Salon Rising: The Podcast

Transcript 

I was like, if you undercharge, you're undercharging our entire industry. I think now when I'm in the salon, I enjoy it more because I know that I'm charging what I should be charging. And again, babes, it doesn't matter whether it's just you or whether it's you and 50 staff, everyone feels this way. I think that's so big because I think that whole idea of like working on your own and like there's a glass ceiling where it's like, no, and I love that you always manage to get.

single operators past that glass ceiling feeling. Like obviously you love either me or your hair because you wouldn't be walking in here if you just kept complaining about everything. So that's why I'm such a big advocate of charging appropriately and quoting before you start. Like new clients that are coming in.

It's so funny you actually quote them and they're like, thank you so much for doing that. That's the ideal client that we're looking for. We're not looking for Betty that wants a basic can't blow dry and wants it for cheap. Have you stayed consistent with that now? Yeah, I definitely have because I have Samara in the back of my head.

So if your clients are trusting you with their hair, with their color, with their cut, why would they not also trust you with what they put on your hair? So I think that's where like definitely the mentorship has. Yeah, just changed my whole mindset and just walking to that salon and feeling I've got this.

I think if that's a kick you need, invest the money. Scare the shit out of yourself, invest the money, and then you don't have a choice. Hey lovers, just a quick one. If you listen to us and you love us, could you please hit that subscribe button? I know it's a pain, but that little button means the world to us in our podcast and means that we can get more great guests on like we know you guys love listening to.

So do a girl a favor, hit subscribe, and we will be so grateful. We just wanted to say a massive thank you to our podcast sponsor, Kevin Murphy, distributed by AusDare and thank them for being the most amazing brand partner for Salon Rising. This brand is truly incredible and we are so excited to work alongside you.

Welcome back to the Inner Sanctum, Salon Rising, the podcast. Podcast. You got so good at that. I know. So good. Good morning, Sam. Good morning. How are you? I'm very good. I am really excited today because we've totally flipped it for our guests this morning. Yep. Cause Normani. Normani. Normani. Normali. Normali.

I know all the things and you're just like here to learn as we go. Yes. Whereas today, I know none of the things. And that was, that was cool. And it's like, well, I haven't done any of the back stuff yet. It's like, no, you just need to hear the story. So I'm going to get you to introduce our guest this morning.

No, you're going to introduce. Well, no, because you know all the Jess's stuff. I know, but so do you. No, I don't. You literally said no, no, no, just wait. And so I did. All right. Should we get Jess to introduce us? Yes, Jess. So precious, straight into the fire. Straight into it. No warming up. No warming up. You can introduce yourself.

This is Jess. Jess. Um, from Wollongong, sorry, Sydney, North Sydney, um, and yeah, hairdresser. 10 years in the business, been hairdressing for 13 years and yeah. And your business name? Is Honey and Muse. Honey and Muse. Yeah. I do know this. Okay. Yep. A lot of gents is like, like, Oh my God. Yes. Okay. I'm excited.

Dink. Right. Okay. So Jess and I worked. Have worked together now for, I think it was, how long has it been? Six months? Yeah, probably Feb? I reckon, yeah, okay, about February. But then prior to that I had done all the, every course. Every single course. Every course. Every course. Every single one. I'll do that one and that one and that one and that one.

And now I need to go one I don't need it I just still do it. Yeah. She's my ideal client. I reckon. Um, and then we started one on one in like Feb. So we've worked together longer than that, but we started one on one in Feb. So the reason why I wanted Jessica to come on is I've never seen anybody implement like you have, it is.

Fucking wild how well you implement and how quickly, quickly you implement. And like how, like you, I show up and you're like, okay, I've done all my homework and I did it literally the next day. And I'm like, Oh my God, you're amazing. So tell us a little bit of the background story about Honeymews also where you're at now, because I think one of the cool things is for anybody that's listening is you are a solo owner operator.

Um, and you've This is what was so cool for me. Cause watching you implement the things that I taught, it doesn't have to be on a big scale, but change things quite dramatically. So let's go backstory. Tell us a bit about the salon and where you're at. Okay. So I bought the salon when I was 21. Um, off to, of like my bosses at the time.

So that were both sisters. Um, and I was like 21, like, what am I doing? Like, am I doing the right thing? Um, so purchase the salon was great. It was just the three of us. They continued to work for me, um, which was really good because. I felt that pressure was like off because the business was already established.

How did that go though with the change of dynamic? Like how did that, how did that go from your bosses being your bosses to them being your employees? It just flowed. Wow, that's so cool. And at 21, how old were they? Well, one, one was in, they were both in their 60s. Wow. That is wild. Yeah. That's a real testament to them as well.

Because I think, I think at the end of the day, our relationship was like not Boston employee. Yeah. Like maybe at the start, it probably was like in my apprenticeship and things like that. But I think as we grew, like, it was like, they were like my, like my mom's like, do you want to make cause of the age difference?

So it was sort of like, yeah. So yeah, I take my hat off to them too, because I don't know how I would go change. I had, I had the salon for like 28 years. Wow. And then you just go swap over. Same name, same, same location. No different names. It was called Sisters. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Um, so yeah, bought the salon and it was just, where'd the name come from?

The name change. When, well, it probably happened about four years, five years after, yeah. Okay. Because I don't have a sister . Yeah. Um, and everyone was like, oh, but like, sisters as like a community sisters. And I was like, no. Just doesn't feel like it aligned. It just didn't feel like it was mine still. Yeah.

Um, so yeah, honey Muse, I worked with a, um. What'd you call it? Like not a designer. Graphic designer. Yeah, sort of. Like a branding. Branding specialist. Um, and we come up with honey and muse. So honey, meaning like that warm feeling when you're in a salon, um, and muse means a creative artist. Yeah. Yeah. That's it.

And as soon as I named, I picked the name, I was like, that's it. Like, and probably from that day forward, it just always felt like mine. Yeah. Yeah. It was like this weird relief that it was like, this is, I do recommend that for anybody who's walking into another space is to rename, um, or somehow rebrand. So that it feels like yours, because I've got, I've got a lot of salons that have done that have gone into a separate space.

And it's so interesting how a rebrand just makes it feel like, look, um, Josie, um, my friend who was originally, um, Hair and Harlow, she's just rebranded, um, to Eve the salon and she's wanted to be Eve for quite a while and decided not to for a while ago, but has finally decided to rebrand and it just feels.

Like even for me watching as. Like from the outside, like it just feels like there's this like rebirth and it feels exciting. Like, so a rebrand really can do that when you need that. Oh, 100%. And I think it was because I had done two fit outs prior to the rebrand. And it still didn't feel like your own? No, it still did not feel my own.

Yeah. That one. I'm thinking of another friend that we have who has done this. And I'm thinking that after we leave, I'm going to message her and say, I know what it is that's going to make it feel like yours. It's going to be changing the name. And it was that real, like, Oh, I know who it is. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I agree. 100%. Yeah. I 100 percent agree. I think that if you feel like you can't make it your own, you 100 percent need to rebrand it as your name, like, That's not weird, not your actual name, but just something that represents you. I just said like sisters, you don't have sisters. It doesn't resonate. Whereas this is like, Ooh, this is me.

Yeah, I have seen that before too, uh, quite a few times of people like rebranding it. And then it's all of a sudden it just feels like theirs because I guess you're taking on, otherwise you're taking on the identity of somewhere, someone else, you know, it's like when people, this is going to sound completely different, but it's like when people, when Like get pets and sometimes they rename them because they, the pet doesn't feel like theirs with a name that doesn't resonate.

And then the pet feels like this. It can be the same when it comes to anything that it's becoming yours. That rebrand is important. It's the same with your identity, right? I've rebranded back to my maiden name. And I feel like it's shifted my identity to come back to myself again. Whereas If I had a, it's yeah, when you have a name attached to you, that doesn't feel like it's yours anymore.

It's really hard to stand into. Like every time I write my old name, it just doesn't feel like me anymore. Yeah. So I think the same applies. I think it like kicks, kickstarted me to be more inspired. Definitely. Like it was this whole, like. Rebirth. This is me. So did you feel like, so you, you'd done two fit outs prior to that.

Yeah. So you didn't feel like you needed to fit out. It was just like, this just brings in the, I just changed like a few little things, but yeah, it was like, as soon as that name changed, it was like, Whoa, like, yeah, I love this for me. Yeah. Cause you feel like it's yours. Yeah. And then it was like, Yeah.

Exciting because people were like, Oh, well, what does that even mean? Because the name's not something that has hair in it or anything like that. So it was like that conversation of in the salon was like, well, what did that like, how did you get that? And why did, and they're like, Oh, and like, once it clicked, people were like, that's actually really cool.

Like, you know, um, I think that's important too. Like so many people think they have to put salon at the end of it. Yeah. Yeah. Many, many, very successful salons. That don't have the fact that it's a hair salon in the name. Exactly. Yeah. Cause that was the one thing I said to the, like the lady, I was like, I don't want hair or design or like, I don't want nothing like that because I had that before with the previous name.

So I was like, I don't want nothing like that. I want something completely different. Yeah. It was the same. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah. And then from there, I suppose, then I moved location after COVID, um, because we're in a salon of seven chairs and obviously we were closed for a long period of time with COVID. How long were you closed for during COVID?

So the first time lockdown was six weeks and then reopened and then it was close to four months. Okay. That's huge. Talk me through that. Because obviously we're all on the other side of COVID and for Jen and I, it's almost hard to imagine because we didn't have anything like that. So I always, I'm finding it interesting to talk on that now for you of how you felt during that time.

Oh, I, do you know what? I think I've just blocked it out. Like, because it was just that uncertainty, like every week it was like, are we back? Are we not back? Are we going back? Like, and then there was so much thing in the industry where like, you know, especially like where we were, like people were selling color kits and, you know, do it yourself DIYs.

And like, I was like, I don't want, I don't want to put. That in people's hands, like, you know, we probably lost a lot of clients from it. Um, but I was like, at the end of the day, like I didn't feel comfortable. Like if everyone, if everyone waited, everyone should have like had to wait. Like, why could some people be get like, I didn't do my hair the whole time in lockdown.

Like I didn't do my mom's hair in lockdown. I was like, well, everyone else is going great. So are you like, um, so I felt like. Yeah, I've probably just blocked it out to be honest, but I think coming back, it's been hard coming back from it. People are still, I think people are still scared to spend money.

And I suppose, especially like the climate that we're in now, like, I don't think people want to, I think we're the last on people's list sometimes, but then when they book in, they're like. Oh my god. I needed that. I feel so much better. I needed that. But then like, it gets delayed. Look, this is an industry.

We've talked about this quite, Jen and I talk about this quite a lot. It's an interest, industry time. It's not just, not one salon is feeling it. Yeah, 100%. You know, I was, you know, I, This was the first year and I was, I'm quite happy to say this on, on record, but this is the first year that I haven't increased everything, everything else stayed steady.

So everything else dropped with the income, but it's the first year that I haven't increased. And every other salon owner that you speak to is feeling the same way. And if you're not, that's fine too, like fucking Bravo, but I've been in business for 16 years. So this is the first time we've seen this in this industry.

And that's not to say it to freak everybody out, because Everyone is still fine. Everyone's still moving, but even I look at my hair and I'm not doing anything like I, so if I was a client, I've now, I had, I went dark because I was just ready for a change, but then I took my extent. I've just taken my extensions out.

I have a bun this big guys. Um, I've just taken my extensions out and now I'm just, because I plan to spend my entire summer at the beach every day. I want my hair under the water every day. And now that I'm not doing it with extensions, it takes me 30 seconds to wash and blow dry. So I'm like, Oh God, this is easy.

But everybody, and so many of our teams, same way, everyone's just going that little bit more natural, that little bit more easy because people are looking at different ways to, you Cut out things in saying that people are still spending. I just bought this outfit like that may not get my hair done, may not put my extensions back in, but I'm going to have a really cute new top combo I'm very excited about.

So people are still spending. It's just where they're spending what they're spending on how they want to feel about it, things like that. So I think more than ever. Experience is important. Yeah. Yeah. So did you still have the two ladies working with you who had owned the business during COVID? During COVID?

No. So, um, I had, so I had the two ladies and then an apprentice. That I carried on from them, um, when I bought the business and then I hired another two. So there was a team of five at one stage, um, and then obviously like the elder sister, she retired. Um, and then it's just sort of from there on, like people have moved on to different things and things like that.

Um, so you had a team when you had this seven chair salon as you're going into these periods of time where things are getting shut down. The time I only had. Myself and two others. Okay, in COVID. In COVID. Okay, cool. Yeah. So how did you navigate that then? Like how did you keep your team on? Like what, what did you do?

Everyone stayed on. Yep. Yep. Everyone stayed on. Um, and then obviously we had like JobSeeker or all of that, that was helping like pay for them. And then when we came back, it was like, we all still couldn't work together. Yeah. Okay. Because it was restricted. So like every second chair was vacant because of the 1.

5 and we only had like, we had three basins, but we could only operate one. Yeah. If you look back now and you're just like, I was so dumb. Yeah. Yeah. I don't even know how we did it. So we were doing like split shifts, like just like. Um, yeah, just to get people in and like, like the influx was crazy. Like people hadn't had their hair done in four months.

Like, you know, so, and the jobs were like bigger, like they weren't just like a quick hour and a half color cut blow dry or two hours that were like some people's foils, they were in there for like four hours because the regrowth was so long. Like it was just, so yeah, you could only have one person in at a time.

Like, so you'd like doing two people a day. Yeah. Straight back from COVID. Like when, yeah, it's just mind blowing how we, we did it to be honest. Yeah. Yeah. So you had your team of three? Three. Yep. And then you moved yet? No, hadn't moved yet. We're still in the old location. Okay. So when did you decide to move?

So I think. I was so far behind in rent because even though he dropped the rent down for us during the covid time, we still were, we still had to pay. Oh God. Um, so he gave us, uh, like a reprieve of like, until we got back. Yeah. So I was like four months behind in rent, which was wild. Yeah. Um, and the government money couldn't go to that.

Yeah. At all. Like, so I was like, well, that's where I need it to go. So, um, that from then on, when we got back, I was like, this can't work. Like, if this is a thing that, and we didn't know how long it was going to be on. Like, you know, is this a year thing or two, we were wearing masks. Um, so I was like, I need to downsize.

Like, this is not for me anymore. Like, I think when I had the big team, I. I don't think I enjoyed it as much. Yeah. Hair. Mm. As a, as a, like, career. Like, I felt that I was here, there and everywhere. I was stressed. You know, I, the girls would put a collar on and then I'd just see them out the door. Like, do their cut and blow dry and bye.

Like, I felt I missed that connection of my client. I missed my clients basically. I missed that. Hello to goodbye all in one, you know, session. So, um, I was like, okay, I need to downsize. Like this is the best option for me at the moment. So I was like looking around at spaces and things like that. And then.

Were you downsizing and taking your team with you or I was downsizing and taking the team with me But then as the downsizing was in the works one left Okay, which was great in a way because I was like I sort of didn't have I didn't really have the room Yeah, to be honest, um, and then within our complex of our building There was a barbershop that was like literally one Like a corner, just around the corner and it was the perfect size and he left because of like all the rules of COVID.

Like he was an elderly gentleman and he was still like barbering, but it was like signing and checking in and you know, all of this stuff. He didn't have any technology. So he was like, I can't do this. That would have been so overwhelming. Yeah. Um, so I was like, approached the landlord. I was like, Um, so yeah, it just happened like within like four months I had like signed the new lease and was, yeah, just changing over.

Um, and then we'd done like a whole fit out over like the Christmas, like Christmas and January period. And then we were in there, yeah, three years ago in January. Wow. Wow. So. Did you take any of your fit out like? No. No, just started fresh? Started fresh. And how many chairs did you have in your new fit out?

Three. We've only got three. Only three. Okay, perfect. Three in one basin. Nice. So now it's just Jess. Now it's just me. Yep. So when did it become just you? Probably a year ago. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So yeah, as we've worked, Jess, it's so awesome to watch Jess because she's just like, no, I just, I just love it. Me. I just, I just want me.

And I think it was, it's such a nice story for me for this one because Jess not at once was like, I'm failing because. I'm downsizing and we know it was like, we're just like, this is the right decision. This is exactly where I need to go in my head. I was like upscaling in a way because it was like, that's what I wanted.

Like, that's why I wanted to do hair was to do it all. Like, not just like be cut in and out of like the service. Like I want that whole experience. And I think when it did change. Our clients, they absolutely love it. Like I still get compliments to this day of like, I just love that you do everything, that you're my one person the whole way.

And then I get like a thrill out of that too. Cause I'm like, yes, that's why I love it too. Like, I don't know. It's just a sense of like that joy. Like, I don't feel like I work. It's even better. And I think too, like, it's again, still nice for Jess. She's like, I wanted my own salon. I wanted my own space, but I don't want to have staff.

And it's not been a, like, we've had conversations of stuff that maybe over time she will look at having someone else in to like rent space, but right now she's like, no, she's like, I'm like, are you open? Nope. Don't want to talk about it yet. I'm like, okay, cool. No worries. We don't have to. But, um, again. And we've done like, and I think even in that, like Jess has done so much with me, there's been so much growth and we think, okay, so we're just on our own.

We don't need to do anything like I know, like I'm just running it as it is, but how you've implemented changes and how the business has changed since having someone to support you in that. Yeah. So I think that's so big because I think that whole idea of like working on your own and like there's a glass ceiling where it's like, no, and I love that you always managed to get single operators past that glass ceiling feeling, you know what I mean?

Yeah. So let's talk about the changes. There's been huge changes. I think like one of our first calls, I was like, Overwhelmed, but I was like, okay, we're going to do this. Like I'm one that once someone tells me to do something, I most of the time will just, my mindset's like, okay, I've never seen anything. I think this is, she's the most, I've worked with so many people.

I love you all. I've worked with all of you. I love you all. But she's a plus on implementing, like, I'm like, do this. She's like, okay. And I come back and she's all done this, this, this, this, this. And I'm like, Whoa, so much so that we still have a call because I told her she could not have any more calls because everything was implemented.

So I was like, I've got nothing more right now at this stage to implement with you because you've just. Done it. Wow. Like, and again, not scared of, I was like, okay, with pricing, when we went through budgets, like I'd come out, the budgets were done, she understood them. She was like, I was like, okay, now pricing again, she'd just go and do it.

Like, she's not fearful that I can't charge this. She was just like, okay, yes, I can understand why. I think it was having you there in that, like. I can actually, I can actually do this. Like, do you know what I mean? It's not like, I think when I had done your courses prior, it was like, okay, I'm going to do a price increase.

And I was like, Oh shit. Like, Oh my God. Like, even though it was still, you were still there, but it was always just that little bit of that, I don't know, uncertainty. Am I doing, am I still doing the right thing? Like, you know, but then I think as soon as, I started with you. It was like, no, yes. Why am I charging that?

Like, what the hell? Like I'm worth so much more than this. The salon too, if anyone hasn't, please jump on Instagram and follow her. The salon is gorgeous. Gorgeous. And at that point when we were working together, she hadn't posted since like 2000. And that actually, do you know what, I might be a plus with everything else, but that was the one thing I was like, and you were so, and I was so against it.

I was so against it. I was like, you need to post on social. She's like, I don't want to. And I was like, Hey, and she was like, no. And I was like, it wasn't until our last school, we should implement everything else. I'm like, Hey, we're going to talk on socials because we're What did you say to me when I kept asking you where you get clients from?

She kept saying social media and she hadn't posted on social in like two years. Yeah, it was so random because you look at her socials. They're beautiful. We'd have like people would find her somehow and then like she'd be recommended or something. And then obviously they were going on her socials are beautiful.

So it was just speaking for itself. The salon is gorgeous, but she hadn't, and she was like social media. And I was like, so can you imagine if we like ramp this up a little, like, what are you doing? And I think the biggest was like in social, like it's a full time job. Like, that's what it felt like when I was doing them.

Like it was like hair, social media, you know, book work and business stuff. And it was just like, I am stressed. Like I am splitting myself up in, I don't, if I wanted to be, In marketing, I would go down marketing, but I don't want to do that. Um, so I think that was where I was like cut off and I was happy. I was so happy.

I was like, loving it. Just going to work, doing my thing and coming home. And then obviously when we spoke about it, I was like, Oh, I knew it deep down that that's where I needed to go. And then I was like, and then you were like, just get someone to do it. At least like, do you. Something. And then I was like, okay, so like I went on a hunt to find someone and I, I've have a great social media agency now.

And. I love it because all that, they send me the month of what they're going to post. And I'm like, great. Yeah. So again, it was the outsourcing idea, right? So it was like, make enough to cover someone out for me to out. I'd rather take an extra client than do this. So make enough money to outsource this. So it's worth it.

And we all have those different things for me. I actually love doing social media and my team love it. So socials are easy for us. So I wouldn't outsource it. But there is many other things that I'm, I don't do my own stock, you know, when you have a team, I've got such an incredible team in Lazarella that they all have their own little jobs, you know, so, you know, Nez always does the till and Laura always does Tik Tok and Kylie does all my ordering.

Like they all have a job. If you ask all of them, they all kind of know where the job is. Courtney does all the, um, like back ordering with like. Um, coffees and teas and stuff like that. India's job just to make me laugh full time. Like that's her job. Her sole job is to make me laugh and she nails it. No, she's got, they've all got their jobs that they do, whether it's online ordering, but when you're on your own, you, there are certain jobs you're going to need to outsource because it is too much to do all for one person.

Especially when you're the sole person that's also doing the hair. So I think it's so important to find those, those jobs. People that can help once you're like, okay, I'm not going to do this. So if I'm not going to do this, how can I outsource this? And I think, as you say, like you need that tribe of people you do, because I feel like running a business is,

it's like jumping a hurdle, like every couple of months and it's like, really, what now? Yes. Um, so I think having, yeah, the people that help you out are just like. And again, babes, It doesn't matter whether it's just you or whether it's you and 50 staff, everyone feels this way. Everyone's like, okay, what's the next hurdle?

What's the next thing we've got to get to? How do I do this? How do I run this? How am I best doing this? How, You know, and I put, I put a story, I put a post up last night that said the same thing, like we all get to live our business journeys so that we really enjoy it. And I think that's, that's the key is for Jess, she's like, I know ultimately for me, the best thing for me is to be an owner operator, not have staff and just love being in my own space by myself.

Like that is just it for me. And you also had health school. Yeah, so there was like, um, a general like this, so there was also like a step back to how many hours you could work, how you took clients. So talk about that and how we navigated that with pricing and stuff as well. So I suppose when I downsized actually, um, we opened in the January and then three weeks later I went for neck surgery.

Told you you'd like this. I do like it already. And left the salon. Um, I've been with one of the girls for nearly seven weeks. And it was so crazy. Cause I was like, I can't even enjoy this right now because like, um, so yeah, like coming back from surgery, like hasn't been great. Um, but thank goodness I love work and I love my job.

That's what keeps me inspired, I suppose. So yeah, like going back, you know, two years. My hours are definitely cut, like, and I can really only do one on one, sometimes two, um, at a time. Um, so I think that was our, I suppose like our huge thing together was like, how am I charging this when I need to charge more because they're literally getting one on one.

All of you for the whole time. Yeah. And it was like, okay, this needs to change. And that's obviously when I was like, these courses are good, but I need. Samara's more like energy to help me through this. Um, but yeah, like it's definitely helped like, and I think now when I'm in the salon, I enjoy it more because I know that I'm charging what I should be charging.

I was having this argument the other day. So one of my, one of my girlfriends is dating a barber and he's new into it and he's just like, he just. He just does like free haircut on your birthday. I'm like, I'm pretty sure you're just giving free haircuts full time. Cause he loves it so much. Like that he's just like, he used to be a builder and now he's a barber and he just adores it.

But I'm like, that's going to, that love is going to run out babe. Like, and you're going to want to still make money in this, in this business. And I said to him the other thing about this babe, and I was like, maybe for barbers as well, but I was like, if you undercharge, you're undercharging our entire industry.

Yeah. So when you don't charge appropriately, you're undercharging our entire industry. So I was like, so you need to charge that there are entire standard lifts because when, you know, Susan down the road is charging, you know, 80 for a half head of oils cup blow dry toner. Huh? It completely downgrades what our industry is worth and how much time and effort and training and motivation and inspiration goes into what our craft is.

Yeah. And I think it, it's starting to change, but there's like so much more. So much more. That it should go to. Like. Did you need to make big price adjustments? Oh yeah. Yeah. And she did it and just went straight in and I've still got probably like one more price adjustment to go. She went big and bold immediately.

It was impressive. Like once she does, and I say this to people, I can't charge that, I can't charge 50 more, and she's like, well, yes, you can. I was like, okay, I can, because she was dramatically under, so I say to people always say to me, when I put a price increase in, should I tell clients, buy it? And I'm like, if it is, um, if it is a substantial price increase, like if you are substantially increasing 20, and up, maybe 30, 40, 50 and up.

I would, you know, I would express, I would send a message out saying like, we are having a price increase, please get in touch. If it's 5 here, 10 here, I would, no, just quote them before you start so that everybody knows that there is an increase, but generally people aren't going to look at that. But if it's a, You know, 30, 40, 50 increase, that was, is going to be something that people are going to need to know.

Was that across all your services or were there just a couple that were under? No. So everything was increased. Oh wow. So then that's why it came to 40, 50, 60 plus things that add ons weren't getting charged in. So when I say add ons, I think this is, this is something that I do a lot with clients that, you know, and it's something that I feel really passionate about.

If someone's coming in for a half a head and it's a basic, you know. 10 week regrowth, half head, simple, done, toner, cut, blow dry, it's all charged. Fine. But then someone comes in and they've got, you know, a six month regrowth and they want a root shadow and ends, you know, you might have to do a double tone, whatever that is.

They're getting charged the same price as a person that's got the regrowth. Yeah. So either the regrowth person's paying too much or the full person's not paying enough. And it's generally the full person's not paying enough. Plus the next time they come in, they're getting charged the same, regardless of whether they have all these extra things.

So I'm like, but I didn't get as much done this time. So how come you're not charging me as much? So I'm really. passionate about making sure that your prices, you have your base prices and then you have your add on services, longer, thicker regrowth, longer, thicker hair. If you're doing ends, if you're doing a whole lot of low lights in between tip outs, everything needs to be an on charge because if you go in and have, let's think about it in the beauty space.

If you go in and have a facial and they recommend you three more treatments on top of that, you pay for all of that. Yeah. Whereas why if you're going in to have a hair, your hair done. Do you not charge accordingly for those things? So I think it's really important for people to be looking at their price list and especially when they're using packages and really working out, are you charging what needs to be charged?

That was half my problem was everything was packaged. Like everybody that works with me, if you have packages, you're going to not packages. And I take everybody out of packages. Um, and I think that was like, it was the mindset because that's, that's the For, you know, that was my whole, like the whole career was like, everything was have the color.

And then you add on this because you're in here having your color, you get a cheaper cut and blow dry. Because that's how I was brought up in the industry. Like, so I think it was really hard to like, get into my head that, well, it doesn't matter if you're coming in for your color. You're still going to get charged, but if you were to come in separate for your cut and blow dry, if you had two services, one on the Wednesday, one on the Thursday, you're going to get charged for them.

Yeah, like why is, and once like you got my head around that, I was like, why, why have I been doing this for? Yeah. So how did you navigate your price increase? I find this, and I'll just preface this. So I was having this chat with, um, one of the social media, um, people that we work with a lot, Ash Bailey, and she's awesome.

Yes. If you haven't checked her out, you should. Um, and she was saying, like, she thinks there needs to be a lot of discussion in the chair. She's not super keen on when people just chuck it in their stories and stuff like that. I'm not either, because I think that it makes it very, I think that's why for me, I, you generally, you will never, Um, I don't see a price increase put on my story ever because I think that gives people a sense of like, ugh, like that feels sticky.

Like, so I think if it's a substantial price increase, I always will send a message out. Yeah. Like I, I encourage my, I never have substantial prices increases now because I don't need to because my prices are where they need to be. Yeah. But I will say to my. clients that I work with, if it's a substantial price increase, send a message out to your entire database so that your clients can get in touch.

Yeah. And say to you, if they're struggling, they can say to you, you know, 50 bucks might not be much to you, but 50 is a huge amount to somebody else. Yeah. So get in touch if you would like to know what your prices are moving forward. Um, and I also say to my clients, um, Be soft because someone might come in you might quote them and it might be too much So charge your last prices and moving forward.

This is what your new prices. Yeah So yeah there has to be a little yeah give and take for clients to feel comfortable because I don't want anyone to be like I Can't afford this. This is taking away from this this and this, you know, I'm also really conscious about yeah So that's why I'm such a big advocate of charging Appropriately.

Appropriately and charging and quoting before you start. Yeah. Because if you quote somebody, they're instantly going to be able to sink into their chair and know that what they're getting charged is okay. The thought of not quoting somebody getting to a front desk saying it's going to be 400 when they thought it was going to be 150.

and put someone struggling through that. Yeah. Just makes me feel physically sick. So quoting before you start, it's huge. Like apart, like apart from our regular clientele who roughly sort of know their prices now, but like new clients that are coming in, it's so funny. You actually quote them and they're like, thank you so much for doing that.

Yeah. And it's like, you see the relief in their face, like, and then they sit down and then they feel happy the whole time because they know when they get to the front desk. It's going to cost them 400. Like they're not sitting there going, do I need to transfer money? How much am I going to transfer? It feels a bit awkward.

Like I don't know what it's going to be. Um, so since doing that, it's like even made me feel better because then I know like, if they're not happy with that price, we can like, we can like compromise. Oh, well let's just do half a head today and you know, do this. So it's like. I don't get to the desk either and go like, I don't have a front receptionist.

There's that like puts that like, and then sometimes I think if you haven't done it, you start to freak out if you've done enough, you know, like, Oh, maybe, maybe I should just not charge that. And this is when, this is when hairdressers, especially solo operators start to cut things off. Yeah. So if you know, you're not responsible for somebody else, my girls wouldn't do it because at the end of the day, that's mine.

So they're like, we have to charge, this is our job. Yeah. If you're not responsible, then you start to be like, I'll just take a little bit off there. I'll take a little bit off there. And you get to the end. They're like, Oh, that's so cheap. And you're like, yeah, damn. Yeah. Yeah. Like that happened to me a few times.

Yeah. I am totally guilty of doing that as well. Yeah. Yeah. But I think once you start doing it, you get this sense of like. Like, I can do this, like, it was just that, like, I can do it. Yes, I know, um, yeah, it was really crazy. So then that shows that you can substantially put your prices up if you're doing it the right way.

Yep. If you're, you're, I think the really important thing about increasing your prices, and we had this conversation in one of our workshops the other day, and somebody was like, you know, like, how do I know what to charge? You know, I don't feel comfortable doing a price increase. I'm like, once you've done your finances, how Then you know, you know, this is what you have to make for your salon to run.

It just, it instantly, like, I think that's where it clicked for you. Like looking at that, but when we worked out the bottom dollar, I was like, I have to make what? Like, Whoa, like I'm nowhere near that. Like, how am I still running this business? Like, honestly, I think that was when I was like, That whole week in between our calls, I was like, because in that we put super holiday pay, sick pay.

We knew that sick pay and holiday was really important so that everything started to feel easy. The taxes were put away, all of that. So once we did that and then you were like, okay, what do I got to make an hour? And then once we worked out what needed to be made an hour, then we looked at the service list.

And if the service list was really under that, we were like, okay. Cause you think about it, if it was a cut and blow dry, Halfhead of oils toner. It's about three and a half hours. Yep. So if you're doing a three and a half hour service like that and can't do anyone in between, what does that price have to be?

Yeah. So we needed to go off basic. So we needed to go without any add ons. What does that basic price look like to make sure that you're covering that? But at the same time. As I said, the salon is a beautiful and we're giving a full one on one service. Yeah. So that's the ideal client that we're looking for.

We're not looking for, you know, Betty that wants a basic, you know, can't blow dry and wants it for cheap. We're looking for clients that want that full one on one service. Bespoke service with one stylist. So they're happy to pay more because they have all of her. And most of the time, like when it is one on one, I'm not at the back when they're colour processing, I'm out there like sitting down with them, talking to them, like, it's like literally like, yeah, I don't just go, yeah, hi out the back unless they're like doing work and stuff.

But yeah, most of the time I'm sitting there with them, like chatting. Sorry. Um, talk to me about the call to do with retail, Jess, that was probably one of the most not embarrassing calls, but it was like, let me dig myself into this hole right now. So it happens to all of us, the best of us, even salon owners, retail is such can be such a dirty word.

Retail is not a dirty word. I was like, all right, Jess, we're going to look at your retail figures. I think this was the second week. Yeah. Second or third. Yeah. Yeah. And you were like, I don't want to talk about it. And I was like, we're going to talk about it. I think it was, I can't even remember what the number was.

I think it was like 70. I think it was 70 for the month. And I was like. It was ridiculous. For the month. For the month. For the month. Okay. Yeah. Because I think a lot of the times when you are owner, operator, blah, blah, blah, it is like the last thing you're thinking of. Right. So you know how important it is, but everything else is going on.

Right. Yeah. It's like, you just forget it. That's important. And owners do that now, even with staff. Yeah. So I was like. Okay. Let's talk through this. So we talked through my method. We talked about the importance. We talked about all of it. And Jess was just like, fuck, click, click, click. Tell me what happened the following week.

I think the following week I was just like, let's do this. I'm cause she had full shelves of stock. I'm going to show Samara. I can sell stock and I think it was like a thousand dollars that week, one in one week, a thousand dollars. Like, and I was like, well, okay, I need to do this more literally just from having conversations with the clients about what our clients need.

Yeah. Like we just went through that method. Spoke through it. And Jess was just like, she just kept voxering being like, Holy shit. This is so easy. This person spent this much money and half of it, like some of them were like more retail than actual service. Like, and I was like, Whoa, like the hell have I been doing?

Like, that was, yeah, that was an eye opener retail. And I said to Jess, do you not like, A, you're going to help your clients substantially. They need all of this. But B, on top of that, you're just, you just literally brought straight 500 profit into your business. Yeah. And that's how I was getting up to those Marks of what I needed to reach for my bottom dollar, like, because yeah, like I think that was just that extra, Oh, I don't even actually have to do like another three clients to get there.

I can just sell stock. This is the whole point of having stocks over that I have already sitting on my shelf. And I think it's so important. We forget how important it is. Retail is a big one. The big conversation for me, because there's so many things that I can't live without for my hair and I don't even have extensions or color right now.

And I shopped in here the other day. I'd. Took home a new straightening iron. I shopped in here when we got here. You did shop in here when we got here. I took home a new straightening iron. I took home brunette shampoo. I took home K18. I took home a new shampoo for me. And you know, there's so much in that, that we need to keep.

We had a meeting with Eleven last week. We had a training meeting and it was so interesting. And I say this to everyone to do. Ben, thank you. Shout out to you. Crushed it. He, um, did. He got these big post it notes and he put like, you know, this is Robin and these are all her issues and her concerns. And then everybody had to get the retail they wanted to get for that.

And every single person that he did it on, who just said like, I had dry, I had extensions. This is he, everyone else, everyone put like seven or eight products in front of that person. I said to them, can you not see that this is like diagnosing a client to what they actually need? Like, these are the clients that are sitting in front of us full time.

Why do we find it so hard? And I, for example, get now my skincare from one of my clients that I work with in Salon Rising. Paige, shout out to you, babe. Because she's so knowledgeable when it comes to skin. I find her brain so interesting that I'm like, just send it to me. Just send it to me. I don't want to go anywhere else.

And my skin is the nicest it's looked. My skincare is and it's simple and I'll just keep adding with her because I trust her so much. So if your clients are trusting you with their hair, with their color, with their cut, why would they not also trust you with what they put on your hair? Yeah. Because even one of my clients, And one of my best friend's mums was in the other day and she's the same thing.

She's like, I'm having so much hair loss, blah, blah, blah. What can I do? And I was like, okay, excellent. What are you using? She's like something from the supermarket. Okay. That's number one. Like number one is we need to make sure that we're using the best ingredients on your hair as possible. And I was like, and that's how we start to get your condition back.

And then that's how we're helping your scalp. She was like, that makes so much sense. But again, it's that re education. Like we have so, Much knowledge at the tip of our fingers. Yeah, we just, we're just not giving it to every single client. 'cause maybe our first client gets it, but by the end of the day, the 10th client is not, or by the end of the week.

So it's like how do we continue to show up and give our clients the education they actually need? Because not only is it incredible for the clientele and what they need. for our bottom dollar. Yeah, absolutely. And you know, as Jess said, she loves, loves, loves what she does. And I am so inspired by that, but you get to love and make money as well.

Like it doesn't, it's not a, well, if I love what I do, I don't get to make money from it. Like you should love what you do therefore make money from it. Yeah. A hundred percent. Have you found it? Have you stayed consistent with that now? Yeah, I definitely have because I, I have, I have Samara in the back of my head.

Like, Oh my God, I gotta do it. Like, it's funny once you have that noise for me, it's like. My skincare regime if I don't do it page is in the back of my head yelling at me like so I said Sometimes I don't I was like sometimes I don't cleanse in the morning and she's like gross Every time I don't cleanse in the morning.

I'm like, I'm so gross page is telling me that I'm gross I was like, I'm just sleeping on a bed. She's like babe gross and I was like It's interesting things when I cleanse, you meant cleanse for 30 seconds. So every time I'm doing my face, I'm like fucking page, but that's the thing. Our clients then have us in the back of their head telling them to do these things.

And when we're in the back of our head, we're front of mind. Oh, 100%. And I think like when we started to like implement like the little goodie bags for new clients, and popping in products that samples that we have in salon. Like, even just that was like, so beneficial because it was like, Oh, you know that product that you gave me in that bag?

And I'm like, oh yeah, like, oh I want, that was so good. And I was like, What was the first thing you said to me this morning? I know. Like, I used the angel rinse at the hotel last night. And I was like, oh my god. This is so good. I love that. Yeah. Like, um, and then like, you know, I check in now, like if people have bought.

A product they haven't used before. Like I'll always like message them a week later and say, how are you finding it? Like, do you need help with it? And like, even that has just been amazing. See, I think too, I think that's such a good point to make because we hear so often at the moment, people are just going to buy it online and look for sure.

Like there's a lot of people just buying stuff online, but it's those things that are going to make people, you know, I want to come back to you because they feel like you genuinely care and you're genuinely helping them out. Yeah. Also would I, I, I know what I use now in my skincare range. Even if I run out, I will be saying to Paige, get it to the post office because again, I know that I'm supporting Paige by doing that.

I know that I'm supporting Paige. So I think it's also really important to make sure that we put ourselves into our business. So those people know you're supporting. And I think that it's okay to share that stuff on social media, like, thank you so much because you, you come to us, you support this little family.

And I think that's important. Don't understand that. Like, if you haven't been, if you haven't been in business, like, I don't think it's like, there's nothing wrong with them, but I just don't think they get it. Yeah. They're just like making that connection. Yeah. They think, Oh, I'll just go buy it from there.

Like, it's just, yeah. You know, and it's just product, but you're like, that's like, could be 15 bucks in my pocket. And that really helps. Yeah. Yeah. And I think once, like, once people get that, they're like, Oh yeah, okay. Yeah. Why am I buying it online from? I don't know. Please buy it from me. Please buy it.

Yeah, exactly. Um, so I think, yeah, I think I don't, when people go, Oh, I'll just buy it online. And then you sort of say, Oh, well like they make millions of dollars online. Like, you know, like you're supporting me if you buy it from me, like, Oh yeah, like, it's like that click. Yeah. And you like. It's funny you say that.

Would you say that to someone? I have said it. I love that. There was a girl and she kept buying K 18 online. And I was like, I have K 18. There. And she's like, Oh my God, you do too. I was like, yeah. And then, yeah, like it's funny. I think people sometimes. Like, if you're not offering retail or you're not sort of like letting them know, I think they just walk in with blinkers and they don't actually look around.

Like they're just there focused, get their hair done, have a chat and walk out. Like, I don't think they're like looking at the surroundings of what's on the shelf and things like that. Unless they're that type of buyer. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think, yeah, I think that's important. I, being a business owner, I do do that quite a lot.

Like, I look at where. I'm spending money, so I've got a brand that I love wearing at the moment which, um, is It's a boyfriend and girlfriend here actually on the coast. Um, the brand's called Zabi and they've just started getting on TikTok. They're hilarious. Like they make me laugh. Carly knows the owners.

She's done hair for them before. And I love that when I spend the money, even if it's expensive, I know that it's going towards them. Yeah. I love that when I spend money with my lawyer, I know that it goes to her. I love when I spend money with my accountant, it goes to her. So I think that, you know, It makes like when you spend money, then it actually gives you this sense of joy.

And we talk about those money behaviors. It gives me a sense of joy to pay money to people that I know that it's going to support their lives. Like not in the slightest. Does it ever make me go and even more so I, you know. My lawyer has her own firm now and I, I said to her, like, it actually makes it easy for me to spend, like, to spend this amount of money because we know lawyers are expensive because I know it's going towards, I know it's going to you and I actually just love you as a human.

So I think that those being able to buy off salons, off brands, you know, how you spend money as well as can be really important because it allows you to support businesses and allows other people to support you. You know. I think it's your mind, definitely it's just your mindset. Agreed. Agreed. Like, it's just crazy how, like, once you take that shift, it just happens.

Like, and you feel more confident about it, I think, yeah. Can I ask you, if we just backtrack a second, so with the outsourcing of your social media. Yeah. Do you feel like, I'm going to go and have a look at your social media after this as well, but do you feel like it still feels like you? Yes, 100%. Yeah, that's such a good word.

So, because we set up branding, shoot. Yeah. So we set up a, like, so Jess was really like adverse to it at a point. So we just set up a brand, you set up a branding shoot with video content so that it actually was her because of the fact that we had the shoot and the, and the video. So anything, so how it reflects again, like I say to everybody, no one's social media has to be the same.

No one has to do dumb Lazarella does. Lazarella's content, if you look at it, is very different to because. Lazzarella's content is really like silly. And like, we do a lot of those types of things. Honey and Muse is really curated, really beautiful, really professional. And so it speaks so much of you through it.

Whereas you wouldn't hire someone to do the type of stuff we do because you need to be inside doing stuff like we do. You know what I mean? So it's like really getting focused on what. You are trying to create within that, that speaks to who you are and then just still approves it all. Yeah. So doing that branding shoot, like, so you even sent them one day, she was like, I have to send them.

It's like, look, look, look, look, look, look. So then she was so excited about what it all looked like. And for her stepping into her power of just being a solo owner, which was really important at that point for Jess, because I think. We spoke about it. She always had the wheeze. Like, so she kept saying we, and I was like, it's just I now it's just you.

And you've got to be so proud of that because I think it's so special. So like putting herself back into her business, that's just her. Yeah. Then the brand, then it was easier when it came to tomorrow. I'd be talking to her. I was like, you keep saying we, I was like, I don't know. It just always felt like a, we, like it just always felt like, yeah, I think I'd had been had a team for so long.

Like it was just. That was the word that just came out with it, like, but yeah, I've definitely gotten used to I, I, this is me, this is you, I love that. So then, yeah, with the branding came, like, just to, Like, again, they send her stuff and it all feels like her still. But if you look at the old branding, it was the same way.

Yeah. Yeah. But I send them, like, once I've done someone's hair, most of the time I'll just send them off, like, a photo to the Google Drive and then they'll, like, if I want something, like, added in that week, I'll be like, I need to add it in this week, guys. Like, and they're pretty good. So, um, it's. Not like it's curated for the whole month and then I can't change anything within the month as well.

Yeah, but I have, you'd be proud of me. I have been doing my stories. I've been popping on my stories. You have to get on stories again. It's another important component because people need to see you constantly showing up. Yeah. They want to know who you are. If they're going to spend their money with you or their time with you, trust you with their head.

They need to know who it is. So it can't just be like, this is my beautiful curated feed. You can't know who I am because you need to put you back in your business. Yeah. And I think I've never been like the one that's like, look at me. Like I've always sort of just, I don't know, just sort of gone through it.

Like, you know, so like, you know, like even when we would speak about you, but you should be proud of like what you've done and what you have achieved. You know, Mike. Yeah, I know, like, and it's like only now that I'm like, you know what, like, sometimes I do walk into the salon now. I'm like, yes, like, this is amazing.

Like, what I've done is pretty cool. Like, you know, um, but I think it's just, yeah. And then we also needed to work out for Jess. I was like, what? Luckily just loves what she does. So it's easy for her to work, but I was like, what does it like? What are you trying to, what do you want to achieve? Like, we definitely went into ego stuff as well, which was massive.

Yeah, that was huge. Do you want to go into that? As comfortable as you are, like whatever you want to talk about. I think there was like a lot of, um, head noise, like about like what the old owners did and what I was changing. And I think there was always that, like, you know, they didn't really take breaks and things like that.

So it was like, when I wanted to implement like the clothes over the Christmas, I had to do it gradually. Like, and it was just that thing. Oh, I need to do it better. Like, oh, like, and I was just like. Forever head noise, like I'm not doing it right. Or, and I think once then, and then it was like also that proving yeah, like justice, like, well I need to look successful 'cause I need to prove to them that I can be successful and like the, and the like, wow.

And I was like, so, so I said to her like, what is going, like, what are you doing to try and make yourself prove? And generally it's things that we have, like we wanna look externally. Like we know what we're doing. Yeah. If I look externally, you know, if I carry the bag, if I, you know, where the expense, like, if I look externally expensive, then everyone's going to think that it's successful.

Yeah. Wow. And I think even like our clientele, when we change, like when we changed over, it was mature to old, like I would say old, like they were in their eighties and nineties. So I think it was like they had been with them for so long. They didn't want change either. Yeah. Yeah. So it was like this whole thing of like, I need to change it.

And I sort of need to get approval from everyone. And it was like, when I was changing things, it was really hard because people were like, Oh, you're doing what? Well, they never did it like that. Yeah. And it was like, Oh, okay. But now it's funny. Like I have gotten to the point where, you know, it's like, I don't care.

Yeah. Yeah. Like, I don't care if you don't like my lounge. Like you don't sit on it. Like you literally walk straight in and have a seat. Like, so it's funny, like you just, I think whether it's just being business for like longer, like you just, I don't know. I just don't care anymore. I obviously care about them, but I just don't care about, yeah.

But you don't like it. Why do you keep coming back? Yeah, exactly. Right. Like, obviously you love either me or your hair because. You wouldn't be walking in here if you just kept complaining about everything. Yeah. Amen. Sing it! Jen's like, taking those notes. Oh, yeah, no, I, I absolutely, yeah. Especially the social media stuff because I think it's, you know, working alongside Sam as well and it's such a, like, yeah, she's so right.

Yeah, yeah. Oh, I'm not going to do it though. Yeah. Like actually doing it. And I have actually been doing it, like I have been doing it, like proper been doing it. And then I have people sitting in my chairs and I was like, yeah, I found you on socials. It's like, yeah, I know it's funny. Cause it works. People always go like, I heard in your last socials in your last.

You know, we had that last week, you know, I don't care if you don't like it. I heard in your podcast that you're like, I don't care if you don't like social media, unless your books are full. I used to say that to your, I don't care that you don't like social media, unless your books are full. Why are you not on it?

Like it's such cool. Social media is a bitch, but get off it in all other ways. Yeah. Yeah. Like I think the reason why people have social media fatigue is because they're always on it. On it, you not so much because you don't have personal either, but a lot of people that have social media fatigue that don't want to do social media, get off social media and just focus on doing your salon, social media, like that creation.

Yeah. Yeah. Um, create before you consume, turn your social media off. And I think that is really important. Otherwise we get in the vortex of social media and then we just go, we hate it. It's a full time job. Cool. How much of that full time job are you spending just scrolling, looking at sheet? Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. It's like, if this job was paying you, would you be considered a valuable employee on how much you scroll social media? Everyone? Yes. You would be an extremely good employee because you're on that every day, multiple times a day. So yeah, it's really, and again, everybody. Anyone can be listening to this and agreeing, but check yourself.

Like, all these things are up to you, and I think that's what the brilliance of you is, is all of these things were only up to you. And you were, yes, accountable to me, but all these things were up to you. And I knew that, like, you just get to a point where you're like, I need to change. And if this is it, well, this is it.

Like, this is how I'm going to change. I think, yeah, like, I think it's just, like, you just do it, like, you just have to do it. And I think that's, yeah, investing, when you invest with somebody to do a course, a mentorship, whatever that is, I'm the same way. If I'm investing this money, you bet your bottom dollar I'm going to be doing it, doing it, because I'm investing the money.

I think if that's a kick you need, invest the money. Oh, 100%. Scare the shit out of yourself, invest the money, and then you don't have a choice. Because in that one week of making a thousand dollars in your retail, you know what I mean? Yeah, exactly. Like, you know, so if you had the space of, uh, like, and I always think about that.

I don't say that, ever say that to clients because I'm like, it's up to you guys whether you're going to implement what I say to make the money back. Yeah. But I always think if I'm investing in anything. Any type of course, anything, I need to get that back tenfold. So I'm going to put all my energy into it so that I can get it back tenfold.

Yeah. Because I'm, I want to look back and be like, all of that money that I invested was worth it because this is how I actually, this is what I'm actually doing. And I think it's just getting that in spot, like I felt really inspired. Like I was like, Well, if she can do it, then that means I can do it as well.

Like, and then everyone else can do it. And it's just like this whole circle. Like, yeah. And it's so much easier to have someone tell you what to do. Oh, 100%. Like I think in a mentorship, when someone tells you what to do, you're like, we're so Decision fatigued, like, I remember walking around when I was so fatigued after my separation and I had to go to, my sister was with me, bless that woman.

Um, and we were in like Harvey Norman or somewhere and, oh, it was a washer dryer. And my sister was with me and the guy was like, you could buy this, you could buy that. And I just looked at her and she was like, you're really fatigued, decision fatigued. And she's like, I'm like, She's like, I make all the decisions you go.

And I was like, thank you. Like we get so fatigued with all of the decisions that we have to make when it comes to business. It's exhausting. Like I've got to decide this and it's little things. It's big things. I'm deciding on menu covers right now. I'm, you know, and then you're like, okay, what training should I do this week?

And how should I run? Like there's so many different decisions that we have to make. And you want to be the person that makes the best decisions for your business. Someone else just tell me how to do it. Someone tell me what to do. Give me the steps on how to get there. The actual steps. So like I, even for me, like I'm like, I probably need somebody right now to tell me what to do because I'm fatigued.

Like tell me to go for a walk three times a week and be accountable to it. So I think the best thing for you is having someone that you're accountable to, because even, yes, you'd be like, Oh, I'm fatigued. I'm doing this, like, like, praise me. I did it. She's just like me, someone told me I'm doing a good job.

Yeah. Yeah. A hundred percent. I was like, I'm going to send it to Samara because I've done this and she will be proud. Like, you know? Yes. Um, so I think it was just that constant. Like, Oh, that's my, yes, like, it's interesting to, I think, um, we did some love language. I did some love language stuff on the weekend with my partner and, but we did it with our children as well.

And even we knew the way that they, cause you can do the quiz with kids and we knew the way that they liked, they feel loved, but it's the same thing when it comes to praise. Like yours would be words of affirmation like mine is, and it's really important that we know how to show up like that because. It then that praise that we give.

ourselves or if we're seeking it, knowing how other people need to like give it to us. Like that's what makes us keep going. Like there's no point. One of our, like one of our sons is definitely gifts. Like give me every present, take me to the toy shop. Like the other day I told them that they'd get a surprise and when it was an ice block, he was just like, this is not a surprise.

I thought we were going to a toy shop. Like this is lame. Um, but it's how they continue to show up in what they're doing, you know, and even with my daughter right now, we're doing her homework and stuff like that. And I actually am going to sit down with her and be like, what is the best treat that mom, like, what is the best thing that mom could give you?

And it would probably just be quality time with her. Take me to the movies just with her and I. So it's how we show up for ourselves as well. And if you need that praise, it's like, okay. How am I going to get it for doing the things I need to get praise for? Who am I going to put in my corner? That's going to be like, woohoo.

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Because like, you know, like, you know, you can speak of that with friends and family and things like that, but it's. They're always going to tell you what you want to hear anyway. Mine's the complete opposite. My family, no. If I need someone to be excited, they are the last people I will go to.

My mum, yes, but my close family is like this. No. Good job. I'm calling Richard or I'm calling Samara. It's just ridiculous. But sometimes you just need the honest truth, like, no, that's not going to work. Like, and it's like, oh, okay. Right. Um, so I think that's where like, definitely the mentorship has. Yeah, just changed my whole mindset and just walking into that salon and feeling I've got this and I've got this, like the steps in place to do it and knowing, like knowing everything, like literally every number, like, and it's like, this is great.

This is a great feeling. Yes. Even like knowing, like if I didn't make it that day, well then it gets tacked onto the next day and like, it's just knowing, okay, well tomorrow I've just got to push a little bit harder. Like, so I think, yeah, it's just those. And that's so important for a solo artist like to know because when you have a whole team that can make up for it.

It's a little bit easier, but when you know that solely on your shoulders, you're just like, I need to keep going. I need to keep moving. I need to do this. And this is where I need to be. And this is what it needs to look like. Like, I think those steps are so important because then you will keep going when you know that that's what you need to do.

Yeah. Yeah. And why? Yeah. And then you can like, you're like, okay, I got to make an extra 150 tomorrow. You're like, bet your bottom dollar. I'm going to be. Putting those add on service on and selling some retail because I need to get back because it's for me. This is my money. This is my time. This is my sick leave.

This is my holidays. This is my tax. This is my money for my life. Yeah, exactly. And I think when you get to the end of the day and you, you, you achieve it, you're like, yes, like, yes, I've done it today. I think a business is worth it. Yesterday, not so much today. Absolutely. You know, and hearing my clients be like, I made.

The most amount of money in my business today than I ever have on a day. I'm like, that is exactly what I want to hear. I want to hear it was like the first week or the second week. I was like, I haven't made as much in a very long time. And when you have all the tools, it's easy to, yeah. Absolutely. So how has your, we have to wrap up soon cause we have gone quite long, but I just want to, so how has your, like, what's, what's the path forward?

Like how has your injury with your neck impacted stuff? What do you have a plan to move forward? What's what's the go there? I suppose we're just managing it. Like I wouldn't be able to, like people have said, well, would you do anything else? And I'm like, no. Like my specialists tell me to, but I'm not because I wouldn't know, I wouldn't know what else to do.

Like, I just love my, like I just love this so much. Um, so I think just keep doing like what I'm doing, I can just growing on that, like growing on service and, you know, training and things like that just to make me that little bit more inspired. And that, that, that I know that people walk in and go, she knows what she's doing.

Like, and that's why I give her, uh, My money. Like, um, so I think it's just, yeah, hopefully, yeah, I can get more, more clients, obviously everyone's more clients and things like that. So yeah. Yeah, I think just keep growing on what we've spoken about, I suppose. That's inspiring. That's great. I love that. I feel like this was a podcast for you, Jen.

It was! It's a really good timing. It's a really good timing. Here, Jen, here's a podcast just for you. I knew coming in this morning, I'm like, Jen's going to be like, Yeah, best friends, a business mentor and Jen's like, I just learned so much I'm going to implement. No, I implement everything you tell me to. I know.

Here's some more. Okay. Thank you so much. You traveled all this way up to hang out with us. I know. I love that. It was all the goals. You're one of your goals was like, I'm coming to give you a cuddle. And I was like, yes, and do a podcast. That sounds amazing. Love. Thank you. Thank you. I owe you to be honest.

I am sorry. Like, and again, like we talk about our ideal clients and. You're that for me. Everyone that I work with is that for me. And I, that is why it's so important that for us as Salon Rising, we stay authentic to how we, you know, if we don't think someone's ready for what we do, we say no. We're like, don't do that.

Do this. Come back at a later point. Yeah. Because it's so important for For clients to walk away feeling how you feel. And that's changed it for me, and that's changed it for me. And that was worth it. And I always want everybody to have such a positive, wonderful experience with us. I don't want people going.

Well, I didn't really get what I wanted out of that. Yeah. Really important for us. To be really authentic and show up as exactly as we are so that our ideal clients can get what they want out of it. And I think you're a great example of, um, what you can do if you actually do the things that I suggest that you should do.

I know. And yeah, you spend the money so you do the work that comes with it and doing the work is what, you know, you see some people that pay for gym memberships and we all can put our hands up for this. And we go hard in the beginning and then we stop and then we're just like, we're not getting the results that we want.

It's exactly the same thing when it comes to mentoring. Yeah. You have to do the work, show up and continue to show up. And I think even now, like just looking at like when Salon Rising does come up, it's like, Oh yep, got to do this. Like, it's just that, like, even though it might not be Samara in my head, but it's just like the brand of your business gives me that like lift because I'm like.

Yeah, that's right. I've done that. Like, I need to do that. Oh, see, those are some words of affirmation that just made everybody in this room feel good. We're doing the right thing, team. Bingo. Okay, guys, we're going to have to wrap it up there, but thank you so much for coming up and sharing your story with us, Jess.

Please, guys, if you jump on Jess's social media, Honey and Muse, and, you know, give her a little bit of a shout out, because it's not easy doing this. It's not easy coming on. It's not easy speaking through all of this. So give her a little bit of a shout out, bit of a love, especially if you're, you know, You know, this is where your path feels like it needs to be because I think that, you know, knowing that that's where you need to be and it's your happiest, like I would, I remember saying, like, do you want stuff?

You're like, hell no. Like knowing where that sits and how that feels comfortable. And you are just in such your own beautiful journey. And I think that's the most important thing is really getting back into your purpose and your why. And like really going through that and knowing where you want to be and then making decisions based off that.

Yeah. Sage advice, friends. Thanks so much for listening, everybody. And you'll find all the details in the show notes. Goodbye.