Ways to connect with the podcast
Email: hairdouncut@gmail.com
Twitter: @hairdomesa or @paulsenjhealey
Instagram: @hair_do_salon and @paulsenjhealey
Before we get started I want to start with this..
For those who have dated or are currently dating, remember that first date? Maybe it was a blind date, maybe you knew each other, maybe similar friends...The anticipation, the stress around what to wear, how the hair was supposed to be….When you're out on the date, and it doens’t matter what exactly what you did on the date, you could tell the date was bad at some point during the night or day and that there was not going to be another date.
It was easy to tell you know? Maybe he talked too much about himself, maybe she had a tooth picking habit right, gross! Maybe he or she was too handsy and presumptuous, maybe he was not chivalrous...Whatever it was, it was easy to tell a bad date black and white….But those grey dates...he was kind, she was nice, there was good conversation, you laughed, the food was good, the dancing was great, there were some physical sparks eh…..ehehe….
You go on a few dates, and after a few dates...truth comes out...you can't handle his obsessive compulsiveness, maybe they were a terrible kisser, maybe she has anger issues, he is dating someone else as well...it doesn’t matter...but you had a few good dates and maybe you found some things to look for in the next person you date that you would prefer…
Seeing a new stylist is the same thing. As much as we want to eliminate all the previous bad experiences, stylists or partners that we “wasted time with.” But it’s impossible...I don’t care what tinder, bumble, eharmony, whatever other single dating service says...Most of us take a few tries to figure it if it’s a match or not….The same with your stylist. It takes a stylist, mostly 3 times cutting your hair to really get it down, get to know you..
Now are there times that its a slam dunk, you mesh, you gel, the stylist knocks it out of the park, it’s love at first sight...but again, rare...From this analogy, give a stylist a few tries if they were kind, professional and did a good job, don’t jump on facebook to ask for a new stylist, then 40 come at you and you have to try and choose. That’s super stressful
So we are talking trust. That thing that is hard to attain but easily broken...but what if we changed out mindset...so many people want perfection in order to trust….What about trusting them to do the right thing, trust they are doing a good job and they are doing what they can for your best interest. If we expect perfection from our partners, we will be sorely disappointed
If you think about how much we trust it’s pretty incredible...We trust that the food at a restaurant is fresh if they say it is and no one did anything gross to it, that the meat is sourced the way, the veggies are clean, they say and that it’s real meat...what about candy...we trust they are cleaning those machines...We trust dentists to poke and prod our teeth for the good of our oral health. The hardest one for me...trusting car guys...I am always on the defense with a chip on my shoulder with car places...but once you find that person, wow….you just want to hold on to them forever, right!?
It’s hard to trust but it’s so freeing when we do, and I dug up an article on the huffington post website about the writer, named Anya Strzmien who at the time was an editor for the magazine, talk about how she was always a control freak with her hair, telling the stylist exactly what to do, even though she wasn't a stylist...she decided to just let a stylist go and do what was best for her...I’ll post a link to the story if you want to read it in full and see her before and after pictures.
Highlights of story
Trusting someone is always the hardest part, especially when it comes to your hair! But, if you do research you can avoid pitfalls so here are some things to keep in mind when looking for a salon or stylist to trust and things that will be red flags.
Research:
Find an instagram, facebook, youtube, google, snapchat, vero, the salon (or their personal website). Call in ahead of time to see what level of professionalism they portray
Manage your expectations. If you are showing pictures of an actress or famous blogger and you don’t look like that person, trust the stylist when they recommend a different route.
Remember, their livelihood is based on people coming back to them over and over and over...Most stylists will do their best job
Listen to their recommendations on hair upkeep, you’re not going to wake up with fabulous hair, it takes effort!
Read reviews - no company is perfect, I mean, there are bad days and difficult clients that want to voice their opinion, but you’re looking for a majority of positive reviews - like 4 stars
Red flags for the first time:
No online presence or extremely limited, because seriously it’s 2018, get online or get out
Take more than 1 day to respond
A poor consultation - it shows low professionalism
You don’t know anyone that goes there, now if the online presence is strong, then not knowing anyone that goes there is just fine
If it feels weird, it’s probably weird...go with your gut. We have had many clients say they walked in and they knew it wasn’t going to go well and it did not, then we were fixing the issues.
If they are not upfront with how much they are going to charge...Too often I hear salons and stylists not talk about money, then charge whatever...that’s a terrible feeling to leave with clients and again shows amateurism instead of professionalism.
If the haircut is super cheap...yup...cheap haircuts are not great ones, I don’t care what you think
One of the harder red flags to discern is if the stylist is doing things in your best interest or for theirs. I have hard of stylists ignoring what they client was wanting, because they didn't like the look, the stylist did what they wanted to and the client didn’t like it...A great stylist has a preference, but can change it up when the client asks for something specific.
They overcurl your hair, and you shower your hair and hate the haircut a couple days later..it means they weren’t as good as they may have stated.
I realize by bringing up red flags, many may nodding your heads and maybe have had experiences that have ruined your view on hairstylists, but if you do your research, you will find a safe place to be with a stylist that not only will knockout your hair but will be a great confidant, and hair therapist, or a salon with a handful of stylists to take care for you in your schedule...I have met so many that truly care about a clients hair, even when it’s not in their chair...Listen to their suggestions, trust them,
Now you hairstylists, don’t break that trust by mailing it in on an appointment and taking clients for granted. Solve their hair problems, educate yourself, make yourself visible online, and communicate clearly with them, add value to your services, and work to be better each day! If you are a stylist that is already doing that, keep it up!
