website. Tag photos on your Facebook wall so all your clients friends see your work. Send your work into Nailit Magazine, another industry game changer. The nail universe is doing all it can to get this industry exposure, Tap in and enjoy the ride.
The Grammys Beauty Breakdown: Nail Art Edition

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Valentine's Nail Love

Hot Rod Red by Gelish
 
Hand painted nail art
 
 

 

Monday, February 4, 2013

Network Makes the Dream Work


      With the show season already in full swing I want to talk about the most important aspect of attending these shows. The networking. In order to become successful you don't have to be the smartest person in the room. As a matter of fact if you are, it's time to find a new room. The importance of networking is to surround yourself with people smarter than you are. Who know the things you don't know, that if you did know, you could do better, be better and market yourself better. In Harvey Mackey's column Career Advice from the Masters he writes "If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I’ve met over a lifetime, I’d say it is the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts. A network replaces the weakness of the individual with the strength of your network."


Some people are allergic to networking, I had this challenge early in my career. I would seriously break out in hives. But a mentor encouraged me to approach people and not be afraid of asking to add them to my network. I'm so glad I took his advice. I have met so many amazing people in this industry once I let go of that fear. Building a network is building a bridge to a successful future.

You never know what you will need along the way in this crazy business and your network opens up so many doors that may have been shut tight. When you meet new people understand they are giving you their time because they believe you may hold something of value to them as well. Don't be a hoarder of your knowledge and information. Networking is a two way street. If people sense you are only a taker your networking efforts will suffer. I had the opportunity of spending some time with a dear friend in my network today Miss Maisie Dunbar. Maisie is a huge role model and femtor to me and I cherish the time we spend together. I introduced myself to Maisie at a show years ago and we became fast friends. We share a common mindset. Maisie is one of the smartest business women I know and shares her knowledge selflessly. She is authentic and transparent because she truly walks the talk. Even though I originally thought I was taking a few hours off today with her we ultimately end up talking about the beauty business. We talked about the frustration with some fellow nail techs that don't understand the value of investing in themselves. As business femtors it is a huge pet peeve we share. Many want to whine and complain about how slow their books are or how hard this business is without the slightest regard for their role in the situation. We chatted about where we are in our business and personal lives and the common thread of committing to excellence and not settling for anything less. I would have never met Maisie if I had not been at a show furthering my education.
I got sick and tired of struggling in business, so I knew I needed to know what I didn't know. So my question this week is, what are you willing to commit to in reaching for your dreams and goals? Before you take off in too many directions ask yourself if you have done as much as you can, invested as much as you can afford to surge ahead. How much time have you given the true work that needs to get done to rise above ordinary? Asses where you are and ask yourself what efforts have I made, truly made, to make things happen. So as you head out to the trade shows this season make yourself a list of who you would like to meet. What questions would you like to ask them. What do you bring to the relationship to stay in the game? Are you educating yourself to be of value to the equation? At the end of the show day there are only so many hours to get things done. We all get the same 24. How are you going to make yours most effective to break through to success?
Here are a few networking basics.
1. Join your local community center. Many centers post events well ahead of time. Something is bound to catch your interest. Libraries also bring in speakers on a variety of topics. Attend the event with plenty of business cards.
2. Have a Facebook presence for your business. Even if you are an employee of a salon. Many area businesses post events in your town. Choose a few to attend, with plenty of business cards.
3. Reach out to the local schools. They are always holding events, fundraisers and charitable events. Offer to attend and set up a booth donating proceeds to the cause. Have plenty of business cards.
4. Attend trade shows, as many as you can. With your business cards.
If you attend an event with a friend or colleague divide and conquer, you already know them. Get business cards or contact information from everyone you meet. Make a small note about what you talked about or what you promised to follow up with. It makes things so much easier when you get home. Keep in touch with these contacts, you never know when they might need your services.