08/29/2026
GOOD MORNING! MONDAY MORNING FIVE WOMEN ARE GOING TO COLLEGE, GETTING THEIR HAIR, NAILS, FEET AND FACES WORKED ON, AND I'M PAYING FOR IT. No, I have not completely lost my mind. At least I don't think I have. Let me explain.
Yesterday I went over to Bladen Community College and supported my niece Destiny by being her client. Those of you who have been following along already know she is in the cosmetology program, and I also happen to be friends with Mrs. Burney, one of the instructors over there. The more I talk to Mrs. Burney about what they're doing in that program, the more impressed I become. And honestly, I think we have a hell of a resource sitting right here in our own community that a lot of people are overlooking.
I'm going to post the price list from the cosmetology department because, while I am certainly no expert on salon pricing, I can read numbers. And when I looked at that list I thought, "DAMN, you can get a LOT done over there without having to take out a second mortgage." Haircuts, manicures, pedicures, facials and other services, all at prices that are pretty darn reasonable. But the thing I really like is that when you go there, you're not just paying for a service. You're helping a young person learn a trade.
And these girls aren't just learning how to cut hair and make somebody's toenails look better than mine. They're learning how to greet customers, communicate, be responsible, conduct themselves professionally, provide a service and deal with the public. And anybody who has ever dealt with the public knows that last one ought to come with hazard pay. They're learning the business side of what they're going to do after they graduate. They're learning skills they can actually take into the real world and use to build a career. THAT is something worth supporting.
Now I could have done what a lot of people do. I could have written a nice little Facebook post saying, "Hey everybody, go support Bladen Community College." Then I could have patted myself on the back for being such a wonderful community-minded fella, maybe taken a picture of myself standing beside a sign and called it a day. BUT THAT AIN'T HOW I ROLL. If I'm going to tell you to support something, I'm going to support it myself.
So I decided to put my money where my mouth is.
MONDAY, EVERY ONE OF THE GIRLS FROM CIRCLE H THRIFT STORE AND THE CLARKTON CLOTHING EXCHANGE IS GOING TO THE COSMETOLOGY DEPARTMENT. ALL OF THEM. I gave each girl a set amount and told them they can choose what they want done. Some are getting haircuts. Some are getting manicures. Some are getting pedicures. And yes, I believe there will be a facial or two in the bunch.
Five girls. One salon appointment. THE COMPANY IS PAYING FOR IT.
Meanwhile, I will be at the thrift store.
Let that sink in for a minute.
Five women are going to college Monday morning to get pampered while I get to go to the thrift store and move furniture.
SOMETHING WENT TERRIBLY WRONG IN THIS PLAN.
Now before some business owner says, "Joe, I can't just close my business and send my employees off to get pampered," you're right. Neither can I. That's why the thrift store will be OPEN and I will be running it Monday morning. The clothing store will close Monday morning and reopen around noon. And yes, I HATE closing that store. I hate closing for an hour. I hate closing for five minutes. If I could figure out how to keep the doors open while I'm sleeping, I'd probably try it.
But I think this is worth it.
Because here's the thing. Your employees aren't machines. They're people. If you expect people to show up every day, work hard, care about your business and take pride in what they're doing, then every once in a while you ought to remind them that you actually appreciate them.
Apparently this is a revolutionary business strategy.
Some businesses have "Employee Appreciation Day." They buy a $6 sheet cake, write HAPPY EMPLOYEES on it with icing, take a picture for Facebook and then everybody goes back to work.
Not here.
Apparently our employee appreciation program is: "Ladies, here's some money. Go to college and get your hair and nails done. I'll be over here working."
I may need to rethink this because I'm pretty sure the employees just got a better benefits package than the owner.
But this isn't really about pampering the girls. It's about team building. They get to spend some time together outside of work. They get to sit around, laugh, talk and enjoy each other's company without me standing there asking why that rack hasn't been straightened yet. They get to do something together that has absolutely nothing to do with selling clothes or other items.
And while they're doing it, we're supporting a local college, supporting a local program, supporting young people learning a trade AND I'm supporting my niece.
That's not a win-win.
That's a WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN.
Hell, that's so many wins I'm starting to feel like I should be handing out trophies.
And this is what I mean when I talk about supporting our community. It doesn't always have to be some giant check with your business name printed across it so everybody knows how generous you are. Sometimes supporting your community means buying donuts for a team meeting. Sometimes it means sponsoring a ball team. Sometimes it means helping a young person learn a trade. Sometimes it means spending a little money with a local program because you believe in what they're doing.
I've always believed that if somebody is willing to learn, willing to work and willing to build something for themselves, they deserve somebody in their corner.
And if we want our community to have good businesses, good tradespeople and good people coming up behind us, then we need to actually help those people get there.
So if you're a employee reading this, SHARE THIS POST WITH YOUR BOSS. TAG THEM. SEND IT TO THEM. Hell, if YOU are the boss, tag yourself.
Maybe this will give you an idea.
Maybe you'll send your employees over there.
Maybe you'll support another program in our community.
Maybe you'll discover that employees actually appreciate being treated like human beings instead of the biological equivalent of a cash register.
And you don't have to copy what I'm doing. You don't have to send everybody off for a manicure and pedicure. Just DO SOMETHING. Find a young person learning a trade. Find a local program doing good work. Find a way to invest back into the community that supports your business.
Because these young people are going to be the ones running businesses, cutting hair, fixing things, building things and taking care of our community long after we're gone. If we don't help them now, who the hell do we expect to do it?
And if you need a reason to check out the cosmetology program, look at that price list. You can get some pretty good services done for a pretty reasonable price, AND you get the satisfaction of knowing you're helping somebody learn their profession.
That's about as close to a win-win as you can get without somebody handing you a free donut.
And if you do go over there Monday or sometime in the future, ASK FOR DESTINY.
Tell her you heard about the cosmetology program from her Uncle Joey.
And tell her you read my stuff every morning.
I'm sure she'll be absolutely thrilled to hear that her uncle has apparently become a famous writer.
If she looks at you like you're completely insane, don't worry about it. That's just her professional training kicking in.
And Destiny, if you're reading this, YES, I just told a bunch of strangers to tell you how great your uncle is.
You're welcome.
That's what uncles are for.
