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So you want to be a Hairstylist??

So you want to be a Hairstylist??

by | Aug 12, 2020 | Hairstylist Life

I read an article recently filled with great advice for Hairstylists and Salon Owners.  It inspired me to write my own thoughts down on what I feel should be shared with all potential stylists.

It explains the reason why they should want to enter the industry and gives fundamental insight into whether being a Hairstylist is really what they want to pursue.

Very few aspiring Hairstylists understand this essential truth.

Its not about the hair.

Surprised?  ?

I think most people signing up for hair school would disagree with that statement, but most of us who are earning our living as career Hairstylists know this as fact ?

I’m sure any Hairstylist you ask will tell you how much they love doing hair. Coloring, cutting, styling – it’s something we are extremely passionate about. A way for us to express our artistry and create.

As artists, hair is our medium.

The feeling we get from creating something truly beautiful is what drives us to continue, to find the next medium and create ?   It’s this feeling that most young Hairstylists are chasing in their journey to turn their passion for hair into a career.

Now if you are reading this as a paying client I’m sure you are a bit confused, and rightfully so! Sound like I’m forgetting something? ?

You are right – there is something enormous missing and this, for some Hairstylists, is where it all goes horribly wrong.

PEOPLE!!! Our medium is a person! ??‍♀️

Not a piece of canvas, not an inanimate object. A PERSON with feelings, hopes and desires.  One who has their own likes and dislikes when it comes to their hair.  One who actually OWNS, USES and WEARS our art everyday!

You should want to be a Hairstylist because you love ?  making PEOPLE love ?  their hair.

Being a Hairstylist is not about you – it’s about every single person who sits in your chair. Every person who hands you their time, their trust, their hair, and amazingly allows you to touch a tiny piece of their heart. A person who invites you into their life every 6 – 8 weeks.  That’s an amazing privilege and responsibility to carry with you every day.

It is through a Client that you chase your artistic passion, to bring what they are dreaming of to life.

Not a people person? Stick to working with canvas ??‍♀️

Trust me though – you’ll be missing out on an amazingly rewarding profession!

So do you still want to be a Hairstylist? ??‍♀️

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

Consultation Confessional – the truth is always best!

Consultation Confessional – the truth is always best!

by | Aug 4, 2020 | Just for Salon Clients!

Are you guilty of leaving a little something left unsaid during your consultation? A little at home craftiness or perhaps a visit with a different Stylist? ?

Your consultation is where a Stylist learns everything they need to know about your hair. We call this ‘hair history’.  Think of it like your hair’s life story – exactly what your hair would say if it was spilling the T ☕️

Your very first consultation with a new Hairstylist should be DETAILED ?.  Questions which may seem almost silly to you, can hold very valuable information for us that we need to anticipate how your hair will react during your service. Even for returning clients, your subsequent consultations (yes – there should always be one) will contain lots of questions on your experience with your hair since we last saw you.

So when a Hairstylist asks you ‘Is there any hair colour on your hair right now?’ or ‘Have you had hair colour since you were last here?’ and you answer ‘NO’, there’s a few different ways this can all play out……

Scenario 1:

There really is no hair colour nor has there ever been hair colour on your hair. Congratulations! ?  You are officially a Hairstylist’s dream client and have won the ‘We can make your hair ANY colour you want!’ Prize.  Seriously – you are a catch! A hair colour virgin!  We’ve heard of you but until now thought you were a rare mythical creature only seen in our hair colour dreams!!  Yes, we are excited ?

Scenario 2:

There is no hair colour left in your hair because it’s all ‘faded out’ – and anyway that was 6 months ago. Those highlights that you covered up with said colour – you can’t see those anymore either. What difference would it make now?

Considering the conversation you’ve just had with yourself, you answer ‘NO’. Now visually this may be true – you aren’t ‘lying’. You just can’t see the colour anymore so what’s the big deal?

Red Flag! ?  Or in your Hairstylist’s case, white flag! ?  ?

Let’s say you are asking your Hairstylist to put some highlights in your hair.  After sitting forever to have all the foils put in your Stylist comes back to check if you are ready to rinse and oddly asks you ‘Are you sure there isn’t any hair colour on your hair?’. 

Want to know why we ask this? Staring back at us from that open foil is the exact line where your new blonde goes from beautiful and light (on your natural hair) to orangey and dark (where that ‘faded out’ old hair colour is). Oh and then look there where it goes from beautiful and light to white and shredding exaclty where those old highlights were ?   We could have formulated for this – had we only known……

Scenario 3:

You want to confess but are afraid to hurt our feelings.  Or maybe you are embarrassed about experimenting (side note: we’ve alllllll experimented ?  )  or simply just don’t want to have what you anticipate being an awkward conversation ??‍♀️.   So in response to our question about any recent hair colour, you go ahead answer ‘NO’.

Red Flag! ?  Or in your Hairstylist’s case, white flag! ?. ?

See the results from Scenario 2.  They apply here as well.

Let me fill you in on a little secret ?.  There are very, very few cases where we look at the hair during consultation and can’t tell whether it has been previously coloured or not.  But as in the scenarios above when we ask ‘Is there any hair colour on your hair?’ and you say ‘NO’, we believe you and formulate accordingly.

The hair history you give us at the beginning of your appointment helps us get you the hair colour you want.  If we have all the information (no matter what you really wish was better left unsaid) we can anticipate problems and account for them.  We can realistically tell you what will happen, considering your hair history, and exactly what your options are to get you to where you want to go.

Moral of the story?  Don’t be afraid! Spill your heart out in the consultation.  Tell us every single, little tiny thing you’ve ever done, or had done to your hair!  Have long hair? Get comfy – that’s a good 3 to 4 years of story telling you have ahead of you.

Just spill it sister ☕️  We’ll just be here listening and taking notes!

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

That Red Light Feeling

That Red Light Feeling

by | Jul 28, 2020 | Thoughts & Things

Ever feel like you are hitting every single red light? ?  ? Sitting and drumming your fingers on the steering wheel, creeping slowly forward as you wait for it to turn green? Praying everyone in front of you spontaneously decides to turn right just so you can get moving? ?   It’s 11:20, you were supposed to be there at 11:15, and now you’re running late all because the dog was an asshat and preferred to roll in the grass instead of just taking the required ?  on it, so you could fly out the door! ??‍♀️ You know the feeling. Frustrated, living the longest seconds of your life ⏰  unable to take any kind of action that can move you forward. It’s the ‘Red Light Feeling’.

The ‘Red Light Feeling’ happens to all of us in our day to day life.

Super busy, fitting in as much as possible and becoming frustrated when something or someone interferes.  Wanting to do something, that for whatever reason, you literally can’t do.  Things like wanting to……. …leave a performance review before its finished? …hang up the phone long before the other person feels the conversation is over? Or what about….. …watching your toddler take 5 years to get their shoes tied? …staring at your partner while the steam slowly escapes from your ears ?  just waiting for them to acknowledge you are actually talking to them? Or what about the intensity of the feeling as grows leaps and bounds when you realize someone just doesn’t ‘get’ your red light life. Maybe having to bite your tongue ?  as you… …listen to someone tell you that it doesn’t matter that your child has special needs inside a classroom and that he’ll have to change his behaviour anyway? ? …wait 8 months to see a Specialist and no matter how desperately you need your situation to change, you have to sit at that ‘red light’ and listen while your thread of hope is once again swiftly cut, as they just suggest the things you’ve already tried 1, 567, 298 times? ? Those moments that you can’t stand to endure another second, but through physical, emotional or social barriers you are stuck. Whether for a minute, an hour, a month or even years, we all experience that ‘red light feeling’? Some people live these moments on repeat.  Some experience them simply because they choose not to remedy them – not leaving a few minutes earlier or not making different choices that could relieve them of experiencing the feeling. Some people live these moments constantly through years 1-18 of raising children ?‍? Some live these moments constantly as an individual with an ‘invisible’ chronic problem. Whatever the situation, it boils down to one thing – the DESIRE to do or change SOMETHING that a barrier (in any form) stops you from doing. So why talk about it? ?  If we all experience it what’s the big deal? ??‍♀️

Here’s the thing….we are all guilty of loosing perspective.  All of us.

We are all guilty of loosing sight of what is merely a red light inconvenience, and what essentially amounts to a red light life. You know what I think someone dealing with a Red Light Life day in and day out wants you to know? It’s just a red light you nut!! ??‍♀️  Take a deep breath, leave 5 minutes earlier next time, turn right if you’d like and most of all be grateful that these are your ‘problems’. Yes, I said be grateful. Keeping some perspective about a situation is a necessary practise and if hearing someone tell you that becomes a trigger, it’s more than likely true for you. Sorry, not sorry!! ? Life is not a comparison of ‘problems’ but sometimes everyone can use a gentle reminder of when its worth getting fired up ?and when you should actually be grateful that this is the worst thing that’s impacting your day ? And maybe, just maybe when we recognize someone actually living a red light life, we’ll send them love even if we can’t begin to understand the enormity of their situation.

The moral of this story? I’m calling myself out.

That asshat dog? He’s mine ??‍♀️ That red light? That was me sitting at the wheel drumming my fingers. And now at the end of my day, after some much needed reflection, I’ve decided that red light was my ‘right place at the right time’ reminder, that today was really a problem free, amazing day ? The next time I’m at a red light, late or not, I’ll be grateful for the perspective reminder. Life is good.  Don’t get wrapped up in the small inconveniences.  Do everything you can to keep your perspective and most of all – be grateful. Thanks for listening, Carrie www.cihairstudio.ca      
Why is Perception so Important?

Why is Perception so Important?

by | Jul 24, 2020 | Thoughts & Things

Perception is an interesting thing.  It’s like a personal lens through which we see ourselves and the things around us.

Imagine two women, the first we’ll name ‘Jen’ and the second we’ll name ‘Judy’ ?  Both are shown the same bracelet. It’s white, a little dingy, and woven together with a bit of pink thread to create a short, solid band. On each end longer pink threads hang loosely, crimped along their length possibly from being tied.

When asked to describe the bracelet ‘Jen’ seems a little annoyed ?  and doesn’t give the bracelet a second glance as she says…

‘It’s one of those bracelets, you know the silly kind you give to your friends as kids? The kind everybody wore around to signify they were part of the “popular” crowd.  Like they were a badge of honour or something.’ She laughs a bit and continues ‘So stupid to carry on about them the way the kids I went to school with did!’

After she finishes ‘Judy’ seems saddened by Jen’s description ?  and proceeds to describe the bracelet she has now picked up and holds in her hand.

‘This is a friendship bracelet! I made one exactly like this for my best friend and we wore them everyday! We made them out of embroidery thread so they were soft just like this one is.  I loved wearing it because it kind of made me feel like I was a part of something when I saw my bestie wearing the exact same bracelet.’

After Judy finishes the two women look at each other for a minute, Jen rolling her eyes and Judy almost confused as she watches Jen’s reaction.

How can the exact same thing be described so differently?  Shouldn’t both women see it the same way?  It’s simply white thread woven together with some pink here and there! ??‍♀️

Although that may be an accurate physical description of what the item is, Jen and Judy’s perception of the bracelet, created by their own personal experiences, is what they described.

Think of it like this….. If you slipped on a pair of pink tinted sunglasses ?  the white bracelet would appear pink.  If you put on a pair of blue tinted sunglasses ?  the white bracelet would of course look blue.

 

Perception is as individual as the colours in the rainbow?, and the best part is you can take off the glasses ? you’re wearing at any time.

 

Your perception is the sum of your experiences.  How you see yourself, your height, weight, hair, facial features, etc, etc, carries the weight or ‘tint’, of past life experiences both good and bad.  That little remark made in good fun at 14 that you were ‘curvy’ may still be affecting the way you think you look.  Being told your skin has a rough texture by a well meaning aesthetician during a facial, may still make you second guess needing a second layer of foundation every morning.

Every experience you have adds to the ‘tint’ of your sunglasses.  And they add up fast ?

 

But here’s the thing. You can choose to take off the tinted glasses ?

 

You can ‘take off’ or let go of what is continuing to effect your perception. To decide to see yourself in a new way and start building a better, newer perception of yourself and your life.

Don’t believe me? Try it next time you find yourself seeing something completely differently from someone else.  Try it next time you have a differing opinion from someone.  There literally could not be a better time to try this.  Opinions and criticisms are rampant on social media. As you scroll, when something gets you worked up ask yourself if there is some experience in your past that is ‘tinting’ your view.  Challenge yourself to open up to a different perspective.

Do you really need to keep your tinted glasses ?  on or can you remove them?

Can you change your perception on something you struggle with and start feeling lighter and happier leaving behind those old experiences that are no longer your reality behind?

I hope you’ll try it.  This is personal growth babe ?

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

 

 

 

How to Choose a Stylist Part 6 – Do You Feel Important?

How to Choose a Stylist Part 6 – Do You Feel Important?

by | Jul 14, 2020 | Just for Salon Clients!

Hopefully if you’ve follow along with this blog series so far you are already starting to realize that feeling important is what it’s all about!  You are the priority! How your experiences make you feel play a huge part in your decision to find your perfect Hairstylist.

★When you contacted the Salon to book the consultation what was your experience like?

★When you came in for the consultation did someone greet you right away or did you feel a bit awkward wondering if you should tell them you’d arrived?

★Was your consultation rushed or did the Stylist take time to really listen to your concerns?

★Did your Stylist recommend the products and services you actually needed or did they go straight for the monthly promotions? 

★Did you feel like a person or a number? 

★Did your Stylist take time to create a solution for your concerns or was the importance of those concerns somehow lost in further conversation?

When you feel important you’ll know it!

Choosing a Hairstylist doesn’t have to be any more complicated than this.  Do you feel important? It’s ok to start expecting more out of your hair appointment and truthfully, you should! 

It can be overwhelming to get started trying to find a Hairstylist because of the sheer number of Salons and Stylists you have to choose from.  Instead of becoming overwhelmed just remember what a good thing all that choice really is! Everyone is looking for something different and the more choice you have, the higher the chance of meeting your perfect Hairstylist!

A reminder on the steps you took with me in this series:  

#1.  Know What You Want

#2.  Go Window Shopping

#3.  Look at the Salon

#4.  Have Interviews

#5.  Compare on Value not Price

#6.  Do you Feel Important?

Take these tips, work through the process and create a success story of your very own.  I promise you the time you spend working through this process will reward you in the end! 

A little word in closing………

Yes, we are a hair salon full of Stylists who would be happy to help you but that’s still not the point.

The point of this series is for you to feel confident in choosing who the right Stylist is for YOU.

It’s entirely about YOU!

Thanks for listening,

Carrie

www.cihairstudio.ca

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