JANUARY 2021 UPDATES

NEW YEAR OF 2021 CHANGES AND UPDATES!!!

This is most likely the most important email I have sent this year! Wait…we are only 5 days in! HA, HA! Thought I would start with humour!  But, honestly…this email IS REALLY IMPORTANT and I appreciate you reading every word! From my heart to your heart…Thank you and May you ever Prosper and be treated kindly as you walk through this next year.

LET’S DIVE IN SHALL WE?

I think we can all agree that 2020 has asked more of us all than we could ever have envisioned.

It’s been a painful and challenging year for most of the world. It’s also had its quiet and beautiful moments too. It’s humbled me and brought self care to the forefront of our lives.

I know that these repeated closures have tested all of us in ways that we never thought possible…I’m still trying to make house calls, drop off hair color kits, and juggle calls rescheduling everyone affected by this latest closure notice.
It’s an ever moving puzzle to say the least!

You have ALL Been troopers and SOOOOO very patient with me as I have rescheduled and rescheduled you over and over….it’s the most challenging aspect to all this and I am doing my best to make sure we reach out to each and everyone of you. No client left behind!

I am eternally grateful for all the well wishes, kind words, gifts, and thoughts you have all expressed to me through these last 10 months. I am humbled.

As we roll into this pivotal year of 2021 we will continue to be asked to stay flexible and patient. In the spirit of that…I have made a very courageous choice and leap of faith to follow my heart.

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Many of you know I have always wanted to create a more holistic and  “private” hair experience for my clients.

On New Year’s Eve, I was unexpectedly but miraculously offered to share a local hair studio space that will foster exactly that vision without me having to create a studio salon from scratch!  I looked deep into my heart and said “Yes!” It came in such a way that I can’t say no..this Gift has the handprint of Grace written all over it.

I’ll be able to offer an even more relaxed, private, quieter, and balanced environment so my focus can be 100% on the well-being of all my clients and not on salon distractions!

I think that as we move into 2021 that these created places of Peace and self care are going to be even more important in our lives. My deepest hope is to offer you an invitation to let me create that space for you. I want to make 2021 brighter for each and every one of you the best way I know how!

My shared suite mate and I will be working separate days so when you come see me, we will have the place all to ourselves. Parking is always available, the mountain views are lovely, you can choose your own music, and I’ll be able to offer LOWER prices too! Wait what??? True 🙂

Finally, In light of the recent hygiene protocol changes in my industry, this space…with French doors that open wide and less people inside affords even more controlled safety, well being, and comfort getting your hair done than ever before.

What’s the catch?! Well…glad you asked. It’s located 12 miles from downtown SLO in Balmy Los Osos! I know, I know….I’m asking you to embrace another change after a year of too much change!

Please trust that this move will absolutely benefit your overall experience and I invite you to join me in this next adventure. I mean…there IS a drive-thru Starbucks across the street 🙂

I know it’s a big ask and I’m aware that it can seem out of the way but I’ve done the drive 2X a day for 22 years! It’s gorgeous, got ever changing colors on the hills, and you will be at the studio before you know it. Again…9-12 miles from SLO!

The Salon space is called Ursa Major named after The Great Mother Bear Constellation that contains stars that line up to point to Polaris, The North Star!

I’m excited and looking forward to showing you the new space where I’ll be happily working to create a sanctuary and haven from stress for YOU! Check out the studio website: https://www.ursamajor-hair.com/about

PHEW!! THAT was really scary to share and a relief at the same time. The courage to follow that Inner Voice of Grace and go in the direction of True North is always daunting. I truly hope you will join me in celebration of being able to offer you something special and even MORE with a few extra minutes drive.

Hope is on the horizon!

The address is 2280 Sunset Drive, Los Osos. When you are coming into town, It’s a left hand turn off Los Osos Valley road one block past the post office on the left.

The salon sits 1/2 block on the right in a small, charming, business park next to a modern looking BIG red building. It’s Hard to miss! Parking spots are available in the lot and in front of the business.

I’ll be in the new Studio starting February 1st and of course, I’ll be contacting each one of you to make sure it all goes smoothly. Right now, I’m still seeing many people for home hair care visits during this recent shutdown.

I’m in the process of contacting directly anyone that had/has appointments in January that have been disrupted due to the closures to discuss options for rescheduling before i am in my new space.

Hopefully, I can start earlier in the new space than 2/1 if the shutdown gets lifted…I already have keys!

All appointments starting February 1st will be at the new place!

All appointments starting February 1st are going to be
in-salon, safe and calm.

Many of you have asked how you can help me beyond the normal ways…Well, you can order directly from my Product Partner page with the Organic natural Line that I love.

They have all kinds of fun things beyond shampoo and I get a 30% comiision paid to me for every purchase! Feel free to click the link below and support me in this way if you feel so moved. Thank you!

https://www.holistichairtribe.com/seanlevahn

Please contact me with ANY concerns or questions about this. I’m here for you and together we can make 2021 a brighter year filled with
Hope, Peace, and Community.

My CELL:
805-801-5607

Jennifer’s Cell (My Scheduling Manager)
805-441-4879

My Email:
seanlevahn@gmail.com

DECEMBER 2020 Closure UPDATE!!

Good gosh…where do I start? How about Happy Holidays…THAT sounds weird, doesn’t it?

All I know is that I Am eternally grateful to all of you for going on the rollercoaster journey of this last year WITH me.  Like..really, really, grateful.

I KNOW it has been a big ask on my part everytime this year i have had to scrap all the appointments i have booked and start over with rescheduling everyone.

Here we are in closure #3 in 10 months!

It’s just a big mess….BUT, I know how to clean it up, what tools i need, the willingness, and especially the help from Jennifer, my scheduler!

So, THANK YOU. Truly, madly, deeply! We really can only do this TOGETHER and do it in KINDNESS.

Closure and rebooking info!!

Let’s go over the actual understanding of the mechanics of the closure first so we are all on the same page!

The Regional Stay Home Order, announced December 3, 2020, will go into effect within 24 hours in regions with less than 15% ICU availability. It prohibits private gatherings of any size, closes sector operations except for critical infrastructure and retail, and requires 100% masking and physical distancing in all others.

The order will remain in effect for at least 3 weeks and, after that period, will be lifted when a region’s projected ICU capacity meets or exceeds 15%. This will be assessed on a weekly basis after the initial 3 week period.

::NEWEST UPDATE::
Community members should prepare now for the State’s Regional Stay at Home Order to take effect on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 11:59 p.m. The ICU capacity for the Southern California region, which includes San Luis Obispo County, fell below the State’s 15% trigger Friday evening.

Here are some links:

https://www.emergencyslo.org/en/currentrestrictions.aspx​
https://www.ksby.com/

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READ THIS PART IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE! HA HA!

Obviously, I am asking for a bit more patience again as we rework the schedule and contact anyone who is effected. I will be trying to do as many home visits as i can outside in people’s backyards or on the patios. I will be doing a limited number of these visits for many reasons and we will contact each and every one of you, which takes time, so have no fear that we won’t reach out. WE WILL…it just takes us days to get to everyone. We will be going in order of how you are all booked into my schedule. We are going to start making phone calls DECEMBER 7TH!

If you have an appointment booked for AFTER January 1st…I am keeping them exactly where they are!! If you tend to have mutliple appointments on the books….we will have to rework them into a new sequence of appointments most likely…it will be a case by case basis!

One of the VERY hard and unknown things about this is the rescheduling. I really want to avoid rebooking everyone and then the closure is extended by another week…thereby forcing me to cancel that entire week and rebook AGAIN!!

At that point, Where to put everyone becomes an issue. I want to avoid working 7 days a week 10 hours a day…that might be inevitable for a little while but it’s unsustainable and unhealthy for me long term.

I WILL DO MY BEST to roll with the changes and i ask that you offer the same flexibility…these are not normal times so getting exactly what you want, when you want it…like days of old, may not always happen. Please be understanding and know that for those of us in industries that directly serve the public we are being stretched beyond what we can humanly accomplish and still function as a thriving business during these unprecedented times.

I am going to be trusting and rebooking just after the 3 weeks is up…so, that makes it late december to literally the first week of 2021. Good lord. Please be patient again with us as we call at least a hundred people and that alone takes days to accomplish even if everything is easy and brief.

I am also going to be filling you all in on all the upcoming changes and updates as we approach a New Year. I know that there will be challenges and opportunities for growth in the coming year for all of us and I will endeavor to meet them with you as smoothly as possible and with professionalism, knowledge, and CARE!

Why are some salons open during the closure?

Price Adjustments for 2021

 The prices below reflect a $5 increase on each service…If you wish to pay by credit card there will be a $3 surcharge included with the cost. I accept all cards, Venmo, Zelle, Paypal, Check, and Cash.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Like one of my favorite business mentors, Marie Forleo, says…

“Everything is figureoutable!”
https://everythingisfigureoutable.com/

Pricing effective January 2021

Haircuts

Women‘s Haircuts (includes blowdry and style) 75
*Dry cut only 60

Kid cuts 35+ 

Men’s cuts 45+

Hair Colour

Root retouch 85

All over Colour 130

Accent highlight 45-75

Partial highlight 130

Full highlight 155

Toner add on 25+

Partial foil w/root retouch 155

Specialty

Colour correction 95/hr +

Specialty (balayage) and Vivid Colours 95/hr +
Smoothing Service 200+

Extra colour charge for thick/x-long/speciality 10+

Treatments

Demineralizer $30
Organic Oway Hair Rebuilding Service $45
Khairpep Radical Repair treatment add on $7

Retail Hair Products from Oway, O&M, Kevin Murphy, and Eleven Australia are available and range from $22-$40

***Dry cut only service-Please come to your appoinment with your hair clean and styled in your everyday wear.
A 1/2 hour time is booked for this type of cut and not everyone’s hair is suited to this kind of cutting.
Dry cuts are not suited for big style makeovers,
or extreme angled cuts.

Schedule changes going into effect for 2021

This year has shown me that I need to choose wiser, practice self care, and lead by example. I am playing around with different schedules that will allow me to offer all clients a mix of morning, afternoon, evening, and weekend hours without working 60 hours a week! Amazing, eh?

If you tend to see me anywhere from every 3-12 weeks…booking multiple
appointments ahead will be highly advised. A lot of you already do that and it’s a fabulous way to get the exact day and time you want.

Remember, the best way to make an appointment or rebook is to text Jennifer (my booking manager) or I directly!

CANCELLING AND RESCHEDULING

Life happens, right? Needing to reschedule your appointments will obviously happen from time to time. If something comes up on your end…please try to give me at least 72 hours as heads up so I can rebook the spot! I will do my absolute best to get you back into my schedule within 3-10 days. It may be a couple weeks before you can get back in…not always, but in high demand times of the year that is almost inevitable!

I will always do my best to accomodate all changes that occur!

Scheduling Manager,

Jennifer Johnson

Text is best

(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn, Owner

805-801-5607

Text is best or email

My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

ADDING A NEW COLOUR LINE!

Many of you know that I am committed to being as all natural, clean, organic, and healthy with ALL my choices for hair products. Lately I have been exploring adding another colour line called Original and Mineral that lives in that same ethical space. So far…I LOVE IT!

From Original & Mineral:
“The world of hair is changing, and low-chemical and natural technology is leading the way. 

Our mission is to provide the cleanest professional colour in the world which has led us to a progressive new colouring approach. Molecular Blend Technology (MBT) which pre-links colour pigments that are supported by two nourishing hero complexes giving incredible vibrancy, shine, longevity and protection to coloured hair. We call it O&M CØR.color. And of course – as the name suggests – it stays true to our core promise: zero ammonia, PPD or resorcinol.”

So far I am happy with the results! I still will be using the Colour Line out of Italy called Oway…which also is Natural, full of organic ingredients, and great for hair health while colouring. I am just choosing to expand on my current choices! Options, people, Options!!

Feel free to look up their website here to find out more:
https://originalmineral.com.au/pages/our-story

Parking Reminders

Many of you have wondered if you can park in the spaces that are marked “20 minute” parking. Absolutely. I park in them all day as do my co-workers and the owners of the plaza businesses! They are only there as a city requirement and no one checks them. EVER.

So, go crazy…Park there for your whole appointment! A little known secret when the parking lot seems full….there’s overflow parking in a lower parking lot! Feel free to park there!

THANK YOU FOR BEING MY FRIENDS, CLIENTS, AND JUST PLAIN AWESOME PEOPLE!

I am in awe of our community and I am BLESSED to know you all…..

See You soon in a backyard near you!

Be your Best self with each other, practice Kindness,
and Choose your Peace above all else!

SEPTEMBER UPDATE!!

FINALLY FULLY OPEN!!!

“The Pessimist Sees Difficulty In Every Opportunity. The Optimist Sees Opportunity In Every Difficulty.”

– Winston Churchill

It’s been a long strange trip my friends! I AM BEYOND GRATEFUL that all my clients have exhibited patience, compassion, endless waiting, and I am sure some bad hair days!!

It is with great excitement and JOY, I can finally say…

I am open for ALL things hair!

I want to keep this email simple and to the point!

I will go over a few things here that I feel are important to know and provide links for further details if you want them.

What will this email cover?

1. Online booking

2. Phone Booking

3. Rewards Program

4. Retail Products

5. New Hours and Pricing

ONLINE BOOKING:

If you want to take matters into your own hands and reschedule yourself…there is a way!

Here is the link: https://unifyhairstudio.com/book-appointment-24-7/

or you can use https://www.vagaro.com/seanlevahn

BOOKING BY TEXT OR PHONE CALL
(text is best)
If online booking ain’t your thang…this is your next best way to get in touch and get a prompt response from us!

My all around Wunderkind and the “behind the scenes, run my biz life” Superhero Extraordinaire Scheduling Manager, Jennifer Johnson

Text (or call) (805) 441-4879

She does SOOO much more for me besides scheduling and calling clients….She is absolutely one of the main reasons for my success in being an Independent Hairstylist and local small business owner.

Her professionalism, attention to detail, efficiency, intelligence, moral support, and great phone voice are just some of why I love her! Plus, she has some amazing crafting skills!!

She and I are in constant contact and do a daily recap so please know that I am fully aware of any and all booking issues, waitlists, and messages from clients…

I do my best to allow Jennifer to handle all things booking related and will step in if she’s busy, needs time off, or my direct intervention is needed!

I consider her my other half in Business matters!

You and I could not be in better hands…truly!

The Rewards Points Program

Many of you know how altruistic I am and My rewards points program was no exception! Some of you may not even know that you have, and will continue to have, points being accrued for every service you have done from cuts to color and any purchase of an OWAY brand product.

It was VERY generous and in doing my taxes for 2019 and going over the books from last year it’s apparent that the current program was unsustainable to stay in business long term! Yikes!

Moving forward, and starting right now…everyone will still accrue points towards the new program. The use of points is this:

1. You will gain points for every hair service & for OWAY products only.

2. Each service and OWAY product is worth a certain number of points.

3. When you hit the number of points that a service is worth you will receive 30% off the service.

You can save points for later, use for gifts to family or friends, and use for yourself.

RETAIL PRODUCTS

I am now retailing my Fave OWAY brand products IN THE SALON!

I have some shelving at the front of the salon and I am super in love with some of their products that I now will be carrying. 

If you prefer to shop online and support me by helping me gain the 30% commission…here is the link: 

https://www.holistichairtribe.com/seanlevahn

 New Hours

I will be working a total of 4-5 days a week, (a combo of weekdays, weeknights/weekends)
and about 30-40 hours per week.

The days of the 60/70 hrs a week and 6-7 days a week schedule I have done for many years is over.

My time spent meditating in the “quarantine zone” has showed me that it’s time for a New Era!

Price Adjustments

Effective Sept. 1st, there will be a $4 credit card charge fee if you want to use a credit card to process your payments. Feel free to use Cash, Check, Paypal, or Venmo instead of a card. If you don’t know how to use Venmo/Paypal…I can help you get that set up!

I will be posting all my services and Prices on my website by October 1st.

I am all for open communication around finances and I am sensitive to different budgets…we just need to talk about it!Nobody likes surprises when they are checking out.

Beginning on Nov.1st, 2020 I will be adjusting my prices. I will do my best to clearly communicate my prices and the costs involved with your appointments as well as “the why.”

www.seanlevahn.com

I am choosing to face this unknown and uncharted time ahead of us with Strength, Compassion, and Adaptability…Join me?

I can’t wait to see you again, get you a cup of tea, do good hair, and sit for a spell and catch up! Thank you for all your support over this time away as I have risen to meet the moment the best ways I know how. I am so VERY GRATEFUL that you have waited and waited, and then waited some more to be able to get in to “dress up your Do’!”  I will see you soon and boy, are we all going to have so much to talk about!

PEACE and GOOD HAIR days to you till I see you again.

AUGUST 25th Outdoor services UPDATE:

Good morning! It’s been awhile since my last update and I thought that it’s a good time to touch base!

As always…I have a lot to say, so take your time reading this!! I have no superpowers of brevity, obviously!

As of today, Salons and the personal care industry in California (no other state) are still required to remain closed if they are on the state’s County Watchlist (SLO county is on the watchlist) and are only allowed to do outside services within certain guidelines.

TRUST ME…THE MOMENT WE CAN REOPEN, WE WILL BE CONNECTING WITH EVERY ONE OF YOU RIGHT AWAY!!! 

I am also in the dark about how long this will last…my guess is another month! Don’t hold me to it though…it’s 2020 so…ya know!

You may hear of Salons doing services “speakeasy” style and quietly servicing their guests through the back door so to speak. You may hear of salons defying the State order and fully opening to service their communities safely. You may hear that Salons have chosen NOT to service their clients outside in unpredictable conditions.

You may see and hear of salons working outside in unpredictable conditions. (👋🏾 Me…that’s me!)

It’s all a choice and I am fully in support of my fellow business owners doing whatever they can SAFELY do to keep their businesses from failing and service their guests!

I personally know 4 salon owners in CA that have permanently closed in the last 30 days because they can no longer afford to pay a lease on an empty space with no revenue coming in.

At this time, I have chosen not place my license and business at risk by going against the restrictions. I am doing my best to assist my clients through this time by working in my “outside station” that I build each day I work.

I won’t go into the challenges with this type of experience on my finances, mental health, and my clients….but let’s say I am eagerly anticipating being able to open for inside services as soon as I can “legally” do so.

The health departments of various counties as well as the state board of cosmetology have begun issuing citations, tickets, and cease & desist orders to personal care businesses statewide.

The actual Health department violation is a PUBLIC NUISANCE ticket. Imagine that…serving our local communities SAFELY is now considered a Nuisance.

Hmmm 🤨 (did ya catch how I feel about that?)

Moving forward, I am doing my very best under these conditions to safely operate my business and keep an income stream. I am seeing clients outside my salon and many of you have seen me and many of you are “on the books” right now.

Jennifer, my scheduling manager, and I are working everyday to make phones calls, texts, and leave messages to see what we can do for you to meet your hair needs while remaining in compliance with the State order.

ONGOING SCHEDULING 

Scheduling, as you can imagine, is very tricky and yet we are up to the task! I am currently booking from today until September 15th. It’s about 95% full already and I work very different days/hours than when I am IN-salon and so we are reworking every clients current and future appointments into the new booking template.

This takes a lot of effort and may change what days I normally see you! Even though I am “working” some of you will most likely still wait longer than you feel is “normal” (reminder-life is not normal right now!) but I am only 1 person working under very restrictive guidelines and there are only so many days in a week! I am, like everyone else, juggling my own health and safety on all levels.

I can only book out so far in order to maintain the integrity of the scheduling process. I will release new dates for booking past the 15th on September 1st.

I release about 3-5 days at a time due to the ever changing nature of the situation. I have to be ready to reopen at a moments notice and I would like to avoid having to cancel anyone in order to rework everyone’s appointments yet again once we open!

At this time, I am allowed to only cut hair outside. I have other coloring options for my color clients.

Please text or call Jennifer (contact info below)to find out what all the options are and how I can make this easier on you!

I feel compelled to remind us all that we are not in a “business as usual” mode and so flexibility, understanding, and compassion for what me and my fellow hairstylists are going through is asked of you. I will, in turn, offer you to do my very best, stay positive, and stay communicative through all this!

I am deeply grateful for those of you that are willing to allow me to continue doing your hair in the ways that I can for now and without your support…I’d be a right mess! I WANT to work for my own sanity…I AM here for you and I bow to your beautiful souls and inner nature of goodness!

Take care and PLEASE REACH OUT if you need ANYTHING!! I have online and personal delivery retail options as well if you are running low on hair products.

AUGUST 25th Outdoor services UPDATE:

Good morning! It’s been awhile since my last update and I thought that it’s a good time to touch base!

As always…I have a lot to say, so take your time reading this!! I have no superpowers of brevity, obviously!

As of today, Salons and the personal care industry in California (no other state) are still required to remain closed if they are on the state’s County Watchlist (SLO county is on the watchlist) and are only allowed to do outside services within certain guidelines.

TRUST ME…THE MOMENT WE CAN REOPEN, WE WILL BE CONNECTING WITH EVERY ONE OF YOU RIGHT AWAY!!! 

I am also in the dark about how long this will last…my guess is another month! Don’t hold me to it though…it’s 2020 so…ya know!

You may hear of Salons doing services “speakeasy” style and quietly servicing their guests through the back door so to speak. You may hear of salons defying the State order and fully opening to service their communities safely. You may hear that Salons have chosen NOT to service their clients outside in unpredictable conditions.

You may see and hear of salons working outside in unpredictable conditions. (👋🏾 Me…that’s me!)

It’s all a choice and I am fully in support of my fellow business owners doing whatever they can SAFELY do to keep their businesses from failing and service their guests!

I personally know 4 salon owners in CA that have permanently closed in the last 30 days because they can no longer afford to pay a lease on an empty space with no revenue coming in.

At this time, I have chosen not place my license and business at risk by going against the restrictions. I am doing my best to assist my clients through this time by working in my “outside station” that I build each day I work.

I won’t go into the challenges with this type of experience on my finances, mental health, and my clients….but let’s say I am eagerly anticipating being able to open for inside services as soon as I can “legally” do so.

The health departments of various counties as well as the state board of cosmetology have begun issuing citations, tickets, and cease & desist orders to personal care businesses statewide.

The actual Health department violation is a PUBLIC NUISANCE ticket. Imagine that…serving our local communities SAFELY is now considered a Nuisance.

Hmmm 🤨 (did ya catch how I feel about that?)

Moving forward, I am doing my very best under these conditions to safely operate my business and keep an income stream. I am seeing clients outside my salon and many of you have seen me and many of you are “on the books” right now.

Jennifer, my scheduling manager, and I are working everyday to make phones calls, texts, and leave messages to see what we can do for you to meet your hair needs while remaining in compliance with the State order.

ONGOING SCHEDULING 

Scheduling, as you can imagine, is very tricky and yet we are up to the task! I am currently booking from today until September 15th. It’s about 95% full already and I work very different days/hours than when I am IN-salon and so we are reworking every clients current and future appointments into the new booking template.

This takes a lot of effort and may change what days I normally see you! Even though I am “working” some of you will most likely still wait longer than you feel is “normal” (reminder-life is not normal right now!) but I am only 1 person working under very restrictive guidelines and there are only so many days in a week! I am, like everyone else, juggling my own health and safety on all levels.

I can only book out so far in order to maintain the integrity of the scheduling process. I will release new dates for booking past the 15th on September 1st.

I release about 3-5 days at a time due to the ever changing nature of the situation. I have to be ready to reopen at a moments notice and I would like to avoid having to cancel anyone in order to rework everyone’s appointments yet again once we open!

At this time, I am allowed to only cut hair outside. I have other coloring options for my color clients.

Please text or call Jennifer (contact info below)to find out what all the options are and how I can make this easier on you!

I feel compelled to remind us all that we are not in a “business as usual” mode and so flexibility, understanding, and compassion for what me and my fellow hairstylists are going through is asked of you. I will, in turn, offer you to do my very best, stay positive, and stay communicative through all this!

I am deeply grateful for those of you that are willing to allow me to continue doing your hair in the ways that I can for now and without your support…I’d be a right mess! I WANT to work for my own sanity…I AM here for you and I bow to your beautiful souls and inner nature of goodness!

Take care and PLEASE REACH OUT if you need ANYTHING!! I have online and personal delivery retail options as well if you are running low on hair products.

JULY 26th Outdoor services UPDATE:

Good day y’all! Well…I have been going back and forth on the issue of salon closures 2.0 and the only option available to do hair…outside hair services. Regardless of how unprofessional it seems to me, I can’t and won’t endure another month or more of my business and YOU being so impacted by this.

For those of you that were able to sneak into the 30 day window I was open, you know how safe and sanitary the salon has been. Plexiglass barriers, temp checks, hand washing galore, masks on everyone, hand sanitizer everywhere, nuclear level virucide spray twice per client on all my tools and personal space, same for the shampoo bowls/chair after each use, and touch less check out (if desired)! We all take the health of staff and clients seriously. Enough said.

Let’s talk outside services.

What CAN I do outside?

I can cut hair (no major makeovers please!) I can use a spray bottle to wet the hair if needed and of course I can always do dry cuts. I can do a deep conditioning treatment for you afterwards that you can go home and rinse out as well. Take me up on that…not enough of you do this at home. It makes a difference in the health of your hair!

Will styling be available after the cut? Running electricity to the outside of the salon is a tricky affair and right now I’m leaning away from that as an option…let’s go Au Naturel and air dry for now…lean into it!

Retail Sales

I’m proud to announce that I have invested in quite a bit of OWAY organics hair products and they will be available for sale as well as the Davines line and the Eleven line. I’m happy to help you find the right price point and right product for your hair!

Can I color?

We are not allowed to have clients in the salon to shampoo, rinse, or do any services that require use of the establishment. So, no color. I’m not keen on doing color and then you go home to wash it out. My liability insurance actually will not cover me doing hair outside much less in your home! What if you got into a fender bender on the way home or the color somehow got into your eyes and something terrible happened? I can’t endanger YOU, anyone else, or my business that way. Have I done this over my career? Yes, and it makes me stressed and nervous every time. I’m stressed enough right now…let’s not add to it, M’ kay?

What can you expect the service to look like?

A chair in front of the salon, small, but full length mirror, my clean tools in a box. Me. You. Let’s do this 🙂  Masked up, sanitized, out of the direct sun, and laughter! What are the challenges?WIND! Temperature fluctuations, sunlight, no blow dry styling per se, and probably things I can’t control or foresee! Sounds fun…I’m game if you are!

Cost?

After much thought and talking to other hairstylists in the area….I will be charging less for the outside services experience….I can’t square my normal prices (which modestly go up in October) with such a reduced experience. I know it’s no fault of mine but I have to be able to sleep at night! So, my outside cut prices will be:

Women-$50

Men-$35

How to book?

If you feel like you are up for the adventure please call/text (best) Jennifer, my scheduling manager (info below) on weekdays only and she will get everyone booked in correctly.

I’ll be working quite limited hours/days doing this so we will ALL be in this together being as flexible and understanding as possible. I’ll try to have a reasonable range of hours and days I’m working. You can always reach out to me as well if more than 24 hours goes by without a return call from Jennifer.

We want to make this as easy as possible and as professional as it can be, given the odd and weird world we now are traveling through.  I’m here for you as much as the State Board of Cosmetology and CA will let me be! I can’t wait to be able to have my full career and SAFE business back as soon as possible. Please come see me…I truly miss all of you!

Contact info:

Scheduling Manager,

Jennifer Johnson

Text is best

(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn, Owner

805-801-5607

Text is best or email

My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

JULY 16th UPDATE:

GOOD MORNING
Deja Vu….round 2!

I am sure by now you have heard…SLO county has closed all salons for an unspecified amount of time again. UGH.

I am going to have to get creative to save my business and I am asking, once again, for patience, compassion, and understanding as we ALL navigate the changing landscapes from week to week, month to month.

Sadly, I think we are looking at the near future of business now. Flexibility will be the Key to sustainability and Success.

HOME VISITS AND OUTSIDE SERVICES?

Basically, to keep everything flowing as normal, I would be visiting 3-4 people day for 2 hours at a time in an uncontrolled, unlicensed, and uninsured environment day after day.

Even just seeing 1 person per day adds up to dozens of exposures in environments that do not conform to State Board of cosmetology guidelines for sanitation. I would be going from home to home in order to make this happen. Therefore, I become the “wild card” vector between all my clients.

After speaking to some of my MD clients and giving this thought…I have to err on the side of safety, health, and caution as a business professional with a good reputation in a small town. 

This morning, the State Board of cosmetology has once again clarified that if any salon or stylist is operating outside their established business location or in a home they will be pursuing “revokation” of our licenses. If I’m found to be doing that in any capacity i will be subject to an experience of my own making and I will not do it. I care too much about my clients and my livelihood to risk so much!

It might not be what you or I want to hear…but, I will not be traveling to multiple homes to do hair nor will I be operating outside my salon doing “sidewalk” haircuts! 

WHAT’S NEXT?

It’s with a heavy heart that I’m basically going to shut down again for the time period of the order. It’s nothing I want to do nor anticipated happening so soon. But…life is made of curveballs and how we meet those twists and turns of fate determine our character and honour. Jennifer and I will be reaching out to all of those clients that will be affected and getting you into the calendar after the shutdown is over!

It’s tricky though…in order for the order to be lifted, SLO county has to FIRST have their cases per 100,000 come UNDER the threshold of 100 cases. How long that will take is not in my crystal ball today! Although, I do have some LOVELY crystal balls in my house 🙂 THEN, we have to STAY UNDER that for a 14 day period before we can re-open.

Can you see the conundrum? When do create a theoretical re-open date to reschedule into? Well, I am going to assume that it takes a week to get our numbers down (not a scientific method!) and then add the 14 days to it..so, three weeks is the MINIMUM I think for re-open. That is THURSDAY, AUGUST 6th.

If my calculations are thwarted by the virus and number of cases RISING, then that pushes back everything and we begin the process of canceling and rescheduling all over again! It’s stressful for everyone and i want to MINIMIZE the stress not create more.

That said….JENNIFER AND I WILL WAIT FOR 1 WEEK BEFORE WE MAKE CALLS TO RESCHEDULE IN ORDER TO SEE WHICH WAY THE CASES GO…THERE WILL BE A PRESS CONFERENCE FROM THE CITY OF SLO AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 23RD…I will wait till that day to see the results of a week of being shut down before I make the call to begin rescheduling. 

I will always communicate to you when I know the next steps with clarity and purpose! Keep the faith! 

To be clear…we will begin the process of calls to everyone once we hear the news from july 23rd…so expect another email and text from me on July 24th.
Hopefully we can begin to actually begin to rebook on that day for 2 weeks later!

I am suspending online booking for the time being to avoid any sticky issues!

I will be opening up lots of extra days and expanding my work hours after the shut down to create as little disruption as possible and to get as many of you into the salon as I can. NOTHING about any of this is easy or comfortable. BUT…we RISE TOGETHER!

I can’t do this alone and I hope you are with me in this…I understand if my approach and decisions are not your cup of tea and at the end of the day…I need to face my own life and be willing to know that I acted with INTEGRITY and HONOUR. 

Let’s all meet this with patience, compassion, and kindness! Thank you my friends and clients 💗

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JULY 16, 2020 at 12:01 am – ADDITIONAL BUSINESS MODIFICATIONS DUE TO STATEWIDE ORDER

The following will be required to shut down unless they can be modified to operate outside or by pick-up as of 12:01 am on Thursday morning (modified operations required on Thursday):

• Fitness centers
• Worship services
• Protests
• Offices for non-essential sectors (See offices allowed to stay open: Essential Critical Infrastructure Sector List)
• Personal care services, like nail salons, body waxing and tattoo parlors (tattoo parlors and many other personal care services can not legally operate outdoors – check with your state licensing board)
• Hair salons and barbershops – Note: outdoors operations not currently allowed per state licensing
• Malls

Contact info:
Scheduling Manager,
Jennifer Johnson
Text is best
(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn, Owner
805-801-5607
Text is best or email
My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

JULY 2nd UPDATE:

As I begin contemplating the start of my 4th week back into the salon, I am filled with thankfulness that you are all willing to come back! I know how hard it is to still wait after months of waiting and I am really pleased that so far I have been met with patience, understanding and gratitude as well.

As you can imagine, I am swamped as is every hairdresser and salon I know all over the world!  I am obviously just one person doing my best to see close to 200 hundred people in as fast a timeframe as I can muster without backtracking into overwork! It’s an unprecedented event for us all and it’s through the Power of Kindness that we shall move carefully through this time together.

I AM GRATEFUL!

Let’s talk Hair!

Now that I have a few weeks under my belt I am seeing some hair trends 🙂

The first, is that everyone is taking me longer to complete due to catching up with each other, overgrown styles, long hair, lots of regrowth, faded color, and makeovers/corrections. I expected this! Know that you will be spending more time in the chair than usual due to this…plan accordingly. I am offering cold water in bottles but no food is allowed in the salon.

I padded each person’s appointment times for sanitation and other reasons…therefore, in contrast to just 3 months ago I am seeing less clients each day/week/month for the time being. That is what is contributing to the wait for some of you…I am seeing 1/3 less clients in the same time frame as before. 

We will all get through this moment and get back on track in due time…it’s looking like Mid-late August is when I will have seen about 90% of my entire client base…Phew!

Let’s talk Cancellations!

I get cancellations from time to time and I am trying to offer those to people that are patiently waiting! I want to maximize my time in the salon and move people up. If YOU have to cancel please try to give me as much heads up as possible in order to fill that spot, especially right now when I am trying to book people into each week very efficiently so wait times aren’t totally ridiculous!

If you do end up canceling, getting you back in within a day or two may not be possible. I will try but it’s gonna be a challenge…just sayin’ 🙂 I advise keeping your current appointments with me unless it’s just unavoidable.

Let’s Talk Money!

Moving forward…and to stay transparent, open, clear, and profitable I will be maximizing my time in the chair, working less, and raising my cut/color prices on September 1st. I will create a full service menu for you to see and be fully informed about what each service will cost so that you are not in the dark about pricing. I will have this for you by August 1st in paper, web, and email formats! I want you to always feel very open about talking about your budgets for hair with me…I can always work within your budget AND….that often means adjusting the results you want as well. As author, Marie Forleo says, “Everything is Figureoutable!“

Let’s talk schedule!

Having had close to 3 months to sit and ponder my navel in my living room, like so many of us, I was able to review the last few years of doing hair and honestly, my whole career! To be honest, I have not had what one might call a healthy work/life balance and many of you amazing souls have pointed that out very lovingly over the years. THANK YOU!

Again, turning 50 over the “break”, and pondering my work/life balance for 3 months has led to inevitable changes as you can imagine. Basically, I will be moving to a 4-day work week starting Aug. 1st. Will that be set in stone?

Yes and No. I will make adjustments here and there but for the most part, I am sticking to that schedule. I will ABSOLUTELY use my days off to reschedule clients if I cancel on you for any reason.

1. Less hours means I will be possibly seeing less clients which means that I will need to focus on maximization of time and cost. I OFTEN gab waaaayy too long before i even begin doing your hair…a consult is one thing…a monologue about what I have been up to, is another thing! So, please do not take it personally if I focus on hair talk in the first few minutes you are in my chair…we can catch up while I am doing your hair. 

2. I will also be more diligent about asking you to cancel in an appropriate timeframe…life happens and unexpected things come up…that I understand. It will be best to keep your appointments as we schedule them if you can…a 48-72 hour heads up is appreciated for any changes. 

3. Lastly, many of you do this already, but it would be wise if you come in anywhere between 3-8 weeks, to book out your appointments at least 2-3X in the future if you like certain times/days to be “your” time in the salon. 

I am excited to be back in the salon and doing what I love and in order to do that with joy in my heart, full attention on YOU, and my Craft shining…I am listening to my mentors, biz coaches, friends, clients and loved ones and creating a Life I love and Business I am proud of as we navigate these strange days. I Am at your service 🙂 

To schedule or change your appointments…please contact my scheduling assistant first before reaching out directly to me..if your changes are same day…feel free to text me directly!
Contacts are below.

Masks, Masks, Masks!

You have all done so well wearing masks in the salon and I remain in my commitment to wear one as well.

I wore a face shield only for a hot second (well…48 hours) and just felt like it was not protective enough to you or I, and after double checking this gut feeling with a couple of my clients that work in the local ICU’S…I wear a mask while I am at work.

My body has adjusted now and it’s a non-issue for me to wear it thankfully. Please bear with the protocols that are FOR YOU to feel super safe in my chair and in our salon…we take this seriously as professionals and as cases rise in our beloved county…you can bet that I am going to be ever vigilant and diligent on following all the State Board, State and local Gov’t. mandates. I have a vested interest in doing this for many reasons, the least of which is my Hubby at home has 4 hearts stents and I am a fierce protector of those in my charge! THAT includes YOU!!!

So THANK YOU for everything and I will see you soon if I have not already……I am deeply grateful to you ALL and hope you know that! 

WANT TO ORDER PRODUCTS DIRECTLY?

OWAY PRODUCTS STORE LINK BELOW: 

https://www.holistichairtribe.com/seanlevahn

I also get a 30% commission on anything you order so it helps me as well 🙂

Professional Organic Hair Care

Oway’s professional organic hair care products are artfully formulated with biodynamic botanicals, organic ingredients, and pure essential oils. All products are certified cruelty-free and are free from common toxic ingredients.

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Contact info:
Scheduling Manager,
Jennifer Johnson
Text is best
(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn
805-801-5607
Text is best or email
My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

May 29th UPDATE:

The long awaited day is upon us!
We will be re-opening by June 10th!

FIRST…

I just want to say THANK YOU for being so very patient and
Kind during this time.

I received so many well wishes, donations, gift certificate purchases, etc…over the many weeks I have been closed and I am grateful beyond measure.

SECOND…

This is a long and detailed email to some degree…take it in chunks and take your time! I really did try to keep it all relevant and “brief!”  

I wanted to give you all the information about what you can expect upon arrival for your appointment. I am sure you have seen news reports, social media posts and conversations around this so I am assuming that at this stage…it won’t be too surprising. The State of CA has given every salon/independent stylist a 10 page guidelines pack that details the requirements of re-opening.

It’s going to take some time as a salon to make sure that all the guidelines are being put into place. We have been amassing the appropriate PPE in quantity, restructuring and building what we need in the interior of the salon, and getting a salon wide game plan together so we are all in accordance with the changes!

This is a big undertaking and rest assured that your safety, sanity, and well being are our highest priority right next to GOOD HAIR! We are Ready (almost!)

We will be open to see clients with appointments
(no walk in appointments or visits) starting JUNE 10th!

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Contact info:
Scheduling Manager,
Jennifer Johnson
Text is best
(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn
805-801-5607
Text is best or email
My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

May 9th UPDATE:

A Brave New World and Fresh Start

Good Lord, where to begin?! First, THANK YOU is where i want to start. Thank YOU for being my client and thank you for your patience! I know that when the clock struck midnight on Dec.31st, THIS is not the year we envisioned. Yet, here we are. Together in this moment!

I don’t want to bombard you all with too much information and not everyone has chosen to receive my email updates, so…I will cover some of the most important broad strokes here in this email.

I created a web page on my website that you can go to for all the pertinent information regarding what the rescheduling process will look like, what health protocols in the salon will in effect to protect our community, myself, and you. There will also be info. on my work schedule changes, and any updates/promotions I want you to know about!

That web page is going to be the full picture and contain important information to the process of restarting business back up again in the “new normal.”

I am asking every client to read and familiarize themselves with my “FRESH START” information BEFORE they come in for their first appointments with me!

I have included the link below. Just click on it and it will take you right there.

Here is the link: 

https://unifyhairstudio.com/book-appointment-24-7/

All this “reflection time” coupled with turning 50 years of age in my living room (ha, ha!) has led to some of the changes you will read below. I have been tasked by my SOUL to stride forward in a new way and leave behind some of the ways of the past few years. Scary but exciting. I am sure many of you have faced similar watershed moments in your lives!

LET’S GET TO IT!!

1. SCHEDULING:

1. Rescheduling assistance

Jennifer Johnson, my scheduling HERO/assistant, and I will be reaching out to EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU from the day I send this email to get you all settled with new appointments. I have over 200 clients that have had their appointments discombobulated and it’s going to take me some time to get through that many phone calls and each person’s unique hair situation.

So, she and I have a game plan mapped out and we will be FAIR, mindful, and diligent. I ask for patience, respect, and FLEXIBILITY and we will offer the same in return.

Basically, I have to play Triage with everyone’s unique hair situation. Literally, EVERY single one of my clients is mostly past their “due date” for a hair appointment. This is new to me as well as to you and i bet there will be learning curves along the way. We will do our BEST to minimize them and create a smooth and even flow to getting back to work!

ONLINE BOOKING:

If you want to take matters into your own hands and reschedule yourself…there is a way! I do have online booking and for some people it’s a breeze and others find it challenging for a variety of reasons. The site works just fine though 🙂

Here is the link: https://unifyhairstudio.com/book-appointment-24-7/

or you can use https://www.vagaro.com/seanlevahn

2. HEALTH GUIDELINES:

For the past 15 years I have been following California State Board of Cosmetology hygiene guidelines in regards to sanitation, health of clients and my own health.

I will be adding another few layers “on top” of those protocols with regards to the Covid-19 Virus. I will outline to you what you can expect from me and what I can expect from you. Please familiarize yourself with the health protocols by going to my website. Link is below!

As we move forward with this, please remember…it’s temporary, it’s out of respect to ALL my clients you see and don’t see, it’s respectful to my health, and to our community. If you have questions about any of the health protocols please contact me BEFORE your appointment and we can talk about your concerns.

3. REWARD POINTS PROGRAM and QUARTERLY PROMOS:

I have changed the current program and added some promos for Spring/Summer! Details are on my website.

4. NEW WORK HOURS:

I will be working a total of 4 days a week (some weekdays, weeknights/weekends) and about 40 hours per week versus the 60-70 hrs a week and 6-7 days a week schedule i have done for many, many years. It’s a New Era!

5. PRICE ADJUSTMENTS:

Effective upon re-opening,  there will be a $4 credit card charge fee if you want to use a credit card to process your payments. Feel free to use Cash, Check, Paypal, or Venmo instead of a card.

Beginning on Sept.1st I will be adjusting my prices, and as we get into July, I will detail that out with plenty of notice.

6. EVERYTHING ELSE:

I have reflected back on this past year going to full time self-employment and the lessons learned. It will come as no surprise at all to most of you…I worked too much for any one person to stay sane!

So, moving into My Fresh Start, I will be adjusting my work schedule back to the human realm and actually taking FOR REAL days off!

That all said…that enforced “break” , as nice as it was in it’s own way (for me) WILL and HAS effected my business and life in many ways that i can’t foresee as of yet. I, like millions of small business owners across the planet, were quite effected by this and it’s ripple effects are yet to be seen.

I DO have 100% TRUST in GRACE, LOVE, and COMMUNITY that we will all rise to the Occasion and help each other using wisdom, compassion, understanding, and patience with one another.

This cooperation is one of the defining characteristics of the Human Spirit as well as resilience, adaptability, and strength!

Thank you SO MUCH and SEE YOU SOON!

THE LINK TO MY WEBSITE AND ALL THE DETAILS OF EVERYTHING ABOVE IS BELOW…PLEASE CLICK AND READ BEFORE YOU COME IN FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT.

https://unifyhairstudio.com/fresh-start-reopening/

If that link does not work for any reason I will be texting it to you as well and you can always go to my website and navigate your way to the info.

My website:

www.seanlevahn.com 

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For those of you that feel like you need any help with your haircolor and you have not reached out to me…I got you!

Contact info:
Scheduling Manager,
Jennifer Johnson
Text is best
(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn
805-801-5607
Text is best or email
My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

APRIL 14th UPDATE:

As you may be aware…Governor Newsome gave a speech today outlining the process of gradual re-entry of California back into the work force and social interactions. The stay at home order currently extends to May 3rd and as restrictive measures are relaxed and health data comes in…that may change. SLO county also is mirroring that timeframe in their county wide health updates as well.

As far as moving forward with re-scheduling everyone (over 200 clients!) I’ll be taking my cue from the above mentioned information and people. As you can imagine, the scheduling process is going to look a lot like the re-entry process for all of California.

I will be called on to juggle a number of factors, including but not limited to…HEALTH, social distancing state/county guidelines, individual circumstance, client finances, scheduling errors, overwhelm and burnout on my end! The process will be be Gradual, in stages, and with keen attention to detail to minimize chaos and maximize success!

I am happy to say that I am honoured that you all have supported me in a myriad number of ways through this. Hopefully, you all feel the same way!

I am mostly likely going to let another week go by till we get a more clear sense that May 3rd can be a date I can count on to be able to re-schedule you safely without backtracking.

Once we begin the re-entry process, Jennifer (my scheduling assistant/behind the scenes hero!) and I will be calling EVERY single person to make sure everything goes smoothly.

So…We got this! As we transition forward, each person will have their own desires and ways they will handle everything that has happened and the new ways we all be experiencing soon. I’m here to help you with as many of my gifts as I can.

I’m sure you can understand when I say that I’ve been doing deep soul searching into the last year of moving into the space of being an independent hairdresser and it has been amazing, creative, and fulfilling…I’ll be making some pivots based on what I’ve learned, industry mentor advice, and this reflective time at home! I’m excited to share them with you as we get closer to actually re-scheduling each one of you!

Hold tight my friends…we are entering the final stretch of this phase. I’ll be there on the other side to create more beauty in the world!

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For those of you that feel like you need any help with your haircolor and you have not reached out to me…I got you!

Contact info:
Scheduling Manager,
Jennifer Johnson
Text is best
(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn
805-801-5607
Text is best or email
My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

MARCH 25th UPDATE:

MARCH 19th UPDATE:

Good morning, it’s Sean Levahn, your friendly neighborhood hairdresser! I’m sure you have heard that as of today, Thursday March 19th at 5pm all non essential businesses (that’s me) are closed and we are in a “shelter in place” order until further notice!

This “unprecedented in our lifetimes” experience will effect entire industries, livelihoods, schedules, myself, all of you and our friends in ways we can’t know. I do know that Life is a beautiful and messy affair and it’s the power of the HEART that allows us to weather all things.

Flexibility, Patience, Graciousness, Gratitude, and Compassion are the key qualities to embody during our “Divine Pause.”

Do Art, clean the house, walk on the beach (6ft apart), lay in the sunshine, read, cook, laugh, sing, cry, mourn, connect, learn a new skill, and become an even better human. THIS is our moment to master our fears.

Please be mindful that I’m going to do my best to reschedule everyone and that all of us are going to be touched by this in unknown and uncounted ways in the coming days. We will all need an extraordinary amount of trust and patience with each other as we piece our lives back together from the aftermath.

One of the things I don’t want to do is reschedule you too soon and then find out we are in lockdown even longer than we thought and have to move your appointments twice! So…let’s all get comfortable with the unknown for now.

Jennifer Johnson (my scheduling manager/Hero) and I will begin to reach out to all of you soon. Those amazing people with appointments within the next 30 days (that’s over a hundred people so far!) will be contacted and we will begin to figure this out in a way that works for us all.

This will take time to do and so I ask all of you for your continued Trust during the process. If you really want…I can lead virtual online “cut and color your own hair” classes…what could go wrong? Kidding 🙂

Please, stay safe and reach out to me if you need support. I can be a listening ear, and a healing presence in this time….I just can’t do hair at the salon nor do any house calls. That would be unethical, irresponsible, and could have devastating results.

You are not alone and we can all do this with Grace. Agreed? May we all become more unified, calm, and slow down. Be well and breathe!

Contact info:
Scheduling Manager,
Jennifer Johnson
Text is best
(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn
805-801-5607
Text is best or email
My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

NEW YEAR OF 2021 CHANGES AND UPDATES!!!

This is most likely the most important email I have sent this year! Wait…we are only 5 days in! HA, HA! Thought I would start with humour!  But, honestly…this email IS REALLY IMPORTANT and I appreciate you reading every word! From my heart to your heart…Thank you and May you ever Prosper and be treated kindly as you walk through this next year.

LET’S DIVE IN SHALL WE?

I think we can all agree that 2020 has asked more of us all than we could ever have envisioned.

It’s been a painful and challenging year for most of the world. It’s also had its quiet and beautiful moments too. It’s humbled me and brought self care to the forefront of our lives.

I know that these repeated closures have tested all of us in ways that we never thought possible…I’m still trying to make house calls, drop off hair color kits, and juggle calls rescheduling everyone affected by this latest closure notice.
It’s an ever moving puzzle to say the least!

You have ALL Been troopers and SOOOOO very patient with me as I have rescheduled and rescheduled you over and over….it’s the most challenging aspect to all this and I am doing my best to make sure we reach out to each and everyone of you. No client left behind!

I am eternally grateful for all the well wishes, kind words, gifts, and thoughts you have all expressed to me through these last 10 months. I am humbled.

As we roll into this pivotal year of 2021 we will continue to be asked to stay flexible and patient. In the spirit of that…I have made a very courageous choice and leap of faith to follow my heart.

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Many of you know I have always wanted to create a more holistic and  “private” hair experience for my clients.

On New Year’s Eve, I was unexpectedly but miraculously offered to share a local hair studio space that will foster exactly that vision without me having to create a studio salon from scratch!  I looked deep into my heart and said “Yes!” It came in such a way that I can’t say no..this Gift has the handprint of Grace written all over it.

I’ll be able to offer an even more relaxed, private, quieter, and balanced environment so my focus can be 100% on the well-being of all my clients and not on salon distractions!

I think that as we move into 2021 that these created places of Peace and self care are going to be even more important in our lives. My deepest hope is to offer you an invitation to let me create that space for you. I want to make 2021 brighter for each and every one of you the best way I know how!

My shared suite mate and I will be working separate days so when you come see me, we will have the place all to ourselves. Parking is always available, the mountain views are lovely, you can choose your own music, and I’ll be able to offer LOWER prices too! Wait what??? True 🙂

Finally, In light of the recent hygiene protocol changes in my industry, this space…with French doors that open wide and less people inside affords even more controlled safety, well being, and comfort getting your hair done than ever before.

What’s the catch?! Well…glad you asked. It’s located 12 miles from downtown SLO in Balmy Los Osos! I know, I know….I’m asking you to embrace another change after a year of too much change!

Please trust that this move will absolutely benefit your overall experience and I invite you to join me in this next adventure. I mean…there IS a drive-thru Starbucks across the street 🙂

I know it’s a big ask and I’m aware that it can seem out of the way but I’ve done the drive 2X a day for 22 years! It’s gorgeous, got ever changing colors on the hills, and you will be at the studio before you know it. Again…9-12 miles from SLO!

The Salon space is called Ursa Major named after The Great Mother Bear Constellation that contains stars that line up to point to Polaris, The North Star!

I’m excited and looking forward to showing you the new space where I’ll be happily working to create a sanctuary and haven from stress for YOU! Check out the studio website: https://www.ursamajor-hair.com/about

PHEW!! THAT was really scary to share and a relief at the same time. The courage to follow that Inner Voice of Grace and go in the direction of True North is always daunting. I truly hope you will join me in celebration of being able to offer you something special and even MORE with a few extra minutes drive.

Hope is on the horizon!

The address is 2280 Sunset Drive, Los Osos. When you are coming into town, It’s a left hand turn off Los Osos Valley road one block past the post office on the left.

The salon sits 1/2 block on the right in a small, charming, business park next to a modern looking BIG red building. It’s Hard to miss! Parking spots are available in the lot and in front of the business.

I’ll be in the new Studio starting February 1st and of course, I’ll be contacting each one of you to make sure it all goes smoothly. Right now, I’m still seeing many people for home hair care visits during this recent shutdown.

I’m in the process of contacting directly anyone that had/has appointments in January that have been disrupted due to the closures to discuss options for rescheduling before i am in my new space.

Hopefully, I can start earlier in the new space than 2/1 if the shutdown gets lifted…I already have keys! 

All appointments starting February 1st will be at the new place!

All appointments starting February 1st are going to be
in-salon, safe and calm.

Many of you have asked how you can help me beyond the normal ways…Well, you can order directly from my Product Partner page with the Organic natural Line that I love.

They have all kinds of fun things beyond shampoo and I get a 30% comiision paid to me for every purchase! Feel free to click the link below and support me in this way if you feel so moved. Thank you!

https://www.holistichairtribe.com/seanlevahn

Please contact me with ANY concerns or questions about this. I’m here for you and together we can make 2021 a brighter year filled with
Hope, Peace, and Community.

My CELL:
805-801-5607

Jennifer’s Cell (My Scheduling Manager)
805-441-4879

My Email:
seanlevahn@gmail.com

DECEMBER 2020 Closure UPDATE!!

Good gosh…where do I start? How about Happy Holidays…THAT sounds weird, doesn’t it?

All I know is that I Am eternally grateful to all of you for going on the rollercoaster journey of this last year WITH me.  Like..really, really, grateful.

I KNOW it has been a big ask on my part everytime this year i have had to scrap all the appointments i have booked and start over with rescheduling everyone.

Here we are in closure #3 in 10 months!

It’s just a big mess….BUT, I know how to clean it up, what tools i need, the willingness, and especially the help from Jennifer, my scheduler!

So, THANK YOU. Truly, madly, deeply! We really can only do this TOGETHER and do it in KINDNESS.

Closure and rebooking info!!

Let’s go over the actual understanding of the mechanics of the closure first so we are all on the same page!

The Regional Stay Home Order, announced December 3, 2020, will go into effect within 24 hours in regions with less than 15% ICU availability. It prohibits private gatherings of any size, closes sector operations except for critical infrastructure and retail, and requires 100% masking and physical distancing in all others.

The order will remain in effect for at least 3 weeks and, after that period, will be lifted when a region’s projected ICU capacity meets or exceeds 15%. This will be assessed on a weekly basis after the initial 3 week period.

::NEWEST UPDATE::
Community members should prepare now for the State’s Regional Stay at Home Order to take effect on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 11:59 p.m. The ICU capacity for the Southern California region, which includes San Luis Obispo County, fell below the State’s 15% trigger Friday evening.

Here are some links:

https://www.emergencyslo.org/en/currentrestrictions.aspx​
https://www.ksby.com/

*************************************************************

READ THIS PART IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE! HA HA!

Obviously, I am asking for a bit more patience again as we rework the schedule and contact anyone who is effected. I will be trying to do as many home visits as i can outside in people’s backyards or on the patios. I will be doing a limited number of these visits for many reasons and we will contact each and every one of you, which takes time, so have no fear that we won’t reach out. WE WILL…it just takes us days to get to everyone. We will be going in order of how you are all booked into my schedule. We are going to start making phone calls DECEMBER 7TH!

If you have an appointment booked for AFTER January 1st…I am keeping them exactly where they are!! If you tend to have mutliple appointments on the books….we will have to rework them into a new sequence of appointments most likely…it will be a case by case basis!

One of the VERY hard and unknown things about this is the rescheduling. I really want to avoid rebooking everyone and then the closure is extended by another week…thereby forcing me to cancel that entire week and rebook AGAIN!!

At that point, Where to put everyone becomes an issue. I want to avoid working 7 days a week 10 hours a day…that might be inevitable for a little while but it’s unsustainable and unhealthy for me long term.

I WILL DO MY BEST to roll with the changes and i ask that you offer the same flexibility…these are not normal times so getting exactly what you want, when you want it…like days of old, may not always happen. Please be understanding and know that for those of us in industries that directly serve the public we are being stretched beyond what we can humanly accomplish and still function as a thriving business during these unprecedented times.

I am going to be trusting and rebooking just after the 3 weeks is up…so, that makes it late december to literally the first week of 2021. Good lord. Please be patient again with us as we call at least a hundred people and that alone takes days to accomplish even if everything is easy and brief.

I am also going to be filling you all in on all the upcoming changes and updates as we approach a New Year. I know that there will be challenges and opportunities for growth in the coming year for all of us and I will endeavor to meet them with you as smoothly as possible and with professionalism, knowledge, and CARE!

Why are some salons open during the closure?

Price Adjustments for 2021

 The prices below reflect a $5 increase on each service…If you wish to pay by credit card there will be a $3 surcharge included with the cost. I accept all cards, Venmo, Zelle, Paypal, Check, and Cash.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Like one of my favorite business mentors, Marie Forleo, says…

“Everything is figureoutable!”
https://everythingisfigureoutable.com/

Pricing effective January 2021

Haircuts

Women‘s Haircuts (includes blowdry and style) 75
*Dry cut only 60

Kid cuts 35+ 

Men’s cuts 45+

Hair Colour

Root retouch 85

All over Colour 130

Accent highlight 45-75

Partial highlight 130

Full highlight 155

Toner add on 25+

Partial foil w/root retouch 155

Specialty

Colour correction 95/hr +

Specialty (balayage) and Vivid Colours 95/hr +
Smoothing Service 200+

Extra colour charge for thick/x-long/speciality 10+

Treatments

Demineralizer $30
Organic Oway Hair Rebuilding Service $45
Khairpep Radical Repair treatment add on $7

Retail Hair Products from Oway, O&M, Kevin Murphy, and Eleven Australia are available and range from $22-$40

***Dry cut only service-Please come to your appoinment with your hair clean and styled in your everyday wear.
A 1/2 hour time is booked for this type of cut and not everyone’s hair is suited to this kind of cutting.
Dry cuts are not suited for big style makeovers,
or extreme angled cuts.

Schedule changes going into effect for 2021

This year has shown me that I need to choose wiser, practice self care, and lead by example. I am playing around with different schedules that will allow me to offer all clients a mix of morning, afternoon, evening, and weekend hours without working 60 hours a week! Amazing, eh?

If you tend to see me anywhere from every 3-12 weeks…booking multiple
appointments ahead will be highly advised. A lot of you already do that and it’s a fabulous way to get the exact day and time you want.

Remember, the best way to make an appointment or rebook is to text Jennifer (my booking manager) or I directly!

CANCELLING AND RESCHEDULING

Life happens, right? Needing to reschedule your appointments will obviously happen from time to time. If something comes up on your end…please try to give me at least 72 hours as heads up so I can rebook the spot! I will do my absolute best to get you back into my schedule within 3-10 days. It may be a couple weeks before you can get back in…not always, but in high demand times of the year that is almost inevitable!

I will always do my best to accomodate all changes that occur!

Scheduling Manager,

Jennifer Johnson

Text is best

(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn, Owner

805-801-5607

Text is best or email

My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

ADDING A NEW COLOUR LINE!

Many of you know that I am committed to being as all natural, clean, organic, and healthy with ALL my choices for hair products. Lately I have been exploring adding another colour line called Original and Mineral that lives in that same ethical space. So far…I LOVE IT!

From Original & Mineral:
“The world of hair is changing, and low-chemical and natural technology is leading the way. 

Our mission is to provide the cleanest professional colour in the world which has led us to a progressive new colouring approach. Molecular Blend Technology (MBT) which pre-links colour pigments that are supported by two nourishing hero complexes giving incredible vibrancy, shine, longevity and protection to coloured hair. We call it O&M CØR.color. And of course – as the name suggests – it stays true to our core promise: zero ammonia, PPD or resorcinol.”

So far I am happy with the results! I still will be using the Colour Line out of Italy called Oway…which also is Natural, full of organic ingredients, and great for hair health while colouring. I am just choosing to expand on my current choices! Options, people, Options!!

Feel free to look up their website here to find out more:
https://originalmineral.com.au/pages/our-story

Parking Reminders

Many of you have wondered if you can park in the spaces that are marked “20 minute” parking. Absolutely. I park in them all day as do my co-workers and the owners of the plaza businesses! They are only there as a city requirement and no one checks them. EVER.

So, go crazy…Park there for your whole appointment! A little known secret when the parking lot seems full….there’s overflow parking in a lower parking lot! Feel free to park there!

THANK YOU FOR BEING MY FRIENDS, CLIENTS, AND JUST PLAIN AWESOME PEOPLE!

I am in awe of our community and I am BLESSED to know you all…..

See You soon in a backyard near you!

Be your Best self with each other, practice Kindness,
and Choose your Peace above all else!

SEPTEMBER UPDATE!!

FINALLY FULLY OPEN!!!

“The Pessimist Sees Difficulty In Every Opportunity. The Optimist Sees Opportunity In Every Difficulty.”

– Winston Churchill

It’s been a long strange trip my friends! I AM BEYOND GRATEFUL that all my clients have exhibited patience, compassion, endless waiting, and I am sure some bad hair days!!

It is with great excitement and JOY, I can finally say…

I am open for ALL things hair!

I want to keep this email simple and to the point!

I will go over a few things here that I feel are important to know and provide links for further details if you want them.

What will this email cover?

1. Online booking

2. Phone Booking

3. Rewards Program

4. Retail Products

5. New Hours and Pricing

ONLINE BOOKING:

If you want to take matters into your own hands and reschedule yourself…there is a way!

Here is the link: https://unifyhairstudio.com/book-appointment-24-7/

or you can use https://www.vagaro.com/seanlevahn

BOOKING BY TEXT OR PHONE CALL
(text is best)
If online booking ain’t your thang…this is your next best way to get in touch and get a prompt response from us!

My all around Wunderkind and the “behind the scenes, run my biz life” Superhero Extraordinaire Scheduling Manager, Jennifer Johnson

Text (or call) (805) 441-4879

She does SOOO much more for me besides scheduling and calling clients….She is absolutely one of the main reasons for my success in being an Independent Hairstylist and local small business owner.

Her professionalism, attention to detail, efficiency, intelligence, moral support, and great phone voice are just some of why I love her! Plus, she has some amazing crafting skills!!

She and I are in constant contact and do a daily recap so please know that I am fully aware of any and all booking issues, waitlists, and messages from clients…

I do my best to allow Jennifer to handle all things booking related and will step in if she’s busy, needs time off, or my direct intervention is needed!

I consider her my other half in Business matters!

You and I could not be in better hands…truly!

The Rewards Points Program

Many of you know how altruistic I am and My rewards points program was no exception! Some of you may not even know that you have, and will continue to have, points being accrued for every service you have done from cuts to color and any purchase of an OWAY brand product.

It was VERY generous and in doing my taxes for 2019 and going over the books from last year it’s apparent that the current program was unsustainable to stay in business long term! Yikes!

Moving forward, and starting right now…everyone will still accrue points towards the new program. The use of points is this:

1. You will gain points for every hair service & for OWAY products only.

2. Each service and OWAY product is worth a certain number of points.

3. When you hit the number of points that a service is worth you will receive 30% off the service.

You can save points for later, use for gifts to family or friends, and use for yourself.

RETAIL PRODUCTS

I am now retailing my Fave OWAY brand products IN THE SALON!

I have some shelving at the front of the salon and I am super in love with some of their products that I now will be carrying. 

If you prefer to shop online and support me by helping me gain the 30% commission…here is the link: 

https://www.holistichairtribe.com/seanlevahn

 New Hours

I will be working a total of 4-5 days a week, (a combo of weekdays, weeknights/weekends)
and about 30-40 hours per week.

The days of the 60/70 hrs a week and 6-7 days a week schedule I have done for many years is over.

My time spent meditating in the “quarantine zone” has showed me that it’s time for a New Era!

Price Adjustments

Effective Sept. 1st, there will be a $4 credit card charge fee if you want to use a credit card to process your payments. Feel free to use Cash, Check, Paypal, or Venmo instead of a card. If you don’t know how to use Venmo/Paypal…I can help you get that set up!

I will be posting all my services and Prices on my website by October 1st.

I am all for open communication around finances and I am sensitive to different budgets…we just need to talk about it!Nobody likes surprises when they are checking out.

Beginning on Nov.1st, 2020 I will be adjusting my prices. I will do my best to clearly communicate my prices and the costs involved with your appointments as well as “the why.”

www.seanlevahn.com

I am choosing to face this unknown and uncharted time ahead of us with Strength, Compassion, and Adaptability…Join me?

I can’t wait to see you again, get you a cup of tea, do good hair, and sit for a spell and catch up! Thank you for all your support over this time away as I have risen to meet the moment the best ways I know how. I am so VERY GRATEFUL that you have waited and waited, and then waited some more to be able to get in to “dress up your Do’!”  I will see you soon and boy, are we all going to have so much to talk about!

PEACE and GOOD HAIR days to you till I see you again.

AUGUST 25th Outdoor services UPDATE:

Good morning! It’s been awhile since my last update and I thought that it’s a good time to touch base!

As always…I have a lot to say, so take your time reading this!! I have no superpowers of brevity, obviously!

As of today, Salons and the personal care industry in California (no other state) are still required to remain closed if they are on the state’s County Watchlist (SLO county is on the watchlist) and are only allowed to do outside services within certain guidelines.

TRUST ME…THE MOMENT WE CAN REOPEN, WE WILL BE CONNECTING WITH EVERY ONE OF YOU RIGHT AWAY!!! 

I am also in the dark about how long this will last…my guess is another month! Don’t hold me to it though…it’s 2020 so…ya know!

You may hear of Salons doing services “speakeasy” style and quietly servicing their guests through the back door so to speak. You may hear of salons defying the State order and fully opening to service their communities safely. You may hear that Salons have chosen NOT to service their clients outside in unpredictable conditions.

You may see and hear of salons working outside in unpredictable conditions. (👋🏾 Me…that’s me!)

It’s all a choice and I am fully in support of my fellow business owners doing whatever they can SAFELY do to keep their businesses from failing and service their guests!

I personally know 4 salon owners in CA that have permanently closed in the last 30 days because they can no longer afford to pay a lease on an empty space with no revenue coming in.

At this time, I have chosen not place my license and business at risk by going against the restrictions. I am doing my best to assist my clients through this time by working in my “outside station” that I build each day I work.

I won’t go into the challenges with this type of experience on my finances, mental health, and my clients….but let’s say I am eagerly anticipating being able to open for inside services as soon as I can “legally” do so.

The health departments of various counties as well as the state board of cosmetology have begun issuing citations, tickets, and cease & desist orders to personal care businesses statewide.

The actual Health department violation is a PUBLIC NUISANCE ticket. Imagine that…serving our local communities SAFELY is now considered a Nuisance.

Hmmm 🤨 (did ya catch how I feel about that?)

Moving forward, I am doing my very best under these conditions to safely operate my business and keep an income stream. I am seeing clients outside my salon and many of you have seen me and many of you are “on the books” right now.

Jennifer, my scheduling manager, and I are working everyday to make phones calls, texts, and leave messages to see what we can do for you to meet your hair needs while remaining in compliance with the State order.

ONGOING SCHEDULING 

Scheduling, as you can imagine, is very tricky and yet we are up to the task! I am currently booking from today until September 15th. It’s about 95% full already and I work very different days/hours than when I am IN-salon and so we are reworking every clients current and future appointments into the new booking template.

This takes a lot of effort and may change what days I normally see you! Even though I am “working” some of you will most likely still wait longer than you feel is “normal” (reminder-life is not normal right now!) but I am only 1 person working under very restrictive guidelines and there are only so many days in a week! I am, like everyone else, juggling my own health and safety on all levels.

I can only book out so far in order to maintain the integrity of the scheduling process. I will release new dates for booking past the 15th on September 1st.

I release about 3-5 days at a time due to the ever changing nature of the situation. I have to be ready to reopen at a moments notice and I would like to avoid having to cancel anyone in order to rework everyone’s appointments yet again once we open!

At this time, I am allowed to only cut hair outside. I have other coloring options for my color clients.

Please text or call Jennifer (contact info below)to find out what all the options are and how I can make this easier on you!

I feel compelled to remind us all that we are not in a “business as usual” mode and so flexibility, understanding, and compassion for what me and my fellow hairstylists are going through is asked of you. I will, in turn, offer you to do my very best, stay positive, and stay communicative through all this!

I am deeply grateful for those of you that are willing to allow me to continue doing your hair in the ways that I can for now and without your support…I’d be a right mess! I WANT to work for my own sanity…I AM here for you and I bow to your beautiful souls and inner nature of goodness!

Take care and PLEASE REACH OUT if you need ANYTHING!! I have online and personal delivery retail options as well if you are running low on hair products.

AUGUST 25th Outdoor services UPDATE:

Good morning! It’s been awhile since my last update and I thought that it’s a good time to touch base!

As always…I have a lot to say, so take your time reading this!! I have no superpowers of brevity, obviously!

As of today, Salons and the personal care industry in California (no other state) are still required to remain closed if they are on the state’s County Watchlist (SLO county is on the watchlist) and are only allowed to do outside services within certain guidelines.

TRUST ME…THE MOMENT WE CAN REOPEN, WE WILL BE CONNECTING WITH EVERY ONE OF YOU RIGHT AWAY!!! 

I am also in the dark about how long this will last…my guess is another month! Don’t hold me to it though…it’s 2020 so…ya know!

You may hear of Salons doing services “speakeasy” style and quietly servicing their guests through the back door so to speak. You may hear of salons defying the State order and fully opening to service their communities safely. You may hear that Salons have chosen NOT to service their clients outside in unpredictable conditions.

You may see and hear of salons working outside in unpredictable conditions. (👋🏾 Me…that’s me!)

It’s all a choice and I am fully in support of my fellow business owners doing whatever they can SAFELY do to keep their businesses from failing and service their guests!

I personally know 4 salon owners in CA that have permanently closed in the last 30 days because they can no longer afford to pay a lease on an empty space with no revenue coming in.

At this time, I have chosen not place my license and business at risk by going against the restrictions. I am doing my best to assist my clients through this time by working in my “outside station” that I build each day I work.

I won’t go into the challenges with this type of experience on my finances, mental health, and my clients….but let’s say I am eagerly anticipating being able to open for inside services as soon as I can “legally” do so.

The health departments of various counties as well as the state board of cosmetology have begun issuing citations, tickets, and cease & desist orders to personal care businesses statewide.

The actual Health department violation is a PUBLIC NUISANCE ticket. Imagine that…serving our local communities SAFELY is now considered a Nuisance.

Hmmm 🤨 (did ya catch how I feel about that?)

Moving forward, I am doing my very best under these conditions to safely operate my business and keep an income stream. I am seeing clients outside my salon and many of you have seen me and many of you are “on the books” right now.

Jennifer, my scheduling manager, and I are working everyday to make phones calls, texts, and leave messages to see what we can do for you to meet your hair needs while remaining in compliance with the State order.

ONGOING SCHEDULING 

Scheduling, as you can imagine, is very tricky and yet we are up to the task! I am currently booking from today until September 15th. It’s about 95% full already and I work very different days/hours than when I am IN-salon and so we are reworking every clients current and future appointments into the new booking template.

This takes a lot of effort and may change what days I normally see you! Even though I am “working” some of you will most likely still wait longer than you feel is “normal” (reminder-life is not normal right now!) but I am only 1 person working under very restrictive guidelines and there are only so many days in a week! I am, like everyone else, juggling my own health and safety on all levels.

I can only book out so far in order to maintain the integrity of the scheduling process. I will release new dates for booking past the 15th on September 1st.

I release about 3-5 days at a time due to the ever changing nature of the situation. I have to be ready to reopen at a moments notice and I would like to avoid having to cancel anyone in order to rework everyone’s appointments yet again once we open!

At this time, I am allowed to only cut hair outside. I have other coloring options for my color clients.

Please text or call Jennifer (contact info below)to find out what all the options are and how I can make this easier on you!

I feel compelled to remind us all that we are not in a “business as usual” mode and so flexibility, understanding, and compassion for what me and my fellow hairstylists are going through is asked of you. I will, in turn, offer you to do my very best, stay positive, and stay communicative through all this!

I am deeply grateful for those of you that are willing to allow me to continue doing your hair in the ways that I can for now and without your support…I’d be a right mess! I WANT to work for my own sanity…I AM here for you and I bow to your beautiful souls and inner nature of goodness!

Take care and PLEASE REACH OUT if you need ANYTHING!! I have online and personal delivery retail options as well if you are running low on hair products.

JULY 26th Outdoor services UPDATE:

Good day y’all! Well…I have been going back and forth on the issue of salon closures 2.0 and the only option available to do hair…outside hair services. Regardless of how unprofessional it seems to me, I can’t and won’t endure another month or more of my business and YOU being so impacted by this.

For those of you that were able to sneak into the 30 day window I was open, you know how safe and sanitary the salon has been. Plexiglass barriers, temp checks, hand washing galore, masks on everyone, hand sanitizer everywhere, nuclear level virucide spray twice per client on all my tools and personal space, same for the shampoo bowls/chair after each use, and touch less check out (if desired)! We all take the health of staff and clients seriously. Enough said.

Let’s talk outside services.

What CAN I do outside?

I can cut hair (no major makeovers please!) I can use a spray bottle to wet the hair if needed and of course I can always do dry cuts. I can do a deep conditioning treatment for you afterwards that you can go home and rinse out as well. Take me up on that…not enough of you do this at home. It makes a difference in the health of your hair!

Will styling be available after the cut? Running electricity to the outside of the salon is a tricky affair and right now I’m leaning away from that as an option…let’s go Au Naturel and air dry for now…lean into it!

Retail Sales

I’m proud to announce that I have invested in quite a bit of OWAY organics hair products and they will be available for sale as well as the Davines line and the Eleven line. I’m happy to help you find the right price point and right product for your hair!

Can I color?

We are not allowed to have clients in the salon to shampoo, rinse, or do any services that require use of the establishment. So, no color. I’m not keen on doing color and then you go home to wash it out. My liability insurance actually will not cover me doing hair outside much less in your home! What if you got into a fender bender on the way home or the color somehow got into your eyes and something terrible happened? I can’t endanger YOU, anyone else, or my business that way. Have I done this over my career? Yes, and it makes me stressed and nervous every time. I’m stressed enough right now…let’s not add to it, M’ kay?

What can you expect the service to look like?

A chair in front of the salon, small, but full length mirror, my clean tools in a box. Me. You. Let’s do this 🙂  Masked up, sanitized, out of the direct sun, and laughter! What are the challenges?WIND! Temperature fluctuations, sunlight, no blow dry styling per se, and probably things I can’t control or foresee! Sounds fun…I’m game if you are!

Cost?

After much thought and talking to other hairstylists in the area….I will be charging less for the outside services experience….I can’t square my normal prices (which modestly go up in October) with such a reduced experience. I know it’s no fault of mine but I have to be able to sleep at night! So, my outside cut prices will be:

Women-$50

Men-$35

How to book?

If you feel like you are up for the adventure please call/text (best) Jennifer, my scheduling manager (info below) on weekdays only and she will get everyone booked in correctly.

I’ll be working quite limited hours/days doing this so we will ALL be in this together being as flexible and understanding as possible. I’ll try to have a reasonable range of hours and days I’m working. You can always reach out to me as well if more than 24 hours goes by without a return call from Jennifer.

We want to make this as easy as possible and as professional as it can be, given the odd and weird world we now are traveling through.  I’m here for you as much as the State Board of Cosmetology and CA will let me be! I can’t wait to be able to have my full career and SAFE business back as soon as possible. Please come see me…I truly miss all of you!

Contact info:

Scheduling Manager,

Jennifer Johnson

Text is best

(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn, Owner

805-801-5607

Text is best or email

My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

JULY 16th UPDATE:

GOOD MORNING
Deja Vu….round 2!

I am sure by now you have heard…SLO county has closed all salons for an unspecified amount of time again. UGH.

I am going to have to get creative to save my business and I am asking, once again, for patience, compassion, and understanding as we ALL navigate the changing landscapes from week to week, month to month.

Sadly, I think we are looking at the near future of business now. Flexibility will be the Key to sustainability and Success.

HOME VISITS AND OUTSIDE SERVICES?

Basically, to keep everything flowing as normal, I would be visiting 3-4 people day for 2 hours at a time in an uncontrolled, unlicensed, and uninsured environment day after day.

Even just seeing 1 person per day adds up to dozens of exposures in environments that do not conform to State Board of cosmetology guidelines for sanitation. I would be going from home to home in order to make this happen. Therefore, I become the “wild card” vector between all my clients.

After speaking to some of my MD clients and giving this thought…I have to err on the side of safety, health, and caution as a business professional with a good reputation in a small town. 

This morning, the State Board of cosmetology has once again clarified that if any salon or stylist is operating outside their established business location or in a home they will be pursuing “revokation” of our licenses. If I’m found to be doing that in any capacity i will be subject to an experience of my own making and I will not do it. I care too much about my clients and my livelihood to risk so much!

It might not be what you or I want to hear…but, I will not be traveling to multiple homes to do hair nor will I be operating outside my salon doing “sidewalk” haircuts! 

WHAT’S NEXT?

It’s with a heavy heart that I’m basically going to shut down again for the time period of the order. It’s nothing I want to do nor anticipated happening so soon. But…life is made of curveballs and how we meet those twists and turns of fate determine our character and honour. Jennifer and I will be reaching out to all of those clients that will be affected and getting you into the calendar after the shutdown is over!

It’s tricky though…in order for the order to be lifted, SLO county has to FIRST have their cases per 100,000 come UNDER the threshold of 100 cases. How long that will take is not in my crystal ball today! Although, I do have some LOVELY crystal balls in my house 🙂 THEN, we have to STAY UNDER that for a 14 day period before we can re-open.

Can you see the conundrum? When do create a theoretical re-open date to reschedule into? Well, I am going to assume that it takes a week to get our numbers down (not a scientific method!) and then add the 14 days to it..so, three weeks is the MINIMUM I think for re-open. That is THURSDAY, AUGUST 6th.

If my calculations are thwarted by the virus and number of cases RISING, then that pushes back everything and we begin the process of canceling and rescheduling all over again! It’s stressful for everyone and i want to MINIMIZE the stress not create more.

That said….JENNIFER AND I WILL WAIT FOR 1 WEEK BEFORE WE MAKE CALLS TO RESCHEDULE IN ORDER TO SEE WHICH WAY THE CASES GO…THERE WILL BE A PRESS CONFERENCE FROM THE CITY OF SLO AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 23RD…I will wait till that day to see the results of a week of being shut down before I make the call to begin rescheduling. 

I will always communicate to you when I know the next steps with clarity and purpose! Keep the faith! 

To be clear…we will begin the process of calls to everyone once we hear the news from july 23rd…so expect another email and text from me on July 24th.
Hopefully we can begin to actually begin to rebook on that day for 2 weeks later!

I am suspending online booking for the time being to avoid any sticky issues!

I will be opening up lots of extra days and expanding my work hours after the shut down to create as little disruption as possible and to get as many of you into the salon as I can. NOTHING about any of this is easy or comfortable. BUT…we RISE TOGETHER!

I can’t do this alone and I hope you are with me in this…I understand if my approach and decisions are not your cup of tea and at the end of the day…I need to face my own life and be willing to know that I acted with INTEGRITY and HONOUR. 

Let’s all meet this with patience, compassion, and kindness! Thank you my friends and clients 💗

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JULY 16, 2020 at 12:01 am – ADDITIONAL BUSINESS MODIFICATIONS DUE TO STATEWIDE ORDER

The following will be required to shut down unless they can be modified to operate outside or by pick-up as of 12:01 am on Thursday morning (modified operations required on Thursday):

• Fitness centers
• Worship services
• Protests
• Offices for non-essential sectors (See offices allowed to stay open: Essential Critical Infrastructure Sector List)
• Personal care services, like nail salons, body waxing and tattoo parlors (tattoo parlors and many other personal care services can not legally operate outdoors – check with your state licensing board)
• Hair salons and barbershops – Note: outdoors operations not currently allowed per state licensing
• Malls

Contact info:
Scheduling Manager,
Jennifer Johnson
Text is best
(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn, Owner
805-801-5607
Text is best or email
My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

JULY 2nd UPDATE:

As I begin contemplating the start of my 4th week back into the salon, I am filled with thankfulness that you are all willing to come back! I know how hard it is to still wait after months of waiting and I am really pleased that so far I have been met with patience, understanding and gratitude as well.

As you can imagine, I am swamped as is every hairdresser and salon I know all over the world!  I am obviously just one person doing my best to see close to 200 hundred people in as fast a timeframe as I can muster without backtracking into overwork! It’s an unprecedented event for us all and it’s through the Power of Kindness that we shall move carefully through this time together.

I AM GRATEFUL!

Let’s talk Hair!

Now that I have a few weeks under my belt I am seeing some hair trends 🙂

The first, is that everyone is taking me longer to complete due to catching up with each other, overgrown styles, long hair, lots of regrowth, faded color, and makeovers/corrections. I expected this! Know that you will be spending more time in the chair than usual due to this…plan accordingly. I am offering cold water in bottles but no food is allowed in the salon.

I padded each person’s appointment times for sanitation and other reasons…therefore, in contrast to just 3 months ago I am seeing less clients each day/week/month for the time being. That is what is contributing to the wait for some of you…I am seeing 1/3 less clients in the same time frame as before. 

We will all get through this moment and get back on track in due time…it’s looking like Mid-late August is when I will have seen about 90% of my entire client base…Phew!

Let’s talk Cancellations!

I get cancellations from time to time and I am trying to offer those to people that are patiently waiting! I want to maximize my time in the salon and move people up. If YOU have to cancel please try to give me as much heads up as possible in order to fill that spot, especially right now when I am trying to book people into each week very efficiently so wait times aren’t totally ridiculous!

If you do end up canceling, getting you back in within a day or two may not be possible. I will try but it’s gonna be a challenge…just sayin’ 🙂 I advise keeping your current appointments with me unless it’s just unavoidable.

Let’s Talk Money!

Moving forward…and to stay transparent, open, clear, and profitable I will be maximizing my time in the chair, working less, and raising my cut/color prices on September 1st. I will create a full service menu for you to see and be fully informed about what each service will cost so that you are not in the dark about pricing. I will have this for you by August 1st in paper, web, and email formats! I want you to always feel very open about talking about your budgets for hair with me…I can always work within your budget AND….that often means adjusting the results you want as well. As author, Marie Forleo says, “Everything is Figureoutable!“

Let’s talk schedule!

Having had close to 3 months to sit and ponder my navel in my living room, like so many of us, I was able to review the last few years of doing hair and honestly, my whole career! To be honest, I have not had what one might call a healthy work/life balance and many of you amazing souls have pointed that out very lovingly over the years. THANK YOU!

Again, turning 50 over the “break”, and pondering my work/life balance for 3 months has led to inevitable changes as you can imagine. Basically, I will be moving to a 4-day work week starting Aug. 1st. Will that be set in stone?

Yes and No. I will make adjustments here and there but for the most part, I am sticking to that schedule. I will ABSOLUTELY use my days off to reschedule clients if I cancel on you for any reason.

1. Less hours means I will be possibly seeing less clients which means that I will need to focus on maximization of time and cost. I OFTEN gab waaaayy too long before i even begin doing your hair…a consult is one thing…a monologue about what I have been up to, is another thing! So, please do not take it personally if I focus on hair talk in the first few minutes you are in my chair…we can catch up while I am doing your hair. 

2. I will also be more diligent about asking you to cancel in an appropriate timeframe…life happens and unexpected things come up…that I understand. It will be best to keep your appointments as we schedule them if you can…a 48-72 hour heads up is appreciated for any changes. 

3. Lastly, many of you do this already, but it would be wise if you come in anywhere between 3-8 weeks, to book out your appointments at least 2-3X in the future if you like certain times/days to be “your” time in the salon. 

I am excited to be back in the salon and doing what I love and in order to do that with joy in my heart, full attention on YOU, and my Craft shining…I am listening to my mentors, biz coaches, friends, clients and loved ones and creating a Life I love and Business I am proud of as we navigate these strange days. I Am at your service 🙂 

To schedule or change your appointments…please contact my scheduling assistant first before reaching out directly to me..if your changes are same day…feel free to text me directly!
Contacts are below.

Masks, Masks, Masks!

You have all done so well wearing masks in the salon and I remain in my commitment to wear one as well.

I wore a face shield only for a hot second (well…48 hours) and just felt like it was not protective enough to you or I, and after double checking this gut feeling with a couple of my clients that work in the local ICU’S…I wear a mask while I am at work.

My body has adjusted now and it’s a non-issue for me to wear it thankfully. Please bear with the protocols that are FOR YOU to feel super safe in my chair and in our salon…we take this seriously as professionals and as cases rise in our beloved county…you can bet that I am going to be ever vigilant and diligent on following all the State Board, State and local Gov’t. mandates. I have a vested interest in doing this for many reasons, the least of which is my Hubby at home has 4 hearts stents and I am a fierce protector of those in my charge! THAT includes YOU!!!

So THANK YOU for everything and I will see you soon if I have not already……I am deeply grateful to you ALL and hope you know that! 

WANT TO ORDER PRODUCTS DIRECTLY?

OWAY PRODUCTS STORE LINK BELOW: 

https://www.holistichairtribe.com/seanlevahn

I also get a 30% commission on anything you order so it helps me as well 🙂

Professional Organic Hair Care

Oway’s professional organic hair care products are artfully formulated with biodynamic botanicals, organic ingredients, and pure essential oils. All products are certified cruelty-free and are free from common toxic ingredients.

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Contact info:
Scheduling Manager,
Jennifer Johnson
Text is best
(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn
805-801-5607
Text is best or email
My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

May 29th UPDATE:

The long awaited day is upon us!
We will be re-opening by June 10th!

FIRST…

I just want to say THANK YOU for being so very patient and
Kind during this time.

I received so many well wishes, donations, gift certificate purchases, etc…over the many weeks I have been closed and I am grateful beyond measure.

SECOND…

This is a long and detailed email to some degree…take it in chunks and take your time! I really did try to keep it all relevant and “brief!”  

I wanted to give you all the information about what you can expect upon arrival for your appointment. I am sure you have seen news reports, social media posts and conversations around this so I am assuming that at this stage…it won’t be too surprising. The State of CA has given every salon/independent stylist a 10 page guidelines pack that details the requirements of re-opening.

It’s going to take some time as a salon to make sure that all the guidelines are being put into place. We have been amassing the appropriate PPE in quantity, restructuring and building what we need in the interior of the salon, and getting a salon wide game plan together so we are all in accordance with the changes!

This is a big undertaking and rest assured that your safety, sanity, and well being are our highest priority right next to GOOD HAIR! We are Ready (almost!)

We will be open to see clients with appointments
(no walk in appointments or visits) starting JUNE 10th!

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Contact info:
Scheduling Manager,
Jennifer Johnson
Text is best
(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn
805-801-5607
Text is best or email
My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

May 9th UPDATE:

A Brave New World and Fresh Start

Good Lord, where to begin?! First, THANK YOU is where i want to start. Thank YOU for being my client and thank you for your patience! I know that when the clock struck midnight on Dec.31st, THIS is not the year we envisioned. Yet, here we are. Together in this moment!

I don’t want to bombard you all with too much information and not everyone has chosen to receive my email updates, so…I will cover some of the most important broad strokes here in this email.

I created a web page on my website that you can go to for all the pertinent information regarding what the rescheduling process will look like, what health protocols in the salon will in effect to protect our community, myself, and you. There will also be info. on my work schedule changes, and any updates/promotions I want you to know about!

That web page is going to be the full picture and contain important information to the process of restarting business back up again in the “new normal.”

I am asking every client to read and familiarize themselves with my “FRESH START” information BEFORE they come in for their first appointments with me!

I have included the link below. Just click on it and it will take you right there.

Here is the link: 

https://unifyhairstudio.com/book-appointment-24-7/

All this “reflection time” coupled with turning 50 years of age in my living room (ha, ha!) has led to some of the changes you will read below. I have been tasked by my SOUL to stride forward in a new way and leave behind some of the ways of the past few years. Scary but exciting. I am sure many of you have faced similar watershed moments in your lives!

LET’S GET TO IT!!

1. SCHEDULING:

1. Rescheduling assistance

Jennifer Johnson, my scheduling HERO/assistant, and I will be reaching out to EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU from the day I send this email to get you all settled with new appointments. I have over 200 clients that have had their appointments discombobulated and it’s going to take me some time to get through that many phone calls and each person’s unique hair situation.

So, she and I have a game plan mapped out and we will be FAIR, mindful, and diligent. I ask for patience, respect, and FLEXIBILITY and we will offer the same in return.

Basically, I have to play Triage with everyone’s unique hair situation. Literally, EVERY single one of my clients is mostly past their “due date” for a hair appointment. This is new to me as well as to you and i bet there will be learning curves along the way. We will do our BEST to minimize them and create a smooth and even flow to getting back to work!

ONLINE BOOKING:

If you want to take matters into your own hands and reschedule yourself…there is a way! I do have online booking and for some people it’s a breeze and others find it challenging for a variety of reasons. The site works just fine though 🙂

Here is the link: https://unifyhairstudio.com/book-appointment-24-7/

or you can use https://www.vagaro.com/seanlevahn

2. HEALTH GUIDELINES:

For the past 15 years I have been following California State Board of Cosmetology hygiene guidelines in regards to sanitation, health of clients and my own health.

I will be adding another few layers “on top” of those protocols with regards to the Covid-19 Virus. I will outline to you what you can expect from me and what I can expect from you. Please familiarize yourself with the health protocols by going to my website. Link is below!

As we move forward with this, please remember…it’s temporary, it’s out of respect to ALL my clients you see and don’t see, it’s respectful to my health, and to our community. If you have questions about any of the health protocols please contact me BEFORE your appointment and we can talk about your concerns.

3. REWARD POINTS PROGRAM and QUARTERLY PROMOS:

I have changed the current program and added some promos for Spring/Summer! Details are on my website.

4. NEW WORK HOURS:

I will be working a total of 4 days a week (some weekdays, weeknights/weekends) and about 40 hours per week versus the 60-70 hrs a week and 6-7 days a week schedule i have done for many, many years. It’s a New Era!

5. PRICE ADJUSTMENTS:

Effective upon re-opening,  there will be a $4 credit card charge fee if you want to use a credit card to process your payments. Feel free to use Cash, Check, Paypal, or Venmo instead of a card.

Beginning on Sept.1st I will be adjusting my prices, and as we get into July, I will detail that out with plenty of notice.

6. EVERYTHING ELSE:

I have reflected back on this past year going to full time self-employment and the lessons learned. It will come as no surprise at all to most of you…I worked too much for any one person to stay sane!

So, moving into My Fresh Start, I will be adjusting my work schedule back to the human realm and actually taking FOR REAL days off!

That all said…that enforced “break” , as nice as it was in it’s own way (for me) WILL and HAS effected my business and life in many ways that i can’t foresee as of yet. I, like millions of small business owners across the planet, were quite effected by this and it’s ripple effects are yet to be seen.

I DO have 100% TRUST in GRACE, LOVE, and COMMUNITY that we will all rise to the Occasion and help each other using wisdom, compassion, understanding, and patience with one another.

This cooperation is one of the defining characteristics of the Human Spirit as well as resilience, adaptability, and strength!

Thank you SO MUCH and SEE YOU SOON!

THE LINK TO MY WEBSITE AND ALL THE DETAILS OF EVERYTHING ABOVE IS BELOW…PLEASE CLICK AND READ BEFORE YOU COME IN FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT.

https://unifyhairstudio.com/fresh-start-reopening/

If that link does not work for any reason I will be texting it to you as well and you can always go to my website and navigate your way to the info.

My website:

www.seanlevahn.com 

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For those of you that feel like you need any help with your haircolor and you have not reached out to me…I got you!

Contact info:
Scheduling Manager,
Jennifer Johnson
Text is best
(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn
805-801-5607
Text is best or email
My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

APRIL 14th UPDATE:

As you may be aware…Governor Newsome gave a speech today outlining the process of gradual re-entry of California back into the work force and social interactions. The stay at home order currently extends to May 3rd and as restrictive measures are relaxed and health data comes in…that may change. SLO county also is mirroring that timeframe in their county wide health updates as well.

As far as moving forward with re-scheduling everyone (over 200 clients!) I’ll be taking my cue from the above mentioned information and people. As you can imagine, the scheduling process is going to look a lot like the re-entry process for all of California.

I will be called on to juggle a number of factors, including but not limited to…HEALTH, social distancing state/county guidelines, individual circumstance, client finances, scheduling errors, overwhelm and burnout on my end! The process will be be Gradual, in stages, and with keen attention to detail to minimize chaos and maximize success!

I am happy to say that I am honoured that you all have supported me in a myriad number of ways through this. Hopefully, you all feel the same way!

I am mostly likely going to let another week go by till we get a more clear sense that May 3rd can be a date I can count on to be able to re-schedule you safely without backtracking.

Once we begin the re-entry process, Jennifer (my scheduling assistant/behind the scenes hero!) and I will be calling EVERY single person to make sure everything goes smoothly.

So…We got this! As we transition forward, each person will have their own desires and ways they will handle everything that has happened and the new ways we all be experiencing soon. I’m here to help you with as many of my gifts as I can.

I’m sure you can understand when I say that I’ve been doing deep soul searching into the last year of moving into the space of being an independent hairdresser and it has been amazing, creative, and fulfilling…I’ll be making some pivots based on what I’ve learned, industry mentor advice, and this reflective time at home! I’m excited to share them with you as we get closer to actually re-scheduling each one of you!

Hold tight my friends…we are entering the final stretch of this phase. I’ll be there on the other side to create more beauty in the world!

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For those of you that feel like you need any help with your haircolor and you have not reached out to me…I got you!

Contact info:
Scheduling Manager,
Jennifer Johnson
Text is best
(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn
805-801-5607
Text is best or email
My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com

MARCH 25th UPDATE:

MARCH 19th UPDATE:

Good morning, it’s Sean Levahn, your friendly neighborhood hairdresser! I’m sure you have heard that as of today, Thursday March 19th at 5pm all non essential businesses (that’s me) are closed and we are in a “shelter in place” order until further notice!

This “unprecedented in our lifetimes” experience will effect entire industries, livelihoods, schedules, myself, all of you and our friends in ways we can’t know. I do know that Life is a beautiful and messy affair and it’s the power of the HEART that allows us to weather all things.

Flexibility, Patience, Graciousness, Gratitude, and Compassion are the key qualities to embody during our “Divine Pause.”

Do Art, clean the house, walk on the beach (6ft apart), lay in the sunshine, read, cook, laugh, sing, cry, mourn, connect, learn a new skill, and become an even better human. THIS is our moment to master our fears.

Please be mindful that I’m going to do my best to reschedule everyone and that all of us are going to be touched by this in unknown and uncounted ways in the coming days. We will all need an extraordinary amount of trust and patience with each other as we piece our lives back together from the aftermath.

One of the things I don’t want to do is reschedule you too soon and then find out we are in lockdown even longer than we thought and have to move your appointments twice! So…let’s all get comfortable with the unknown for now.

Jennifer Johnson (my scheduling manager/Hero) and I will begin to reach out to all of you soon. Those amazing people with appointments within the next 30 days (that’s over a hundred people so far!) will be contacted and we will begin to figure this out in a way that works for us all.

This will take time to do and so I ask all of you for your continued Trust during the process. If you really want…I can lead virtual online “cut and color your own hair” classes…what could go wrong? Kidding 🙂

Please, stay safe and reach out to me if you need support. I can be a listening ear, and a healing presence in this time….I just can’t do hair at the salon nor do any house calls. That would be unethical, irresponsible, and could have devastating results.

You are not alone and we can all do this with Grace. Agreed? May we all become more unified, calm, and slow down. Be well and breathe!

Contact info:
Scheduling Manager,
Jennifer Johnson
Text is best
(805) 441-4879

Sean Levahn
805-801-5607
Text is best or email
My email is seanlevahn@gmail.com