let me state at the top of this post that i am well aware of not being everyone's favorite person. i do not aspire to be. i go along, i get along, unless i don't. then we are done. forever.

i loathe phonies. my day is filled with people who, for the most part, are authentic. it's their fallback position and i love them for it. but not everyone feels comfortable being authentic. to be authentic means leaving yourself open and vulnerable and real. whatever hype or bullshit or ego that you might have going on, authenticity puts it on the precipice. if your internal conversation is a lot of noise and the heavy lifting you do is about holding up a facade, then you're fucked.

no one of us can be truly authentic all the time. i will gladly lie if the necessity spares someone's feelings. i cajole when it moves my needs further down the field. but mostly, i find that frank, honest discourse can get me pretty much wherever i need to go. personally and professionally. strip away all the other stuff and being myself is what i have.

recently there have been a spate of emails, newsletters and articles on various local philadelphia business owners who are pushing their agendas with spin. fine. it's spin. we've all done it. i say this without wishing to claim the moral high ground (it's very chilly up there anyway) but what kind of ego does it require for a person to boast that they are the reason everything else exists? it irks me as an entrepreneur to watch someone else claim the center of the universe, but more than that, it's just plain ridiculous. one business person actually listed all the things she does at each of her businesses like a laundry list. in effect, she negated anyone else who ever contributed to the success of her business. then there was another business owner who is closing up shop and blaming everything and everyone for it's demise. actually, i have found that if one is selling products or goods at a premium price, they should excel. your stuff can't be meh if you want to grow.

almost 10 years ago, duross & langel moved to it's current location of 13th street. though i get much of the press, our success is not based on me. i'll admit that the esthetic is me, the idea was mine and i'm a task-master about quality. but really, that's where it ends. the kids who have come to work with me (and a few who have been fully invested as partners) are the ones who daily make us what we are. heart and soul. the people i debate points with, worry over new projects, expand segments, share meals and overall make the day to day into our future are my equals. not one of us is impressed with our accomplishments. we care more for the group than the individual. what matters is today. we have the same goals and are invested in shared opportunity. we care for one another. we are a team.

having a blissful monday afternoon to lie around on the couch reading a book is all i will ever need to make me feel wonderful. being tied to my business night and day would be a waste, especially when there are so many talented people who want to share the journey. it is then that i feel lucky, or blessed, or just plain successful.

if i am remembered for anything, i hope it's for the ability to be authentic. i'd like to be remembered as a valued member of my team. no more.

our first year as a salon is more than half gone. soon the holidays will be upon us. everything changes. life's a journey.

the addition of christina kelly to the team has been a wonderful fit. her charm and enthusiasm is a daily delight. as we gather steam and find ourselves busy, a rhythm develops. it moves us on. i can't help but be proud of the people who populate the space. the entire house seems to be expanding to encompass the addition of so many. i adjust to my new tasks. each day seems to bring something new. i'm no longer taking clients. the ladies have mastered the art of men's haircutting. we move on.

it's funny how normal normal feels. when things are running smooth and fine. like floating in a boat near the shore. lazy and warm, you don't have to do anything but rock. 

and here we are just getting started

six weeks ago i was on the verge of becoming unglued. for the record, it has been a long time since i've opened a salon and the memory isn't what it used to be. actually, nothing is what it used to be. having spent an enormous amount of energy on building the bath/skin care brand, somehow the world of hair has passed me by.

as a barber/stylist i can cope. most of the work i've been doing for the past twenty or so years is about educating stylists in the art of cutting men's hair. my contemporaries create the fashion. i interpret the look, breakdown the process and distill it into a great, wearable cut for guys. it's not all that fancy. it's just what i do. everyone has a talent. this was the one handed to me. though i may be clever, have a nose for creating scent, the ability to work ingredients into skin care that i love (and hope you will love too), the thing i understand the best is how to cut a man's head of hair. that being said, the talent bus left the station without me where current women's styles are concerned. thank god for my staff of talented stylist.

i recently asked one of my stylist to partner with me in the salon. this idea comes naturally to me. identifying breakout people who will be able to manage the relationship we share is how duross & langel (the store/brand) has become successful. we have a handful of employees who are now full invested partners. they work side by side for the common good. it was never my intention to build on my own. i find the odious task of being el hefe a drudge. i love my people. i love their commitment. i love that if we succeed, together we will all share in the outcome. i expect nothing less from the salon. at the outset, i spoke to a few talented stylists about doing this with me. i am too far out of the creative side of the salon business to completely comprehend what is happening. it changes in an instant, and if you are not on top of the pyramid, you are screwed. anyway, one said no (i so love her) and one parted company soon after we got to know one another. i am certainly not everyone's cup of tea. and then as my three stylists began settling in, it occurred.

natasha pickett is the kind of person who naturally charms and succeeds. sweet, strong, opinionated and fierce about her convictions, her talents are many. i did everything but get down on one knee when i asked her to be my salon work wife. natasha has the rare qualities to lead our growing team and yet be deep in the trenches working harder than anyone else. she makes everything easier for us all. this also gives everyone an opportunity to take their positions on the field. rene is teaching advanced haircutting. kenzie is honing her skills in a vast arena of craft. soon we will have new stylist who she can mentor and teach.

it took me a good four full months to calm down and settle in. now i have a lightness inside i have not felt since i was working in the store kitchen. i have a great staff and they are doing amazing work. i hope you will come see for yourself