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April 1, 2013Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

“Follow those who follow something – an idea, a belief, a vision, a cause. Avoid those who need to convince us to follow them.”

Simon Sinek

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Please enjoy the audio version of this post if reading is not your thing.
Unsubscribe or Subscribe. Your Choice

In today’s world, we can get so wrapped up in all the “noise”. Whether it’s the news, social networks, TV, e-mails, phone calls, etc. But one thing many of us forget is that we have a choice. We can subscribe and we can unsubscribe.

I Took A Stand
An interesting thing happened on Facebook on March 26, the day the Supreme Court began hearings on Prop 8 and DOMA, two issues that are very near and dear to my heart as a gay woman.

equality

When I posted the Human Right Campaign equality logo on the Passion Squared Facebook page, four fans unliked the page. That’s right, I lost four awesome Passionistas that day, who chose to unsubscribe.

Was I sad to lose those fans? Of course. I value every person who chooses to like and follow Passion Squared. Did I understand why? Yes. And I respect the fact that they did not share my beliefs and chose to move on. What was awesome though is Passion Squared found 7 new Passionistas who subscribed to my vision and liked my Facebook page, and for that, I am grateful.

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To that which brings value to you and your business.
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To what brings you joy.

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To that which does not bring value to you and your business.
To the messages that do not matter to you.
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To what brings you angst.

It’s up to you to create space in your life and business to that which serves you. It’s your choice.

As always, I love to hear your thoughts on this post. Feel free to share in the comments below or directly with me, I’m listening.

(shared with LOVE from Nina)

Swagger vs. Substance

March 25, 2013Nina KovnerGROW

“The rule is simple: it’s essential to act the part. And it’s even more important for it to be real.”

Seth Godin

Buyer Beware

Here is the audio version of this post. Enjoy.
Swagger vs. Substance

There are so many opportunities today for people and businesses to market themselves and their services. With the social web, anyone can put up a fancy website and all of a sudden become the authority on any topic. And while this is awesome in so many ways, it’s also a bit scary when it comes to knowing who to believe and making decisions on where to invest your time and money.

I have been noticing more and more companies trying to market to salons and beauty companies, with a whole lot of swagger and very little substance. Then I came across Seth’s Blog the other day, here is what he said.

“One way that marketers (of any stripe) make an impact is by displaying confidence. Consumers figure that if a marketer is confident in their offering, they ought to be confident in the marketer as return. We often assume that confidence means that something big is on offer.

The problem with swagger is that if you’re the swaggering marketer, you might run into a competitor with even more swagger than you. When that happens, it’s time to show your cards, the justification for your confidence. And if you don’t deliver, you’ve done nothing but disappoint the person who believed in you.

Substance without swagger slows you down. But swagger without substance can be fatal. Right now, we’re seeing more swagger than ever—but it’s rarely accompanied by an increase in substance…

The rule is simple: it’s essential to act the part. And it’s even more important for it to be real.”

Do You Want What They Have?
When we are looking for a mentor, coach or company to help us with our business, it is, as it always has been, buyer beware. But now, with the rise of the social + digital web, it is easier than ever to see if the company that is claiming to be all-knowing is actually doing the very thing they say they can help us with. Are they all swagger and no substance, or are they really walking their talk?

Here are a few things to consider when looking for someone to help you with your business:
1. Do they really understand the salon/pro beauty business or are they just trying to “get rich quick” off the backs of unknowing salon pros? (this sadly is happening now more than ever and it makes my heart and stomach hurt)

2. If they are a marketing company, do you like how they market their own business?

3. If they are a website building company, do you like their website?

4. If they are marketing social + digital services, are their own social + digital pages engaging?

5. Does the company have testimonials from people they have worked with and will they share them with you?

It’s easier than ever to do your homework on companies and people who claim to be all-knowing.  Many can have swagger, but it’s the substance in the end that matters most. This also speaks to how you are marketing your salon.

And remember what Seth Godin shared…The rule is simple: it’s essential to act the part. And it’s even more important for it to be real. Do your homework.

As always, I welcome your comments and thoughts on this post. Or you can share them with me, I’m listening.

(shared with LOVE from Nina)

All You Need Is Love

All You Need Is Love

March 18, 2013Nina KovnerGROW

“I have decided to stick to love…Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

 

All You Need Is Love

Here is the audio version of this post. Click below to listen. Thank you.

All You Need Is Love

Passion is defined as a strong and barely controllable emotion, be it love, or hate. And squared is a multiplier, meaning taking a number and making it bigger (well that is my way of understanding the meaning of squared at least). When you look at the Passion Squared logo, there is a heart, symbolizing LOVE. My purpose and the purpose of Passion Squared is to multiply love and empower awesome in people and business (with love).

You see, I am a big believer in love. Love of self, love of animals, love of people, of business and the planet. I believe that love is the answer to everything.

The Esteem Epidemic
One of the greatest challenges I see when working with people in the beauty industry is not that of love, but of insecurity and unloving actions. When I speak with hairdressers unhappy in the workplace, and sadly there are many, the same theme comes up over and over. Which is so strange as you would think in the business of beauty it would be the opposite. But there is a reason.

There is an alarming level of low self esteem or what is known as “other esteem” in the beauty biz. The reason I know this is because if everyone had strong esteem and were love focused, there would not be so much negativity and bullying.  But the thing is when we do not love ourselves, we cannot love others. No matter how much external praise or false sense of awesomeness we feel, it is not real.

There is NO reason in the world to put others down to feel better. There is NO excuse to be mean or bully others in the workplace. There is NO reason to be hateful to others just because you are unhappy with your own self. Think about it.

I Have A Dream
My dream is to have an industry that is love centered. But there is still a lot of work to do. And it begins with each of us. You see, love is an inside job. And if each of us focuses on being more loving, to ourselves and others, we will all be amazed what can happen in our businesses. There needs to be more discussion around this incredibly important issue, and I am committed to doing my part to help make our industry a more love centered place.

What are you going to do today to be more loving to yourself and others? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. It matters. You matter. Want to share your thoughts with me? Click here. I am listening.

(shared with LOVE from Nina)

Harlem Shake Original

Why I Love The Harlem Shake

March 11, 2013Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

 “Dance as though no one is watching you. Love as though you have never been hurt before. Sing as though no one can hear you. Live as though heaven is on earth.”

Souza

 Harlem Shake Original

Here is the audio version of this post if you just want to listen. You’re welcome.

Why I Love The Harlem Shake

Dance Like Nobody Is Watching
I love the Harlem Shake. I just cannot get enough. All of them, the good, bad and the ugly. Why? Because it speaks to something that I believe is so important in today’s world; people dancing like nobody is watching.

There is so much we can learn from this latest YouTube craze. That people love watching others live with abandon. How much we all crave fun, play and creativity. How its many times the simplest of things that can have the most impact and resonate with a global audience on the web.

As I watch many people begin to bash this craze, I have thought a lot about why that would be? What could possibly be wrong with people having fun and sharing it with the world? Aren’t we supposed to live out loud. Share our art. Dance like nobody is watching?

Here is one of my fave salon versions from a good friend, amazing hairdresser and industry leader Fernando Romero.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz69k6UL09M

What We Can Learn
When I see high school students get suspended from school for creating their own version of the Harlem Shake, it takes me back to my school days. And they were not pretty. I struggled with topics such as math, history, English, well OK, all of them. I was bored out of my mind, and it reflected in my grades. I was suspended myself two times before I reached the 7th grade.

What I saw in those suspended high school students was future artists, producers, directors, choreographers, and clothing stylists. I saw future leaders, managers, entrepreneurs. I saw a bunch of fearless young people having fun, and learning about themselves in the process. What could possibly be wrong with that?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Please share them in the comments or with me, I’m listening.

(shared with LOVE from Nina)

Promote what you love

I Can See You

February 25, 2013Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

“What happens in Vegas stays on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube…”

Eric Qualman

Promote what you love

Here is the audio version of this post if you are not into reading. You’re welcome.
I Can See You

Much of my week is spent on the social and digital web researching, learning, listening, building relationships and joining in on some amazing conversations with my mentors, peers and friends. I love how these platforms empower relationships, people and business.

Promote What You Love Instead Of Bashing What You Hate
I have been noticing many leaders in our industry posting content that feeds right into the stereotypes that people have about salons and hairdressers on their Facebook pages. And of course, with those posts come thousands of comments, some from beauty professionals and not so shockingly from salon clients. Booooo.

What appears to be happening is that many are forgetting something very important about business pages on a platform like Facebook, they are PUBLIC. Which means, everything you are saying, the good, bad and the ugly, is seen by your clients and potential future clients. When you may think you are using your “inside voice”, you are actually creating a permanent footprint with your words.

This YouTube tutorial gone very wrong has been flying at the speed of light around the web. I am sure you have seen it. What blows my mind is the comments and shares from professionals about this.

This video, with over 5 million views, is an opportunity to educate clients. But what I saw mostly was a lot of bashing, teasing and laughing. And what is worse is that it was all done in a public forum, Facebook. Yikes! How could we use this video to educate our clients, instead of trying to make them afraid? You follow?

Hair Tutorial Gone Wrong

Here are a couple super professional responses and shares on that video that I love. Reason being, both Kristen and Gordon used this as a empowerment tool, not a bashing opportunity.

Hair Tutorial Response Hair Tutorial Response

Your Story, One Post At A Time
In today’s world we are all telling a story. My awesome friend and industry leader Fabio Sementilli just posted his awesome Fab Friday blog on the amazing  The Hair Nerds, and he spoke to the branding of you, as an individual, and the opportunities now for all of us to become brands in the social era. Fabio says so well, “Tomorrow’s small business will have a global profile.” The only thing I would add is Today’s small business. As this is happening, now.

Every status update, Instagram pic and Tweet are telling a story for the world to see. What do you want your story to be, sound and feel like? What do you want your clients and future clients to see? Always be mindful of how you choose to engage. We are watching you.

What Happens On Facebook Stays On Google
One of the many joys I have each day is the vibrant conversations I get to have with hairdressers around the world. This one is one of my recent faves. My buddy Damien Laliberte, of CrossCheck TV and Over Directed, was wondering how to get his photography to become more discoverable. Since I have studied this at length, blogged about it and even done a webinar on the topic, I immediately shared my thoughts. Well he is a super smart guy, and clearly challenged my advice, well, in fact, he just did not believe me. Until I saw this post last night on Facebook.

Facebook Conversation with Damien Laliberte

You see, everything you post on a business Facebook page is public, and much of what you post on a personal Facebook page is public, unless you set your privacy settings super tight.

One of the many cool things about engaging on the social and digital web is becoming more discoverable. So clients can find you, and if they like what they see, and read, do business with you. How awesome is that?

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, you can share them below, share them on Facebook or share with me directly. I am listening.

(shared with LOVE from Nina)