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All About Hair...and So Much More.
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All About Hair...and So Much More.
239 Hairstylist Fears
Whether you're a seasoned stylist or just starting, discover how to turn these common fears into opportunities for growth and confidence by listening in.
Join Danise as she shares invaluable insights into building a thriving hairstyling career, even amidst personal challenges and creative roadblocks. You'll gain practical strategies to enhance communication, tackle difficult hairstyles, and expand your skill set while fostering a supportive community around you. From setting personal goals to collaborating with fellow stylists, this episode is your handbook to staying motivated and passionate in the ever-evolving hair industry. Embrace continuous learning and step out of your comfort zone for a rewarding journey in hairstyling.
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Welcome to All About Hair, the podcast for anyone who loves the hair industry. I'm your host, denise Kylitz, a former stylist educator and owner of four award-winning salons with over 30 years of experience. Whether you're refining your skills or expanding your hair knowledge, you're in the right place. Join me for expert tips, industry insights and practical advice to help you thrive in the world of hair. This is all about hair. Hey there, welcome back to the podcast.
Speaker 1:Are you like me and just loving the weather where you are? Wow, the leaves are changing on the trees, it's crisp. In the morning, we're leaving our windows open so that cool night air comes in. I just, I just love it. This is my favorite time of the year. And yes, it is the week of Halloween. And yes, it's the week of my birthday, because you know it is a special time in our household and I love Halloween. So that's what I thought today's podcast would be kind of fun to do about fear, and we'll get to that.
Speaker 1:But I wanted to let you know that you probably have heard some episodes that I've repeated in the last couple of weeks, and it's because we've been super, super busy at our house. We've been busy with home construction. We took down walls and put new beams up in the ceiling and opened it up. We happened to live in a beautiful, beautiful location on the York River in Williamsburg, and the house we moved into, let's see, last year year and a half now the walls were blocking the view of the river, and why live on the river if you can't see it? So we ended up taking down a couple of walls in our house and that, you know, of course, opens Pandora's box, cause then you have to redo the flooring and then you have to redo all kinds of things, right. So, needless to say, it's been a lot.
Speaker 1:And then, um, recently, just in the last couple of weeks, I've been busy building an in-home hair salon set up. Yes, I'm excited. Um, why did I do this? Well, I love her, but also, uh, I want to be able to film some videos there and show you. You know how to do certain things in a salon, but I also set it up for doing hair of my friends and family and some neighbors who have been asking. So I'm excited about that and hopefully, maybe I'll do a video on walking you through what that all looks like.
Speaker 1:I don't know, but this week we're going to be talking about fear in the hair salon, because it's Halloween and you know, just fear in general. Uh, what does that look like as a hairstylist? And, um, what does it look like in the four walls of your hair salon? Okay, first of all, hmm, the biggest fear that I could think of is fear of messing up your client's hair. Yes, have you ever felt that? Come on, yes, you have felt that.
Speaker 1:I've felt that probably 90% of the time, right, that you're either going to cut too much off, you're applying the wrong color, you're not meeting the client's expectations, and how do you handle these situations with confidence and professionalism? I tell you, if you have not been taught how to do that and you're fresh out of beauty school, or heck, you're a couple of years in. If you have not been taught how to do that and you're fresh out of beauty school, or heck, you're a couple of years in and you've never been taught how to handle these situations, because they're going to happen, you are going to mess up your client's hair, I guarantee it. You're not going to bat it out of the park every single time. There's going to be people who just aren't happy. It's the communication. It's nothing personal. You do have to learn how to not take it as a personal attack. Sometimes we just don't know what we don't know, right, if, if you don't have strong color theory, if you don't know what's on their hair to begin with, and you start lightening their hair, and you start lightening their hair if you haven't asked the right questions at a consultation like that. They don't really know how to use a round brush when the hair style they're showing you is completely round brushed, but they haven't told you that they don't know how to style it, and so they go home and let it air dry and it doesn't meet their expectations. Things happen. So if you haven't learned how to manage these situations with confidence and professionalism, let me give you a couple of pointers. We do teach this in our salon training program. We have a whole segment in there about how to handle these situations.
Speaker 1:But first of all, just admit, first and foremost, admit that whatever it was that you did, that you take ownership of that Okay. Even if you didn't know that you messed up, even if you did your best, just take ownership of it, okay. Usually, what it is is the client just wants to be heard. They want you to make them feel important, make them feel heard, listen to them. Maybe they don't want anything done to it. They just want to let you know that they're not happy. They might not want their money back. They might not even want you to fix it right then and there Maybe they can live with it. But I could tell you that, um, you need to at least face it and don't ghost them, run away from it.
Speaker 1:So number one fear is fear of messing up your client's hair. It's a real fear, it's okay. Um, let's see, it's a real fear, it's okay, let's see. Oh, here's a big one I wrote down. Fear of upselling or recommending products. Oh, so many stylists are so uncomfortable recommending products or upselling their services because they're worrying about being too pushy. Wow, I get it, totally get it. Nobody wants to be sold to no one, and people can feel that if you're trying to sell something to them just because you're supposed to sell, don't do that.
Speaker 1:I would say this educate your guests on everything you're doing and everything you're using. I don't care if you have to interrupt the conversation and say hey, just hold on just a second. I just want to let you know what I'm putting on your hair. I'm putting this on because you said that you didn't like the frizz, or you said you needed more volume in the crown, or whatever it is that they told you was their challenge. You're going to solve it for them by using this product, but you need to tell them that before you put it on their hair, because if you put it on their hair and you go about your styling, you'll forget, and then you will sound pushy at the end if you hadn't even mentioned it, and then you're like oh yeah, I forgot. I forgot to tell you this is what I used on your hair and they're going to be like they're already out the door.
Speaker 1:So every time you do anything your shampoo, your conditioner, your gel, your mousse, your volumizing, your shine spray, whatever you're putting on their hair Stop the conversation. Just say, excuse me. Your shine spray, whatever you're putting on their hair, stop the conversation. Just say, excuse me, I just got to show you this. Show it to them. Show them the bottle. This is what it looks like. This is what it is. If you have to read the back of the bottle because you forgot what it does and you can't remember what to say, make a joke out of it. Read the back of the bottle, right in front of them, put a little bit in their hand so they could feel it. Let them smell it, whatever it is. Maybe you even have them put it on their hair themselves so they could feel how to put it on their hair, whatever it is.
Speaker 1:Use this opportunity as educating them on what you're using and then let them decide if they enjoy what you're doing, because they're going to look in the mirror and they're going to see the magic happen, right. So they're going to see what you're doing and if they like the results, they're going to want to take home that magic potion that you just showed them. Don't forget at the end to say hey, oh yeah. Did you want, did you want, to take any of these products home that we used on you today? In fact, I wouldn't even do that. Okay, back up, this is what I would do. You're all done. You take the cape off of them. Voila, they're loving it, they're swinging their head around and everything like that, and you're like wonderful, wonderful.
Speaker 1:You walk up to the front of your salon. You pick those products up. I would never pick maybe three products up, and there is a magic to that, and we'll get to that later, a different conversation, probably. But pick three. Okay, you can pick up to five, because shampoo and conditioner, you can consider that as one unit unit. And then you need a styling, a finishing, whatever. But usually people get overwhelmed if you start picking everything up.
Speaker 1:So pick three and if they can't afford all three, say put it up on the front desk and say which one of these are you going to be taking home? Here's the products I used on you. And if they can only afford one, or if price is an issue for them, because you know most products cost a lot of money, say if I could recommend one, I would start with this one. Okay, and tell them why I would start with this conditioner, because the ends of your hair really need blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Because the ends of your hair really need blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Or I would start with this volumizing spray because you said you were really having a challenge with this.
Speaker 1:Okay. However, tell them that you're going to write down the products that you recommended so if they happen to come in when you're not there, someone else can help them because they might get good at home and they use what they're using at home and decide that they like what their hair feels like when you did it and they want to come back and get that shampoo and conditioner. See how that is. If you're educating them on the why you're using the products, they're going to want it now, whether they can afford it that day or afford it over time. They're going to want it Now, whether they can afford it that day or afford it over time. They're going to want what you have because one, you're excited about it. Two, you've educated them about it. Three, because they want their hair to look good. They want the magic potion, right?
Speaker 1:How about upselling your services, dude? If they need a deep conditioner on their hair, you need to tell them. I don't know how I mean. They're coming to you because they want their hair to look good. Right Me? I have all the products at home and I still, when I go get my hair done, I want them to sell me something. Does my hair need conditioning? Please give me a deep mask. Treat me like a customer. When I go get my hair done, I want them to sell me something. Does my hair need conditioning? Please give me a deep mask. Treat me like a customer, please. I want to leave the salon feeling wonderful. Tell me what I need. It's almost like going to the doctor and the doctor doesn't tell you a plan of attack or something. You feel a little disappointed, right? So maybe they're complaining about the frizz in their hair and you could at least suggest maybe you have a deep frizzing solution. Maybe it's Brazilian Blowout, maybe it's some other product service that is a smoothing service. At least tell them about it. You're not trying to sell it to them that day, but say, hey, have you heard about this service? This is what we do, and if you'd like some more information about that, I can get you a brochure or you can click on our website or whatever, but this is what it does. At least plant the seed and make sure you write that in their notes that you have talked about this, because the next time they come in you might want to say hey, have you thought about that? Cause I know we talked about it last time. You see where, how that all works. Just don't be afraid of upselling or recommending products, because they're expecting you to, cause I guarantee you, if you don't educate them on what you're using on their hair, they're going to feel so wonderful they're going to go to the nearest drugstore or Target or wherever, and want to get something, because they want something new to put on their hair, I guarantee you Okay.
Speaker 1:Third one Ah, this is a good one. Fear of negative client feedback. Mm-hmm. So have you ever experienced this? You know a bad review on Yelp or I don't know? Does your salon have survey cards? Maybe you get constructive criticism through that, constructive criticism through that.
Speaker 1:Sometimes, turning these challenges into learning opportunities, it's kind of hard, isn't it? But if you can think of it that way, so say, I know I used to ask I would make random phone calls to clients just to double check on our stylist. You know, hey, how'd it go, how you know, especially our newer stylists just getting a little feedback, seeing if there's any. You know anything constructive that I could talk to, one-on-ones or whatever, seeing what's going on. If you can, um, take that as a learning opportunity to get better, it's going to be so much better for you. So I wouldn't, I would not fear the client feedback. You know, what I would fear more is people who don't give you feedback. Those are the clients who just don't come back. So think of clients giving you feedback as if they want to do business with you. Yes, they want to give you the opportunity to do better. They like you. So, if you can turn that around, that negative client feedback is actually them expressing their I don't know wanting to do business with you. I don't know wanting to do business with you, you know. So take it as a learning opportunity.
Speaker 1:Okay, number four fear of stepping out of the comfort zone. Man, I have been guilty of this Sometimes. I still am, you know, struggling with trying new techniques because the old techniques have worked right. Or maybe you're afraid to do advanced services like color correction, because you think you might fail, you think you don't know enough. You know, stepping out of your comfort zone is the only way to grow. It really is In anything, in anything in life. You have to step out of your comfort zone. If you get too comfortable, that means you're not growing, that means you're not learning anything new. So here's be my challenge is take on those new techniques.
Speaker 1:Maybe you have someone coming in and they want, oh goodness, a layered bob, but with an undercut. Or maybe they want a asymmetrical bob where it's short on one side, long on the other, and you've never done that. Well, you could either one or two things. You could either turn them down or you can ask for help. Maybe, I know well. You can ask another stylist in the salon, maybe they would help you. But heck, go in the break room, excuse yourself for five minutes and go watch a YouTube video. I've had. I have had stylists do that before. Heck, I've done it before, heck, I still do it. Sometimes, you know, it's like um, things that maybe you haven't done in a long time or you've never done. I want to know how to do it, and if somebody trusts me enough to actually be sitting in my chair, I want to make sure that I know what I'm doing, or at least try to know what I'm doing. So you should too. I mean, maybe you have a couple of days heads up, or 24 hours heads up, two hours heads up, yeah, watch that video, learn it, learn why, learn the reasons why, okay, but definitely definitely step out of your comfort zone. Here's another one Fear of career stagnation, getting stuck in your career, in other words.
Speaker 1:So a lot of stylists worry about their growth and their career in this industry because most salons don't have a career path. Fonds don't have a career path. We always had a career path where you start at one and then you meet some benchmarks. Your retail level goes to a certain percentage. Your pre-booking, you know there was benchmarks you had to hit and then you moved up to the next level, and then the next level, and the next level, and then the next level, next level, now, um, with each of those, you've got other things too, like um, you got stuff, uh, money put in your education fund. You've got, oh goodness gracious, you got um, uh, I want to say 401k, but no, 401k was after a year of being with us. But anyway, you got different things. You got more vacation pay. There's different things. So we actually had a career path.
Speaker 1:I have to dig it back out. Sorry I'm spacing that, but even if you were by yourself, okay, and you're working in a solo salon or booth rental or whatever your case may be, if you're not in a team based or commission based salon, maybe your salon has a career path and that's cool and you work on it and you keep going up up the career path. But maybe you're by yourself. You need to make a career path for yourself. So maybe you make it a goal, like when you get to I don't know. A hundred, a hundred clients and hopefully you're keeping track of everything.
Speaker 1:Um, you, you go out and get health insurance for yourself, or weeks, three weeks booked out, you raise your prices, or or you take a class, or you have to think of creative ways, especially if you're by yourself, on how to not get burnout, because being behind the chair it takes a lot out of us. Right it is. It's hard on your body, it's hard on your mind because every time a new guest comes in, you have to start all over again. I mean, it's a wonderful thing because you get to know so many people and build so many relations, but you also have to start the consultation all over. You have to brainstorm, you have to problem solve, you have to sometimes be a social worker, be a therapist, you have to formulate. It's so many multitasking things that we have to know behind the chair. Plus, we have our elbows up in the air. If we're foiling, if we're putting color on, we're standing on our feet. It's exhausting. So you have to learn. What does it take so you don't burn out? Is it taking a yoga class twice a week? Is it stretching every morning? Is it going getting up half hour early and going for that walk in the morning.
Speaker 1:You have to find ways to keep yourself motivated. You have to find ways to keep learning, and that means um, taking classes, that means maybe even collaborating with other stylists in your area to maybe put on I don't know a hair show, a fashion show, or go out and um together and I'm talking to like people who are in solo suites get with other suite owners and maybe go to the YMCA and do some kind of I don't know charity, not a charity work, but maybe they have some kind of day that we used to do. This day the Frozen movie came out and we were doing little girl's hair like the Frozen braid, and I can't exactly remember what the event was, but we got a lot of moms. We handed out a lot of business cards that way and we got a lot of moms coming into our salon. Get creative, do something like that. You could maybe be in a Christmas parade together hand out business cards with candy canes stuck to them.
Speaker 1:I don't know, get creative, get creative, but don't. You're not by yourself, you don't have to be by yourself. There are so many people in this industry that want to. You know, help each other and grow together. Even if you're not working in a commission salon, even if you're not on a team of stylists, you could still be part of a team. Just change your way of thinking, Okay. So there you have it. Those are the top five fears that I've come up with within the hair salon just in time for Halloween.
Speaker 1:I hope you guys all have a terrific week. You know, put on your best costume, get lots of candy, and just remember when you know better, you do better. Thanks for tuning in to All About Hair. Here's what I'd love for you to do next. Take a screenshot of this episode and share it on your Instagram stories. Tag me at Denise Keilitz so I can see you're listening. Sharing helps more people discover the podcast and if you're really enjoying the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find us. Thanks again, I'm Denise Kylitz, and remember when you know better, you do better. See you next week.
