[00:00] Antony Whitaker: Hello and welcome to today's episode of the Grow My Salon business podcast. I'm your host, Antony Whitaker. And as always, it's great to have you here with us today. Now, I don't know on what day you are listening to this, but it's released on Tuesday, the 24th of December, 2024. So it's Christmas Eve. And if you're listening to it on Christmas Eve, I want to wish you a safe and happy Christmas.
[00:31] Antony Whitaker: And if you happen to be listening to it on the other side of Christmas day, I hope you had a good time with family and friends over the Christmas break. Now, at the end of every year, I like to say thank you to you for being a listener to the podcast and for being part of our community. I want to say thank you for the reviews that you write and the feedback that you give us.
[00:54] Antony Whitaker: And I also want to take this opportunity to thank Kristine. every week she edits this podcast, even though we often only get it to her with very short notice, she always manages to turn it around and get it back to us. So thank you, Kristine, for being part of our team and all the work that you do.
[01:11] Antony Whitaker: Every week we have regular weekly listeners in over 70 different countries, which absolutely blows me away. Some of you I know personally, but most of you I don't. But I always get a buzz when I meet people who tell me that they listen in every week.
[01:26] Antony Whitaker: And the fact that you turn up every week and listen to me and the diverse range of incredible guests that I bring to you is greatly appreciated and it's not ever taken for granted. I also want to say thank you to those of you who have asked me to cover specific topics on my shorter solo episodes. And in 2025, we will continue to do that.
[01:48] Antony Whitaker: So keep the suggestions coming. This year has also been the year that we embraced video and are now posting all of our weekly podcasts on our YouTube, which has been also very well received. 
[02:01] Antony Whitaker: And as we come towards the end of another year, the routine that we've had for the last 12 months, for all of us, will start to change as we wind down a little and start wrapping things up for the year.
[02:13] Antony Whitaker: And I don't just mean wrapping up gifts, but wrapping up projects that need finishing. Or maybe realising that what seemed like an important project at the beginning of the year is either now no longer relevant, or alternatively, Maybe you're moving it to the top of the list for the coming year. But aside from that, I think it's also inevitable that the end of the year is a time for looking back and reflecting whether it's reflecting on the progress that you personally made during the year, or perhaps it's reflecting on why maybe things haven't gone as you planned.
[02:46] Antony Whitaker: Either way, There's always a lesson to be got. So a little time spent looking back makes you better prepared for looking forward into the future. And that's important because as much as you might be wrapping up 2024, at some level, you're probably starting to formulate what you want 2025 to be like. But aside from it being a time of planning and reflection, The end of the year can also be an emotional time for a lot of people.
[03:15] Antony Whitaker: Hopefully, you get together with family and friends and you celebrate Christmas in whatever way feels right to you, but inevitably, for most people, there's also a range of emotions and expressions of love and absolute joy, sharing, happiness and fun and laughter, etc. But Christmas can also be a tough time for a lot of people because they have memories of the people that are no longer with them.
[03:39] Antony Whitaker: Sometimes it's family, other times it's friends and colleagues. In some cases it's because they've passed away and so now we think back to previous Christmases and the special memories that were made. In other cases they haven't passed away. But in many instances, maybe for any number of reasons, they're maybe not part of your life anymore.
[04:01] Antony Whitaker: Whether that's a decision that you made or perhaps that's a decision that they made. Either way, there's often a range of emotions, from sadness and anger to love and forgiveness.
[04:11] Antony Whitaker: Maybe it's time for reconciliation, or maybe it means it's simply time to let go and move on. I get it that life can be complicated, and families and the relationships within them are equally complicated, that's for sure. If we were to believe what we see on the TV commercials from all the big department and grocery stores over the festive season, then we would assume that the world's a happy, loving, gentle and kind place.
[04:39] Antony Whitaker: And for some people it is. And for most of the people listening to this podcast, then the chances are that you, predominantly, live in a world that is safe and relatively peaceful, and you have a roof over your head and a bed to sleep in at night.
[04:53] Antony Whitaker: You have people that you love and that love you back. And you have food in your belly and some money in your [00:05:00] wallet. And if that's you, and it probably is, then like you, I'm lucky because I live in a country that is not directly at war. I have a loving family. I have a roof over my head. And there's food in the fridge and I get to sleep in a warm bed at night.
[05:14] Antony Whitaker: And for that, I am forever grateful. But just because that's my reality, And hopefully yours too. It doesn't mean it's the reality of everyone in your immediate circle. Because at this time of year, lots of people are struggling, some financially and some emotionally. Some people will choose to talk about it and others won't.
[05:33] Antony Whitaker: So whether it's the clients in your chair, or the people on your team, or even a stranger in the street, take a moment to reach out and connect in whatever way is appropriate. Sometimes for those people on your team, or perhaps even the clients in your chair, coming to this salon is their safe place. It's where they feel valued and important and looked after.
[05:55] Antony Whitaker: But their life at home can be a very different place. Some of them have major relationship problems. Others have financial challenges and they don't know how they will get through the next couple of weeks. Others are simply lonely. They maybe have no one that they can go to over the Christmas period, or if they do, for whatever reason, they simply aren't welcome anymore.
[06:18] Antony Whitaker: I think that most people put a lot of financial pressure on themselves at this time of the year, whether it's buying gifts for others or spending money on themselves. But I really believe that the single most important gift that you can give can be summed up in one word, and that is the gift of kindness.
[06:37] Antony Whitaker: So go out of your way to show a little kindness to everyone you come into contact with on a daily basis. And perhaps go out of your way to show an act of kindness to someone who you wouldn't normally come into contact with. But most importantly, be kind to yourself at this time of year. Speak nicely to yourself.
[06:56] Antony Whitaker: Congratulate yourself for all that you've achieved, because you have surely achieved a lot. And if there are ways that you've fallen short of the standards and expectations that you set for yourself, then forgive yourself for not measuring up to the standards that you may have set.
[07:12] Antony Whitaker: Remember, you are only human. And I'm sure that, like everyone, that you will make mistakes too. That's just part of life. So, learn from the mistakes you make and move on. Like every year, 2024 would have had its challenges and its opportunities. But you have got through them.
[07:30] Antony Whitaker: 2025 will also have its challenges and its opportunities. You will evolve, sometimes you'll win, and sometimes you will learn. You will meet new people, you'll form new friendships, and there will be exciting opportunities that you can't always predict. But at the time of releasing this episode, you still have two weeks of 2024 to go.
[07:54] Antony Whitaker: So no matter where you are in the world, from Melinda and I, to you and your family, enjoy your Christmas, get some rest, drive safe if you're travelling, and most of all, remember to be kind to yourself. Next week's podcast will come out on the 31st of December, and then in January just like you, we will jump in the deep end at building our business.
[08:17] Antony Whitaker: So to wrap up, I just want to wish you and your family a safe and happy Christmas. Thank you for listening to this week's episode of the Grow My Salon business podcast. That's bye for now.