October 25th, 2011
Our salons have received numerous awards over the past 25 years, all of them so special and very, very appreciated. And . . . that said . . . nothing compares to the rewards I’ve enjoyed lately watching members of our NUOVO team pair up with the fashion photography students at Ringling College in preparation for our 11-11-11 event to benefit SMOA (the Sarasota Museum of Art).
I am delighted to see our team so pumped up, so excited that they return to the salons in absolute creative ecstasy! These stylists, new/upcoming and seasoned veterans alike, have been collaborating on photo shoots with the very talented students in order to present a fashion photography exhibit at the event.
We know the outcome will be amazing . . . Five years ago Sally Schule and I decided to celebrate our companies’ anniversaries together, and we decided we wanted it to be a charitable event. Five years later, after the overwhelming success of “the last time around”, we’ve decided to repeat the adventure!
The evening will consist of the fashion photography exhibit, cocktails and small plates, an over the top fashion show by the Saks Fifth Avenue team, followed by desert and dancing into the night . . . Quite a line-up for $88!
So, yes . . . We know this will be an amazing event . . . In benefit of SMOA . . . And I’ve so enjoyed collaborating with Saks General Manager Sally Schule and Marketing Director Beth Bobb and her assistant Reba Evans, our beloved Phil Mancini (Michael’s on East Catering), Ringling Fashion Photography professor Dr.Anju Kulkarni, SMOA’s Wendy Surkis, NUOVO’s co-owner James Amato and Operations Director Mandy Ford, and the Ringling Fashion Photography students . . . Whew ! . . .
But, it’s the rewards of watching our team so pumped up, so expressed, so ready to do more, that I’ll be wearing to the party on the evening of 11-11-11 . . .
Note: I can hear some of you . . . Why $88? . . . (It’s a multiple of 11!) . . .
And . . . if by some crazy circumstance you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, it’s so easy . . . www.nuovosakscelebrate.com (for a secure shopping cart) . . . or call NUOVO Salon Group – 941 924 2499 – We’ll be observing our green values by using a list as opposed to actual paper tickets . . . See you there!
September 4th, 2011
Recently, while looking around the busy styling floor of the salon, the word appreciation kept coming into my awareness. Not just appreciation for how busy the salon is, but for the smiles of appreciation I noticed on our guests’ faces.
The comments around what a nice place this must be to work. The comment made by one of our apprentices, that a guest felt moved to pass on, around being a part of the NUOVO team while learning so much. The frequent question: How long have I been coming to you? 10 years? 20 years? Over 30 years? (BN = Before NUOVO).
So often it’s easy to see what’s not working, especially when one owns a business . . . and especially when that business serves the public . . . and ESPECIALLY when that business is about hair!
But how often do we take the time to appreciate what is working? We actually have the power to make someone’s day . . . On a variety of levels . . .
I found myself this particular day actually appreciating the appreciation that was coming my way, taking in all the expressions of appreciation and really acknowledging each and every one of them. What a shift in awareness this was! I took it further, the team I work with, the salons, the fact that our business has survived through this economic confusion, only to celebrate 25 years this year.
And I kept going, throughout the day and into the evening, appreciating our beautiful community, the water, the blue sky . . . My car as I drove home . . . My house as I pulled up . . . My amazing Schnauzer posse, Powder, Paint & Pi . . . It was truly an appreciation-fest!
With one of the self-help buzzword phrases of the last few years being: Live in the NOW, I found myself appreciating the here and now. Not the usual – more, more, more – better, better, better, but the actual here and now, acknowledging just how much I had to appreciate, right here, right now.
Not long ago I had a friend (who is also a client) in my chair who was in absolute breakdown, on the phone, crying, in major fear, what we might call “in a real pickle”. All of a sudden it occurred to me that she was projecting the whole scenario into the future, without really knowing where it might go. So I verbalized that, asking her if it wasn’t true, that right here, right now, didn’t she have everything she needed? I mean, seriously, she was sitting in a beautiful salon, ready for a great haircut, and, frankly, who really new how this current story would really end? She (almost) instantly calmed down . . . and we went on to chat about how there was no way to really know how the story would unfold!
So the next time you’re having a not-so-great day, mulling over the past or worrying about the future, try this: Just stop for a minute, and start appreciating, making the time to appreciate everything about your life, in the moment, in the NOW . . .
Later . . .
-T
December 16th, 2010
Slowing Down the Holiday Train . . .
I don’t know about you but the Holidays are one of my favorite times of year.
It all begins with Halloween, then on to Thanksgiving . . . and then . . . the Holiday Train goes speeding toward Chanukah, Christmas and then, arriving at the final destination of the year, New Year’s Eve.
The NUOVO locations have been decorated for a while now, the “Customer Appreciation Celebration” evening was most enjoyable and our “We Appreciate YOU” Gift Card Sale was, yet again, duly taken advantage of!
And now, I’m beginning to get that familiar feeling: This is all coming too fast! With parties happening almost every night (have you noticed how hosts and hostesses have discovered weeknights as open game for party dates?) and the overall pace quickening, the holidays are going to be over before we know it!
So . . . I’m making a conscious decision to slow down a bit and relish every moment, making choices that take me down the path just a bit more leisurely. In fact, I’m slowing the whole process down significantly . . . For instance, who cares if it ALL gets done? This morning, recognizing the “I’ve got to finish decorating” feeling, I suddenly realized that the process is just as much fun as the result. I further realized that I could slow down and actually enjoy what I had already done while enjoying the anticipation of what more I CHOSE to do!
WOW . . . not my usual way of being . . .
In that same vein, I’ve decided to break tradition and fly to NYC on Christmas morning. Taking in the decorations, having lunch, seeing the Pee Wee Herman Show (and going backstage) are all on the Christmas Day agenda. The day after will be a little shopping and a matinee – Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Having never seen the incomparable Patti Lupone live on stage, I’m especially excited about this! Dinner somewhere great will wrap up an exciting visit, with an early Monday morning departure whisking me back to our beautiful city.
So . . . okay . . . perhaps that last part is a bit fast-paced for my slow-down, but I’ll be right back to stretching out the moments up until New Year’s Eve!
Happiest Holidays Everyone !
