I haven't been able to post much the last few days due to pressure of work and some other things going on in my life.
But yesterday I had a meeting with a client. Last week I made the decision that I was going to do something with my hair rather than just let it hang loose. I figured I have to take the step some time or other.
Over the weekend I switched from deciding on a half pony, to getting it done in a French braid at a salon before the meeting. Sunday, I had settled on a half pony (mostly since I don't want to have to go to a salon every time I have a client meeting and I can't do the braid yet). I played around with a band, and then a mini hair claw but still wasn't happy - mostly because the way the hair at the back stuck out and also how some side hair wouldn't stay in. Come Monday morning I decided on a adapting the half pony look a little bit in the way that Amanda had shown me at the salon last week. On the way to my meeting I stopped in a drug store and bough a clip like what's shown here...
http://www2.eckerd.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=Eckerd&category%5Fname=100432H...except mine was black. I stopped off in a McDonald's and discretely waited until the rest room was empty and then proceeded to fix my hair into essentially a half pony, but held in place at the back by the clip. Twice someone came into the rest room and I kind of slipped the clip out quickly and acted like I was just washing up. But in the end I got it together. I added a couple of bobby pins which matched my hair color more to hold the side hair in place a bit better. Then I was off to my meeting.
I felt very nervous. First time meeting anyone like this with my hair fixed up in any way.
I needn't have been. I was meeting with four women and giving them a presentation followed by a discussion. I felt a little self conscious and noticed them take a second look at my hair a few times, but I decided to ignore it anyway. What was done was done although my heart was beating fast inside. I excused myself for a few minutes after the presentation, gave them some time to discuss things, and then came back. Over a break and a cup of coffee, the manager commented on my hair. She gave me a compliment on the way it looked and said that it was nice to see a guy who had longer hair being prepared to wear it more professionally for a business meeting. That made me feel a lot better. A second woman came up a few minutes later and again complimented me. Somehow we got onto my wanting to grow my hair much longer. She then lamented that she had waist length hair when she had started with her previous employer and they had convinced her that long hair and business did not mix. So she gave in and cut it to a much shorter bob. She has since grown it back to just about shoulder length (around the same length as mine) and was wearing hers in a French braid. I felt bad for her. But what was funny was that she said to me, if I am going to grow my hair long and work in a professional business, then she really had no excuse (less excuse). So she made a deal with me to keep in touch and we're going to be hair growing partners - at least in terms of the odd email or support call. Isn't that neat!!!
I won the order. Was it because of my hair. In part. I am sure I wouldn't have won it if we hadn't been the right fit, but at least with two of the ladies it became a talking point that broke the ice and the manager commented again later after they had made their decision that she appreciated the effort that I had taken to make myself look professional while also pursuing a goal that I wanted to achieve - it gave her confidence that I can be creative and follow through on achieving the goal - which is what they wanted to see.
Obviously I am on a high in terms of this right now. Other things have brought me down to keep me in balance. But I thought I would share this.
I can imagine not everyone will react this way. I may win some sales and lose some sales over the way I present myself, but this was an encouraging start.
Oh - to show though that I am still in the land of reality though - as I left the building, three teenage girls came from behind me and looked around as they passed me and gave a giggle, I imagine at the clip. I didn't leave it in for the rest of the day. The job was done. But it hasn't put me off doing it again.
M
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