29 March 2024

Full Circle: a great – and true! -story

Matrix General Manager Colin Walsh gives back to someone who gave forward – to him! 

Our parents always taught us that “What goes around, comes around”.  And in his popular motivational presentations, Matrix Vice President and General Manager Colin Walsh is often wont to talk about his childhood stylist, Sharon. As a boy in his Canadian hometown, Sharon was the “it” girl – pretty, fun, stylish. And, he often jokes, she was the one person in town capable of giving him the “Corey Hart spikes” that he deemed as cool.

As often happens with youngsters, he openly admits that it was Sharon’s creativity and energy that inspired him to embark on his successful beauty industry career and consolidated his admiration for, and connection with, hairdressers. 

Recently, Colin was able return the favor when he and his ON—A Brilliant Way to Live and Work co-author, motivational speaker Dr. Lew Losconcy, traveled to Barrie, Ontario, Canada, where the “Sharon” of his boyhood – Sharon Smith – had assembled 100 of her friends and colleagues for a presentation from the pair and subsequent book signing.

“It was amazing!” says Smith. “It had been about 25 years since we had seen each other.  He was a young teenager. Now he’s delivering such wonderful, empowering messages.  It was brilliant to see.  And early in my career, Dr. Lew really inspired me. I often share his words with my students and stylists.  I’m so pleased that I was finally able to thank him!”

Sharon says that she could never forget Colin’s fascination her work in her salon.  “He would really study me and what I was doing,” she says. Sharon used to work with Colin’s entire family, but over the years they all drifted apart. So when she recently called Colin’s dad, who is a doctor, for some medical advice regarding her son, she says,  “I was stunned to learn that Colin is in the beauty industry!”

Colin and Sharon were finally able to reconnect, so the Matrix team in New York quickly organized the event in Barrie, just about an hour north of Toronto. In an email to Sharon, Colin wrote “I have fallen deeply in love with this industry and you played an integral role. You touched my soul. I was a young boy with a crush on my glamorous stylist and you impacted my life and my self-esteem with your talent and gifts.”

“It really goes to show you that you never know how you’re going to affect someone who is sitting in your chair,” Sharon muses.  “That’s probably why, after 31 years, I’m still totally obsessed with this business and with making people feel great.  And I feel that same passion in Colin!”    

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