It’s Your Time To Shine

Posted on April 23, 2015 by SSI BLOG

It’s Your Time To Shine

I just finished a weekly mentoring session with a beautiful client of mine and I felt compelled to write and share this piece with you…

Here’s her story (And How You Fit In It):

She recently left her high-level position with a well-known organization in the industry.

She began to feel like she was losing control of her future. She said she would go to sleep anxious, wake-up exhausted, was gaining weight, was spinning plates, and did not see a way out. She explained that even though she was moving ahead, gaining traction, and having increased success in her position she felt an incongruence deep within her core being.

Something was off and she knew it was time to become intentionally AWARE of herself and her surroundings. She started to journal. She made journal entries from the time she woke up until the time she went to sleep. She was incredibly specific with how she was feeling, what those feelings were, and when those feelings presented themselves.

She quickly began to see patterns emerging in her journal. She started to identify what was causing her incongruence and what was creating her positive energies both personally and professionally. She said it took only a couple of weeks to become incredibly AWARE and from that position she knew what she needed to do.

AWARENESS LEADS TO CLARITY
AND CLARITY GIVES YOU THE POWER
TO CREATE CHANGE, MAKE A DECISION, AND GET ON WITH THINGS.

She took responsibility of where she was at. She didn’t blame anyone or anything. She knew that it was up to her to position herself in an arena that supported her, her core values, her vision of her future, and her desire to become a most brilliant version of herself.

She looked into other companies that she valued and respected. She did her research, she met with prospective employers. She did her due-diligence. She admired many organizations in the industry that she hadn’t had the opportunity to get to know. She made her decision.

She decided to open her own business. She never imagined doing so, she knows it not for everyone, but for her it all seemed right. It felt like the right time. She wanted to create a legacy for herself and her two daughters.

She created her arena to play in. She brought together a team of individuals that support her vision, her mission, and her core values. She began her new journey. She says she’s working more than ever, but she’s in love with her decision, her life, and her future.

She’s now 12 weeks into her new journey. She’s having success and she’s having growing pains. She brought me into her company to help mentor her as a leader, to help her vision expand and become a reality, and to help her create a Set of Standards that supports the mission of her organization. She’s on fire!

I am so excited about her future. I am so excited she took control of her destiny. I am so excited she had the desire to understand what the incongruency was inside of her. I am so excited that she didn’t let someone else determine her value.

She’s defining her value. She’s priceless.

She’s refreshed and she’s dusting the past experiences, frustrations, resistance, overwhelm, and exhaustion off of her. She’s an inspiration. She’s shining bright. She’s a beautiful diamond.

I’m sharing her story with you because, you too are priceless and you too deserve to create the business and life you love. You deserve to play in an arena that allows you to be you.

Your arena doesn’t have to be your own Salon & Spa, but it’s got to support your core values. You’ve got to be able to show-up and be your authentic genius, your beautiful being, and your vision of your future… Wherever you’re at or wherever it is you may go.

I’m sharing her story with you because I want you to find your happiness, find your energy, find your passion, and find YOU again.

It’s your time… It’s your time to step into your arena and be your bright shining brilliant self. Because you’re a brilliant diamond and the entire universe is waiting to see you sparkle.

Find Your Shine, Dust Off Your Diamond, And Authentically Be You!
~Kimberly

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Falling Behind From Exhaustion

Posted on March 26, 2015 by SSI BLOG

Are you constantly struggling to have enough energy to get through your day?

Are you guilty of constantly complaining? Do people say you’re a negative person, you focus on the problems, or your energy is draining? Or, do you know someone like that?

It’s frustrating to hear constant complaining from others, isn’t it? But, what’s more frustrating is to witness someone operating in a negative cycle, spinning out of control, and damaging themselves, their fullest potential, and ultimately their future.

This past Saturday, my 11 year-old daughter and I went for a run together, she started complaining within the first 1/2 mile that she was tired, her shoes hurt her feet, her hair was in her face, and so on. The more she was complaining, the more tired she was getting. I was watching her entire body shift from total excitement to go running, to totally wanting to quit within 10 minutes.

I said, “I know this is tough, but let’s play a game”. The game was, anytime either one of us spoke, it had to be something positive. So, she began with a bit of a sourness to her voice, saying “the flowers are pink, the breeze feels great, the birds are singing, the sprinklers feel good running by them”, and then she starts laughing saying, “this is fun!!”.

It literally took 2 minutes for her words to change, her attitude to shift, her body to get into alignment, and her smile to reappear and laughter to begin.

I smiled at the situation, knowing how often this happens in business. I watch my new clients struggling with their energy levels, their productivity, and their profit levels. As I listen to their words very carefully, I can predict where their numbers are at without even asking for them. I then have them hear how they’ve been speaking.

And…

Most often, my clients are SHOCKED by their words. They’re surprised at how they’ve let negative talk take control of their lives. They’re usually dumbfounded with their behaviors and they have been blaming everyone else for the negative chatter.

It’s such an easy trap to fall into, but it’s a deadly trap. When you choose to speak of the negative things surrounding you, speaking bad things about yourself, complaining that nothing good will ever happen to you, and so on… It will keep you from getting ahead. It will keep you from fulfilling your dreams and reaching your goals. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You’ll Fall Behind From Exhaustion!

Negative energy and the exhaustion it creates will absolutely sabotage your physical, emotional, and mental state. It will impact your results and you’ll end up quitting on yourself and your dreams.

Questions:

1. How can you eliminate the negativity and focus on the positives?
2. Identify where, when, and why you allow the negative to take control.
3. What are the patterns you create in your life with the negative talk? What areas in your life are you sabotaging?

Remember, the words you speak will create the life you live. Choose words that uplift you, that build upon your character, that encourage you to succeed, and words that will create a positive ripple effect.

Choose words that reflect the success you’re meant to experience.

Yours In Success!

~Kimberly

For More Information: www.thesalonandspainstitute.com

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An Easy Way To Make Your Clients Feel Undervalued

Posted on November 16, 2014 by SSI BLOG

Would you like to know how to easily accomplish this? You know, to make your clients feel like they have no value to you, that their business isn’t appreciated, and that they’re more of a nuisance to you than anything else. Because, if that’s your goal, here’s an easy, simple, fast way of doing so…

(My guess is you’re answering, “no way, never, not in a million years.” Unfortunately, it happens, read on…)

Verbally, so all your clients can hear, discuss with your team members how you wish you didn’t have to work today, that you’re too tired, moan and complain about how many clients you have to serve, have a negative attitude about your leader and other team members. Get the idea?

Because if that’s the conversation you’re having, the mindset that you’re operating from, and the behaviors that go along with that, you’ll be sure to create the result of having your client’s feel undervalued.

So, what happens when your clients feel undervalued and unappreciated?

Top 5 Results You’ll Create For Yourself, Your Team, Your Clientele, and Your Community

Your clients will spend far less money with you. Why? Because, if you’re not making your clients feel valued, how can they possibly value the service(s) you’re providing? Therefore, your chances of increasing your add-on services will quickly diminish.
Your client retention levels will plummet. Why? Because, if you’re not making your clients feel valued, why on earth would they consider re-booking with you? Clients are seeking a “total experience”, not just a service from you. They want to be in an environment that creates & supports positive energy, relaxation, and pampering.
Your referrals will massively decline. Why? Because, if you’re not making your clients feel valued, why would they refer their friends and family to you? Your clients don’t want their family and friends to have the undervalued experience, besides that becomes a direct reflection on your client. Your client then looks bad to those they referred to you.
Your retail sales will be dismal. Why? Because, if you’re not making your clients feel valued, why would they buy retail from you? They’ve lost their trust with you and your relationship with them has suffered. It’s the trust you create with your client and the relationship you’ve built with them that will predict your retail sales outcome. Trust me, they’re still going to purchase product, but when you’ve broken their trust, they’ll spend it elsewhere…guaranteed.
Your team’s overall results will decline. Why? Because, if you’re not making your clients feel valued, why would they continue doing business at your salon & spa location? What happens is this… the overall salon & spa’s numbers will decline because everything is energy. The more negative energy you create and project across your salon and spa environment, the more your team members and their clients will be affected. They’ll pick-up on an incongruent feeling even though their service provider may not operate from a negative mindset…yet. The negative and mismatched energy will flow throughout the entire environment. And soon, everyone’s numbers are affected and everyone’s income becomes less.

However, if those aren’t the results you’re looking for…

You’ve got to come to work with an attitude of gratitude. An attitude that desires to create an experience for your clients that is of high-standards. An attitude that creates a joyful disposition. An attitude that says you’re ready to serve your clients from a place of sincerity. An attitude that shows your clients you’re there for them. An attitude that creates actions that reflect the results you really want for your clients. An attitude that communicates to your team that you’re on the team for the greater good, the mission of the organization, and the service of your community.

Because, when your attitude is operating from the positive, powerful and loving mindset… Magic happens. Your clients feel valued, your team members feel valued, your community feels valued, and the end result is that you feel amazing. When you feel amazing, you choose actions that authentically serve others and the outcome is this…

Your needs (physically, mentally, spiritually, and financially) will be
abundantly met and you’ll be abundantly blessed.

Go out today and value your clients, your team, and yourself.

You deserve all the joy, happiness, richness, and peace that comes along with serving others authentically and having an attitude of gratitude.

Yours In Success!

~Kimberly

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Yes, You’re The Toughest Sale!

Posted on October 10, 2014 by SSI BLOG

The reality is, that selling You to You is the toughest sale of all! Why?

Because most of us stand in our own way! Sound familiar? Self-doubt, procrastination, lack of confidence, sabotage, etc. How many times have you had a great idea, you have argued with yourself, and 5 minutes later, the self-doubting side of you wins!

For example, how many of you thought about working out this morning? Did you do it? If so, awesome! If not, why not? Was it because you were too tired, too busy, worked out last week, deep down you don’t believe you deserve to be healthy, what was it? Self-sabotage happens at a conscious and subconscious level. Most of the time, you don’t even know you’re doing it…

Here’s the good news and the bad news…

Bad news first, you were conditioned to think and do things the way you do. Good news is, YOU can recondition yourself to be who you want to BE!

It starts with being able to sell you to you. To believe in who you are, who you want to BE, what you want to DO, and what you want to HAVE. You must create the buy-in with yourself and believe in the value you offer, and the natural God-Given talents you have to share with the world. People are waiting on you and your gifts, because only you have the perfect formula they need. But, like many of us, you may need to work on your self-concept and perception of your own value in order to make the perfect formula of you shine instead of shy away.

So, I wanted to share 3 easy yet very effective strategies to put into place immediately to start shifting your very own perception of your self-value, and once and for all… Sell You to You!

1.   STOP trying to be someone you’re not! Make a list of 5 things you love most about what YOU do and who YOU are. Read the list. How does it make you feel? Energetic, passionate, excited? Focus on what gives you the positive feelings. Because, when you’re trying to copy someone else, you’ll have an out-of-sort feeling and that’s also the perception people will have of you. Keep the list handy, and read, and re-read. Ignite the real YOU with the energy it creates.

2.   Focus on what’s right about you. Your talents, your expertise, your ability to make others feel beautiful, your ability to love others, your generosity, etc. Stop thinking of what may be wrong with you… That detracts you from your beautiful being. Don’t get me wrong, we all have things we need to improve upon, but focus on the real you; the you that makes a positive impact with so many people.

3.   When you’re feeling beat down, low energy, and questioning your amazing talents… Find a quiet place, close your eyes, and recall a time in your life when you felt totally awesome, unstoppable, at peak performance, and felt like a “nothing gets better than this” moment. Good. Stay with that feeling. Feels amazing right? The surge of confidence, the burst of energy, and the belief in You again. Leverage those emotions and feelings and do what you do best. It takes less than 1-minute to do this exercise and it’s so powerful that it can change your entire being that quickly.

The more you focus on who you truly are the more you will win! The more healthy relationships you’ll build, the more ideal clients you’ll attract, the more money you’ll make, and the more happiness you’ll create all around you.

Let your self-sabotaging behaviors be a trend of the past and practice the 3 easy yet very effective strategies to use…daily! Recondition your mindset for total success and finally master the toughest sale of all… Selling You to You!

You’re Amazing!

~Kimberly

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Are You Aware?

Posted on August 14, 2014 by SSI BLOG

Well, neither was she! And her behaviors proved it. But, in just 3-hours something significantly changed inside of her and she had a conscious mindset shift. In a matter of weeks… things dramatically changed!

Roughly 4 months ago, I had the privilege of working with a great group of Salon & Spa professionals in Georgia. This Salon & Spa has been around for 11 years and is very well-respected in the community. They were nearing a tipping point in their business and needed a few tweaks here and there.

The owner of the Salon & Spa told me that most everything was working incredibly well, which I absolutely agreed with based on their overall numbers, employee retention, and reputation in the community. But, something was off. What was it? Or, who was it?
As a third-party stepping into their culture and putting the team through some experiential learning processes and team building exercises it was automatically clear as to what was going on. It literally took minutes to identify and a couple hours to ignite the change needed for that Salon & Spa to successfully hit the tipping point into a more profitable business.

Here’s what happened…
As soon as the team was challenged to perform the task together, the team was separated by one team member. The one team member who was so energized and vocal up until that point, retreated to the sidelines when the pressure began to rise. It was stealth like, a slow and quiet separation from the task, and even worse…a separation from the team.

As I called a time-out and facilitated a “debrief process”, patterns became evident through conversation. The awareness naturally occurred. The individuals were creating their own rules to operate by. There wasn’t a known set of standards. Although the team for the most part was cohesive, functional, and productive, they were in need of a clearly defined high set of standards that ALL team members could follow. A Set of Standards that would keep all team members protected through pressure and held accountable with a no-compromise attitude and mindset.

Most importantly, the owner needed to have this in place for not just her team, but for herself. Because, she was the one who kept disappearing when the pressure would get high. Her team would witness what was happening and they too would fall into their own individual patterns of sabotaging behaviors when the pressure was high.

As the owner became consciously AWARE of what she was doing, the shift started. She embraced what she needed to work on from the most humble place of gratitude. She acknowledged she had been sending mixed messages to her team, she so beautifully said to her team, “Thank you for picking-up my pieces when I was falling apart, thank you for stepping-in and being the leader when I stepped-back from leading, and thank you for not giving-up on me when you understandably would have.” She wept, she laughed, and she muddled a few words of self-disappointment. She stood-up and she declared that day, a new day of leadership.

Over the course of the next few months, I worked with her team on developing their new Set of Standards. It was a process of individual and team awareness through a series of intense team coaching sessions.

The outcome was a clearly defined Set of Standards, created by the team, to support the mission of the organization, to protect the team under pressure, and to help each individual meet their goals too.

I’m happy to report within 4 months of starting the process, they reached their tipping point, and they exceeded their YTD goal by 33%.

It took the entire team to consciously become self-aware and change the things they had control of. Mostly, it was their mindset and attitude, and that alone drove different results. Results that broke their glass ceiling.

Inspiring, isn’t it? You too, can have those results. It will take a mindset shift, self-awareness, and a humble attitude.

As always….
Yours In Success!

~Kimberly

Posted in How You Handle Things, Team | Leave a comment

Careful What You’re Spreading

Posted on July 21, 2014 by SSI BLOG

Your energy and your emotions are more contagious than the common cold.

Many people aren’t aware of how their energy and emotions effect their environment.

Have you ever been in a room and someone walks in, doesn’t even say anything, but you can without a doubt totally feel their “stuff” that they’re bringing with them. Perhaps that person doesn’t even consciously realize what’s happening or worse, they don’t care how their energy impacts their surroundings. It can have devastating implications on the environment.

Imagine that type of energy being brought into your salon or spa environment. Think about all the ways it’s disrupting the goal of having a free-flow of positive, clean, and calming energy for your clients to experience.

Obviously, you’re going to have a harder time controlling what your clients are bringing into your space. So, work on what you do have more control over.. Yourself and your team!!

Here’s a cool thing, when you and your team consciously work on creating positive energy and emotions, your clients will most often transform their energies too. Because…. Your energy and emotions are highly contagious! Positive or Negative.

Team Exercise:
During your next team meeting, try this team exercise:

Step 1. Have your team stand together in a circle and have each team member, one-by-one, say 3 negative comments. Examples: It’s so annoying doing these drills, I’m so tired this morning, I can’t believe I have to work this Saturday, Why can’t we serve better coffee here, etc. Make sure each person participates in the drill. Once everyone has finished, quickly get everyone’s attention. Ask your team… How did that feel? What’s the energy like? Have them feel the energy.

Step 2. Still standing together in a circle, have each team member, one-by-one, say 3 positive comments. Examples: I love that we can learn together, I feel great today and can’t wait to see my clients, I love working with this team, The coffee smells amazing, etc. Make sure each person participates in the drill. Once everyone has finished, quickly get everyone’s attention. Ask your team… How did that feel? What’s the energy like? Have them feel the energy.

After completing step 1 and step 2, finish the process by having the entire team continue the discussion on how their energy and emotions (POSITIVE & NEGATIVE) impact the environment that they enter, as well as the ripple effect it has on their team members and ultimately their clients. The goal is to allow for each team member to consciously feel, experience, acknowledge, and have complete understanding of how energy impacts environments and overall results.

Creating awareness and understanding allows for change!!

As always, I love to hear how the drills work for you and our team. Post your outcomes on our Facebook page or send me an email to Kimberly@thesalonandspainstitute.com . I look forward to hearing your results!!

Yours In Success!!

~Kimberly Rolandson Founder of The Salon and Spa Institute, Inc.

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Posted in How You Handle Things | Leave a comment

Posted on July 8, 2014 by SSI BLOG

“Can You Squeeze Me In?”

As it’s a common issue I hear amongst Salon Owners and Leaders, I thought I would write about the very same issue I had when trying to get an appointment at a salon this week.

So, here’s what happened…

I walked into a Salon & Day Spa to inquire about having a particular service done. The Salon & Spa Coordinator said, “matter of fact, our esthetician has an opening in 5 minutes, her appointment cancelled earlier today.”

I told her that I had the time, so that would be great. The Salon & Spa Coordinator walked behind the wall to let the esthetician know that she was just re-booked with a new client, the esthetician cut her off saying that she couldn’t take me because one of the stylists needed to get her brows (waxed & tinted) done.

The Salon & Spa Coordinator came back around to the front and informed me that unfortunately another client was squeezed into that time slot and that I would have to schedule an appointment for a later date. Actually, 6 days later was the soonest I could get in.

What she didn’t know was, I heard the entire conversation. As a client to the Salon & Spa, I felt of no value.

So, a $150 service, plus return visits, plus add-on services, plus retail products that could have been purchased…

Was the decision to “sneak” an employee in versus trying to “squeeze me in” worth all the potential loses?

At your next morning huddle or team meeting read the scenario and ask your team the following questions. Create a healthy discussion on the scenario and encourage your team to think about the immediate impact and long term impacts on the business. Example: Revenue loss potential, Client Satisfaction Ratings, Loss of referrals, etc.

Questions:

What are you policies around this scenario?
Are your policies clearly defined?
Are your team members clear on how those decisions can impact the business?
What could have been done differently?
How do you avoid this in the future?
How would you try to correct the situation with the client? Or would you?

I would love to hear about your team discussions on this scenario. Email me at Kimberly@thesalonandspainstitute.com and tell me what happened during your discussions!!

As Always… Yours In Success!!

~Kimberly

Posted in How You Handle Things, Team | Leave a comment

Who’s Causing Your Cracks and What’s Leaking Out?!?

Posted on June 3, 2014 by SSI BLOG

Who’s Causing Your Cracks and What’s Leaking Out?!?.

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Undercover Operation Series Operation #5 – Conclusion

Posted on May 29, 2014 by SSI BLOG

I Can’t Believe What I Saw….

(IF YOU HAVEN’T READ PART 1 & PART 2, SCROLL DOWN TO READ THOSE POSTS PRIOR TO THIS CONCLUSION)

Goal: To check out an established Salon & Spa in Arizona
Outcome: Disappointment and Shock

And here is the conclusion…

About 2 weeks after the incident, I received a phone call from the Owner of the Salon & Spa. She was happy to report in to me what had transpired since that defining day.

It was a defining day for the stylist who stole the product, for the owner, and for the future of the business.

Here’s What The Owner Reported To Me:

“Kimberly, after you left the Salon, I sat at the front desk for a few moments, gathered my thoughts, wiped a few tears, and then made my way back to the break room where I had left the two stylists. I asked first for the fellow stylist to explain what happened and then I proceeded to ask the stylist who stole from me what happened and why. Both girls basically told me the same story.

I know I told you Kimberly, that when you were here, I had some relief to the situation because she chose to come back in and own up to her theft of products. I was also relieved that I must have had some success instilling a healthy team culture, because her fellow stylist stood by her as support to talk to me. Not as an accomplice; but as a teammate who cared.

But what happened next changed it all for me…

The stylist who stole from me, stood-up right in front of me took a deep breath and began talking. Everything shifted. Her energy shifted. My energy shifted. My mindset shifted. My emotions shifted. I chose to completely hear her without any judgment. (Yes, that can be tough) Not only is she my employee, but she’s obviously a person who needs to be heard. She’s another human being.

Her words to me were this, “I know I screwed-up big time. I made a huge mistake. I am sorry. I am asking you not for another chance, but for you to forgive me for betraying your trust, betraying the trust of my team, and betraying my children.”

The enormity of her decision and the choice she made was defining… But, it was within the short time after her decision that defined her future. She didn’t make any excuses, didn’t hide any details, didn’t try to justify how wrong her decision was… She 100% owned what she did.

She did not justify her decision, make any excuses, or lay blame… She took total responsibility.

Kimberly, I’m not saying what she did was right with stealing from me, my team, and my company. It was a horrible feeling to know someone who you trusted chose to break the trust. But, what I am saying is she chose to take ownership of her bad decision. She didn’t go into sob stories; she just said it as it was. She humbly asked for forgiveness. I forgave her in an instant. Because, there needs to be more forgiveness in this world. Again, I didn’t condone her behavior, I forgave her.

So, what did I do next? I peacefully hugged her and…

I DIDN’T Fire Her… I Gave Her Another Chance.

We’ve since made agreements and arrangements to have her pay back what she stole (even though she returned the product), she lost her keys to the Salon & Spa, and she lost her employee privileges.

I put her on a 6-month probation period and after 6 months of successfully completing her probationary period, we will look into adding back some of her privileges.

I’m looking forward to moving ahead with her, my team, and my business.

I’ve learned so much about myself as a leader… I’ve learned that making quick emotional decisions like I’ve done in the past may not have served me as well as if I took a deep breath and took a moment or two to think about more than just myself in the heat of the moment.

I’m proud of my growth personally and professionally. I’m proud of my team. I’m proud of my business.” ~

It was a beautiful conversation that I had with the Owner of the Salon & Spa. I will be keeping in touch with the Owner and her team. I’m excited for their future.

It’s not only the decision of others that affect us, it’s how we decide to respond to the situations.

Question:

How would you have handled this situation? Why? What are your thoughts?

There’s no right or wrong answer to the questions… It’s about doing what’s best for you, your team, and your business without making quick judgmental emotional decisions.

Do you have a culture that would support your decision? Are your team members able to put the mission of your organization ahead of personal needs?

There are so many great business and personal lessons in this real-life story. I hope you have learned something about yourself, your team, and your business through the eyes and experiences of this Owner and her Salon & Spa.

Send us your thoughts and feedback and tell us about you, your team, and your business.

Who knows…. Your Salon & Spa could be one of our next Undercover Operations!!

Continue doing what you do best…. Being You!

Until Next Time!

~Kimberly

PS. Need help creating and defining your team culture…. Join us at one of our Business Trifecta Events happening soon!!! We will spend a lot of time on this very topic! We’ve Just Added New Cities!!!
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Undercover Operation Series Operation #5 – Part 2

Posted on May 27, 2014 by SSI BLOG

I Can’t Believe What I Saw….

Goal: To check out an established Salon & Spa in Arizona
Outcome: Disappointment and Shock

In case you missed Part 1 of this email, email us atinfo@thesalonandspainstitute.com and we’ll send right out to you!

And here is Part 2…

I was waiting on the Salon Owner to finish up with her appointment and come up to the front, so I could talk with her about what I just witnessed. It wasn’t comfortable for me to do, but it was indeed the right thing to do.

But before the owner could meet me at the front, the employee and her fellow stylist walked right past me towards the back of the salon. Are you kidding me? I was shocked! They both came back into the salon!!

It was about to get interesting to say the least.

I saw and heard crying, actually sobbing, coming from the gal who stole the products. She was wrapped in the arms of her fellow stylist who was with her during and after the incident. I heard a door close and another door close. It became very quiet. The client who was finishing up her appointment with the owner came up to the front to check out. She then left the building a little confused.

And… I was still standing there.

A few minutes later, the Salon Coordinator informed me that it would now be a bit longer. She said to me, “I assume you know we have an incident of some nature going on, but I’m sure our owner will be up to speak with you soon.” She also asked if I would like a cup of tea while I waited. She was definitely trying to stabilize the energy.

She went towards the back room of the salon where the owner and two stylists were. She and the owner emerged from the back room and walked together towards the front.

The owner kindly smiled at me, reached for my hand, shook my hand, and asked me what it was she could do for me. Her poise, her demeanor, her attitude, and her energy were unexpectedly calm and inviting. Generally, I don’t introduce myself, other than my name, but in this situation, I felt it was necessary to explain to her who I was and what I do.

Why? Because I felt it was important for her to know that I have seen so many situations in my 14 year career of coaching and consulting with Salons & Spas. I wanted her to know that I understood how she may or may not be feeling and it was okay to just “be” at the moment. She didn’t have to worry about anything other than handling the situation at hand.

She expressed to me her feeling of sadness, betrayal from a long-term employee, some confusion as to why it would happen, and so on. I just stood there and listened. She also said that she’s relieved with the situation as well….

I tilted my head to the side and asked, “Why?”.

The owner gave me a little background on the two stylists involved in the situation. The gal who stole the product has been there for a little over 2 years, incredibly loyal, and recently had some life-changing personal yuck going on. The fellow stylist who was with her has been there for 7 months, is very quiet, and generally keeps to herself. It was the newer stylist who convinced the gal who stole the product to go back inside and talk to the owner. (side note: I’m not advocating the behavior as excusable or tolerable)

The owner said she felt relief because she works very hard on the culture of her organization and even though sometimes a bad situation or a bad decision by one single team member happens, it doesn’t necessarily mean her whole culture is poisoned. She was elated that the newer team member was looking out for her fellow team member’s best interest and the entirety of the business. She’s always instilled peer-to-peer loyalty, trust, communication, and direct dialogue.

She’s witnessed her hard work payoff through an unfortunate situation.

You may not always see immediate change in your culture when you put your focus there, but if you’re effectively creating change… The change will occur.

Here are some questions to think about:

What would you do if you witnessed a fellow team member make a bad decision?
Would you get involved with the situation? Or would you ignore it?
What kind of ripple effect could occur from ignoring the situation or trying to help in the situation?
How would your current teams’ culture handle this?

As I stood there and listened to the owner, it became very very clear… This owner has had so much success in her business, because she values the culture, she values her team members, and she is so passionate about making every single team member in her Salon & Spa a total success. It truly is a team effort.

She took my name and number and said she would call me and give me an update.

Two weeks later, I received a phone call from her…

Stay tuned for Part 3…. Being sent to you in 48 hours! Keep an eye on your inbox (check your spam filter if you don’t see it in your primary box!) Find out what happened after I left the Salon & Spa and what transpired within those 2 weeks after the incident.

Until then and always…

Be a Team Player!

~Kimberly

PS. Need help creating and defining your team culture…. Join us at one of our Business Trifecta Events happening soon!!! We will spend a lot of time on this very topic! Click Here For Details

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