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: Before we get
into today's episode, I want to

introduce one of my favorite
stylists Aveda professional and

educator Sher Smith. In 2010.

Sher graduated from the Aveda
Institute Knoxville Tennessee

where she lived and worked until
moving to Los Angeles in 2020.

Now three years later, Sher has
returned to Tennessee and works

halfway between Nashville and
Knoxville at my salon in

Cookeville, Tennessee Loxx Salon
and Spa. As I've watched Sher

start over in a completely new
area and build her clientele

entirely from the ground up. I
thought this would be a perfect

opportunity to share a
conversation for all my stylists

that are building a clientele
for the first time or starting

over somewhere new. So share to
catch everyone up. You recently

moved from Los Angeles to a
small town in Tennessee, or you

have to completely rebuild your
clientele. What steps did you

take before your first day to
make sure the transition was

seamless? And you were prepared
for success? Well,

Sher Smith: thanks for asking.

Hi, hi. Yes, I just moved to
Cookeville, Tennessee, and it's

quite a culture shock for Los
Angeles. And there are some

challenges I've noticed so far.

There's also some benefits as
well. Some steps to make my

transition a little smoother,
and being prepared for success.

I try to do my research ahead of
time. And when I landed on a

salon where I want it to be,
then I started learning about

the community. Where's that
salon located? Places in the

surrounding area? What is the
demographic of this area? What

kind of businesses are close by
what things would interest me on

a personal level that can cross
over and integrate into my

professional life? Yeah, so just
reaching out to different

businesses, even on social media
or looking through websites,

reading maps. A little nerdy
like that, but I literally would

pull up maps and be like, Oh,
how far is it from here to here?

Yeah. What is the range of Aveda
salons in this area? And looking

specifically a salon, a type of
salon that fits what I want out

of my career was important for
me too. So as I decided to make

a transition, I found a salon
that fit what I was looking for

and workplace. Awesome. That's
helping me feel more successful.

And yeah, and my career path.

Tracey Franklin: Yeah,
absolutely. So far, what's been

the most challenging part of
your transition? And how have

you changed your approach to
meet the challenge? Moving

Sher Smith: in general is really
hard, especially moving across

country that in itself is a
challenge. But here we're

focusing on salon life
specifically and career shift,

change, ebb and flow careers
move and change all the time.

Even if you're in the same
space, your entire career, it's

still going to ebb and flow over
time, I agree was so I think the

most challenging part is just
finding your niche and being

patient and gentle with yourself
while you go through the

transition. It's going to be
different everywhere. And me

personally, I have a plan in my
head and I overthink things. And

if things don't go according to
my plan that I've concocted in

my brain, then I'll get really
stressed out. And yeah, I'm

putting that pressure on myself.

Because it's not going as
planned instead of relaxing into

it. And just going through the
journey and just presenting the

best I can for myself

Tracey Franklin: and being
pleasantly surprised. Like I

find sometimes that when we try
to strategically play on every

aspect of a shift or transition.

Like we don't let any of the
magic in any of that unexpected

magic that kind of I think it
may change your mind. Like you

may have an epiphany along the
way and experience something new

and be like, Oh, well, maybe
maybe that's it. I'm so happy

that happened. So happy. It
didn't go according to plan

because now I have this, you
know,

Sher Smith: I have salutely
Absolutely. And that's

overarching even, you know, I
had some really great coworkers

and experiences in Los Angeles.

And you know, I've left that
space and I had those

experiences, but that's leading
me to the next step of my

journey, you know, to this step.

So yeah, it's overcoming little
things here and there and being

surprised about like, wow, I
didn't realize how much I had

learned or how much I had
benefited from this space. Yeah,

that I can bring to this space
and showing up. Well,

Tracey Franklin: I'll be honest,
when you and I first started

Talking about this possible
transition, I thought, How is

Cookeville going to compare to
Los Angeles? I knew that you

were experiencing this like
really cool aspect of the

business working with
celebrities and being in a very

fast paced very hip space and
like how could cook they'll

possibly compare? So why did you
choose Cookeville? Why did you

choose locks?

Sher Smith: Well, I've made two
major transitions from Knoxville

to Los Angeles, I made that big
transition. Yeah, I specifically

looked for certain things in a
salon, that would feed me where

I am in my career and what I'm
wanting out of my career. And

then I did the same thing, what
I'm looking for in my career

personally, and it's different
for everybody. Sure. So what I'm

personally looking for is
excellence in my craft in

leveling up and being in a space
that feeds me to grow and

elevate and develop myself to
optimum potential. And that will

never end if it does for me to
find a new career. Yeah, I

agree. So when I moved from
Knoxville to Los Angeles, I love

the Veda network. And I'm going
to remain in the Aveda network

and practice being innovative
stylists. Yeah. So number one, I

needed to find an Aveda salon. I
also was very involved in in

your coffee or over the past
several years. And I really like

the intercoiffure organization.

So I looked up and what is that
share? For people who don't know

people who don't know
intercoiffure is a hairdresser

organization and it's very high
level very elite. You can't just

join intercoiffure You have to
be invited and recommended. And

then you have to present your
work. It's like almost like a

Lifetime Achievement type
situation to be inducted. You're

pinned into the membership.

Yeah, yeah, it's just really
inspiring. And it's just such a

great hard working group of
people. And it's just really

good interconnectivity, which
kind of reminds me like Aveda is

an intercoiffure company. But
Aveda has that family

interconnectedness. And I like
that like me to community I like

working together networking, I
like being a unit, a family

within a corporation. So I was
looking for an inter coffee or

salon, which means it's high
level globally. And also

innovative salon and my former
salon was the only one that

popped up on the list. So I knew
that I was headed toward

excellence. And the more that I
learned about it, the more that

I realized this is definitely a
space for me. And it's going to

really help propel my career.

Yeah. Then when I was called to
leave Los Angeles for personal

reasons, family reasons. I was
looking for another salon closer

to Tennessee so that I can be
closer my family. And I didn't

necessarily, like decide to move
back to Tennessee. Proper, but

somewhere closer. Yeah. So I
looked at several different

salons around the country that
already know and admire and just

have different conversations
with people. And you know, you

and I have been vine following
each other's careers for years

and years and supportive of each
other. And so yeah, we had those

initial conversations, and then
I had conversations with other

salon owners. And I just felt
that Cookeville lock Salon and

Spa is going to be the place
that is going to fill what I

need in my heart and my soul as
a professional. It's going to

help me grow on my professional
path. It's also reputable and

has a high standard and I don't
deserve less than that as a

stylist. So I want to be the top
who is at the top of their game.

That's where I want to be
because I'm always striving to

do good

Tracey Franklin: hair. Yes, yes.

Well, I'm honored. I'm truly
honored. Thank you. Before you

started working behind the
chair, you were a professional

ASL interpreter. Now as a
stylist, you use sign language

to help connect the deaf and
hearing impaired to the beauty

industry as a stylist, why is it
vital? We share our interests

and unique skills. Okay,

Sher Smith: so we're gonna back
up a little bit and I'm gonna

give you some gentle
corrections. Okay. The first is

I'm still a sign language
interpreter. Yeah, like that was

full time career before I
switched into the beauty

industry. So being a hairstylist
is my second career. Yeah, but I

still practice my first career
as an ASL interpreter. And I

love that. Yeah. And yeah, we
just say deaf community. Okay,

servant deaf. Okay. And I am
passionate about the Deaf

community and have a very high
skill level and proficiency in

sign language. I don't interpret
as much anymore these days

because my sole focus This is an
behind the chair and hair world,

right? But I want to bridge the
gap. That's one of my passions

is bridging the gap between a
deaf consumer and their hair

service. Yeah, they're often
left out because of lack of

communication. They can bring
pictures, they can text. But

hearing stylists that don't
understand Deaf community or

don't know, the language will
often struggle even with

visuals. Maybe you like this
haircut, but you don't want

these bangs and sometimes little
things like that, even with a

hearing client as a hearing
person. Yes. Yes. So then you

have a deaf person who is really
specific about their hair, and

they really want a great hair
service. They can't communicate

that. Yeah. So I love being able
to let people know that I'm

bilingual and I'm able to fill
that and make my chair in my

space inclusive and accessible.

And normalize, hey, we're
hearing aids, hey, I wear

cochlear implants, you know, I
have an implant device. Okay, so

I wear glasses. You know, it's
like, let's normalize that. And

some people who haven't been
around it don't know when or

maybe afraid or maybe offensive
sometimes. And it's really like

no big deal. Yeah. So I just
want to always be a beacon of

advocacy and activism. Well,

Tracey Franklin: I think you do
a really great job of that. And

I will be perfectly honest, that
was one of the most exciting

things to me. We have not had a
lot of members of the deaf

community come into locks, just
I think, probably not knowing

you know, whether or not we had
anybody there that could

communicate well with him. And
now we do and it's just so

exciting. Thank you for clearing
that up for us. Yeah,

Sher Smith: absolutely. And this
county doesn't have a huge deaf

population. I already know a
couple deaf people here. Yeah.

And and community. And so we'll
be getting some Deaf people

along. Yeah, I'm

Tracey Franklin: excited.

Inclusivity is so important. I
want everyone to feel like they

can come into my establishment
and be welcomed with open arms

and be served to the highest
capacity.

Sher Smith: Yes, amen.

Tracey Franklin: How are you
leveraging social media to share

your work, find new guests and
rebuild your personal brand as a

stylist?

Sher Smith: You know, I'm in
this new town where I don't

really have friends. You don't
really know anybody. I don't

have like an already built in
community. Yes. So social media

definitely helps me keep in
touch with people, but as a

platform for my work in
leveraging that. I post things

that I like, or I'm inspired by.

So I'll post on my stories,
something that speaks to me that

I admire, or that I like doing
myself, so that maybe somebody

in the community that starts
following me on social media be

like, Oh, she likes to do
Lockrey twists. Yeah, he's

attracted to these styles. Oh,
okay. So he's just got some

great little natural textured
washing go posts. Yeah. Oh,

she's comfortable with that. she
admires that. That's me sharing

what I like and what I'm
comfortable with or what I'm

passionate about. Lately, it's
been curly hair on this new,

like, curly hair mission. And
yeah, because I've been hearing

the screams of we need help with
our curl, right? Therefore, I'm

like, I can help. Here we go.

Yes, yeah, so I've started
actively posting more curly

haired content. Also, I took a
social media class of Tatum,

Neil years ago. And one of the
things that I didn't quite

understand, but then once I
heard him talk about it was

using geolocation. So as I'm
learning Cookeville now I'm

using certain places that are
like hotspots where there's, you

know, in the back of my mind,
potential clientele, I want to

reach I want to target this type
of person, then I'll tag that

little area and talk that
business or tag that

institution. So really just some
ways of leveraging my social

media to reach people for now.

Yeah.

Tracey Franklin: So what about
education? You're a passionate

educator, how do you use social
media to leverage that part of

your career?

Sher Smith: Same thing working
with students or if I'm a class

taught let's throw out a real we
did this. I save more education

content than not post yeah did
so yeah, I feel like right now

it's kicking in Yeah, it's not
quite there yet. But when I get

a little bit more momentum in
this area back at Neil back, you

know, with a spire and logs,
I'll start programming that way.

I kind of get those wheels turn
in a crank and a little bit

harder with posts or reels or
information, tidbits. Yeah. And

education and also figuring out
what's needed and where do I

need to plug in?

Tracey Franklin: Yeah, It's all
great. So share, I think social

media is a great tool. But it's
not the only tool. What are some

other things that you do to
promote yourself and your skill

set? Yes,

Sher Smith: since I'm not really
a social media person, and but

I'm a very social person, being
in a new community. Personally,

I'm speaking for myself, and
it's again going to be different

for everybody. You're moving to
a new place. I'm meeting new

people all the time all the time
day. Yeah. So I'm working on

putting myself out there a
little bit more. Before I even

moved here. Like I told you, I
research the community looked at

maps looked up social media,
what are events happening in the

local park? Or what's going on
downtown? Are there any, you

know, different types of
specific events and show up at

those events and introduce
myself and meet people? Hi, I'm

a hairdresser. I just moved
here. I'm at Luxilon. Oh, I like

doing this just to let people
know who I am. And doing that

authentically, in real life in
person. And then also, just

simply ask, behind the chair,
somebody's happy with their

service at the end of the
service. Hey, friend, thank you

for honoring my chair today,
have loved having you in my

space. We've had so much fun,
because I'm new here. Would you

send someone to me? Yeah, I
would love to have more people

on my channel like you.

Tracey Franklin: I wish I could
bottle that intention and

sprinkle it all over everyone. I
mean, it's just the easy stuff,

the free stuff, the genuine,
authentic stuff. That is where

people want to show up. That is
where they want to help you and

you just simply look at him and
be like, hey, I really loved

spending time with you today. I
want more people like you. Does

that. Yeah. Do you have some
friends or family that you can

think of how many business cards
can I give you? Thank you so

much for supporting me and
welcoming me to this new

community. It's not hard, but so
few people are willing to do and

Sher Smith: simple and talking
about yourself to attracting the

type of clientele that you want.

I'm going to ask those people
that I genuinely in my heart,

really enjoy your day, not just
to say it just to get a pre

book, right? Because yes, pre
booking is important. But it's

not the end all be all,
especially for new stylist, or a

seasoned stylist. Newer
stylists, you can't really pick

and choose as much. But oh, we
took care of your amazing curls

today. They're so juicy and
find. And I'm so glad that you

love them and you're obsessed
with your curls as you should

be. Yeah. So tell your curly and
coily haired friends to come my

way. Yeah, it's that simple. So

Tracey Franklin: genuine to you
know, what is your advice for a

stylist that is considering
starting over somewhere

completely new?

Sher Smith: Hmm. I have some
good advice for that. Take it or

leave it. I think my first piece
of advice for stylists that

wants to start somewhere brand
new, is to be yourself. Be

authentic, all the way and find
your tribe. When I moved and

relocated to Los Angeles from
Knoxville, I knew that I wanted

to find my tribe. You know,
people say work life balance.

You know, I've said this before.

Yeah, I call it work life
integration. I love that. Read

it in a book and it just stuck
with me. And it's really

perfect. You know, work and
private life can overlap behind

the chair, and the chair can
overlap into your personal life,

Tracey Franklin: and usually
does anyways, organically

Sher Smith: no matter how like,
Oh, this is just work. And then

this is just home. Like we're
not two different people. We're

one person, right, many faceted
parts of ourselves, but we are

who we are. So if you're out
there and you're being

authentic, best advice, starting
somewhere new is find your

tribe. Find your passion your
people, for example, myself,

this is my journey, had to move
to LA and find my queer

community and my deaf community.

I identify as queer. I'm always
advocating activism for the

LGBTQ plus community. Also, I'm
fluent in sign language. And

I've worked as interpreter for
many years and very passionate

socially about the Deaf
community. But also I want to

serve the deaf community behind
the chair because I know it

fills a gap. Yeah. So moving to
a new space, finding in my

personal life, the spaces I want
to be in, I want to be in queer

spaces, I want to be in Deaf
spaces. Then I meet people and

then they find out who I am and
what I do, and they tell other

people, then I start building a
clientele off of that. It's

really wonderful. It's really
magical because you get to

combine your passion, I can
combine my passions, and not

only do I love my craft and my
career as a hairstylist, but now

I get to have the career that I
love and serve the people that

fills my heart that also extends
to not just deaf people but the

disability community. I think
that we always need to do

better, hashtag do better, like
in all situations, but I always

Want to make a safe space, an
inclusive space and an

accessible space for anybody who
has anything that's different

than what the norm especially in
a rural area where we don't see

many people of color, and I want
to be a space for that. And I

want to be a space for deaf
people. And I want to be a space

for a hijabi women who come in
and need their modesty

protected. Anybody who feels
that they don't have a safe

space. And I know that's one
reason I really wanted to

partner with you is because you
are very vocal about everybody

is included, no matter your
gender identity, how you present

yourself, what pronouns you use,
what hair texture, you have,

your What are your lifestyle,
religion, your cultural

practices are, you're all
welcome in the space. So going

to a new space, find a space
that matches your values. And in

your personal life, find your
tribe, because that's going to

fulfill you in your professional
space behind the chair. And

also, when your chairs built
with the people that you have

found that fit your vibe that
you're doing the kind of

haircuts that you enjoy, that
you feel proud about, that's

going to enhance your personal
life as well. That's my best

advice.

Tracey Franklin: I love it. What
is the most important thing for

stylists to remember as they go
through a challenging

transition, whether it be moving
somewhere new, or going to a new

Salon at a different price
point, or even building your

very first clientele?

Sher Smith: I think one of the
most important things is having

realistic expectations. defining
some expectations for yourself.

Knowledge is power, knowing what
you're getting into, you know,

I'm learning new people. I'm
learning new techniques and

culture. Each salon has its own
culture, even if it's within the

same company. Sure each salon
has its own culture in its own.

Yeah. So just being gentle with
yourself to let that unfold.

Blossom, how it's going to and

Tracey Franklin: find your place
within that. Yeah, yeah. So

Sher Smith: being patient with
that and just do you, boo, share

Tracey Franklin: thank you so
much for joining us on the

aspiring stylist. Where can we
find you on social media to

follow along your journey? Well,

Sher Smith: it's been an honor
to be here. And I always have so

much fun with you. So when they
get like time away and just be

in your space. Yeah. There's so
much fun with you. Yeah, same.

And so keep an eye on all the
growing things here at logs and

aspire and I can be found at
share flair on Instagram. Love

it. Yeah, thank you for

Tracey Franklin: Thank you,
Sher!

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
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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