It’s human nature: if ever we have any downtime,  we come up with something to do. And for salon pros, nothing was a bigger disruption than the Covid19. We changed how we work, eat, sleep and connect with our clients. The pandemic shattered established routines that were hard to break. The great shutdown cut our livelihood but also set us up for the great fresh reset. How?

On our way to recovery, we discovered new heroes and villains. Now the question is, how do you want to move forward? What do you want a workday to look like?  What needs to adjust,  stay in your life or go?

The desire to return to a more “normal lifestyle” begs a new start—maybe not entirely fresh, but yes, more focused on your happiness.  Here’s an opportunity to rethink how to lead a more fulfilling life and reprioritize your needs, wellness, and health.

Are you emerging from your slumber or still sleeping?
Do aspects of your life need to change to enjoy your career more? And be happier?

Based on everyday situations encountered by most salon professionals, the list below invites you to rethink your approach to your career and lifestyle approach going forward. There are no right or wrong answers.

The Seven-Day Fresh Start Challenge

Day One: There is Life Beyond the Salon

Ask yourself on this first day, what did you discover about your life during the shutdown? What surprised you? What did you risk and win at? Did the pandemic remind you how delicate the balance of what you value in life really is? Simple things like going to the grocery store, and hugging Grandma? Write these discoveries down. They are worth remembering, aren’t they?

Day Two: what works and will continue doing?

The salon shutdown forced you to try new ways of doing the simplest chores. Now you have the option to return to the old ways or embrace the new. Ask yourself, what works in your life now? Which activities, routines, and habits will you get back to and continue doing? Which will you not return to, at least not in the same way? Write these down. Now, ask yourself, keeping this in my life add to my career or personal fulfillment?

Day Three: what doesn’t work and will avoid in the future?

Some things did not turn out to be what you thought they were. People, places, and things showed their true colors in a self-survival mode. Some things you understand and can give a pass to, others surprised and disillusioned you. Which of these will you not allow again? What was the lesson? Write these down, so you don’t forget.

Day Four: Which Activities Will You Do Better?

Did you stretch your product and make do with less? Did you discover you could save on supplies? Did you bring meals/snacks, lose weight, and save money? Has not been on your feet all day with arms outstretched made you aware of the stress your body experiences daily?  Which health and wellness routines will you incorporate going forward? Write these down.

Day Five: identified your true clients

Did you discover your true clients? Who stood by you no matter what? Who booked a service and came in just to give you money? Which clients were flexible and worked with your limited options? Make a mental list of these clients. Do something special for them soon.

Day Six: a review of hours and pricing

Were you forced to budget and streamline your lifestyle? Less of everything? Did you discover you don’t need all that stuff? Now, do you believe you are a survivor? Is working fewer hours with fewer clients work out just fine? Are you now adjusting your prices to reflect this new awareness?

Day Seven: the value of community

Did hearing from friends and clients become a newfound joy? Who were the people that pitched in to make it feel better for you? Who stayed near you?  Did someone’s simplest action touch your heart? Did a total stranger reach out with a squirt of hand sanitizer? Could you have gone done it alone? Are you more likely to aid a stranger now than before? How will you stay connected going forward? Make a gratitude list of people, places, and things that supported you with a promise to pay it on yourself.

Ready, set, go.

JOIN ME IN VEGAS: Carlos presents a money management seminars for the salon professional at the International Beauty Show Las Vegas. June 20-21 & New York City July 25-26  Learn: To Keep More of the Money You Make, Build a Rainy-Day Fund, and How to Pay Off Debt. 

Carlos Valenzuela is a beauty consultant, raconteur, success coach, ex-salon & beauty school owner. Author of The Thrifty Cosmetologist, money smarts for salon pros, and Letters to Young Carlos, a novella about a gay boy growing up along the border in the 1960s