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What's up everybody? And welcome to Behind the Chair an insight into the lives and experiences of barbers and stylists where limits can be overlooked by ambition and curiosity rewarded with enlightenment. Not only is this meant for barbers and stylists, but for those we service to have a better understanding of our industry. I'm your host, Emiliano Diaz. Let's dive into it. What's up everyone and welcome to behind the chair. I just want to take the time first and say thank you all for joining in today on our first episode. Today we're gonna be getting into the little things that matter and when I'm referring to those little things, I'm talking about the things that our clients do for us that really make us feel like the job is. I'll start off by talking about what things are important to us, what they do for us, and then how this could influence the industry. So I think some of the things that I'm talking about are just asking us how we are personally. I think clients forget sometimes that we're people. And we want people to ask us how we're doing and check in on us and, make us feel like we're more than just cutting your hair. Um, one of my favorite things is when clients ask how my parents are or how my family's doing, just checking in on them to see what the update is within their lives personally. It makes me feel like it, it. Much bigger in the sense that it's a family, not just you're my client, which is great. I love it. Um, bringing presents for holiday season, uh, it is my favorite thing in the world more than getting paid when clients bring in, you know, bottled tequila. Um, I had one client bring in pumpkin bread. We get so busy during the holiday season, everyone's taking picture. Uh, families coming in from out of town, people are going out of town. That when people take the time and actually bring us gifts, it really makes us feel appreciated because we're grinding throughout the whole year. So for you to think of us in that one moment, it really wraps up the whole year for us and makes us look back at the times you've sat in our chair and makes us think that you actually did appreciate that time, that hour, that two hours, however long it was, you were in the chair, it mattered to you. Another thing is just congratulating us over the little. When we go on trips to getting the apartment we wanted, to the car, we've been working hard for whatever it may be, just congratulating us. Another main point that people forget is sharing our work. Just simply reposting us, um, posting selfies after you get a haircut from us and just talking us up. People assume, you know, we're always just busy regardless, but it's those little things that spread the word about us and help us get our names out there. For the most part, barbers do try their hardest to, use social media, use Yelp to get their names out there. But when other clients do it for us, it, it, it's almost a battle one in a way to help us get out there to not just people we know, but people you may know to those people that they may know. so yeah, tho those little things really help us out. Um, leaving reviews. I always text all my newer clients after every haircut, pretty much thanking them for coming in today. And, if they are able to, to leave a review. For me, not only me, but the shop that I work at, and whenever I see a review up it, it's the best feeling in the world. Not only because, you know, it's complimented towards me, but at the same time it shows how recent these compliments are and it, it's not something where it's like, oh, well, when they opened up they were great, but now it's been so long since anyone's liked them. I don't know if I could trust this review. No. It shows that all of our work is up to date and is still at a top notch level. So to see that really helps us out, especially with someone new coming to us. Cause obviously everyone goes to Yelp nowadays, who, who doesn't really use Yelp. And when they see that Yelp review and see how recent it. To them, it clicks in their head right away of, okay, obviously I have to come here. One thing for me is. I'm very big on time. So when I hear clients do this next thing, it really lets me know that they're taking me into Consideration. And that's whenever I'm about to perform a haircut and they ask me, oh and if you have extra time to be able to blend in my beard or line me up really quick on my beard. And if you don't, that's fine. when they say that, It makes me think, okay, even though they didn't book this with the appointment they want to get it done, but if I'm unable to, then they're okay with that, rather than just forcing me to like, Hey, let's also do the beard today, Throwing it on top of all the other work we have to do like consultation. The haircut itself or the service itself, whatever it may be. um, And a lot of the time too, I mean, I always explain to clients that I, I won't make any promises. If I'm able to get to it, absolutely I'll do it, but I don't want to rush the haircut. And most of the them, they're understanding, you know, they're not one to really push the issue or Anything like that. They accept it for what it is, and. If I'm able to do it, they're more than grateful, and if not, then they're okay with it. Which most of the time I just blend in the beard anyways. But still, with those little things, it makes us hairstyle, list and barbers feel like, okay, you're actually taking the time to take our time to consideration, not just your own and your own personal needs. And supporting us through our journey. That's the final thing. People do not realize how important it is to support your barbers, if they're family members or friends, or even just one of the barbers you just met. Being a barber is such a difficult journey, and even though I'm at the beginning of mine. it, it's still a tough one. You have to pay for your own stuff. You have to promote yourself in your own ways. You really have to be creative with this job in order to be successful. So to see people support you in any way possible, motivates us to want to be better and want to perform better. So, supporting someone really can just be reposting something. Or just cheering someone on from a distance. You know? Um, if you're at a family event and you see someone that you've known forever and they're a barber, just to tell them, Hey, I see what you're doing and you're doing a really good job, that means the world to us. cuz to us this is everyday work. But when you see those little hints of people. Actually noticing your work. It, it feels good. so what all these things do for us, it it, it helps us feel appreciated that that's the main theme of all of this, is that that appreciation's there. Cuz to us this seems like I said, everyday work. But when clients actually. Recognize how much we've been through it lets us reflect on how much we've accomplished, how far we've come, um, how much we may have stepped out of our shell, whatever it may be. Supporting us through it all really makes us feel like it's all worth it. All the sacrifices, time spent, money spent, all of it was. Putting the energy that we put into our craft. And then most of these things make us feel like we're more than just machines. A lot of the time we kind of zone out in our work and we get so used to the routine of things that,, it's very much 1, 2, 3, boom, boom, boom and and out in a way. So when you do these little things that make us feel appreci, It helps us remember that we're people just as much as you are. So not to think of this job as just, uh, get in, get out, get paid, do whatever type of deal. And then what a lot of this does too, it makes us, and this isn't all the time, but. I think we start to rethink back to when we first started out and how hard we pushed and pushed and pushed to be successful. So when you do certain little things, whereas to get us presents for holidays, um, thank us for our work. You make us genuinely feel like you care for our craft and the time we take on each. It makes the journey a lot more worth it, not even just for our past, but to push forward even further into the future to want to keep on doing this and not just see it as something to get cash for the week. And then one of the main things, it makes our time feel valued. I think a lot of barbers and stylists forget how important our time is, just as much as the. So when our clients make us feel like our time is valued, it's a, it's a big deal. I mean, I don't know. For me, time is of the essence and time is super important. So When a client sits down in my chair, their time is important to me just as much as my own time is important to me. So when clients make our time feel just as valued as theirs, it really helps us feel like it's a partnership rather than just a one-sided relationship. so, When it's a 50 50 cut like that of a client gives just as much as they take, that's when it's a great relationship to where it works out in a way that makes us feel, takes a whole load off of our work for sure. Um, I've worked 12 hour. But when clients meet me halfway. Those hours Don't even feel that long. To where by the time that I get home, I feel no pain. I don't feel. Um, tired at all. To me, that was a great day. So with all that being said, I think now we'll get into how this can possibly influence the industry. Um, I think the little acts of kindness can go a long way in a sense that, if you're a client hearing this, you could. Take some of this into consideration and then pass it on to your barber to where some things you may not have done before. Now you want to do, because you want their job to be just as easier as you want your job done. Um, maybe they're not going that extra mile for you yet because they don't feel you meeting them halfway. So with you doing this, it could make them want to go even further for you because now you acknowledge them as a. Rather than just a barber or your stylist or whoever, and kind of going back into making us go that extra mile. I think that with some of this recognition, it'll really help us to want to go that extra mile, want to do more for you because you see us more than just cutting your hair. You, you actually see this for the person that we are. Because we're all experiencing this life for the first time, so we understand not everyone's perfect. Not every client's perfect. Not every client's gonna be on time, um, or have the greatest hair or whatever the case may be, but when you make our lives just as easy as you'd want your life to. That just shows that you take us into consideration and that makes us want to take you and your life into consideration. so I just wanted to take the time and say thank you guys for listening into my first episode. I have to do more of these and Leave a comment and review on how you feel this first episode went And let me know if there's anything else you guys want to hear from me, or, say your side of how you feel certain topics. Um with that being said be good to your barbers and stylists and you'll be hearing from me soon.