Isn't it safe to say that we have all been inspired by someone at one time or another?
For the past 10 years much of the inspiration that has really kept me most excieted has come from working with our future industry professionals!
Do you remember your first few years in the business?
How excited were you when you did your first haircut on your own?
Do you remember how nervous you were ?
Well I sure do....
However that feeling does not last forever and thank goodness for that !
Eventually we all develop our skill and self confidence.
Unfortunatly for alot of us, a routine can become a rut!
Well that's what happened to me, but just then "she" walked in!
Her name was Elizibeta Frangoni, and she applied to an open stylist assistant position I had in the local paper. She was not living here legally yet, but at the time I was overworked and really needed an extra set of hands.
The rest of the truth is that she had already been a hairdresser in Italy for some years, she and her husband Tony had just come over and where staying with some friends at the time.
Looking for new opportunity in a new land, Elizibeta spoke about three words of english but the way that girl could finish hair had no language barrier!
It was amazing how over the next few months we where able to mesh our style and could effectively service so many more people in a day.
With the two of us always focusing on the guest, customer service was off the charts!!
Feeding off each other, our creativity grew stronger than ever and as a result work was more fun than it had been in years.
The increse in income was not to complain about either, during that time Elizibeta was working on a cosmetology license in the states and getting better and better with her english.
After about eight months she was able to begin to work on clients for herself and by that time I had gotten so used to working with another person that I decided to go to the hairschool that I attended and begin to recruit my next partner!
Bringing someone in fresh out of school was a little different than working with Elizibeta, however it was equally as exciting.
To work with a person who is in the infancy of a career, watch them light up every day with the new and exciting things they were learning.
Additionally by getting a fresher perspective on things inspired me to try new things when working on my clients whose hair I had been doing for years.
How excited were you when you did your first haircut on your own?
Do you remember how nervous you were ?
Well I sure do....
However that feeling does not last forever and thank goodness for that !
Eventually we all develop our skill and self confidence.
Unfortunatly for alot of us, a routine can become a rut!
Well that's what happened to me, but just then "she" walked in!
Her name was Elizibeta Frangoni, and she applied to an open stylist assistant position I had in the local paper. She was not living here legally yet, but at the time I was overworked and really needed an extra set of hands.
The rest of the truth is that she had already been a hairdresser in Italy for some years, she and her husband Tony had just come over and where staying with some friends at the time.
Looking for new opportunity in a new land, Elizibeta spoke about three words of english but the way that girl could finish hair had no language barrier!
It was amazing how over the next few months we where able to mesh our style and could effectively service so many more people in a day.
With the two of us always focusing on the guest, customer service was off the charts!!
Feeding off each other, our creativity grew stronger than ever and as a result work was more fun than it had been in years.
The increse in income was not to complain about either, during that time Elizibeta was working on a cosmetology license in the states and getting better and better with her english.
After about eight months she was able to begin to work on clients for herself and by that time I had gotten so used to working with another person that I decided to go to the hairschool that I attended and begin to recruit my next partner!
Bringing someone in fresh out of school was a little different than working with Elizibeta, however it was equally as exciting.
To work with a person who is in the infancy of a career, watch them light up every day with the new and exciting things they were learning.
Additionally by getting a fresher perspective on things inspired me to try new things when working on my clients whose hair I had been doing for years.
It was awesome!
I was enjoying work even more than I ever had, but what happened next, I was really not expecting.
Over the next couple of years I continued to help new sylist's grow their careers never really thinking that I would soon have one of the most profitable salons in town.
Now the issue of recruiting new staff was nearly gone.
I had more resume's than I could handle!
We had grown a culture of self motivated stylists who kept the "good of the salon" at the forefront.
I was enjoying work even more than I ever had, but what happened next, I was really not expecting.
Over the next couple of years I continued to help new sylist's grow their careers never really thinking that I would soon have one of the most profitable salons in town.
Now the issue of recruiting new staff was nearly gone.
I had more resume's than I could handle!
We had grown a culture of self motivated stylists who kept the "good of the salon" at the forefront.
OK OK, I can hear some of you thinking.
"I'm already too busy to take time to train someone else"
or
"My clients will never let someone else work on them"
What i say to you is GET OVER IT !! :)
If you really believe no one else can do hair the way you can, then your name must be Vidal Sassoon!
Wait until you give your clients a chance to feel the customer service from two professionals at once.
Two people applying a color get's it done twice as efficiently!
Two people to brainstorm new ideas, and the list goes on!
The most important thing is you go from being a hairdresser to mentor.
Something happens when it's not just yourself that you are looking out for but the growth and development of others, word begins to spread.
"I'm already too busy to take time to train someone else"
or
"My clients will never let someone else work on them"
What i say to you is GET OVER IT !! :)
If you really believe no one else can do hair the way you can, then your name must be Vidal Sassoon!
Wait until you give your clients a chance to feel the customer service from two professionals at once.
Two people applying a color get's it done twice as efficiently!
Two people to brainstorm new ideas, and the list goes on!
The most important thing is you go from being a hairdresser to mentor.
Something happens when it's not just yourself that you are looking out for but the growth and development of others, word begins to spread.
A cause, set in motion.
For my business this was the best thing ever did.
If your stuck in a rut in your career, this may be the next step for you.
If you are already one of the those who has been responsible for training and growing our future leaders, we congratulate you!
Finally, If you are thinking of taking on a new associate here is an idea on how to find that potential new employee:
Go and volunteer to teach a class at a local hair school. It does'nt have to be long.. just an hour or so, and after the class there will always be a few interested applicants who will want to stay around and talk.
Once you have chosen a new associate, remember continuing their education is a marathon not a sprint.
Don't overwhelm yourself thinking you have to teach them everything in one day.
Begin with small stuff like
If your stuck in a rut in your career, this may be the next step for you.
If you are already one of the those who has been responsible for training and growing our future leaders, we congratulate you!
Finally, If you are thinking of taking on a new associate here is an idea on how to find that potential new employee:
Go and volunteer to teach a class at a local hair school. It does'nt have to be long.. just an hour or so, and after the class there will always be a few interested applicants who will want to stay around and talk.
Once you have chosen a new associate, remember continuing their education is a marathon not a sprint.
Don't overwhelm yourself thinking you have to teach them everything in one day.
Begin with small stuff like
"these are the tool's we will need for setup of a color process"
and
"this is the way we greet our clients"
and
"this is the way we greet our clients"
Then schedule one "class" per week or every other week.
It will not be long before your associate will be well trained in all that they need to be.
Don't forget to spend time teaching them client communication and sales skills.
They will need these vital skills if they are to be successful long term.
And most importantly Have Fun!!
The more fun you have while teaching, the happier your associate will be.
Good luck until next time!
It will not be long before your associate will be well trained in all that they need to be.
Don't forget to spend time teaching them client communication and sales skills.
They will need these vital skills if they are to be successful long term.
And most importantly Have Fun!!
The more fun you have while teaching, the happier your associate will be.
Good luck until next time!
Check out our web app and iPhone app to help stylists make more money behind the chair:
http://www.ibeautify.net
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