hiring replacements

SalonDuo has been through a lot of changes lately, after only being open a little over a year the tides keep on turning. one thing remains constant and that is our quality and customer service, something we pride ourselves on. stylist have come and gone, assistance have not made the final cut, our salon coordinator has resigned, and we've added a new team memeber....all these changes but our daily grind hasn't felt a ripple of disturbance. thats' when you know you'r doing somethings right!!  

When we had to let one of our assistants go a few months ago, we anticipated the challenge of not having her helping hands that we had come to rely on. one of the reasons we held off on her termination was this feeling like when you are dating a dude that's just ok. you stay with him because he's better than nothing, even if he's not really what you want...you think with enough time and effort you can mold him, make him what you want in a dude. then the day comes when you realize you can't find the perfect fit...that perfect someone if the position is being filled with mister 'Just okay dude'.  and so you cut hin loose...and you go about your business until mister perfect crosses paths with you. 

well thats how it is in the salon world of assistants, and that applies to all employees really. don't be afraid to fire someone. don't feel like you wont find someone to fill that position its going to take time...rushing to fill it with the first interested candidate will become another ' just okay dude' if your not very selective. my advice is know what roles you want to fill, and all the responsibilities that come with that job. use some character assessment exercises to help you match up. 

another thing i have noticed while hiring josh's replacement is that it's better to hire someone with an over abundance of charisma, personality and confidence....and work with them to 'tone it down' to fit your atmosphere, vibe, salon personality.....than to hire someone who is flat lined personality wise. they may seem like a more comfortable pick, less threatening, harsh, abrasive....but they wont ever learn to be any other way. you can't take an introvert and make them 'chatty cathy' small talker to your clients who eat that shit up. you can take confidant, charisma personality candidate and she'll be friends with everyone of them naturally...she may sound rude or unprofessional at first...but understanding that to bring someone into your 'salon culture' who has no idea how things got to be how they are, why you want them to portray professionalism in a certain way, why it's important to word things a certain way...all that can be learned. in my opinion it's a lot more realistic to help an individual mature and embrace the role how you want them too by positive reinforcement and gently constructive criticism. 

can't teach, only inspire

April 12th i flew to new york to take a private cutting class with Laara Rayneir. She started master cutter academy in 2012. originally from London, she assisted under Roger Thompson of Barney's . in the 60's he invented precision haircutting, later working as the art director of Vidal Sassoon in London. so all of this information sounded terrific, and convincing. i paid my $300 for a 2 hour class to learn a long layer haircut, and her signature 5 day blow dry. upon arrival to the Damien West Salon in New york i met my model whom she found on Salonapprentice.com. a site i wish we had in Georgia!!! I'm taking this class to perfect my skills. i know blow drying is my least favorite part of my job, and in sloppy with it,, the quality of my blowouts are average. I'm ready to step it up to extraordinary, perfect.  the long layer haircut was another area where i was ready to be inspired i felt like i always did the same angles in my layering and that i could be doing better.  well the session started with critiquing my consultation skills. that's always a blow to the ego when someone corrects you on something you feel you've mastered. after my ego recovered i realized she was right, i was in the habit of asking my clients what THEY wanted, or what they thought they needed done. she pointed out they are in your chair because they don't know what they need, it's my job as the professional to suggest, and ultimately decided whats best for them. on a side note once i was back at work it became suddenly awkward for me because i had to break the habit, it's not easy to be so authoritative when both you and the client are used to the consultation being conversation about what we mutually think should happen, that will take work to perfect on my part. I know when i am able to have consultations with ideal suggestions, explaining to the client what they need that they don't realize, that it will be best for both of us! 

the haircut. this was a disappointment. she taught me how to cut hair with absolutely zero elevation, using tension with the comb directly against the clients back. starting and completely finishing the right side, then working to the left. the layering was exactly the technique i use already, so that reaffirms I'm doing it the right way!! when it came to the blow drying this took up the Marjory of the time. she really concentrates on clean sectioning and the A, B, C part of each. i did learn a lot during this part, and have used the technique on several clients who have been amazed at how beautiful their hair looked without using any hot tools other than my brush and dryer. if anything i feel like the class perfected my skills at finishing my styles. 

the 2 hours wasn't a waste. i did leave slightly disappointed, but after reflecting on it i realized even the tiniest thing can influence and inspire. it was helped me become even better, a notch higher. and i was able to enjoy a weekend in new york with my hubby!! we followed up the class at a cute bistro called Pounds & Ounces where we drank endless mimosa's, then went shopping in SoHo. i say perfection. 

Who's Boss?!

a book that was highly recommended to me as a small business owner was 'The E-Myth revisited' . I'm only halfway through reading it but it has ignited a passion to push the limits on my entrepreneurial possibilities!!! What we have created at SalonDuo is already so advanced and we are following so many of the rules already that i can't help but think if we have achieved this much success already, after only 1 year, how much more we can do! how big we can make this?!

. The concept of the chapters I've read already are that within every person who steps out to being a business owner, there are 3 players. There is the entrepreneur, manager, and the technician. The technician decides they can be more profitable doing what they are doing for someone else,  so they open their own business doing the same thing. That should begin the end of the technicians' part in this play. As the technician begins it's withdrawal , merging into a managerial position.

Something that really stood out to me is that you should spend more time working ON your business than IN it. i had a hard time with this because you converse with other entrepreneurs you hear that they practically lived in their business during it's first year. That they worked themselves to death to make it work. Maybe I'm crazy but when SalonDuo opened i maintained a balance between my home life and business. That balance has enabled me to be 100% while I'm behind the chair, and the ability to be present in my family activities.  it was  never necessary for me to live in my business, I  can no doubt attribute that to having a business partner. I will say that being apart of a team definitely make life easier. Although.....building a 'partnership' with someone takes careful work to separate feelings, friendship, and business. If you can partner up and make that relation work you will go twice as far with half the work. (simple math eh)


Back to the book. the Idea is that when an individual,  great at their trade, decides to open their own business has to have a system in place.  The only way your business will flourish , and be a long lasting success, is to create jobs for other individuals. The formula doesn't work to continue to be the only one working IN and ON your business. You have to have an END game in mind. An idea of how you can create jobs and build a self-sustaining business that doesn't crash and burn if you are not present. If you cannot succeed in this than you are still a slave to a job, not a business owner.

that being said. How GREAT is the idea that you can create a business that you can focus on building and, growing and perfecting, not only worrying and consumed about making ends meet getting bills paid.  How do you ensure the QUALITY stays up to the standard that you began with. How can anyone replace you? how can they do it as good as i can?

This is where the manager steps in. step 1: Create Jobs step 2: manage your employees. This step is very often overlooked. i admit I've never taken a course in management. What i have realized over the first year SalonDuo has been open is that it is CRUCIAL to the success of the business to learn the art of managing. If i could stress anything to an entrepreneur I'd say KNOW what you want when you begin to hire. As newbies we fumbled our way through multiple interviews practically begging them to WANT us. to Want to work for us. So we hired the first willing staff . Let me say it is a lot harder to reverse that than anyone wants to deal with. All your dreams hang in the balance of who is representing you and your business. Have a plan. know the atmosphere you are trying to create. be selective, be careful who you let into your bubble. It is worth the wait to find the right fit into your team.

Once you have found the compatible employee. Teach them everything you know, invest your every ounce of experience and wisdom.Train them to be you. Have a plan. Create a systematic way for them to learn to do things the way you do. Whether it's you'r shampoo experience,  blow dry,  haircut,  color application or even just the way you communicate. Dont' leave it to chance that they will represent your business reputation like you want them to. This is the most crucial part. The biggest mistake,  hiring employees then letting them drive your hope's and dreams, along with your business into a bad reputation. Start from the beginning. Know what you want to be known for, figure out your plan and invest in a team to help you achieve it successfully.

 then retire at 40.

the end of the year summary for SalonDuo

The end of our first calender year is wrapping up so reflection is in order. People ask me constantly
"Is running a business as hard or as rewarding as you thought it would be?"

The first few months my response came out instantly as "It's easier than I thought it would be!! Things are going so smoothly!!"  This would be the complete truth if I was going to continue to be content with average, or breaking even in the numbers.... but I'm not. SalonDuo is not. We want to make a bigger impact in our town , make a difference, challenge ourselves with new techniques and opportunities, ultimately fulfilling the great opportunity we have to make people feel their best. We want to be experts in our industry...and that is where my answer of, "Yes, its 10x more than I anticipated!!" originates.

What makes it more of a responsibility than I expected? Other than coming to work and standing behind the chair and fulfilling my clients needs??  It's the fact that I am a leader of 7 other stylist. 7 individuals that have chosen to trust me and my skills to run and operate a successful business for them to build and grow their clientele in. Some more experienced than others but all equally dependent on me fulfilling my goals of providing an upscale, luxury experience not only for my guests but for their's as well.

Then there is the responsibility to help them mature and expand on their creative talents. To show them, lead them, provide materials and opportunities for my staff to reach their full potential, so that SalonDuo can reach it's full potential.

We are only one years old, but already making a dent, and impact in our community.  Augusta has never seen the culture, experience, and team of stylist that we are forming.  SalonDuo isn't settling for breaking even, we are putting systems in place to be something that no other salon in this area is. We are an actual team, working together towards a common goal. Each one pulling equal weight and putting forth 100%.

This reflection puts a smile on my face that we've come this far, but also feeds a sense of urgency I have to be where I want to be instantly...and that wont happen. It has to organically evolve, and that's my role, to put the team on the right track and to nurture, and invest in the dream my business partner and I share for SalonDuo.
I feel so blessed with the clients that choose to come and support SalonDuo. We value each and every time you are with us. cheers to great things to come!! 
Cheers to not being content with the status quo.

Graduating never gets boring.

My BP and I graduated our STARTSMART program this past Tuesday from the SBDC . The past 8 weeks was full of information from local Augusta business entrepreneurs such as the owner of  'Great Deals on Furniture', Pita Pit in Evans, AGC learning center, Better Business Bureau, Wells Fargo bank lenders, and International Uniform Shop on Broad. 

Some of the  Entrepreneur classmates I had the privilege of getting to know range from bartenders, daycare providers, tax & accounting, private tutors, private healthcare providers, hobby shop enthusiasts, and E-commerce retailer. 

That being said....you might wonder how any of this could help me in growing SalonDuo?  I have learned already, 10 months into being a business owner, that it's not an autopilot experience once you open your doors. You may be great at your 'trade'. But businesses fail because of the numbers gone wrong behind the scenes. During discussions with my peers during this program we problem solved situations we've all been in as business owners  Variety in Trade aside it's all about making a profit at the end of the day. Doing what we love and making money doing it.  I've learned the importance of calculating a budget and sticking to it. the importance of  keeping the numbers organized in an Excel spreadsheet from the beginning. you don't know where your going otherwise. So Between the information in this class, and the wisdom and guidance of our enthusiastic Coach, we are excited and looking forward to where SalonDuo will be this time next year. 

Only take advice from people who are where you want to be. 

We are the only obstacle  in our own way. 

Fashion Focus Takeaway's

SalonDuo has successfully completed a marathon weekend attending  Fashion focus in Charlotte NC.  Our Team of 8 went ready to absorb information and be inspired, which is indeed what took place! Everyone split up to take courses specific to their needs. DevaCurl refreshers for the new stylists, eyelash extensions for our makeup artists, Martin Parson's updo class for some.  Our salon Coordinator,v Nikki PowPow and I attended  several business classes that challenged us to implement some new SalonDuo policies!! as the saying goes...

Good people always want to be better

So quickly im going to share my lessons learned. Maybe they will resonate with any hairstylist reading, or enlighten the people on the outside of our industry into how much thought, and effort goes into accommodating our guest at SalonDuo

First. If we  can't make you look good, you're just ugly. 

.....

      .......just kidding :) 

Any Person entering SalonDuo is our guests, from now on. (replacing the terminology from 'clients') 

The Importance of  remembering that as long as we are providing solutions to problems our guest's have, they will come back. When we get indifferent about their hair...that's when they have no reason to come back. 

i learned a new method of cutting bangs using thinning shears that i can't wait to try!

That as stylists we are a product, selling a service. Every point of contact is an opportunity to sell our service to a new guests. 

In one of the classes we talked about money being an invisible source of energy we all work hard for and worry about, but we never see it. I realized thats true, we make money, numbers in our bank accounts increase/decrease, and it affects our moods and directs our activities. money=energy force. 

I've changed my method of consultation with new and established guests, but that one you'll have to come into SalonDuo to experience firsthand. 

My business partner and I have become passionately inspired to create a salon experience that Augusta hasn't seen. Since we opened in Feb we hit the ground running with momentum and energy and in an auto-pilot way existed, happy to not be staying afloat financially.
That was just the beginning. One of the exciting, but scary steps SalonDuo  is taking is eliminating the assistants role in SalonDuo. Ironic seeing as my previous blog post was about them. 

I've always been aware of the energy in our salon and we strive to make it a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere that is meant to make our guest feel pampered and catered too. My scheduling has been increasingly busy the past few months, and I've double, and triple booked as needed to accommodate everyone. I wont be doing this anymore. I plan to schedule myself more time with each guest, so i can give my experienced,  personalized,  undivided, attention without time restraints. 

This is a HUGE, SCARY step for me. With my 3 year assistant leaving, and the new 'associate's' joining us, it's something I've just felt was necessary. There will be a transition period of course, and the Holiday's are all about making everyone beautiful, so do not fret, i will still accommodate everyone's beautifying needs. 

Right hand man, Assistant style.

There is a Pro-Con list to hiring assistants with experience or fresh out of school.  SalonDuo opted for someone who we could teach 'our way' without the challenge of 'un-training how another had taught them. As all beauty professionals know in this industry there are so many ways to ultimately achieve the same results, it comes down to preference. 

 the method SalonDuo uses when training an assistant through hands on experience is this:

I Do- You Watch

I Do- You Help

You Do - I Help

You Do - I Watch. 

I forget how new the entire salon experience is in the beginning, It's inspiring to take a moment to remember how every little accomplishment feels like a huge achievement. Training has it's challenges also though, SalonDuo never wants to have it's reputation compromised or the clients experiences less than perfect. This leaves a lot on the line when handing your loyal client over to the hands of an assistant in training.  The goal of having assistants at SalonDuo isn't to rush the clients experience, or because we've overbooked. It's to train these girls , show them the ropes, prepare them to become independent and build confidence for them to become  talented stylists. During the process of training them SalonDuo hopes to give our clients a  very enjoyable experience, since our assistants can focus on giving the best shampoo experience in town. 

 So far 6 weeks into our training with the girls everyday is better than the last! less shirts being soaked and more smooth blowouts achieved! 

SalonDuo believes Customer Satisfaction is no where near as important as Customer Loyalty. We appreciate all of our clients who have been such a great support this past year!