#QandAwesome Episode 17 How Do I Inspire + Motivate?
This weeks episode speaks to a question that many leaders or aspiring leaders ask themselves… how do I inspire and motivate my team? The answer is quite simple, but far from easy. It begins and ends with one thing… know your people. Thank you so much for watching!
Passion Profile: Jodi Shays
“Mind your own business. If you don’t, somebody else will!” Unknown
When I first met Jodi Shays about a year ago, it was love at first sight. Thanks to one of my besties, Candida Santos, an esthetician at Queen Bee Salon & Spa, I not only got to meet Jodi but take a behind the scenes glimpse into one of the most successful spas in North America. Jodi has since become not only a client of Passion Squared, but also one of my greatest inspirations of creative small business ownership. It is because of that and so much more, that I absolutely had to do this Passion Profile on the great Queen Bee, Jodi Shays…
N. What does passion look & feel like to you?
J. When you wake up in the morning excited about going into your job. When somebody asks you a question about your particular field and you have the best time answering it and you could answer questions about it all day!
N. Why did you become an owner?
J. I just got fed up with working for other people who didn’t share my values and passion for the industry. I wanted to bring back class to our industry – allowing myself to focus on “service” instead of the money.
N. What is the biggest challenge you have had and how did you overcome it?
J. Honestly I would say a couple of things.
1) Not taking negative feedback too personally, and ensuring I turned anything negative around and made it a positive.
2) Staff issues – having to let go of people who are great at what they do, but bring negativity into the work place, it’s just frustrating to see wasted talent. But I had to learn that one bad banana can turn the rest!
N. What is the greatest lesson you have learned?
J. To mind my own bloody business!!! My motto is “mind your own business, because if you are not, somebody else will.” In other words, don’t sweat what everybody else is doing. Stay true to your beliefs, trust your gut and work your arse off!!!! Hard work will always be rewarded.
N. What is one skill you believe all successful owners need to have?
J. Communication is key. Not just with customers but with staff as well. If you don’t have that, you have nothing.
N. Why that one?
J. Because I have learned that if you don’t communicate well, people become complacent. Auto pilot is great for the short term, but there always needs to be a skipper at the wheel!
N. Why are you so focused on delivering a consistent quality experience?
J. Because I’ve been victim of not so quality services and the owners never cared. I want to make sure every person from every walk of life gets treated like a A lister. What is better than seeing a happy client leave your salon who raves about their experience to their friends and family? I’m a people pleaser and always have been. Some people aren’t.
N. Favorite quote?
J. As above “Mind your own business, if you don’t, somebody else will!” I don’t know who came up with that, but I think it was ME!!!!!!
N. Starbucks or Coffee Bean?
J. Come on, Nina… really!?!? It’s Peet’s all the way baby!!!!
You can find Jodi and all her awesome Bee’s on Instagram @queenbeesalonspa and Facebook and check out Jodi’s newest and awesome venture, Queen Bee Academy, a place where estheticians and hairdressers can learn award-winning beauty and waxing techniques with a particular emphasis on Brazilian bikini waxing and facials.
Love + Awesomeness-
Nina
GENERATION WHY
Before you go and criticize the younger generation, just remember who raised them. Unknown
Here is the audio version of this post. It’s like me reading you a bedtime story. Thank you for listening.
This post was first created, from my heart, on June 10, 2013. Nearly two years later, it could not be more relevant. As I listen and observe the professional beauty biz, I continue to hear frustrated new professionals not always clear on what to do or where to go to find love + support, and equally, frustrated salon owners unsure + unclear how the heck to connect with what I call Generation WHY.
And as I wrote in June of 2013, this is a forever issue. Always blaming the next generation for things, and simply not understanding them. This is one of many reasons I am launching a new program A School for New Professionals on May 1 2015, to do what I do best and provide a place to help new professionals navigate their new career. Already having my A School for Owners, I see this as the almost perfect marriage and one that is desperately needed in the pro beauty biz. #excited
Original Post from June 10, 2013
It’s always the same it seems, the older generation, no matter which it is, is always somewhat down on the next generation. Whether it be the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, etc. There is always something people find wrong or irritating.
Is it that we lose perspective over time? That we get cranky and tired as we age? I am not a history expert, but I am a human who pays attention, so here is my take and some things to consider when generation bashing or trying to be an awesome leader of future generations.
Gary Vee, one of my biz heroes posted a quote to his Facebook page a few months back and it really resonated with me, Gary said…“We’ve just gotten smarter and realized that 22 year olds have more value than just getting you coffee”.
Here is what I know about the WHY generation…
1. They value purpose and meaning, not just a job or paycheck.
2. They want to know WHY, and “because I said so” does not fly.
3. They want leaders and mentors to tell them what’s possible, not what’s not possible.
4. They crave authenticity and relationships, in work and in life.
5. They are not waiting for our permission to dream or do important work.
I hear so often how challenged many are working with the younger generation. How they are afraid of hard work and want everything yesterday. I disagree. I work with young people everyday, and have successfully led these kids and helped them do big things. I love the youth. I love their passion, their hope and their courage to take the road less traveled.
Here are some things we can do to help lift up the next generation.
1. Be honest with them.
2. Share our wisdom.
3. Listen to them.
4. Create a vision of possibilities for them.
5. Love them.
It’s really quite simple, but not at all easy to take the time to understand the people we lead. But that is what leadership is about. It’s about perspective, understanding, vision, lifting others up and creating an environment for our teams to shine.
Of course, there is an alternative, you could just stay angry. Have fun with that.
(shared with LOVE from Nina)
PASSION PROFILE: Keri R. Davis
Either you create your own culture, or your culture will be created for you. You choose. Keri R. Davis
What an honor it was to sit down with my 25+ year bestie and all around awesome human and biz bad ass Keri R. Davis to take a peek into her brain & heart. Keri has three Aveda Concept Salon in San Diego called Gila Rut, is an educator for Aveda Business College and won the NAHA MBA Salon of The Year, or what I like to call the bad ass biz award.
N. What does passion look and feel like to you?
K. When I see something that I am passionate about, I see beauty, in all things — not just industry beauty or physical facial beauty. I see passion in nature. I see passion in people helping people. I see passion in laughter … and I love to see the igniting of the light bulb in someone’s thinking.
When I feel passion, it feels like butterflies in my stomach. I feel anxious or driven in a good way … as if it can’t come fast enough, yet I don’t want it to end so I can relish the greatness of it.
N. Why did you become an owner?
K. What a loaded question! I was so young (26 years old) when we opened our first salon. Thinking back that far is challenging, but what I do remember is that the salon I worked in for my first 3 years in the industry was my biggest learning experience. It taught me what I didn’t want. I hate to say that, but sometimes when we learn what we don’t want, what we do want becomes clearer. Kind of like a relationship!
As I observed hairdressers that had been practicing their craft for 20+ years, what became clear was that they had nothing to show for their hard work … not in their personal life or business life. And when I say that, I am referring to a retirement plan, and exit strategy, owning a home. I felt that they felt stuck. That could have been just my observation, but that is what drove me to want to do something that gave me security.
When I went to work for the second salon of my career, my observation got even clearer. I could not find a salon to work in that offered me a career opportunity. I could only get a job! This was a huge distinction because I wanted a place where I could grow roots — a place where I could see myself for a long time and elevate my position/career. I wanted a mentor.
This was the changing point for me. It became evident that my path was to create an environment that offered career opportunities to people where they could grow and where they felt taken care of through health insurance, retirement and paid vacations. Basically, for me, things needed to operate like a ‘real’ company.
I wanted to be a facilitator to be able to help people see what was possible for them where they may not have seen it for themselves. This became my mission and has become my passion. This vision has not changed over my 24 years of business ownership!
N. What is the biggest challenge you have had and how did you overcome it?
K. I think the biggest challenge I have had (there have been many) is accepting that people have their own ‘process’ of execution and achieving a final result or goal that is often different from mine.
Overcoming this is a process in itself, so I breathe a lot and remind myself that people have their own amazing process of getting things done. As long as the communication is clear and we are working toward the same end result, it is a beautiful thing to observe and respect different ways of arriving at the same place. In some cases, they arrive in a better place.
N. What is the greatest lesson you have learned?
K. To practice gratitude for all that we have been blessed to encounter in our lives … business and personal.
N. What is one skill you believe all successful owners need to have?
K. A vision and the communication skills to get people aligned to that vision.
N. Why that one?
K. Without clear vision of where you want to go, the energy and culture becomes fragmented. People are moving in different directions and when coaching, we need to have a clear vision/goal of where the company is going. Otherwise, we have nowhere to direct them.
N. Why are you so passionate about salon culture?
K. To me, culture is EVERYTHING. In my mind, this is my second home. I want to feel amazing when I walk in. I want our staff and guests to have that same feeling. Without a strong culture, the customer experience is inconsistent. That being said, this would create an entirely new set of problems.
Culture is the glue that connects the experience of your company. From owner to staff members, from guests to community. It is who you are!
N. Favorite quote?
K. I have two:
“Either you create your own culture, or your culture will be created for you. You choose.”
“Be now what you want to become.”
N. Starbucks or Coffee Bean?
K. Neither: I make my own!
You can find Keri on Facebook, and follow Gila Rut Salons on Facebook + Instagram.
Thank you Keri for sharing your heart + brain + passion with us. I am so grateful to have you in my life, my heart and my head.
Love + Awesomeness-
Nina