Wed, April 15, 2009 - 7:00:57

A Cut Above the Rest

As we continue our celebration of National Donate Life month this week, we wanted to talk about other ways in which people across the nation are helping to make a difference in the lives of others.  For Sandie Anderson, “doing good” meant donating her kidney to a virtual stranger, but during these trying times, so many others are making a huge impact with small gestures. 
In a recent NBC Nightly News special feature, Making A Difference, we saw a story that really touched our hearts. 

We all know how a relationship between a hair stylist and a customer can become incredibly personal, so when local salon owner and hairdresser Joyce Deliyiannis heard again and again the sad stories of her suddenly unemployed customers, she knew she had to do something.  Although she normally charges $70 for a haircut, Deliyiannis has decided to sacrifice her days off to give away free haircuts to her out-of-work customers.  Why?  Because, as a professional in the beauty industry, she knows that when you feel better about how you look, people look at you differently.  As the old saying goes, when searching for a job, it’s important to “dress for success” and it can all start with a haircut.

Don’t believe us?  Well, we can prove it.  When we were writing our new book, THE POWER OF SMALL: Why Little Things Make All the Difference, we heard the story of computer programmer Larry, who aspired for a career in sales but could never quite overcome his nerd exterior and shy demeanor.  Then one day, he ventured into a new salon, got a great new haircut, and with it, a whole new attitude.  His newfound confidence did wonders to boost his profile at the office and before long he was out of I.T. and on his way to becoming a top-performing salesman.

If a tiny haircut could help Larry, then imagine the difference Joyce Deliyiannis has made in the lives of the countless jobseekers whose hair she cuts, free of charge, every week.  The few hours of free time she gives up on her day off may seem like a small act (after all, don’t most of us do at least a little work out of the office anyway?) but it makes a world of difference. 

So, this National Donate Life month, we know you might not be willing to part with your kidney just yet, but we issue you this SMALL challenge: If Joyce Deliyiannis can give away free haircuts to help her loyal customers, what skills do you already possess that you can give away for free? 

Do you know someone who is using the power of small to make a difference during these challenging times?  Email us your stories at thepowerofsmallblog@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @ThePowerOfSmall or become a fan on Facebook.

Posted by Linda and Robin