Rolling with the Punches

STYLEbar has been through some big changes this year. In August 2018 we went through a revamp of our interior—mainly cosmetic changes, but we were thrilled about our facelift. Less than a month later, my worst nightmare as a business owner became a reality; the entire salon completely flooded. The hot water heater in the condo above our space had a malfunction and sent a waterfall gushing through our ceiling on the one day of the week no one was here—Sunday.

I'm thankful for our location where we get a lot of foot traffic, because it just so happens that a client was walking by the salon and saw the water pouring in. By the time we arrived, there were several feet of standing water and the ceiling tiles were caving in everywhere. Tile, cabinets, furniture, dry wall were all ruined, it was a complete devastation.

As life has it, I was going through some tough personal stuff outside of work during the mess, so oddly enough I wasn't as panicked about the situation as people thought I would be. Good insurance is a blessing as well, because luckily all the damages were covered and we were able to really re-think the layout of our space, how we maximize on the window light, the station positions, and the counter space for color and prep.

At the end of the day, "the flood" ended up being a good thing for the growth of the business. I'm thankful for the opportunity it forced me into to create a space that aesthetically matches the level of services our stylists offer. It was a good reminder to try and focus on the positive in every situation and try to find the light that can come from tragedy.