Few events in life are as memorable or iconic as the first day of school. It’s been top of mind for me this past week as I sent my daughter off to a brand-new school. She appears to be fearless about this adventure. Me? Oh, I’m fine. Really. (OK, maybe not quite as fearless as my daughter!)
Another end-of-summer ritual that is always a topic of conversation for anyone connected to a hair salon franchise is, of course, the back-to-school haircut. Back-to-school promotions are big for Great Clips salons, and this year was no exception. Let’s Help Schools Go Big This Year was launched to raise money for and distribute school supplies throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Another place back-to-school is celebrated by Great Clips salons is on the Great Clips Salon Community private Facebook page, where stylists get to celebrate and chronicle the life of a stylist working in a busy walk-in salon. It’s always filled with posts about their days that start with customers lined up outside their salon door, and end with sore feet and lots of happy customers:
“I want to give a shout out to all of our receptionists through our back to school weekend, who went above and beyond getting us drinks, combs, sweeping, and most importantly checking all of our guests in with a smile every time. Thank you so much—you helped in so many ways!” -- Great Clips stylist in Florida
“So proud of my team! Back to school is a hectic time...but definitely is awesome when you hit a sales record without even realizing it!” – Salon manager in South Dakota
And this is how one manager in Texas took care of her stylists!
“Got the back-to-school survival kits ready! Advil, water, fruit snack, granola and more!”
I recently got a note from a Great Clips franchisee (who is a devoted follower of this blog—Hi, Ty!) that reminded me of another symbolic end-of-summer and coming-of-age ritual: the lessons learned from a summer job. Ty’s note said he enjoyed the article about giving feedback that sticks, and he also mentioned a blog post from last year that had stuck with him:
“Every time I see Michelle Sack, I always envision her shaking the milk carton as a waitress!”
Wondering who Michelle Sack is and why she would be shaking a milk carton? In the spirit of Throwback Thursday and the end of summer, I give you: What I learned from my first job: Don’t shake the milk. Enjoy!
What’s your favorite end-of-summer ritual? Give me a call or send me an email.
Beth (Caron) Nilssen
Director of Franchise Development | Great Clips, Inc.
800-947-1143 | [email protected]