October 2026

Hello everyone! This is Sean Levahn, your friendly neighborhood hairdresser!

As we head into winter, I wanted to share a few thoughts about stormy weather, my heart recovery, and how we can help keep one another healthy in the months ahead.

Mostly, this is a reminder that we’re all in this together, and that a little preparation, flexibility, and consideration can go a long way.

STORM SEASON & YOUR GET-OUT-OF-JAIL-FREE CARD!

Many of you drive 30–40 minutes to see me, and I never want you to feel obligated to make that drive if the roads or weather don’t feel safe.

So, through the spring, I’m offering an official Storm Season Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card! If heavy rain, wind, flooding, or road conditions make you uncomfortable driving to your appointment, just text me directly, even on the day of your appointment.

I’ve built some extra appointment windows into my schedule for weather-related disruptions, and I’ll do my absolute best to get you back in when conditions improve.

For all other scheduling needs, please continue contacting Jennifer first. Her number is (805) 441-4879. She keeps my schedule running smoothly, which allows me to concentrate on the important things, like doing good hair and remembering where I put my reading glasses!

We should also be prepared for possible power outages. I can usually manage a shampoo and rinse with my 20-gallon water tank, but blow-drying may become a luxury if the electricity goes out. We’ll improvise and adapt as needed!

At home, I’m preparing as though I might be without electricity for a week this winter. That’s just my “what would Sean do” metric…I’d rather be prepared and not need everything than need something and wish I’d thought ahead.

I encourage you to make sure you have flashlights, food, water, and other essentials on hand, and to take a look around your property and to see how water drains in your neighborhood. Many of us have lived through some pretty impressive El Niño seasons, so we know the weather occasionally likes to keep things “interesting.”

I’m always happy to share what I’ve been doing to prepare if you’d like to chat about it during your appointment. Storm preparedness may not be the usual salon conversation, but we’ve covered stranger topics while waiting for color to process or during a cut!

Link to a storm preparedness presentation at Cuesta PAC from 10/7 by our local meteorologist, John Linsey:

https://www.youtube.com/live/OxQddOV_Ub0?is=N_x6cI5queXbDHtG

A QUICK HEART RECOVERY UPDATE

I’m now more than 30 days out from my heart ablation, and things are moving in a really positive direction!

My energy and stamina are returning, my mood is lighter, and several of you have even commented that my coloring looks better. Having your heart behave itself does wonders for your complexion…lol.

I’m increasingly confident that having this procedure was the right decision. I’m feeling more like myself, which is a wonderful thing!

KEEPING EACH OTHER HEALTHY THIS WINTER

This one is particularly important to me, and I’m grateful for your understanding.

I’m still in the three-month recovery period following my heart procedure, which basically takes me through the end of the year. Given my history with Covid/Flu and their effects on my health, avoiding reinfection is especially important right now.

I also really want to avoid canceling several days of appointments because I’m sick. I know how much you plan around your visits, and I do everything I can to avoid disrupting your schedules. The last thing any of us wants is a week of cancellations and the challenge of trying to fit everyone back in!

So, please be mindful about coming into the salon with any new symptoms, including fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, body aches, or anything suggesting you may be coming down with something.

I know some of you live with chronic allergies, coughs, or other ongoing symptoms. I’m not talking about those familiar, everyday conditions. You know what’s normal for your body!

If something feels different, please text me and reschedule. There’s no need to feel bad or worry about inconveniencing me. I’ll make every effort to accommodate you, even if that occasionally means working on a day off. I would MUCH rather do that and rearrange the schedule than risk getting sick and setting back my recovery.

I also want to say how much I’ve appreciated the clients who have already been doing exactly this. Over the past three or four months, several of you have reached out ahead of your appointments to let me know you weren’t feeling well and needed to reschedule. Those little acts of consideration remind me what a lovely community we have here.

And this absolutely goes both ways! If I’m feeling unwell, I’ll reschedule appointments rather than risk exposing you. None of us needs a bonus illness with our haircut.

Since Covid can spread before symptoms appear, I’ll keep fresh air circulating whenever practical, run my air purifier, and welcome/mirror anyone who prefers to wear a mask. I’ll also continue changing capes and robes between clients and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, with extra attention this winter. I want you to feel safe in my space and all these measures on both our parts creates that.

A QUICK SCHEDULING NOTE

The remainder of 2026 is now waitlist only! That said, cancellations absolutely happen, especially as people shuffle appointments around due to illness, holiday plans, and life doing what life does. So don’t hesitate to reach out to Jennifer about getting on the waitlist. You never know when something might open up!

Looking ahead, 2027 is already filling up quickly, with January through March nearly 90% booked. So please plan ahead and book accordingly. I’d love to make sure everyone gets their hair time!

MOST OF ALL…

I want us all to move through this season safely, with a little extra consideration, flexibility, and kindness for one another. We’ve weathered plenty together over the years, and I know we can navigate whatever this winter brings.

Thank you for helping me protect my recovery, for taking care of yourselves and one another, and for continuing to make my little salon such a warm and wonderful place to spend my days. I’m genuinely grateful for this community and for the trust, humor, and care you bring with you every time you walk through the door.

Here’s to good health, safe travels, functioning electricity, manageable weather, and fabulous hair!

With love and gratitude,

Seán

Also this….

 

Something most people don’t know about me is that I’ve experienced multiple concussions throughout my life. My brain had learned to adapt over the years, but after three COVID infections, it felt as though many of those adaptations were stripped away, bringing old neurological challenges back to the surface.

Over the past two years, I’ve made solid progress through neurofeedback, photobiomodulation, supplements, and cranial electrical stimulation therapy.

Recently, I discovered LoveYourBrain, a nonprofit supporting people with traumatic brain injuries through mindfulness, yoga, education, and community.

I’m hoping to attend their Arizona retreat this coming April, pending acceptance. For me, the next step in healing is connecting with others who understand these experiences firsthand and learning from the community and its mentors.

The retreats are truly offered at no cost, but participants have to cover travel expenses and are encouraged to raise $1,500 to help cover expenses for the actual retreat if possible. I’d like to make that happen.

So I’m planning some fundraising gatherings, including tea ceremonies with Himalayan singing bowl sound baths and private one-on-one tea conversations, creating space for whatever is on your heart, from life’s challenges and honoring loved ones to celebrating its joys.

I’ll share more as the plans come together, and bring you all in on my journey through social media videos/updates before, during and after.

Currently, I’m in a 6 week online program with the organization and had my first gathering the other day….they are kind and compassionate facilitators which makes all the difference!

www.loveyourbrain.com

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JULY 2026

CHRISTMAS IN JULY UPDATE!!

Fair warning: this email is kinda long. You may want tea. I like to think of it less as a client newsletter and more as a TED Talk you can read in your pajamas.

Some of you have been in my chair for twenty-plus years. Some of you are newer to this whole arrangement. Either way, you chose to be here, and that touches my heart….especially through a pandemic and six years of my body doing its own dramatic thing.

Some of you have been asking about The Long Covid journey I have been on…it’s a long one — six years of navigating something medicine is only now starting to truly understand. The research is finally catching up, treatments are getting more targeted, and in the functional medicine world I’ve been getting treatment for years that I believe has helped.

There are specific things I can point to that have moved the needle, and as I’ve offered before — if you know anyone struggling with something that resembles Long Covid, I wrote a 31-page PDF about what’s worked for me, and I’m happy to share it. If you want to directly see it, print it, or share it, here is the link:

Navigating Long COVID Guide

FEEL FREE TO SEND IT OR POST IT OR EMAIL IT!!

I also want to give you a heads up about a surgical procedure coming up before the end of the year. It’s a cardiac ablation for the atrial fibrillation I developed after getting royally sick with the flu earlier this year in April — I’m looking at early August for that one. I only need three to four days of recovery, and my goal is to get anyone affected back in within ten days of their original appointment.

Before I get into the business news, I just want to say thank you — for the loyalty, the generosity, and the grace you’ve extended through all of it, and for trusting me with something as personal as how you look and feel. I’m looking forward to more conversations, more stories, more years together. I don’t have a bigger word than gratitude, so that’s the one I’m going with. From the center of my heart, thank you.

Okay. Business news….

HOURS ARE CHANGING 

Standing in one spot for eight hours is no longer my friend, and after six years of my body getting louder about it, I’m finally listening. Starting in 2027 I’m moving to a schedule that starts between 8-11AM and wraps by 3-5PM. During the winter hours who wants to be here in the dark anyway….get here when it’s dark and leave when it’s even darker? No thanks 🙂 

I’m expanding my working days to 5 days a week and extended my Saturday hours to take care of my evening people, while keeping a 6 hour work day. I want the next decade to be sustainable, not just survived.

A GENTLE BUT FIRM REMINDER ABOUT BOOKING (Please Read This One)

You know how I always say I book ahead? I know. I say it every time. Unfortunately, some folks just don’t read my emails and client wide texts…maybe THIS time? I’m now currently booking through the end of the year, holiday booking is open and by the end of July it’s typically gone. So if you’ve been meaning to get around to it, now’s the time. Starting in 2027 I’ll also be limiting how many clients I see each week, which means fewer spots overall. The clients who pre-book get the schedule they want!

Reach out, lock it in, and enjoy the underrated feeling of having your life together. lol!

BOOK HERE:

Scheduling Manager,
Jennifer Johnson

Text is best

(805) 441-4879

RETAIL IS GETTING STREAMLINED

Going forward, I’ll keep less product amounts on my shelf, but the good news is Neuma is now carried at a local beauty supply, so if you need something I’m out of, I can usually get it within a few days. Just let me know what you need. I’ll continue offering a significant discount off retail. Most standard sizes are just $25, and the liter route is an even better deal. Just ask.

PRICING UPDATE — OCTOBER

I’ve held my prices steady for two years while everything around us got more expensive, and I’ve absorbed it as long as I reasonably could. Starting in October, all services will increase by $5. For a cut and color TOGETHER, the total increase will be $10 per visit. I kept it as modest as I could while still being able to keep the lights on and the good times flowing. A sustainable business means I’m still here a decade from now and that feels like the goal worth protecting.

With real gratitude, Seán

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My faves list:

What I am currently listening to:

Kalaido on Spotify

SPOTIFY LINK

What I am currently reading:

For All the Tea in China — Sarah Rose

AMAZON LINK

Protect Your Energy — Zahabiyah A. Yamasaki, MEd, RYT

AMAZON LINK

What tea am I drinking right now?

HOLY BASIL (TULSI TEA)

HOLY BASIL LINK

What socks I’m wearing you ask?

AMAZON LINK