Here is the audio for today’s post. Background music by Zen Louis Kovner. Enjoy! The Long Cut
It’s so tempting today to market “at” people. To shout and scream and try to get attention. To create lots of noise hoping someone will listen. We see it every day. Online or off, many are looking for a short cut. For the quick sale. The fast money. This blog is not for those people.
Today we have an opportunity to engage, connect, create and care like no other time in our history. We can deliver value in the most creative and meaningful ways. We can build relationships, change lives, lift people up and make a difference. Whether we are marketing haircuts or education services, its how we choose to market that can make us a creative contributor.
If you want to create a brand or business that matters, that changes people’s lives for the better and that adds value to the world, you are on the right track. It begins with intention. Doesn’t everything?
The Short Cut
1. Talk at people
2. Scream on social platforms
3. Ignore the community
4. Lead with price
5. Over promise
The Long Cut
1. Listen
2. Engage on social platforms
3. Respond to the community
4. Deliver value
5. Exceed expectations
Here is the audio version of this post if you are not into reading. You’re welcome. Stop. Start
Our Dirty Little Secret
I am proud to say I have been in the beauty and wellness biz my entire life, since my first day of beauty school. I love this industry, the people, the passion, and the ability to make another persons day better. But what I have witnessed over the last decade or so is actually not very beautiful at all. Something that many choose not to talk about. And that is lack of leadership, blaming others, insincere motives, hype and fluff and BS, lack of authenticity, insecurity, low self-esteem, mental health and addiction issues, short term thinking and expectations. Unfortunately the list could go on forever, but I will not waste any more words.
Blame is Lame
It seems so easy to blame everyone but ourselves for the state of our industry. But its lame. And not very productive. Let’s make a decision together, as an industry, to focus our energy on what we can do, to help small businesses learn to be better, to help people achieve their dreams and live their passion, to be a contributor, to be a hard working team member, to be honest with those who trust that we know better, and I mean really honest.
All the positive thinking, quotes and motivational seminars in the world will not get us there. Looking in the mirror will. And I mean all of us.
This may be a good start.
Stop.
Complaining
Blaming…
The industry
The manufacturers
Diversion
The salons
The Hairdressers
The schools
The distributors
Your team
Your teammates
Your circumstances
Your location
Dropping the ball.
Start.
Contributing
Caring
Taking responsibility
Following up
Leading with love
Discovering your why
Taking action on your ideas
Helping those in need
Looking in the mirror
Focusing on what you can control
Building people up
Making good art
Showing up
Sharing
Challenging the status quo
Changing the systems
Creating value.
Your Choice. Choose wisely. (Particularly if you call yourself a “leader”, “expert”, “icon” or “guru”.)
A super big shout out of gratitude and love to Joshua Fields Millburn and Simon Sinek for inspiring me to create this post. You guys ROCK my world!
