Page 61 – Passion Squared

Passion Profile: Laura Kaszoni

January 16, 2016Nina KovnerPASSION PROFILE

“Every accomplishment begins with a decision to try.” Unknown

As a fan and follower of @lalasupdos for sometime, I was thrilled to learn I would meet this talented power house at the first ever Butterfly Circus in the summer of 2015 (thank you David + Alexis Thurston!) But I had NO idea I would instantly fall in love with this special human. Laura’s humility and beauty is what struck me at first, then to watch her move hair in ways I have never seen in my 30 years of being in the hair biz, I knew I was witnessing something insanely special. It’s an honor to share a little chat I had with my dear friend, and passionately talented Lalas Updos…

N: What does passion look & feel like to you?
L: I’ve been in this country for 9 years and worked in the wrong field for 8 years. After settling for less, being miserable and wondering what’s my purpose for so many years, I think now, that I finally do what I love the most, can describe what passion is…

Passion is when you fail, but never give up.

Passion is not being able to sleep because you’re too excited about what’s on your agenda for tomorrow.

Passion is planning to spend one hour practicing your craft and look in shock at clock few hours later not knowing how that happened.

Passion is when you don’t listen to anything that anyone has to say about your craft & style, and you don’t change your vision based on people’s opinion.

Passion is sleepless nights when creative ideas won’t let your mind to rest, is smiles, tears, butterflies, failure and the determination to keep going, no matter what.

N: Why did you create your own education company?
L: I created my own education company because I’ve been asked to. I have never planned or dreamed to become an educator – as a matter of fact, I do not even consider myself one. I am just a stylist passionate about art of up styling, sharing my love and knowledge with other fellow artists.

After I had my first class in December of 2014, I got more and more requests to travel and share my knowledge, so I can say my education company was born out of people’s hunger and love for up styling.

N: What is the biggest challenge you have had and how did you overcome it?
L: Biggest challenge was finding balance between work and personal life. I think I was able to overcome that issue when my daughter pointed out that I am spending less time with her. I realized in the end, when everything else is gone, the loved ones are the only ones that matter. The only ones that will be there for you, and they should be always #1 priority. When I come back from my trips I try to wake up early take care of my business, and leave the afternoons to my family.

N: What is the greatest lesson you have learned?
L: The greatest lesson I have learned in my life: It’s never too late to follow your dreams and start all over again! It was the most painful but rewarding lesson in the same time. I worked and stood in the wrong industry for almost 8 years, choosing to ignore the all the signs that showed me clearly that’s not my place. I was afraid to get out of my comfort zone, afraid of unknown, afraid I will fail, afraid my dreams were too big or too foolish. I choose to settle because of fear, but guess what? Fear doesn’t make you happy, nor content. Being stressed and miserable at your work place, are the first signs you are in the wrong place.

My point is: pay attention to the signs, listen to your heart, follow your dreams – don’t settle for less. It’s never too late to start all over again. It’s never too late to be happy, to stop surviving and start living.

N: Why are you so passionate about updo’s?
L: I always had an inclination for art – I’ve be been creating things from scratch, drawing and painting since I was a little child. But with updos it always felt different. The thrill and the passion I feel every time I create a new style, is different than anything I have experienced before. When I create up-styles I loose myself into it – the time just stops, it’s just me and my craft. I never get tired, bored, frustrated, or out of ideas. I think that’s a clear sign I found my passion/calling.

N: Favorite quote?
L: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phillippians 4:13

N: Starbucks or Coffee Bean?
L: Starbucks

You can find Laura on Instagram @lalasupdos, on her Facebook page Lalas-Updos as well as her website lalasupdos.com where you will find her upcoming workshops, booking info and all of her other awesomeness.

Love + Awesomeness-
Nina

7 Gotta Do’s To Up Your Instagram Game

January 5, 2016Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

“You are what you share.” Unknown

So you wanna up your Insta game? Here are 7 gotta do’s that I promise will help make your Insta game strong…

1. Determine Your Theme
All good social pages tell a story. What will yours be? Your look, feel, and story are the foundation of creating awesome on Instagram. And on the topic of look and feel, please post quality photos, quality, I mean quality!

2. Up Your About Section
I want to know your biz name, your location, your “short” story, and please, how do I contact you? An online booking link is the awesome if you have that.

3. Use Hashtags Consistently
PLEASE. Without these, you cannot be found. My three rules for hashtags;
Use popular hashtags for your subject matter. Not sure, search for them and see what’s popular.

Use your branded hashtag always.
Why? So people can see your stuff and it keeps your content super organized, and allows others to use your hashtag so you can see when people are posting about you and you can say THANK YOU!

Use your local hashtags.
Like where the heck are you? By using local hashtags, people in your area can find you. Yay!

BONUS time saving tip- Put all your hashtags in your notes section of your mobile device and just copy and paste them in the comments section of your post. #yourwelcome

4. Add Your Location
Please add your business location to your posts. Why? So people can find your business and you can also search people who are in the area. And while you can no longer do custom locations on Insta, your business should be on there. And that is the location you want to use so peeps can find you.

5. Engage, Deliver Value, Engage, Deliver Value
Please spend more time listening then talking. Like, comment and share content as it relevant to your business, authentically, not randomly, but with intention and purpose.

6. Be Insanely Consistent
Yep, nothing can replace your consistent presence of posting and engaging with others on Instagram.

7. Measure, Learn, Adjust
I love Iconosquare.com but please remember, this is not about lost or gained followers or popularity, it is about engagement, relationships, and two-way communication. If your work is on point and you focus on that, the referrals and revenue will follow. #promise

Happy Instagramming!

Love + Awesomeness-

Nina

PS: Are we connected on Insta yet? If not, you can follow me @passionsquared I promise to deliver consistent and awesome value to help you create a more awesome biz + life, plus a few goat videos, cause I mean, goats! Right?

This On-Demand Life

November 28, 2015Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

“The future of business lies in experience architecture and you are the architect.” Brian Solis

Today is Cyber Monday, which was created in response to Black Friday when e-commerce became a thing. And can you even believe that was in 2005? Exactly 10 years ago. Ten. Years. Ago! And now look at the world. E-commerce has now become on-demand anything. Think the W Hotel, whatever, whenever. Wow!

As I was scrolling through Instagram last week, I happened upon an ad, yes, an AD, done well, and seemingly timely and relevant to me, good job ad.

This ad was for Zeel, what I will call the Uber of Massages, yes, in home massages on demand. Breakthrough? No. Not now at least, as we are living an on demand life. And e-commerce has become more than just a transaction; it has become a way of life. We are consuming 24/7 via our mobile devices. All day, every day. We are even paying for our beloved Starbucks with our phone, without a wallet. Think about that. No money is exchanging hands. None.

Whether its someone to build my Ikea desk, thank you Task Rabbit, to someone to do my grocery shopping, thank you Instacart, to someone to deliver late night snacks, thank you Eat24, to someone to whisk me around town, thank you Uber, to someone to run an errand while I have the flu, thank you Postmates. On demand everything. And lets not even get started on Amazon’s new Prime same day delivery. Thank you Amazon.

The world has changed. Again. Just when you thought having a website and a presence on Yelp, Instagram and Facebook mattered, that now feels like so 2013.

With 2016 around the corner, it is imperative that we really take a serious look at our client’s digital experience if we want to stay relevant. Period.

This on demand life is creating experiences that are so seamless and awesome, there is almost no question as to why we would not just pick up our “phone” and click “book now”.

Here is a little “on-demand” quiz for your biz…

Can I book from my “phone” easily? And I mean awesomely! No bugs, easy to read, awesome to experience.

Do I have a responsive website (mobile + tablet friendly) that allows for no more than one click to connect with me?

Are all my links on my social profiles relevant? Meaning, why would you have the URL of your Facebook page on your Insta profile? I want a phone number and on online booking link.

Is your payment processing seamless and easy? Email receipts? Online sales?

Is your confirmation process seamless? And I mean without me having to pick up the phone?

Is there a system, which allows me to review your biz, not because you want a 5 star review but because you care enough to hear about my experience? Is it a one-click process?

Is it easy for me to share my experience of your biz with my friends? Like in one click?

Based on your answers, my challenge to you is to audit your entire online and offline experience, and create a plan to crate an experience so awesome, your clients truly enjoy engaging with you and shout it from the rooftops to all that will listen.

If you are thinking, screw that, I like the good old fashion way of doing business; here is what I will say…

This is NOT about changing face-to-face experiences; it is actually about making them better. This is NOT about not picking up the phone, this is actually about engaging on clients terms, not yours.

This is NOT about today; this is about being in business tomorrow. The world has changed, as have the clients seeking salon and wellness services, so my passionate plea to you is to open your mind, and focus on building the new, not fighting or defending the old. My challenge to you is to see the entire client journey from discovery of your business to entering the door of your business. What does that experience look and feel like? It matters.

Adele may try to call 1000 times, but your current and for sure your future clients won’t. #fact

Love + Awesomeness-

Nina

PS: All of the above on-demand services I mentioned are all ones I highly recommend. Of course.

PPS: If you are looking for some tools specific to the salon market, I blogged about that here and here.

What Comes First? Gratitude or Joy

November 22, 2015Nina KovnerGROW, MY TRUTH

“For it is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” Brene Brown

Over the last 8 years, I have worked day in and day out, on creating a life that would allow me to be present and help others. In the last few years, I actually created an awesome business to serve those I love in a very different way than the status quo.

It’s risky, I mean, in the industry I mostly serve, there is far more interest in learning the latest haircut or color technique. And I get that.

But working with creative small business owners and hairdressers over the last 30 years, there are a few things I know are true;

-Self esteem & confidence is quite low

-Healthy boundaries are nearly non existent

-Anxiety is typically high

-Workaholics are prevalent and even seen as awesome #notawesome

-People pleasing is high

-Saying no is seen as a bad thing

-Self care is the last thing on the to do list

And because of this, many of us are depleted, burnt out, overwhelmed, exhausted, unhappy, self-sabotaging, and loaded with the toxic energy of those around us. #yikes #usedtobeme

So what comes first?

In the quote above, Brene Brown breaks is down perfectly, gratitude comes before joy.

And that is what I subscribe to. Gratitude and peace come first. That is where we will find joy, and that is when everything will fall into place.

Simple concept, but not at all easy to practice.

Gratitude comes from practice. Peace comes from practice. Just like learning the latest haircut or color.

So where do we start?

Gratitude Lists
Every day, take 5 minuets and write a gratitude list. Either on a piece of paper, or in your head, or on your phone, or on a napkin, wherever, whenever, just do it, and you will find an immediate shift in your energy.

Start Saying NO
The most important thing you can do for yourself and others is to take care of yourself, your energy and your space. Start by saying NO one time per week. That NO will give you an extra hour, two hours or even more to breathe, take a walk, read a book, or just sit in stillness.

Practice Healthy Boundaries
Next time someone asks you “Do you have 5 minuets to talk? Say no, but I have time at 3:30.”

If someone interrupts you while you are in the middle of something simply say… “I understand this is important to you, but I am in the middle of something, lets connect back in an hour.”

You see, the more we take care of ourselves, our energy and our bodies, the more we can show up fully and be present for those we serve.

A depleted, exhausted, burnout human is of no good to anyone, whether its you or the team you work with.

So today, I am grateful, for my process (and all the people who helped save my life) and for my decision to share it with the people that I love.

Today I am grateful for the power of gratitude lists, saying no and setting healthy boundaries. Now it’s your turn. What are you grateful for?

Love + Gratitude + Awesomeness-

Nina

Daylight Savings Realness

November 15, 2015Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

“If you don’t like how things are, change it. You are not a tree.” Jim Rohn

So many times in life, the solution is literally right around the corner or even better, right in front of our eyes. But our brains put up blocks, and we many times come up with excuses for why things won’t work, or fall into victim mode, or even worse, self sabotage.

With all the memes and jokes about daylight savings, and with my own search for light upon moving into my new loft, I began a search for light, literally. So naturally, I thought, lets ask my Instagram community, as 23,000 brains are for sure better than mine. And with that, I found the solution to lightening up our spaces, whether its for shooting video (me!) or capturing awesome before and after stories of your beautiful clients, there is a solution. There always has been.

A huge shout out to all the passionate + generous + awesome humans who stepped up with their ideas and solutions to help empower others. Here are just a few, along with the solution I chose to invest in…

@santabarbarabalayage
I bought the 12 inch Diva Light from Stellar Lighting Systems (in September) and I am already in love! I can see so much more detail than I did before. It was about $200 and totally worth it! Small and lightweight too!

@erika_jaggars
I just invested in Stellar Lighting Systems 12″ ring light for my studio and I am obsessed.

@ rebelnoel_hair
Daylight savings is awful! I’ve been asking clients to send me pictures of their hair, or possibly stopping by Saturday mornings so I can snap a quick pic.

@ prettycutanddry
I have a ring light – best investment yet. My next addition is more lights, and even a faux white backdrop just to have handy in case of ugly background lol.

@ daniellevaliente
This works on both your camera and iPhone iPad. I have this and like it. Ring lights provide the best light though. But this will definitely make a huge difference.

@andrewdoeshair
I made some cheap lights using a pair of $12 soft fluorescent light fixtures from Lowes, zip tied to some old microphone stands. I keep them in the trunk of my car all the time and pull them out when I know I have a content-worthy look coming in.

@jaywesleyolson
The struggle!!! Ha ha. I actually make them come back the next few days and @tannerjohnson34 will throw a fresh style in for pics. I’m absolutely insane about it being in sunlight.

@ thehairlabstl
My photog friends said ring lights are great but can be pricey and sometimes have too much glare. You might first try getting some high quality photo daylight bulbs, put them in a floor lamp and rig up a light diffusion sheet in front of it to soften it. (Google “photo light diffusion sheet”). As far as light bulbs, try ALZO.

ALZO light bulbs
Soft Box
Mini Ring Light
Ring Light

This is what I decided to invest in for the Passion Squared office…