How inspiring!

Here is an absolutely inspiring letter sent to Jim Yates from Roberta, a Nuts and Bolts Team Leader at Bellus Academy of Beauty and Spa in Southern California. Take a moment to look at the photos and read about how she has helped to spread positivity as well the Nuts and Bolts lessons in "Embracing Change" around the world.







Hi Jim,
I'm writing you to let you and Robert know how far around the world the Nuts & Bolts training has gone!

I'm Roberta Archer who you met several times at Bay Vista in National City. I'm now working at Bellus Academy of Beauty and Spa and continue to teach Nuts & Bolts ENTHUSIASTICALLY!

I recently took an extended vacation period, going as a volunteer to help bring creativity into the schools in Tanzania, Africa. It was a dream come true for me and a very exciting adventure.

My first week was just listening and learning and taking pages and pages of notes in many meetings with my friend Audra Dimambro of Winds of Africa. After listening for many hours, I hoped I would have a chance to speak to the teachers and share with them some of the life lessons I have learned.

One quote that I often repeat is, "It's better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one, than to have an opportunity and not be prepared." (Whitney Young, Jr.) So even though I had no idea exactly what awaited me, I wrote down several things that I have learned along the way that I thought would be relevant. Then the opportunity came the next week as I was dropped off in the bush to live without running water and electricity, near the Masai Village at Engikaret School, a government school with about 600 children. This is what they call "the bush." I stayed with a beautiful lady who gave up her bed for me. She cooked our meals on a tiny coal burner and I ate stiff porridge and goat and what ever they gave me. It was very good and I learned to eat with my fingers. Each morning two young girls would bring us huge buckets of water on their heads! for our baths and cooking, etc..

I met and shared with all the teachers each afternoon for about 2 hours. I began my workshop with some of the principles from Embracing Change that have stuck in my head, using the Wheel of Change as a tool and an outline for the Team Building theme I was tracking. Also, the lesson on the 6 common FEARS was so appropriate for their situation at this time of change in Africa. I used several of the quotes that have meant so much to me and my students. The teachers were so receptive and vulnerable.

I later had the opportunity to visit another school, a Vocational School where there are about 30 young people, 75% of whom are orphans. I had the privilege of living and eating and sleeping with them in their tiny dorms.They are learning tailoring and computer skills. So once again, since it seemed word had traveled and my coming was anticipated, I got to share with the teachers in this venue in a small village called Bomang'Ombe.

In both places, these hungry people took notes like mad and shared both in English and Swahili how my lessons were so helpful and something they had never heard before. Before I left, they told me they hoped I would come back next year and see that they had put these principles into action!

Needless to say, I fell in love with these precious people and of course, it's all about the children.... I have attached a few pictures just to let you see a bit of what I experienced. I had a lovely young man who is an awesome teacher himself, translate for me and made it a wonderful team teaching experience.

So, I just want to say how thankful I am to you for the years of experience and training you have given. It has gone much farther than you probably anticipated and in quite a circuitous way to the opposite side of the earth. Isn't that wonderful?! I just thought you should know! Blessings to you and yours!... and have a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year! Roberta

Business Student of the Year presentation ideas

The Nuts and Bolts Business Student of the year is just around the corner!
Part of the application process to enter this contest is submitting a visual presentation.
Here is how it's stated in the BSY guidelines:

Additionally, entrants will be required to prepare a presentation of how they plan to use
the teachings of Nuts and Bolts in salon /spa life when they graduate. Entrants must
prepare a 3-5 minute visual presentation on video. StoryBoard and/or PowerPoint
presentations are acceptable media. Judges will review the presentation and award points
for the following:
Content quality % 10 points possible
Clarity of information % 10 points possible
Innovation used in the presentation % 10 points possible
Overall appearance of the presentation % 10 points possible

Some students may choose to present their ideas on a "storyboard" display which can be found at most office supply stores or craft stores, like Michaels. Here is an example of a blank one:



Below are photos of an assignment that students from Cameo College in Murray, Utah were given. Similar to the Business Student of the Year contest, they had to use storyboards for their presentations. Hopefully these will give you some inspiration for your presentation. Good luck! If you have any questions regarding the contest, you can contact the Nuts and Bolts team here.

New Videos up on NabTube!

Be sure to check out the latest videos from Eveline Charles Academy and Hays Academy on Nabtube!

Fashion Bloggers=Great exposure!

This video was sent in from Avenue Five Institute in Austin, TX. A local Fashion Blogger came through the salon and later posted a video of her new haircut on her blog. What a great way to gain exposure to new clientele!

Bloggers, especially ones who write about fashion, have the ability to expose otherwise undiscovered fashion designers, boutique shops, and of course HAIR STYLISTS! The web is such a great tool for marketing yourself. Kara from AvenueFive Institute can use this video in the future to show off her skills to new customers or even salon owners.

In general, those who follow (or consistently read) fashion related blogs are more in-tune with current trends in the fashion industry. A great way to get younger or more style-conscious clients in the salon would be to pair up with these bloggers!

If you are unaware of any local fashion bloggers, try doing a google search for "Fashion blogs" and your city. Chances are, with a little research, you'll be able to find someone nearby who you can contact. Maybe there's a special going on at your school's salon that you can offer to a potential blogger. More often than not, these internet-savvy bloggers are looking for new and interesting ideas to write about. Why couldn't they feature you?

Here's another fashion blogger (who I follow religiously!) called The Glamourai who wrote an entry about her favorite stylist "Lenny" in New York. She even mentions a special: tell him that you're a fan of her blog and receive $25 off your visit at the salon! Now there's a great idea!


-Melissa Loschy

Our Student of the Month is Sara Overton and she comes from Capri College in Cedar Rapids, IA and was nominated by Chris Fiegen.

"I wanted to submit a student for recognition for her outstanding achievements. Her name is Sara Overton, and she attends Capri College in Cedar Rapids, Ia. In july, Sara shattered our all time production record with a total sales and service of $2026.47. This was with $478.14 in retail sales, and $1548.30 in services. In june she exceeded $1,000. She had a 100% increase in one month. Wow! Our previous single month record was a little over $1300. She has not yet even completed her N&B training, but has taken it, and her attitude to a whole new level of success. She is an outstanding student who really deserves recognition. We are extremely proud of her and her accomplishments. (we even have to get a new plaque for the $2,000 club!)"

Sara sent us a testimonial about Nuts and Bolts, and here's what she had to say:

"I decided to become a hairstylist after having worked as a salon coordinator in an upscale Aveda salon in Cedar Rapids. My owner sent me to class after class for salon operations, business building and great customer service. It was then that I fell in love with the beauty industry. I chose Capri College because of its great reputation in Cedar Rapids, and my owner said it would be a great place to get my education. When the Nuts and Bolts program came to Capri I was inspired by your words, but I thought the last thing I needed to participate in was another “customer service” class. I thought I all ready knew everything I needed to know and I was just going to school to get my license, why waste time with this program. I am grateful that our director and staff urged me to take the program. The first day of the program I felt as though you were talking right to me and I knew Nuts and Bolts was like know class I had ever taken before. I realized that the attitude I first had about the program was exactly the trap that most stylists fall into, and that if I continued down that path I may be successful for a little while but it wouldn’t last. The program taught me that I will never stop learning, and that clients want to hear about the new things you have learned. I could go on and on about all the doors the program opened up for me and all the ah ha moments! It has helped me change my thinking and shown me how to take customer service to the 5 star level. When I began implementing all of the tools I learned on the floor, the first month my totals doubled and I was just short of making the thousand dollar club! In the second month my retail sales helped me reach the thousand dollar club, I made it a goal to hit fifteen hundred dollars by the third month and ended up making over two thousand dollars in service and retail in my third month! Not to mention my tips were great! I will continue to use the tools from Nuts and Bolts to be successful in this industry, thank you for the opportunity, I am so glad to have taken advantage of it!

Congratulations Sara!

Lovely words

A huge thank you to Mindy Chandler from Capri College in Davenport who sent an incredible testimonial to Jim last month. Here is what she had to say:



"My name is Mindy Chandler and I go to Capri College in Davenport Iowa. You recently came to my school and spoke to all of the student body, which you did very well I might add! :) You see the reason I am messaging you today is because the things that you covered and the material in your program really spoke to me! I remember when your program first started out at this school many students, (and I regretfully ) thought of the program as a waste of time:( Till one day shortly after you had came and spoke to us, I was scheduled for a pedicure. I went up to the desk, read my clients name out loud in a professional manner, introduced myself, and took her back to the spa area. As we sat down I realized that she was a part of a group of girls that had came together. I then proceeded to fill out the traveler without really explaining anything, just going through the motions so I could get the service started. Well the pedicure went great, and the woman was very nice, but you see when we got to the end of the service my client announced that she was going to pay for all the pedicures. So when I gave her the ticket she simply looked down at the paper and asked me about all the information that I had wrote on the paper. She asked "Were you supposed to tell me all of the things that you wrote on this!" WELL, there I was, looking and feeling like a fool! I told her that I wasn't going to lie,that yes I WAS supposed to tell her all the things that I wrote but because I was in such a hurry that I didn't taken the time with her that I should have :( She then proceeded to tell me that the girls in her group are her employees and that she sold insurance, and she is always trying to get her girls to up sell, and how important it was because if I would have discussed that paper with her that she would have bought anything that I would have tried to sell her, that she has more product at home then I do on my back bar, because she is a sucker for retail! Well you see at that moment the light officially went on :) I totally realize now exactly how important all the things you were saying and how valuable the information in your program really is! So I would love to tell you how much I appreciate your time and effort that you have given to educate others! You see my intention on coming to cosmetology school was to open my own business, and now you have put the fire back in my heart to do what I Love, and what I love is hair and business! THANK YOU! I plan on opening a salon around my area and would love to get some business advice and information on the process of doing that from you! I am just not sure on where to start! What I do know is that all my stylist will be Nuts and Bolts certified, and my salon will be based on your program and ideals! Thank you So much for putting the fire back in my heart and tools to do something about it!

Sincerely,

Mindy Chandler"

Congratulations!

Congratulations to
Heidi Bjorklund of Stewart School
and Katie Wadsworth of Cameo College

They are the first official winners of our iPod Giveaway!

There is still plenty of time to win! You can still send your videos, photos, testimonials, or join the mailing list in order to be entered into our next raffle, which is August 1st!