The Constant
Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.
by Stacey Soble
The Carrot, the Egg or the Coffee?
The national economic downturn and resulting credit crunch has undoubtedly had an impact on the professional beauty industry. It has affected most salon owners with a decline of their salon business and profits. Other salon owners, who’ve viewed this as an opportunity, have been impacted in a positive way.
July 10, 2011
2 min to read
The following is a way to see which category of the above you and your salon fall into:
Fill three pots with water and place each on a high fire. After the pots come to boil, place a carrot in the first, an egg in the second, and ground coffee in the third.
After about 20 minutes, turn off the burners. Fish the carrot out and place it in a bowl. Pull the egg out and place it in another bowl. And finally, ladle the coffee out into a third bowl.
The carrot will be soft, and the egg, after pulling off the shell, will be hard-boiled. But the coffee will taste good and have a rich aroma.
Each of these objects faced the same adversity: boiling water. Yet, each reacted different. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. After being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile, and its thin outer shell protected its liquid interior. After sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique. They actually changed the boiling water.
"When adversity (either personal or business) knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Are you the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity wilts, becomes soft and loses your strength?
Are you the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat, becoming hardened and stiff? Your shell looks the same, but on the inside you are bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean that actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level?
Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
The future pioneers of our industry have formulated a strategic blueprint and sustainable competitive advantages for their salons that ensure they flourish in all economic climates.
These owners are the coffee beans! Wake up and smell the coffee!
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