To the first ever, Left Coast Advanced Training Salon Residents!
The LCATS and Salon Residency Program is off to a strong start if I do say so myself…and I do. :)
Let's talk business first and then I go a bit deeper into how things are going if you are intrigued to know more!
The Residents and The Model Experience-
Introducing Aimee and G, the very first Residents.
We have started their very hands on training 2 days a week with the new Model Experience. The Model Experience is an opportunity to support their growth and introduce them to working with the diverse hair canvas of the South Sound. Services are highly educational (you get to hear my inner thoughts and how I make decisions since I have to explain that to them:)) They are learning to take over more and more of the services as we work through the fundamentals of styling, safe and educational guest experiences and solid business presentation and practice. The Model Experiences are now open for online booking and soon the Membership program will be up and running!!
See the IG post about the Model experience here.
Assisting-
As part of the program, the Residents will be assisting me during my regular schedule. They might help out with any number of tasks like shampoos, styling, toning applications and so forth. I hope you will be well pleased with the level of service and experience you receive even if it is different than before.
Also, I would love to take this opportunity to ask for your helpful feedback in order to truly make this a program of the local community. Please check our blind spots and help us discover unmet needs or representation. Salons must be safe and inclusive self-care havens.
As for how’s it going and how am I doing…
My very first employees, residents, successful recruitment outcomes, trainees and future Wholehearted Hair Professionals began their journey April 11th, 2022 and I couldn’t be more pleased. Seemingly mature, intelligent, gentle, kind, curious and brave, they have the character and personality traits necessary to be able to learn with humility and joy. It has been so much fun already. My first cohort will be at capacity (6 stylists) by the end of May. My plan is to start the next Residency cohort in October, making a total of 12 stylists with the salon being open 6 days a week with flexible, alternating work schedules for all.
For me personally this has been a transformation into salon owner, mentor and leader. I feel I am in my flow. I have incredible clarity at this very moment about my current purpose, I see how I can use my lived experience and years of research in conjunction with the works of the Universe to bring my vision to life. I have created the perfect home base to test out my hypotheses around creating Healthy Personal Service Industry Ecosystems that are self-sustaining by introducing new business models at both the private and non-profit levels and adjusting how trades recruit the next generations to create better transparency about the actual work and lifestyle of the job, provide more relevant education and testing content and policies, and a hold organizations to a higher level of accountability at the trade school level to provide safe and supportive learning environments lead by instructors who are passionate about mentoring people to successful careers in their chosen industry.
But first, The Left Coast Salon Advanced Training Salon must prove it with The Salon Residency Program and then I must launch The Hair Professional Society, a non-profit committed to creating local collaborative Chapters within any 20 mile radius where there are Hair Professionals willing to pool their efforts in how we recruit, train and sustain our local Hair Professionals. We can work together to fix the abysmal 80% industry attrition rate. No big deal…except it’s going to change people’s lives and my employee activists are just the team I need to help fuel my efforts! I am completely clear about our mission when I bring them on and they are all pretty down to be different. I heart them.
I am doing my best to wrangle my schedule, create and respect healthy anchors and boundaries, be mindful and present with my family, stay away from weekday boozing and meditate. It seems to be going ok and I am fully aware that I am operating at an unsustainable pace and that is why I am working so hard to get it going and get it documented so that soon I may be able to best ask for the help I need. Until then, I power on supported by my loving family and friends.
I have a family vacation coming up and that will be nice.
Thank you again for all of your support and I appreciate you all just being so cool and down for the journey. It is an honor to be here with you.
Kristina
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