Personal Growth: 2019's Reading List

I know I primarily share a lot of hair, makeup, and beauty around here, and I’ve dabbled in some personal growth topics with you from time to time. But let’s not forget that the MOST beautiful thing about us will always be our heart and our mind.

In January of 2019 I set out to observe of my mindset, say goodbye to limiting beliefs and challenge myself in personal development for the sake of growth. I decided I wanted to read 1 book every 60 days and challenge the status quo of my thoughts.

I’ve always enjoyed reading and rummaging though bookstores to pick out books ‘I’d like to read one day’, but seldom “found the time” to do it. So, I decided to MAKE TIME to read a few books I already had on my bookshelf and grab some new ones that I heard were good.

So I created a morning routine. (if you want to know what that looks like now that I’ve been consistent with it for a year - let me know and I can dive more into that with you). So in my AM routine, I scheduled 15 minutes to read. JUST 15 minutes every day and here are the books I chose to put on the list.

The first book I decided to read was You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero. I needed an overall pep talk about life and had heard that this was an entertaining read with good concepts. This book is great if you’re looking for a one stop shop. The author talks about: ego, being in the moment, your subconscious, fear, meditation, not caring what people think, money, self doubt, and just doing the damn thing. If you’re new to self awareness - this is a great place to start and you’ll have fun reading it.

Next, I FLEW though Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. This is SUCH an easy read, and I loved her writing style it felt very conversational. I immediately felt like Rachel and I were besties and kept wanting read the next chapter because it felt like hanging out. Girl Wash Your Face talks specifically to women about stopping the lies and negative self talk so you can show up as the woman you’re meant to be. It’s pretty powerful. Now I’m not a mom, but the chapters on MOM GUILT were real you guys - I got a whole new world perspective about what it takes to be a woman PLUS a mom AND showing up in a mans world. I’d recommend this book to a friend.

I read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck because the title got me! I quickly LOVED that Mark Manson’s writing style was very tongue in cheek and full of sarcasm. It’s like he was saying similar things I had been learning - but in reverse, from more of a cynical perspective and I was into it. The main topic of this book is that social media and the consumer culture are giving us a twisted view. So caring LESS about all that B.S, not giving AF about what people you don’t even know think - and focusing on the REAL happiness of life. If you’re a skeptic too, I would say this might just be the angle you need to change your mindset.

I’d be reading SO MUCH about our subconscious thoughts and beliefs that I realized - I needed to really understand what the subconscious mind even was, because it’s sorta hard to conceptualize at first. So I went to my bookshelf and picked up The Power of your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy. I’m not going to sugar coat it - this book was kinda like reading a mix of science and philosophy and at times felt like a textbook. This is where I started to fully understand Habitual Thinking and stretch my thought processes. If you geek out of self awareness and consider yourself well versed in this subject, you’d probably really like this book. If you’re new to the scene I recommend starting out with the other 3 above mentioned books.

I needed to take a mental break after reading The Power of your Subconscious Mind and wanted to go with something I knew would be a little more upbeat and a conversational read. I liked Jen Sincero’s book, You are A Badass and thought I’d pick up her 2nd book You are A Badass at Making Money. I had been reading about a Scarcity Mindset and was curious what it meant. Now Scarcity isn’t just about Money, although that is this books’ focus - it talks A LOT about the limiting beliefs we have that make us fearful and how to have a Wealthy Mindset. Wealth is health, time, love, happiness and yes money is a tool to help us get those things. Abundance in all areas of life - is an inside job. If you need that reminder - check out this book.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle was just what I needed to focus & remain in the present moment. It’s easy in this day and age to get consumed with everything that’s going on around us in the digital space, and cram our brain with thoughts of past and future. Don’t let the pain of the past, or the anxiety of the future ruin your ability to be present in The Now. This book focuses on meditation, observing our thoughts and removing negativity so we can truly be present in the current moment. If you feel like you are detached from your present life because you are remembering the past, or are so focused on what is to come this book is a wonderful reminder that RIGHT NOW is what we have.

For my last book for the year, I decided to test out the whole Audible thing - even though I was SO opposed to listening to a book (I felt like I was cheating on paper and the written word) I ended the year with Rachel Hollis’s most recent book, Girl Stop Apologizing. I think this was the perfect book & author for my first Audible. Rachel narrates the book herself, and because I had already decided we were BFF it was easy to listen to. She inspiringly tells women to pursue our ambitions, chase those big goals and build up our confidence. Rachel Hollis puts on RISE conferences for women based around these concepts and I REALLY want to the one she does that’s designed for Entrepreneurs!

Now that I know reading 7 books is doable in a year (that’s the most I’ve ever read in a year outside of formal education) - I’m setting the realistic goal of reading (and listening) to 10 books in 2020. I’m focusing on books that have to do with leadership, habits, entrepreneurship and whatever else sounds good. If you have some recommendations I’d LOVE to hear what they are as I build my 2020 Reading List.

Don’t forget to also invest in the beauty of your mind & soul this year!

xoxo babes~

Client Booking though a Phone Consultation

At first, having potential clients complete a ‘application’ / ‘hair history form’ / ‘hair questionnaire’ and schedule a ‘phone consultation’ - - seemed UNHEARD OF. Honestly there wasn’t anyone I personally knew in the Beauty Industry doing anything like that. It was completely new to me. So I know it has to be completely new to you too!

There is no denying that Social Media has changed the Beauty Industry, and with that, the way we communicate to you and how you communicate to us. It’s been amazing on so many levels, but here is one thing that has become a current standard I see with booking via social media.

Messages + DM

This is a place where things can quickly become a back and forth of hair questions, photos, screenshots, pricing, length of appointment, and then, the real hard part - going back and forth about appointment times. I’m telling you what- that ends up taking so much TIME and it’s always at random hours of the day…NEVER are we DMing people during standard business hours. (like really, why is it always at the most random times?!!)

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Say goodbye to that overwhelm and hello to an elevated customer experience! It has been AMAZING to implement the Extensions Questionnaire + Phone Consultation for both myself as a solopreneur and for YOU as a prospective client wanting a great booking experience . It feels good to have the opportunity to talk to your Stylist and hear their voice especially when you know you have a personalized game plan to achieve your #hairgoals.

The NBR Application, which I talk about in great detail HERE and why it’s so important - has been a GAME CHANGER for both of us because it allows us to move into a highly productive phone conversation.

Which is CELEBRATION for both of us! So that ‘application’ / ‘hair history form’ / ‘hair questionnaire’ & ‘phone consultation’ … is now one of my FAVORITE things about my client experience.

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The information you provide is framework for your Phone Consultation. Which is where we get to have a scheduled 1:1 conversation and hear each others voices while we work together to create plans for your dream hair, have ALL your questions are answered, discuss your new install estimate, give a quote on maintenance + pricing, talk about the longevity of extension hair, and if you’re a good fit for NBR and Rose Golde Beauty - then we will talk about available appointments!

It’s luxurious and there is really no going back! I am SO happy that I get to offer that experience to you! It’s ahead of the curve, cutting edge and it’s focus is YOU, and sometimes doing something that’s out of the norm - is a reallllly good thing!

I hope you are always choosing businesses who are offering you new + innovative perspectives to streamline and elevate your customer experience!

xo babes~

Did I just say that out loud?

“OMG! I’ve been blogging for a solid year?! Am I a BLOGGER?!?!”

Sounded funny when I said it out loud, in actual words, too!

When I first started my brand & business I was working with a Graphic Designer on the Rose Golde website. He was showing me that I could Blog and share Videos from the platform I was using. I vividly remember telling him, “Oh, I won’t need that - I’m not a Blogger. I have a Beauty Business.”

My attitude was more like, I just need a business website buddy - with pictures and a bio - that just sits on the internet in case someone needs to click on it. 

Then - like 2 years ago, I found myself wanting to share more with my clients. More than what we could cover in a Salon Appointment. I mean after all - you (and your hair) spend more time outside of the salon then you do in it. So why are we just left to talking hair + beauty during your appointment? 

Then I thought - I could send out informational emails & video tutorials between appointments to share more! Businesses do that all the time! ~Flashes to anytime I get an email and I think it’s spammy, so I delete it. ~ Okay so maybe not emails. 

ME: “I wish there was a way to write down educational info and share video tutorials that people could come online and read if & when they want to.” 

LIGHT BULB MOMENT: WRITE A BLOG & HOST VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE!!  

FEAR: NO! NOT A BLOG!! DO NOT START A YOUTUBE CHANNEL!!

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I decided I should reach out to a blogger, like one who does it as their primary job -  to have coffee & ‘talk shop’, you know - do a little recon. 

 We sat down and quickly started talking about the PROS / CONS of blogging - and what it really is…work.

Now she was encouraging, because that is her whole M.O. and she did tell me if I wanted to try it I should just jump in and start.  But the thing I remember most about our talk, is when she told me she HATES it when girls call themselves Bloggers on social media when they aren’t doing the work of REAL BLOGGERS. (Like, AS IF!) 

That’s EXACTLY what my FEAR wanted to hear - Self Preservation baby, you’re not a REAL BLOGGER or YOUTUBER - So, you obviously shouldn’t do it, that way people can’t talk shit about you!! 

I’m a really good self negotiator - so I told my fear, I would start my blog and create video tutorials- but I wouldn’t tell anyone I was doing it, or hashtag it, or call myself a blogger, or say I made videos! 

(Insert LOTS of research on how to use the Blog feature of my website, SEVERAL late nights after work watching video making tutorials, and then even more hours spent writing, recording, editing, and uploading)

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I spend A LOT of TIME, that truthfully could easily be spent doing something deemed ‘more fun’ - and I quickly realized the WORK she spoke of…but passionate to share more I kept coming back to my computer week after week! 

I blogged & made videos consistently, - and silently…for like, 6+ months. 

Yes, I was creating content for my clients, but no - you didn’t have the slightest clue that you were getting this added value because I was keeping it on the hush-hush.

Clients were asking me the same questions over and over like; When should I book a deep condition and what one should I do? How do you braid your hair like that? What eyeshadow palette do you like? What is NBR? — these were all questions that I had POSTED answers to.

It was then that I decided my FEAR was NOT as powerful as my desire to give added value to my clients! PLUS I was putting too much work into creating these resources to NOT share it with you! 

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So I went all in,  I started sharing my blog posts and videos in my stories, started sharing the link on my facebook page and most importantly letting my clients know that I had a whole video tutorial on that exact topic uploaded for them!

When clients would come in for their appointment and start talking about how they started using a flat iron to curl their hair now “just like in the video” I was SO happy you were enjoying and UTILIZING the information! 

Or when you read the blog about moving into Package Services and away from an A la Cart Menu as a way to stop the frustration & headache with Online Booking… and it made that switch SO seamless for both of us. 

Now A YEAR in, you can find weekly new blogs on all things Beauty with a touch of Lifestyle here and there! AND I’m happily posting about it in my stories, sharing it openly on facebook for all to see, uploading video tutorials to YouTube and hashtagging #beautyblogger whenever the mood strikes! 

Just over a year ago if you were to ask me if I’d ever create my own videos or write blog posts - It would have been a HARD NO. If you would have flipped it around and asked me if I wanted to continue to offer value to my client’s - I would say HELL YES! But never would I have thought those things would go so hand in hand like they do. 

My goals are to always to keep the health and integrity of your hair my number one priority in the salon, and for you to feel confident in your beauty & routines when you’re at home!

I’m PROUD to be celebrating the 1 year anniversary of incorporating Video + Blog into the Rose Golde Experience. 

I’m REALLY proud NOT to say, “I’m a blogger” - BUT to say, “I have an amazing customer experience”! Really that’s where this whole thing started for me. Being my own boss, creating my own schedule, building a business that I have pride in, and offering a guest experience that I personally would enjoy to have.

So, I’m excited for all the future posts and videos to come. Everything gets better with time and experience ~ I love seeing the growth, it really is beautiful! 

Next week I’ll be sharing some REALLY BIG NEWS about the GROWTH going on inside of Rose Golde Beauty, so make sure you come back on Monday to read the new Blog Post, because you won’t want to miss out on what’s happening!  

xoxo