So, here’s my question, are you a person to speak up?

Are you someone that can speak up against injustice? Or advocate for a child? Or another person? Are you one to speak up if something isn’t what you asked for?

There are so many instances and varying scenarios where you might or might not speak up. Whenever I think of it speaking up, John Quinones pops into my head and I can hear him ask “what would you do?”.  If you’re unfamiliar with him, he hosts a show called “What Would You Do?” which basically puts actors into real life and has them act out varying scenarios to see if any strangers would step in, speak up or pretend like it’s not happening.  

Of course “What Would You Do” centers around some big topics at times, emotional manipulation, abuse, etc and speaking up isn’t always so heavy handed. 

I often “what would you do” myself when I’m thinking “what if this ever happened?” would I speak up?

There are so many different degrees of speaking up.  We all know someone who will NEVER be quiet if they see something happening that isn’t fair or right.  Or the person who will always tell their server that their order is wrong.  We also know the people who will NEVER speak up in situations.  Whichever side you fall on, or somewhere in between, there’s a million reasons why.  And neither is wrong, neither is right, it all depends on the situation. The speaking up I’m focused on is negative and positive reviews.

What's the old adage? “A happy customer tells a friend, an unhappy customer tells the world”, oh how true this is! If you think about it, how often do those who had a GREAT experience leave a review? Think of all the wonderful moments you have had with a service out in the world, at a restaurant, a tattoo artist, a skilled trade, with a hair stylist or even photographer, and how many times you’ve made a review about how amazing your experience was.  In general, it’s not as common as those who have had a negative experience and the higher incidence that they will leave a public review. I totally get it! I have had amazing experiences, and I don’t always review them and let the world know how awesome it was. But I have had some negative experiences and I have carefully chosen my words and when to review.  Leaving positive reviews can mean the world to an individual.

One time, after a particularly amazing experience at a local restaurant (actually, we had had several amazing experiences with the same server prior) I finally said “I'm writing a review. I want everyone to know how awesome she is!” And I did. I never expected anything or even thought about it after that.  Until we went back to that restaurant. Next thing we know we had an appetizer sent to our table, she wasn’t out server that day but was working, and the app was sent to us free of charge.  She came over and thanked us for such an amazing review and that she had sent the app as a thank you.  She said her boss saw the review and rewarded her for it.  And that was enough to make me happy! Even without the yummy, free appetizer she sent! It took me all of 5 minutes to write it, but it made an impact on the person it was intended for! 

As an artist myself, (hi, professional photographer here!), who puts a piece of herself into each project, there is always a twinge of “will they love them?” and so hearing back, that they do, is AH–MAZING.  On the flip side, since I put my heart and soul into every session, every image,  the idea of someone speaking up because they aren’t pleased cuts like a knife.  That being said, I am human, we’re all human, and if I missed the mark, I want to know! I’d also want to have the chance to fix that missed mark. Sometimes, it’s not possible.  Not every person is a match for another, and sometimes people just don’t jive well together and are better suited for someone else (and that’s ok too!).  But giving someone constructive feedback is a gift.  (Notice I said constructive feedback, you don’t have to be a j3rk about it… “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar” is really quite true).

Working in the salon, I am surrounded by beautiful artists, who all do like I do, put a piece of themselves into every appointment. And like I said, we are all human and perfection isn’t possible every single time BUT in the rare time they’ve missed the mark, just like me, they want to hear from you.  Perhaps it's just that you wanted it to be a bit shorter, or have a few pieces that seem out of place, or there was a miscommunication.  Our team welcomes the opportunity for growth, personally and professionally. 

Don’t be afraid to communicate your feelings, (again, in a constructive, thoughtful and most certainly a respectful way), especially if you’re feeling it while still in the chair.  No one’s going to spit in your drink, I promise! 

Conversely, if you’ve enjoyed your experience, in any industry, speak up! Write about it. Talk about it.  You just never know when you’re really going to make someone's day, or week or who knows, even life!