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.
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!
“Your job is to surprise and delight and to change the agenda.”
Seth Godin
I am a huge fan of Seth Godin, as many of you know by how many times his message and books are discussed on my blog. He is not only super smart, but I love how simply he presents meaningful and important business concepts which apply both to small and big business. His post earlier this week really resonated with me, then while sitting with a dear friend at dinner the other night, she brought up the exact same post he wrote, which to me was a sign I needed to blog about it and share it.
Here is Seth’s post from January 28th in case you missed it.
Beyond showing up
“You’ve probably got that part nailed. Butt in seat, smile on your face. We often run into people who understand their job to be showing up on time to do the work that’s assigned.
We’ve moved way beyond that now. Showing up and taking notes isn’t your job. Your job is to surprise and delight and to change the agenda. Your job is to escalate, reset expectations and make us delighted that you are part of the team.
Showing up is overrated. Necessary but not nearly sufficient.”
Wow. Awesome message, right? Now here is my take-away from his post, something for all of us to consider as team members and leaders.
Are You Just Showing Up?
As a team member, you have a responsibility to your leaders, teammates and customers to do more than just show up. If you have an idea, an aha or a breakthrough, it needs to be shared. If you have a way of making a service, product or system better, it needs to be shared. If you have a skill, a talent, or a way to make the customer experience better, it needs to be shared. Your job is to escalate, as Seth says.
Now, this is different than bitching and complaining. That is not the message here at all. This is about being an active participant in your world, and to help make it better.
Have You Created A Just Show Up Culture?
Now on the flip side, if you are a leader, manager or owner, have you created an environment where your team members can participate in the business and be part of delighting your customers or one that shoots down anyone who offers ideas, solutions and better or different ways of doing things? Be really honest with yourself on this one. You see, what happens when you stop listening as a leader, or brush off your teams ideas and suggestions time and time again, they naturally will become spectators, not participants. Wouldn’t you? Think about it.
What do you really want? Butts in seats that just show up ready to take notes or passionate participants wanting and needing to make a difference?
To get more daily wisdom from the awesome Seth Godin, I highly recommend subscribing to his blog.
“We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams.”
Albert Einstein
We love TEDTalks, as many of you who read Passion Squared know, and this one may be our all time faves! In about 3 minutes, this video illustrates how to start a movement, powerful stuff!
Many of us have seen this awesome video before, but what may be new to you, as it was to us, is how Derek Sivers breaks it down into a powerful lesson on leadership. Whether you are a leader, want to be a leader, or the very important follower, this is something you will not want to miss.
Now add the power of the social + digital web to the equation, and the sky’s the limit.
So jump off this blog, and go start one! We cannot wait to see you dance.
(discovered on Mashable and shared with LOVE from your passionistas Nina + Gordon)
“A leader, first and foremost, is human. Only when we have the strength to show our vulnerability can we truly lead.”
Simon Sinek
It seems in today’s world, many people still believe they need to be perfect. We have this thought that we have to present ourselves, particularly as leaders, to be all knowing and all powerful. That we are problem free. Many of us wear a mask or hide behind a curtain of perfection. Kinda like the Wizard, yes?
From personal experience, I can tell you, that is a recipe for a potentially unhappy life.
Getting Real
What our team wants to see from us, what our family and friends want to see from us, is vulnerability. They want to know we are human, just like them. They want to know that yes, we are here to lead them, to show up for them, but that we too have struggles, and because of those struggles, we actually become better leaders. Because we have learned to show up even when things get tough.
My Story
A little over 5 years ago, I was in a very dark place in my life. So dark in fact that I chose to face my demons and get treatment for depression and anxiety. While I was in treatment, I learned the meaning behind “perfectly imperfect”. For workaholics and perfectionists like I used to be, this was a concept I had to really wrap my mind around, for me, it was a matter of life and death.
That experience not only made me a better person, it made me a better leader. Because I realized that in order to be the best for others, for my team, my family and my friends, I had to get over the notion that I had to be perfect. Do I still have struggles? Yes, everyday, believe it or not. But I did the work and found the tools I needed to show up for my life and for others.
The World Has Your Back
If you are like I was, feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders, my hope for you is that you realize the world has your back. That you are human, and its OK to be vulnerable. It’s actually that vulnerability, that perfectly imperfect you that can help you develop more meaningful relationships and makes you a better leader. How awesome is that?
(shared with LOVE from your passionista Nina)
PS: If this post resonates with you and you need someone to talk to, I am here for you. You can click here to email me, or call me at 310-503-1342.
