December 31, 2020 - WOW! What a year!
Tonight, instead of celebrating the beginning of a new year, I am relieved to joyously celebrate the ENDING of THIS ONE! “Yeesh!”
This year has been a doozie for everyone. But for me ever since 2014 I have had an avalanche of changes - that I will save you by not going into here - but they were MAJOR and hellacious (and frankly that’s not strong enough a word) - then 2020 comes. Remember last New Year’s Eve when we were so happy anticipating a NEW decade? If only we had known.
While the pandemic, thankfully, didn’t change my life too much, this year was a demon of death. I followed the struggle of a friend from L.A. who fought with all his might to beat pancreatic cancer, but devastatingly lost in August - (coincidentally?) on the same day I said a final goodbye to a cherished client who was moving out of state, knowing we would, in all likelihood, never see each other again. Then right after those shocks, I learned of another friend from my magical L.A. dream era that also died soon after his horrible kidney disease diagnosis. THEN, (thanks facebook, she says sarcastically) I learned that my childhood-to-teenagehood best friend SHOT HERSELF back in 2018. JUST TOO MUCH.
Also, professionally-speaking, I lost one of my top clients in January (not to death, just to her wanting to change things in her life. But it still felt like a death to me).
Then in March we get word of this strange pandemic that no one really understands yet. I had a client scheduled March 12 and agreed to see her with extreme trepidation. I preceded the governor's mandate to shut down salons by several days, but by March 17th I felt it was too risky - both for myself and my clients - to continue offering services.
A month goes by - my first month ever in the whole of my life when I did not work - and you know what - I liked it! :-) - so I posted my retirement announcement. Another really bizarre moment, but it felt like the timing was right. After being closed for one month with no word of when salons could reopen, what was I going to do, start seeing clients I hadn't seen in months only to then explain an upcoming retirement? I suppose this was the kick-start I needed to actually retire (not unlike Cher - LOL).
It feels good not to have to sell anymore. I’ve sold something since I was in Junior High School: Avon, NuSkin - I even bought a bunch of earrings and stands and did consignment to salons (yes, I still have most of my inventory all these years later! And frankly, the earrings are probably back in style by now!).
It feels strange to stop what you’ve done for as long as you can remember. I feel like I still want to be helpful, but there’s the rub. As much as I have enjoyed the company of so many amazing women, the flip side to running a service business is that you constantly have to be shaking the bushes. It would break my heart every time I would spend an entire weekend creating the PERFECT email only to see the first result of all my hard work was an “UNSUBSCRIBE”. Or have a client booked and go in early to get the environment just right only to have them cancel at the last minute. I remember one time I went in a DAY early to get a particular wax ready for a client, and to clean the place so it was welcoming when they arrived the next day only to have them cancel 30-minutes before the time they were supposed to be there. Obviously I was already at the salon and excitedly waiting for them and it irked me because they didn't give one hoot how their actions were affecting my entire day. Clients never do. Of course we have a cancellation policy where the client is supposed to pay me for a smidgen of my lost revenue (can’t get the time back), but they never do. I’m still waiting after billing her for over six-months. They “love” your service, and “appreciate” all you do for them, but will drop you in an instant.
When my Mom died in 2014 and I had to enter ‘lawyer world’ (ick), I witnessed how THEY charge you for every email, every phone call, even ones you aren’t aware are happening! Try THAT if you are a salon professional! “Hey Mrs. Howard, I had to do some research on a hair color for you, so here’s the bill for MY TIME”! HA! You’d go from fully booked to zero clients in no time.
I have too many of these stories, most of them already written on my blog, with more to come, I’m sure.
So, yeah, the sad part of all this is that one of the main reasons I’m quitting “service” are the people. They have destroyed all the enthusiasm I once had. I got tired of feeling taken advantage of; of feeling underappreciated. That clients can’t tell (or care about) the difference between someone who has dedicated their life to mastering their craft and the new trendy “medi-spas” or those corporate-run centers (you know who you are) - that are popping up in every new shopping center hoping to make a buck on something rather than CARING about the industry and giving top-notch service to the client. (More on that via blog, I’m sure!).
I still LOVE spas and our culture.
But I’ve seen it go from ‘no one knows who we are or what we do’ to the boom when everyone wanted to own a spa and go to a spa - we were finally out of the storage closet of a hair salon! To the time when too many UNprofessionals were pushing their way into our business and trying, sometimes legally, to take over (see CA laws for that one!).
I’ve gone from selling non-professional brands of skin care to a long and lovely relationship with an up and coming professionals-only brand who grew and grew (on our backs) and then was sold to a soap company! BWAHAHAHAHA.
I’ve tried convincing as many people as I could that BETTER PRODUCTS CREATE BETTER SKIN, but still was met with resistance. What was I doing going to schools all over the US if not to teach you better??? WHY DON’T YOU TRUST ME WITH YOUR PRODUCT CHOICES IF YOU TRUST ME TO ‘WASH’ YOUR FACE AND RID YOU OF ALL YOUR WRINKLES???
“Oh bother.”
It’s been quite the ride, that’s for sure. I loved how passionate I was. I loved learning from the best in the biz - simply incredible mentors that passed knowledge and skill down from Master to Student the way it’s supposed to be done (-NOT from a youtube video!). I loved the creativity of having my own salon, of doing my own graphic design, and creating my own website. So much more fun than hiring someone to do it for me, even if the learning curve got a bit tricky from time to time. I loved putting on my Esthetician’s smock and welcoming guests - it reminded me of the intro to a TV show, “Welcome to Fantasy Island”! I loved the science and tried to keep up as it sped along at light speed from the 1980’s, still in the cold cream era, through the 1990’s when things really got popping, to the uber-sciencey 2000’s and beyond when we learned of stem cells. An older doctor who has a skin care line and teaches at conferences told me that they didn’t even know what DNA was when he was in school! We’ve come a LONG way! But getting that info to the client became more and more difficult. How can I explain how light therapy works when I have to use words like adenosine triphosphate? Are you a science teacher or an Esthetician? Are they here to get a lesson or relax and enjoy the benefits of what you know? Tricky balance.
So now what do I do?
I’m leaving service to the younger generation, but I have decades of data and experiences that might be helpful to someone down the road. I like writing (as you can tell! LOL). I have this website and a blog … so why not share through here? I don’t know if I’ll ever have “an audience”, but maybe that doesn’t matter either. Isn’t the saying “Do what you love.”?
That’s actually funny because it reminds me of my Motto from the very beginning:
“I will do this as long as it’s fun, and when it’s not fun anymore I’ll stop.”
Then, of course, pre-dating any Oprah tweet, my longtime Vanities Motto has always been:
“Give to yourself first so you will have more to give to others.”
Interesting.
So as we bid adieu - and good riddance - to 2020
let’s drink a toast to THE END OF THINGS.
And possibly to some newer beginnings…..
HUZZAH!
Your friend,
Nancy.
Lifelong Cosmetologist
Writer
Website Experimentalist
Wellness Researcher
Thinker, Ponderer, Bumper Sticker Philosopher
Animal Steward
Retired(?) Spa Sorceress!
Always!
Tonight, instead of celebrating the beginning of a new year, I am relieved to joyously celebrate the ENDING of THIS ONE! “Yeesh!”
This year has been a doozie for everyone. But for me ever since 2014 I have had an avalanche of changes - that I will save you by not going into here - but they were MAJOR and hellacious (and frankly that’s not strong enough a word) - then 2020 comes. Remember last New Year’s Eve when we were so happy anticipating a NEW decade? If only we had known.
While the pandemic, thankfully, didn’t change my life too much, this year was a demon of death. I followed the struggle of a friend from L.A. who fought with all his might to beat pancreatic cancer, but devastatingly lost in August - (coincidentally?) on the same day I said a final goodbye to a cherished client who was moving out of state, knowing we would, in all likelihood, never see each other again. Then right after those shocks, I learned of another friend from my magical L.A. dream era that also died soon after his horrible kidney disease diagnosis. THEN, (thanks facebook, she says sarcastically) I learned that my childhood-to-teenagehood best friend SHOT HERSELF back in 2018. JUST TOO MUCH.
Also, professionally-speaking, I lost one of my top clients in January (not to death, just to her wanting to change things in her life. But it still felt like a death to me).
Then in March we get word of this strange pandemic that no one really understands yet. I had a client scheduled March 12 and agreed to see her with extreme trepidation. I preceded the governor's mandate to shut down salons by several days, but by March 17th I felt it was too risky - both for myself and my clients - to continue offering services.
A month goes by - my first month ever in the whole of my life when I did not work - and you know what - I liked it! :-) - so I posted my retirement announcement. Another really bizarre moment, but it felt like the timing was right. After being closed for one month with no word of when salons could reopen, what was I going to do, start seeing clients I hadn't seen in months only to then explain an upcoming retirement? I suppose this was the kick-start I needed to actually retire (not unlike Cher - LOL).
It feels good not to have to sell anymore. I’ve sold something since I was in Junior High School: Avon, NuSkin - I even bought a bunch of earrings and stands and did consignment to salons (yes, I still have most of my inventory all these years later! And frankly, the earrings are probably back in style by now!).
It feels strange to stop what you’ve done for as long as you can remember. I feel like I still want to be helpful, but there’s the rub. As much as I have enjoyed the company of so many amazing women, the flip side to running a service business is that you constantly have to be shaking the bushes. It would break my heart every time I would spend an entire weekend creating the PERFECT email only to see the first result of all my hard work was an “UNSUBSCRIBE”. Or have a client booked and go in early to get the environment just right only to have them cancel at the last minute. I remember one time I went in a DAY early to get a particular wax ready for a client, and to clean the place so it was welcoming when they arrived the next day only to have them cancel 30-minutes before the time they were supposed to be there. Obviously I was already at the salon and excitedly waiting for them and it irked me because they didn't give one hoot how their actions were affecting my entire day. Clients never do. Of course we have a cancellation policy where the client is supposed to pay me for a smidgen of my lost revenue (can’t get the time back), but they never do. I’m still waiting after billing her for over six-months. They “love” your service, and “appreciate” all you do for them, but will drop you in an instant.
When my Mom died in 2014 and I had to enter ‘lawyer world’ (ick), I witnessed how THEY charge you for every email, every phone call, even ones you aren’t aware are happening! Try THAT if you are a salon professional! “Hey Mrs. Howard, I had to do some research on a hair color for you, so here’s the bill for MY TIME”! HA! You’d go from fully booked to zero clients in no time.
I have too many of these stories, most of them already written on my blog, with more to come, I’m sure.
So, yeah, the sad part of all this is that one of the main reasons I’m quitting “service” are the people. They have destroyed all the enthusiasm I once had. I got tired of feeling taken advantage of; of feeling underappreciated. That clients can’t tell (or care about) the difference between someone who has dedicated their life to mastering their craft and the new trendy “medi-spas” or those corporate-run centers (you know who you are) - that are popping up in every new shopping center hoping to make a buck on something rather than CARING about the industry and giving top-notch service to the client. (More on that via blog, I’m sure!).
I still LOVE spas and our culture.
But I’ve seen it go from ‘no one knows who we are or what we do’ to the boom when everyone wanted to own a spa and go to a spa - we were finally out of the storage closet of a hair salon! To the time when too many UNprofessionals were pushing their way into our business and trying, sometimes legally, to take over (see CA laws for that one!).
I’ve gone from selling non-professional brands of skin care to a long and lovely relationship with an up and coming professionals-only brand who grew and grew (on our backs) and then was sold to a soap company! BWAHAHAHAHA.
I’ve tried convincing as many people as I could that BETTER PRODUCTS CREATE BETTER SKIN, but still was met with resistance. What was I doing going to schools all over the US if not to teach you better??? WHY DON’T YOU TRUST ME WITH YOUR PRODUCT CHOICES IF YOU TRUST ME TO ‘WASH’ YOUR FACE AND RID YOU OF ALL YOUR WRINKLES???
“Oh bother.”
It’s been quite the ride, that’s for sure. I loved how passionate I was. I loved learning from the best in the biz - simply incredible mentors that passed knowledge and skill down from Master to Student the way it’s supposed to be done (-NOT from a youtube video!). I loved the creativity of having my own salon, of doing my own graphic design, and creating my own website. So much more fun than hiring someone to do it for me, even if the learning curve got a bit tricky from time to time. I loved putting on my Esthetician’s smock and welcoming guests - it reminded me of the intro to a TV show, “Welcome to Fantasy Island”! I loved the science and tried to keep up as it sped along at light speed from the 1980’s, still in the cold cream era, through the 1990’s when things really got popping, to the uber-sciencey 2000’s and beyond when we learned of stem cells. An older doctor who has a skin care line and teaches at conferences told me that they didn’t even know what DNA was when he was in school! We’ve come a LONG way! But getting that info to the client became more and more difficult. How can I explain how light therapy works when I have to use words like adenosine triphosphate? Are you a science teacher or an Esthetician? Are they here to get a lesson or relax and enjoy the benefits of what you know? Tricky balance.
So now what do I do?
I’m leaving service to the younger generation, but I have decades of data and experiences that might be helpful to someone down the road. I like writing (as you can tell! LOL). I have this website and a blog … so why not share through here? I don’t know if I’ll ever have “an audience”, but maybe that doesn’t matter either. Isn’t the saying “Do what you love.”?
That’s actually funny because it reminds me of my Motto from the very beginning:
“I will do this as long as it’s fun, and when it’s not fun anymore I’ll stop.”
Then, of course, pre-dating any Oprah tweet, my longtime Vanities Motto has always been:
“Give to yourself first so you will have more to give to others.”
Interesting.
So as we bid adieu - and good riddance - to 2020
let’s drink a toast to THE END OF THINGS.
And possibly to some newer beginnings…..
HUZZAH!
Your friend,
Nancy.
Lifelong Cosmetologist
Writer
Website Experimentalist
Wellness Researcher
Thinker, Ponderer, Bumper Sticker Philosopher
Animal Steward
Retired(?) Spa Sorceress!
Always!
|
|
VANITIES: Your Private Spa
For those of you who have never seen Nancy at Vanities Spa - you are in for a TREAT!
Nancy's first foray into the beauty biz began in her teen years and she has spent her life
perfecting the facial beyond mere cleansing into deeply transformative mind/body/spirit EXPERIENCES.
Your skin will look "Vantastic" and your soul will thank you for giving it the nurturing it deserves.
Go deep into yourself for a restorative rest and awake more alive than you've been in decades!
For those of you who have never seen Nancy at Vanities Spa - you are in for a TREAT!
Nancy's first foray into the beauty biz began in her teen years and she has spent her life
perfecting the facial beyond mere cleansing into deeply transformative mind/body/spirit EXPERIENCES.
Your skin will look "Vantastic" and your soul will thank you for giving it the nurturing it deserves.
Go deep into yourself for a restorative rest and awake more alive than you've been in decades!
