An Outdoor Hair Salon?

It’s no secret that the coronavirus caused havoc in our lives. Some of us are working from home when that wasn’t an option before the virus. Moms and Dads have taken on the roles of school teacher. Kids can operate the Zoom software as well as they can handle their television remote control.

As someone who operates their business from their home, nothing changed for me in the work arena. I still have my home office. I can order supplies online if I need to. I can still connect with my customers. And, gosh, if I don’t get my hair cut or colored, well, who will know?

During this pandemic, while so many things are falling apart, creativity and ingenuity have flourished. We’ve had to become innovative, ingenious, and visionary to live in today’s world. Personally, I’ve watched our son became a school teacher for his 4 and 6-year-old children, our daughter-in-law pivot her business in a new direction, and our 16-year old granddaughter become enthusiastic about solitary walks, now having her camera as her companion.

I was excited when salons were allowed to reopen. My hair was about 4″ long, which is pretty long for me. (Gosh ladies! Long hair is HOT! How do you stand it??) One day I pulled my hair up into a ponytail on the top of my head. (Yeah, not the best look for 4″ hair. Truthfully, not many strands of hair stayed captured in that little rubber band either.) Like so many though, I pondered what returning to a place of business would look like, I wondered how Christi, my hairdresser, would be handling all of the new health restrictions and regulations.

I had nothing to worry about. Christi took the word PIVOT to a whole new level. Her salon is now outside, adjacent to her house with a view of her lovely gardens. She’s added shade and misters to keep her customers comfortable in the hot weather. She positioned her equipment perfectly. A large rose bush grows right behind a station mirror, and you can also look in that same mirror and see the reflection of the natural beauty of the area.

It was nice. No, it was VERY nice. I could go on about what a lovely experience this was. But my point is the pivot. She’s making it work. This isn’t what she envisioned for her business in 2020, but it’s turning out to be a blessing in disguise, and I love that.

How have you had to pivot these days? What has turned out to be a blessing rather than a curse? I’d love to hear!

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Comments (6)

  1. Charlene Mitchell

    WOW! What an awesome and inspiring story! And what a view! Thanks for sharing this Karen. I don’t watch the news much but what I watch is depressing, frustrating, sad and disheartening. I know there are ‘good’ stories out there and I’m so happy to hear this one! x

    August 8, 2020 at 8:31 am
    • Karen

      Thank you, Charlene. I’ll tell Christi. She will be so happy to hear that her experience was an inspiration for you.

      August 8, 2020 at 8:49 am
  2. DeLoris Musick

    I love your story and what a neat way to “pivot” your business. I’m sooo happy for you, you got your hair cut! Personally, I have discovered wigs! LOL (Not because of Covid-19; it’s because my hair is thinning so badly from multiple surgeries). My Covid-19 blessing was getting my sister back. She was adopted at 10 yrs old and we’ve had very little contact over the years. She is a retired, part-time school teacher. When she got layed-off, we started talking every morning for coffee. She lives in North Carolina and I live in Ohio. I am truly blessed and grateful!

    August 8, 2020 at 8:35 am
    • Karen

      What a wonderful story, DeLoris… not that you are losing your hair, but that you have reconnected with your sister. That is a blessing, indeed! Thanks for sharing!

      August 8, 2020 at 8:50 am
  3. DiGi

    What a great story! Thanks for sharing. I guess my “pivot” would be not watching television! I was a news junkie pre-covid but can no longer stand to watch the news. It is so depressing, negative, and misrepresented. So the television is rarely on any more. Even in the evenings with everything being a rerun rerun (yes, double rerun) we often do not even turn the television on in the evening. So I have more time for digiscrapping!

    August 11, 2020 at 5:14 pm
    • Karen

      That’s great. Anything that gives us more time for digiscrapping is awesome! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

      August 12, 2020 at 6:14 am
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