The Aspiring Stylist with Tracey 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.

Welcome to the first episode of the Aspiring Stylist. My name is Tracey Franklin and I'm a Master Barber Salon owner, educator and most recently a barber and beauty school founder. In this episode, I want to share my story of entering the beauty industry and talk about my path and how it's evolved and shine some light on the real reason stylists enter this industry, I want this podcast to be a safe space for all walks of aspiring stylist from thinking about going to school to recently graduated to opening your own salon and honing your skills as an experienced stylist, we all have to start somewhere. And I want this podcast to serve as a weekly reminder that you can, you can enter the beauty industry, you can have a three month waiting list, you can open your own salon, you can have work life balance, you can be the stylist that you aspire to be, no one should go on this journey alone. Other professionals and mentors pouring into me are the reason I made it to where I am today. I want you to join me off the podcast mostly so I can say hi and actually have a conversation with you. But secondly, if you ever have any questions, you have a welcoming environment tasks, anything you want, and have a team of beauty professionals rally around you.

Join me at the aspiring stylist podcast group on Facebook, I'll have the details linked in the show notes. I get asked a lot why I became a stylist I get asked by other industry professionals, I get asked by my clients, I think people want to know why. What was your why for going into the beauty industry?

Well, for me, you know, I was a girl that came to Tennessee from California and was still trying to find my way. I had just went through kind of a nasty divorce.

I had two kids at home that I wanted to provide for I had had a really bad babysitter incident. Okay, and if you are a mom and have ever had a really bad babysitter incident, then you know how scary that can be.

So what did I do? I decided to go into the early childhood development field, not a field that I was super passionate about. But I just could not wrap my mind around leaving my kids again. So that's what I did. And I did that the whole time. They were little, you know, until they got old enough to go to public school. That's what I did. And I had kind of resigned myself to that was who I was going to be. But I wouldn't say that I loved it. So my kids are in school, I just went through a divorce, you know, I was ready for something else. Like I no longer felt the need to be in this field with my kids in public school, I knew I wasn't going to take it to the next level and follow them to public school. So it definitely felt like time to move on. But I wasn't ready to make that step yet. So fate had it that I actually my position was being dissolved at the preschool. And you know, I'm a firm believer, I don't know where everyone stands spiritually. And I don't want to get into that. But whether you believe in God, the universe, whatever your higher power is, I believe that the universe will not let you stay stuck somewhere where you no longer need to be where you know, that particular situation is no longer serving you. And you know, when one door closes, another door opens and losing that position, put me in a new position of really trying to figure out what was next for me and what I wanted to do with my life. I mean, I was desperate for money. I'm not gonna lie.

Like I said, I was a single mom and kids are needy and things had to be paid. And I wanted more. You know, I was tired of punching a time clock. I wanted a career, I wanted something where I could be in charge of my success. The beauty industry had always intrigued me. I was never really a girly girl. But those things always interested me. I was just never really good at them. So I'm driving around. And you know, I'm hyper aware of everything around me because I'm looking for the next big opportunity. Right? And so I happened to look in the window at our local barber school. And I don't know why but it paused me to pull over like I pulled over and I'm staring in that window and everyone's laughing.

Everyone's looking in the mirror at their client and they just looked like they were having a really good time and I'm telling you something inside I'd have my soul started to feel alive again, like it makes me emotional. You know, to think back at the moment where my life was about to change, it was a pivotal moment. And I can still recall it very, very clearly sitting in that parking lot staring in that window. And just knowing that my life was about to change, I have to admit, school was a blast for me. I really enjoyed it. I know not everyone has a fantastic experience, but I really loved it. So I've got all my hours in I've graduated from barber school, passed my state boards.

And now I'm ready for my first job. I went to work for someone will call him JB. He was really successful in the in the industry locally and had even taught on stage at some of the really big hair shows. So I felt extremely fortunate that he chose me. And I knew I could learn a lot. And I think that is so important, especially early on, you want to go work for someone that's been around a while that knows the ropes that is willing to help you. So like I said, he was very successful.

And I learned a ton. I worked for him for about a year and a half. And then I really felt like I had outgrown that situation. You know, I'm very intuitive about when it's time to move on. And I felt like this was the right time for me to move on. I had established a pretty good clientele. And I was ready to open my first salon. So I'm I will say I'm very glad I didn't do that fresh out of school. You know, there's always so much to building your clientele. I think it's hard when you try to pair the two right away. I really did not know the business side of the industry. I mean, let's be honest, I was only in the industry for about a year and a half. So I still didn't know all there was to know about doing hair much less about the business side of it all. So I opened my first salon, it was just a little three chair salon.

I was so proud of it. Oh my You talk about being really, really proud of something I never, you know, growing up as a poor girl in California. I never thought that something like this would be possible for me. Yeah, it was a small salon. But I was incredibly, incredibly proud of it. I hand picked out every chair every mirror, you know, I was just absolutely in love with this little salon. And you know, my success continued to grow. I continued to build a clientele, I added a few other stylist to the team. And it just it clicked. I was really loving it.

I still really didn't know anything about the business side of the industry. I mean, I knew I knew enough to get by. But when you're faced with something huge, like an economic turndown, like we had in 2009, you are completely unprepared for what to do when you go from being really, really successful to everyone deciding that hair, massage nails, everything that we did, everything that helped us pay our bills was no longer a priority for people. I mean, they were trying to figure out how they can make their mortgage, they were trying to figure out how they could put food on the table. And honestly, high end salon services, just not that important. So I found myself in another one of those really, really pivotal positions. Okay, I've got to figure out what's next. So I was sought out by a owner of a local salon. And you know, at the time, I thought, oh my gosh, I have to give up my own salon and I have to go basically work for someone else. And it really felt like a setback. But not every setback is a setback. Some of them are a set up. And that is definitely what was happening for me at the time. But I didn't know it. You know, I was too worried about feeling like a failure because I couldn't make a go of my salon. She was feeling like she wanted to add a manager to her establishment.

She was having a hard time with everything and just really felt like I would be a good fit. And I really liked working there. In the beginning. I really liked it. It was definitely a different take on how to run a salon, she had a lot of knowledge and wisdom on things that I didn't know anything about. And so I definitely learned a lot being in that position. I met a lot of incredible people that I still admire greatly. It feels very defeating sometimes to close the doors of your business, but I think it's incredibly important to realize that what is around the corner might be bigger and better than anything you could have ever dreamed for yourself.

So it's 2011 and like many of you out there, I decided to try online dating, which really worked out for me because I met the man that I am now able to call my husband and you know simultaneously as I'm trying to find someone that I want to spend the rest of my life with, I'm also feeling that stirring inside of me, like it's time to move on professionally as well.

I had never really had what I would call a support system.

Okay, that was just unfamiliar territory. For me. I love both my parents, but they weren't exactly cheerleaders, I just didn't know what it felt like to be completely held and supported by someone until I met my husband. So you know, he was the lucky recipient of all my complaining at night. I think he was also feeling that stirring inside of him, like he was ready to try something else. So we have many, many conversations about the possibility of opening a salon together. In my mind, I'm thinking, oh, man, you know, do we need to live together work together all of that, I have to say, it has been absolutely wonderful. And when you find the right person to do life with and do work with, it is it is just this level of completeness that you just never knew you could have, you know, he's everything I'm not like, he's administrative, and he's good at math. And he is incredible at motivating people. And, you know, keeping the book straight, and I am more of an artist, you know, I bring a very different skill set to the table. I like leading people, I like being in charge of education in the salon, there were so many things that I felt like I would be great at, and that he would be great at. And the fact that they were vastly different, seems like a huge opportunity for us.

So we do it, okay, we open our first salon together. And we were fortunate enough to kind of have a built in team, you know, there were a lot of people that worked, where I worked that were kind of ready to move on as well. And so it was like this built in team, it was this built in work, family, and everything just felt so natural, we absolutely loved it. But still, there's always more to learn, there was so much that we didn't know about running a profitable salon, like we were making it work. But really, when we were looking at the projections, we knew that something had to change that we were not set up with the proper systems to really create a profitable business out of the salon. So we went to a training event. And I tell you, when you meet the right people, the trajectory of your life just completely changes. And that's exactly what happened at this training event.

And I just want to say, if you're a stylist, or a salon owner, that is feeling really lost and feeling like you're ready to give up, I just urge you take the course, find the coach, figure it out, do not give up on your dreams, just because what you're seeing with your eyes doesn't seem to be working for you follow your heart and do not give up. So like I said, we found our coach, we found the company that we wanted to partner with, they had business strategies in place that we had never even thought of, we would have never thought of this. This is why it's so important to take the course I mean, I just don't know what else to say take the course. So we find our coach, we find the company, we put all of these systems into place. And I just want to say we could not afford this. The bottom line was giving us no evidence that we could afford to drop this kind of money. But we were not ready to throw in the towel. And we had people depending on us. I mean, we had a team of people depending on us, it was important for us to figure this out. So we start implementing everything. And I'd like to tell you, everything went off without you know, with no issues at all.

But there were people that didn't like the new structure, you're always gonna have people that do not like change. And that is what we faced. And that's okay. That's okay. But we knew that we had to do this, we knew that we had to move forward. So we had to say, you know goodbye to a few people along the way. And we wish them well. I hope they're still experiencing much success in this industry. But for us what was left was our core team, the people that we knew, saw the bright future ahead and saw, you know, us really trying to make a go of this. They knew they worked for people that had a whatever it takes attitude. And I think that that really inspired him to stick it out. So about a year after we implemented all of the change, it just felt like relief. You know, it felt like huge relief.

Not only were we surviving but we were actually thriving and starting to see a profit and that is something that we were scared we would never see. But an amazing opportunity came our way to buy a building and again, this is one of those universal magic stories that you really can't explain. I had had my eye on a building for years. There's a building that I just never thought, you know, I just big dreams, right? I like to dream big. And that's really worked for me. But you know, logistically, this building just did not seem like a possibility.

A friend of mine owned the building, she was ready to sell, she created an opportunity for me to buy the building. And I can tell you right now, this is another one of those times where everything was about to change everything. It was a huge leap of faith. When my husband and I went over to meet her there that night, we were not expecting to leave with the keys. And we did.

And I could just cry talking about it because it felt like it felt like a gift. Because when you're looking at it, and you're thinking this isn't possible, and it happens anyways, how else can you look at it? It's a gift, you know? So we got to work. Let me tell you right now, this is when the work really started a day and night because not only did we have this new building that we were trying to turn into a salon, but we also had the old location that was still fully functional. So it was one of those times in life where like if I had to look back and give you perspective, I don't know that I could because it's kind of a blur. You know, it's all kind of crazy. But 10 weeks later, I'm telling you two and a half months later, we got a 5000 square foot building, ready to open, and it felt incredible. So we had tried a couple different brands as far as color as far as retail products, things like that. Never really felt just like at home with any of them.

So we did try a few different ones. And then we got an incredible opportunity to partner with Aveda. And when I say they romanced us, that's exactly what I meant. Like they literally came into the salon. I was with a client. She said, I'd like to set up a meeting. The receptionist tells me okay, this lady left her number she wants to talk to you. She's from Aveda. And I'm like, No, not that I wasn't interested in Aveda, as a brand, I didn't really know a whole lot about it to be honest. But we had just switched. And I was like, I'm not going to do that to people.

But something kept stirring inside of me. Like I'm telling you trust your gut, you are going to have so many times in life where you have a choice.

And it's either look at the physical evidence or trust your gut, and you have to make a decision. And for me, I'm going to trust my gut over my head.

Every time you know it's not let me down so far. So not being fully prepared to make another change. The romance continues and she offers me tickets to this incredible, totally immersive educational event in New Orleans. Not all expenses paid tickets to the function. We look. We're like yep, we're gonna book our flights, we're gonna go. And at that function, we met the most incredible people. We met people that cared. We met people that really, really wanted to see you succeed. We were not an Aveda salon. They had no reason to be so open and so welcoming and so receptive to us being there because we were not part of the tribe yet. You know, they had no reason to do that. But they did.

They did in spite of it. And I'm telling you, I mean, we signed on the dotted line before we even left that event. Fast forward to being innovative salon for two years, we had experienced so much success.

Some brands carry this level of prestige with them. And it's like this universal level of quality that is just so reassuring. And I think that that's what people felt they felt, oh gosh, we've got this wonderful salon in town, they carry Aveda, they care about the environment, this is the place for me. And with that we were able to just continue to grow and continue to hit new heights in our business and crush new goals. And we decided that we were going to enter to become one of the top 200 salons we were not expecting by any means to get this the first year it was it was too big of a dream, right? Sometimes we have a dream that's just like, I'm gonna try, but I don't think it's gonna happen. Well, it did. And we were floored. I think we knew we were doing good. I think we had a solid belief and solid faith that we were doing good but we didn't realize how far we had come until we won this award. So as we continue to grow, and we continue to hire new stylist, it is more evident than ever, that a solid apprenticeship program is an absolute necessity. You know, you can only learn so much in school and that's Just the way it is, schools have their agenda, they got to teach you the basics, they got to get you to pass state boards. And hopefully, they got to help get you employed. I find it's not always that way. But they are there to make sure that you walk out of there with your hours and your license. And I think that's a great place to start. But you cannot learn the soft skills, the advanced color techniques, any of the more advanced services that you really want to start providing your guests are just, you know, you need something more than school can offer you. And that became really apparent to us. And so we created the first state approved apprenticeship program, another wow moment for us, we're so proud of that, you know, I've always heard you got to be the first or you got to be the best.

Well, I'm gonna try to be both, I want to be both, I want to be the first and the best, since then we've had other other salons create programs and get that state approved as well. But we're just really proud of bringing that awareness to our local industry. And for making it possible for salons to get a little help. You know, paying an apprentice is directly out of the bottom line like it is coming straight out of profit.

They do not bring any money in they are essentially an expense and investment that you're making toward the future. We're just really proud of that. So I've always been very passionate about education. I love teaching, I love going to classes, just education in general in this ever changing industry is so important. And hiring these apprentices and going through this program, really, I think gave us an even deeper look into how the schools work, what might be missing from Barber and Cosmetology schools.

And it just felt like the next step like it felt like, okay, let's create this higher education platform for this industry. With my passion for education, I feel like I can create a more elevated learning environment for our students. If your community is anything like mine, you probably have more than one beauty school in your town, and maybe they've been around forever, and maybe they've not updated their curriculum in a while or adding anything new or maybe they have either way, you know, competition makes everyone better competition, you know, sometimes is thought of as a negative word, but I just feel like everyone can rise, not everyone's going to want to go to a salon with an apprenticeship program, some people are going to have a different business model in mind. And I don't think they should have to go to an apprenticeship program if they don't want to, I feel like the school should deliver a solid enough education where they can go into a salon setting with a basic skill set and get by like, do they need to take additional certifications? Yes. Do they need to continue their education? Absolutely. Do they need to sit there and stare at the stylus that's been doing here for 12 years and learn everything they can from them?

Absolutely. But I do feel like students do not come out equipped with what they need to get by in this industry. And I want to change that. And I want to elevate this industry. And I want everyone to come with me.

When one rises, we all rise if we choose to. Well, that's why I became a stylist. But really, this is such a wonderful industry to be a part of. I'm so proud of you for taking control of your future and exploring all of your options. I can tell you right now that the girl that was sitting in that parking lot, 22 years ago, looking in that window, had no idea what a beautiful life she was about to create for herself had no idea all the amazing people that she would meet that would sew into her life so graciously, so abundantly. I wouldn't change a thing about my journey, because it has made me the stylist that I have become and it has prepared me to be that same support system for you. Now's the time for me to step up and lead like I have always dreamed of. I want to be the person that helps people chase their dreams, crush them and become everything they want to be in life in this industry. You know the sky's the limit.

Thank you for joining us on this episode of 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