Cultivating Connections: The Power of Strong Client Relationships

Bree and Cassy discuss the importance of establishing and cultivating relationships with clients, identifying and defending boundaries, and important things to keep in mind when becoming friends outside of the barbershop setting.

Transcript

Bree 0:03

Welcome back to Philosophy of the Barber. Hello, Cassie! Nice to see you again. We missed you last week. So we're back having conversations uh this week. I figure we should probably talk about customer relationships. And the the many uh interesting aspects of that concept. Because uh recently I had some interactions on the interwebs with some people who had differing opinions on the subject and the level of importance that there is uh applied to customer relationships. Some people have the opinion that uh barbers ultimately, like all customers care about, is the haircut they're getting versus others that are more uh understanding of the long-term ramifications of cultivating actual connections and relationships with human beings, and that that can cause them to come back even if the haircut itself is not the best thing they've ever had. So what we'll just start on that one and we'll push off from there, but what where do you land on that?

Cassy 1:17

Oh, I'm definitely more looking for the long-term investment with connections to my clients for sure. Um I I want to know about your kids. I want to know about the sports that they're doing, I want to know my my goal in this is to be a multi-generational barber. Like I, however many years from now, want to be cutting grandpa and grandson's dad and everybody in between. Like, I I would like to be the family barber. Like, that's that's more my goal. Like, this isn't just like turning numbers and doing haircuts to me. Like, I each conversation that I have with each client is is is personal and different and custom to what kind of experience we have together, because it it's just as much an experience for me sometimes as it is an experience for them.

Bree 2:10

Well, I feel like that's one of the things that makes it not be a grind of a profession. Like, don't get me wrong, there's tons of people who are in this profession that are like grinded out, like crank out those haircuts, bing bang, boom, like making the money. But that's I don't consider that to be sustainable. Now, that is unless you have like boxes being checked in other aspects of your life where like that's financing your other pursuits. Yes. Then it's like, okay, I could totally understand how ultimately that is just a way for you to get your different goals that are outside of this profession. But like as somebody who is passionate about the profession, and like my pursuits are not really outside of it, it's I find my box is being checked within it.

Cassy 2:55

Yeah.

Bree 2:57

Like that's where my fulfillment is coming from, is people in my chair. So yeah, I I care about those people. And as somebody who has been getting haircuts twice as long as I've been giving them, you know, I I would certainly, as I've posted on some people's stuff lately, go, I will sit in somebody's chair that I connect with if they give me even an okay haircut. Rather than somebody who can give me the sickest fade that I've ever seen, and they have a crap attitude. Like, I'm just I'm not gonna like because there's nothing I can do about that. Yeah. I have no influence on them changing their attitude. If anything, I'll just be able to piss them off and that poke the bear. I mean, that's fun depending on the day, but yeah, not really a sustainable situation.

Cassy 3:47

No, I I very much enjoy the taking my time with each person kind of atmosphere. I don't think I would mesh well in a uh more chops chop chop shop style environment where you're cranking them out. Cranking them out and stuff. Like, I can't even because I am still so new into this industry, I came in middle pre-COVID, so I was past the walk-in stage.

Bree 4:19

Right. So you've never experienced that.

Cassy 4:20

So I can't even fathom the crank out of being a strictly walk-in shop. Like, I can't those that this does not compute for me. My entire service industry experience has been having ample time with each person to build that rapport and have that time to actually fully engage and not just cut hair.

Bree 4:41

Well, and I've operated for several years on either side of that dividing line. And I mean, as much as it was a valuable learning experience to go through the walk-ins, the having a multi-hour wait in a shop, like knowing what that feels like, the I mean, the reason why it's good for me is that I I know what that feels like to know what I don't want. Because that for me, as someone who is prone to anxiety, as an introvert, I felt so much anxiety. And from anything like going to the restroom to actually taking a lunch break when there's a line of people sitting there staring at you, just waiting for you to get done with whoever's in your chair. Because, like, with that atmosphere, it's very difficult for people to actually remember the mentality that this barber is a human being that needs things. They need to eliminate some waste, they need to drink some water, they need to eat some food, they need to step away from their work and like be out of that environment for you know a half an hour or so because that's healthy. That's how people don't have heart attacks in the barbershop, that's how people don't have strokes in the barbershop, as somebody who's had friends who have had both in the barbershop. What? Yes, okay, go that is not healthy. So, but like our health is our responsibility. It's nobody else's responsibility. Like, it's our job as the individual to create those boundaries and defend those boundaries. You go, no, no, yeah, I'm self-employed. Yeah, I'm not subject to uh like labor laws technically because nobody's employing me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, I can do what I want, but that means that I have that responsibility alone to make sure that I take breaks, that I'm doing what's healthy for me. And that leads us into the next aspect of it, which is like setting proper boundaries with your customers while maintaining those relationships.

Cassy 6:53

Especially once you do get to that point, I feel like there becomes a certain point, at least for me, where we hit a certain level of comfortability with one another that we almost do become friends and create a friendship with some of my clients to a point where their appointment booking is more personal. They they're not necessarily going on the website. And so I feel like then is where it can get kind of sticky as far as like doing favors or any kind of that thing. Like, there's no like having someone ask about like your hours. Like, I so often get messaged on Sundays asking if I have availability Monday for a haircut. And it would be very easy for me to, on occasion, if I don't have plans, just come into the shop and cut someone's hair on a Monday. But the reality is I'm not open on Mondays. I work Tuesday through Saturday, and I don't need to break that boundary because then I will consistently break that boundary over and or And it'll become an expectation of you to do that. Or that boundary will get consistently pushed.

Bree 8:01

Yes.

Cassy 8:02

If I do give slack on it. Even staying too late or coming in too early. Like you said, we don't necessarily have to abide to any labor laws, and it is what we are willing to do, but we still have to remember what we can what we're gonna be able to provide consistently enough on a regular basis. Because if we're not gonna want to always always want to stay late every Wednesday, then like maybe don't do that for them. Yep. Because in the long run, you're gonna be the one that's possibly holding resentments, and now you're putting like icky waters in your relationship with your semi-personal, mostly professional client.

Bree 8:45

Yep. And it's certainly definitely one of those, like, you gotta keep the big picture in mind when you make those decisions on operating hours and days. It's the this is not about what you can do right now. This is about what is gonna be a fair expectation for you to meet down the road a year or two from now. Because that person is gonna remember that unless unless you have had c very clear communication going, hey, I'm doing you a favor right now. Yeah, don't expect this in the future. Um, and they understand that, or like in the case of great quality clients that are friends that are more, and I mean, I love the ones that do this. They're like, I'll offer something that's outside of my normal range because I know their life, because I've been cutting their hair for years, and I go, hey, I I get your life is hectic right now. If you want to come in after my normal hours, like I'm totally willing to hook you up with that. Yeah. Because I I know what's going on. And they're like, no, no, no, no, I don't want you to do that. Like, that's you know, you have a life too. Yes. Like, I love you for that, but I would not be offering this if I wasn't willing and able. And so that's nice to have that consideration going both ways.

Cassy 10:05

And also, like, when you are considering like what hours to work, I remember when I first was like in school and working, I filled up every minute of every hour of every day with something, mostly work in school, but I still then continued to fill my little after hours because I was working and going to school seven days a week. I had no other time besides the 30 minutes here and there. And then as I continued through school, I didn't allow myself, I didn't allow that to get any easier. I added a second job to the mix while still going to school, and I lived in such a state of constantly being and doing something that when I finally was able to tapel taper out of that last year, I realized that I don't need to fill every hour of every day. Just because I'm available doesn't need I mean I need to be consistently overworking myself because of the longevity of things, because like that can only last so long before a burnout.

Bree 11:07

Oh yeah. And as somebody who's experienced several burnouts in this profession and in life, uh it that's definitely a thing. As a as a business owner, I've definitely overextended myself several times, whether it's emotionally or physically, time, money, whatever. Like I've made all the mistakes because I didn't really, you know, I was doing it all for the first time. And I didn't have, we'll say, um, a a mentor at the ready. Like my mentors were busy doing a lot of other things, and those aren't things that I would normally like pick their brain about. Yeah. It's just like, ah, I can I can figure it out. Um so it's it's definitely like yeah, having that big perspective of being like, alright, can I still meet this commitment on my worst day? Like barring a crisis that like emergency life happens. Like on my worst day, can I still wake up at this time and show up on time? And so, like, work around the possibility of you on your worst day, and as long as you can still meet that obligation, great. That's what you can do, that's what you need to do. Now, we can segue still on the subject of boundaries with customers. Let's talk a little bit uh like away from the the shop hours and and pricing and stuff, and go more towards the the emotional boundaries, the um the relationship boundaries. Because I mean we get to know people pretty intimately, especially in our situation where it's not a big boisterous shop where people are more talking shop and uh like being more community and loud. Like, we get one-on-one like therapy sessions.

Cassy 12:57

Oh, w my relationships with my clients have full-on just like submerged in the depths of their lives since being in such an intimate one-on-one setting. The things that they share and are just well, and also vice versa, the things we we connect with each other. Oh, yeah. It's there's just no it's it's almost a lot more limitless now. It's kind of cool.

Bree 13:24

Well, and it definitely offers a more genuine opportunity for uh reciprocity of experiences between barber and client. Um can we talk about like any experience or hypotheticals that you like you've already conjured in your mind about like alright, if this situation arises, I know how to deal with it. Like inappropriate messages from people like who at first are trying to go, you know, get a haircut and then are trying to like hit on you.

Cassy 13:56

Oh, it's it's hard to find a method that works. I try to keep it as professional as possible and just keep it as nice as possible because it's flattering, right? Like there, and a lot of the times I've been lucky enough that I've never been in a situation where I've been too overly uncomfortable with any of the clients that I've ever I've ever encountered. Um But there are scenarios that play out in my head of the what-ifs, and I just I have to try to remember that I have to try to be I have to try to be respectful, but I have to be also very direct, and I can't allow there to be any gray areas in my responses or how I get back to them about things, especially if in person if I'm getting flustered or like I'm in a uh a state of I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, because that can be an old like mindset of mine.

Bree 15:02

Well, that's a common mindset of females in general. Yes. Dealing with men. It's like we don't want to make you upset. Not in our presence. Nope.

Cassy 15:10

Nope. And but I have to remember to be very direct because if I'm not, especially when it comes to romantic feelings or whatever the case may be, I don't need there to be any misconstrued lines that this is a business relationship. Have you had to set any firm boundaries like that with any of your clients over the years?

Bree 15:34

Um, for the most part, when when I was in my dating life, um because I've been married almost five years now, and then was married uh the first year I owned a shop. So I had, you know, a chunk of time in between where I was, you know, in between husbands. Um but for the most part I tend to have kept uh very mature uh perspectives on things. Like anybody I've had previous relationship or interactions of that nature with, uh, I've been able to keep a compartmentalized situation. Like, hey, I'd I'm I'm not the one who's going to bring awkwardness. I hate awkwardness. I hate cringe. I like I would rather be blunt and have it on the table and have a conversation than have the the awkwardness of like, oh, I guess he's still cool sitting in my chair, and we're just gonna left these leave these things unsaid. Sorry about that little bit. You might have heard there was a a crash in the background. We had to go check on our business neighbor.

Cassy 16:42

Oh god.

Bree 16:42

Thankfully nobody is there.

Cassy 16:44

Or injured.

Bree 16:47

So, uh, back to what we were talking about. Uh yeah, so my experience with people in personal relationships is uh always been pretty mature, and anybody who's moving on and we no longer need each other in our lives in any capacity, whether it's barber or otherwise, just kinda fades away like anybody else. Like I've I cannot think of more than I've only had one instance that is memorable of like a big like blow-up sort of you know breakup of a barber and a client. Oh, really? But that was uh that was the text message person. Do we want to talk about that? Uh suffice it to say, for context, I received a text message back in like I don't know, 2015 or something, uh from a client who was very upset. This was during the walk-in period, where people wait an hour or two for uh a spot in somebody's chair. This person waited for me for an hour. This was a busy cranking Friday. I hadn't peed, let alone eaten anything. I had had no break cranking, and this was like two o'clock. And I'm like, I will pass out if I don't eat something. So I was like, hey, I need to run over to the burrito place. I'll be like 15 minutes. I gotta shove a burrito down my throat, and then I'll be back to cut your hair. And he was livid. He's like, you better cut my hair right now or I'm leaving. So I went, bye. Uh, and so he was pissed, went out. As I was getting my burrito, I received a text message from him that was uh probably the worst thing anybody's ever sent me to this day. Calling me a lots of expletives that were targeted as a female, as like, you know, body shaming, as like stuff about me being uh in rehab, and that he hopes that I I go back, and that like um yeah, all these terrible things. These terrible things. Yeah, terrible things. Uh and that's when I learned the lesson that uh I don't want to be everybody's barber. Some people can uh F off. Yeah. Like I d I don't need you. And you know, for further context, today that man is in prison for Valelia's uh essay of minors.

Cassy 19:24

Oh, shenanigans.

Bree 19:25

And uh so is his husband.

Cassy 19:29

Double shenanigans when things just fall into place.

Bree 19:35

Yeah, sometimes you don't need to be the the consequence for people. Sometimes you can just let the universe apply karma as it suits.

Cassy 19:42

It'll get there.

Bree 19:43

Yep.

Cassy 19:43

It'll get there.

Bree 19:46

So yeah, that was my worst firing a client situation.

Cassy 19:52

I boundaries. Yeah. I've I've I've yet to be in a situation where I've had to break anything off with a client. Um I've been lucky enough that I don't I think it's just the the stance I give when speaking to my clients. I just don't feel like I give off that energy to hit on me. Like to to just the rarity that it does happen, I'm almost kind of shocked. But I I just don't I think a lot of my clients respect what is going on, that I am a business professional, that this is a business professional setting, and that that we're not as much fun as we have when we're engaging back and forth with one another, that like this is still what that is. It's still a a a platonic relationship.

Bree 20:47

Well, I think uh most especially in your experience, at least in what I have witnessed, um when someone is hitting on you, it is f or asking you out or whatever. Um it is far more a matter of who they are and where they are in their mind and in their life. Like it it speaks much more of them than it does you doing anything to initiate that. It's certainly not a case of oh, she shouldn't have been dressing that way. Or a gee, you're awfully complimentary. Like it it's none of that. Like you don't give any of that off. You're simply being the comfortable you and being genuine, and but I think the people that have initiated those types of uh, I don't know, what do you call them? Uh come ons? Yeah. Uh yeah. It it certainly speaks more to where they are in their life or the type of interactions that they have with people that perhaps just by being your genuine professional, but Friendly self they mistake for interest maybe because they have a lot of disinterest or indifferentness in their life. That like even that speck of kindness is something that they want to latch on to. You know, very much like someone in survival mode.

Cassy 22:23

Agreed.

Bree 22:24

So, and I think we have the luxury of getting to know people well enough to be able to kind of spot that and be like, okay, I'm not going to take this personally, like, I'm not going to hold this against you. But understand that, like, I I appreciate the intent the sentiment behind it, but like I am your barber. And in order for you to keep this professional relationship going, we cannot uh do anything on the side. Because I mean, especially being a female barber, that's that's a thing that like guy barbers don't have to worry about. No. Aside from the rare occasion that you might get somebody coming in that has long hair and is getting like an undercut, or uh one of us, like, you know, women with short hair. But the the ratio of that is drastically lower. Because most women are not gonna hit on a guy. Because I think it's more apparent to us understanding the value of this person that you're trusting with your hair.

Cassy 23:27

Yeah.

Bree 23:27

That you don't want to jeopardize that. Because, I mean, the likelihood of both of you being mature enough to be able to move past something if it doesn't work out. Slim. Yeah. Slim. But yeah, I mean uh just by virtue of being a a a female in this profession, the the likelihood of getting hit on is so much higher.

Cassy 23:55

And and I only say I'm lucky just because I have heard stories of other women in this profession that it is almost annoying some of the things that I hear that their some of their clients are so insistent. And mind you, mind you, some of the experiences I'm hearing are from girls that I also went to barber school with. So younger. I was one of the oldest ones in my class. So these are not only fresh in the industry, but fresh into like life. Adulthood. Yeah, they're they're 20, 21 years old, they're still Finding their bearings and their voice.

Bree 24:35

A lot of the time they don't know their boundaries, let alone being able to defend them.

Cassy 24:38

Yeah, and and I feel like a lot of it from what I hear, a lot of it is because there are not boundaries put in place. Right. Like this is continued behavior from this one person because you didn't set a clear enough boundary the first time, so now he can come at you like this every time he gets a haircut.

Bree 24:58

I have seen that.

Cassy 24:58

And he's gonna continue with this behavior until you do.

Bree 25:01

Yes.

Cassy 25:02

Whatever it's like the saying that they say for kids, if you give them an inch, they'll take a mile.

Bree 25:06

Oh yeah.

Cassy 25:06

It it's it it that goes with anybody. People like to see what kind of room they have to do something.

Bree 25:13

Oh yeah, push boundaries. Yeah. Well, and I've seen that not just with female barbers, but I've seen that with, you know, male barbers that have worked for me before of some clients who I would categorize are bullying. Like, oh, you're gonna like poke fun and give grief. And it's like, you know, to a point, if that's like the type of chopping it out, banter, yeah, you know, going both ways, all right, that's fine. But if you're constantly doing that to your barber and that barber's not standing up for themselves, then at least in my capacity at the time, my position as owner, I what we've gone over. I'm a very defensive person. I will not like unnecessarily start a conflict, but ooh, if I see one up ruin, I'm gonna defend anybody that I am in charge of. Like, if you are my charge, or if it's me or my family, like I'm going to defend you. So if somebody is talking down to you or like being mean, I'm gonna have words with them. And then I'm gonna have words with you because the words I'm gonna have with you are you need to defend yourself. You're in control of your chair, your station. You have every right to decide who is in that chair. And if they're making you uncomfortable, they shouldn't be there. Yeah, you need to tell them that there is a boundary, you cross it again, you're not gonna be here. You can go find another chair. Because we don't want everybody in our chair, right?

Cassy 26:40

Yeah.

Bree 26:41

We want the people that we look forward to seeing, that we enjoy having in our chair. Now, don't get me wrong, starting off in the industry, you want to gather as many people as you can. Yeah. Like you're just wide net. Bring them all in. You're as happy to have them. You're just you're making clay. Once you have a big enough lump of clay, then you can start molding and carving to tailor your clientele to be exactly what you want to do all day long. Mm-hmm.

Cassy 27:13

Excuse me. I feel like some people don't either realize that that's a thing, or like don't care to. But like, I never considered like being at this, like looking in your shoes at the stage you're at, like that being a a potential step in your career, like grooming your clientele down to not necessarily a select few, but ones that are all there kind of for the same expectation and hope from the experience. And I didn't consider that in my mind, it was just always cutting the whole family. I I was I'm worried over here about my generational haircutting abilities and making sure I cut grandpa, dad, and all the in-betweens. I didn't even think about how you can do that. And like that's an option for you as you get further down in your career.

Bree 28:10

Well, and it's so much a priority, like everybody does like you have to you have to decide what your priorities are. Everybody has to have a top priority. In in my case, my top priority is making sure that I get to enjoy every day that I look forward, like, this ain't work for me. Yeah, this is like I'm excited that I get to see these people. Yeah. And so, like, I care about the value of my day being in the moment, being here. But I can understand how there are other people who have different priorities. Like, if your priority is making a certain amount of money, I get it. Power to you because you have goals that are outside these walls. Yeah, then those are the goals that you're aiming at. I totally understand that your top priority is making an amount of money, especially when you are responsible for a family. Especially when you're a man responsible for a family. Yeah. Like, I get the way the brain is wired, strictly financial. That is where you are providing for your family. Solid. I get it, that's a priority. But then there are other people who have different priorities. Yeah. And none of them are wrong. It's just what's yours. Yeah. So, like, I'm not gonna sit here and poop on other people's priorities. I just I have mine, and that's why my philosophy of things is alright, you gather the clay, you mold the clay, you carve the clay. And that's what I care most about. Like, money comes for me. Like, that that's it. Like, if I'm focused on offering a quality experience and like for everybody involved, the money comes. I don't have to worry about that. I don't have to focus on that. Because I will go crazy if because of my own upbringing background of financial insecurity, if I hyperfocus on finances, I cause myself nothing but stress. But as we've spoken about before, my main priority is lessening my stress. If I can have little to no stress, yeah, I'm happy. Wins all around. Because if I'm not stressed, I won't make you stressed. Yeah. Because that is contagious.

Cassy 30:30

It really is. It really, really is.

Bree 30:33

That whole like happy wife, happy life thing? Mm-hmm. It's true. Just like a guy being upset in a female's presence catches and we're tense because of that. Oh god. Same thing if a female is upset, no man in the room is comfortable. Mm-mm. Mm-mm. Now, I mean, females. We can't be comfortable when another female is upset around us, but we cannot be tense. Yeah. We can at least simmer. Yeah. We're like, we've already identified the situation. There's nothing we can do about it right now. She just gotta cry it out.

Cassy 31:16

She just needs it to be.

Bree 31:18

So how about we talk about uh the what happens when we do actually spark friendships with customers and you know end up dealing with them outside of work. I mean, I will say that the vast majority of my clients are are clients, they're customers. And then I adopt the the label of frostomer for people who are both friend and customer. Yes. It's not a it's not a long list, but like there are a few. There's bound to be statistically over, you know, 12 years or so. Um but I mean that that's a good thing. In in my eyes, like number one, yeah, I will go above and beyond for them. Like in in any capacity that I can, whether it's like showing up for a haircut outside of hours because they gotta go to a last-minute funeral or you know, stuff like that. That I mean, I would do for a customer if they asked, but because both people have to invest in a friendship to keep it going, yeah, um I'm very limited on my abilities as a friend. So if I can use my skills as a barber to further that friendship and further invest in it, yeah, then that's what I'm willing to do. Because I may not necessarily be able to show up for things outside all the time. Yeah. But like and if also people who are over the age of 30, if they got families, they don't have a lot of free time. You don't get a lot of hangout with friend opportunities. So being able to have that half hour, 45-minute hour appointment you know, once every three, four weeks to just like check in and you know, dump on what's been going on.

Cassy 33:08

Well, and I feel like when you're I intend to I would like to hang out more with some of my clients outside just because I w I want to help also get myself out there with the people that I'm like the people that the clients that I have become friendly with are like my kind of people. So like I feel like I would vibe with their friends and all those things also, but like you said, as adults it's just it's a little bit different. You're not just going to hang out with friends all the time and make all these different plans. Well, I am sometimes.

Bree 33:50

Well, we've also seen uh like being friends with people doesn't necessarily mean that they're gonna stay your customer.

Cassy 33:57

Yeah.

Bree 33:58

And that's okay. Like I think that really tests whether or not you're really friends. Or if you're just convenient, like no, like uh having roommates that you know you've been cutting their hair for years, maybe you went to school with them, and then like eventually life gets in the way, and you know, you become a lot harder to get in with, and like they still gotta get their hair cut.

Cassy 34:23

Yeah.

Bree 34:23

And so making sure you don't take that personally.

Cassy 34:26

Oh, yeah, fair.

Bree 34:27

It's like, hey, dude, I've only got so many hours in the day, you've only got so many hours in the day, they don't always drive. Like that sh that should never be a slight against the person. It's uh this this isn't about you. This is about my ability to get a haircut.

Cassy 34:45

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm sure time will tell how those if those situations arise and how those things plan out with me. I feel like with some of this, I'm still so my my firm clientele that I have now is still fresh. Kind of. Like it's I've only been in the Laconia area cutting hair for like a year and a half now. So there's still there's still relationships cultivating.

Bree 35:18

Sure. Well, it I'd say being more of a homebody or spending the majority of your off time outside of this area also kind of limits your exposure to locals. So there's less likelihood of you running into clients outside of, you know, a trip to the local Walmart. Yeah. Or, you know, the the occasional restaurant go where we run into people where it's like, oh, we'll leave the restaurant with at least three appointments. Yes.

Cassy 35:50

These are my favorite kind of dinner dates.

Bree 35:53

But it's, you know, that happens if the time is dedicated to that area.

Cassy 35:58

Yeah.

Bree 36:02

But I mean, as I've mentioned previously, on occasion you are friends with people and just par for the course of being a barber, especially for a while, is you got clients of all ages, all backgrounds. And sometimes you gotta be the one to find out that they're dead.

unknown 36:24

Oh my god I know.

Bree 36:26

So while that's a thing too. And hey, honestly, I hope that like some of my closer clientele, I hope that number one, uh, I mean, outliving people is not ever a goal. But if that were to be the case, if you put it in your will that you would like me to give you your body's last haircut, I would be honored to do that. Yeah. But that would also be the only way the majority of my clientele will have me at their funeral. Because the majority of my clientele, I only know them as them. Yeah. Like I've I've heard stories, I hear their side of everything in their life, but very rarely do I ever get to meet a significant other. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. You know, if they come in with kids and everything like that's great. Whether or not I end up cutting those kids' hair, I mean, that's on me and on them. Yeah. Um, but I may not have the comfort level as an introvert who, yeah, deals with one person at a time. Mm-hmm. To like I had a personal relationship with that person. That person being gone means that that relationship no longer exists. I didn't have that with their family, I didn't have that with their significant other, I had that with them. So barbers are sometimes left to mourn the loss of their their friends and customers by themselves a lot. Oh, yeah, yeah. Because really nobody else was part of that.

Cassy 37:52

Yeah.

Bree 37:53

Like it wasn't a group situation.

Cassy 37:55

Mm-hmm. You weren't co-connected through different things.

Bree 37:59

It was just And especially with my recent loss of there's like super few people that were friends with him. Period. Yeah. So it really is a solitary mourning process of like cool. Well, I'm kind of the only one who knows what it feels like for them to no longer be in your life, because I'm one of the few who knew what it was like for to have them in my life. Yeah. So, you know, that's one of the, you know, more of a Debbie Downer end of things, but it's it's something that should be talked about anyway.

Cassy 38:35

I was gonna say it's prepare yourself. Yeah, it's a definitely real thing for clients not lasting forever.

Bree 38:40

Yeah, I I'd make sure to check the obituaries on a regular basis. Cause I mean, I don't want to just wonder where they went and assume it was me. How self-centered of me to be like, are they mad at me? Or are they dead? Let's not have those be the only two options. But yeah, like, I mean, we live in a state that's the second oldest state in the union. Like, we have an aging population here. These things need to be taken into account. Mm-hmm. So, yeah, I regularly check the obituaries. I've gotta make sure. And it's also for possibility having to squeeze somebody in because one of their family members. Yeah. Uh, they suddenly have to go to a funeral in a week. Mm-hmm. So I want to make sure that because of those extenuating circumstances, I can fit them in. Yeah. Or at least have the heads up that they might reach out. Mm-hmm. So the I think that's an added bonus if you can dedicate some anticipation to it. Be like, hey, just in case. Like emergency haircut slots. Because one never knows. Well, on that note, Cassie seems to be extremely tired because it is late. It is late. And we had to wait way too long for a pizza. So, uh, we will see you guys next week. Yes. Have a wonderful night. Good night!