Ongoing Improvements

One of the things I love most about starting Julep is engaging in a path of ongoing improvement and growth.

Some of the improvements you may notice if you've been with us from the beginning:

1) Our cushions have now bee restuffed - cushier seat and supportier lumbar.

2) Our light tails have been shortened - making them easier to move around and get light where our vernisseurs need it.

3) This one you haven't seen if you're a guest, but our lockers and counter have finally arrived - making our breakroom just a little less of a storage closet . . .

4) Due to popular demand, we've added 2 more flat screens (total of 3 now) - making it easier for anyone in the parlor to watch Sex in the City.

A few things we're still working on:

1) Online scheduling - coming very, very soon. (Vs. the "Coming Soon" we've been stating on our website).

2) Getting additional signage out front to help you find us!

3) Getting labels for our fabulous cuticle oil (in roller ball bottles!) so we can start sharing our magic potion with the world.

4) Getting new foot-rests attachments so we can make our pedicures even more comfortable.

And much, much more.

Let us know if you have any ideas!

The Bare Double Up

No, there isn't anything R-rated going on here. It's just my very favorite service these days.

I'm a busy working mom, and while I aspire to look as easy breezy put together as Reese Witherspoon, on many days, I don't even get around to remembering to put my lipstick on until sometime after lunch (okay, maybe dinner . . .). But I've always felt self conscious about my raggedy hands. At business meetings, I've gone to great lengths to distract attention away from them, and my yucky (yes, sometimes even bloody) cuticles.

The Bare Double Up is the perfect answer for me (it's not really on the menu yet, but you can ask for it - it will drive our parlor hostesses Kate and Audrey batty trying to figure out how the heck to schedule it!)

I love it because:
It's fast. The same great attentive service, in just fifteen minutes because you have one vernisseur working on each hand.

It's effective! The treatment leaves my hands soft, neat, and lovely. No more flags of cuticles waving down random passers by.

It's the perfect (fast) pick me up. I hadn't expected how luxurious it would feel to have two vernisseurs paying attention to little ol' me at the same time.

No nail polish to chip! I am hard on my hands (mopping, paper shuffling, kid bathing), so I love to just buff my nails to a glossy shine.

I spend more time looking at my hands (on the keyboard, on the steering wheel, on my son and daughter) than any other part of me. It just makes me feel more together when they look great. And if I FEEL more together, then maybe just maybe I'll get by another day.

Mother Daughter Bonding

We had four sets of mothers and daughters in today - with all age groups represented.

One set with elementary school aged girls ate their sushi lunches during their pedicures. The younger girl emerged with sparkly legs (our chocolate sparkle lotion) and cheery purple toes.

I love creating a place where moms and daughters can come together. I hope they create great memories at Julep, and continue to come back together over the years as they grow up.

Watching all these mother daugher interactions made me miss my mom, and wonder about what shape my relationship with my daughter will take on over the coming years.

At Long Last, Julep Nail Vernis

We love our friendly, helpful UPS guy, but we've never loved him more than the day he showed up with boxes and boxes of our very own Julep Nail Vernis.

They're in cute 1/4 oz bottles, because larger bottles of nail polish are never good after the first 1/2 bottle anyway - they get too thick. Many spas address this problem by adding some thinner to the bottle - but that weakens the polish and decreases the longevity when applied. Our small powerful bottles are going to help us give the best polish treatments in town.

We have twenty-five chic colors, including a range of pale pinks and dark reds that were developed to compliment the range of cool and warm skin tones. (We learned a thing or two from Bobbi Brown).

And they have fun names like "Halle" (smooth pale violet), "Jennifer" (soft pink), and "Susan" (sophisticated fire engine red).

But best of all, they are free of icky things like toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate.

We were almost giddy while upacking the boxes.

Toddlerdom? Puppyhood?

I think businesses grow up in dog years, because after our first month, we are certainly past our infancy and out testing new boundaries, beginning to form a pattern about the way our world works.

As a parent, I always missed all of the "firsts" that we were supposed to record in those fancy bound parenting diaries I never bought. And it wasn't all just because I was eating Doritos while watching The Office.

It's also because I never could figure out the exact moment when something happened. My son surely said "bah" for weeks on end before I finally realized that he meant "ball." I didn't know what date to record as the momentous occasion of him uttering his first word. He was doing what my husband affectionately called "The Flying Squirrel" - launching from one piece of furniture to another for quite some time, when one day he started just running. He always had the velocity, though. It turns out you CAN lean to run before you learn to walk.

Sometimes, when we're trying out a new event (e.g. July 13th, our first Eighties Friday), a new pillow (round lumbar pillows, introduced sometime over the past two weeks) or a new service (the "Busy Bee" twice as fast treatment), I'm not sure if we're hurling ourselves from the coffee table to the ottoman or if we're actually running.

But just think what we'll be doing next week!

Manicures and Pedicures in the Tropics

Everyday is an adventure!

Today's excitement was that our air conditioner decided to malfunction - of course on the hottest day so far.

So we swung open our doors to the fresh air, and tried to make the best of it.

Living in Seattle, my zone of comfort has significantly reduced to between 70 degrees and 72 degrees. Anything colder is too cold, anything warmer is too warm.

But it felt like the deck of the Love Boat today (did they do manicures and pedicures? or just shuffleboard?).

I think there should have been an additional member of the Love Boat team - the manicurist. She would have been more sophisticated than Julie - and more understanding, less cluelessly bossy.

As fun as this was, I won't be sad to have the problem fixed by Thursday, when we get back (we open to a 40th birthday party for six!). Although one of our guests mentioned that she thought the temperature fit well with our Southern "Julep" name.

In other exciting news, we're getting the new, lower bases to our ergonomic chairs for our vernisseurs this week, as well as our vernisseur lockers.

And we got our new lumbar pillows today!

Julep's Mommy Mondays on Seattle Morning News

Doing a Radio Interview While Getting a Pedicure

A woman from KPLU (our local NPR station) called me today to talk about the "greening" of nail salons. I took the call while getting a pedicure - and I don't think I quite realized that that would be the interview! So there's my best multi-tasking moment this week.

Although my vernisseur might not have thought so. Poor Lisa - I kept moving around as I was talking - I always knew that I talk with my hands (as though waving left would help the person on the other end of the line understand my driving directions better), but I hadn't realized the extent to which I also talk with my feet.

But I'm loving my white polish (a nice 180 from the black I was wearing a week ago). Very summery. Thanks Lisa!

Finding Vernisseurs

Over the past few weeks, I've had more than a few people calling for appointments annoyed with us that we're already booked for that day.

"How can you be booked already?!" one woman demanded. "You just opened! I called as soon as I learned about you!"

"I know!" I had to agree. "Isn't it crazy?" But I felt terrible about not being able to accommodate her (because she had no other times that week that would work).

The bottom line is we need more vernisseurs! The seven nail professionals we have are AMAZING, but it turns out that they can only see one guest at a time (go figure!), and we have more guests interested in coming to Julep than the vernisseurs necessary to treat all of them. Especially since Anthony is going away for a two month design internship in New York City at the end of this week.

If you have any ideas for talented, passionate, empathetic people, or how to reach them, please let me know (jpark@myjulep.com). One vernisseur had the idea to tap into hairdressers who are also licensed and great at nail treatments for part time work in our busy evening hours.

If you are a talented, passionate and empathetic licensed nail professional reading this right now, please call us at (206) 985-6644. I'd love to be able to talk to you personally to tell you about Julep, and have you experience Julep yourself with a complimentary nail treatment of your choice (please mention VIP-V at the time of booking, and bring proof of your current license).

I was so preoccupied thinking about this issue as I was leaving Julep one night that I wore my apron and wireless telephone headset home. And this is not the discreet model that makes you look like you're crazy and talking to yourself. It's the serious, heavy duty, full-meal deal that leaves it's mark on your hairstyle all day long. But it means that I can answer the phone at anytime, anywhere in the parlor. But apparently not halfway across the city, in my living room, or so I have learned.

Sudafed

If you are a loyal reader of this blog (e.g. if you are my mother-in-law), you may have noticed that I've been a little light on postings recently.

That is because I've been recovering from the world's longest summer cold, while trying to start-up a business, support all our new employees, and catch passing glimpses of my family whenever possible.

I've been relying on Sudafed to get me through the day - until Safeway decided to cut me off. I was in buying my traditional cocktail of Airborne, Zicam, and Sudafed the other night when the cashier told me that they could no longer sell me Sudafed because I was past my limit.

Dear Safeway, I can truly promise you, I am not making crystal meth. In fact, I have no idea what crystal meth even looks like, or what it does (except I think my friend Ali told me once that many of her inmate clients have lost their teeth over the habit). Oh - would that I had the time for a crystal meth habit.

Instead, I am merely a very busy, very tired, stressed out mom of two who is starting a business (please read below). It seems cruel to take away my decongestants in this time of need.

Surely your demographics tell you that the #1 Sudafed purchasing group are harried women raising germ-infested children?

Please have mercy.

Parties, Parties, Parties

Today we hosted 3 bridal parties (4 to 10 people per party!), one girls night party (8 women), as well as several pairs of girlfriends.

I love bridal parties. At our last one tonight, each of the friends of the bride made a toast, sharing stories and words of wisdom. Despite having only met the bride the hour before, I was entirely teary eyed, listening from the computer where I was trying to keep track of who was doing what to whom.

We also welcomed back two of our growing cadre of regular guests. I love getting to know these guests, their various moods, idiosyncrasies, thoughts and ideas. One very nice woman has already come back several times in the three weeks we've been open - and has even sent in her daughter and daughter-in-law!

I feel really lucky to have this time helping to build our parlor into a home for communities of women.

Getting to know our guests

Two weeks in, and we're really starting to get our groove! The best part of the experience right now is feeling like everyday is better than the last.

What's really exciting is that we're starting to develop relationships with our emerging frequent guests. It's fun to get to know people, and their daughters, daughter-in-laws, and friends. I can see the outline of a Julep community starting to take shape.

One woman came in on our very first day, then came back later that week with her friend. Then they bought gift certificates to send their husbands in for Father's Day.

Over the next few weeks, we'll hopefully get our nail polishes, roller-ball cuticle oil (so very cool), and other details in place so we can offer all that we have been planning for.

Julep on Northwest Cable News May 31

First Girls Night Out

Wow, Sarah Jessica Parker looked more like a real person on the first episode of Sex in the City. That's one of the things I learned last Thursday at our Girls Night Out. (And that Miranda had a really bad haircut).

We had lots of pairs of friends coming in to hang out, reminisce, and get glamorous with our Julep mani-pedi package and $10 brow wax. Let me know if there's any better way to spend a Thursday night (especially during re-run season).

First Mommy Monday!

We had our first Mommy Monday this week, where we hosted fourteen moms and fifteen children aged 6 months to 5 years. And King 5 News broadcasted live from our parlor!

In the past 72 hours, we have booked more than 20 appointments for the next month of Mommy Mondays. . . so it looks like the word is spreading. Especially with the help of mommy websites like Red Tricycle.


Of course, at the end of the day, just after Mackenzie left and I was packing up the toys, two more moms and their one year olds walked in. So Amy, Michelle, Lisa and I got to fight over who got to sit and read Brown Bear, Brown Bear to two very cute, very cooperative toddlers.

I'll post pictures later, when I remember to bring my camera home.

Opening Party

Renata, Ali and Paul arrived in Seattle Friday night, making the launch all the more celebratory. We hosted a birthday party, a baptism party, and a belated mother's day party on our second official day! And then we had our own fabulous Opening Party in the evening. It turns out that my powers of persuasion are not strong enough to get my whole team out on the dance floor, but those that did put on their dance shoes put on a strong showing (thank you!). And thanks to all the brothers, sisters, moms, dads, nephews and friends of Julep who came to help us celebrate.

Attacking my cuticles

I've been trying to schedule myself in for a manicure (everyone who works at Julep gets one free service per month), and already I am Julep's worst client. I cancel with no notice - and poor excuses. Amy says they will stop taking my appointments if I don't shape up. (And I'm sure Jeanne will start charging me for the cancellations).

So today, when Amy and Lisa had a fifteen minute break between services they pinned me down and attacked my cuticles. It wasn't pretty, but my hands were after they were done!

I only wish we had done this BEFORE our media interviews! This morning Karri and I were on Northwest Cable News (filmed last week). I meant to wake up to watch it, but my daughter had a particularly rough night last night AND I forgot to set my alarm.

This week we are working through some minor fix ups with the build-out and equipment. Mitch has been fabulous about responding quickly and working out all the issues. I'm not sure when I'm supposed to stop calling him. A friend of mine was still seeing his pediatrician at age 32 - he never outgrew her, and she never told him to stop coming. I think I'm going to be that way with Mitch and Kirk.

Day 3 of soft launch - Several guests had their first manicures (and "man"-i-cure) today!

Second day, second bridal shower, first lotion sale!

First guests, first bridal party, first credit card transaction, first gift card, first cash transaction, first day!

1) Here's our first bridal party! The bride was beautiful, and seemed happier and more relaxed after being pampered by Amy. Somehow we got all the light fixtures to the middle of the room, where we gathered the chairs facing each other. The light fixtures really move! And we're really moving them!
2) Here's Amy with the bride and a girlfriend. The bride is having fajitas at her wedding for over 200!



3) Our first cash transaction.


3) Jeanne and Katerina smiling through yet another system error. Like the one from earlier today, when all of our appointment booking confirmation e-mails were going out under the logo "Antoinette Day Spa" . . . Jeanne and Katerina (or Kate, her phone handle) are like eight people's worth of energy and work packed into one.








4) Here's everyone as we toasted our survival of Day 1 (and watched the youtube of the Rosie/Elizabeth catfight which we had entirely missed while in our little Julep bubble).

Things to celebrate today:
1) Most fun day of work ever for me.
2) I remembered to call my daughter's pediatrician about a question we've been meaning to ask and got some great advice. (I had forgotten the day before).
3) Our chairs were adjusted to the right height today, so they were actually useful!
4) Our products (lotions and scrubs) finally arrived, as did our cute brown aprons!
5) We had working ottomans (or ottowomen, as actually Paul Schulman describes them) because Amy's sweet husband Heath came and installed 9 lb weights in the back (procured by our awesome Wilcox project manager Mitch Hart), and cut us dowels to use to keep the footrest secure until the proper handles arrive tomorrow. At one point I overheard him saying that this was a teeny bit more involved than he had anticipated . . . to which someone replied, "That's the way our whole week has been!"
6) We had several walk-in appointments! And several phone calls from people who had seen the article in the Seattle Times. We were flat out starting in the afternoon. It was so exciting to welcome guests in. I was actually a little sad at the end of our immersion program that we couldn't just keep hanging out and having great conversations. But this is fun too!
7) Karri is already finding ways to improve our products to do a better job.
8) We were interviewed by Northwest Regional News today! Will air on Tuesday at 6am or 8am, we hear!

Julep in the Seattle Times!

The Seattle Times ran an article on us today!

Also, we finished up our Julep Immersion Program. I was thinking today how "Servant Leadership" is much easier to execute when you can pick the most amazing people to serve. I genuinely like each of the people on our "founding team." They are smart, insightful, wise, funny, and incredibly dedicated and passionate about their profession. It will be quite an effort making everything else about Julep worthy of them.

I remember when I worked at BCG, we talked about whether you'd want to be stuck in an airplane, car, and small shared cubicle with the candidate as an important part of the hiring decision. (For a while I had the privilege of sharing a small metal desk with John Legend (John Stephens at the time), but that's a different story for a different blog entry).

I not only enjoy the Julep team, I feel like I can be who I am around them. And creating spaces for women to be who they are is exactly why I started down this journey in the first place.

But just so that I'm truthful about this whole start-up experience, it hasn't all been roses this week. I broke one of the light fixtures by accident - and two women with tools from Flux came within the hour to fix it for us! Our nail polishes haven't arrived, our lotions have been held up awaiting FDA approval, and our vernisseur chairs are still WAY too high (but should be fixed tomorrow - thanks to the fast help of Steven at Keeney's!). Thank goodness Karri invited Dr. Amy, her chiropracter, to come in today to educate us about posture and protecting our bodies in this line of work. Dr. Amy was awesome. I was sitting three inches taller by the time she left.

But in other not great news: (or "least fav" news, as our vernisseurs say), our aprons were held up at customs (they are coming from Canada), and Jeanne and I have been embroiled in an epic battle with our technology - admittedly trying to do incredibly advanced things like print a document.

Thank goodness for Karri, Jeanne, Shari and Tom, each of whom I've leaned on far beyond the pale this week (Jeanne revved the engine of her VW Jetta last night as we were racing home far past our kids' bed times). Thank you guys. I know two things: 1) I couldn't have gotten this far without you 2) where I would have gotten wouldn't have been as good, and 3) it would have been no where near as fun as it's been. Oops that's three things. I should probably go to bed now.

First day of First Ever Immersion Program

This was the most exciting day of this journey so far (but I mentioned to the team that I suspect we'll be having a lot of these record breaking days!). It was amazing to see the people who are going to breathe life into Julep. And I'm excited that the space is worthy of them.
I learned a lot today - everyone seemed so engaged and perceptive and had smart things to say. Of course I can't remember much of it right now because I am deleriously tired.

In the afternoon, Jeanne and Karri led a great discussion about how we can deliver memorably outstanding customer service. Then Jeanne showed everyone how to look at their schedules and customer data online.

It was fun to see Jeanne, who I met first as a fellow mom, in her professional element. She rocks.

This is getting really, really good!

Sunday Night

Here's how we left Sunday night - all ready for our vernisseurs and estheticians to arrive the next day.

The space doubles as a very nice meeting center.

Here's Shari, picking up our lotion labels because she doesn't trust us to put them on properly. (A well founded fear, actually). Of course, to put them on at all, they would have to be here. And we're still waiting on 1) a working dishwasher, 2) a working ice maker, 3) our lotions 4) our chairs, 5) our nail polishes. But other than THAT we're great!

Day before Immersion Program

We're getting there! Not sure if you can tell in this picture, but we've unpacked what seems like thousands of boxes. And checked off at least half of Jeanne's to do lists. Jeanne biked to Julep today (she and her husband Rich are training for the Seattle to Portland ride). Then she and Dave spent the rest of the day trying to get our cash register drawer to open (successfully!) and getting the receipt printer to print (also successfully!). Now I've got to run back to the parlor to finish getting ready for tomorrow.

The Gang's Starting to Arrive!

Here we all are (Lisa, Amy, Anthony, Karri, Jeanne, and me), in our workout clothes, running to Storeables, the restaurant supply store, building furniture, breaking light bulbs, buying more light bulbs, and finding some time to grab lunch on our patio in between.

Everyone has just jumped right in there! It's fun to see how infectious the fun is. I mean, of course I'm having fun. This is what I've been working on late nights for what seems like forever. But I'm just so bowled over by how dedicated Karri and Jeanne are, keeping us on track. (Karri made a hiring call while she was waiting for the report to be written after being rear-ended!). And how Anthony, Amy and Lisa have just fanned out over Seattle, dropping off brochures, collecting beef jerky, and being hit on by smarmy salesguys.

As exciting as it was to see various pieces of the space design come together, that pales in comparison to how exciting it is to see the people come together. The space is definitely better now that we have such wonderful people in it.