Hair Makeover

Yesterday I had a challenge sitting in my chair. My client's previous lifestyle/job wasn't as accepting to "wild" or "funky" hair. She was wanting a whole new fun look as her and her family started a new chapter of their story.

My canvas was 9 month of grown out highlights & lowlights. New growth was a level 6 according to my pravana level system. My client's goal was solid blonde on top & dark brown underneath and violet red for a pop of color. It took me 4 hours of detailed foil placement and strategic brush feathering.

Like most epic transformations, it is not achieved in one appointment. She will be back next week for another application to transform some golden pieces and even out the tone of her blonde.

Formula:
Brown- 4N with 10 volume
Red- 6.5 with 1" ribbon vivids violet and 1 1/2" vivids pink 10 volume
Blonde was achieved with Matrix Light Masters
New growth- 40 volume
Midshaft/ends- 10 volume
I toned with redken shades EQ
9N+9B+9NB equal parts
(I toned till the hair was a blueish gray and then I rinsed and washed thoroughly)

StyleSeat Simplified my life!

I am a huge fan of StyleSeat. One website/app does everything for me.
1. Client profiles! It keeps track of when my clients came in last, what service they received, my formula and products used, and how much they paid. It also holds their phone number & email and any other details they want me to know.
2. Service Menu! All the services I offer are store in one place. It also provides a description of that service, how long it takes, and how much it will cost.

3. Portfolio! Friends and family can spread the word that you're good but nothing beats seeing it with our own eyes. That's why I love being able to post all my work right there on my profile.
4. Recommendations! Potential clients like to see and hear about a stylist they are interested in. It can help them decide if that stylist is the right match for them. Recommendations also helps us feel good too. There's nothing that makes me smile more, than knowing my clients are ecstatic about their new look.
5. Availability! Next to the service menu it provides the days and times I'm available at the salon.
6. Contact! There's a wonderful link to click where clients can txt me right from my profile. Beats having to memorize my number to type it into your phone manually. It also shows the location of my salon on a map.
7. Cancellation policy! It's best to be upfront with clients so they know what is expected of them. I have mine posted on my profile.
8. Scheduling! Your schedule is available to you & your clients right there at your fingertips 24/7.

They can even schedule themselves. This gives you more time with the client in your chair or at home with your family. And it takes away the phone tag game of "I have Tuesday at 10.....oh molly has a dentist appt at 10:30, do you have anything later?....not that day, how about Thursday at 3....that is when the kids get off the bus....." Clients can have your schedule right in front of them to compare with their busy lives.

9. Text reminders! Have an issue with clients forgetting their appts? I always did and that was the reason I joined styleseat 2 years ago. 2 days before their appt, styleseat automicacally txt your clients to remind them. If you have the premium account like I do, you can customize these.

And there is so much more that styleseat can do for you. This is just what I use. They have different options (free and 2 different premium accounts to cater to YOUR needs).

If you sign up through the link I provided above, they are doing a promotion where you can win $500! So what do you have to lose? Sign up today!

Goodbye No Shows!

As a beauty professional, it's very frustrating when a client no call no shows you. And honestly I feel like word has never gotten out that this is a serious issue. I think there's a misconception that our job isn't serious and appointments aren't important. When in reality this is our livelyhood! Yes we love what we do and have lots of fun doing it. But what are clients pay us pays to rent that chair they sit in, funds the products we use, pays our car payment to get to work, pays our mortgage and feeds our children. It's not just play money.

Time is money. If a client no call no shows for whatever reason, our chair is left open and we aren't making money. When the client gives us a 24 hour courtesy cancellation that allows us time to notify another client who is waiting to get it. Then the chair is full, we are making money, and a client is getting pampered! I have had my fair share of these horrid no shows, or cancellations 15 min before an appointment starts.

My solution? Cancellation policy! Doctor's do it all the time. When you put it in place and enforce it, it gives the impression that your time is precious and you mean business. Now, I'm human and I know life happens. I do waive these fees in the event of an emergency. Now if your child was sick yesterday, and sick all night, and you txt me 30 minutes before your appointment saying "sorry, I didn't think to txt you. I was taking care of a sick kid all day and all night so I won't be able to make it" there is no excuse.

How do I enforce it? Styleseat! When my clients schedule online they see my policy and have to put a credit card on file. If they don't show up, styleseat charges them accordingly. I have never had an issue with a client no showing after they've scheduled online. They can cancel and reschedule their own appointments without ever needing to talk to me. They love it. Because this has been solving my no show issue, I'm working on having ALL my clients schedule online by the end of 2016.

Styleseat is free and does so much more than eliminate no shows. I highly recommend it. If you use my link here to set up your account, you will be entered to win $500. So what do you have to lose? Sign up today!

Secret to MY success

I had to rebuild my clientele in 2013. Let me be honest....it SUCKS starting back at square one. But on a positive side, you get a do-over. You get to learn from previous mistakes.

I didn't have a lot of money to spend on advertising. And shockingly, I can be very shy. So what did I do? I contacted GROUPON. Yep, that's right, I built my clientele off them. For me, it was a bumpy start. They kept pushing back my campaign launch date and it finally launched over a month late. But it was worth it in the end. I have heard countless people advise not to sell yourself short with coupons, discounts, or groupon. But I did. They took my services and sold them at half price to their customers. Then, the part that SUCKS is groupon takes half of that and you get the remainder. For example if you all over color is $50, they sell it for $25. Groupon takes $12.50 and pays you $12.50. Yes I know....it's not much. BUT, just remember...that's more money than you had before. And that's what I kept telling myself.

I knew that if I could just get people to sit in my chair, I could get them to fall in love with my personality and talent becoming forever clients! So I worked hard. Those $100 weeks slowly turned to $200 weeks. Then $400... and so on. The 3 clients that followed me soon grew to 20...then 30...and now 63. I was so busy last summer that I had to cancel my second groupon campaign only 4 months into it. I was putting new clients on a month wait. Now yes that is a good problem to have...however my already forever clients weren't as happy. And I always kept them as a priorty. Now that I'm not doing groupon and all my clients are paying full price I am finally making a living out of what I love.

It didn't happen over night. It took me 2 years to grow. My clients have become friends and because they love me, my talent, and trust my opinion they refer their friends to me. And word of mouth is the BEST form of adverisement. You just have to have mouths to give recommendations...and groupon did that for me. Now there ARE some downsides with groupon. I had those few "groupon hoppers" who will see a new stylist everytime with a new groupon. I had some who rebooked....then never showed up and I never heard from again. (I will address in a later post how I've fixed that issue). Some of them didn't tip. And some came in with a "project" for me and received well over what they paid for in their groupon. But I remained professional and kind because I wanted every single one to come back over and over.

Don't get discouraged if you're fresh out of school, moved to a new town, or just needing to build. There's so many different ways to get started. Time is the key to success. And unfortunately you have to spend money to make money. But hang in there because one day your bank account is going to reflect your hard work, patience, and perseverance.

My Story

This world is ever changing. Majority of it is now powered by social media and what we discover off google. I am now giving in and cutting through to stay on top! Why? I am obsessed with the hair & beauty industry. I crave new techniques. I compete with myself daily to be the best of the best.

When I was 3, I told everyone I wanted to be a "hair dresser" when I grew up. My first "job" was volunteering at a salon named "Cheeta's Extreme Styling". My brother was dating the owner at the time. She knew my obsession of becoming a stylist one day. She decided put me to the test.I swept, cleaned color bowls, folded towels, and gazed while she worked. Everyone thought that would end my drive towards the hair industry. Instead, it fueled my fire.

I started beauty school at Clary Sage College in Tulsa June of 2009. I wasn't even out of high school a whole month. In august of 2010 I graduated and then passed my Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetolgy. I was nervous and so excited to begin my career. I started as a commission stylist at Hair It Is on Main Street in small town collinsville. During my 2 years there, I grew into a talented stylist. I took classes and learned from my fellow stylists. But that wasn'wasn't enough. I had outgrown the small town. There were 6 salons within a mile and only so many people to charm into long lasting clients. After bouncing around a couple salons trying to find the right fit I finally found home in Bixby at Valencia Salon & Spa 2013. But instead of working comission, i plunged into the world of booth renting. Let me tell you, it was the best decision I ever made. I work with an amazing family of stylists. I have learned more than I ever imagined by working with them. I lost a lot of clientele when I moved 45 min away from little collinsville.. I basically had to start over. But, I went from having 20 monthly regulars in collinsville, to 63 monthly regulars in bixby. I am ecstatic with how far I've come. But I'm not done yet. Here soon, I will make a post of how I did it. Check back to find out my shocking secret that helped me be successful and grow my business to the size it is today.