The Aspiring Stylist with Tracey Franklin

Morgan Franklin: Welcome to the
Aspiring Stylists Podcast with

Tracey Franklin. Where to begin,
grow and aspire to become the

best stylist you can be. Whether
you're thinking about becoming a

stylist opening a salon, or
developing your skills as an

experienced stylist the next
step of your beauty career

starts here. Each week we'll
discuss strategic ways to

design, plan and execute on
becoming a stylist that excels

behind the chair and above the
bottom line. Here's your host,

Tracey Franklin.

Tracey Franklin: I have learned
so many lessons in 2023. It's

been full, it's been packed full
of lessons, but I've narrowed it

down to five. And I'm gonna
start with how I feel. I've seen

my career come full circle this
year. This year, I opened Aspire

barber and Beauty Academy. My
husband and I have dedicated the

last year to creating a higher
learning platform for students.

We've created a curriculum that
is second to none, and have

designed a space that still
takes my breath away every time

I walk through the doors, and
hasn't come without sacrifice.

This year, I made the really
hard decision to step away from

the chair. I still spend two
days a week at my salon, but I'm

focused on growing my team
instead of growing my clientele.

So let's dive into lesson one.

It is okay to pivot when
something is no longer working.

Sometimes we hang on to what
we've always done just because

it's comfortable, even past the
point of value. I have like most

salon owners had a career long
battle with recruitment. I have

owned a salon for 19 of the 20
something years that I've been

in this industry and it has only
gotten worse. Students are

coming out of school completely
unprepared for salon life with

very little technical skill and
even less business and social

skills. And COVID only made it
worse with them online learning

and no actual clients to work
on. I was putting even more into

training these new hires more
work than ever was going into

just getting them prepared to
take clients. It cost a small

fortune to get today's stylists
up to speed and Salon ready. If

they don't quit before the
apprenticeship program is even

over. In 2021, I created a state
approved and partially funded

curriculum and program hoping
that it would help and it did

some but not enough. I knew that
if something didn't change, I

was going to have to change it.

And I was still working a full
book behind the chair with very

little time to dedicate to
changing anything. I also knew

that I alone could not do what
needed to be done. So my husband

and I took the plunge and dove
headfirst into the unknown and

created a spire. And my goal is
still to eliminate my

recruitment goals. Don't get me
wrong, but I do however, feel

like my mission has changed into
something bigger, elevating the

industry and how people receive
their beauty education as a

whole. I knew that the current
path was not working for me

anymore. There was always so
much to do. And I just felt like

if I worked hard enough, I could
keep it all going. I was running

back and forth every day
switching gears all day long,

with no real structure, teach a
class here, meet a stylist

there, take a client here, book
a class there, I was going

crazy. I was exhausted. And for
the first time in my life filled

with anxiety. behind the chair,
I knew who I was, I was

comfortable and secure. But
honestly my body was breaking

down. And it was clear. I could
not be the attentive client

focused stylus that I once was.

I tried cutting back behind the
chair and I restructured what my

days look like it could work
right. But when you are out of

alignment with your higher
calling, it's really hard to

just keep doing the same stuff
every single day. You're

desperate for more desperate for
the next level. But you're

trying so hard to keep
everything the same at the same

time. It feels like chaos and
everything is harder than it

should be. Instead of feeling
fulfilled. At the end of the day

you find yourself taking
inventory of all the things you

forgot all the people you left
hanging, what could have been

done better. You begin to
question everything and

everyone. So my advice for a
stylist that's feeling stuck.

It's feeling like what they're
doing isn't working, but they're

just too afraid to move on is
one of my favorite quotes. Just

beyond the comfort zone is where
all the magic is. It's true, but

so many of us are unwilling to
move beyond the comfort zone.

For me stepping away from the
chair felt like I was giving

something up a part of my
identity a part of my worth. For

you. Maybe it's changing your
schedule getting a new

certification or B Becoming an
educator or mentor to someone

else. If you are called to do
it, and you keep ignoring it, it

doesn't just go away. It lingers
in your mind and you find

yourself daydreaming about it
playing out scenarios in your

head of how it could work. This
isn't by accident. This is the

universe's way of overriding
your fear and some of the old

thinking and push you closer to
your calling. Can you ignore the

call? Sure. But you will notice
what once made sense what once

held joy will feel unsatisfying.

Now. My advice? Be brave, be
courageous. Is it scary? Yes. Is

it worth it? Yes, yes. Lesson
Two. This is something I have to

remind myself all the time. And
that's nothing can get in the

way of what's meant for me,
except for me, of course, I get

in my way a lot. As a stylist
and a business owner, I

procrastinate. I procrastinate,
big time I put things off, I

wait till the very last minute.

And I don't know why I joke and
I say oh, I thrive on the chaos,

I do my best work under
pressure. And that's all

bullshit. I do my best work when
I plan ahead and map my day out

for success. When I do things in
a timeframe, that doesn't create

anxiety. For me, that doesn't
make me feel like I'm holding

back someone's progress because
I can't get my own crap

together. Another thing I do is
make excuses. Especially now I'm

busier than I've ever been. And
it's like I've created this

expectation that everyone should
understand. Everyone should be

lenient with me, because gosh,
she's so busy, she's doing so

much. But at the end of the day,
I want to work with integrity.

If I tell you, I'm going to do
something, I want to make sure I

do it. And maybe even get it
done early. Maybe I sometimes

see busyness is productivity,
and it ain't. Busyness is just

busyness busyness is running in
a million different directions

with no real agenda. It's just
hoping you can accomplish one or

two small things within the
chaos, it's living in your head.

Busyness is not productivity,
and you shouldn't confuse it as

such. One way that I see
stylists getting in their own

way is their fear. They minimize
the value of what they bring, or

could bring to the guest
experience because they're

afraid. They're afraid to ask.

It's just a haircut, right? No,
it's the best part of someone's

day. It's a potential solution
to their problems. It's

instilling confidence in them.

And it's giving them a listening
ear possibly for the first time

that day, you got to put aside
the fear that thing that's

getting in your way and just go
for it. Create a process that is

repeatable, show up
consistently. So many people

have these incredible days
behind the chair, and you think,

Oh, this is it. This is the
turning point. But they lack

consistency. They show up
tomorrow with that old mindset

and that old process, old
behaviors, old habits, and it

brings that average right back
down. And it makes that great

day, an average day. One thing
that you can do to help yourself

overcome fear is be completely
unattached to the answer. And

what I mean by that is my
process is that I'm going to

hold a proper consultation with
my clients so that I can find

out what their pain points are.

And then I'm committed to
offering solutions to those

pains so that they can love
their hair. There's no reason

why everyone can't love their
hair. But at the end of the day,

she might say no, no matter how
nice I am, or no matter how many

times I try to convince her that
this is what is going to help.

She can still say no. And if I
make that about me, then of

course I'm going to be afraid,
right? But it's not about me, we

have no reason why the no has
been given, maybe it's not in

the budget, maybe they're going
to come back and get it maybe

they just bought something and
they want to use it first, I

guarantee you, it's going to be
a lot of things but it's never

going to be about you. So detach
yourself from the answer and do

your job. You have to give them
the same level of service every

time this goes back to
consistency. If you're showing

up this just ball of excitement,
this bundle of joy, this funny

energetic person on their first
appointment and then they come

in for the second appointment
and you've brought your bullshit

in the door with you and now all
of a sudden you're quiet. You're

not really putting any extra
effort in if you think they

don't notice that they do and
that's why your numbers aren't

what they need to be you have to
show up consistently consistency

is doing it even when you don't
freakin feel like it doing it no

matter what doing it because
it's your job doing it because

it's your process. Take the
emotion out of it and be

consistent Lesson three, you can
still be deeply in love with

something that it's time to let
go of. So what do I love? What

am I letting go of? Well, it's
my work behind the chair,

working with clients that have
become so much more than

clients. They're my friends,
they're my family. It's letting

go of how I make people feel
behind the chair, how much

better they feel, because they
spent a few hours with me. I

love making them feel pampered
and cared for and relaxed. And

I'm going to miss that. I love
this. I will always love this.

Is it possible to separate
yourself from something you feel

passionate about or even love?

And still find the strength to
let it go? You can you start to

believe in the real possibility
that you could love something

else as much. And you believe in
the evolution that this change

will create something new, but
just as beautiful. You let go of

the limitations that you put on
yourself that somehow your

worth, it's tied up into what
you do. You give others the

space to step up and step in.

I've placed my clients with the
stylist in my salon, and I've

been so impressed with how
they've stepped up, how

attentive they've been to the
client's needs, how focused

they've been on making sure they
have the right formulation for

their hair color, it's been a
really beautiful thing to watch.

And the text messages have been
rolling in from my clients

thanking me for taking so much
time to make sure that they got

placed with the right stylist.

This is very fulfilling for me.

Sometimes you can feel something
so deeply that you can almost

convince yourself that it's
backed. But that is not really

honoring yourself. We have to
make sure that we have a future

that is going to serve us in the
long run to take a nice long

look down the road into the
future. If things stay just the

way they are. Would you feel
satisfied? Would you feel

fulfilled? Is there any real
evidence that it won't work out

that it would be a mistake? Or
are you operating out of fear?

This is how you know whether
it's emotion, or whether it's

fact less than for your body
will eventually get tired of

your bullshit. But it's always
quick to forgive and respond to

change. So I was not raised to
make health a priority. I grew

up super poor, I hated it. We
ate a lot of food that had been

marked down or even given away
by the commissary physical

activity was not promoted. And
there was no money for team

sports or even a bike to ride. I
was hard wired early on that

this stuff didn't matter,
especially if you were poor.

Needless to say, my health was
never a priority. But changing

my financial status was I threw
myself into my work determined

to change my financial future
and that of my children as well.

My priority was financial
health. But after several years,

my weight my health was out of
control. I was obese and

diagnosed with high blood
pressure, pre diabetes, acid

reflux, and even fatty liver
disease. I filled my

prescriptions corrected the
issues and went on living the

same way I always had. A few
years later, I had my

gallbladder removed as well as
several varicose veins in my

leg. Nothing changed. Then I
started to suffer from chronic

pain every day doing what I
could to manage it. So I didn't

have to change things. Two years
ago, I made an appointment with

a new doctor, one that looked me
straight in the eye and said,

Tracy, you're killing yourself.

Everything you're suffering from
all the pain, all the disease

goes away with weight loss. No
one had ever been so brutally

honest with me and it was
exactly what I needed to hear. I

didn't want to die. I have a
beautiful life. I have a

beautiful family and I have a
beautiful future. I will never

appreciate honesty from anyone.

As much as I appreciate it that
day. I have slowly adopted new

habits and I continue to work
toward new goals for my health.

It's not been perfect, but not
even once have I considered

giving up. My body is responding
to the changes. I've lost over

40 pounds and I've cut my
medication in half. It almost

feels like my body's forgiving
me for decades of abuse and is

excited about these changes, and
it keeps me excited as well. Why

does it matter how we take care
of our bodies as a hairstylist?

Well, being a hairstylist is
hard on the body even harder if

you treat your temper like a
trash can. standing on your feet

all day with your arms raised or
bent over a shampoo bowl is

physically hard, even for the
young and the fit and the

healthy man If you're not,
please take care of yourselves

you are worth it. Just as those
who love you my best advice on

how to honor your body and your
mind, step one nutrition. With

all the chemicals and GMOs in
our food today, paying attention

can make all the difference.

Now, I am not perfect at this, I
am battling a lifetime of bad

habits and deep seated unhealthy
relationships with food. It's

funny how working on your body
inadvertedly works on your mind

as well. I no longer feel the
guilt and the shame of someone

who doesn't give a shit about
their health. I'm proud of

myself, I'm proud of the changes
that I have made. I know there

is still a lot of work ahead of
me. But I'm inspired. I'm

lighter, I'm stronger, and I'm
more determined than ever to be

here. Really here present in
this beautiful life with these

beautiful people I get to call
mine. Lesson five. Never let

anyone all the way in. You have
to have boundaries with your

personal life with your business
life, and even your wallet.

Building professional boundaries
is something I've had to get

really good at. Some lessons can
only be learned the hard way,

but they are the most valuable
ones. And letting people in is a

beautiful thing. Don't get me
wrong, I love my tribe. And I

love the relationship that I
have with them. But I have had

to put up some boundaries where
they didn't exist before. A few

examples come to mind. finances
for one, there should always be

boundaries in place. No one
should have access to all of

your financial information.

People you give power to will
not always use it well. Never

create total reliance on anyone.

This place couldn't run without
you mentality is not a

compliment to you as a business
owner or them as an employee.

Keep your eyes wide open, you
may be really surprised what you

see. Look at your business with
intention. Look for the things

that are going really well. I'm
not here to present some

doomsday thought process. Like
there probably are some things

in your business that aren't
working well. But identify the

things that really are as well.

And make sure you congratulate
the people that do their part to

make that happen. Never blindly
trust anyone completely. Like

you are going to feel like in
this life, you come across

people that you can trust with
anything. But they'll surprise

you. You've got to create
boundaries. I'm not here to tell

you to throw up walls and not
let people in. I'm here to tell

you to be smart about it. People
usually have their own agenda,

and it may or may not support
your vision. Don't be afraid to

let those people go. There's
nothing wrong with them. There's

nothing wrong with your vision.

Sometimes it's just not a fit.

So what advice can I give to a
stylist that's trying to build

their profession keep boundaries
in place. One thing is never

over share personal details
about your life with clients or

co workers. And I said overshare
you are going to have clients

and co workers that deeply care
about you and deeply want to

know all the beautiful things
that are happening in your life.

And I think sharing those parts
of yourself with someone are

completely acceptable. But with
clients shouldn't really be

about them anyway, but just a
little sprinkling of you mixed

in there. Keeping the
conversation client focused is a

really great way to make them
feel important and help you

avoid oversharing. With your
team, you can open up a little

more but try to keep the
conversation light and positive

as much as possible. They will
see the balance and respect your

boundaries. Plus no one likes a
Negative Nelly. If people are

walking out of the break room
while you're in there, it might

be time for a shift. I encourage
you to look back and reflect on

the lessons that you've learned
in this past year. How would

these lessons shaped you as a
stylist? And how will they make

you a better stylist in 2024

Morgan Franklin: Thank you for
joining us on this episode of

anytime soon. The Aspiring
Stylist Podcast with Tracey

Franklin. If you enjoyed
listening and you want to hear

more, make sure you subscribe on
Apple Podcast, Spotify or

wherever you find your podcasts.

The Aspiring Stylist Podcast
with Tracey Franklin is a Morgan

Franklin Production. Today's
episode was written and produced

by Morgan Franklin editing and
post-production by Mike

Franklin. Want to find out more
about Tracey and the Aspiring

Barber and Beauty Academy go to
aspirebarberandbeauty.com