Ep. 8 Cassie Delliberof Maximum FX Salons

Cassie Delliber is the salon director at Maximum FX salons in Austin, Texas!  She gives great perspective and positive energy on what it's like being at a team based salon, what that means, and fostering a positive environment for stylist and clients!  I think you'll love this interview both stylist and client alike!  A special thanks to Chris Murphy, owner of Maximum FX salons for permitting this interview!

www.maximumfx.com

Instagram: maximum_fx_salon

www.hairdosalon.net

www.hair-dosalon.com

@hair_do_salon

@paulsenjhealey

#hairdomesa

hairdouncut@gmail.com

Ep. 5 Sticker Shock and Buyers Remorse

In this episode we address a couple of the leading cancers in the beauty industry.  Both sticker shock and buyers remorse break relationships, tarnish reputations, and make people feel terrible.  We discuss some ways to hedge against these faux pas, and how to avoid them all together!

E-mail: hairdouncut@gmail.com
Twitter and Instagram: @hair_do_salon @paulsenjhealey

Ep. 4 Aloha Justin Luman

This week Paulsen interviews Justin Luman, master stylist in Palo Alto, California. We talk about his history, and he shares some great insights into the client/stylist relationship! He's worked in different states in the US, and has some great insight into the hair struggles in each state! Thank you for listening!

Hairdouncut@gmail.com

Twitter and instagram: @hair_do_salon @paulsenjhealey @justinkmpowell

Ep. 2 Do research and trust your Stylist!

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:

1. 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

2. 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.

3. Remember, their livelihood is based on people coming back to them over and over and over...Most stylists will do their best job

4. Listen to their recommendations on hair upkeep, you’re not going to wake up with fabulous hair, it takes effort!

5. 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:

1. No online presence or extremely limited, because seriously it’s 2018, get online or get out

2. Take more than 1 day to respond

3. A poor consultation - it shows low professionalism

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. If the haircut is super cheap...yup...cheap haircuts are not great ones, I don’t care what you think

8. 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.

9. 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!

What a Team-Based Salon means and why it matters

If you’ve been to the salon you have probably heard someone there talking about how we are a team based salon. Well, that sounds cool and fancy but you’re probably wondering what it means. Especially what it means for you, the client. Being a team based salon means a few different things, first and foremost as the the term suggests, we are a team. Working together as a team creates a different atmosphere from many other salons. Working together as a team means that when one stylist needs help, our other stylists are there to help. That may mean you have two people putting on your touch up or talking to you during your consultation, so when it happens, own it-because you know that's how celebrities roll. So consider us your entourage, because let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to feel like a celebrity from time to time.

Another rad aspect of being a team based salon is that it equals more flexibility for you- the client. The stylists at our salon trust each other and they will even suggest other stylists for you to see if they are busy. Guests can feel free to try as many stylists as they want without any repercussions; you never have to worry about feeling guilty for seeing another stylist-we promise!

All of our stylists are extremely talented and versatile, but they are not all the exact same. Just like every person bakes a cake differently, every stylist has their own unique flair. So try as many pieces of cake as you want because they are all delicious and you will probably find that you like several different pieces. We will always strive to line you up with a stylist that matches your skill requirements and personality, if you feel there is a mismatch, we have other skilled stylists to fit your needs!

Basically, being a team based salon relieves the pressure many people have felt in other salons.  Our stylists are not paid a commission of sales and services, so when they are suggesting products or services based on your hair goals, it is not for their immediate personal financial gain but for the benefit of your hair. You can also rest assured that our stylists are not on an island.  They have access to many tools and a team that is ready to help make sure trust is established and decisions that are made will be in the best interest of your hair. There are many times there will be 2-3 people helping on a consultation, color application, shampoo, blow dry, toning, etc. That’s a benefit not only for you the client but the stylists we employ feel that the security and help makes their job easier!  

From a stylists perspective, a team based salon can be a great place to be.  We are not saying it’s for everyone and that it’s the only way, but we believe in being a team that works together to make the salon great, make each other great and bring a high level of professional service to clients.

A team based salon brings stability in the schedule of the stylists but in their paychecks.  They can plan on their pay each month and when people cancel last minute or no show they are still paid for that time.  That mentality though is NOT an invitation to do those things. They are big no-no’s, no matter the stylist, their time should be respected, plan ahead and value the stylists time!  But many times, when cancellations or no shows happen, the front desk works quickly to fill that spot so the stylist can focus on other aspects of their job, which transitions us to another benefit of a team based salon…

The front desk or customer service team.  A front desk assists the stylists in scheduling clients, setting a pending list (which is a great way to have the option of coming in earlier when something opens up and we highly suggest utilizing the pending - or waiting- list).  The front desk also reminds clients of their appointments and makes changes to the schedule if the stylist is sick.

The salon as a whole provides all the color, styling products, and some tools and marketing for the stylists at no cost to them.

These benefits help the stylists enjoy their time with their families and lives away from the salon.  They have the security of knowing other people are working for them to make their career a successful one without having to do all that work (which can be extremely taxing on a stylists time) because think about it a stylist that works 8-10 hours a day doing hair, then goes home, texts/calls clients asking for appointments and reminding them, then needs to post pictures of their work regularly; and if they are on top of their game, interacting with other pictures on instagram to grow themselves and add value to the hair community in some way..it is a great deal of pressure and a major reason stylists stop doing hair after 5 years or just do it as a hobby not as a career.  Our stylists are aiming for a career and alleviating that burden is our pleasure and the stylists at Hair-Do appreciate it!

The last couple benefits they enjoy is support by having a team around them as we have pointed out already in this post and continuous hands-on education.  If they are having a rough day, there is a group of people that band together to help ease that burden. The education is required at the salon, and this is not your typical education, where it’s only a couple times a year, or just watching videos or watching someone do hair.  The best way to learn a skill and improve is by getting your hands dirty and putting in the hard work. The education is required, comes at no expense to the stylists and is provided at the minimum once a month. Suzanne is the main point of education, and she is meticulous in helping people better themselves, but we have hand on education from Bumble and Bumble, Schwarzkopf, Paul Mitchell, and any visiting stylists throughout each year.  That is the basics of their education, but you will always see stylists helping each other out on a daily basis. Continuous education/training/practice is crucial to a stylist. If athletes, actors, nurses, artists needs to continuously practice and make tweaks, so it is with stylists. The minute stylists think they have arrived and stop investing the time and money, they fall behind and skills dip. We have stylists that are hungry to be better, remain humble and work hard at being better and helping others be better.

Thank you for sticking through this post!  We are grateful for your attention we can only hope if you are looking for a new salon you will give us a try.  If you have been to hair-do and it has been a long time, we hope you will give us another shot to earn your trust and show you how we have changed in our mindset and skill.  We would love to hear in the comments experiences good or not-so-good at hair-do, and you can even include those sentiments if you go to another salon and we will be more than happy to help you navigate those questions or concerns!  Thank you Thank you!

~Written by Brandi Webb and Paulsen J. Healey