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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.
Ep13
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[00:00:00]
Branding and Marketing Intro
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Kristin Kienzle: Today we got to learn so much about the importance of branding and marketing with Ashlyn and Avery and how it can apply specifically to your business.
Kristin Kienzle: Welcome back to our podcast Today I am here with Ashlyn, with Ashlyn Faith Branding, and Avery with Set Theory Marketing. Welcome and thank you guys for both being here today.
Avery: Thank
Ashlyn: you for having us.
Kristin Kienzle: You're welcome.
Ashlyn Origin Story
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Kristin Kienzle: Tell us about, let's start with talking about how you got [00:01:00] started, Ashlyn, how did you get started?
I got to know you first through photography,
Ashlyn: Yeah. I have done senior photos for a long time and then I actually skinned by Whitney, Whitney Kissler. She was like, oh my God, like you should do branding. I feel like you'd be so good at it. And I was like. Are you sure? Like, 'cause it wasn't really trending like three years ago, two years ago.
Yeah. I feel like just now it's kind of like huge. Mm-hmm. And so she's like, no, I really think you should. And I was like, okay. And so I did her branding photos and then like the following month I was like, okay, I'm just gonna do like discounted sessions. I think there were like 500 a pop and then I booked like 15 sessions and that's how it was all of November.
And then it's kind of crazy 'cause like those clients I booked that first month, they're like the clients that I still have today, which I think is really cool. Like Body Bar, Melissa Terra, skin Studio Bobby Lane, which I think is really, really cool 'cause I've built really close relationships with those people.
Kristin Kienzle: That's so funny. So you [00:02:00] accidentally figured out you were good at
it.
Ashlyn: Yep. And then it literally just picked up from there and then it's just gone really great. Ever since. I think I've gotten really lucky.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah. No, you do good work.
Avery: Bought some loyal clients.
Ashlyn: Yeah, too. I do have loyal clients. They're the best.
Yeah.
Kristin Kienzle: How about you? How did you get started?
Avery Marketing Journey
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Avery: Well, my story's kind of like backwards I guess. So I was in my undergrad for nursing school and I thought I wanted to be a nurse and then COVID hit and I was like, this is not for me. And I just kinda got introduced into the marketing world. So after I finished my degree out, I was like a year away from being done.
So I was like, it's not worth it, I'll just finish it. Finished it and I ended up getting my MBA and you have to focus in something. And I saw on the list digital marketing, and I was like, that sounds interesting. Like we kind of grew up in the social media world. So I was like, oh, it'll be easy. Like I already know how to do everything.
Well, you don't know what you don't know. I got into it and I was like, oh my gosh, there's so much more to it. But it was so interesting. So I took a lot of like consumer psychology classes and things like that, and I fell in love with how the consumer mind works and [00:03:00] wants to buy things. And my first job out of college was with a landscape company.
I was their marketing manager and it was actually my boss who was like. I think you could do this on your own and I wanna encourage you to start your own business. And he was like, I'll be your first client. And so I That's really
Kristin Kienzle: cool.
Avery: Yeah, he's amazing. And the reason I'm doing it he's the owner of Johnson's Legacy landscape, so I kind of owe my business to him.
But yeah, I branched out, started my own company and he was my first client and he still uses me now, so That's really cool.
Kristin Kienzle: That is cool.
Ashlyn: Yeah. Loyal clients I
Avery: know.
Ashlyn: Love them.
Avery: Yeah.
Kristin Kienzle: You guys have a lot of 'em.
Ashlyn: We do.
How They Teamed Up
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Kristin Kienzle: So then how did you two start working together?
Avery: Well, we went to high school together, so we've known each other for, yeah, we
Ashlyn: went to Trinity.
Avery: Yeah.
Ashlyn: Okay.
Avery: So we've known each other for, oh gosh, eight years.
Ashlyn: 10, yeah.
Avery: 10, 8, 10.
Ashlyn: Yeah. Yeah. A long time.
Avery: How did we kind of like rekindle? I don't know. You moved to California?
Ashlyn: Mm-hmm. I was in California for two years and then I moved home.
Kristin Kienzle: So you've been friends and you're in a [00:04:00] similar industry, really? Mm-hmm. When did you realize that you should partner and work together?
Ashlyn: I had reached out to Avery 'cause I just realized that we had a lot of similar clients and stuff.
Mackenzie at Meadow Med and we use Desiree a lot. And I just was like, okay, let's go to Newport. Let's meet 'cause I have an idea. And she goes, okay, I wanna hear this idea. And I was like, okay. And so we went to lunch and I was like, okay. I do so many photos and I feel like, I don't wanna say frustration 'cause that's not the right word, but I feel like it's so hard for me when like I do the photos, but then people dunno how to use them.
Mm-hmm. And I think that's the hardest thing is I'm like, oh my gosh, you could do this. You could do this. Like, you should be doing all these posts, like making graphics, doing all these things. Like it's so easy to use Canva nowadays. And so I was like. People just don't know how to use it once they have it, which then makes me feel sad.
'cause they, I, I know shooting with me is like a huge investment. And so then when they spend the money and all the time to do that, and then it just feels like, I'd say 70% of my clients don't even know what they're [00:05:00] doing with them. Then you're like, okay, well that was wasted. But like, I don't do social media management.
I don't have time. But I was like, oh my gosh, Avery does. Mm-hmm. And so I was like, well, then we can give her all my photos. And then she can help people realize like how to use it, how to do story posts, how to make graphics, how to do all your marketing and stuff like that. So that's kind of like, I had the idea of like, how can I fix everyone else's problem because that's brilliant.
It makes me sad. I'm like, on Instagram, I'm like, where are your pictures, girl? Yeah.
One Stop Shop Package
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Ashlyn: And so I. Got with Avery and I was like, I think we should make a collaborated package to where people could get like the full thing where it's like you get the photos, you get the photo shoot, which is super fun. And then you get to just let Avery do it all for you.
Mm-hmm. And then you get to learn about it too. 'cause you get to kind of watch all the behind the scenes of what we do too. So that's kinda how that transpired.
Kristin Kienzle: That was
Ashlyn: brilliant. Yeah.
Kristin Kienzle: And that adds so much value to what you both offer.
Ashlyn: Yes. Well nobody, I don't feel like there's very many other people in Wichita that do that either, which I feel like also [00:06:00] helps set us apart is that it's like, oh, like you don't have to only do photos and then be like, oh God, what do I do with those?
Or only do graphics and be like, well I have really crappy photos. I don't really know what to do either. I don't know where to go. So it's kind of like a one-stop shop. Kind of like the simplicity of like in a wedding when you're, oh, hair, hair. Or um, stylist, makeup artist, I'm both in one.
Perfect. I don't have to go outsource this person. Outsource this person. Now it's just one stop shop, which makes it super easier. It's a one stop shop for marketing.
Avery: Yes.
Ashlyn: Yeah.
Avery: And since we are such good friends, like we just work together so seamlessly, which I think is so cool.
Ashlyn: Yeah.
Avery: I think that's very unique to have two professionals.
Mm-hmm. And similar but different industries that just really like mesh and work together so well. Mm-hmm. I think you get a really like unique blend of this visual storytelling that Ashland gives and then this strategy side that I can give. But to have the two working together. 'cause typically you're going to a marketing strategist to get direction and then you're finding a photographer that's not related to that person and you're just hoping the two mesh.
Kristin Kienzle: So then you as the [00:07:00] marketing person are trying to work with photos that maybe are harder to work with Exactly, too. Yeah. Or something they've done themselves.
Avery: Absolutely.
Kristin Kienzle: I do see that in our community where beauty professionals, not necessarily people who work at Utopia, but mm-hmm. Just the people that I follow.
They have the marketing, but their, their product or their photos and stuff. I just think, oh
Ashlyn: yeah. Yes. Yeah. Not
Kristin Kienzle: that I am a an expert or one to
Ashlyn: judge.
Matching Visual Style to Brand
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Ashlyn: There's there a specific look that you need for like
Avery: Yeah,
Ashlyn: you want it to be clean. You want it to be pretty and like you don't need sad, cloudy, grainy.
Avery: Yes.
Ashlyn: Blue and green.
Avery: Like for instance, if we have an aesthetician brand that is wanting to portray a very like luxury clean feel, we're not gonna deliver dark, noisy
Ashlyn: funeral photos.
Avery: Yes. Dark, noisy images because that's kind of breaking the illusion of this brand world that you've created.
Ashlyn: Yeah.
Avery: You've worked so hard to create, [00:08:00] it's breaking that illusion for your consumer.
Ashlyn: Well, and I think that's a part of understanding too, like, like I think, of course everyone has different styles and stuff, and I'm not saying my styles for everybody, but I think. Again, like she said, like an esthetician. It's like you want pretty clean. Like when you see, when I'm going to look for an esthetician, I already have an amazing esthetician, but like when you're going to look, you're like, oh, clean, bubbly, like skin glowy.
Like you're not looking at like, oh, gloomy sad, looks like it's raining outside. Like it doesn't make you, like when you think of like big brands like, I don't know, ity or Face Reality or Road Road is a great example where it's like it's all bright and like clean and like they do a lot of like food product stuff too.
'cause it's like yummy. Mm-hmm I wanna go there, I wanna use that product 'cause it's so like appealing. So I feel like a lot of people just don't understand. That even if it's not your personal like aesthetic, that it's like sometimes it's what's good for your marketing and for to catch people's attention.
Avery: Yeah.
Brand Worlds and Apple Example
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Avery: 'cause at the end of the day, like people aren't [00:09:00] necessarily buying a product or a service. They're kind of like buying into this whole world. You're inviting them to be a part of. Mm-hmm. And so like, I always use Apple as an example for my clients. Like they've created this world that's minimalistic and clean and it's high technology, but it's so clean and minimalist.
And that's what people are buying into. Like at the end of the day, you're not buying a laptop or a phone. You're buying into this world that they want you to be a part of. And they've done so in so many different aspects. Like their website, their brand messaging their packaging is so clean and minimalist.
The interface of their products are so highly intelligent, yet so simple. Their stores even are so minimalist. Even the way if you've ever been into an Apple store, the way that the employees speak to you is this simple. Minimalist, but highly technology savvy. Everything's
Kristin Kienzle: perfectly consistent.
Avery: Exactly.
And that is
Kristin Kienzle: from what you see online to what you're holding in your hand, and like you said, absolutely. Walking into the store, it's all perfectly
Avery: consistent. Consistent, [00:10:00] absolutely. And that's the world you're buying into. Mm-hmm. You're not necessarily buying the product or the service, it's this world they're curating you to want to be a part of.
And I think the most successful brands like Road you used for an example. Mm-hmm. Like they aren't creating a product. I mean, they are, and it's important for that product to be quality as well, but like they're creating a space that you, you want to buy into and you want to be a part of. Mm-hmm. That's what you're buying into.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Why Beauty Pros Should Invest
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Kristin Kienzle: You guys do a great job of putting your talents together and helping people create their branding, and I wanna talk about, why should someone, such as a beauty professional invest in photos to be done by you and marketing to be done with you? What would the benefit to them be? How would that change or impact their business?
Ashlyn: I mean, I feel like just when you go to someone's page, I mean, you can tell the difference of like, oh, they definitely have marketing versus, oh, they don't. But I think it's like when you are looking specifically whether it's hairstylist, aesthetician, I mean there's like [00:11:00] wax or any, anything in the beauty industry.
When you go to someone's page and it's like. Okay. You have like four posts, which makes me feel like you have no clients or I have no idea what you look like. I don't know anything about you. Like when you aren't relatable or like you just have no presence at all. It does not make me wanna go to you.
Like I look at your page and I'm like, Hmm. And you could be great. You could be super talented, super sweet, super great person. But it's like, I, my first impression is what I see when I open your page, if you have nothing or a bunch of random graphics or stock photos, like, it, it just, I have no idea who you are.
Like that's a stock photo.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah.
Ashlyn: You're not in it. Your products aren't in it. It's random stones on someone's back. Like, it's like the most random picture. And so I just think like your first impression is so important because like, and that's someone who's around it all the time, compared to someone who's, who knows nothing about it, who's gonna look at your page and be like.
I don't really even know what I'm [00:12:00] booking. Like I see that it says massage therapist, but I don't really know. Like it's, it gets dicey and so I just think your first impression is so important. So when you go to your page and then it's like, oh my gosh, like this is Avery, this is what she does. Like this is where she went to school and like you like have information, like a, I don't know, like a get to know me post or you have like, oh, like this is the client she worked with this week or like this and that.
That's why I think also posting on social media, like everyone's so scared to post me, myself included. I've been trying to show my face more this year and so I think like people just wanna feel like they can relate to you and
Kristin Kienzle: and know what the experience
Ashlyn: with you
Kristin Kienzle: feels like.
Ashlyn: Absolutely.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah.
Ashlyn: Yeah.
Like if I don't know what I'm walking into, it makes you feel more uneasy compared to like, oh yeah, she seems really bubbly. She seems fun, she seems colorful. Like I have an idea of what I'm walking into as opposed to like, I don't know. I know she takes pictures, don't know anything about her, like I guess we'll, hope it goes well.
So I think, I don't know, like social media friends, it's like huge.
Avery: Yeah, absolutely. I think kind of what you just said, like when I'm [00:13:00] branding a client, I'm not just like creating a logo. We're deciding in that moment like where, what world that brand's gonna live in, how it attracts, how it makes people feel, what experience that consumer gonna have with that brand.
And just like the My Apple example earlier, you can use so many different things to do that. And websites are a big one. Visuals are huge. Photography visuals is typically the quickest way to communicate your brand messaging to a consumer
Ashlyn: well.
Avery: You
Ashlyn: need be able to be recognized. Like you can look at any phone and be like, yeah, it's an iPhone.
Mm-hmm. You can look at a product, like you can even see photos and be like, oh yeah, that's road. Mm-hmm. Like, and I feel like I've had people say similarly to my photos where it's like, oh yeah, it's bright and colorful. Mm-hmm. Like that's ashlyn's. Like I don't even need to know or click on it.
Like I know Ashlyn took that where it's like you wanna create a look for yourself and a brand that people recognize because when you're scrolling, same thing. Like someone who's really, really good at this is Brooke Beamus, where it's like Pink brows. I know that that's Brooke. Like
Kristin Kienzle: mm-hmm.
Ashlyn: It's so easy to detect.
Like, [00:14:00] I don't even need to see the name. I could be like, that's Brooke. Brooke is
Kristin Kienzle: brows. I exceptional.
Ashlyn: Yes.
Kristin Kienzle: An exceptional example of excellent branding. And that's, and you know that that takes you places.
Ashlyn: Yeah. One it shows because she's someone that's invested in it heavily. Like I've done so many photos in shoots with Brooke and like she uses every single one and her page looks fantastic.
And like, she looks so professional and that's why she's booked out all the time because she is so busy. She like doesn't take new clients half the time because she does a great job of marketing her business. Mm-hmm.
She
Kristin Kienzle: also, but she has a
Ashlyn: look.
Kristin Kienzle: She also uses your stuff with her brand or brow battalion uhhuh where she does education.
All of her. Yep. All of her materials. She's shown me her workbooks. Yes. And all of her things like, everything. So it goes far beyond. She uses it far beyond her social media.
Ashlyn: Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.
Using Photos Beyond Instagram
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Kristin Kienzle: And another thing I've seen people do with your photos, which I think is really cool in our salons, is use them for salon decor.
I know you got really excited about [00:15:00] when we had did that.
Ashlyn: Yes.
Kristin Kienzle: Yes.
Avery: Desiree has that too, I think.
Kristin Kienzle: Yes.
Ashlyn: Yes. Desiree, they was the first one I saw though.
Kristin Kienzle: And frame 'em. Mm-hmm. That is
Ashlyn: cool. So cool. Well that's so cool. 'cause like, I think that's kind of the sucky part is that like, most of the time, I'd say 50% of the time, like I will do a photo shoot and then like, I don't really get to see what people do with that unless I like.
Go into their space. Like I don't get to see Brooks pamphlets and like all this stuff, but then sometimes I'll be like walking around or like, I was just an edit the other day and I saw a pamphlet from another client that I had and I was like, oh my God, that's why I picked her on a pamphlet. I was like, where'd this come from?
Because I didn't even realize like, 'cause I don't ever get to see that stuff. It's kind of, I mean, it's the same thing as like with seniors and grad cards. Like I don't get to see it, but it looks really cool. So I think it's really cool to, like, when you step into a space to be like, oh my gosh, look how they used it.
I think that's so cool because they use it for business cards, like menus. Mm-hmm. Decor, pamphlets, billboards. Mm-hmm. We just had a client who's doing a billboard yesterday in Oklahoma that it's like people just do all sorts of [00:16:00] different things. That's cool to see your photo on a
Kristin Kienzle: billboard.
Ashlyn: Yeah. Well, NA Bis just did the same thing.
Mm-hmm. Like, she does a billboard too, where it's, it's so cool to be able to see how far your work goes. Mm-hmm. 'cause I don't really get to see it go beyond the studio after the shoot. And then whatever they post on Instagram, I don't get to see all the physical parts, which I think is really, really cool for like me to see.
Avery: Mm-hmm.
Kristin Kienzle: That's where you come in.
Ashlyn: That's
Kristin Kienzle: when you get to
Ashlyn: design
Avery: the billboard. Yes. And I think that's really cool thing about working together too, is like I will send her like, Hey, I just used her headshot to make this billboard. That's how it turned out. And so she gets a chance to see it a lot more.
'cause I'm more seeing the more final product I feel like, than you get to oftentimes. So I think that's kind of cool for you to be able to see. But, but
Ashlyn: that's the benefit too, of us working together and like with our package is that like there's so much communication between us two that like for example we both do meadow and Med Spa, and so she can just text me and be like, Hey, I know you're gonna be there today.
I need this, this, this, this and that. Mm-hmm. And like she's communicated with Mackenzie. Mm-hmm. I've communicated with [00:17:00] Mackenzie. So it's like there's always clear communication. There's no like. Oh, I thought she wanted this or that. Mm-hmm. Like, I think that is, that's nice. Also, another thing that happens with branding is people are like, well, my shoot didn't come out the way I wanted and I spent $800.
Mm-hmm. And then like, I don't wanna do it again. 'cause like I'm scared. It was a waste of money where it's like there's, that's not really happening. Like,
Avery: and I know it takes a lot off the client's plate as well because
Ashlyn: Yeah.
Avery: Their social media strategy for that month is handled by me and then I'm just telling her exactly the visuals I need to make those posts come to fruition.
Yeah. That makes my job easier. 'cause I'm getting exactly what I need and I'm not trying to edit a photo to make it work for the special. Maybe client has someone who had no
Ashlyn: contact with like a photographer you don't even know.
Avery: Mm-hmm.
Ashlyn: You're like, well I guess I'll try and make this work as best as I can.
Yes.
Avery: And then everything is so consistent.
Consistency Builds Trust and Growth
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Avery: Like now I'm, I'm refreshing McKinsey Meadow Med Spa's website and all the visuals match her Instagram and her marketing collateral. And back to this, my soapbox of these branding worlds. You're creating in every single asset of your brand [00:18:00] really should be reinforcing the message you're trying to convey to your audience and what you want them to feel when they experience your brand.
'cause that's what people latch onto. Not necessarily your service or your product, but how it makes them feel. What's, what experience are they having when they click on your website or when they go get a service for you. Like that's what makes people recognize your brand. Build trust with your brand, wanna see you again.
Ashlyn: Well I think also it shows too like your side of like how universal like. The graphics and your part of like the branding is where it's like it's logos, it's your sticker on the door, it's your business cards. Mm-hmm. It's like your signs outside, like McKenzie's massive signage. Mm-hmm. Like on a stone building, like it's like all the, like your creative stuff goes into all like the marketing content as well.
That I think is really cool. Like I feel like mine's more like the social media part, but then hers is more like the physical. Like I'm gonna see Meadow and Med when I'm driving down 21st Street. Like, oh my gosh, Arie did that. That's so cool. Like to know that your stuff is like out in buildings and stuff, I think is really cool.
Kristin Kienzle: Mackenzie's a great example [00:19:00] because what she did is build her practice as a nurse injector, and of course she's a great nurse injector. We all know that. Yes, absolutely. But because she went so hard on building a great, solid, very consistent brand. Mm-hmm. I believe that's a big part of her growth. And so now if you go to her new brick and mortar Meadow Med Spa, you're probably, and at some point she'll grow, but you might not get McKinsey as your service provider.
Mm-hmm. But you can trust the company because mm-hmm. You know, it, you feel it, you see it everywhere. Mm-hmm. So if, if you're not gonna work with McKinsey, but someone else who works in her med spa mm-hmm. There's already credibility there that that's been built by the branding for sure. And I feel like so many people overlook that, that
Avery: Absolutely.
Kristin Kienzle: Branding is so important. And, and I know it's a, a hot topic, you know, like you're saying now, it's a very trending topic. Branding, branding, branding. Mm-hmm. But there is a lot of validity to it, and it, it really does promote a brand. I think it affects your, your pricing power, mm-hmm. And your demand, which [00:20:00] again affects pricing power.
Mm-hmm. So I, I think McKinsey's just a great example of that. Absolutely. And Brooke, I mean, there's a lot.
Avery: Yes.
Kristin Kienzle: We have Pam just, it's worth the
Ashlyn: investment.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah.
Patience Pricing and Paying Dues
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Avery: I think McKinsey did it right too. I see a lot of businesses doing this where like they start too big, too fast. I just think people don't understand the patience and like the little tiny, little details that really come into play to make your brand successful or not.
Like it really isn't make it or break it. And I think that's where I see a lot of brands mess up is they try to grow too fast. And they, they're like, oh, I don't need that little business card. I don't, well, those details matter. Yeah. They really do. And. Think people try to outgrow too fast. Think what Mackenzie did was great.
She was just solo on her own in a studio suite, hired one esthetician started and then started to slowly grow. Mm-hmm. And now she has this big spa, but she's got so many loyal clients and so much credibility and trust. Like you were saying, that she's built for years and years and years. It's so easy to be like, well I want the big [00:21:00] beautiful spa.
Yeah. You know, and I want it now.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah. Oh yeah.
Avery: So I think her patience also for understanding that all these little things really do matter.
Ashlyn: Mm-hmm.
Avery: Really also propels her
Kristin Kienzle: attention to all the details.
Ashlyn: Absolute. And touching base on like pricing and stuff too. Like I know I have tons of people that are like, how can you charge that much for a photo shoot?
I'm like, I started at like $50 a shoot. Mm-hmm. Like, it's like I've been doing this for eight years now. Like not branding, branding only two. But you start really, really, really low. And then you just grow over time. Like I think people see. Super successful people and like, I'm gonna start there.
You're like, no, babe. Like I went through the trenches first. And now I'm here. Like, it took a long time to get here. But I think it is like hard because you, you want to, I mean, I was the same way. I had people I looked up to and I was 19 18 starting my business, and now I'm like, oh my gosh, now I'm like where they were, which I think is so cool.
But I just think the same thing with like McKenzie, where it's like when you start at a smaller space, you get to [00:22:00] keep growing and growing and growing. And I think that that's a really huge part of business that you don't see, you don't see all the, all the times that she was really, really not doing what she wanted to be doing.
Mm-hmm. And doing all the gru, probably grunt work. Yeah.
Kristin Kienzle: It was fun to watch her grow alongside her. Yeah. She was at Utopia and when she came there, she was working in a urology office.
Ashlyn: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Kristin Kienzle: So it's, it's really fun. So fun to watch her progress. Yeah. But back to what you're saying about people thinking that tomorrow I can charge what Ashlyn charges, I've got a camera.
Ashlyn: Yeah,
Kristin Kienzle: exactly. Well, everyone thinks they're a
Ashlyn: photographer
Kristin Kienzle: now. I see that in the beauty industry. Yeah. So much. And it's, it's s so frustrating where people think they're gonna get outta school and be charging, you know, $75 for a haircut. Right. Well, we all had to do our time. Yeah. And build up to that you $25
Ashlyn: haircut
Kristin Kienzle: and build trust and
Ashlyn: credibility.
Avery: Absolutely.
Ashlyn: Because that's how you build your clients too. Yeah. I mean, same thing I said earlier where it's like when I first did like my first month of brain, like, okay, I guess I'll take a shot at it, and I [00:23:00] booked however many people. Mm-hmm. Those are all the people that are still with me. Mm-hmm. And they've stuck with me from.
$500 a mm-hmm. Package to $2,000 a package. And like they're just, they trust the business and they trust what they're gonna get out of it. And they're like, oh no, I'm growing with you. Mm-hmm. Which is absolutely so important. Like, you wanna grow together.
Branding for Beauty Pros
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Kristin Kienzle: So you guys work with a lot of beauty professionals, several of whom work at Utopia and, and you work with us as well.
Ashlyn: Yep.
Kristin Kienzle: What is unique to beauty professionals in your business?
What should they know?
Avery: I feel like that whole world is very oversaturated and an esthetician is truly just a dimer doesn't, and I think there's so many talented beauty professionals everywhere, but in this city in particular, and.
You can really use that to your advantage or you can really let that hurt you. And I think that, I'm trying to think what to say. Like
Ashlyn: we have to be able to stand out,
Avery: I think kind of like what we were talking about earlier, of like showing your face showing up on your [00:24:00] socials every single day, popping on your story, talking to your audience.
That's all building like a really authentic personal connection because at the end of the day, if you're like a solo esthetician, you're working in a studio by yourself, you're not in a big hair salon or esthetician studio with other estheticians, you know, you are the brand.
Producer: Mm-hmm.
Avery: Essentially that's what you're selling.
You're selling your personality and you're positioning yourself to find clients that are like-minded, you.
Mm-hmm.
You know, like Ashlyn's a very fun, outgoing personality. So if she was an esthetician, I'd tell her, showcase that so that you attract clients that are also fun and outgoing and want to yak your energy with you the whole time that you're doing their facial or, you know what I mean?
Standing Out on Social Media
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Ashlyn: Just to bounce off of that, I feel like also all, most probably all are like of beauty pros, like your services, like in person services. Mm-hmm. Like you're a service provider, so it's like you're either doing someone's hair or you're doing someone's face your brows or whatever. [00:25:00] Your branding has to be able to get someone to get to you.
Mm-hmm. Like, like you ha there's like a meeting place of like your Instagram page, your website, whatever it is that you need to be able to get them to want to come to you. Because ev like, again, like it's because it's so saturated. There's a billion hairstylist, there's a billion freaking mm-hmm.
Aestheticians that. I see that you do derma plane and like you do the same thing that every other one does. But I'm not gonna book an appointment unless I really feel like, oh, like look at this reel of her doing this facial. Like I get to know what the experience is gonna be like. Look at how much fun her clients are having when they're cutting hair and like, it seems like a girl time.
Like I wanna do that. Like you're selling, you're literally selling your personality experience without actually being able to meet those people in person. Which I think is really hard because you have to be able to sell your personality, sell your brand, sell yourself, like you said, your brand is who you are.
And so [00:26:00] being able to do that, being able to figure out how to master a way to do that through your branding before. 'cause I think once you meet that person, then you're like, oh, I loved her. Mm-hmm. She's so nice. Of course I'm going back. But like, you have to get someone to get to the part of meeting you.
Mm-hmm. Where you get to get someone to fall in love with you and then they're client forever. If you have a crappy social media, then they're like, I'm not booking and I'm never gonna meet you. And you could be the best esthetician in Wichita. The never, but I'm not gonna bet on that if you're social media sucks.
Kristin Kienzle: I don't think anybody really chooses their beauty professional, be it a hairstylist, esthetician or anything. Because the hairstylist does good hair.
Avery: No,
no.
Ashlyn: A lot of her style love
Kristin Kienzle: good hair.
Avery: Right? There's so many talented, she's so
Ashlyn: professionals. And I could cry in her chair and she was so like, I love her as a person and I'll support her for the rest of my life.
And
Avery: what do you always hear when you're like, oh my gosh, your hair looks so great. Who does it? They're gonna tell and be like, she is just the sweetest. You would love her. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah.
Avery: Very rarely are you hearing yes. Wasn't my blonding just looked perfect. Yeah. You [00:27:00] know?
Ashlyn: No.
Avery: And I think there is pieces to that.
Niche Down and Get Found
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Avery: Like it is important to find like your USP, which is your unique selling proposition like, like what sets you apart. And I think because it is so oversaturated it, you can use that to your advantage and it kind of allows you to niche down. So like there's a lot of. I've seen hairstylists search pop up that are calling themselves gray specialists.
Oh yeah. The current specialists. Yes, it is brilliant. And
Kristin Kienzle: I
Avery: think that
Kristin Kienzle: that's, I love the, I love the niche down. I
Avery: think niching down, that's the perfect industry to do it. Mm-hmm. Now, like we couldn't really niche down in this city because you kind
of
Kristin Kienzle: do though. I mean, I feel
Avery: like you have a vibe. You can, and like, I just mean client wise, like, I couldn't say, I'm only gonna work with med spas here.
You know what I mean? We need to be
Ashlyn: a little bit more broad.
Avery: Yeah.
Ashlyn: So I think a part of the niche thing too though, is that like, just playing back into branding, if you don't know how to like set up your page to where I can type in blonding specialist, I'm never even gonna find your page. Mm-hmm. Because there's again, a billion hairstylist, a billion facial [00:28:00] people here in estheticians here in Wichita that it's like I might not even ever come across your page.
Mm-hmm. Like you have to be able to know how to market everything. Like, it's so important because if I can't, like when I. Need a makeup artist. I just type Wichita makeup artist. If your thing does not pop up, you could be the best artist in Wichita. I have no idea that you exist. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Like, and if I did, I would send people to you, but like, if you don't know how to set up your page and like know all the behind the scenes stuff that Avery does, like all the analytics and all that, then your toast.
Why Analytics Matter
---
Kristin Kienzle: Let's talk about that. Mm-hmm. Analytics. I do feel like that is so easy to overlook ly. It's, it's kind of like looking at your, your books or preparing for taxes. It's not that fun.
Ashlyn: Yeah. It's like QuickBook. But
Kristin Kienzle: I love it when the gal who does my social media tells me about my analytics or Brian, the guy who pro produce produces our podcast.
Mm-hmm. He tells me about the analytics. I don't go looking for it, but it's always interesting. Yes. Super valuable. So talk a little bit about that, Avery. Yeah.
Avery: I feel like growing up I hated [00:29:00] math. Like I'm not a numbers girl, but I can nerd out on these analytics numbers and I dunno why. I think it's
Kristin Kienzle: Do you have a hard time getting other people, your clients to buy in to nerding out with you?
Avery: Yes,
Ashlyn: yes.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah.
Avery: I think a lot of times I send these like super extensive analytics supports and I'm like, gosh, I don't even know if they opened that email and read
Ashlyn: that. Yeah, no. Yeah.
Avery: But but it important of my clients, some
Ashlyn: of I'm and be like, was that good or bad?
Avery: A lot of my clients really only care, like what their ROI is looking like, or, you know, something very like broad like that.
I think it's validating for me to see like, oh, what I'm doing's working.
Ashlyn: Yes.
Avery: But it's so important because if you're just throwing whatever you can and hoping it sticks and you're not going back and checking in those numbers to see, well, did it stick
Kristin Kienzle: what sticks?
Avery: Mm-hmm. Then you have no strategy, you have no direction, you're just posting to post at that point.
Mm-hmm. And that's not gonna do your business any good. Mm-hmm. Because you can't just random. I hope it works. I mean, you gotta look like, look back at your numbers. I, I think people
Kristin Kienzle: do.
Avery: Yeah. Absolute.
Kristin Kienzle: They're
Avery: not
Kristin Kienzle: working with you. They're just being random. Well, so,
Avery: and that's
Kristin Kienzle: [00:30:00] throw out working, working with you.
Really bump that up. Can you, can you see a big difference? You know?
Avery: Absolutely. Yeah. So I think having like a, somebody educated in this mm-hmm. They can really develop a strong social media strategy to follow is so important because you can't just post to post with no goal in mind. That's not gonna get you a client, that's not gonna get people in your door.
It's not gonna set you apart from like we're talking about the beauty industry. Your content has to differentiate you from everyone else. Because if I'm scrolling and I'm seeing it, I'm like, I don't even probably take account whose account posted that. 'cause it looks like every other hairstylist post I'd seen on my whole feed all day.
Yeah, exactly. So I think being able to have. A strategist make you a very strong social media strategy to follow, and then making sure that it's working, because if it's not, then you need to reframe and you need to change your strategy up. You can't just like make a strategy and be like, all right, that's it.
That's what's gonna work for the year. If it's not working, then [00:31:00] you need someone who knows what they're doing to turn around and be like, okay, this isn't working, but this is so let's keep implementing this, but let's change this up. Seeing if that works and constantly monitoring and changing as as needed,
Ashlyn: what's, what's that saying?
That's like the definition of insanity. It's like doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Right? Yeah. That's what came to my head.
Avery: That's basically what a lot of people are doing.
Ashlyn: Yeah.
Avery: I don't think people realize, realize that there's a certain way to launch products or post things that are getting people to actually buy them.
You can't just make one graphic about your new service and then hope that one graphic, everyone's gonna see it and book from it.
Kristin Kienzle: That's so true.
Ads Repetition and Buyer Behavior
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Ashlyn: Well, I think it's also like something like sticks out to me as like aestheticians, where it's like if I see. Okay, this girl's face super broken out, like this poor girl.
Then she shows using these products two months later, look at her face. I'm like, yeah, sell the product. Give me the magic in the bottle. Yeah. Like I will spend [00:32:00] $300 on that product because if it's gonna do that for me, I mean it's a part of marketing. It's the same thing as like how Instagram will put ads on your stories.
It's like, okay, first time I'm like, oh, that's cute. And then I keep going and the second time I'm like, okay, I'll click on it. Okay. Mm-hmm. Third time I'm gonna add it to the cart and do I really wanna send this strategy behind it? Right? Yeah. But then the fourth time I'm like, okay, it's on my page four times.
I'll get it. Like,
Avery: well, and the reason that ad keeps showing up on your page, because I
Ashlyn: keep clicking
Avery: on it. Well, you stopped on it. Yeah. So that registers on their analytics. Oh, she stopped on it. So that system knows to put it on your page again. Yeah.
Ashlyn: Again,
Avery: strategy. Average consumer has to see something seven times before they purchase it.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah. Really?
Avery: So if you stop for half a second, I'm four. Some people are more impulsive. She stopped on that ad for half a second. She stopped scrolling. Yes. To look at it. So that tells that algorithm.
Kristin Kienzle: Let's also know if you like make it big
Ashlyn: zoom.
Zoom.
Avery: If you go like this. Any interaction with it. Yeah, yeah.
But it's flagging the algorithm, the computer is flagging in the [00:33:00] system that, oh, this person might be interested in this ad. Yeah. So So
Kristin Kienzle: let's show her more. Yeah.
Avery: So if we're gonna show her more, or maybe different ads that are the same campaign to the same product or same service, whatever it is, and it's gonna keep showing up on her page.
And I'm gonna
Ashlyn: keep buying it.
Avery: Mm-hmm. Are you able
Ashlyn: to, and I now have six bottles
Kristin Kienzle: and look at your skin.
Ashlyn: Yeah. And now it's so
Kristin Kienzle: glowy.
Reporting ROI and Growth
---
Kristin Kienzle: Are you able to show that to your clients? Can you show the difference? Like when you start working with someone, can you pull their analytics and then maybe six months down the road say this is where you are, and look at your sales and your revenue.
And do you see a correlation? Like do you break it down like that with your clients? Yes,
Avery: I do.
Kristin Kienzle: That's exciting.
Avery: Yeah, it's really cool. They, like, I would say, what you've grown, I would say I always take kind of base analytics when I first get an account, so then I know where we're starting from. Mm-hmm.
And then my clients get analytics reports every four months. So every four months they're getting how much their ROI went up, how much their engagement went up, reach, [00:34:00] views, all of that. They're seeing a percentage number of how much that went up. And I think that's really exciting for them. Mm-hmm.
And I think it also shows them that, okay, this investment is worth it and it's working. Not all my clients, I have access to their booking platforms, but the ones that I do, I, I am able to show them ROI or Hey, your bookings went up 50%. And I think they love to see that. That's
Kristin Kienzle: huge.
Avery: Mm-hmm.
Kristin Kienzle: I think, you know, they say numbers don't lie.
Mm-hmm. The data really, it doesn't lie. Tells a story. And I think as beauty professionals, we don't like to read that story.
Avery: Mm-hmm.
Kristin Kienzle: So it's great to work with someone like you who will put it in front of us and say no. Yeah. And simply put,
Avery: yeah.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah.
Avery: Because I think you're break it down
Kristin Kienzle: to your, when
Avery: you're looking at it on Meta Business Suite or whatever, you're running out on Google Analytics, whatever it's really, it can be kind of confusing if you don't know what you're looking at.
So I think also having it rewritten and in a, in language that's easier for people to read, it's very quick for 'em to be like, oh, my engagement's up 500%. Mm-hmm.
Ashlyn: Mm-hmm.
Avery: Everyone knows that's a great [00:35:00] number. You don't have to be tech savvy or marketing savvy to know. Right. Oh, my sales are up. That's a good thing.
Ashlyn: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Marketing as an Investment
---
Ashlyn: Well, I think playing off like what you said too, like about just again, like how it is an investment. Like I think of like just listening to other podcasts and like videos on TikTok and stuff like that where it's like people will go up to like millionaires and be like, how did you get to where you are?
And they're like, I went $70,000 in debt on credit cards. And like you like hear like, I grew up in a horrible abusive family. Like I started from nothing and like I invested in myself, I went into debt, I did all of this to be able to build, like, it was a lot of hard work to be able to be driving my Lamborghini in la but it's like, like people don't realize you have to invest to see the investment.
Mm-hmm. Like if you don't invest anything, then you're not. You're doing nothing, you're mm-hmm. Like it's how are you gonna grow when you don't do anything to grow?
Avery: I tell her this all the time. I think the best clients are the ones that understand marketing's and investment on expense.
Ashlyn: Yes. Mm-hmm.
Avery: I have clients that are like, they just [00:36:00] trust me now 'cause they've been with me for years.
And yeah. They'll spend, you know, a good amount of money to run a Black Friday campaign because every year they've seen that ROI.
Ashlyn: Mm-hmm.
Avery: Almost double what they spent on it.
Kristin Kienzle: Right.
Avery: Sometimes triple. Yeah.
Kristin Kienzle: I love that. Looking at it as an investment mm-hmm. Rather than an expense.
Avery: Yeah. Always. But that, that helps me, those numbers help me show new clients, potential clients, like, Hey, this really does work.
Mm-hmm. You know, yes, it's an investment, but. It's worth it. You gotta spend money to make money. I mean, truly.
Ashlyn: Well, it's like your brain thinks like that. Just in general as a business owner, you're like, do I wanna buy this $3,000 lens?
Avery: Mm-hmm.
Ashlyn: No, but it's gonna give me better pictures. It's gonna keep growing my business.
Mm-hmm. Where it's like you to think of it as like, oh, I don't, it's not an expense. I'm like, this is gonna be worth it when I get to use it. Pay it off, do all this stuff again, like you said it playing off, it'll
Avery: itself off
Ashlyn: exactly
Avery: off and then it will profit you.
Ashlyn: Yeah. Where it sucks at first, like even when I did my internship, I was like, I don't wanna spend [00:37:00] $800, but it's like, then thank God I did.
'cause I would be nowhere near where I am now
Avery: I think.
Ashlyn: And now that was the easiest $800 I spent. I'll spend four times $800 now. Thank
Avery: you.
Ashlyn: Yeah,
Avery: yeah,
Ashlyn: yeah. Exactly.
Credibility Education and Pricing
---
Avery: Yeah, I think about that with my education. Like I spent a lot of money to get a master's degree. Yeah. You know, so that I knew what I was talking about when I was doing this and mm-hmm.
When I didn't know what I was talking about. I was like in the first year of grad school and I was charging $450 and I kept telling myself, it's gonna be worth it. It's gonna be worth it. Mm-hmm. I'm gonna, and, and not even the money, but just the work it took to finish my master's, it's gonna be worth it.
I just kept telling myself and then once I graduated and I felt more competent in what I was doing, I was able to raise my prices and now I am making a sustainable living on it. Mm-hmm. I think it's also just so important, again, it takes humility to say, I don't know everything. Mm-hmm. And I need to be taught.
'cause I do see a lot of social media, digital marketing businesses popping up from people with no marketing background, no marketing education. And it's really hard for me. I tell her a lot. I'm like, I spent a [00:38:00] lot of time and energy and money. Getting this master's degree so that I was reputable and credible to these clients.
Mm-hmm. And I think it's just, it's so important. I think it's what sets me apart the most from other companies, and I try so hard in my own branding to make people like see that that's how I'm choosing to position myself as like an expert in that and, well, it just shows, I think that I've attracted my ideal type of client because of that, because I'm attracting clients who are really serious about their business value and really care about who's handling these very vulnerable parts of their business.
Ashlyn: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Well, it shows too, just like the difference of investing in someone like Avery who has all of her degrees, who's done all this, who knows what she's talking about, versus someone else who's just like, oh, I think I'd be good at that, and knows nothing and it's just winging it. Mm-hmm. Then it's like.
Invest cheap. You're gonna get cheap results. Yeah. If you get the crappy $10 sneakers, they're not gonna be as good. Mm-hmm. The $160 sneakers where [00:39:00] it's like, yeah. Like it's, I mean, it's the same thing in business where it's like if you invest in a $200 photo shoot, you're gonna get $200 photos. You're not gonna get the magazine looking photos for that amount.
Exactly. You get what you pay for. Which I think, again, people are like, oh my gosh, that's a lot of money. But then like same way if you like, sometimes I tell Avery, if you divide that number into like a year's worth of content, like a month, okay, you're investing $200 in your business a month seems pretty worth it to me.
If you're making 4, 5, 6 times that.
Avery: Like Yeah. That was one of the ways we chose to kind of market our package. 'cause it is. It is.
Ashlyn: Yeah.
Avery: Honestly, honestly, it's a hefty investment.
Ashlyn: It is.
Avery: But we have like a four month package, eight month package, and then you can get a year of content also. Mm-hmm. As a package option.
Their Collab Content Packages
---
Avery: Wow. Tell us
Kristin Kienzle: about that. Tell us about what you offered together. Yeah.
Ashlyn: So yeah, tell us about it, Avery.
Avery: I would love to
Ashlyn: Please go
Avery: for it. So. Obviously we saw a need for kind of both sides of this strategy marketing side, along with this like very high level, high visual photography. And [00:40:00] so we created a four month package, an eight month package in a year package.
And so each of those include either one shoot, two shoots, or three shoots. So it's every four months you get a branding shoe. Mm-hmm. You
Ashlyn: get a branding refresh.
Avery: It's all styled. We provide all of the props
Ashlyn: mm-hmm.
Avery: Of the studio.
Ashlyn: We do all the hard work,
Avery: literally all the heavy lifting. All you literally have to do is show
Ashlyn: up, show up
Kristin Kienzle: and
Ashlyn: look pretty well.
Right. And like the branding part too is like, people are like, I don't know what to bring. I don't know what props I need. I don't know what to get. Where it's like, that's the benefit too, is that like we do all of the work where it's like, show me your Ns o board, let me know like what you want and then I'll go to Hobby Lobby, I'll go get all this stuff because you have no idea what you're getting anyways.
Like what I see versus what you see is completely different. So like, I'll go get all this stuff and you just show up. We'll make you look good, which is so amazing. And then you
Avery: just have great marketing because especially when you have, like I was talking about Black Friday campaigns coming up, or Christmas campaigns.
A lot of beauty professionals do Black Friday or Christmas campaigns. And so if you schedule, if Christmas is within those four months, then you're getting [00:41:00] all of that content. Mm-hmm. So we always, like, we have a big questionnaire and we have a meeting with our clients beforehand and they kind of let us know if they have specials or deals coming up.
And then we're able to curate photos and visuals and graphics and reels and all the things that are specifically for Christmas time. Mm-hmm. So they're getting this really specific type of content to be able to push these really specific types of specials. And I think that's also really unique. 'cause I think a lot of business owners, they're busy running their business and they push that off.
And now Christmas is two weeks away and I don't have Christmas photos.
Ashlyn: Well then they get get stressed out too. 'cause they're like, I don't wanna set up a tripod in the corner of my room and then try and edit all the content and do all that where it's like. Okay, well, what takes you an hour takes me five minutes.
Like, let us do all the content. You don't need to go set up a tripod and try and get good enough content all day. Like just let us do it.
Avery: And then again, it's strategized for you. You're knowing what to post and when and why,
Ashlyn: and we're
Avery: telling you what to
Ashlyn: do.
Avery: And there's no guesswork in it. You are not, it's hoping it works.
It's all towards, you know, the goals of your business, which I think is really unique
Ashlyn: for sure.
Avery: As well.
Done For You Management Option
---
Avery: And then we also, should I [00:42:00] tell them about our new one?
Kristin Kienzle: Yes.
Ashlyn: Okay.
Avery: So we were just doing just the content for a while. So just the content itself, they would be in charge of posting it. We're now making a collab service with my full social media management and her photos.
Ashlyn: Yes.
Kristin Kienzle: Is it just you two or do you have someone helping you
Avery: with this? It's just us two.
Kristin Kienzle: Oh,
Avery: wow. Yeah. So instead of getting the content to have to post yourself mm-hmm. It's full social management. Mm-hmm. But with her visuals.
Ashlyn: Mm-hmm.
Oh,
that's
Kristin Kienzle: nice.
Ashlyn: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Avery: Which is,
Ashlyn: oh, that's nice. Oh
Avery: yeah, that sounds
Kristin Kienzle: amazing.
Avery: So, I mean, that's even like, that's the most hands off you can really get with it, you know?
Ashlyn: Well, the way that we curated like all the packages too, is that like, like since we had so many of the same clients where like they book me separately, they book her separately, we curated it to where if you book these packages specifically, then you're saving money instead of like, well, and then we do a lot of the communicating instead of the client having to communicate with me, having to communicate with Avery, then it's like we just communicate and again.[00:43:00]
We do all the work and it's just easy that way. And you save money doing it that way too. Mm-hmm. Because then you're not outsourcing two people, you're just outsourcing one. It's easier for
Kristin Kienzle: both of you
Ashlyn: too. Yeah. It's
Kristin Kienzle: less work on your end.
Avery: Absolutely. Right. And then for
Ashlyn: sure, it's a better value all the way we're getting.
Avery: Absolutely. And there's tons more like perks within that. Like again, like the studio's covered, all the props are covered, your strategy's covered when you just know,
Ashlyn: like when I'm taking photos, I'm like, I know exactly what Avery needs here. Mm-hmm.
Avery: Like, it's because I've told her, Hey, I'm running this campaign this month.
Ashlyn: Yes.
Avery: And I need these exact visuals to do, you know, 'cause my content's planned before she even takes the pictures. Mm-hmm. So I'm, she's knowing exactly what I need. It's makes her job easier and it goes a lot faster. So that's easier on the client as well. Yes. 'cause they're not in the studio for four hours.
Like, oh, I hope we got everything.
Ashlyn: Yeah.
Avery: You know, I'm like, I Lyn and I need this. And she's like, done next.
Ashlyn: Yeah. So it's very efficient, like having a business assistant in the sense of like. Everyone's dream of like waking up and like having a regular life assistant. Like someone does my hair, my makeup tells me, it makes me breakfast, tells me where I need to [00:44:00] be today.
Drives me.
Avery: That's us for your
Ashlyn: business. Yeah, it's us for your business. We'll tell you what to do. 'cause everyone like comes to a photo shoot and they're like, I don't know what to do. I don't know what I'm doing. Like everyone's so stressed out and it's like when you work with us and it's like you just, I feel like a lot of our clients have a lot more confidence and like I see that especially with like McKenzie just 'cause she's someone that does a lot of stuff with us.
We just show up. She goes, I don't know what we're doing today, but I'm ready. I trust
Avery: you.
Ashlyn: That's nice. I
Avery: know you'll
handle
Ashlyn: it. Yeah, we, it's like you don't even have to worry about, she's like, I've got my makeup done. Where do I need to go? Mm-hmm.
Partner Perks and Community
---
Avery: But we have a lot of really cool partners within our collab too, which is really cool.
So you get discounts on spray tans with spraying Golden.
Ashlyn: We're collabed with
Avery: a lot of owners. We have makeup by McKayla.
Ashlyn: Have Mikayla have Kayla Emerson Oxy, we have
Avery: Boston Craig.
Ashlyn: Yeah. It's
Avery: super
Kristin Kienzle: valuable.
Ashlyn: Yes. Yes. So then you get discounts when you go to all those places too. Mm-hmm. Because they're collabed with us.
Avery: Yeah. So they're
Ashlyn: part of our collab. So you get a spray tan your hair done get, I think we have
Avery: Mayfield.
Ashlyn: Yes. Avery Mayfield is, is the best hair stylist ever.
Avery: So we just have [00:45:00] So a lot of other perks too where then, 'cause you are shooting, you know, every four months. Mm-hmm. If you're getting like a year package, that's three shoots
Ashlyn: getting But you're getting the best of the best.
Yeah. Of every area. I'm getting the best spray. 10 best makeup, best hair, best graphics it. Best photos,
Avery: which was so great.
Ashlyn: There's place to be insecure or like worried.
Avery: Mm-hmm You
Ashlyn: already know's.
Avery: Like all done for you. Which is so cool.
Ashlyn: That is nice. It's a business personal
Avery: system and it's allowed us to make a lot of really cool connections within beauty industry.
You know, another industry, which is so
Ashlyn: cool we and support other businesses.
Avery: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Ashlyn: Because that's a part of it too, is building up other businesses too.
Avery: They're getting exposure that way and vice versa. Mm-hmm. So
Ashlyn: that's
Avery: really cool.
Ashlyn: Well, and then you get to make all those connections too, because like, for example.
If someone goes to go get their hair done with Avery for the shoot, then they're like, oh my gosh. Like I didn't know you do color. And then like that's a way for them to get forever clients because then they, that's our way of being able to help get those people to you and then you get to build those connections on your own.
So I think that's really cool for us too. And I think it makes us feel like we're helping other businesses in that way. Where it's like, here take our clients as well. Like let's [00:46:00] all have the same clients and like Well,
Kristin Kienzle: they're also going to send their clients your way.
Avery: Exactly.
Ashlyn: Exactly. It's usually
Avery: beneficial.
Ashlyn: Cool.
Avery: And we love having friends. Yeah. Other business owner friends. A lot of those girls are our age, which is really cool to meet other young business owners. Super cool. So that's another really good thing. I mean, there's a lot of good that's come out of it, but that's one of the big things that we've really love too.
Ashlyn: Yeah.
Wrap Up and How to Connect
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Kristin Kienzle: Thank you so much for doing this with us today.
I feel like we got so much valuable information. And we know more about what you guys do, but we also just know a lot about branding and photography and, and so many tidbits that are beneficial. So if someone who's listening wants to get in touch with you for your services or collab with both of you, how did they reach you?
Avery: Yes, absolutely. Well, thank you for having us for so much fun. Yeah, thanks. It
Kristin Kienzle: was so much fun.
Avery: Yay. Um, You can find us on Instagram at Set Theory Marketing or Ash at Ashland Faith Branding. Our websites are in our bio, so you can click that and our club is there.
[00:47:00]