Encounter with greatness

A couple weeks ago I went to Fashion Focus with the staff of Oh! Salon.  This is an annual, multi state hair show where thousands of stylist converge at the convention center in Charlotte for education, motivation and to mingle with others in the industry.
I had spent the last couple of weeks feeling discouraged and frustrated with myself and with the feeling that I wasn’t growing as a stylist. I felt like I wasn’t doing enough and that what I did do was not the right thing and as a result, I was losing my drive and excitement. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to attend the Charlotte show or not but I decided to go anyway and I am so glad I did.
The greatest moment of my day was having the opportunity to meet Robert Cromeans and watch him work. Robert is Paul Mitchell’s star attraction working as their lead platform artist and educational adviser. He is also a motivational speaker and runs FIVE salons of his own in his spare time. I was struck by his gentle nature and his down to earth appeal. I will never forget the moment that he turned to me and said, ”the stylist DOES not fail….the SOLUTION fails.” If was as if no on else was in the room but the two of us and he was speaking directly to me…about me.  I literally felt a shift in my spirit.  I understood for the first time that not everything I do will work in my business or in my life. It does not make it a failure, it only means that I need to shift my strategy and seek another solution. And if that is true then “failure” is a lie…because the only way for me to fail is to not be willing to adapt to the situation.
I came back to the salon with a renewed passion for my craft and as a result of the change in my mindset, I have seen a growth in my business like I never imagined. I feel that my future in this awesome industry is brighter than before and all because of a chance encounter with greatness. Thank you Robert Cromeans.

~ VICTORIA

Steel Magnolias

The other night I watched the re-make of “Steel Magnolias” starring Queen Latifah, Phylicia Rashad, Alfrie Woodard and Jill Scott. I must admit that I was watching with a certain amount of bias since, as most of you know, I am a lifelong Dolly Parton fan. It was a bit strange to hear other actresses delivering familiar lines and funny one liners but after a while I found that I was involved in the story and not because I have seen the original five-hundred times, but because I realized that I am privileged enough to live this reality every day of my life.
Very often I will tell our staff that what we do here is so much bigger than it appears.  Yes! We are hairstylist and wear that title with honor and I believe that we do good work. But the REALLY good work is in the relationships that we are fortunate enough to build with our clientele. I think that is why this movie has always struck a chord with me and with many others in this industry.
I have held your newborn babies, I’ve danced at your weddings, I’ve sat beside hospital beds and taken food to your homes during times of recovery. I have celebrated your life’s brightest moments with you and I have cried with you during the dark times. I have ridden in limousines  with your families to say goodbye to loved ones, I’ve seen divorces and I’ve seen new found love too…sickness and disease and I have toasted to beautiful words like “cancer free” and “I am engaged”.
What we do here is indeed far greater than hair and you are far more than customers. We share our lives with one another and form bonds that I am sure reach into eternity.
Thank you for allowing us to share your lives in such profound and personal ways. It is my joy and my honor to be a small part of your journey.
KIAH

Collecting Sea Shells

Recently I spent a week in Myrtle Beach with my parents. It was a really nice time. We had long talks over a glass of wine, pounds of fried seafood, quiet reflection and long walks on the beach.  I have always loved to walk the beach even as a child. There is something almost sacred about it for me.  I think that the ocean makes me more aware of the majesty of nature and how perfectly the earth works in balance to make all of life possible.  The sun never forgets to rise in the morning and seems to float upon the horizon like a glowing circle of life. The waves always remember to roll over themselves crashing to the shore with foamy reverence, sure of their purpose. The moon doesn’t take time off from dictating the tidal flow of the marshes calling the creatures that live beyond the sea to feeding time. Yes…I still look at the ocean with wonder and amazement.
One day while walking, I noticed that the very best shells are found when the tide is low.  There are hundreds more at low tide and they are usually whole and beautiful. Our lives too are a series of high and low tides. When the water rises, it is a wonderful thing and we may find ourselves spilling over with joy and abundance.  But it is not meant to last…for when the water recedes and we find low tide, it is then that we can gather the   most perfectly formed treasures of ideas, lessons, wisdom and compassion. 
I know that some of our dear friends at OH SALON are experiencing difficulties today. I have nothing to tell you that will change your circumstances. But I did watch the tides and I want to encourage you to gather as many of the shells as you can. High tide is coming soon.
Much Love
Kiah

Falling in love with a new you!

Ok everybody fall is here and that means not only has the season changed, but the temperature and the color of the leaves have changed as well.  Soon we will all be shopping for a new handbag, sweaters and boots. Why we are shopping for a new wardrobe it is also time to think about shopping for a new hair color. Soooo… here are some of Fall 2012’s hair color trends.

Ombre: This word is French and relates to transition from dark to light. We are seeing this all over the Runway and Hollywood. This fall there is a bit of a twist on the technique. We are seeing a lot more reds and violet hues. This just gives a fun new look to your summer ombre color. If you are not bold enough to go for a loud red or a violet, you can warm your natural brown up and make it a rich mahogany.

Speaking of browns if you are looking for a fall update, but not a hair make over, a great way to do it is to add red or violet hues to your brown base. This can be done with a permanent color, or for those of us that are afraid of commitment, a semi permanent color can be used to change the tone of your hair and make it richer.








Last but not least, for all of our blondes, NO you do not have to be a brunette in the fall. There are a few options to keep you blonde, and perfect for the cooler weather. The first option is to use a semi permanent color, again no commitment, and change the tone of your hair to make it a little cooler. The second option is to add low lights. Generally adding two shades of low lights is perfect. It will give an overall more natural look to the hair and will deepen the color of your hair by 1-2 shades. Perfect for the fall! 












Long story short, you can remain true to you and update your haircolor for the fall.... so give it a try and fall in love with the new you... or at least your new color!


Unitl next time~
Christine

Whirlwinds of my Septembers

                             
In September of 1989 Hurricane Hugo swept through South Carolina leaving in its wake a path of twisted pine trees, damaged homes and unrecognizable landscapes. The days following still seem a bit surreal to me; as if I dreamed it and awoke to distant bits and pieces. But much of it I remember as if it were yesterday.
The week before the storm I had just began my career in a small salon in Sumter. I was spilling over with hopes and dreams of what the future held for me. I literally worked in that salon for four days and then spent the next three weeks sawing branches and moving debris as we tried to salvage our home and rebuild our lives. This was a difficult time for us…the work was hard and the weather was hot. We had little to eat, no water, no electricity and no bathroom facilities. This was a far cry from what I imagined would be my entrance into the glamorous and fast paced life of a stylist, but a humbling experience, none the less and it a pattern that would seem to dictate how my life would be guided by the whirlwinds of my Septembers.
Almost twenty- two years to the week later I found myself uprooted once again from all I knew that was familiar and consistent.  I left my well paying job, solid clientele, strained a few long standing relationships and ran headfirst into building and operating a business which I knew very little about at that time. I knew how to do hair and I was quite good at it, but now I was dealing with budgets and loans, staffing and working with suppliers and lawyers…all a foreign concept to me. It was a very hot month and we didn’t have electricity yet and there was also a great deal of physical work involved.  Old carpets had to be ripped up and pulled out to the dumpsters along with gallons of crumbled press on floor tiles, and broken pieces of a large desk, which was bolted to the floor and had to be dismantled with a sledge hammer. We deconstructed this building from ceiling to floor so that we could reconstruct it into what you see today. The days were long and the work was hard but we remained dedicated to our dream. The rebuilding process reminded me in many ways of days just following Hurricane Hugo.
I am so very proud to step back and see how far we have come in the last two years. I am proud of my staff and what we are continuing to create together as a team. I am proud of Christine for her continued dedication and hard work behind the scenes, which most of you never get to see, and I am proud that so many of you have remained happy and loyal to us after all this time. It is hard to imagine that such difficult and painful experiences could ever result in a place of joy and great awareness. I suppose that the whirlwinds of my Septembers still continue to direct my path and lead me to the place that I am intended to be and so I am learning to just relax and let the winds carry me.
Today is September 26, 2012 and this is OH SALON’S second anniversary. We will quietly celebrate it with a staff dinner tonight at California Dreaming and with the launch of our blog we will call “LAYERS” It has been a dream of mine to be able to share with you, not only the latest in hairstyles and products but also some of our experiences and insights as we continue to build a business. I hope that you will find the layers of our lives informative, insightful and humorous and if just one thing that we say makes you say to yourself, “Wow, I never thought of it that way”, then we will have succeeded with this project. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY EVERYBODY!!!!

~Kiah