Make time to make your soul happy: easier said than done!!!! BUT here it goes, the story so far....
It has been a busy few months, opening my flagship salon, being asked to judge at a permanent makeup conference as well as facing some personal demons...oh and turning 40!!!
Firstly, I want to personally thank everyone who came to my salon open evening and to all my amazing clients who have supported my husband Darren and I and have helped make our dream come true. It means so much that you have chosen to support our local business and we are so grateful for all our clients.
For those of you that don't know, I am a private person and some people wondered why, after working in over 13 salons around the country and teaching, I would then decide to open up my very own salon....So here's the story of how I came to launch my own salon and I hope it inspires you to achieve your dreams.....
As some of you may know I sadly lost my mum only a few weeks after giving birth to Mason. The end of the pregnancy, the birth and immediately afterwards had some horrendous medical complications that still haunt me to this day. I am sure lots of you can relate once you've lost a parent you miss them everyday. I have always loved my job but having to return to work when Mason was only 3 months old for financial reasons was tough. During this time my husband Darren (AKA Mr Elemis facialist) was a senior manager in Retail working long hours (sorry yes I even tried to do the rota for them lol) and we had no idea how to look after a newborn as well our mental trauma from medical complications and the utter sadness of losing my mum.
To say the first year and a half of Mason's life was like living in a goldfish bowl is an understatement. Our lives were planned out with military precision, I had planners everywhere with who was picking him up from nursery and dropping him off, to what time a friend or family member was able to watch Mason. It was no life, we hardly saw each other and relied on begging, borrowing and stealing time and favours to help with looking after Mason. Darren and I want to personally thank again those few people we could rely on for having Mason xx We love you forever!!!
This crazy existence couldn't continue....
One day I was having a sports massage in the most beautiful old building (as tattooing your lovely faces everyday can take its toll on my neck and shoulders...oh and I love a nice pamper) and heard loads of noise above me so of course nosey me wanted to know what was going on....so I went upstairs uninvited (oops) and as soon as I saw the space I felt an instant calm, an instant OMG this is my zen space, this is me!...This is a bloody building site!!! Well thats what Darren said when I sneaked him in for a quick peek!!!
Safe to say it took a year to compete and there are still things that need finishing off now, but the salon is our happy place. Darren quit retail whilst the work was being done to look after Mason and our lives suddenly got easier. Yes you can worry about finances, yes you can worry about the future but nothing really bothered me anymore as I knew this was the right decision for our family.
I worked even harder and saved like to mad to afford the renovation and all the things I would need for a new salon (no-one told me how expensive towels were going to be!!!!!) Fast forward a few months and our clients are experiencing for themselves the zen like feeling I first felt when I entered the dust filled building site.
Darren is really enjoying his Elemis facials and I am loving tattooing in my very own space. I still travel and hold clinic days other salons around the country and love the work life balance we now have.
For those of you that might be stressed, mentally and physically tired please make time for yourself, we have ONE life and it is so important to look after yourself, otherwise you will burn out. I know it is easier said than done and I'm the worst at looking after myself as we are always putting others first.
So turning 40 I promised myself and my mum I would start to look after myself and smile again. You can do anything, be anything and achieve anything is my new motto.
Thank you for reading my little story have an amazing summer, go lay in the grass and listen to the birds even if it is for 2 minutes, I promise you'll feel better, or take a glass of vino and sit in the garden.
Lots of love
Jody & Darren xx
Find: 54 Bridge Street
Gainsborough
Lincolnshire
DN21 2AQ