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The Aspiring Stylist Podcast is 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 skill 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.
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: Today's episode
might ruffle a few feathers.
Okay. And that's because we're
talking about something that I
think a lot of people have
opinions on. And that's whether
or not I feel like the stylist
should look the part. I mean,
how important are first
impressions and looking good in
the beauty industry? I think
it's incredibly important. And
I'm definitely seeing a change
in the way that beauty
professionals present themselves
these days. And don't get me
wrong. Okay. Let me start off by
saying that I love a casual
Friday or Saturday. I love a
good pair of jeans. I like comfy
shoes. I like rocker tees and
all the things. But are we
presenting ourselves in a
professional way? You know, no
matter what you're wearing, I
mean, can we all agree that we
need to brush our hair and put
on some makeup before we show up
for work. I'm actually really
proud of how I present myself if
you know me at all, you know,
I'm a I'm a snazzy girl, I like
fashion. It's a huge part of my
brand. For someone that's trying
to build a clientele. It's a
huge conversation starter. It's
a door that you can open into
your professional world that can
really pay off. So for example,
if I go out and my hair is on
point, my makeup looks good. The
chances of me being recognized
for that, and my community,
somebody's paying me a
compliment. It's pretty high.
And then for me that opens the
door to a conversation about who
I am and what I do. And I love a
good trend. I feel like
following the trends as a beauty
professional, it's important.
Our clients are looking to us
for advice for what's current or
what will suit them best. And
keeping up with your own
appearance lets them know that
they can count on you for their
selves as well. I have clients
that have come to me for 20
years, and I'm gonna be honest,
I feel like we both look better
than we ever have. That's
because we take care of
ourselves, we pay attention to
how we can not necessarily look
younger, but how we can look the
best for where we are in our
lives. So let's talk about some
examples of how a stylish should
present themselves at work. For
me, I'm sorry, it's it's not
comfy casual for me No sweat
pants, I just don't think
there's really a way to elevate
a pair of sweat pants to make
them look like the professional
you want to look like. And
that's not to say you can't be
professional or that you have to
do hair and a blazer and that
you can never wear a messy bun.
But it's not my vibe. And I
don't think I would be where I
am today. With that approach. I
can tell you that no matter what
your fit looks like hair and
makeup to me is non negotiable.
When they look at us our
appearance should inspire them,
not make them question us and
whether or not we just rolled
out of bed, your personal style
is going to influence your
clients perception of you. When
I think about what my clients
invest in their services with
me, I could never show up and a
pair of cut offs and a ballcap
and feel good. I think how you
show up matters and it
influences the type of clients
that you're going to attract. I
want clients who were lived in
color and hair extensions. So
guess what I wear, I wear lived
in color and hair extensions.
It's what makes me feel good,
and it's the services I love to
perform. I want clients who
don't mind paying luxury prices,
so I make sure that I look like
a luxury stylist. So there are
some do's and don'ts for the
appearance that I feel like you
should have and some of the best
ways don't even include a
curling iron or makeup brush.
Some of your do's should be have
a morning routine and an evening
routine. Trade in some of that
coffee for water and include
time to recharge this industry
will require a lot from you.
Don't, don't show up hung over
or exhausted or dehydrated or
depleted because you haven't
filled your cup. What about
tattoos and piercings and
unconventional hair color? Well
thank god that's becoming less
of an issue. You will usually
attract clients that are similar
to you. So people looking for an
edge Your stylist with cool tats
and fun hair color will likely
seek you out. And if that's what
you want to be known for, this
is all great. You know,
variations in a natural hair
color have really widened the
scope for the kind of clients
that you can serve. And what I
mean by that is, you know, your
soccer moms are now getting a
fun strip of pink in their hair,
or kids are wearing it to
support their soccer team or
whatever it is. So it's not just
like those edgy rock'n'roll
people that are wearing this
now, with the variety and the
type of clients you can serve
with these services. The
possibilities are endless. So
your appearance as a stylist is
going to affect your career
opportunities. And I think that
kind of depends on what kind of
career you want to have. If you
want to work in a high end
salon, and you're really hoping
to land elite clients, you have
to ask yourself, Do I look the
part? Do I look the part of a
stylist that would attract this
type of client? Maybe you own
your own suite will do you look
like a hairstylist because you
better no matter what your
career goals are. You can never
overdress, you can never look
too good. There are probably
some stylists out there that are
really struggling with their
professional image. I've known
stylists that say, Tracy, I
don't really know what my style
is, it's not something I've ever
been super passionate about. So
I haven't really taken the time
to dive into what I would look
like as a stylist in a perfect
world. And that's okay. You just
have to be yourself, but be the
best version of it be an
elevated version of it. Because
you're going to evolve and your
sense of style is going to
change. And it should like don't
stay stuck, you know, you have
to look for little ways to
elevate and change your
appearance, again, to keep those
clients interested. Most
importantly, look like you
tried, you know, if that's what
you can bring to the table is,
hey, I may not be really good at
this, but I put my best foot
forward. And I looked like I
tried presenting your
professional image in person.
Yes, that's important. But it's
also important to translate it
to social media. I like to use
my social media for a little bit
of personal and a whole lot of
professional. That way, people
get to know me as a person,
which I think people want to
know about you. They want to
know what you do on your time
off, they're making a connection
with you, they're attracted to
your personality. So yes, I
think it's totally fine to
represent yourself personally on
social media. But I make sure
that anything I post is still
representing my brand, whether
it's personal or professional,
if it's going on my social media
page, I'm going to make sure
it's something that my friends
and family can see. And
something that my clients or
potential clients can see, that
still feels like me.
Professional pages should always
reflect an image that you hope
appeals to clients. And we're
also talking about behavior
here. Are you posting
questionable behavior? If a
potential client saw that, would
they still consider you as an
option? I've really struggled
with posting on social media
without hair and makeup. Like
it's just not how I feel like my
best self. So it's not something
I want reflected in public a lot
anyways. But if you want, I do
think you can use it to your
advantage. Are you having a
great skin day? Are you having a
self care day? Like, I think all
these things can impact your
image in a positive way. Maybe
you're using some products that
are really working for you. And
you can use this opportunity to
share that with a client that
may be looking for something
new. Let me focus more on the
self care. Again, your clients
need to see you as a person. So
they need to know that yeah, you
went for a bike ride and you
didn't bother to put any lashes
on. You know, that's normal.
They need to see you as normal
as well. You don't need to be
this unobtainable beauty that
never has an off day. I think
ask yourself, What's the
reasoning behind me posting
without makeup without my hair
done? Like, am I fishing for
compliments? I think that's the
wrong reason to do it. If I want
to make a post about oh, you
know, I'm having a bear Tuesday.
That's great. But why am I doing
it? Am I doing it so that my
public can see me as a real
person? Or am I doing it so that
I can somehow fuel my ego with
trends changing all the time,
there are probably a few that
won't positively reflect your
professional image or your
appearance. And this has been
such a topic of conversation in
my salon. So I've made
modifications to my dress code a
million times. We used to be a
salon that wore all black. I
think that's pretty common. In
like that old school commission
salon and especially in the
Aveda culture, black is still a
huge part of your attire as a
hairstylist and I personally
have no problem with that I feel
very good in black. I feel like
it's a smart color to wear when
you're when you're doing the
kind of services that we do. But
with that being said, people are
tiring of it. And so we've
started adding things into our
dress code. And I feel like no
matter what you're allowed or
not allowed to wear, you can put
a professional spin on any
trend. There's these jeans now
that people are wearing with the
big holes. And I'm not talking
about cute little distressed
jeans, I'm talking about the
entire thigh hanging out. And
I'm just not sure there's a way
to make that look professional,
I feel like that's probably
something you should be wearing
on your off day or to a festival
or a concert or something. And
you may want to consider crop
tops, you know, I'm a big fan of
crop tops, I'm comfortable
wearing them. And I think people
look really cute in them. But
you know, there's a difference
between showing an inch or two
of your abdomen and then wearing
something that looks like a bra,
let you know, to me that's
crossing the line. At the end of
the day, you should very much
want them to see you as
professionals. So you're gonna
have to find a way to balance
between being expressive and
authentic with being
professional. Now, I think there
are a lot of stylists out there
that dress however they want.
And it doesn't really impact
their ability to charge premium
prices. But I think that's
because they've built such a
reputation for themselves. And
they've reached such a level of
success that this isn't a huge
concern for them. They're a
highly sought after stylist, and
they're able to show up however
they want and not truly impact
their income. But you have to
ask yourself, if how you're
presenting yourself aligns with
your desired clientele? Do you
look the part? Again, it's not
so much about the clothes, I
charge $600 for services all
day, and blue jeans and rocker
tees, but I have my necklace on
I have my hair on point and my
makeup is always fresh, as a
stylist, the word style is in
your title. So please have some
as your career evolves, probably
so will your personal style. And
if this used to feel more
important to you, then you're
probably going to really love
it. And you're probably going to
enjoy your ability to maybe even
add in some designer labels. So
if you're a stylist, and you're
looking for ways to redefine
your professional image, but
you're feeling a little bit
lost, take a look at your
examples. And what I mean by
that is look at the people that
you admire, how are they
presenting their selves? How are
they showing up? What are they
wearing? And what is it about
them that you're so attracted
to? And then emulate that, but
make it your own? Okay, so maybe
you're a brand new stylist and
you have absolutely no idea what
you should wear to work.
Hopefully you've spent some time
in the salon that you've chosen
and you kind of know what the
vibe is that's going to help you
in your selection. Maybe they
have rules, maybe you know, for
whatever reason, something that
you thought you could wear, you
can't that's okay, definitely
follow the salon rules. But make
sure you add your own uniqueness
so that you can feel
comfortable. It's totally okay
to have lazy days where you're
not doing your hair and you're
not doing your makeup. But for
me, if I'm coming in for paying
clients, I don't really think
that's true. If I'm coming in on
my day off, what's to say the
person next to me is looking at
me thinking wow, that stylist
showed up super ugly today. They
have no idea it's my day off and
then I'm just coming in for my
friend. They're just looking at
how I presented myself behind
that chair that day and they're
not impressed. So sometimes
we're going to oversleep right
or alarms not going to go off.
We're going to sleep through it
whatever. Well for me, I have a
crazy hack collection and a five
minute makeup routine that has
saved my ass countless times.
You got to do the best with what
you can with what you've got,
just again look like you've put
some effort into it. It's not
uncommon for stylists and salons
to get ready throughout the day.
Now have I curled my hair at
work before? Sure. But have I
rolled out of bed and arrived
ugly? No, no, ma'am. No, I
haven't. It shows a lack of
preparation. Like you don't have
your crap together like you're
unorganized. So I'd be lying if
I said that I'm not from a
generation of stylists that back
in the day would never wear
tennis shoes. I would have never
even considered wearing tennis
shoes to work for probably the
first 15 years of my career. But
here I am with bunions and corns
and ingrown toenails living my
best life. You should save
yourself. I'm here to tell you
there are ways to make these
more comfortable more are
athletic shoes work with any
outfit? Now I still wear
platforms and I wear my cowboy
boots too, but it's not super
smart. I've pivoted big time
with my thought process around
what's allowed now. And I really
love pairing my suits with a
good pair of Nikes. I feel cute,
I feel confident, and I also
feel comfortable. Again, it's
not about shoes. It's about
professionalism and style.
Leggings can be a bit tricky.
You know, what about leggings, T
shirts. I think workout leggings
are for working out or trying to
look cute while you're running
errands. That's usually why I
wear workout clothes. But
leather leggings with a cute top
and boots is a vibe. So I think
it depends on what kind of
leggings we're looking at here.
It's really just all about how
you present. Is there anything
that I think that no matter?
What is an absolute? No? Well,
obviously pajamas. You know, we
have a really fun week, the week
of Christmas in my salon. And
that is a one time where I think
we can make the exception for
pajamas. We all come to work and
our cute pajamas. And it's so
fun, and the clients absolutely
love it. But that is a massive
exception to a general rule.
I've never done shorts or ball
caps, maybe that's just me. But
that feels a little low key to
me, and how I want to present
myself. I don't think you should
ever wear anything with
offensive content on it, there's
just really no reason for it.
That's not to say you can't
stand up for causes you believe
in or quotes that you think are
funny. But is that something
that will translate well to a
client seeking your services?
Also, oh my god, the clanky
bracelets at the shampoo bowl,
if you're going to wear them,
please take them off before you
start moving your hands back and
forth and trying to get somebody
to relax while you've got these
things clinking together. So
maybe you'll get to a point in
your career where you don't feel
like it matters? Well, I won't,
I will always think it matters.
I think being impressive should
always matter. It's going to
help you attract new clients,
and it's going to help your
current clients stay attracted
to you because of your personal
style. And you really need to
put in that same effort for the
loyal ones anyways, like we
don't just need to be showing up
strong for the days that we've
got someone new on the book,
that repeat impression is just
as important as the first one.
So make sure that you remember
that. So it's your day off. I
mean, should you really have to
do your hair, pick out a cute
outfit get your makeup on? Well,
I think that's a personal
choice. And I can't say that I
always do. I think for me, it
depends on where I'm going. Am I
going to Lowe's? Yeah, well,
then frankly, I don't give a
damn. But if I'm going somewhere
where I could possibly run into
clients, then I want to make
sure that I at least look
presentable. But at the end of
the day, you have the right to
choose, it's your day off, enjoy
it. I'd like to wrap up today by
talking about how looking the
part has given me the confidence
and the permission to be the
best stylist I can be to show up
as the best version of myself.
And not everything is about the
way you dress or present
yourself, but it's definitely
going to help especially in the
beginning, I have always cared
about my appearance and I have
always loved fashion and being
part of the industry has
definitely fueled that for me.
Building a clientele starts with
appealing to people. So make
sure you do that. I have made
sure that I've looked apart and
had business cards in my purse
at all times. Honestly, for the
most part I still do. It's just
a big part of who I am. And it
makes me feel like my highest
self. Ask yourself, what do I
want people to think when they
look at me? Does how I present
myself support my goals? I hope
the answer is yes.
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