01.03 : The Power of Networking...

Good evening lambs,

It's about 10:30 pm and I'm sipping on a coffee frappacino while I contemplate working out.  Tomorrow is Friday and (as you may well-have-known) Friday is a HUGE day in the salon industry.

con

Part of what I do as a hairdresser and colorist has nothing to do with the fact that I am a public personality and someone that is seen out regularly.  I do not go out regularly to get shit-faced or buy people's love (lol), I hang out socially in and around the downtown area because in order to be a successful businessman in this area, you have to schmooze.  Whether it's LA or SoCo, it's the same: order a drink, put your phone down and TALK.

I am regularly invited to functions and cocktail parties and as one of my guests said yesterday morning, "I very rarely see you stay in anymore."

It's true.  In order to feed the "Fame Machine" as I call it, you have to stay publicly relevant.  So making an hour and a half appearance makes a difference.  I was informed this week that I have been confirmed to judge a local dancing competition for the second year in a row.  This event has only been around two years and I'm very excited.

Part of the talks include talking about sponsorships, corporate tables and who will be going with me.  There's going to be a large amount of press coverage at this event as well.  

Sometimes, the hardest thing for me to do unfortunately is sync my personal life in with my professional life. For me, this is life. It's an obligation for me.  I see this as more pertinent than finding a lover or getting into a long-term relationship.  My long-term relationship is with my clients and business associates. 

My family and I have recently been very connected since Rockstars + Lambs opened.  It's been amazing.  We probably have dinner three times a week together, me and my mum still hang out on Sundays and they leave me alone on Friday and Saturday nights to do what I do best: network or spend time with my mates.

Something that happened last night while I was sitting at dinner with a friend of mine was the fact that I have been offered a guest artist spot in teaching Master Classes at Paul Mitchell Academy.  Wow!  I don't know if any of this will surface, but what I can tell you is that I am very excited to get started.  There are currently two other schools locally that would like to bring me in to teach business for hairdressers and teach advanced color.  On top of this, I have been consulting with two color lines behind-the-scenes in their creative department diagnosing color correction formulas and the safest ways to re-pigment color.  I can't name the companies nor can  I share much on this blog, but what you must know is...

I got the job through networking.

 

In order to move forward in my brand, I have accepted that I would like to focus on growing education for stylists, colorists and hairdressers.  The Rockstars + Lambs name is a synonymous with me and I would love to produce some literature and DVDs for my industry.  

That's another blog though.... 

So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finish my frappe and make a list of all the names I need touch-base with before the weekend... gotta keep that "monster" fed.

xoxo,

JRy

01.02: Fuck the haters..

Good evening lambs,

It's a Saturday evening at Studio JRy and I am waiting for my coffee to brew and listening to the new Benny Benassi album "Electroman".

I just got back from an evening of sushi and simple cocktails with a fashionista friend of mine. As you may, or may not know, I was on the quest to separate my life between the work Blackberry and a personal iPhone.  I finally got one last week and fell in love with it.  It's amazing!  If it wasn't for carriers, I would totally switch my salon phone to a Blackberry.

Part of finding out more about the iGeneration for me is figuring out all these new forms of social media.  As you all may know, I certainly am no stranger to social media, but there is a few of those people that cannot stand me on social media.  Alot of which, are supposedly my "good friends".  My trusted group of friends in the last year or so has shrunk dramatically. I do not claim one particular best friend nor do I try to divide my time equally between friends anymore.  When I do, it seems as though people feel smothered.

For me, I have always been a giving personality and part of that is doing the status updates on each social engine.  Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Tumblr, I try to "like" my friends statuses and items they interested in at the moment.  I have been notified that I am a pest.  I am a bother and from various (not just one source) that I am TOO sales oriented. 

Well, I have to tell you, I worked very hard for what I have.  And if this is too much, just go your marry way.  It's really okay.  For me, it may hurt, but it's just going to have to until I learn people are rude and take me for granted.

A few days ago, I went to see a past mentor of mine and she did my haircolour . We had so much fun catching up and talked about networking during a future local festival.  We also talked about how we both like working "alone" in our respected salon spaces.  As you may or may not know, I treat Rockstars + Lambs like a private studio. I don't care to have anyone around me.  I have been burned too many times in the past to trust anyone professionally.

Something that is an echo of my professional life in my personal life IS the fact that I do not trust anyone.  At all.  I do not like to be tagged on Facebook and do not like to talk about my family or friends to strangers.  It's not anyone's business. I remember being hurt over and over again by people and recently (within the last five months) I have been nothing BUT hurt from every single person in my life.  From the doubt of my parents to the criticism of my closest confidantes, I have endured too much to even want to put value on ONE person as a best friend.

In order to fuel my spirit (which I'm so well-known for), I have to wake up every morning and thank God, first and foremost, for the opportunity to breathe once more.  And then, I have to say the following:

"Fuck the haters"....

Followed by,

"I love my haters".

because afterall, without haters, where would my motivation be to create a brand, a successful brand and continue on with my life and it's mission?

Hater is a critic, a cynic, a sarcastic, know-it-all that says "you're egotistical" when you do something with kindness.  Hater is someone who rolls their eyes when you buy someone a drink or write a scholarship check to someone in need.  Hater is someone that says, "you have more to learn" when you show them a new cutting or colour technique or introduce a new product to their regimen.

To all my haters, critics, and skeptics reading this: the salon, the brand and my name is for YOU.

Read it and love/hate me.  You love to hate me and hate to love me for all I do.

Some of my friends are my biggest haters and I keep some of my enemies close to keep my toes right on a cusp of danger.

I have learned six years into this game of growing my name that for every compliment received, there is a stain of doubt and for every shit-faced remark, there is a cup of jealousy...

So.... keep hating.  Keep reading and most of all (to those that do) keep loving me for me.

xoxo.

Josh

01.01: Welcome to my "private" public life..

Good evening lambs,

I'm sitting here at Studio JRy.  It's about 10:30 pm and I'm relaxing after a day of clientele, a power-lunch with a friend of mine and a late night at Rockstars + Lambs.  I just got back from my favourite bar after one, yes, one Guinness and am looking forward to a short work out, watching the rest of "CBS This Morning" that I DVRed this morning and my coconut water on ice before bed.

So, as many of you know, I have chosen to be one of those "metropolitan" types that live and work downtown. Living in a loft downtown and having my private colour studio two blocks away works for me.  For me, there's something very BoHo about it... even though my boho includes Armani and Diesel, not second-hand. 

I remember when I was first stating out in this industry and hating to live with my parents and drive 25 minutes everyday to the largest salon in town.  At one point, "Panda" and I lived together and I was able to stay there and it took a wopping five minutes to get to work.  About 2 year ago, I moved into Studio JRy and started working at a studio three doors down.  As things progressed, I opened my salon and I could not have invested better!  Honestly!

My schedule is incredibly demanding at this time in my career and I love it.  Although, it can be a double-edged sword at times.  Working six days a week for a minimum of 10 hours does blow at times.. especially when I'd like to spend more time just shopping, looking around, catching up with my friend or even just pal-ing around with my family.

This morning and yesterday morning (and many morning before this), my Blackberry was ringing at 7 am.  I don't open my doors until 9am and do not return messages until then.  For me, I don't feel this is unreasonable, but as I've learned, this is a different place in life for me.  I have had the same phone number for years and have made this number my primary contact for my salon.  Since it is a private salon, my phone goes EVERYWHERE with me, but about a month ago, it came to me that my life is being dictated by the ones I love most: my clients.  In one sense, that's great.  In the other sense, I need my life back. 

With that said, my next splurge for me is to get a personal line with a different carrier and a number NO ONE can reach.  I'm going to cave in and get an iPhone. Yes, you heard me.  I have been a follower of Blackberry for years and I will continue to carry my Blackberry with me, but at 6pm Monday through Thursday, it's going to be turned off.  Friday and Saturday at 4pm, we're done and Sunday isn't even going to be a thought.

My iPhone is going to be my new toy and my only way of contacting my best mates and family.  Sounds like a solution to this, right?

As of now, my focus has always been on my clientele and opening my salon was a dedication to them after years of working in salons under someone else's regime.  For me, I have always been a dominant force in business and even when  I was in another person's salon, I was the main focus.  This has caused jealousy, envy, drama and much controversy and really fueled my last blog.  One thing that may have hurt me is the fact that I am a public person that does not censor or filter anything in my life. I mean, why? Why filter?

As a Type A person, I crave control for every aspect of my life.  Opening a salon was my final way of stating to this business community that I am f--king serious and NOT going anywhere anytime soon.  My clients have THE best retail, THE best space and THE best stylist in town.  I truly believe that.  I need an office space and storefront with my name on the door.  It was the only logical step.

Part of this grown popularity has come from not just my career as a hairdresser, but as writer and public speaker.  I have hosted many events and been invited to some of the greatest events ever in this community.  On Friday, I'm attending an event honoring "Accolades" magazine.  I recently joined the publication as a contributor and write a column for teens called "Living Fabulously" that comes out quarterly.  It is, not only an honor to be invited, but it is also another venue to promote my salon which is a whole week old.

This attention-seeking attitude is nothing new to me.  My goal is to be the best me I can be.  I'm not in this business shut other salons down (there are six more downtown on my street alone) and my goal is not to be tired doing what I do.

My idea of fast-paced is different than my life at HLines (My first salon).  For them, getting as many people in the salon in 10 hours was a monetary goal.  For me, someone that comes in, has a great colour, buys retail and re-books is an A in my book.  I see, on average five to seven clients a day.  That's alot for one person.

I built my following online before people really used social media as a means of getting business, but now, five years later... I'm at the top of my game.  I'm obsessed by beauty product and share it with the world.  I am obsessed with blogging and share everything with everyone.  Recently, I started a youtube channel and started posting vlogs about my life instead of typing.  But truly, I've missed writing.  It's a medium that has proven successful for me.

So.... with that said, I should get on to my coconut water.  Something that astonishes me is this... with my search for a "private life" and my love for social media... don't I contradict myself just a bit?  I mean, does "private" even exist anymore?

Love you lots, lambs.

Josh

A pretty little intro about me...

I'm Josh Cooley.

I am Southern Colorado's Rockstar Stylist.  Most people need a stylist, a great colourist and a person to keep them together when it comes to all things fashion and what's hot and "trending" now (as the industry calls it).  

For some, every six weeks, they walk into a salon and are rushed around or pressured into a look they can't stand or they do the same ol' same ol' and repeat until they die.  Not for me. I am rockstar at what I do.  I really, truly believe in collaborating with someone for their ideal look.  Doesn't matter the style, we all have one.  Some of us are fat, some are skinny, some just don't know, but what I do is reassure someone they're heading in the right direction in the fashion world of their life.

Everyday is fabulous to me.  Even the bad days because there's always lessons to learn.  I believe fabulosity is that "Light" from within and we expell it through our appearance, our swagger, our diction and our ultimate vanity-laden look to the world. For me, pretty is an adverb; not an adjective.  Men can be pretty, women are naturally pretty, girls and boys don't have to work at it so much, but for me... I knew growing from a pretty boy to a business man had to happen, so sometimes I leave the "pretty" at home in order to bring my A game to the table ... especially in business.

In order to live a fabulous life, I have alot of people that keep me sane.  I have a fabulous, best friend, my mom
(who is also my business consultant and associate) and I do all of this with the people that live, love and work downtown in SoCo.

Welcome to my life.  Doesn't it sound pretty?