Nothing much new…

Of course after I got officially licensed, I started working.  After that, there was Halloween.  Regan was very easy on me and was the same thing she was last year.  Amazingly enough her costume still fit!!  I did actually get to spray her hair with blue colored spray.  Last year I didn’t get to actually spend time with her trick or treating because I was in school.  However getting off work a half hour before trick or treating time was a close call too!

Now it is on to Thanksgiving.  No plans yet, however David’s work schedule may be getting ready to change yet again!  Might be on daylight (7am – 3pm). So who knows what we will or won’t be doing, usually David ends up working on Thanksgiving day anyway and then we do whatever after that.  However one tradition that David would like to continue is the year that we moved into our house and went to Waffle House for dinner that night.  Yes, it was Thanksgiving (7 years ago). 

What traditions do you have and what traditions do you wish you did instead?

UGH! Facebook

Damn thing is just pissin’ me off today. So nothing is really going on here so far. I did have one walk in this morning – which is better than the last two days. Can’t complain.
I had birthday cards printed up so that I could send them out to clients to get $5.00 off a service of their choice during the month of their birthday. Yeah, I freakin’ didn’t see that I accidentally typo’d month on the back of the card. It is only 100 postcards…..do I use them anyway, or get new ones??
Saturday is shaping up to be a little busy – Whoo Hoo. Please keep your fingers crossed that everyone will make it to their appointments so that I can make something this week! I appreciate all the thoughts and wishes.
Oh, and in case you didn’t see on Facebook (@&$^***@*) I did pass my practical exam!! So just awaiting the arrival of my official license!!

First Day of Work!!!!

Hey All,

Today is my first day of work in an actual salon.  I still have the practical test to take (Oct. 12th) before everything is official, but so far so good.  I have been out passing out flyers with my co-workers.  I will let you know how the practical goes once I do it!

Passed Theory Test

In case you didn’t see on FB. I did pass my Theory part of my Cosmetology exam. One down, one to go!!

Stress – (def. per cosmetology)

Inability to cope with a threat, real or imagined, to our well-being, which results in a series of responses and adaptations by our minds and bodies; tension caused by a situation.

Uhm, yeah the last sentence is the one that applies to me right now!!!

Wow,…..

…today was the first day in a VERY.LONG.TIME. that I didn’t feel the need to straggle the little person in my home. I know that sounds terrible but seriously, almost 5 going on 18. The attitude SUCKS lately!!!

Maybe our “special” one on one talk yesterday did make a difference. Even if only for a day!

Issues…

First of all I would just like to throw this out there..Why is it that people that you never were really friendly with in the first place insist on asking you to add them as a friend on FB??  Seriously, did we EVER REALLY talk before??  So what makes you think that we would talk NOW??  Yeah, we might have mutual friends but WE WEREN’T CLOSE before.  So please….don’t be offended if I don’t accept your request.

Secondly, the high-end salon opportunity probably isn’t going to work out at this time.  It was explained to me that the owner won’t know what she is looking for until around October and I can’t wait that long for work.  So the reasonable priced salon it is for now which is fine, really.  Thank you all for your support and suggestions/advice.  I like seeing what everyone else thinks and what they can say to back up their ideas!!

Thirdly, I will be sending my application into state board at the end of this coming week due to needing specific documentation that will not be readily available until Friday.

Fourthly (is that correct wording), the napless days for Regan are killing me.  So I have decided to make bedtime earlier for the school year!  Yeah me!  and ultimately Regan too as she is miserable and tired and makes things very difficult on me and herself when she is tired!  I will let you all know how it works out!

Application….

…is at the high end salon.  Yes, it is filled out!  Here’s to hoping for at least an interview.

Btw, I haven’t been updating on FB about jobs because someone found me and I don’t want to update this information there.  Thanks for understanding!!

(Profuse sweating)…

…and it isn’t just from the heat wave here in VA.

I stopped by the high end salon today and picked up an application.  Found out the hours are from 12pm – 9pm, however there are other stylists that do work from 9am – 5pm.  So anything is possible. 

The opportunities at the place are amazing.  They send the stylists off to different locations for certification in different areas of cosmetology.  They do apprenticeship program (which I have already done my schooling), however maybe they will kind of guide you along when you first get there too.  Just not sure. 

Anyway, I need to get the application back to them and hope for an interview.  If nothing else I can do the interview in this field just to get an idea of how they are, even if I don’t get the job.

Whatever is meant to happen will…..and that is all I have to say about that

ACK!!!!!!!

Okay friends! I just need to put this out there.  I’m sweating over finding a job and being content with where I go, so tonight I couldn’t quite get to sleep and decided to do a PROS/CONS list.  Would you like to see it??   Okay, I will share it with you once I give you a little background.

I have a salon that wants me…..badly.  The owner was at the ’school’ until July so she knows me and thinks I’m good and wants me because she knows I’m not into all the drama and bullshit that tends to get started when you work with a bunch of women.  However, she just opened her salon and the walk-in traffic isn’t heavy yet.  She doesn’t have all her stations taken, yet.  Her prices are reasonable and not outrageous.  And I know that I need to start somewhere, however I was at a high-end scale salon today to help with a fundraiser and they have a commission spot opening up.  UGH, I don’t mind making decisions but this is really hard for me even though the Pros are pretty favorable for the 1st opportunity.  And that is the other thing, am I more interested in the 1st scenario above due to it being the first opportunity (and I need work almost immediately) available, which could also be a bad thing because it is the 1st thing available.  Okay, screw the philosophy of it all, here goes the PROS/CONS for the 1st opportunity.

PROS

~Flexible hours (I will be able to leave at 5 most nights to pick up my daughter, I might set up one evening that I stay late)

~I can set my own schedule as to what days I want/need off.

~There will be some walk-ins that will help build a clientele for myself.

~It is still close to home

~Prices are still reasonable (less than Hair Cuttery, but more than I have been charging my ‘prior-to-school’ clients)

~The owner wants me

~If I can make up my mind real soon (this month) we are going into Homecoming season – HELLO!! New Clients!!

~I will be learning new products.

~Owner is willing to let me advertise anyway that I need/want to to get people in the door and also have business cards made up.

CONS

~Will my current clients be willing to pay an extra $5.00 due to the fact that I will be in a salon (times are tough here people)

~Not sure how much ‘further education’ will play into my learning unless I pay for classes on my own.

~The owner tends to be able to make up her own mini-drama.  She is kind of her own instigator – BUT I know that about her and I have dealt with it before so…..??

~Working commission means also that once a client walks in the door, they are no longer MY client but the salon’s client.  It makes it hard if you leave that salon to have those clients follow you unless you are sly (which I am).

~Since it is a new salon, the walk-in traffic is not heavy…..yet.

~I will be learning new product (The Pro side is that I know the products that I have been using, and it is good to learn about other products so that you can make a good call for your clients as to what to use.  The CON side is that I might not feel as confident starting out there having to learn the different product line either – it will just take time).

 

Ultimately, the owner knows that I still wanted to do my elderly people on Mondays once a month and she is fine with me taking that day off.  I will still only charge them what I have been charging them since they are one Social Security and Medic/aid/are.  It isn’t all about the money for me however things are getting very tight and I really need to contribute to my family.  I think that is part of my problem with the 2nd scenario above.  If I went with the 2nd opportunity at a 40/60% commission (which I’m guessing is the case, I didn’t actually have the opportunity to talk to any of the girls today), I would still make more off just a hair cut there than the 1st opportunity (which is giving me a 50/50% commission).

Obviously there are still things that I need to work out for myself and family.  The whole flexible hours thing and being able to be low man on the totem pole and still get out of work at 5 or so is awesome, because if I worked for a chain I would be there in the evenings no matter what until I more or less worked my way up the chain.  And that is understandable.  If my husband’s schedule wasn’t 3pm-11pm then that would be fine.  But I just can’t justify not being with my daughter to earn a buck when she wouldn’t be seeing either of us all week practically.

Yes, there are other options to commission, but I don’t have enough of a clientele yet to do booth rental (and basically have my own business within the confines of another salon)

Come on PEOPLE, raise your voices and spill the beans as to what you think sounds good, what doesn’t make any sense (please note the time though), what you need cleared up, if you just think that I’m crazy (I’m pretty sure I already know that part though!)

Night, night!