Change Has Arrived

I love watching the Oprah Winfrey Show and reading her magazine. There are many reasons I enjoy watching Oprah and reading her magazine. The one thing that sticks out whenever I think of Oprah and her magazine, it's her school of thought titled, "What I know for sure." Now in the beginning when she started that I was questioned, aside from my name, address and social security number did I know anything for sure? Now that I have pontificated upon that question, I can emphatically with enthusiasm, may I add that I know quite a few things for sure.

In case you are wondering, exactly what do I know for sure. I can tell you I know hair. Not only am I for sure I know hair, I am also for sure that I know quite a bit about the topic. I can start my first E-Blog off with, I know for sure that "change" has arrived in hair care.

Change is a constant in the hair care industry as in everything and every place else. So it is not like it is anything new or surprising. But what I can tell you is that this time, this change is different and extremely challenging for the hairstylists of today. The history of change in the hair care industry starts either in the salon or on the runways. The salon and the runways are usually inspired from the streets themselves. So when the change arrived, the hair stylists and the fashion designers took credit for coming up with the trends. They gave very little credit to their source of inspiration; the streets. This time change in hair care has arrived. This time the inspiration did not come from the streets. It came from the "brains" of the people from the streets in everywhere USA and beyond.

That is right. Consumers are no longer sources of "inspiration" acting as a muse for licensed hair stylists and fashion designers to take credit for. Nope. Consumers are using their heads and are spending their dollars wisely. They are not using caution. They are not counting every penny. Hell, most of them, if any do not even believe there is a recession or that one even took place. Nope, they are not looking for credibility. Nope, they are not even looking for celebrity endorsements. They are simply looking for the truth. Money is not an issue and neither is putting the "designer" flair to it. What I know for sure is that this time when "change" arrives in the hair care business it better be true.

Gone are the days of telling hair care customers what they want to hear. Gone are the days of telling them to tie their hair down. Gone are the days of chemicals being the answer to time and cost problems. Women have come to the conclusion; no matter what, all the coiffuring will not eliminate me from having to re-do it in the morning. All the coiffuring will not out perform what sweat and steam will do to my hair.Women know that all the coiffuring in the world will not take away the other things they do no like about themselves. Therefore, the consumer has concluded, just be honest.

Hairstylists have not caught up with this "in your face" consumerism. When I was in college, I took a course in time management. I can remember my professor telling a story of businesses who waste their customers time. He said, you can either "dazzle 'em with brilliance or baffle 'em with bullshit." The customers in the hair care business are sick and tired of the cosmetology bullshit. What is cosmetology bullshit? Cosmetology bullshit is making customers wait, taking too long to style their hair, purchasing their professional hair care products from beauty supply stores around the corner, not dressing professionally, talking on the cell phone, texting, messing up their hair and telling them it is their fault. The cosmetology brilliance is Honesty.

What I know for sure? The paradigm shift of change, integrity and creativity is here to stay in the hair care business.