Passion on Purpose

It's been just a few weeks since I returned from a training weekend in San Diego hosted by

Eufora called Global. 

For those of you, that don't know what Eufora is..
It is the line of hair color and hair care products I use and carry in my salon.

It has taken me weeks to unpack what is swirling inside my brain.

I left with no expectation of what the weekend would hold and honestly I wasn't very excited to go.

I was feeling weary about business

 about being a hairdresser

about life

I was feeling so conflicted about many things.
I felt like I couldn't get my feet underneath myself.

I was ready to hang up my blow dryer and lock the door of the salon forever.

Yes, I'm serious.

I'm tired.
Tired of sub par salon owners who don't invest in their contractors.
Tired of the veiled social media jabs
Tired of the I'm the best and everyone else sucks mentality.
Tired of seeing stylist struggle because they don't know how to use the tools in their tool belt.
Tired of seeing good stylist leave the business.
Tired of my industry not being taken seriously.

I'm sick of it!

At Global there was 

runway shows

lights

loud music

drama in the form of color and clothes

breakout classes
cheers, applause
and there were tears.

We got to listen to the owner of Eufora,
Beth Bewley,
speak about her late husband Don and what their company stands for.
What they stand for.

Eufora is a company run by hairdressers for hairdressers.

I heard words like

Integrity
Humble

 NEVER a master
Value
Education
What we do is on purpose
If you're the best you're leading the rest

you can learn something from anyone no matter how long you or they been in the business.
Leave everyone bigger than you found them
To whom much is given much is expected

A lump rose into my throat and tears welled in my eyes
These! These are my people!
This is what I want.
This is what I want for other hairdressers for other salons!

I've been to many many many hair shows, business classes, cutting and coloring classes, hair extension classes.
I've traveled to and hosted classes in my salon.
Nothing compares to what I heard or what I felt at
Global.
Eufora is family.
In the breakout classes you would see Beth slide in and sit down.
The educators would come over to your table and ask about you.
These are all big time hairdressers and educators that travel the world and they want to know about little old Kallie Linder in Astoria, Oregon population not a lot.
Never once did I feel intimidated to ask a question-yes I get intimidated.
Never once did I sense arrogance 

We got to meet the chemist behind the science of Eufora and when we joked that one of the educators told us we could have his phone number he didn't even bat an eye.

I took a business class from a women who owns 6 salons and employs 80 people!
I met a colorist who took a suggestion from a student in a class and took her seriously.
They don't just preach about what they think hairdressers should do they live it.

In one of the breakout classes I took the instructor talked about 

Core Values-what is important in our business

and had us make a list of ours

Values for our business should match values in our life if you ask me.

I started my list:

Integrity
Honesty
Authenticity
Leader
Kind
Servants
Marketing
Money

Integrity,

was the first and it is the one that I keep going back to.

I feel like nothing else matters.

If I don't have integrity as a business owner or as a person I have nothing.
It doesn't matter what my bank account looks like, how many hearts or likes a social post gets, what I drive
the list can go on and on
Without integrity we are bankrupt.

Honesty,
This comes alongside integrity
We have to be honest in our business
honest about processes going from black to blond, pricing, honest in our marketing.
We have to under promise and over deliver and we can't do it without being honest.

Authenticity,
If you know me you know I am
a mom and a wife first,
I am
passionate, opinionated, a tight hugger, a Christian, a servant heart and a wanna be farmer.
I can go from stilettos and an evening gown to cow shit covered boots and a baseball cap and be perfectly comfortable in both.
I am who I am without apology.
I also am who I am inside and outside of business.
I don't have time to put on a show or act like something I'm not.

Leader,
I want to be the type of salon owner that has a team that knows I have their back.
I want them to know that I am their biggest cheerleader and advocate.
I will never ask any of my girls to sacrifice their own values.
I will always stand behind them and be their protector.
A wise person once told me
"Our actions meet our words"
I never want my words to be without weight.

Kind,
We welcome all walks of life in my business with no exception.
From kids to 120 years old.
From Christians to people recovering from addiction
gay, straight, bi, trans whatever; we got you
If there is a child who is terrified to sit in the salon chair we will sit on the floor; I've done it.
I will accept nothing less than kindness from the people who work in my business or from the clients that sit in our chairs.

Servants,
We believe in a community of giving, paying it forward and compassion.
We participate in
coat, food, toy and school supply drives.
Adopting families for Christmas.
Cut-a-thons
Numerous donations for various causes.
Wig fittings for cancer patients
haircuts for the homeless
It is wildly important to me that we be apart of our community.

Humble,
There is no room for arrogance in my business.
There isn't
 We have a highly educated team, but we are always striving for more to fill our knowledge cups.
From newly graduated team members all the way to 20+ experience everyone brings something to the table and everyone can teach something.
People don't' know what they don't know and I want our salon to be a place that is approachable for any stylist to say
"I saw on your (insert social page) would you show me how you did that"

Marketing
This couples with honesty, authenticity and integrity
 Social business posts need to be about our own business and what we offer.
No filters
No softening
No jabs to other salons or stylists
Again, people don't know what they don't know and we can't jab them for that.

Money
Making money is a must in business it keeps the lights on, but
it isn't what drives me at all.
It doesn't bring me joy and it has no bearing on who I am as a person.
 I wish I could barter for everything including my mortgage.
I think it is a necessary evil and when it becomes the focus bad things happen.

And this was just one class!

My goal as a salon owner is to
come along side every stylist and therapist that works in my business so that they are successful.
It doesn't matter their level of experience or length of time they have worked with me I owe it to them to offer more than just a place to drop their rent check.
They deserve my best and they deserve it honestly and authentically.
In return I expect their best; honestly and authentically.

My goal as a stylist is that
each one of my clients would feel safe with me and know that I value them as people not just as a client in my chair.
I want them to feel full and tall when they leave.

As the weekend waned on I felt my feet firmly on the ground,
I was reminded why I chose to open my own salon.
My heart started to beat for my business again
so much so that I thought or think maybe I should open another salon.

When Beth took the stage for the last time and every single Global educator lined up beside her
 tears welled up in my eyes.
These people get me and they don't even know me.
These people took me to church with their words, with their hearts for hairdressers, with their passion for our business
 and they reminded me why I do what I do.

My hearts desire is to build a community of hairdressers, nail techs, estheticians and massage therapist
that are all the best they can be inside and outside my own business.
I want every salon and every stylist to be successful
Truly.
I believe there is enough business for every person in our small little county and we all have a niche.
I want to raise the standard of this business to be taken seriously as a career of
confidence, poise and world changers.

We are in a powerful position
one that I will never take for granted.
I want what I do to be on purpose for a purpose.



Blessed Is Me...