Let’s get the giant elephant out of the room right away: Yes, I am a bald guy reviewing a book by an internationally known hair expert. However, this book is not just for those in the hair and salon industries; this book is for anyone interested in business ownership, leadership development, the personal care industry, and anyone seeking some motivation or advice on how to succeed in business and life.
This book was suggested to me by a friend that works for Kelly. She wanted me to read the book, rate it on Amazon, and share it with my social media audience. I get a lot of such requests. Typically I will buy the book to support the person and then just give it a quick skim through. I did that with this book, however, I ended up picked the book back up a second time and reading it thoroughly.
The first time I read the book, I was in the midst of selling one business and starting a new business, in addition to growing my consulting work. I found myself appreciating the format of the book: 6 lessons, each with an inspirational quote, an actionable takeaway, and a story to go along with each. I found myself skimming through, finding value in the business lessons in it, but not paying much attention to or relating to the stories. Perhaps it is because I am a bald guy and most the stories revolve, in some way, around the hair salon.
Last week, I met Kelly, briefly, but enough to make an impression. I bumped into him at the Fu Asian Kitchen in the Hard Rock Hotel (great food and outstanding employees, check it out when in Vegas). Kelly sat next to me and said hello for a minute or two before joining his dinner party. Sometimes all you need is a couple of minutes to see the good in someone, to experience the authenticity and to see that God is working through them to do good in the world. That comes through when you meet Kelly . That short encounter encouraged me to read the book again, and to follow Kelly on social media (follow him on Instagram @therealkellycardenas, he has some inspirational short videos with actionable takeaways).
Reading the book a second time was an entirely different experience. Because I now thought so highly of Kelly, I was intrigued more by the stories in the book. The stories are key. Writing an inspirational quote or giving a business tip is easily but the stories bring it to life. It is advice from a guy who is living what he writes. He does not present himself as perfect and he is very open about challenges his business has faced. After my second read, I had written down a few things I learned that I wanted to apply to my business, and a few I wanted to add to my personal life. Here is one of my favorites:
“Make sure that when something breaks in your work environment, that you fix it as soon as “supernaturally” possible.” This will prove to be a foundational building block of hope.” – Kelly Cardenas
I talk about hope often myself. I have a speech on hope I have given many times. But, I never thought of this angle to hope. God’s timing is AMAZING because, as I was reading it, I found myself struggling to find hope in many areas of life. In this quote, Kelly was talking about the little things in a work environment, like a light bulb, and now not fixing those things essentially snowball. Though, this relates to all aspects of life. It was a reminder to me that my issue is not that hope itself has declined, hope is always there ready for my to grab on to, but that my circumstances were preventing my from grabbing on to that hope, and all it took was fixing a few small things in my environment. If you read this book, you’ll experience a takeaway or two like that.
The book is not a perfect read. There are a few errors. A few times the stories can stray a bit from the topic at hand, though they always come back to the topic. The book is a good man, with real life experiences, sharing his stories and sharing his wisdom. We all need people like that to learn from. Get your copy of the book today!
- Where to buy the book:
- Who should read this book:
- Salon, Hair or Personal Care Industry Professionals
- Christian Business Owners
- Anyone looking for business or life motivation
- Young Professionals
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Pizza 