I just logged into this blog for the first time in a while, and looked at the header again with fresh eyes, and am amazed by the fact that I might need to rename this blog. It's not about the trials and travials of STARTING Julep Nail Parlor because it's now been over a year and a half since we first opened our doors to our first parlor. We're long past "starting"!
I'm also reflecting all that we've accomplished because we're getting ready for our first all company meeting on Tuesday (apologies to our guests - we will be closed this Tuesday, January 20th while we gather, connect and refelect). We're getting together to celebrate everything we've accomplished together in 2008 and share our ideas for 2009. Here's a slice of what we've done together in just the past twelve months:
· Launched a new menu in March with innovative new treatments like the Girlfriend’s Glycolic Manicure
· Delighted guests with our new “Parlor” level treatments by offering them complimentary nail repair and Julep vernis
· Developed a new manicure table and pedicure ottoman solution that is uniquely Julep’s (and currently being patented)
· Sat in over 100 chairs to find the Steelcase Leap Chair – the new Julep guest chair going forward
· Opened a beautiful new downtown parlor in May
· Opened a beautiful new Gig Harbor parlor in July
· Started offering eyelash extensions
· Raffled off a pair of Manolo Blahniks
· Learned how to spell Manolo Blahnik
· Recruited and welcomed over 20 amazing new team members to Julep
· Hosted our first ticketed Girls Night Out event
· Hosted an amazing Sex in the City Movie screening event
· Developed and offered out guests not one, but TWO Julep branded Salt Scrubs
· Launched a seasonal color palette for the first time this fall
· Hosted hundreds of bridal showers and birthday gatherings
· Welcomed thousands of sisters, girlfriends, mothers and daughters
· Launched our Frequent Filer program
· Improved upon our seasonal Pumpkin and Cranberry treatments – and offered them to our guests again!
· Celebrated our first Service Quality month in June
· Got our license to serve alcoholic beverages to help our guests celebrate special occasions and everyday triumphs at Julep
· Signed a lease to open our fourth parlor in Bellevue
· Launched a new in-parlor signage system –and put up holiday signage for the first time
· Started using our flatscreens to tell the Julep story to our guests
· Added a hot oil and salt scrub experience to our parlor treatments
· Were featured on King 5 news and Komo news – in the same month!
· Helped each other grow and stretch beyond our usual comfort zones each and every day
· And, most importantly, served our guests passionately, making them feel happy and beautiful through over 10,000 appointments
For 2009, I'm thinking hard about how to break down our extraordinary goals into ordinary days. For example, I'm committed to sleeping an average of 8 hours a day, and asking everyone who works at Julep to just keep doing what they are doing so well - each and every day in each and every appointment and task.
We've invented our wheel! We've got to keep learning, improving and growing, but the way we will achieve our dreams is by keeping going what we've got. Just doing our best each day.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of our community and our success. We look forward to continuing to wow you through the extraordinary sum of our ordinary actions.
