Market Meets Podcast

Women everywhere are still trying to figure out “how to have it all.” I’m no different. Here was my dilemma: How could I feed my desire to own my own business, maintain a work/life balance, be a present and available mother and wife and continue to work on my passion as a hairdresser?

I’ve always been a girl who knows what she wants and goes for it. It’s almost to a fault because I don’t stop to think before I jump. Graduating from beauty school, I knew I wanted to work at a salon on Pearl Street. That is where I envisioned myself and a few short years later, that is where I ended up. I was blessed to work for three of the most amazing mentors around. They were all stylists, they were all women and they were all just who I wanted to be in the industry. The salon culture was based around leadership and life-happiness. Instead of having product reps come into the salon to teach us how to sell more product, they had leadership coaches come in to teach us how to be happier. This created a better work environment – and what I noticed – higher sales and a more team-based environment (which you don’t always see in salons). I quickly saw what was happening and I jumped all over it. I invested my own time and money to work individually with the leadership coach. At the time, I thought I was simply preparing myself to be a manager one day. Little did I know, this self-development would put me on the path that led me to do other great things in my life.

Being a stylist in commission-based salons led me to want to do something different. I had maxed out at my dream salon, and I had added being an educator for an international production company to my plate. Yet I still found myself getting bored. I needed the next step. It was time to open my own salon. The first rule in business is to be able to give people what they want. You have to fix a problem for them. I wanted to fix the problem for hairdressers. Hairdressers are constantly leaving salons and starting over. Why? They get bored, there is no more potential to grow, they decide hairdressing is not a career or they lose their passion for hairdressing because they burn out. I wanted to do something different. So, I asked myself, what could be done that hasn’t been done before and give experienced hairdressers a chance to feel enlightened again? Instead of an answer, I got a question: “What do I like best about hairdressing?” The answer is: “People”: The connection I feel with others. The power of touching their hair and becoming a part of each other’s lives. The ability to mentor other stylists and help them see things in themselves that they are afraid to see. But let’s not forget the one thing that also keeps people going: the money. This led to other questions: How can I use my skills as a hairdresser to connect with my clients on a deeper level? How can I use my leadership to mentor other like-minded stylists? How can I make hairdressing a career, instead of a job, for so many who have a passion for it? So, I created a mobile hair salon to bring something different to the beauty industry and as a way to train and mentor other stylists and honor their creativity.

Special Guest: Jamie Nelson.

While not technically a Colorado native, Dan prides himself on knowing more than most when it comes to the beautiful state. He has lived in the state for over 20 years and doesn't plan on leaving any time soon. One of his specialties is educating. He believes that every client should make an educated purchase, so he ensures that you understand each step that you take in your real estate transaction. If you have any questions then get in touch with him. He'll make you feel welcome from the start.

Special Guest: Dan Mackin.

Today we have the pleasure of speaking with one of Boulder’s Philanthropic warriors, Isabel McDevitt. Isabel currently is the CEO for Bridge House, which is a non-profit that supports the homeless population of Boulder and Beyond. She is impactful and passionate about creating new and unique opportunities in the workforce for this population. Get ready to get goosebumps for the incredible work BridgeHouse and Isabel are doing for our community.

Everyone is currently feeling the effects of Covid19 and the homeless community is no different. Bridgehouse had to make immediate changes to their model to create more physical space between people at their shelters, in order to comply with the CDC’s social distancing and hygiene requirements. They’ve partnered with the city to open the CRC (Covid Recovery Center) at East Boulder Rec Center, to help identify and isolate those of the homeless population showing symptoms. Bridge house expects to see a reduction in financial support from their social enterprises and donations with an increase in need across this population. Supporting their social enterprises including the Community Table Kitchen is one way to get involved and show your support. You can order nutritious family sized meals for pick up or delivery at: boulderbridgehouse.org.

Volunteering is more important now than ever, not only for BridgeHouse and your other favorite non-profits, but also for your own community connection.

Special Guest: Isabel McDevitt.

Most creative when faced with a challenge, Kathey Pear enjoys problem solving and is committed to bringing individuals together to create sustainable environments, healthy communities, and healthy lives. The ultimate networker, Pear is always on the lookout for new and interesting interconnections and opportunities to address the opportunities presented by a continually evolving world. Pear has 30 years of commercial real estate project and contract furniture industry experience.

Kathey founded Pear Commercial Interiors, still one of Colorado’s largest office furniture dealerships, opening showrooms in Boulder in 1984 and Denver in 1988. Following the sale of Pear Commercial in 1998, she became intrigued by the vast lack of support resources for later adopters of technology who simply wanted to enjoy the benefits of computers and the Internet. Teaming up with Aardvark Networking Services, TechButler’s mission was to explore new ways to flatten the learning curve and reduce the complexity and frustration that present challenges for less technical users. TechButler was formed in 1999 to develop live, remote support applications that could be used over the Internet to support PC users at home, at work, or in the field. As CEO of the company, Pear was instrumental in providing her vision for live, remote, real-time technology support. In 2004 Kathey opened Citron WorkSpaces, a contract furnishings resource for corporate, healthcare, education, and shared workplace environments (co-working) and sister company, FacilityCycle, to address the growing problem of how to handle old office furniture. FacilityCycle focused on sustainable reuse, refurbishment, donation, and recycling of excess furniture and cubicles. In 2012 and 2013 The Boulder Daily Camera named Citron #2 among Boulder’s Top Women Owned Businesses and Citron was selected as a Colorado Companies to Watch honoree in 2013. Citron was acquired by Source Office and Technology in 2014.

Her current venture, Pear Project Services (PPS), adds furniture “re-homing” to the mix. By helping companies who are moving or upgrading to decommission their no-longer-needed furniture, PPS saves many tons of old furniture from ending up in landfills. As the self-titled “Queen of Crap”, Kathey and her associates take excess furniture from large companies, resell some and donate some to non-profit organizations and smaller companies that need furniture.

Pear earned a B.F.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Connecticut, an M.F.A. in Fine Arts from Washington State University and part of an M.B.A. at the University of Colorado. She was the Boulder BPW Business Woman of the Year in 1992 and an Entrepreneur of Distinction at “Esprit Entrepreneur” in 1993.

Special Guest: Kathy Pear.