As I See It: Reach Out and Touch Someone

Those who know me know I’m not the sentimental type. I didn’t cry on my son’s first day at kindergarten and I don’t save a lot of old stuff to remind me of the old days. I’ve been accused of being a little cold, but I think I’m just pragmatic and business-minded. But at the recent BBSI convention, Kay Schoeneman, the president of that association, delivered an address to a breakfast meeting of a couple thousand beauty professionals, and her message was decidedly ... oh, what’s the word ... inspiring. And it was a little mushy. Leave it to the first female president of the BBSI to get to the real heart of our industry and put forth a call to action that wasn’t about sales or marketing or growth, but simply about being a little nicer to people and putting the human touch back into our business dealings. If a simple change of attitude can get me a little choked up, I can only imagine the effect it could have on you!

We (and by “we” I mean all of us who work in the nail business) get pretty caught up in how much our industry is changing, how threatened we are by the growth in certain market segments and the loss of business in others. We get so accustomed to the constant personnel changes at companies that we stop taking the time to learn the names of new people and forge new relationships for fear that they will too soon be lost. We are so pressured into producing and succeeding and growing and doing things fast, fast, fast, that we may ignore the fact that we’re still human beings dealing with other human beings. And we all have stressors, goals and dreams, foibles, and a need for connection. The beauty industry is all about making people feel GOOD. Kay’s presentation suggested that we slow down a little bit and get personal again. She encouraged her audience to go out to the show with a new attitude of kindness and goodwill. I took her words to heart and enjoyed the show in a way I hadn’t in years. How powerful her message was, but also, how powerful it is for us to have a good attitude — whether it’s about change or about the fact that things don’t change — simply by choosing to do so.

Anyway, I thought I should share my great mood. And in the spirit of getting back to relationships, I want to talk to you more. Here’s my direct line: (310) 533-2531. I’d love to hear from you any time you want to talk.