Change

After months of debate, promises and manifestos, the talking is finally over and we have had our say. Did we really…a cross in a box?…I am pleased I have more say and power to make change in my own life. 

There was a time when the political pundits could accurately predict the outcome of the General Election, and most local and regional ones as well. But times have changed and the final outcome was never certain. Change can be risky – and not just in politics.

In our own everyday lives, we face many decisions which will bring about change which can be scary.

At Combers, we take pride in helping our guests make the change in their own lives. How we look,  the clothes we wear or our hair style, say a lot about us.

Just another Hairdresser ?…Not Likely !

What we believe, shapes the way we behave.  What makes the team that work with me different is their belief and purpose.  Why they do what they do. Our collective purpose is not to cut and colour hair however good we believe we are at it. What energises and inspires us is helping people feel better about themselves and being the catalyst for our guests personal change and self appreciation.  I am sure you have others in your life that make you feel this way, you may actively seek them out or like me be lucky enough to work with them. Hairdressing is how my team fulfil our purpose and we don’t leave it to chance. We do it on purpose, and I challenge them to be better at this for their guests everyday or leave Combers and do the ‘just another’ hairdressing thing somewhere else.

A haircut should take an hour because we believe that the first ten minutes should be a conversation between you and your stylist.  Does your stylist really know you? Yes, they know your name but do they really understand your lifestyle, your work, your face shape, your personality or hobbies? If not, how can they really advise you on the colour and style that best suits you?

It’s too easy to exchange a few meaningless words on arrival then rush you over to the backwash. A few minutes later you are seated before a mirror and the stylist talks over your shoulder to that mirror.

Andrew Barton

My friend and celebrity TV stylist, Andrew Barton, told me that ten minute talk with his guests is the most important part of the cut. He chats face to face without a comb or scissors anywhere to be seen.

Often when considering a change, most women (and men) think of a new outfit or new shoes.  If you change your mind or make a mistake, you can always just put the outfit at the back of the cupboard.

But a new hairstyle is there for all to see. Taking a risk with a new cut or colour might seem too much of a change so its easy to default to ‘just my usual please.’

Audrey Hepburn

Have you seen that lovely old movie, Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck? She plays a princess who escapes from her usual, stifled Royal life for a day. She wants a change  and the first thing she does is visit a hair salon to get a completely new style.

It seems a simple thing to do but the new style boosts her confidence and only then does she spend the day with Gregory Peck, go to a cafe, see the sights of Rome and finally go dancing.

Now I am not saying that a new hairstyle will change your life overnight. However, it can give you a sense of empowerment and a sense of momentum that makes it easier to shift old, stifled lifestyle patterns into which you have become stuck. This in turn lifts your confidence enough to try more new experiences. Before you know it, a good day turns into a good week, month and year.

Our stylists have taken to giving  our guests the hand mirror at the end of the cut and swivelling the chair for them to admire their new hairstyle from all angles through the reflection into the main mirror.

Glamorous and Sexy

This is the moment of truth, the reveal as it’s called in the makeover business. Andrew Barton calls this the high heel moment. Having never worn them I asked him why, and he explained that a woman feels more glamorous and sexy when she slips on a pair of high heels.

Our guest relation team certainly notice the difference in our guests as they leave the salon, from when their arrival. Perhaps the cares of the day were on them, perhaps they were uncertain about what style or colour to choose. But after talking to our stylists and holding that mirror themselves at the end, they leave the salon with a smile, shoulders back and with a more confident walk.

With summer now in full bloom, now is the time for you to choose the empowerment of personal change and where better place to start than a consultation with a new hairdresser,  a different cut and a different colour.

“ If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading” ….Lao-tzu

Take a leaf out of Audrey’s book, take a different path and feel the difference.