Thoughts of Past, Present and Future

I don't know what your Christmas was like, but it was hectic for the salon! I took some much needed time off after the holidays, and after a few days away, I returned to the salon on a quiet Sunday to take down Christmas decorations and organize.

I love when the salon is crowded and loud, but I also love rare moments when the salon is empty. The stillness allows me to think and reflect on how far Boho has come. It also gets my creative juices flowing (I'm sure a few days off helped!) and helps me focus on some of the exciting plans I have for the salon in 2013.

It's hard to believe we will be open three years in April! When Bo and I started the process of creating Bohemian Hair, I had a vision of what I wanted the salon to be. Not the physical look of the salon, but what I wanted in terms of staff and the way I wanted people to feel when they walked in our doors. With 20 years of experience as a hairdresser, I had assisted and worked as a stylist in big commission salons that were professional and lovely. Upon moving to Texas, I worked in smaller booth rental salons that allowed flexibility and had a homey atmosphere. I loved the professionalism of big commission salons, but at times felt robotic and over structured, which hindered my creativity. I enjoyed the homey feel of smaller booth rental salons, but felt at times a lack of professionalism and necessary structure. My goal was to take what I loved from both environments.This can be done, right?

I've never been a status quo kind of person. Although I'm always up for reading fresh perspectives on business, I'm not one to take my vision (or business model) from the next latest and greatest book on how to grow a business. I don't personally feel anything innovative has ever been created this way. I do know that if you have a passion for what you do and you truly care about your staff and clients,  your chance of success is pretty high. I also believe that there is a paradox when it comes to achieving success: In order to be successful, money cannot be the driving motive for what you do.  Crazy, huh?

So here we are, three years and counting! We are still a small building, but we house some pretty big personalities! I can say without a doubt that I have the most amazing and creative group of people working at Boho. I can also brag that we have the most amazing diverse clientele. Our salon is not for everyone, and that's okay because when you try to be everything to everyone, you lose your vision and perspective. Our clients will tell you that Bohemian Hair is their salon, and that along with great hair we offer an authentic environment that is fun and relaxed.

I'm very proud of what we have created, and very excited for what's to come.Me and Terianne are leaving for Vegas this weekend to attend classes at the Redken Symposium. Cody continues to wow us with his editorial hair and makeup, and you can look for a showing of his photography at the salon sometime this year.Our assistant and new stylist Cherise is learning quickly and starting to build a clientele. Look for this girl to be out on the floor really soon! Last but not least, Bo is still doing what Bo does: great hair and making every person that comes into the salon feel welcome. We are also looking forward to starting up our workshop series again (along with good food and wine!). We are also excited about creating some useful hair tutorials for the blog, so stay posted!

This has been and continues to be an amazing (and sometimes overwhelming) journey for me. My staff will tell you I'm not overly sentimental or sappy, but I will say with much gratitude that I am  honored for the opportunity to carry out my passion for people and hair in an environment  like Bohemian Hair. So for my staff and clients of the salon, I thank you, I love you, and I hope you have a wonderful 2013!

Kristen