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Welcome to Suite Independence, the podcast designed exclusively for established beauty professionals ready to transform their careers and build the salon business of their dreams. Hosted by industry veteran Kristin Kienzle, founder of Utopia Modern Salon Suites, this show is your essential guide to thriving independently in the beauty world.
Kristin, with over 34 years of experience, understands the unique challenges and incredible opportunities you face. She created Utopia to be a supportive, inspiring community where independent beauty professionals can flourish, and this podcast extends that mission directly to you.
Forget the styling tips; we're diving deep into the business and personal development aspects that truly empower your success. Each episode offers insight, inspiration, and clarity to help you succeed and build your career in a healthy way. Whether you're looking to grow your client base, refine your business strategy, enhance your financial literacy, prioritize your well-being, or ultimately own your own salon, Kristin shares the wisdom and actionable advice you need.
Join a community dedicated to empowering beauty professionals to reach their full potential, ensuring their businesses thrive and afford them the lifestyle they desire. Tune into Suite Independence and start building the vibrant career and fulfilling life you deserve.
Ep07
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[00:00:00]
Introduction to Suite Independence
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Kristin Kienzle: In this episode of Suite Independence, you're going to hear how really listening to your clients can build a thriving business and a very fulfilling career. And the surprising way Nicholas Cage fits into a brand.
Welcome back to Sweet Independence.
Meet Suzie Cote: The Butterfly Theme
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Kristin Kienzle: Today we are here with Suzie Cote, and she works at our Tyler Point location in this beautiful suite. And if you're able to see it or if you can imagine it, it's full of butterflies and some [00:01:00] caterpillars and a lot of great branding.
And I'm curious for you to start off by telling us about your butterfly theme and your branding.
Suzie Cote: Thank you Kristen. Like, first off, thank you for inviting me to do this podcast. I think it's exciting always to have a conversation about something I'm passionate about, which this room is just full of things that really bring me so much joy, make me feel at home, and I hope resonate with other people.
So the moths and butterflies it's abundant. It's in there.
The Concept of Emergence
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Suzie Cote: When I decided to go independent, I'm pretty sure I was like dreaming and I just had the word emergence just stuck in my head and I was like. That's beautiful. So to kind of rewind, when I was young, I was homeschooled as a kid, and one of the things my mom would do is plant parsley in the garden and black swallowtail butterflies, love to lay eggs on parsley, dill, fennel if you wanna do it at home.
And so. We would bring those little caterpillars in, we'd watch the whole cycle. They'd munch and eat, and then they'd go into their little cocoons. And then you [00:02:00] sit and you wait, and you try to find the moment that they come out and emerge, and they're so different and they're beautiful and it's clunky, but then they fly.
And so the idea of metamorphosis, trust the process. Like you've come into one being something's happening, you just gotta let it happen. And know that at the end it's gonna like. Grow and emerge. And so emergence for me, going from like where I was at at my salon before, knowing things were uncomfortable and choosing to fly.
And so to me that was, I love that my, my thing. So, and also translates into like hair, you know, you're a certain way, you're in my space. You can emerge as something different. And so it's my theme. I had initially started that as like my brand. Emergence. You know, I thought that would be a cool like name, but it got a little clunky in the branding.
And trying to get clients to understand that that was what I was trying to do in the space that I had moved to. [00:03:00] So I ended up branding my name Suzie Cote hair artist instead of the emergence. So it's like my theme, but you'll still see that kind of all over my space.
Kristin Kienzle: I love it. There's butterflies everywhere and when you think you've seen 'em all, oh, there's another one I know.
Might be a little much, but you know, it's not, it resonates. It's very well done, very tasteful and very you. Thank you. It's clear when you're in your space, what you're about. Yeah. It has a good feel to it.
Suzie Cote: Transformation is huge in this industry. Anything beautiful, you know, it's like taking what's within and like just make it better.
You don't need to be something different. You just need to be the best part of yourself. I love that. So,
Kristin Kienzle: yeah. So with this theme of emergence, you knew something needed to change. Tell me about that.
Transition to Independence
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Suzie Cote: Yeah, I was at a commission salon for nine years, just shy of 10, and things were really good there. I had a really great growth and met great clients and did a lot of education, but towards the end of when I decided to leave, there just was [00:04:00] enough.
Friction and conflict. That made me feel like, you know, I think there's just, we're not resonating. I like to grow. I like to change. I like to make sure that my clients are taken care of. And I just was starting to see like. Areas of opportunity where, you know, I'd like to do this for a client. I'd like to do this for myself.
I'd like to have control with schedule. My daughter's gonna be a freshman in high school. Like I'm gonna need some flexibility. And I started seeing how those things weren't meshing. And so, you know, you have two different avenues you can like put your head down and just kind of conform to it, knowing that you're unhappy, uncomfortable, or I just sat with it and I was like, you know, is this something that I feel.
In my heart, I need to continue, or is this a fear, you know? Mm-hmm.
Challenges and Misconceptions
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Suzie Cote: I, I feel like the idea of going from a commission-based salon to Independence, there's a lot of, I guess. Maybe misinformation, you [00:05:00] know, a lot of it I agree. Where they're like, oh, you won't, you won't do this. You'll be overwhelmed by the business side.
You'll
Kristin Kienzle: mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: It'll cost so much. Your clients will talk, like, text you at all hours and mm-hmm. It's, or they won't follow you. That's the big one. Uhhuh, you know, they're tied to the brand. They're tied to the product. Mm-hmm. while I think that's a beautiful way to, it's a nice narrative to care about your business, and I respect that.
I had to decide, you know, do I buy into that or not? And there was just enough, like I'd seen this come and go enough times that I was like, oh, it's my turn to just decide to emerge, to stay that. Yeah. And so, yeah, I just, it was hard. Because I really did have a lot of loyalty to the brand, the space.
I mean, I was an educator. I loved the people. But you know, when you want to change and you do express that to the owners, and then you're labeled as [00:06:00] someone who's just causing unrest. It's
Kristin Kienzle: it's time. Yeah, it's time. What kinds of things did you wanna change?
Innovations in Client Experience
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Suzie Cote: One of the big ones was like our booking system.
The one we had was archaic and I was hoping, was it paper? No. Okay. It was better than paper. Okay. But it was, I think it last updated in like 2002 or something, you know? Mm-hmm. It was old. And I knew there was other softwares out there that could, allow us to see our schedules to have better booking situations.
Online. Booking, I think, is a beautiful thing to be able to do or offer for clientele. Mm-hmm. 'cause I do believe that. When you don't offer it, you're losing out on a lot of Absolutely. Young clients. I'll tell you what, even older people, if I go and I'm between two different places to get, say for massage or something, and one place has online booking and one doesn't, like, my schedule is just chaotic between my two kids, my husband, my own work schedule.
Like it's wonderful. Mm-hmm. So while I knew everyone wouldn't necessarily wanna use it, I thought that was very valuable for growing a business. [00:07:00] And so that was a big one. Definitely. And that was met with a lot of resistance.
Kristin Kienzle: Really? Mm-hmm. Yeah. I think people wanna make their appointment when they wanna do it.
It might be 2:00 AM when they wake up thinking about it. Let me make an appointment. And then instead of going back and forth on the phone with someone, well, I can't do that. My kids got soccer. I already have to work that day. Mm-hmm. You can just go find your time, book it and be done with it. It's easier for both sides actually.
Suzie Cote: There's caveats to all of it. Sure. But that's why you mm-hmm. Look for the things or even just do that for haircuts or mm-hmm. Something like that. But again, it was obvious that that wasn't an amenity that I could provide. I wanted more variety for refreshments. And with a bigger salon, it was hard to be able to do that.
Hair appointments are long. Mm-hmm. And the amount of hair appointments where someone's like shaking and I'm like, lemme go find some crackers. You know, like, I like to do that because I don't want. People to not come because of a discomfort. Same with like noise, you know, music, the shampoos situation.
You know, I [00:08:00] just, there's little things that you don't realize someone will leave you for. But they will, if your water temperature, your pressure, if your hairbrush hurts them, you know, they won't tell you that stuff. Right. So you gotta be aware of it.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah. And you wanted to be able to control all of those elements that maintain your clients.
Suzie Cote: Yeah.
Kristin Kienzle: And keep them comfortable because there was enough that I
Suzie Cote: could do, but it turns out. D moving and changing. I went to a space before you opened here 'cause this wasn't available yet. This is like ideal. I love it. Thank you. We love you being here. I love being here. So I went to a, space for a little over a year in the meantime and it was a good place to learn.
Mm-hmm. And kind. Play with my experience and my branding and get the feedback in a safe space. Mm-hmm. Because, you know, people will let you know once you leave somewhere what they did and didn't like. And I even get that from that other salon. Like people have opinions.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: And while you can't, people please for everybody, there are certain things that you're like, okay.
I got the [00:09:00] feedback like we wanted more privacy. I didn't know if I would prefer a busier. Vibe or if I wanted more of the quiet and oh, everyone comes in there, they're like, this is so great. Mm-hmm. Like the space, they like just all the amenities. It just feels elevated. It feels like luxury. Mm-hmm. You know,
Kristin Kienzle: it's comfortable.
Suzie Cote: So it's just been this growth and it feels so amazing to be here.
Kristin Kienzle: Well, good. I love that. I love it when you say that.
Suzie Cote: I do.
The Importance of Feedback
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Kristin Kienzle: So what I'm hearing you say is that feedback allows you to make the changes to make the experience better.
How are you getting that feedback? Tell us about that process.
Suzie Cote: I like to ask a lot of questions. I. Really enjoy picking people's brains and being curious.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: I always try to stay away from like, what did you hate? You know? Mm-hmm. Like, I try not to get into the icky side of like, complaints.
So say it's a new client, they come in from somewhere else, gimme the [00:10:00] overall view of like, what went wrong, what didn't you like, what do you like, you know? And then as you build that relationship, it's usually over a couple appointments where people finally open up. So lots of asking questions.
I'm a big believer that almost any mistake or challenge that comes in an appointment almost always comes down to your consultation. And you can figure out like, are they tender headed before the appointment starts? Because if they are, then your appointment's gonna be a lot better because you didn't wait till the shampoo and they're cringing, you know?
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah.
Suzie Cote: Do they have psoriasis? Do we have eczema? Do you dislike touch? Do you, you know, it's even as simple as you come in for a free consultation.
And I'll,
I'll ask them if I can touch them beforehand. You know, it's like, it just builds that kind of comfort. Obviously I will, we're a hairdresser, but there's just a certain amount of building trust and as you start to build that trust, people do open up
Kristin Kienzle: about
Suzie Cote: what they'd like.
A lot of my [00:11:00] clients that I get come to me because they're just not quite happy. There's just little things like a styling thing, color. I really enjoy color and color theory, so like, it's always red. It's always red or it's just not the right shade of copper. It's like, wow. Yeah. If we put a little bit of like a violet in there, it's amazing what that'll do.
And, I have a lot of history and background in color. I went to college for art education. Oh wow. Eventually I didn't end up finishing 'cause I was blessed with my daughter, but I got three years towards that. So like the color wheels just near and dear to my heart. And like the, like shadows and highlights and the laws of thirds and all these different ways to create an art piece you can do.
With color. So, you know, if someone gives me a, picture like, sorry, it's ai. It's like, yeah, it is, but you can still get the idea.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah.
Suzie Cote: And most of the times where my eye looks is not where their eye looks. So one of my favorite questions was like, where on this photo is your eye drawn to like, out of [00:12:00] all the pictures on the internet?
Like, why is this the one you got?
Kristin Kienzle: Ooh, that's a great question. Mm-hmm. Why did you pick this picture
Suzie Cote: right out of all of them? Yeah. Like, I dunno, I kind of like her eyelashes like, well that's cool. Like maybe that's not the hair picture. So, yeah. I'm very visual, so. Mm-hmm. Like I said, whether it's been doctored or not, you can still get the idea.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: Because sometimes it's not what you think it's going to be, where you get fixated on the dark shadow route and they're looking at this piece right by the cheek. And so then, oh no, it went too dark. Well that's because they didn't care about the shadow. So interesting. I do a lot of educating and feedback and a lot of times that's where things go wrong is 'cause you didn't ask those.
Just little things.
Building Trust with Clients
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Suzie Cote: And I also just believe in talking to them each time.
Kristin Kienzle: Like
Suzie Cote: same as before. No. It's any challenges and concerns? Anything popped up? We've got a weather change. How's your hormones doing? You know, like,
Kristin Kienzle: yeah,
Suzie Cote: there's so much that changes each time.
Kristin Kienzle: How much time do you spend on a consultation on average?
Not, not a free scheduled [00:13:00] consultation, but one where you've got a color client coming in, you've seen her 10 times, she's coming in for her 11th appointment with you. Yeah. How much time do you spend in that? Consultation time, probably at least five to 10 minutes. Mm-hmm. I think a lot of people miss that.
I think that a lot of hairstylists, when they have a returning client, same thing. It's in fact, sometimes I've seen 'em have the color mixed before the client even shows up. And so I love that, that you give them an opportunity to share things with you and you can learn more, collect more data mm-hmm.
And, and tailor their appointment and their results to what you're hearing them say.
Suzie Cote: Yeah, I feel like all of my clients have an obnoxiously custom formula, like. Rarely will I do it just straight out the tube. Like there's always a little something that goes into that color because there's a, a complaint and you'll, you can see my log.
It's like, well, we added two grams of gold to this one. Or actually they wanted a half a level difference because of [00:14:00] how it faded or because they don't like this and it's just a finetune it. And that comes from that five to 10 minute consultation. Mm-hmm. It's just a check-in and it's amazing how it just, and then we, we find the, formula and then it's like, we love it, but there's always like.
Is it a way to shine this up, or I feel like this is the thing, and then we get into the nitty gritties of, oh, it's frizzy, or I feel like I'm losing it, or What's going on here? So there's always something.
Kristin Kienzle: How does that long log of. Of color notes and all the fine tuning and the creative mixing, how does that affect your client retention?
I would imagine that those clients are scared to death to leave you.
Suzie Cote: They are. I have really good retention. So many of my clients, I'm blessed that they have stuck with me through a lot. A lot of learning. But I, I just, I'm never satisfied for it to just be good enough. You can overthink it completely.
And I'm pickier than most. But on the flip side, like clients are wonderful and it's like [00:15:00] collaborative and I don't gate keep that either. If they were to move or whatever, I won't hide their formula or keep them hostage. You know, it's one of those things, and again, I think that just all builds trust.
Mm-hmm. Like my clients do, trust me. So even if we're experimenting, I feel like I read situations pretty well where it's like, Hey, you know, you, you're looking at it a little, a little hard. Like is there something that you dislike about it? And sometimes it's just 'cause they don't have their glasses on, but sometimes it's like, okay, well we can adjust that now.
Adjust it later. Yeah. That doesn't happen very often, but a lot of my guests that I've had for a long time, it's because. They know I'm not gonna hide something or, or do something that there's
Kristin Kienzle: a lot to be said about trust. Mm-hmm. I think sometimes that gets overlooked too. That trust is a big thing.
They have to know that they can tell you. I love you. Talk about how you listen and you do long consultations. I think that that builds [00:16:00] trust and they know that they can tell you that they won't hurt your feelings if they come in and say, you know, this time it was a little too gold or a little too cool and, and they can trust you and tell you that.
I think that's super powerful.
Suzie Cote: Yeah. And, they can tell me like, ah, I'm not so sure I liked that. Mm-hmm. And I'm not gonna get offended. I'm not gonna tell 'em it was their hair was the problem. Like, sometimes it's like, I don't know. What's that medication like? It doesn't Yeah. But in general.
It just allows for a good relationship. 'cause that's all this is, is a relationship where we get to
Kristin Kienzle: mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: Hang out and then get a good result at the end. You know, I value that. I know there's hundreds of hairdressers in, in the city and that they choose me and I take that very seriously. Mm-hmm.
And so, like I said, I want this place to be like a sanctuary for them. Mm-hmm. If they wanna talk and they wanna have the whole time talking about. Anything like
Kristin Kienzle: mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: Have a little therapy session. That's great. If you don't want to and you wanna read your book [00:17:00] and all that, we'll do that.
Catering Music to Audience Preferences
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Suzie Cote: I try to cater my music to what I think they want.
If someone tells me they love chapel Rone, like, we're gonna play some chapel rone, you know, like it's, yeah. It's, it's silly things. So if someone comments on the music, especially like, oh, I love this. I'm like, yes,
Kristin Kienzle: I got it.
Suzie Cote: You know?
Mm-hmm. 'cause it matters. All the little things matter. Mm-hmm.
The Nicholas Cage Magnet Story
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Kristin Kienzle: So, speaking of little things, I noticed you have a little magnet over here, a little Conair Nicholas Cage thing.
Why is that there?
Suzie Cote: Oh my goodness. To know me is to know how I feel about Nicholas Cage. It's an not so secret, but intimate detail. So is he your hall pass? Oh. No, quite the opposite. So, there's, there's those people in our lives that just really trigger a visceral response, and I've just never. Like Nicholas Cage ever.
He just, he brings up [00:18:00] all kinds of just ooh, feelings. And so I've gone on tirades about this and it's now a joke. So I get That's funny. Memes in my inbox with Nicholas Cage as a pickle, as a rabbit, as a little mermaid. I get every movie he comes out, someone's sending me like a trailer, like when that vampire one came out.
Painful. He, I got three messages about that. So my brother, he had known that I don't like him obviously, and he is like, you're a hairdresser. So he gets this magnet for me. Oh, great story. Kuhn Air, you know, with the hair dryer. And so I put that in my first salon that I was at and it's a conversation starter.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah.
Suzie Cote: Everyone's like, oh my goodness. So you find out who loves him, who hates him, whose mom has a crush on him who can't stand. It's real like. That's a divisive human being. So when I moved to the salon before here, I was like, oh, you know, I'm, I've got this emergence theme. I don't know.
Nicholas Cage doesn't really fit in anything [00:19:00] whatsoever. And so I didn't bring him, and the amount of people were like, where's Nicholas Cage? And I was like, is this, is this me? So he went on the fridge and was kind of like hidden. And yeah, so when I moved here and now it's like more visible.
People are like, oh my goodness, you have him. It's so great. So all that to say, like someone asked me, do you hate Nicholas Cage or do you love to hate Nicholas Cage? And I think it's true on both sides. He's just a horrendous actor. Horrible. The worst, can't stand his voice, can't stand his face. There it is.
Kristin Kienzle: Do you have clients who love him, who you conflict with? Uhhuh?
Suzie Cote: Yep, and I just pat him on the back, tell him, bless your heart and move on.
Kristin Kienzle: That's funny. Yep. That's a good story. I think when we started talking about it, I thought you were a fan, so that that had a twist. Oh yeah.
Suzie Cote: Yeah. Yes. It's definitely one of those fun.
Fun things and most people have like, do you have [00:20:00] an actor that, that I can't stand triggers stand that triggers you?
Kristin Kienzle: Not that I can think of. I'll think of it some random time. It could be Nick, let you know. Page we can share. Okay, I'll, I'll dive deep and see F if I can f find my hate for him. Exactly. We can bond over that.
Exactly.
Suzie Cote: I'll send you a meme. That's great.
Producer: That's
Suzie Cote: fun. Yep.
Managing Negative Feedback as a Recovering People Pleaser
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Kristin Kienzle: You know, in this industry it is extremely common for hairstylists, especially to be people pleasers to a fault and.
You mentioned that you are a recovering people pleaser earlier today. Mm-hmm. So how do you manage, or how did you come to where you can accept sometimes negative feedback and turn it around? Was that a hard process to go from being a little bit hurt by that because you're a people pleaser?
Tell us about the transition from there to now.
Suzie Cote: Yeah, that's a really great question. And that is [00:21:00] loads of therapy to get to that point. But you gotta find your identity as who you are without it being crushing to be criticized for what you do. And I think part of it's being an artist. Mm-hmm.
Having that artistic background. 'cause I can make. A picture I could make a Pohto and two people can look at it and think very different things. And I, I had read a quote a long time ago, I can't even remember who said it. It was in a magazine and it said, you can give someone the best steak dinner that could ever be made.
Tender, juicy. Perfect. But if they ask for salmon, they do not care about your steak. That's good. And I've kind of thought the same, you know, if you completely miss the mark and it's the most beautiful color, but it's not all what they have asked for, or you miss the mark somewhere, like it's not because it's not beautiful, it's because you just, you messed up somewhere.
Mm-hmm.
The Importance of Consultation in Hairdressing
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Suzie Cote: And [00:22:00] so much, again, prevention in the consultation means that back
Kristin Kienzle: to listening.
Suzie Cote: Yeah. And so if you, again, dislike it. If someone's like, well, you are terrible. You're the worst. That's gonna be more crushing than like, I dislike this.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: And so one thing I have learned through therapy and self.
Like self betterment and things like that is differentiating a feeling and not absorbing it. As an empath, I'm definitely an empath and realizing that those are their feelings, these are my feelings, and they're somewhere in the middle that we can meet without having to take it all on.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: So a lot of times it's because again, not understood.
I guess setting your ego aside.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: And allowing that feedback makes me a better person because now my formula is even more fine tuned.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: The next time if they give me a chance. And that's the big part, is if you can retain them enough. So I've always said with color, I'm more risky 'cause I can [00:23:00] adjust it, I can change it.
As long as that hair is in good shape on their head, I can change it A bad haircut. It's a little harder. Yeah, it's a little harder, so I'm a little more conservative on that.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah. There's nothing worse for losing trust than cutting more hair than someone wanted to have cut. Mm-hmm. Cut it too short and Yes.
You lose them
Suzie Cote: forever. Yes. It's the, it's the shoulder length. Yeah. A lot of people Your hair is shoulder length. My hair is shoulder length. Yeah. To us, this is shoulder length. Yeah. And that is a Yeah. Really big problem. We've all heard the over the ear. Yeah. Do we want it covering the ear over the ear, or do we want it over the ear?
Same with, I asked someone what Ash was like, oh, I don't like ashy hair. And they meant gold
Kristin Kienzle: really? Because
Suzie Cote: they're throwing the lingo out there. Mm-hmm. So when someone says, I want an ash tone.
Kristin Kienzle: It's like, what's ash to you?
Producer: Mm-hmm.
Kristin Kienzle: I remember when I was doing hair, I would hear this a lot. I just want an inch off.
Well, what's an inch? I mean, some people's inch is this much. Yeah. And some people's [00:24:00] inch is this much. I literally would show them on the comb, this is an inch, is this what you're talking about? Yeah. And it, nine times outta 10, that wasn't what they were talking about. So you get that wrong and you've lost trust.
And in that case, a lot of times you'll, you've lost them for good. That's hard to get them back. It is. But you're right, color can be fixed. It can be changed pretty, not easily, but it can be done. And especially if you're someone like you who's a color expert who knows exactly what to change and understands color theory and how to change it and get them to where they're seeing what they came to see.
Suzie Cote: Mm-hmm. And color theory is the same regardless of your color line, you know, there's adjustments, you know? Mm-hmm. I, I had really.
Transitioning to Independent Work
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Suzie Cote: Honed in on the color line and had it, I think just down to a science and had to completely change when I went independent, which was one of the most terrifying parts. Oh yeah.
Of going independent is realizing I had used all of one color line. One product line and [00:25:00] because it was exclusive to that particular salon, and I could not, so it's like it was anything, you know, it was nothing else, and then it went to everything else, but not that.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah.
Suzie Cote: But realizing that blue cancels orange and Violet cancels gold.
No matter the color line. Mm-hmm. If you know those things and you just really hold down to it, you're just calibrating the little nuances. Mm-hmm. Like, is this a pinky violet? Is it a blue violet? Okay, we can wiggle through there. So that was very challenging, but honestly it gave me a lot of inspiration.
Like I felt excited again. Mm-hmm. And the other thing too, with being independent and having all the options is if my color line. I can't get it. I can switch. You can switch change. Yes. I can get a different one. I can adapt for the hair. So I'm actually finding I can be more successful. 'cause I've got so many tools, it's almost overwhelming how many tools I have.
So being independent has just given me so much creative freedom. Mm-hmm. [00:26:00] In a way that was very terrifying because I do worry about these things, you know, and I just want to, to do well. But you know, thankfully I had clients who were just so patient so good, and I really didn't have any major problems switching.
It was one of those things that I hyped myself up. Mm-hmm. Before leaving. But then realizing that just 'cause you're independent doesn't mean you're alone. I had a community, I've had people I can reach out to. Like it's actually way more involved than I thought. Mm-hmm. And even here, like I am amazed within this salon, like how everyone comes together.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: There's a lot of community, but not in a way that just feels overwhelming or cliquey. Or unsettled. It's just like you could pick someone's brain or pop in and just have that conversation.
Kristin Kienzle: But the balance is you can close your door and mm-hmm. And have some space to Yes. Yeah.[00:27:00]
Suzie Cote: Without feeling closed in. Yeah. It's protecting my peace. I feel like my life is better and more peaceful, and that just emanates into everything. Mm-hmm. Just knowing, being independent. I could never go back at this point.
Kristin Kienzle: Oh yeah, I think there's no going back once anyone's gone independent, to have someone tell you when to come to work and what clients to take and what color lines to use and product lines, that's
Suzie Cote: like my work life balance is just beautiful.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah. Creative freedom and work life balance is, is hard to walk away from. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: Yeah. It's got a lot of value to it that you can't put a price on.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Is there anything else you want to get out?
Suzie Cote: I think just other than just nerding out about hair and Nicholas Cage are like, I don't, I think such a trigger. I'm so glad I know that.
Embracing Quirkiness and Personal Branding
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Suzie Cote: I am quirky and I feel like just leaning into being quirky [00:28:00] for a long time, I tried not to be.
Kristin Kienzle: Hmm.
Suzie Cote: And again, through this personal journey of healing and embracing who I am, putting the people pleasing, that's part of the recovering people pleaser part.
Mm-hmm. Is just realizing that I can be who I am. It's gonna either attract the type of people or repel the type of people. And that's what branding is, is attracting and repelling. Mm-hmm. And so I feel like that's done well and that's been really exciting with being independent to, to play with.
Building a Personalized Clientele
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Kristin Kienzle: Do you feel like your clientele is perfectly tailored to being the people you wanna spend your days with? Oh yeah. Isn't that nice? Oh yeah.
Suzie Cote: And one of the fun things about, so I have so much decor in here, but I can point out everything that someone has brought me.
Kristin Kienzle: Oh, neat.
Suzie Cote: Because it resonated, you know,
i've got prints from local artists. I had a photograph that a client took and was like, this is perfect for your space. I have a diamond painting. Someone made this beautiful quilt.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: Like, I mean, she labored over that thing with my [00:29:00] emergent. I have a client who, who they, her and her husband, they collected butterflies.
So they are the reason I have so many specimens in here, because if you've ever priced those,
Kristin Kienzle: really?
Suzie Cote: Yeah. And I just feel blessed by all the little things like trinkets. And So they give
Kristin Kienzle: to you as much as you give to them? Oh my
Suzie Cote: goodness, yes. And I just feel blessed and pouring into each other.
I don't have those days where I just like, oh, I don't wanna come in at all. And it's not necessarily what they all do for me, but it's just you feel that mutual love that it's more than just a transaction.
Producer: Mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: And that I feel like has been cultivated. They trust me and I'll do whatever I can do for them within my boundaries.
Mm-hmm. But it goes the other way too. And it's just,
Kristin Kienzle: I think that's what people in general don't understand about our industry is it is so much more than transactional. Yeah. And it's the same as some businesses and it's very different from other businesses. And I think there's pressure in the industry [00:30:00] to do the same thing as other businesses as far as the way you do your pricing and, and just a lot of things.
But there's nuances. We can't do it the same because it's very personal. We're touching people. We are, they're sharing things. Especially. Have you noticed since you've come into a suite that people share more personal things with you. Yeah. With the privacy, you can shut the door and really find out things that Sometimes you don't wanna find out. Oh yes.
Suzie Cote: Sometimes that, but I welcome it, you know? I, I like to hold space.
Kristin Kienzle: I can tell you're someone I would want to share with,
Suzie Cote: right. I'm like, you know what if that, if you're comfortable enough to shed a tear, if you're comfortable enough to fall asleep during a massage, I'm gonna just assume it's 'cause.
You feel good and comfortable, not because you're trying to just hold it in or whatnot. So, you know, we can deep dive as much as you want, but a lot of times it's just, I can hold that space for you. And then, you know, on my, my side, it's just cleansing that off later. Mm-hmm. So I don't hold onto it all.
Balancing Emotional Energy in the Salon
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Kristin Kienzle: How do you manage that? How do you not [00:31:00] take it home? Hmm.
Suzie Cote: Still working on that. Yeah. I think that's a little grounding and deep breathing and that's a challenge. Washing hands challenge, really. That was, I was given that as a, as a way. Sometimes I don't always do like the full method, but she's like, take either the soap or like ice cubes and run Ha your run underwater.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Suzie Cote: And allow for that to dissolve and just pretend that that's that energy that you've picked up and just kind of a visualization, just letting it.
Kristin Kienzle: And then go home and to your family and leave everything and the heavy metal
Suzie Cote: on the way home and call it good.
Kristin Kienzle: I love that. I love the washing your hands because that is hard.
In a day's work you can hear about. Something happy, an engagement, a new baby. Mm-hmm. And you can also hear really sad things, a bad diagnosis, a death terrible things. And, And all day you're riding that rollercoaster. And then you've gotta transition and go home to be available for your kids, your family, your personal life, your own time.
[00:32:00] So I really love what the visualization and the exercise of washing your hands. I'll never forget that. All
Suzie Cote: kinds of
Kristin Kienzle: suds.
Suzie Cote: Yeah. Just let 'em slowly go away. Yes. We need to wash our hands anyway, so we, why not make it spiritual, especially this
Kristin Kienzle: time of year.
Suzie Cote: Why not?
Kristin Kienzle: That's great. I love that.
Well, Suzie, thank you so much for not only being game for doing this, but being excited about it.
Yeah. And being a great guest, and especially for letting us use your space and get to feel it and enjoy the butterflies and your branding and just, you can really feel the space. So I appreciate you letting us do this here and experiencing that. Thank you for listening. If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to like, subscribe and share it with a friend who might enjoy this conversation as well. [00:33:00]