Welcome to All About Hair with Danise...where beautiful hair is just the beginning.
I'm Danise, a hairstylist, educator, and salon owner with more than 30 years in the beauty industry. After owning four award-winning salons, I never imagined I'd build another one...until now.
Join me as I document the real journey of creating Panache & Company from the ground up. From finding the perfect location and designing the salon to hiring a team, mentoring stylists, serving clients, and navigating the unexpected, you'll hear the honest conversations that happen behind every milestone.
Whether you're a client looking for trusted hair advice, a stylist building your career, or a salon owner growing your business, you'll find practical education, inspiring stories, and real-life lessons from behind the chair and beyond.
New episodes feature: • Behind-the-scenes salon building • Hair education and healthy hair tips • Business and leadership insights • Stylist career development • Client transformations • Honest conversations about entrepreneurship and life
Stepping from cosmetology school into your first salon position can feel overwhelming, but today's episode breaks down exactly what you need to succeed. This fan-favorite episode has become required listening for both new stylists and salon owners because it delivers actionable guidance on the five critical areas that determine your success behind the chair.
Whether you're just starting your beauty career or looking to take your existing skills to new heights, these practical strategies will help you navigate the industry with confidence. Subscribe, share with a colleague who needs this guidance, and join our community of beauty professionals committed to continuous growth. The principles shared here have launched countless successful careers—yours could be next!
Mastering the beauty industry isn't easy , but with the right guidance , it can feel a whole lot less intimidating . Whether you're fresh out of cosmetology school and stepping into your very first salon job , or you're a salon owner eager to set your new hires up for success , today we're bringing you one of our most popular repeat episodes , an all-time favorite with both new stylists and salon owners . This episode is packed with insights to help you thrive . Drawing from my 30 years of experience and building four award-winning salons , I share the five essential areas every new graduate needs to focus on Client communication , technical skills , time management , product knowledge and professionalism . No wonder this episode has become a listener favorite . So settle in and let's revisit this classic guide to making your first steps in the beauty industry strong and successful . Welcome to all about hair , where we talk shop , share stories and spill the secrets behind great hair and a great career .
Speaker 1
I'm your host , denise Kylitz , a former salon owner , educator and a lifelong hair crusader . Whether you're a new stylist building your book or just someone who loves learning about all things hair , you're in the right place . All right , let's jump right into it . Our first must-know tip and , as a salon owner , keep this in mind when you're hiring your graduates , first of all , put yourself in their shoes . They're scared . They've never worked in a salon owner . Keep this in mind when you're hiring your graduates . First of all , put yourself in their shoes . They're scared . They've never worked in a salon before , right , and as a graduate , you're scared . You've never worked in a salon before . So what are the top five things that you need to know right out of the gate ? That's going to set you up for success .
Speaker 1
Tip number one the art of client communication . I cannot stress this enough . This is going to be probably I don't know 75 , 80% of your success how you communicate with your guest . So picture this you're about to start your very first client appointment . What do you say ? How do you make them feel comfortable and confident in your skills ? It's a real anxious moment and , to tell you the truth , even after years of being on the floor , sometimes you still feel that way when you have a brand new guest coming in and sitting in your chair , because everybody's different . So what do you do ? You listen very carefully to your client's needs and preferences , okay , ask a lot of questions and then provide honest recommendations . If they're requesting something that you really don't think would look good on them . It's your job and your responsibility to let them know that , okay , you're the professional , and just always remember that excellent communication that leads to client loyalty and referrals , even if you are just starting and you don't know what
you're doing and you have a brand new client and you said look , I've never cut this haircut before , so I might have to ask for help . But , trust me , I'm not going to let you go without being happy . That goes a long way . And , salon owners , you need to give your newbies permission to do so and help them , of course .
Speaker 1
Moving on Tip number two , your technical skills . Yeah , you do need technical skills . You can't just go on your client communication . That's not going to do it . So , mastering the basics as a fresh graduate , you're going to want to make sure that you've got a solid grasp on the fundamental techniques like cutting , styling , coloring these are your bread and butter services . And if you need to brush up on those technical skills , head over to my YouTube channel , where you're going to find my foundational haircut series over there and it takes you through five foundational haircuts and also how to finish them and texturize them . But remember , it's not all about knowing it all , it's about perfecting what you do know . So practice , practice , practice and refine your skills , because the world of beauty , our world , it is ever evolving . Take all the classes you can salon owners , get classes in your salon . Set up some kind of skill assessment program . If you need help with that , we have one . Just reach out , we can help you develop yours . That was a game changer in our salon when we had our skills certification program
, because we hired directly out of school and really salon owners . This is where you need to go now . Don't just sit there and complain that nobody wants to work . People are still in cosmetology school . They need a job and it's up to you , as a salon owner , to teach them the ropes . Just have to change your mindset just a little bit and they're wanting to learn .
Speaker 1
Tip number three the art of time management . Okay , wow , working in a salon can sometimes feel like a whirlwind . There's all kinds of things going on . You got appointments back to back and clients are late , but they expect you to be on time . So , being efficient , getting your haircut skills , your haircut services , your coloring services timed proficiently , you know , make it a game . Stay organized , make sure you have all your tools clean and in place and make sure that you're on schedule , complete your appointments on schedule . I know that we used to time things a lot and part of our skill assessment was timing . You know how ? How long does it take to wrap a perm ? How long does it take to put a touch up on ? You need to know your timing and , yeah , when you're first starting out , it's going to take you a little bit longer , but you have to speed up the process . Trust me , it's a game changer If you can get your time management under control . Game changer . Okay . Now let's talk products , shall we ? Okay , your product knowledge .
all about your scissors and your combs . It's also about the products that you use on your client's head . Take the time to learn the products that your salon is carrying . You don't have to know every single ingredient in the bottle , but know at least one or two things that this product could do for your guest and just understand what those benefits are and how they can benefit the person sitting in your chair and then recommend that product . I can't tell you how many times I've been in a salon and , trust me , I don't need any more products . I got all the products I can I ever need right , but I still want to buy something . I still want that magic potion . I want to know what's going on my head . Look , and when you recommend something you don't have to like , be a salesperson , you are just recommending saying , hey , you got frizzy hair . Here's what I would recommend for that . Maybe stick it in their hand , show it to them , let them smell it , touch it , feel it . This builds trust with your clients and it does boost
And , last but not least , being a true professional yes , and I feel like this is overlooked , I guess . So it's more than just your skills . It's your entire presence , everything about you . You got to dress the part , you got to maintain a clean and organized workspace and you always have to adhere to the salon policies and the handbook of the salon you're working at . So your professionalism it extends to how you interact with your team members and , of course , your clients . Do you shake their hands ? Do you give them hugs ? Do you listen , making eye contact ? Do you show up at work with your hair done , nails , clean , makeup on ? If you wear makeup , or are you coming in with a messy bun , wrinkled shirt , crocs ? I don't know . You know that just doesn't look professional . So it's up to you to be a true professional . So those are the five tips the art of client communication , the technical skills , the art of time management , your product knowledge and being a true professional . As a graduate , when you start your first salon job , the principles hold true . These are the five things you need to concentrate on and really , really , it'll step up your game and it'll give you a
Okay , that's it for today's episode of Short and Sweet , and I hope you found this valuable and if you did , could you please go over to the podcast ? Maybe leave us a review ? I would love , love , love that . And remember the beauty industry's always changing , so you got to keep learning , you got to stay passionate and you got to keep making the world a more beautiful place , one client at a time , every client every time .
Speaker 1
If you have questions or you want to share your own experiences , I would love to hear from you . Don't hesitate to reach out on any of our social media platforms and , as always , remember , when you know better , you do better . Thanks for tuning in to All About Hair . If you loved this episode , hit , subscribe , leave us a review and share it with a fellow stylist or hair loving friend . You want more tips , tools and behind the scenes ? Goodness , follow me on YouTube or head to my website at denisekeilitzcom . Yes , I know it's hard to spell , so don't worry , the link is in the show notes . Until next time , keep learning , keep creating and keep loving what you do .
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