Christopher Box and Paul Reynolds at a factory in China Septemeber 2007
Article by Christopher Box
1/26/11 My trip to San Diego to visit the owner of easihair, Paul Reynolds was a success.
Paul and I have had our differences in the past. The things you don’t like in people are actually reflections of parts of yourself. It’s easy to tell someone all the things you would do differently and actually do them when you get to be in their shoes. Owning The Beauty Box Salon has helped me to better understand this. This trip was different. I feel that Paul and I both have grown as people. It’s funny what age can do to you. It has a way of softening and blending the rough edges. Your priorities shift and your mind just processes things differently. I think one of the biggest lessons I have learned in my 30’s is that it really isn’t all about me! It’s been a long time since Paul and I were on the same page. It’s taken 2 1/2 years for us to reach this place again. Did the stars align? Is cosmic fate? No, I think it’s not giving up on something. I think when you believe in the hair extension industry as much as Paul and I do, that not keeping in contact with each other is just not an option. We are brothers bonded in weave. I had to say that, kinda makes me giggle a little bit. Our passion for the hair extension industry is at times exhausting! We can talk for hours with enthusiasm about all the many things that make up the hair extension biz. Our combined knowledge of hair extensions is staggering! You would not believe just how much you don’t know about hair extension. I got back to my hotel and was so exhausted I went to bed at 10:30 (which is crazy early for me) with my head spinning with ideas. I spent the next day in the office setting up a film studio. I took Paul through the process of filming. Easihair’s goal is to provide awesome education on the fly via videos and blogs. This is exciting to me because I am a man of technology. Being able to get info from a company like easihair as it happens will be a big asset to my continued growth as a business. I think we did an awesome job. I think he know understands that making good videos is a lot more difficult than he thought! Paul and I went to dinner at one of my favorite places in SD, Lei Lounge. This was after two days of working in the easihair office and the night before I went back home to Dallas. Paul and I ordered a couple of drinks and began recapping the past couple of days. The question came up, “why are we still talking about hair right now”. For the past 3 days it has been a gossip fest on all things hair extensions. I quickly replied, “I want to be part of something bigger than myself”. The words kind of hung in the air for a minute. I could tell Paul was processing what I said. Immediately I felt that I had hit on something. This is the jest of what I said: “I love this industry. What I do is not all about the money. It isn’t about the quick buck to be made on hair extensions. I provide a service that changes peoples lives. I want to reshape the way hair extensions are done and how companies like easihair provide those products. The hair extension industry is a mess. Too many products and not enough quality. I want to start a hair revolution! I want to give others the tools to do what I do!” At this point I stood up on the chair and exclaimed to everyone at Lei Lounge, “ I WANT TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN MYSELF!” The crowd clapped and I was given an award for World Weave I mean World Peace! Umm, well maybe the last part didn’t happen but at that moment it was how I felt. Paul and I continued our convo. As it turns out he shares a lot of my convictions. We wrapped up and headed back to so Paul could drop me at my hotel. I got out of the car and grabbed my bag. Paul got out, gave me a hug and then shook my hand. “Thanks”, he said.I said in my best South African accent (Paul is South African), “Pleasure, Mate.” I took the stairs to my room on the 6th floor processing what the past 3 days meant to me. As I drifted off to sleep I truly I could honestly say I felt lifted and very much a part of something bigger than myself.
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