How are you nourishing your salon family?

As we watch our salon community navigate through this time, it’s inspiring to see our professionals continuing to be creative, provide self-care and spread their own personal passion and love through their salon families. I am blessed with multiple vantage points of the wonderful compassion and care coming from our professional community. I am inspired to share with you a lovely letter from Alejandra Martinez, owner of Abloom Salon + Studio and Innersense Organic Beauty Artistic Director. Please enjoy, and I invite you to connect with me if you have inspiring stories of your own. Sending you lots of love.

~ Joanne Starkman, founder

A desire to share my abundance with my salon family

My heart goes out to anyone who has lost a loved one and I hope their life is being celebrated and remembered. As a salon owner, a hairdresser behind the chair and a mother, I’m asking myself how I can share resources that are abundant in my life during these times that are full of uncertainty. 

A professional who has been in this industry for 20 years, I’m hopeful we can overcome the current situation. I’m confident that as long as we take care of our most basic needs like food and shelter, then the rest will slowly begin to make sense again.

When Abloom Salon + Gallery closed its doors over a month ago (alongside most salons in the country), I felt an immense responsibility to stay connected with my team. I had a bit of savings, and I couldn’t let fear take over. Holding onto the money I had saved for a rainy day was not an option for me. This was and still is a rainy day, and I felt compelled to give nourishment in the way that I understood it best.

Creatively Nourishing My Creative Salon Family

There is a wonderful local farm that allows my community to order beautiful produce baskets for drive through pickup. From fruits and organic veggies to eggs, honey, bread, grains and even baked desserts, the baskets are full of produce that nourishes us from the inside. I was about to place my first basket order for myself when I sent a group message asking if anyone on my team would like for me to gift them a basket. They all said yes! 

I began to provide my team of six with weekly organic produce. I am willing to buy them each a basket of produce until this pandemic is but a mere memory. Turns out the produce is simply too much to get through in one week so they’ve begun sharing baskets and adding on things like eggs, honey, grains and different nut butters.

The endless opportunities of our weekly harvest have allowed us to gather as a team in a whole new way. Team Abloom has started a group message board where we share recipes, and show each other pictures of the healthy food, juices, smoothies and desserts that we come up with! It’s been a really sweet way to connect on a nourishing level.

This pandemic breaks my heart. It comes with many waves of emotions, among them the knowledge I cannot provide my team their space for connection, artistry and livelihood.  We have our good health and that in itself is a gift.

Our health is one thing we can control outside of the salon

Right now, it feels like the only thing I have any control over is my family and salon team’s health. When we do return back into the world, we can do so vibrant and healthy. Wealth is what nourishes our soul and it comes in many forms. Wealth is good health, a roof over our heads and beautiful plant-based food to gather around the table with.

In the spirit of sharing and from my team to yours, I want to share one of my favorite recipes with you here!

As Salon Owners, Now is Our Time

Now is the time to forge closer relationships with our salon families by connecting and supporting each other in ways that we may not normally. Now is the time to nourish one another to make this time brighter and easier. 

I hope this inspires you to tap into your community and what’s available to you like the garden baskets are to me and my salon team. Be creative and give from your heart, and also ask from your heart. We will always remember the light we brought to each other’s lives. Stay well, and stay healthy! Much love and peace. ~ Alejandra