Paying it forward on a larger scale

I am not only writing as a new business owner, I am writing as a member of humanity as well.

My name is MyNhi Montini. I recently purchased a business in North Branford; a salon of which I will be reopening on February 7th, 2015 under a new name and running under new management. There are countless salons that reside within a 10 mile radius and I had to ask myself, “what will make us stand out among the competition that will incline customers to choose us for a service that they would be able to get elsewhere?” I figured that any advertisements, aside from announcements of discounts or featuring the work of my business, would still render us lost in the crowd because most salons do the same thing.

One thing that I personally do when my thoughts are cluttered is to take a step back to consolidate my ideas. It was then that I realized that success is not definitive. Going about promoting my business in reference to the competition would be insinuating that I would build my success by what I took from others, which was not and is not how I want to excel. When I removed the competition aspect of my business plan, I had made room for inspiration.

Promises are empty words until it’s followed through. What I stand for and what I want to insure to my clients and potential clients cannot be simply conveyed in text. I would have to prove it by my actions, which would give merit to my words. Yes, this is run as a proprietary business, and yes, the goal is to make profit, but the value of what I perceive as a success is much more than the monetary value attached to it. By default, the goal of any business is to make money. I do not see the potential of what money can buy, but rather, the difference that money can make. However, money is the thing of value that has the potential to devalue anything it touches. I have watched ethical and moral values deplete because of the greed that a lot of people have fallen to and I certainly don’t want to compromise my integrity for the potential for success.

My faith in humanity has faltered but every once in a while, a random act of kindness, whether received or perceived, is enough to restore it. In reciprocation to a random act of kindness bestowed upon me by a nameless stranger, I want to pay it forward. I had planned for my grand-opening day to be for Saturday, February 7th, 2015 and I have chosen to dedicate that day to the cause. My team, as well as a few stylists that work in other salons, will be volunteering our time to give free haircuts to the community. Although walk-ins are welcome, to insure that there is a stylist available, making an appointment would be the best way to avoid chaos. Give us a call at (203)215-2227 and leave a message if no one is available to pick up and we will schedule on a first come, first serve basis.