I love my job, and you?
How often we are too busy to reach for happiness, and we forget to see the awesome things that happen right under our nose. It happened to me today, at the end of again a long, or should I say too long, week in the office, behind the phone and in front of the computer screen.
After dinner, on the couch with my, sometimes already big, sometime still little, son of eight years next to me busy building cities in Minecraft. I watched a documentary about the Yangtze river. A beautiful story about modern days China, with every now and then a peek into the past. Shanghai evolved in less then 30 years from a place where farmers were taking care of their cows, to a city that competes with New York. London or Hong Kong, at least with respect to the skyline, Suddenly I recall the talks and apps I had with Lydia this week and one of the reasons I love my job. Lydia is a very nice women from Juancheng in China. We had talks about smaller and bigger hair extensions suppliers, companies from Xuchang who aim to sell cheap hair at low prices and the best ways to build up trust in the relations with your customers. So a lot of business, but also with a personal touch because when we talked in her evening, her little daughter was giving me advice on the background. At least that is what I think, because my understanding of the Chinese language is still limited to the menu of the Chinese restaurant in my City.
My days are long, because I have clients and other contacts in nearly all the time zones of the world. In Ireland for example, where Einna is busy with the amazing launch of her hair and beauty business called SheBelle. She even went to travel to India to source her hair and it always very inspiring to talk to her. Too bad I am always too late to ask her a question, because she always knows before me what I want to ask her.
In the same time zone there is Africa. That’s a continent where I get more and more inquiries to start selling hair extensions from, mainly South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. It’s Kenya, where the last weeks the interest in starting a hair business is taking over from inquiries from Nigeria! What’s happening Nigeria? Talking about South Africa, this week I spoke to Yanga who is looking for used weaves. She has a very ambitious plan to help young girls in her area with the proceeds of her business. It really gives me a warm feeling to have talks with people with a mission, passion and ambition and … their hart on the right place. Yeah I love my job. And if you have used weave, do not keep them in your bag, but donate them to Yanga.
The reason my days are very long, or my nights very short, is because of the many contacts with women, sorry it’s true most entrepreneurs in this business are female, from the US. The big challenge of having phone calls, Skype calls, WhatsApp chats and emails in all these various time zones is to avoid you miss an appointment. Too often I mistake in the time of an appointment. It’s already hard for the various countries, but within the US it’s even more confusing for me with EST, CDT, etc.. Last Thursday, or still her Wednesday I spoke with Jenise from the BVI owner of Ain’t She Cute Wigs. At 2 o clock of my night this lady knew to catch my full attention with her dream of the future of her hair business on the island. It was only after we ended the call I realized my day had finished long time ago. Only one more call this time with Shavon from the USA and I called it a day. Again a day that was too short, but how lucky I am to be able to speak with so many people with dreams, plans, questions but all looking for support to make their business grow, again.
I love my job! And you? Let me know in a comment, at any time of the day 😉
You have a dream to launch your own hair store, or your hair sales are lacking behind expectations. What can you do? Give it all up and let others succeed? Wouldn’t it be great to talk for 10 minutes with somebody who not only understands the hair extensions business, but who can help you with advice too?
You are not alone, you can always call me, I have blocked some time in my calendar already. I am waiting for you! Call me, Stefan
