Hairdresser Business Talk With Entrepreneur Chan Bhasin
Toronto hairdresser business owner Chan Bhasin knows what it takes to turn your passions into a career. On our An Entrepreneur’s Vibes podcast, we got Chan to share her story with us, from how she got into the hair business to how she structures her day. If you’re considering making a switch and heading into a hairstylist career, you’re going to want to listen to what she has to say.
Chan is the proud owner of Blend Society, a hair salon in Toronto, Ontario that specializes in hair colouring, styling, cutting, and design – among much more. She was born in Toronto, and moved with her family to Brampton, Ontario in grade four. Originally, Chan went to university but quickly realized that she was born to run her own business, so she did a career pivot and finally opened her own hair studio earlier this year.
Take a look at Chan’s tips for running a hairdresser business, following your dreams, and pivoting your strategy during a global pandemic in these highlights from Episode 3 of An Entrepreneur’s Vibes With Kinny Saral.
Always Independent, Right From the Beginning
“I was just such a workaholic in high school. I used to love working and going to school at the same time. It was- it was just that feeling of, you know, being independent, being able to work and earn that money. I loved that feeling.”
In high school, Chan considered herself to be a “social bug.” She always surrounded herself with tons of friends, and liked to keep busy. With different circles of friends to hang out with, Chan was easily able to bounce between social groups and maintain personal relationships that kept her going.
At the time, she also worked a part-time job while going to school and got her first taste of the independence that comes with working. Being able to work and earn her own money that she could spend however she wanted to was something that would give her those true feelings of the entrepreneurial spirit. That feeling, it turned out, would stick with her for the long term.
Rethinking University Life
“When I approached my dad about it, he was really supportive. And he said, you know what Chan, like, instead of wasting thousands of dollars on university, why don’t you just go into the beauty field and be your own business woman and be your own boss? And till this day, I think that’s the best advice I’ve taken.”
Chan’s favourite subjects were the social sciences, so she decided to go to university to become a high school teacher. After about a month in university, Chan realized that this wasn’t what she wanted to be doing with her life. Experiencing life at university prompted her to reconsider what she wanted for her future, and she knew spending the next four years at school when she didn’t really want to be there would be both a waste of time and money.
When she brought up how she felt to her father, he completely supported her and suggested that she go into the beauty field, where she could open a hairdresser business and become her own boss. Her father’s advice and support is something Chan credits for giving her the motivation to be successful as an entrepreneur.
She decided to drop out of university and take a few months off to work for a bit while researching beauty and aesthetics courses. Her promise to her father was that if she did go into the beauty field, she would do everything, from hair to makeup to laser treatments. And this is exactly what she did. Over the next two and a half years, Chan completed a variety of aesthetics and beauty courses and certifications, giving her a well-rounded approach to the industry. In 2015, she finished her hair course and started working as a Toronto hair stylist in a local salon.
Going to University Isn’t Your Only Choice
University or college isn’t for everyone. It takes a lot of money, dedication, and focus to get through four years of post-secondary school. In fact, some of North America’s most successful entrepreneurs opted out of the traditional university route. Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard University because he knew his calling was in computer programming, and has been one of the top 10 richest entrepreneurs in the world for many years. Mark Zuckerberg also dropped out of Harvard University to start Facebook, which would later lead the social media revolution. Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, dropped out of Reed College after one semester and went on to create one of the biggest technology companies in the world.
Over the last few years, many companies have begun to value experience and personal skills over education as the university market becomes more saturated. Of course, getting a university degree is still an important requirement for many specified jobs, but if you’re thinking about turning a passion into a career, you may be wondering whether going to university will really matter in the long run.
If you are considering dropping out of university or avoiding it altogether, the key to success is knowing where your passions and skills are. When Bill Gates left Harvard, he knew he belonged in the computer industry and had a love of programming to give him that push. Set goals for yourself and you’ll always have a path to follow.
University vs. Trade School
“They say that once you’re done school, it’s so much more different in the outside world. And I was glad I was able to kind of get right in there and jump in because there was so much for me to learn.”
For Chan, making the transition of leaving university for trade school was more difficult than she anticipated. All of her friends were still in university, and she was now taking a different path than what most consider to be the traditional route after high school. She didn’t have the same support circle or shared experiences with her friends, and was doing trade school on her own.
There was a lot for Chan to learn, from all the tools and tricks of the trade to surviving in the world outside of university or post-secondary school. She viewed this as an opportunity to jump in and see what the world had to offer her, and that positive attitude paid off.
Chan also relied on her father to help her stay focused when the adjustment period became difficult. With her own support network in place, she was able to go from university to a career in the hairdresser business and the beauty world, and she has never looked back.
Making The Decision to Open a Hairdresser Business in Toronto
“It took me about three long years to decide, OK, I’m going to start this new career of mine, be my own boss.”
To get started in the beauty industry, Chan started working as an aesthetician. She loved doing facials and waxing, and learning about different skin types. However, aesthetics started to feel repetitive to her. While she did love aesthetics, the world of hair styling became much more appealing and offered an exciting opportunity to showcase her talents.
In 2015, Chan finished her hair course in trade school and started working as an assistant in a salon. By 2017, she was starting to consider opening her own hairdresser business, but it wasn’t until three years later, in early 2020, that she officially opened Blend Society. Taking those three years to decide whether she wanted to go out on her own helped her be more confident and sure of herself, and when it came time to get started, she was ready for things to take off.
Blend Society specializes in colour services, including colour corrections, lived-in colour, natural tone, and balayage, as well as a variety of other hair styling services such as cutting, styling, design, and texture.
Pivoting a Business Strategy During a Global Pandemic
“Being a hairdresser, especially for me, like, my whole work dynamic, I’m always busy and I’m always on the go at work. So it was difficult to adjust, but I took this time to do things that I wasn’t able to do when I was working.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the globe earlier this year, Chan’s hairdresser business was one of the first types of businesses forced to shutter its doors. After finally deciding to open a hair salon and get off the ground, Chan found herself faced with an unexpected situation.
Navigating any business through a pandemic is difficult, but a new business that only recently started has some even tougher challenges to face. For Chan, this meant a lot of extra free time. Hairdressers are always busy, so to have all of this extra time to fill was a big adjustment, but Chan knew how to turn it around productively.
Chan took this time to start being more engaged and active on social media, as well as experiment with different types of content. She did some more DIY videos and used her free time to get creative. This time also allowed her to examine and develop a stronger digital marketing strategy that helped her stay connected with her clients and audience. To keep up some revenue during this time, Chan also introduced home care kits that her clients could purchase to help keep up with their colour safely from home. They have been so successful she’s thinking of keeping them as a side service once she’s safe to open up again.
Her next goals are to start building and developing her website and to become more active on TikTok, where hair videos are very popular.
A Day in the Life of a Hairdresser Business Owner
“I wake up in the morning and I make sure I drive myself to the gym so I can get a good workout in in the morning. I just find that doing that and getting that out of the way not only gives you
that energy for the rest of the day, but it kind of keeps your mindset focused and very productive.”
A typical day in the life of Chan Bhasin starts at the gym. She loves waking up early in the morning and getting her daily workout in to give herself a fresh, energetic start to the day. This also helps her stay productive and focused for her work day. After her morning workout, Chan heads to work and spends hours doing what she loves most – working on her clients’ hair goals.
It takes her about an hour to drive home from work, and Chan likes to use this long drive to unwind from her busy day. By the time she gets home, her work brain is set to off, so she can relax by cooking dinner with her husband and catching up about their work days. After dinner, they’ll binge out on some Netflix or take a relaxing walk before bed. Once or twice a week, Chan and her husband partake in yoga to help themselves stay grounded.
When you’re an entrepreneur, it can become difficult to turn your work brain off and separate family time from work time. It’s important to have a daily routine like Chan’s that can help you stay focused on all of the facets of your life that work together to shape who you are. Find what works for you and make sure you give yourself the time for it.
Build Yourself a Support Network
“Do all the research that you can and build a team, a very strong and trustworthy team that would have your back. Even if it’s one person to start off with.”
A big advantage Chan has had in her hairdresser business ownership journey is a network of support systems around her at every step. First, it was her father that helped her realize she could be her own boss and go a different route. He supported her while she made the monumental decision to drop out of university and start enrolling in beauty programs, and he kept her going when times got tough.
Now, her husband acts as her built-in support system to help her stay on track while she runs the show. She likes to refer to him as the manager of her business because he has been so supportive and helpful with her work.
Every entrepreneur needs to have a team that has their back throughout their journey, whether it’s a rockstar team with a few employees or a strong network of family and friends. Seek out mentors in your industry and don’t be afraid to ask them questions. Absorb all the information you can and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Finding Time For Yourself When Your Job Isn’t 9-5
“I want to still be able to have some fuel in me and love what I do. I don’t want to do a full seven days and tire myself out.”
When you’re an entrepreneur, you don’t work the typical 9-5 Monday to Friday hours, which can make it difficult to separate your work life from your personal life and find time for yourself. As a hairdresser and hair studio owner, Chan’s schedule is often varied and inconsistent.
During the week, Chan focuses on work and taking care of the business. At this time, Chan is a “one man show” and is solely responsible for managing all the operations of her business. Sometimes she’ll spend one of her days off catching up on paperwork, business planning, or anything else she didn’t get to during the week.
However, on weekends, Chan sets time aside to focus on herself, her family, and her friends. She turns off social media, puts her phone away when she can, and lives in the moment. That means not answering business calls or inquiries, too. Sundays are the only day both she and her husband have off, so she cherishes her time with him on those days.
Being able to turn your phone off and stop worrying about your business on the weekends can be a difficult thing for entrepreneurs to do, especially when you don’t have a team to help you out, but it’s an important way to make sure you hit that balance. If you start to focus entirely on work and don’t find that balance, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and lose some of the passion you have for your business.
Set Yourself Some Goals
“If you don’t set goals for yourself, and if you don’t put things in place, you don’t put systems in place, things can go wonky.”
Chan’s next steps are to spend more time thinking about her future business plans and strategies for growth. Setting goals is important for any business, especially a new one. You have to know what you’re working towards and what you want your business to become. There should always be a plan in place for your future, and a list of goals you want to achieve at every step.
Without goals, you don’t have targets in place to recognize growth. How do you know you’re succeeding when you haven’t determined what success looks like within your business? Whether that’s setting up your business website or launching new services to expand your revenue, goals help you keep your eyes on the prize.
Don’t go into a business opportunity blind. Make sure you’ve worked out your goals and plans so you can move forward with the confidence and tools in place to stay on the road to success.
Chan’s Advice For the Future Business Generation
“It’s okay if you need to take a year off and work to earn some money to figure out what your heart desires and what you want to do.”
Chan’s biggest piece of advice for the future entrepreneurs and upcoming generation out there is to follow your heart and don’t be afraid to take your own path, even if it’s not the one your parents planned for you. In many cultures, parents can be strict when it comes to the vision they want for their child’s future. However, it’s important to figure out what you want from your life.
It won’t be easy trying to forge your own path or talking to your parents about your goals. But in the end, your happiness is important. Talk to them. They love you and want the best for you, and sometimes it just takes a conversation to help them understand what you want and need.
Don’t be afraid to take a gap year or delay going to university if you’re not sure if it’s the right direction for you. Taking time off doesn’t make you any less of a person than your peers who have their career goals figured out already. Going to university and getting a degree is expensive and takes years to complete. If you do this and you’re not entirely ready for it, you could end up wasting that time and money when you could have been working on yourself or your personal goals instead.
Listen to the Full Interview With Chan Bhasin on Our An Entrepreneur’s Vibes Podcast
On our podcast, Chan shared so much more than just hairdresser business tips. She shared her story with us and gave us some unique insights that will inspire you. To get the full story, you’ll have to listen to the full podcast.
Listen to the full interview here on our podcast An Entrepreneur’s Vibes With Kinny Saral, also available on your favourite streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Podcasts, and more. If you’d rather watch than listen, check out the video on our YouTube channel here.
FULL TRANSCRIPT FROM OUR PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH CHAN BHASIN BELOW
Chan [00:00:01] He was really supportive and he said, you know what, Chan, like, instead of wasting thousands of dollars on university, why don’t you just go into the beauty field and be your own business woman and be your own boss?
Kinny [00:00:22] Welcome to episode three today of An Entrepreneur’s Vibes. Today, we have Chan Bhasin. She is a new entrepreneur. She is a hairstylist. And we have her on today’s episode. Thank you, and how are you doing today, Chan?
Chan [00:00:37] Hey, I’m doing good. Thank you so much for asking. How are you doing?
Kinny [00:00:41] Doing great. Doing great. We’re really excited today. Our team is very excited as well to have you on board today.
Chan [00:00:50] Thank you so much.
Kinny [00:00:51] Yeah, thank you so much. So we’ll just get right into it. So, tell us about yourself. Where were you born? Where were you raised?
Chan [00:00:59] So I was born in Toronto, Ontario, and around grade four, I was- I moved to Brampton, Ontario. And I grew up there.
Kinny [00:01:10] Awesome, and what was your upbringing like? How was, like, your school life early on. How was that whole transition?
Chan [00:01:19] So in high school- high school, I was such a social bug. I used to have all these different types of friends, friend groups, and I loved them all. But what kept me so different from them was I was just such a workaholic in high school. I used to love working and going to school at the same time. It was- it was just that feeling of, you know, being independent, being able to work and earn that money. I loved that feeling. And just- it’s such a different discipline when you’re working and going to school at the same time. So it was great. My high school life was – it was busy and I liked it.
Kinny [00:01:51] Amazing. What were some of the main, like, interests you had in high school? Like, what were some of maybe your favourite things to do or subjects?
Chan [00:02:00] So, in school, my favourite subject was actually social sciences and going into university, when I went, I went to become a high school teacher. So in school, I used to just love social sciences and anything to do with that subject. I don’t know, like, history and all the war stuff, even like history too was great. So that was my common- oh, and then also gym. Like, gym was pretty much fun, too.
Kinny [00:02:28] So tell us about your college and university experience. What was that like?
Chan [00:02:33] So when I went into university, I actually only went for about a month only because when I went there, I just- it wasn’t really for me, you know? Like, a month in, I- it made me realize, like, do I really want to be doing this for the next four years of my life? I don’t know. I found that moment, like even though high school prepped me for university, and as much as I was super excited to get in, experiencing the university life made me just realize, like, it just- it wasn’t my thing. And when I approached my dad about it, he was really supportive. And he said, you know what Chan, like, instead of wasting thousands of dollars on university, why don’t you just go into the beauty field and be your own business woman and be your own boss? And till this day, I think that’s the best advice I’ve taken because I’m here now, like on a podcast. Such a great opportunity. And I can’t thank my dad for it enough.
Kinny [00:03:32] That’s amazing. Definitely. When your family supports you, it’s a major, major thing. So I’m glad that- that was, like, a great sort of stepping stone, a foundation that gave you kind of that push. Some people get that. Some people may never get that in their life.
Chan [00:03:45] So what ended up happening was I took a couple of months off and I was able to work after dropping out of university. It made me do that research of where I want to go for my trade school. And my promise to my dad was if I was to not go to university and go into the beauty field, that I would do everything. So I was able to complete my aesthetics course and my laser course, as well as my makeup and my hair. So I was able to finish that, and that was a great experience, too. It took me about two and a half years. And yeah, it was- it was – it was a good journey for me.
Kinny [00:04:21] Amazing. Thanks for sharing that. Can you give more information like on this aesthetics course? Like, what was maybe some of the hardest things you encountered during this time that kind of helped you out so much now?
Chan [00:04:35] So how I wanted to do it was I wanted to get the experience in all fields to kind of determine where I want to focus on more. And when I was working as an aesthetics, or an aesthetician, I should say, what I loved most about it was the facials and the waxing. I just thought that it was, you know, dealing with different types of skin types and such, like, it was intriguing to me. But I also thought it was kind of a repetitive career as well, just in my opinion. I’m sure- there’s amazing aestheticians out there. Don’t get me wrong. But that kind of allowed me to go into hair school more eager to learn the trade in hair instead of aesthetics. And I believe in 2015 was when I finally finished my hair course and I got my job, my first job as a assistant in a- in a salon. So that journey, that transition- well to begin with, the transition from university to a trade school was a little difficult. It was hard because all my friends were in university. That was the norm. You know, after high school, you go to university. But for me, it was different. It was a completely different path. So transitioning into that was hard, but I was able to kind of stay focused with the help of my dad, of course, and transitioning into, you know, school to now a career in the industry. It was difficult, but once I got in, you get the hang of it and they say that once you’re done school, it’s so much more different in the outside world. And I was glad I was able to kind of get right in there and jump in because there was so much for me to learn. Yeah. So I believe 2015 was when I really started my hair journey. And I loved it.
Kinny [00:06:29] Amazing. That’s- that’s amazing. Really appreciate you sharing that part of your journey. So that’s a- that’s an amazing springboard into the next question. So like, moving forward into, like, business. There are a lot of listeners and viewers who can gain a ton of value from learning more about your entrepreneurial journey. So tell us more about your business Blend Society and what you do and the types of services you offer.
Chan [00:06:52] So how I got to Blend Society, it was a great journey for me. What I did was in 2017 when I started my- when I was at my last salon home, it took me about three long years to decide, OK, I’m going to- I’m going to start this new career of mine, be my own boss. And 2020 was when it started. Blend Society, it’s been a rollercoaster. Honestly, it’s been great. But unfortunately with this pandemic that just happened too, it was- it was difficult. My business took a big hit and I’m sure any business has. But for those new business owners right now that are starting up like, I definitely feel for them. But starting Blend Society, it’s been great. I don’t regret it. And the services that I offer, I want to stay colouring, all sorts of colouring services so corrections, lived-in colour, natural tone, and then all sorts of anything hair, pretty much. Like, haircutting, hairstyling, design. That’s Blend Society right now and I can’t wait for it to grow. Like, I have so much planned for Blend Society and I just can’t wait for it to see where it’s going to take me.
Kinny [00:08:05] Thank you for sharing that so much. We appreciate that.
Chan [00:08:11] Yeah, no problem.
Kinny [00:08:12] So yeah, what I wanted to say, Chan, we’re also going to link to your Instagram page as well. Everyone go check out her page, Blend Society on Instagram. And yeah, you can definitely see your love and passion for it. Definitely shows on your page. You’ve got some great images, some really great videos as well, which I like what you’re doing as well. So you got some great content on the page. And I like how your page has really grown. Our team has noticed that. So as you mentioned, it’s really tough now due to COVID and whatnot. So how are you kind of handling your operations right now and what are you kind of looking forward to in your business like you mentioned?
Chan [00:08:48] I find that since the pandemic has happened, it has been an unfortunate event. And I can feel like I can speak for any hairdresser and say it’s been hard to adjust to all this free time. Because being a hairdresser, especially for me, like, my whole work dynamic, I’m always busy and I’m always on the go at work. So it was difficult to adjust, but I took this time to do things that I wasn’t able to do when I was working. So, for instance, being more engaged on social media, I find that that was a different approach I wanted to take at the moment because that’s something I was able to do, just being able to engage with my followers and be more in the present, be more involved. And then also creating different types of content. So more videos, more DIY. I just wanted to switch up my business branding and marketing a little bit. And this time was great because I had all the time in the world. And then also there are certain services that I was able to provide even being at home. So my home care kit. I was a little hesitant at first to do it because again, like me selling colours to my clients, I’m- I’m not really for that. But with such an unforeseen circumstance that happened, like it’s something that I had to do to kind of keep my clients going and keep me going, frankly speaking, because it just kept me busy. And I’m glad I did it because the outcome of it was great. And you never know. I may just do it again, like in the future as, like, a side service. But again, that’s in the talks. So, yeah, that’s just how I’ve been dealing with- with the pandemic situation and the business, just trying to keep positive and grow in different areas where I can.
Kinny [00:10:36] And then further, in terms of your business, like, do you have, like, any other platforms you feel like you really need to start using, whether it’s like building your own blog or do you really feel like there’s something you really want to start doing?
Chan [00:10:50] I want to say, if I do want to get into something, I want to start building my website. I find websites, they give a professional look for businesses and plus it’s so convenient to everyone. All your information is on a website. And it’s such easy access. So that’s something I would work towards for sure. And then again, I would work towards working on TikTok videos. And the reason why is because TikTok videos have shorter increment video time. And I find with the attention span at this generation, it’s a great platform to get your content out there in such a short period of time, which is great. So something I look forward to working on.
Kinny [00:11:37] Amazing. Yeah, thanks for sharing that and that’s a lot of value provided so and definitely resonates with myself as you start to do like more and more things in your business. So it’s really important for sure. Thank you for sharing that. And in regards to, like, personal work routines. As entrepreneurs, I know we try to complete a lot in a given hour, day, or week, and we do our best to remain productive. What’s your sort of day to day routine like and your morning routine like?
Chan [00:12:06] So what I like to do is wake up early morning. I am an early bird. I wake up in the morning and I make sure I drive myself to the gym so I can get a good workout in in the morning. I just find that doing that and getting that out of the way not only gives you that energy for the rest of the day, but it kind of keeps your mindset focused and very productive. I find those days that I’m not going to the gym it’s not the same. So I like to make sure that I’m on track with that in the mornings and then right after my gym workout I usually go to work and spend majority of my day with my clients doing what I love most. And then my- from my work and from my home, it’s about an hour drive. So I like that drive back after work just to kind of unwind myself from a busy day. And when I come home, I cook some dinner with my husband and we catch up about our day over dinner. And how I end my day is usually- what me and my husband like to do is either spend some time watching our favorite Netflix show or nowadays what we’ve been doing is either a walk for about an hour right before, you know, we have to head to bed or even like a yoga session just to kind of refresh our minds. Yeah, that’s generally what my day typically looks like.
Kinny [00:13:34] Amazing. Thanks for sharing that. Thank you so much. And do you also have special gratitude or spiritual practice that you do, like, on a daily or weekly basis?
Chan [00:13:47] I don’t have anything spiritual. I would say anything closest to that would be yoga. I do try to do yoga one to two times a week with my husband. It’s just something that we kind of want to do to keep us grounded. And I find that it really, it puts us in a- in a Zen place where we can focus on just us. And it is something that we’re slowly adding to our routine. But that is the closest thing to like anything spiritual that I do is yoga. I do want to get into meditation. That is my next goal.
Kinny [00:14:24] Yeah, I was just going to say my next goal is to definitely figure out yoga and try to do something there. Meditation is something I kind of started a couple months ago. So that’s been a lot of fun. But.
Chan [00:14:37] Oh, that’s good.
Kinny [00:14:37] But I like how like, not just our society, but I feel like more Western society at large, we’re all kind of getting into these good habits more and more. So it’s definitely good.
Chan [00:14:47] Right. Thanks. Yeah. I agree.
Kinny [00:14:49] Yeah. So I know I- we kind of had this issue in the early years building up our business. As you move forward, you’re just starting this out now and there’s a lot of upside, a lot of potential, and you’ve already got a great base going. How are you going to separate, like, your weekdays and weeKinnyds moving forward, especially as the economy opens up more and more? Do you- are you going to do your best? Or do you have a specific routine to separate your weekdays and weeKinnyds? What’s your approach on that?
Chan [00:15:20] So generally speaking, the industry that I’m in, it’s not a general, you know, nine to five Monday to Friday type of job. My schedule can be all over the place. But what I like to do when I separate, like, my days off or my weeKinnyds and then my weekdays, on my weekdays, I like to focus on work and keeping up with, you know, the business and, you know, replying back to my inquiries. Just anything to do with working, being productive, staying on top of my business is what I try to do during my work days in between my clients, of course. Whatever I don’t get to do, I do it on at least one of my days off where I have a productive day and catching up with all my business work like paperwork, all that stuff. Because again, like right now I’m literally a one man show. I don’t have a team at the moment. It’s something I am working towards building, but at the moment I just do all the work. Actually besides my husband. I have to give him some credit. He’s amazing. He’s helped me so much. I consider him my manager of my business because he’s so good. He keeps me on track sometimes and I love it. And then my weeKinnyds, I really like to just keep my phone away, stay off social media, really try to focus on spending time with my friends and my family. My husband, especially, like, me and him, have always, always growing up even, like had opposite schedules. And even like right now when we’re working, the only day we really have together is a sun- is a Sunday. So I like to cherish that. I want to, you know, be in the moment, do things, not worry about business. So if I- if we’re talking about separating, then I don’t like to be on my phone or answer back to anything business related on my days off or on my weeKinnyds. And you mentioned about moving forward. Since the economy is opening up, it is going to be difficult. I haven’t really decided what my schedule is going to be like yet. I’m assuming six days I will be working. Five to six days. But I want to still to be able to have some fuel in me and love what I do. I don’t want to do a full seven days and tire myself out as much as I, you know, eagerly want to get everyone in that I missed for the last three months. I want to slowly, you know, make sure things are running smoothly and open it wisely and, again, safe for me and my clients. I do see myself being really busy when I come back, but I am excited for it. Like I do- I’m anticipating that. So, yeah.
Kinny [00:17:50] That’s amazing. I’m glad you touched on that. And that’s a great point for sure. Definitely takes a lot of time and hustle. So it’s- it’s great that you kind of mapped it out and gave people like what to expect. So thanks for sharing that. So if you had more time generally, what would you spend more time doing in your business or personal life?
Chan [00:18:09] So I’ll separate this question. For my business life, if I had more time, I would really want to focus more on my business planning and my business growth just because, you know, if you don’t set goals for yourself, and if you don’t put things in place, you don’t put systems in place, things can go wonky. And I would never want that for a new business. So if I had more time, I would really want to focus more on my business planning and growth for my business. And for my personal life, if I had more time, I would say I would want to focus more on myself and my self-growth, just mental being, meditation even, doing more yoga, just being more present. I think that’s what I would do.
Kinny [00:18:54] Amazing. Yeah, I definitely like that. Thanks for sharing that. And in terms of, like, goals, our team, we love using Trello. Have you used Trello before for, like, project management?
Chan [00:19:05] I actually haven’t heard of that before. What is Trello?
Kinny [00:19:07] OK, so I’ll definitely send you a link after today’s interview. It’s a great project management tool. It’s like, you can keep plotting in new ideas, they come along. You can make it like nice and colourful. But it’s a great way of plotting down all your different ideas into, like, separate cards. And then each card can have like a checklist. Or you can have, like, deadlines. You can put everything there, especially as like you’re growing a business. That helps out a lot, like.
Chan [00:19:33] Oh, that’s amazing.
Kinny [00:19:36] But there’s a lot of, like, sample boards and you’ll see how other people make theirs. But like, it’s great. It works for, like, internal team management. Maybe if you’re building, like a new software or, like, even like, say, your colour kits that you’re building out. Like, you can use it for anything. So it’s- it’s a really cool thing.
Chan [00:19:52] That’s pretty cool. Thanks for letting me know that.
Kinny [00:19:54] Yeah. Thank you. For sure. Moving forward now. So if you could go back to your 15-year-old self, what would you say? What advice would you give?
Chan [00:20:04] I would tell my 15-year-old self don’t stress it and don’t overthink it. Because, I mean, I can’t even tell you how much I overthink myself and I doubt myself, and learning the hard way, you know, but that’s definitely one thing I would- I would tell my 15-year-old self is don’t worry about it. Things happen for a reason. Don’t doubt it. Just do it. Don’t overthink it at all and just go for it. Because, again, like my thing is, things happen for a reason and things will happen for the better for you and your surroundings. So that’s definitely what I would say.
Kinny [00:20:45] Amazing, yeah. That’s definitely great words. And definitely I resonate with that as well and I’d probably say the same thing is. And then if you go back to your high school class and give a lecture, what kind of tips or advice would you give to them?
Chan [00:21:01] I would put in perspective that, you know, if your parents are rushing you and if your parents are pulling you to one direction and you don’t know if you want to be in that direction, don’t be afraid to be honest with your parents. Don’t do something just for your parents. I know it’s hard. It’s easier said than done, of course. Especially coming from like a South Asian background, our parents can be really strict, but just being able to have them understand that, you know, like I’m 17 years old, I don’t know if me going into this field is what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. And instead of wait- wasting, you know, a year or two years switching around courses and degrees, that’s wasting a lot of money. So if you need that year off, it doesn’t mean that you’re any less of a person or you’re any dumb of a person because you’re not. You’re just as smart, maybe even smarter, for taking that break and not wasting all that money, of not knowing what to do. So I would- I would definitely advise to take your time. And it’s okay if you need to take a year off and work to earn some money to figure out what your heart desires and what you want to do. I’m seeing that through experience and seeing my friends’ experiences growing up because having them switch different sorts of degrees and wasting money and wasting time, that’s something that could have been avoided. So that’s something I would really enforce.
Kinny [00:22:34] I love that.
Chan [00:22:35] Advise. Not enforce.
Kinny [00:22:36] Yeah, I love that and definitely would vibrate with that and that happens to a lot of people, like you said. South Asian descent. Anybody from the black, indigenous communities, Latino community, anybody from immigration, of immigrant status. It happens. So like, are any- we all go through it. Everyone’s gone through it. And these are, like, really amazing words. And that’s what it really comes down to, is having that talk with your parents and you really gotta do what’s best for you in the end. So like you said, it’s really wise that if you notice, you’re self aware and you can make that decision early on. So that’s what really matters.
Chan [00:23:16] Mm hmm.
Kinny [00:23:18] Any final words you’d like to say to those entering the field of entrepreneurship?
Chan [00:23:24] I would definitely say do all the research that you can and build a team, a very strong and trustworthy team that would have your back. Even if it’s one person to start off with. For me, that was my husband. Just having that team and that support before you jump into the biggest step of your life would be the best decision. And remember to ask all your questions, to do all your research and no dumb question. There is no such thing as a dumb question. Any and all information is good to know and just, you know, don’t hesitate. Just do it. I would say if you have a plan, put it on paper, work on it every other day if you need to, to come up with the best business plan that you have and execute it in your actions. For me, it took me about a year to finally build that courage and decide like, OK, I’m going to take this step. And it was the best decision ever. But, you know, you- you go through your ups and downs and everyone goes through their experiences building a business. But if I was to give any sort of advice is just stay strong and stay focused.
Kinny [00:24:44] Amazing. Love it. Thank you, Chan. And where can people- how can people reach out to you?
Chan [00:24:51] So I am on Instagram at the moment. My hashtag is @Blend.Society. I can also go by @Hairbychanb. That was my previous handle. So you can search either or and you’ll find me. And yeah, that’s where I am at the moment.
Kinny [00:25:09] And we’ll make sure to link to that and then- in the below episode as well- as well as in the podcast. So thank you, Chan. Thank you so much for today.
Chan [00:25:20] Wow, no problem. Thanks so much for having me.
Kinny [00:25:21] We’re really grateful for this.
Chan [00:25:23] It was just- it was such an honour. Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.
Kinny [00:25:27] Thank you so much. Thank you, viewers and everyone listening in. It really means a lot.
