How to be sustainable now!

Happy New Year!

Planning ahead is an integral part of running a business and we have put a lot of thought and time into what our plans/goals are for 2020. To begin, we decided to make an overarching focus for the year. Sustainability is our focus and we aim to use this year to try to understand that concept, especially in the light of the climate issues we’ve faced over the past 6 months.

So how can I be sustainable now you might ask? I’ll tell you! This year the staff of the shop and I are going to tackle items like plastic and fast fashion. Plastic is not easy to make, it doesn’t breakdown and it is a growing item in trash bins. Fashion has been suffering as well as of late, so we’d like to shine some light on thrift shopping, which has become very popular in the last 5 years.

We’re going to try to show you guys, in our humble opinions, what we think are the best products out there to replace plastic bags, and saran and ziplock bags. One easy way to be sustainable now is by patronizing our shop! We will be leading by example!

We are now offering reusable hot/cold cups that you can use at starbucks when you come for an appointment. We would like all of our clients to know that we are no longer offering paper bags. We would love to see you guys come in with your own reusable bags, but don’t worry, if you’re in a pinch, we’ll have some available for retail. We will be offering discounts for cash users and welcome any suggestions from our clients on all of our new efforts.

So apart from patronizing freshair to be more sustainable, you are able to make small changes yourself. Reusable cups, reusable canvas bags or even silicone ones can replace your current situation. Reusing glass jars and containers for all storage needs is also an easy move that doesn’t take to much work.

Just ask yourself a few questions when you are thinking about items to purchase or use. Is the item biodegradable? Can your item be used more than once? Are there any ways in your home that you can recycle items or even do without? It’s actually quite simple if you think abut it a little.

I’m not saying learning how to be sustainable now will put an end to all of our climate issues, but it will be a small step in a direction of change.

That’s the fresh perspective…

The Fresh Perspective...

Host Gifts

When invited to somewhere, especially someone’s home, it’s important to leave the host with a little something. Lots of time an energy goes into hosting and it’s a really nice gesture and expression of thanks.

Here is my list of great gifts!

• wine (be sure your host is into booze)

• plants (christmas cactus? yes please!)

• decorative candles (who doesn’t love coal and canary?)

• the cheesemongers fromagerie (vegan cheese is also available)

• anything that is personal to the host (this is a real nice touch if the host is really close to you)

If none of these are helpful, food is always a pretty good option. If your host is into to sweet or savory be sure to make sure you get it right. No point in giving a gift if it doesn’t suit!

That’s the fresh perspective…

The Fresh Perspective...

CAREER HOW-TO: Hair styling

2020 will mark my 20th year in hair styling! Can I get a ‘hellyeah’?! Hell Yeah! How did I get here? 20 years in the same job doing more or less the same thing day in and out has brought me to this point. I have also accumulated some tidbits during my journey, and if you think hair styling might be the career for you, read on!

When I began my journey, there was no such thing as social media. Honestly, many salons barely had a website and online booking was NOT a thing. I started out my hair career in a time when you had to get out and ask for business. Business cards were an integral part of growing your business 20 years ago. These days, your online presence is your number one calling card.

Social media allows your clients to see the work you are currently doing. No more of those weird shop magazines with hairstyles, it’s all on Instagram! You can post availability, ask for specific types of clients and even show ‘how-to’ videos if you so choose. To be fair all this does is to bring clients to your chair. You need to still have the skills to keep them coming back.

Once you are in a salon, it’s important that you keep learning and stay current. I believe the styles you struggle with are the styles you should try to do so you can get better. Take as many classes as you can and be ready to really work. The only way you’ll make any money is to be behind the chair, so maximize that. Do whatever you can to get clients in and then work even harder to keep them. Listen to what they are asking, and if it’s within reason, give it to them. Over time you’ll find your stride and be able to decide which lane is yours.

I love all the aspects of hair styling, but my ultimate fave is styling/finishing. This, in my humble opinion, is where I shine! When you know what your bread and butter is, it enables you to gain more confidence. I also think working in a shop that has a few master stylists is key as well. When I was coming up, I watched the master stylists closely and just copied the way they were with their clients. Having stylists in your shop that are fully booked, can give you an example of what you could expect in the future.

Was this helpful? I believe that if you really pay attention to your clients and their needs, you’ll be able to really thrive in this field. Being ready to work hard, and having a strong social media presence can speed things up and in a few years, you could be booked solid!

That’s the fresh perspective…

The Fresh Perspective...

Is a Degree necessary?

How many of you have been told that you are nothing without some sort of education? A career is important for some, but others might feel like giving 20-30 years to one position is preposterous! Is that what a career even means? The definition of career is quite vast. Starting with, a profession that you learned how to do with specific training over a period of your life, to a combination of jobs held, titles earned, and works accomplished over your lifetime.

These days, less and less folks are sticking to one job for 20 years or more. Some people move around every 4-6 years, changing aspects of their current job or changing companies all together. Somewhere we have connected too much to the word career. We put so much pressure on ourselves to accomplish so many things by a certain time in our lives. Is that even right?

Career or no career, one needs to be able to feel good about oneself. If there’s something in your life that you don’t like, you can change it! It’s never too late to try and be better today than we were yesterday. There’s always something new to learn, even if you’ve been at it for 20 years…

That’s the fresh perspective…

The Fresh Perspective...

Would you Home School?

It’s no secret that I have a boatload of kids! Ok, four, but that’s still a lot! Before I had kids I was quite opinionated about them. I had it figured out. “When I’m a mom, I’ll do things so much differently,” I said. Now here I am, 10 years in (my oldest is ten) and I realize that parenting is intense! There are so many aspects of parenting that I didn’t account for and even more so, aspects that I LOVED and wanted to uphold desperately!

Firstly, my children have made me realize how terrible we are to the earth and I have drilled it into their little heads about sustainability, littering, waste…. you know…. I never knew in my twenties that that would be something I would have stood for. I was all about their education and somewhere, deep down, I thought I would home school them. Well. No.

I found this PDF from the Government about Home schooling and I thought I should share. Turns out, that I have more faith in our school systems here in Manitoba after all! My children attend École Nöel Ritchot and do their studies in French, another thing I thought I would NEVER do!

Would you home school your child/children? Maybe? If you need more info check out Home schooling in Manitoba. All the best!

That’s the fresh perspective…

The Fresh Perspective...

Water park fun!

Here are some fantastic water parks right here in Canada! Do you enjoy water themed events or are you all about staying dry? Well, if you’re looking for something new to try, hit one of these parks up this summer. You won’t regret it!

Calypso Waterpark, Limoges, Ontario

World Waterpark at West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton

Magic Mountain Water Park, Moncton, New Brunswick

Waterpark at Valcartier Vacation Village, Quebec

Wild Water Kingdom, Brampton, Ontario

That’s the fresh perspective…