I started doing hair for 2 reasons-initially it was so that when I did eventually go to post secondary I wouldn't be fighting for minimum wage coffee shop/ fast food chain jobs to pay for school (that seemed to be the thing to do at the time). I figured I could make more money working in a salon in the same number of hours and have a better chance at a job. Once I started working in the salon I discovered I loved making people feel good even if it only lasted a few minutes, for those few minutes I had the ability to fix a bad day, a sad day, a rough week or whatever just by being present and doing their hair!
What I also discovered was that I didn't enjoy the superficial side and the salon atmosphere in general- I'm an introvert that can be extroverted when need be but it's not my comfort zone. The sounds, the smells, the lights, the cackles & whispers, the glam, the drive to be more glam than the day or client before-- everything was exciting for about ten minutes then completely draining and overwhelming for me. That's how I know the salon environment isn't for everyone. I love having my hair done but don't love any part of the salon experience. That's a tricky thing to realize when you love doing hair.
Confusing for sure.
"That's a tricky thing to realize when you love doing hair, confusing for sure."
Back to the occupational therapy from my previous post The Back Story: Part 1-- I'm a problem solver by nature. Throw a problem or obstacle at me and I'll likely come up with a logical solution that is completely off the wall & outside the box but a sound option nonetheless. For me to witness the challenges many people face and know that I could come up with solutions to alleviate stress or solve an issue was (still is) amazing to me.
Yup-That's me with my buddy 'Travis'!
Somewhere around 1990...
During a co-op in high school, I spent some time at the Niagara Children's Centre, that co-op opened my eyes to that path and so much more.
Having grown up with and spent time with family members and friends with special needs of all sorts I'm not new to the challenges and thought everyone had grown up this way- apparently not.
Later when my kiddo was in nursery and elementary school, I was a stay at home mom with a home salon. I had the luxury of being able to assist with the extra programs in the schools and as such got to spend time and assist in the Autism/Sensory classroom with lunch feeding and other activities as needed. Again I thought everyone did this and was part of this--turns out that isn't so.
Recently it has occurred to me that the kids that were diagnosed with spectrum disorders when my own kiddo was a toddler have also grown up and as we know many challenges don't disappear just because we grow up-- funny how we still think of other people's kids as the toddlers we knew and not the same age as our own grown kids- or is that just me? ;).
Locally we have a few businesses offering low sensory hours for shoppers which prompted me to do a quick google search of hair salons in our area specializing in supporting clients with sensory challenges and I surprised to see only one came up and it was children's salon. Now keep in mind this was a quick search, not a deep dive, my intent is not to take away from the many amazing stylists and salons that welcome and do their best to accommodate all of their clients. My search was for businesses specifically focused on supporting clients with sensory or special needs. We'll be circling back to this in the next post in this series The Back Story Part 3- P.D.Q-Patience, Dignity and Quiet.
For me, the answer was quite clear when asked the questions-
How would you serve?
What do you love doing?
What would make your heart sing?"
If I can take just a few minutes of stress off of a client or caregiver and give a few minutes of my patience to a client that needs it while getting their hair under control, freshened up or sorted out, then this. THIS is what I should be doing. Getting your haircut shouldn't be difficult, it's a necessity and I can help with that!
Is there something you love doing?
Anything at all- not just career or purpose related-ANYTHING.
What is it?
Share it with me in the comments, I'd love to hear about it!
Thanks for reading!
More to come in the next post The Back Story Part 3- P.D.Q Patience, Dignity and Quiet!