2.07 - A story about genuinely "Like"ing someone..

What's new lambs?

It's Friday morning and I'm sitting at the coffeeshop next door sipping a mocha frappe and texting Facebookers back and forth... ha ha. My life is fully-interactive with my blossoming clientelle and friends.

So, this week has been a very self-revealing week. I've spent alot of well-needed time with Panda. Panda also revealed some amazing news to me that he may be being picked up for a major haircare company as an educator for their business model. I'm very excited for him. In fact, he has been invited to the Redken Symposium. That's a major deal in our industry.

As he's been e-mailng and texting and phoning major people in NYC and Nashville, I've had a lot of time to solidify my spot at my new location. So much so, that I've let a couple new additions into my life.

The owner, Janelle, is absolutely amazing and the polar-opposite of my last owner and someone who I really feel a peer connection to. Andrew has been around alot lately seeing as Panda has been in and out on business calls and will be gone again the end of this month in NYC. Wish I could go! ; )

The other night, I invited Janelle out for a spur of the moment dinner with Andrew and I. We walked down to the pizza parlor from Panda's loft (as I was house-sitting). Janelle was sitting outside. Andrew told me on the walk over, "I really like her. "

We met up and talked about absolutely nothing at all. Which is the best kind of talk to have! A part of me feels like Janelle needs that unwind with someone that truly understands things from her end. I managed the top salon in my area for three strong, amazing years and so when I hear her and listen, it's funny to see my exact habits in someone else relatively close to my age.

Andrew is very mature for his age and engages in coversations easily. So, much so, that Panda has even confessed that he just loves to listen to Andrew talk. "He has a great voice!" he confessed to me one evening... "I really like him. He's so cool, Josh."

Janelle texted me later that evening after we took a trip down from our salon to the local frozen yoghurt shop and tells me, "I really like Andrew. He's so cool!"

My evening lately have been rather chill and let me just tell you, that amazes me. I'm super excited. I've been on my quest to finsih editing the direction of my manuscript and change up my personal image a bit. I want to say that I feel like a Rockstar on weekend in the Hamptons. I adore my life right now. Even in the most negative moments, I love my life. And I've had a lot of negatively given out unlawfully to me.

The coolest part of intermingling all of my friends together has been the fact that everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) has genuinely "liked" each other. And I'm not talking in the cheesy Facebook way of "like"ing something, I'm talking genuine good comments about each other. No bashing.

For once, I feel like my life is back on track.

This morning, I had a powerful marketing meeting with my client and advertising rep about some HUGE I am going to invest in. I can't tell you all quite yet, but I'm excited and I shared this opportunity with Janelle and she gave me thumbs up, Panda had a small amount of knowledge about it and has given his thumbs up...

You know, I see him taking amazing strides in his professional life and as much as I don't want to see him move out of my everyday life, if an opportunity is beckoning him to travel and NYC or London come calling, I'm all about supporting my favourite man.

Andrew is waiting for a reply to a program at university in Denver and as much as I don't want to see him leave either, if opportunity knocks- go for it! I remember being 22 and not knowing shit. Truly. I was freshly in the middle of beauty school and had a "Dream Board" hanging in my closet and I've marked out at least 70% of that board to date... how four years changes people!

I wish the best for both my friends.. they have become main fixtures in my life, but as I've learned, the ones that love you and are eternally connected to you NEVER leave! They leave a smudge of their existance on you no matter what.. Panda has taught me to stay drive an believe in myself professionally, Nasia taught me that intergrity and art make the artist in the chair during my sessions, Andrew has taught me to not give a damn about other people's opinons, and in my short time at my new salon home, Janelle has taught me that responsibity and being organized really do matter and that sincerity really DOES prevail at the end of the business day...

and lastly, my mum taught me that trusting your gut and keeping your head held high matters most...

...and that's why I not only love each and every one of them, I genuinely "Like" (Facebook or not) each and every one of them...

Much love lambs
Josh

PS: check out josh-cooley.com

Meditation for the week that I told Panda via tex this morning:

"I am exactly where I need to be at this exact moment in my life and I know exactly where I want to go." xoxo. joshy.