Love and Television.

Before I opened my salon 13 years ago, I had another salon that I loved. It was my first real business and I, and a then, partner put our all into opening it. Blood sweat and tears is the expression? How about all of our money, hopes and dreams also!?  Without going into detail about the failure of that partnership, the business was a success. We were both in our mid twenties and we did it. I did eventually have to walk away from the business for many reasons. It was a very stressful time in my life but necessary. Some of my long term clients that I was close with and shared what I was going through, were there for me. One that I still do now offered me at the time, financial support because she believed in me and wanted me to know that she would help if I needed extra cash for a new salon start up. I had a friend look in the town we grew up in and where she still lived at the time, look for any vacant businesses and locations for me to move to and start another salon on my own. I was living and working in manhattan at the time and didn’t have the time to do the footwork needed to find a new space. Luckily, with her help, I found a new spot that I now call Salon 1041. With the help of my family and friends, we turned the empty space into a cool NYC style salon and I was open a few months later. I even got a key to the town from the mayor and cut a ribbon and everything! The local paper even did a story about how a local boy comes back to his hometown to start a business. The transition went well from one salon to another. It was more or less a divorce from my partner, and some of the “kids” stayed with her and some came with me. It was totally starting over but at the same time I had experience from the first salon, and because it was kismet and so much the right thing to do, it came easy. But aside from the love and support that I received from so many friends, family members and clients, I was so touched that a small group of clients that I still do to this day , brought in a huge wrapped box on a dolly for me as a grand opening gift. I remember feeling dumbfounded as they approached me with this huge box and with all smiles wished me good luck and a prosperous business. When I opened it I was pleasantly surprised to see that they bought me a television. A television. I still have the pictures they took as I opened the present and you can see the tears in my eyes. It by no means was the size or monetary value of this gift as much as it was the knowledge that these people cared and thought so much of me that they wanted to express their love and support for me and my new business. Every year at Christmas or my birthday or for no reason at all, so many of my clients give gifts of love and support and I am eternally grateful to each and every one of them. That Television is still up on my wall, 13 years later. Don’t think for a minute when I’m watching some cheesy 80’s sitcom show or the news telling of a life changing event while at work, that I don’t love and value that gift and the people that day after day give me the gift of their business, their friendship, and their love.