No Longer Working @ Barbiere DeVino
I made an agreement with myself when I started this blog. Part of the agreement required I maintain a certain amount of transparency to keep myself in check with the overall progress I'm making towards an end result. I decided transparency was the most human element of an online presence, and therefore it's the most relatable. If I could change someone else's life by planting in their mind the concept that passion outweighs complacency in merit, than to me that transparency would have a value well worth the efforts exerted from my constantly introverted nature. Here's a story about how 10/22/16 became a milestone in the overall narrative. I honestly don't know what that means yet, but I'm sure it will come to me..
One of my regulars came in today for a neck shave and I wasn't available, so DeVino took care of him, no big deal. As he was leaving the chair to pay, he walks by me and jokes, "Bentley! I tried to book with you online like 30 minutes ago, but you weren't available, you weren't even on the website, like not even an option. Usually, it has all of you to click on but you weren't there." I told him it must be related to why my cashier number wasn't working that morning. "Maybe I'm not supposed to tell you and I just spilled the beans on something." My client then mentioned he once spooked out an agent by deactivating his badge and watching as the agent quietly panicked. We all got a good laugh at it.
Five hours later I was told that today was going to be my last day at Barbiere DeVino. Out of nothing more than professional courtesy I won't get into specifics because bad mouthing a difference of perspectives is childish and petty, and I'm going into this with the intention of staying on the moral high ground. What I will say, is that it was brought to my attention that The Barber Story had become a conflict of interest with Barbiere DeVino and that I was being given an opportunity to pursue it completely. Like I said, I won't get into specifics, but at the same time, I refuse to let another person's decision silence my story.
Today sucked, but It's not because I had been told that I couldn't go back to work. It sucks because I was never given an opportunity to prevent that from happening. I have always been transparent about running The Barber Story. It's been clear that my professional life as a barber is marketed through The Barber Story and since day one I had been told that the shop was fine with me using the brand as a means to market and get people into the shop. I mean hell, there was a Stronzo / The Barber Story sign at my station.
I wasn't provided a way to try things differently, I was given the reason that I wasn't welcome back during the same conversation introducing me to the issue.
One of the things that I have learned from this entire situation, is successful companies don't get that way by making decisions haphazardly. Success comes to those who go in with a plan and execute that specific plan with an answer to every question that has the possibility to come up including the ones that might not. One of the things that I compliment The Beardsmith on is how incredibly focused Wendy and Jeff remain to deliver a well-developed plan and right now they have a successful line of products that have barbers from outside of the state looking at Boise specifically. The experiences I've had with a first-time business owner is not one I wish to repeat, so I will be looking for a future space that will allow me to continue what I have been doing since day one. Until that time, I will simply be looking for work. Unfortunately, this also means the fundraiser I have been organizing for Movember will have to be postponed until further notice, at least the hot towel shave portion. I'll have to look into the other portion to see how they want to proceed.
Today sucks.
Tomorrow, I make lemonade.