hairdresser burnout

One of the things i think we all struggle with at no matter where we are in life is burnout!!

About 6 years ago i had hit a point in my career where it looked like there was nowhere to go but down, it seemed to take 10 times the energy to do regular daily things
like haircuts, colors, or even just being nice to people.
Whats funny about that is, i would be hearing the hair school kids who only had 300 hours in school saying the same damn thing!
you would hear things like "im soooo buuurrrnnntt oouuuttt!!" and when I would hear that, i would think "well just wait till you have been doing hair for as long as I have" you will really hate life then!!

Then one day I was sitting in a class thinking about what else i could do for a living and the teacher said:

"If you cant get out of it.. get into it"
"if you can't get out of your job.. get into your career"

Those words hit me like a ton of bricks!!
All this time i was putting so much energy into being burnt out and miserable that i had forgot how much fun this career could be.
I mean how could i be burned out of something that is ever changing, a job where you never know what your gonna get from day to day!

Well that day i decided!! It started from the inside and worked its way out.

I started actually enjoying things like shampooing hair and realizing how relaxed and good i could make people feel.

I started to look at my coworkers like profound gifts in my life instead of "blood sucking leeches, who just take what they want and leave the scraps behind".

I would actually "look" at my clients again and give them the attention and service that they truly deserve.

Suddenly my job had turned back into a career.
Not to mention, the next 5 years where the most profitable of my 20 years in this business.
With all that has happened in the world in the last few years, i believe there a lot of people who could be feeling the same way i did at that time.

So that's why im writing this blog.

If this career looks scary or harder than it used to, im suggesting that it may be in the way that you are viewing it.
We all know that when we are in a good mood our problems or "challenges" (as i like to call them) seem to feel easier.
When we are in a "not so good" mood (well you get it).
If we are experiencing burnout or stress its because at some point we decided that what we are doing is stressful or boring.

Well i ask you now, What would your life be like if you chose to look at it as exciting?

What if, You choose to see your career as a limitless river of possibilities and opportunities.

What if, you choose to see your coworkers for their potential, not a bunch of lazies who steel your clips and combs and never sweep their stations.

How much better could your life be if you chose to think differently?
You get the picture..

John C Maxwell said: "winning is an inside job".

That's the truth (at least I believe it is).

If your not sure yet give this a try for 7 days.
if you don't see a positive change in your life, go back to the way you were!

The 7 day challenge

1. Set an intention to enjoy each day and be happy! Make it your goal no matter what you have going on (work or play, good or bad)
2. Write down your mood 4 times each day. if your a little down or in a bad mood Simply ask yourself what's good about right now? (if you can't think of anything, ask, what could be good about this moment?) Come up with an answer!
3. Smile at three people that you may not have even looked at. (look them right in the eyes and smile)
4. Last, each night for seven days journal. Come up with 3 great moments that you had that day. Then list three things that you love about yourself.

OOOHHHHHH!! Come on! I know it seems a little sappy. Just try it!

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It's who you are, that makes you what you are!!

It's been a while since our last blog, The reason for that is a lot of traveling and working with hairdressers from around the country and ready to share some new insights!

We have all heard the industry experts for years giving us their magic formulas to success.
Somehow the answer always somehow ties in selling more of their product!
( and it is true that retailing is a very profitable part of our business, for the salon owners retail sales is on average is 8 times more profitable than service sales)
but there are so many very successful salon professionals that seem to not follow any of the traditional rules, it left me to ponder...

When you take a look, some of these people do all of the wrong things and still get ahead.. So what is it,, Or better yet WHO are they?


Think of the most successful person you know.

Not just financial success but successful relationships, health, happiness the total package.
How do you feel when your around them? Do you feel good or..... no-so-much ?
Seems interesting that most of the time these people make you feel great just by entering the room.
For some reason you just wanna be around them.

Why?
Successful people make it about you and not about them.
They ask questions, and then actually listen to the answer.
They tend to be courteous and humble.
Many times you can catch them preforming random acts of kindness for no reason.
They don't seem to care about "keeping up with the Jone'es"
It seems that they are just nicer people than those who are caught up in the Rat Race.

Now.. this may seem obvious but think about a conversation that you have had where the person you where talking to made the whole conversation about themselves and their petty drama.
To be polite you smiled and nodded but the person is so wrapped up in themselves, they have no idea how uninterested you are.
So they keep talking and talking.. and you keep smiling and nodding.

What's the point ?
Salon professionals serve people, and yet many times are so self serving.
If many of us could just break the habit of being so self absorbed we would begin to see that our clients, families, friends, coworkers are so much more than objects in our lives who help us get what we want. They are people, and to the point that those people know that you care they will allow you to serve them.
If the vibe that we give off is all about me, myself and I, it closes off the highway that takes us to new heights.

So be nice!!
At first this can be hard. Here are a few "Practices" that can help you on your start your journey to a better way of "being".

• Ask genuine questions and listen to responses without planning your next statement.

Questions that give a person the opportunity to to answer with more than one word.
In time you will find out so much more about people you thought you already knew.

• Practice humility.

Don't try to benefit from from every and all situations.
Sometimes its okay to let someone else be right.

• Give people compliments even when they are not around, and never speak behind someone else's back negatively

This will help to make YOU the person people want to be around.

• Preform random act's of kindness and expect nothing in return.

When you expect nothing in return, the act becomes so much more powerful.


Finally, success is really what happens on the inside you can have that anytime you choose!