Building a Successful Business through an Inclusive Lens w/ Chrystal L.

Let me guess, you are a hustling, bustling hairstylist behind the chair, working so hard to build a beautiful career for yourself, one that gives you time, freedom, and energy to spend with yourself, your family, and your friends. But you feel like you're always working in your business, even when you're not behind the chair. My name is Hunter Donia, and I help you automate your systems and implement really beautiful strategies so you can grow your business without the overwhelm. And this is the Modern Hairstylist podcast.

Hello. Hello, friend. Hello, friend. Welcome back to the Modern Hairstylist podcast.

I am beyond excited because I have a very good friend to be chatting with us today, and she'll be sharing her love, knowledge, and grace with us today. She is amazing, she is beautiful, and she is a powerhouse, and I have learned so much from this beautiful, inspiring woman, and I am so appreciative to have her on our podcast today. Crystal L., what's going on, friend?

How are you? Hello, hello, hello. I'm, oh my gosh, I don't even know how to, like, follow up from that, like, amazingness. I'm, like, smiling from ear to ear.

Um, uh, ditto, my friend, ditto. I've learned so much, so much, so much from you too. I just love watching you, and I love watching your grace and your willingness to help, and that you are truly an ally in this journey, so thank you, thank you for having me here. I'm super excited.

Yeah, thank you so much, Crystal. I was like, as soon as I started the, the podcast, I was like, "Okay, who do we have to ask to interview?" And of course, you were, like, definitely on that list. So I was, I was really appreciative that you were so down to come on and, and hang out with us.

And so, uh, Crystal, how about before we get into the conversation and what we're going to be talking about today, how about you just give the listeners a little bit of a backstory about who you are, how you got into this industry, and all that led up to where you are today and what you're doing now? Absolutely. Alrighty, alrighty. Um, well, my name is Crystal L.

Um, I am all hair industry expert. I'm an educator, a salon owner, and entrepreneur who has been in this industry for about 13 years. Um, I have always had a passion for teaching and bringing awareness to creating, um, inclusive spaces for hairstylists. Um, however, um, I got here by force.

Um, I wanted to be a teacher. I absolutely did not want to be a hairstylist. I thought hairstylists were dumb- ... um, and there was no way they were making any money.

Um, my first experience at the hair salon at 15 was like hell to the no, um, not even thinking about it. Um, but my mom told me at 15 I would be a hairdresser, and I was like, "You lie," um- ... and I fought it. I literally fought it for, um, I would probably say the next 20 years.

Um, oh, not f- okay, was that 15? I would say the next 10 years or so. And I got into the hair game late, so I think I, I joined, um, became an apprentice in, at 26, um, and it was because a friend of mine was doing a wedding, um, and she owned a hair salon, and I'd been helping her with, like, her branding and her marketing, um, and another friend got married and she was running behind and she was like, "Can you jump in and help?" And I was like, "Sure."

And she was like, "I need you to create this picture." And I had been doing hair, like, as a woman of color, like, I did a lot, I was a kitchen beautician my whole entire life, um, so I jumped in, did it, and then the next year, she harassed me, and she was like, "You really need to go to hair school." And I was like, "Girl, I already got, like, 40K in debt from going to school for education- ... to be a teacher that I'm not currently using, so I don't think I wanna, like, pay 17,000 more dollars, um, with the idea of what I had of the beauty industry, honestly.

Um, and so she was like, "Well, look, if you come to the Las Vegas Hair Show with me and the Chicago Hair Show with me and you still feel the same way, I will leave you alone." So I went to the Las Vegas Hair Show, and she was an educator for Farouk Systems, and I got to, like, be all up in it, and I was like, "Oh, shit, it's not just like being behind the chair slaving from, like, 6:00 to 6:00. There's so much more to this industry than what I had been exposed to." And she was like, "Nope."

And then we went to the Chicago Hair Show, and then it was like beauty, hair, and kicking it, and meeting people, which I'm all about networking. So it was like, okay, that solidified that I was completely wrong about what the beauty industry had to offer and my ability to be and do all the things that I could've ever imagined. Um, and so I joined an apprenticeship. Um, after about a y- it takes, in Missouri, it's 3,000 hours because you're not doing traditional school versus 1,500.

Wow. Um, so I would probably say, yeah, it was like, it was, you know, it was long, but it was great because- Mm-hmm. just like in traditional beauty school, at 200 hours, you can start taking clients. Mm-hmm.

Which means that you are starting to build a clientele in a space that you're already going to be in, right? Right. So unlike beauty school, I wasn't gonna have to, like, build these people and then leave and be like, "Hope and pray you're gonna come and, and, and leave your $7 haircut." Right.

'Cause that's not really gonna happen. Um, so for me, it was like I got the opportunity to build. And I can remember the moment that it literally happened was a Groupon, um, for a cut and color for, um, $39, and I sold 103 and I did 93 of the 103, um- Wow. and I was, a colorist was born.

So- ... that is how it, that was that, and then I managed her salon, um, for the next two years, um, which was really great because that allowed me to, like, see how a business, the inner works of the business ran, um, and then I, after about, f- I think I was there four and a half years, I decided to, I was already doing booth rental, so I had never done commission, I decided to venture out into booth renting in a small space, um, where no one else showed up for work, um, so that was interesting. Um, and then, and, and I, and I will be honest with you, I had zero desire to ever own a salon. Like, that never even crossed my mind.

Hm. Education, yes. Salon, no. Um, and then in 2016, I walked into a salon that was closing-And I literally was going to buy a chair, a child's chair, which I still own it, and a magazine rack.

And I ended up talking to this woman named Carolyn, and Carolyn talked for like 45 minutes, and, um, w- walked me to my car with all my shit, and was like, "So have you ever thought about opening a salon?" And I was like, "Yeah. But, you know, banks don't give you money to open salons when it's your dream, right? Like, you gotta have capital or a man with some money, um, who has capital."

And she was like, "Well, what if I gifted this to you?" And I was like, "What you mean, girl?" And she was like, "What if I stopped selling everything in the salon and I would leave it all for you, you could keep my phone number, you could keep everything?" I was like, "Well, I would think about having a salon."

Um, and she was like, "Okay. You've got, you know, 72 hours, let me know." And so I reached out to two people that were my clients who were actually mentors. Um, and the first one owned a pretty, um, large allergy and asthma here, and place in town, who is still my client, love her to death.

And I told her the opportunity, and I, I know her story. She started in the closet and grew to that. And she said, "Well, what would it..." I was like, "But I want it to be like corporate," right?

I feel like corporate shit works well because there's systems, there's- Yeah. policies, there's onboarding. Like, I came from corporate America, right? I worked at a university managing about $14 million.

It was corporate. Um, and I... And that worked well, and that's what I knew. And, um, I was like, "And I want it to be branded very professionally," and I was like, "And it's gonna take like $900...

$9,300." Like, that was exactly how much it was. Like, I had priced out everything. And she was like, "Well, what if I gifted to you?"

And I was like, "What you mean?" She was like- Yeah. "What if I gifted to you with, like, zero interest, you just tell me how you're gonna pay it back?" And I was like, "Well, I would think about opening a salon."

So that was like the first step. And then another client and friend, who was actually my business coach, the very first business coach I'd ever hired, um, I literally p- think I was paying her like $45 a month, um, which was really, really great. Um, and she- Yeah. was training on me and I was training on her, and, um, which coaching just doesn't cost that much anymore.

Um, cost doesn't... Ca- it's way more than that, um, but I was, uh, she was awesome. And she was like, "If you do this, I will help you write a handbook and I will onboard every single one of your employees for the first year." And that's what she did.

And so that's how Cristal L Hair & Makeup was born. It was this... It was a, it was a really cool space, and when I look back at it, I was like, "Girl, what the hell was you doing?" I had like purple walls and...

I mean, it was what I could afford. It was beautiful, it was all the things. Um, and I opened up my first space and I opened with myself, and then I went on to bring on my first apprentice, Sasha, um, and then I went on to bring on another commissioned stylist and a booth renter. So that was that.

Um, did that for a few years, ended up in a coworking space and realized that, like, it was like a suite without walls. Um, I realized I wanted... I told the universe, I was like, "You know what? I have so many friends who have suites, I think I wanna like move into more education, I wanna move into, um, more suites."

And this was like the end of 2019. And it was so crazy because I was on the phone with another person at a nonprofit, and she was like, "We just bought this beautiful building, and we have like 2,000 square feet upstairs and we don't know what to do." I was like, "Oh, you're gonna build salon suites." Mm-hmm.

And she was like, "What?" She was like, "What the hell is that?" I was like, "Let me make you a presentation." Yes.

Um, so I made her a presentation, um, and lo and behold, Spacie was born, which is where I'm in now. And the agreement was pretty much like, "I have no idea how to make salon suites, so you can make them and I will, um, pay for them, and you will find the people who go in them." And our goal was that it would just be inclusive, so every single person, all eight of us in this space do all hair, or makeup- Mm-hmm. or makeup or barbering, um, or skincare.

So, uh, that is where I'm at now. And then in 2019, at the same time, um, All Hair Academy was born. Mm-hmm. And All Hair Academy was born out of a need to really, um, create more spaces where people feel like they belonged.

I started getting the same questions. People would actually DM me and ask me if I was, like, a coach or educator, and I was like, "Uh, no, I'm not." And, um, my current coach, Elizabeth Fay, in 20, in 2019, said, like, brought me on her podcast under false pretense, I will say, um, to talk about my story, and then ended up putting me on the hot seat to walk me through how I was gonna become a coach. Um, and I really still pushed back on that, and...

But finally, um, actually in 2020 when George Floyd was murdered, the platform really opened up to have more conversations about why we need inclusivity and why it's important, uh, for our industry, but it wa- it's been important for me for like, you know, 13 years. Wow. Um, and so All Hair Academy was born, and then later, Th- The Beauty Collective, which you are a founding member of. Mm-hmm.

Um, and these two programs focus on making the beauty industry more diverse, more inclusive, um, and actually just giving people actionable steps, not just to make spaces where they belong, but actually build businesses from inclusive lens. So like, a lot of people say, "Oh, we're gonna come in and like talk all about DEI," and we do definitely talk about DEI, because I feel like you have to change your heart and your mind, um, and understand how we got here in order to create a space that's gonna be inclusive, in order to add tools to your tool belt to actually do the services that you wanna learn how to do, you have to start with your heart and your mind. Um, so that's how I got here in 2022. Woo.

That's a long one. Sorry. Wow. What a wild story.

That is freaking awesome. Um... Thank you. And it's just so obvious, like, because of all of the experience and like the pivots and like all the things that you've done, it's so obvious like why you would be here where you are today.

Like, I feel like everything that you've been through, like, was meant to be, right? To get you to where you are now. And it's... And that, I feel like that's why you can approach, um, being a leader, right?

So freaking well. Would you agree with me?W- I would 100% agree with you. Um, thank you for that.

And what's interesting when you say that is because literally, like, I can, I can literally look back, um, and last year, in 2021, I dove into, like, healing work and, and learning more about, like, the reasons why I behave the way I do. And I was, like, a very, like, stoic person who was like, "Emotions are fucking trash. Like, I don't cry." I don't, like, literally, I was like, "I don't cry unless I'm mad."

Yeah. I'm, I, I would literally tell people, like, "Either you're content or you're not, but there's no, like, blissful happy. And whoever tells you that they're blissfully happy, they're lying to you." Um, and that's so ser- like, crazy to think about that now, because anybody who knows me now, they're like, "You do what?

You're, like, such a," like ... I'm like, "I know, I know, I know. Like, such a cry person." Um, but now I look back on all of the things that happened in my life, and people always say, like, "You're so lucky."

And I was like, "I don't know if I was lucky." I do that I'm lucky, but I feel like I'm aligned, and when- Mm-hmm. you continue to do what brings you joy, do, um, look at everything like, "This is happening for me, not to me," um, your perspective and, and the doors that open become endless. And I think even for, like, even just thinking about setting intentions on, like, what I want and what I wanna do, and, and saying it's already done.

Like, literally, I'll be like, "This is what I wanna do, and it's done." And I speak it like it's already happened, and then to watch the doors happen, um, for them to open... Um, last week, I, there's this huge bougie, um, conference that's happening that's, like, $16,000 to attend, and somebody that I truly, truly admire, um, Rachel, uh, Rogers. Um, and I was like, "I'm just gonna apply for this, this, this grant, this, like, scholarship," and I was like, "and I'm gonna get it."

And my team was like, "Are you gonna get it?" And I was like, "Yeah, I'm gonna get it. I'ma get it." Yesss.

And then, and then when they, when I got the email that I got it, I was like, "Hey, bitches, I got it." They were like, "Of course you did." Nice. So, to answer your question, absolutely.

I feel like everything that happened, happened for me to be here, and now that I realize that I create the magic, I know- Mm-hmm. that I can create everything that I want going forward. Ah, so beautiful. And that's exactly what you're here doing, and I think that's really inspiring.

Um- Thank you. So, you said that... So, wait, first off, really quick, before before I get into this question, who came up with the name... Did you say Spacey was the name of the suites?

Yeah, yeah. That is so cute. I'm obsessed with that. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

That is so good. Yes. Um, but anyways- So it's a, yeah. The gr- it's a marketing agency up under us, which I think is hilarious.

So- Oh, okay. they are, yep, yep. So it's Spacey, and it's, like, a space where small businesses connect. That is so cute.

I'm obsessed with that name. Thank you. Um, so you said that, you know, w- uh, now w- with what you're teaching now, right, you said that this has been something that w- has been important for you for 13 years, right? Like, this, like, just because you're talking about it now doesn't mean that...

Just now, right, doesn't mean that it wasn't always something super important to you, right? And so, would you mind explaining a little bit of that, and, like, maybe when you got into the beauty industry, like, what you saw and, like, what you wanted to change or what you noticed and why people were reaching out to you and all of those things? Absolutely. So for me, when it came to inclusivity or diversity, equity, I'll be 100% honest, I didn't know what any of that shit meant.

Like, those terms- ... were just, like, you know, those were terms that, like, super smart people, like, coined and, like, we are all using. Mm-hmm. When I did it, I was just like, "I just want people to be able to walk in here and feel like they can get their hair done," right?

'Cause I had seen, I live in a town of about 130 to 50,000 people depending on if college is in, but we have four colleges and university. And honestly, when I first went into hair school, I was like, or, um, my apprenticeship, I was like, "I just wanna do Black people hair that's not red or orange." Like, really, because I had short hair, and I was like, "I wanna be a blonde." And people were like, "Well, you can't be a blonde," and I was like, "Oh, I can be a blonde."

I'm- Like, you gonna tell me I can't, okay, I'm gonna do some research and figure out how I can. Right. So, I believe in education, and so I quickly realized that hair is hair, and if you understand color theory, you can color anyone's hair. Right.

Um, and so I dove into that, and then w- our salon was, like, downtown, so people would walk in all the time. It was the era of walk-ins, and so the two people that I worked with were already really, really established, so I would get everybody that walked in. And so I never had to turn anyone away, and I know, like, now people teach differently 'cause I think walk-ins just don't happen, especially not after COVID, but, um, when, if you can build a foundation of everything, and I, and I still coach to this, if you build a foundation of everything, you can then niche down, right? Mm-hmm.

And, and then y- you can grow within that niche- Right. but you have to have this solid foundation. So for me, I was like, "Okay, I'm gonna do all the things," and, actually, I'm gonna, that's a lie. I wasn't doing no perms.

Wasn't doing perms. Wasn't doing 'em. I wasn't doing no perms. Okay.

And we were a green space, so I got super lucky there wasn't a lot of perms walking in. For sure. Um, so I just wanted people to feel like they could come in and get their hair done, which allowed me to scale extremely fast, um, and then I slowly was like, "Okay, I don't wanna do this, I don't wanna do this, I don't wanna do this." Um, and then I had an apprentice, so I was able to be like, "And you're gonna do this, this, and this."

Um, and what I learned later is that, oh, I had created what's called an inclusive space. Oh. And I was celebrating what is known as diversity by creating an inclusive space, and then the equity was happening because I was fully trained- Right. to do the services on the people, so I was, I was providing equitable resources to all the people walking in my space.

Right. So when I did this, I wasn't doing it because I, you know, because I knew anything about it. I just did it because I know as a woman of color, and a professional woman of color, often when we go into new cities, new towns and we want a particular experience, it is really, really, really hard to find that. Um, unless you go to JCPenney's or Ulta.

Like, I, I usually say, usually if you go to JCPenney's or Ulta, they're always going to have a Black stylist that knows how to do your hair. Um, except for our town, because our Ulta has zero stylists. Um, but anyway. Um, no shade to Ulta, just saying.

Because we have such a diverse space that they would hire stylists who often would not be equipped and there would be lots of complaints, so da-da-da-da, I think they're revamping. Um, I'm like, I s- I'm sorry, my brain, I like will go all over. That's okay. I love it.

Yeah. Um, and so this all happened out of coincidence. Um, and then when it came to ... W- my very first, when I decided I was going to be a coach, it was in 2019, I actually made a wedding course, right?

And I still have it, and it'll launch in June of 2022. Mm-hmm. So one thing that I don't talk about very often is I probably have a $100,000 producing wedding in- business on the side. Wow.

Right. So, um, I fell into those doing styled shoots. Um, there was a styled shoot that had a curly haired, you know, fake bride, and they were like, "Oh my gosh, this girl has beautiful big red curly hair. Who in our town can do their hair?"

So they reached out to me, ended up on a wedding styled shoot, and from that shoot, I became known for being able to, like, kill weddings. Wow. And I was like, "Okay." And then I was like, "Well, I don't wanna h-" I was like, booth renting at the time, and I was like, "Well, I don't wanna hire a bunch of people."

So I created this separate business where I, I employ, um, right now seven independent contractors who are hairstylists and makeup artists, and this, it's all branded under me. Um, I book the weddings, I do the bride, I bring them in. Um, we typically do anywhere between 20 to 25 weddings a year. So I was like, "I'm gonna teach people how to do this."

And I, it's very systematic. People say weddings are stressful. I have never, ever, ever, ever had a stressful wedding. Mm-hmm.

But, like, how you talk about systems, like, when I say systems, it's systems. Like, there's a form they fill out before they ever see me. Yeah. They're required to do a tryout.

We pick all the hair before. Every contract, every I, every T is crossed. Like, it's a system. So 2019, I was like, "I'm gonna sell this.

This one I'm gonna sell." It was like weddings are way in a box. Right? It's fully done, all the things are ready to go.

Um ... Yes. And then I was like, "Okay, this is cool." And then I started being asked to talk more about what I had created.

Like, how I created inclusive space. And I was like, "Okay. Well, I don't wanna be the Black girl talking about DEI," and I was like, you know, I just like, I d- I didn't wanna do that. And then, um, like I shared with you before, I was in a Clubhouse room with my friend, um, our friend, Britt Seva.

Mm-hmm. And she made a statement about, like, if you wanna be an educator, to have yourself stand out, you have to have a niche. And then within that niche, you need to dive deep into that niche, right? Mm-hmm.

And so for me it was like, I can be an educator who talks about how to make a successful business where people feel like they belong through all of the experience that I have and have done, and it live under a diversity, equity, and inclusion and belonging umbrella. Mm-hmm. And because everything that I talk about is always going to have this, this lens, it's not necessarily that I'm pigeonholed into being d- the Black girl talking about these things. It's that I am a bomb ass salon owner, educator, who approaches things from a lens of inclusivity.

Yes. So, that is how The Beauty Collective and All Hair Academy was born. That is so beautiful. And I love how honest and transparent you are about, you know, quote-unquote, you know, you didn't want to be the Black girl talking about DEI.

And I think, like, just speaking to my fellow w- white people listening to this, I think that, um, a lot of the times what we, what we, when we first start, like, ever even looking into DEI or, um, self-reflecting and all of that, we automatically think, like ... Or I guess before we start thinking about it, we think that, like, oh, like, this person is Black so like, we put them into, like, this box of like, oh, they only do other Black people's hair. Or like, oh, they only should be speaking about this, right? And, and that's just, like, our small-mindedness, and, and, and, um, and I, and I love how transparent you are about the fact that, you know, you didn't, you didn't want to be fit into that box.

And, and I think that it's important for us as white people if we are holding spaces, if we are employing people, if we are approaching any- anybody, that we remember that, you know, like, people, people of all colors are all going to be, you know, interested in multiple things and can do many, many, many different things. Mm-hmm. And, um, I don't know, I just think it's really beautiful how you, how you've stepped into your power. But, however, you, uh, you have taken something that you have just always been really beautiful d- uh, at, because just you inherently felt that it was important, and now you're teaching people how to build businesses through inclusive lenses, but successful, thriving businesses.

And even more so, right? Even more successful, because it's built through that lens, which is like the, which is the kicker, right? It is so- That is just so cool. Yep.

And I think that's it. That's 100% the kicker, and I think ... I was talking to someone, I was like ... And I'm gonna say this, 'cause I'm gonna just be 100% honest.

Mm-hmm. I'm like, even if you're f- an asshole, right? Like, you're like, "I don't even believe in it." "I don't think it exists.

There's no such thing." Like, you would wanna do it because you're just gonna make m- you're gonna be more profitable. Like, you're just- Right. going to be more profitable.

You're going to be more profitable because, one, you're going to have more tools in your tool belt. Two, if you're a salon owner, you're going to have the ability to cre- to create a space that's going to have the ability to have all kinds of people doing all kinds of hair, producing you all kinds of income, right? So like- Mm-hmm. the profitability is way more.

And I w- I want to say this because I go to the beauty schools and talk. These young girls coming, and boys and people and humans, coming out of beauty school, they want to do it all. Yeah. They don't want to...

A lot of them are like, "No, no, no. I want to, I want to be able to do all my friends' hair," because I feel like they are way more versed with each other. They are way more accepting. Mm-hmm.

They are way more open. Um, they want to know how to do all techniques and, and color on all hair, like... And I'm going to tell you what, our industry is moving f- forward with that. So one of the brands that I love, Alfaparf, last year was the very first brand ever who had Colorist of the Year and required that you work on all hair textures.

So like, you submitted a portfolio and had to have everything, and then they brought you out to New York City and brought people in, like which I have, I have seen people submit, but I didn't know that people actually like come and do hands-on. They brought people to Alfaparf, um, Academy in New York, and you got models. And they were like, "Do these looks. Do...

Be creative." And your model had everywhere from fine to wavy to c- to curly hair, and you had to produce a portfolio over a certain amount of days, and then they decided who was the winner, and I was like, "And that's the cream of the crop, right?" Yeah. Because they can do it all.

Like, how can you be Colorist of the Year if all you do is straight fine hair, right? Right. You're not Colorist of the Year. You're not, you're not the cream of the crop because you can only do this bomb-ass hair on this one hair texture.

Right. Right? Like, how can you be an expert in this, but you can only do this on this? Yes.

And I say that because I don't believe that everybody needs to know how to do everything. Like, I don't do braids. I really don't get into extensions un- unless I absolutely love you. I'm fully certified in pretty much just about every extension method there is- Mm-hmm.

but that's not something I choose to do because it's super meticulous and I have zero desire to do that. Right. Um, so I don't call myself that, but I call myself a color specialist, and I don't care who walks in. I can color your hair, and you will leave with either a blowout, if you so choose, and you can only get that- Mm-hmm.

if you don't wear your hair curly all the time, or a beautiful styled wash-and-go curl, right? Right. So even when people say, "Well, I want to be a colorist. I'm a balayage specialist, but I don't know how to do those things," I just want you to learn how to do those two things.

I want you to learn how to be able to cut it- ... the, the hair, right? That's it. Yeah.

Like, cut the shape, because really, just I think our beauty school has scared us to be like, "Oh my God, it's something so hard, so complicated." It's truly not. The same 45-degree haircut you're doing on a bob or the 90-degree, you're doing the same thing on curly hair. You're just having to apply the technique a little bit differently, as you would with somebody who's fine or dense.

It's not like this whole plethora of like, I'm doing something completely different in thinking. Um, and then in blowout, like I round brush blow out everybody. Mm-hmm. Doesn't matter the texture.

So that round brush technique that nobody does anymore is something that I apply to everybody. Um, I don't even know. So the point is that if you're going to specialize in something, at least have the foundations of a finish work. And I also p- feel like people don't do finish work anymore.

The foundation- Uh, yes. Yes. I... Yes.

I completely agree. Y- Unless they're, unless they're taking a picture for Instagram, I feel like finish work doesn't exist. Right. I'm like, "No, no, no, no, no."

Like, finish work is everything. I built my business- Yes. on finish work- Mm-hmm. because I'm going to tell you what I'm doing, why I'm doing it, what I'm using, how much to use it, and then I'm going to sell it to you, right?

Yeah. And then you're going to go recreate it at home. Then I'm going to make a whole nother little thing of like education for my clients that you're going to pay for, right? Yeah.

So then you're going to be like, "Oh man, Crystal has these bomb-ass videos for clients," that I built a whole nother stream of VIP that, that brings another form of revenue, which keeps the loyalty going because I am providing something that no one else is- Yep. and I'm continuing to pour into them when they left my chair. Yes. During, you know, during COVID, we had a Facebook group, um, before it was a thing because we already had a Facebook group.

Right. And we hung out. I did tutorials. We talked about food.

You know, we made recipes. I actually had a good time in the house during COVID. I know people are going to like yell at me, um, but it was like a great time. Me and my clients bonded more.

Yeah. I made more money that year than I had made in previous years, um, and do- and did a lot less work, you know? Yeah. 'Cause I was in the house.

Um, so I don't even know. I, you know, I digress. I be like, "Mer." Sorry, sorry, sorry.

It's all good, it's all good. No, I love it. I'm obsessed with this. Um, so I...

So couple points, couple points. So number one, if you're going to say that you're specializing in something, you know, y- if you're going to do it on one person on one type of hair, then you, you should know how to do it on other types of hair. Abso-freaking-lutely, right? Um, and also, I love that you talked about, you know, when you're first building your foundation, like you should be trying out all the things.

Like you should be, you should be doing most of the things. I agree with you though. When I first started out, I was doing all the things, but I was not doing perms. I was like, "No.

I'm not doing perms." I was like, "I will take anybody, but I'm not going to do perms." Um, but even now though, even now though, I am, um, I, uh, I'm very specialized in my, in my balayage and like my low-maintenance color, right? However...

I will go and take, like, a random cutting class for, like, some technique that, like, I probably will never do because I will learn so much that I can take and I can adapt into making it applicable to what my specialty is and who I'm serving, like, no matter what, right? And, like, so, like, you can't lose. Like, you can't lose from, like, learning more. Like, there's just no such thing as that.

And, um, and I think that it's, it's a good point though, that, like, before you start, like, niching down and go- and going really specialized, that you do want to start to build your foundation and that you really want to get exposed to, like, multiple different things. And then once you really find, like, what's bringing you joy, what's bringing your clients the most joy, like, what, what is, like- what do you feel like you can really dive deep into? Then you start to go deep into it and make sure that if you're going to start to brand yourself as that, that you- if you- if you say that you can do this amazing haircut on one texture of hair, then you wanna make sure that you can do it on another texture of hair, because all walks of life have different types of fabric on their head, right? And mostly, 99% of people need their hair done, right?

Yeah. And so, so I love also, you know, how the- how you bring up. I- when I used to teach to, um... Well, not used to, now the- when- whenever I talk about genderless pricing, just genderless pricing in general, I always say, I'm like, "If anything, like, do it for the profit."

Because you're charging everybody fairly, right? And at the end of the day, you'll make more money, you know? And so you, you just can't, you can't lose. Like, yes, it might be uncomfortable.

Yes, you might have to put in a little bit of an investment to learn these types of things, but at the end of the day, the return of what you put into it is just, like, so worth it, you know? Yeah. Would you agree with me? 100%.

And you're a good human. Like - Yes. you are... Yeah.

Like, and the bonus is you're a good human, and, um, I shared on Cocktails with Crystal, like, this crazy story about my Karen. Um, but she was a- this woman was a hairstylist, and she was- she has a daughter who was Black. Mm-hmm. And she didn't know anything about her hair, and the point I- since I say this story was because she said- she was, like, saying something, and I was like, "Oh, it's just like with balayage," or- 'cause I asked her what her specialty was, and she said, "Balayage."

And I was like, "Well, just like with balayage, it was hard at first, right?" She was like, "Yeah." And I was like, "And then you did it more and more and you got better at it, right?" And she was like, "Right."

It's the same thing. It's the same thing. Same thing. Like, any technique you wanna go learn or wanna go do or...

It's like, you weren't great at it at first. You're not gonna be... Let me tell you. It was the hair that was on my own head- Mm-hmm.

and my first, like, natural client, this, this woman came in. She had beautiful, luxurious hair, so much density. It took me six hours, and when I got done, I was like, "Yeah, I ain't never doing that shit again." I was like, "I'm not doing that."

I was like, "I don't wanna do naturals. I only wanna do people who have relaxers. I don't wanna do that." It was, like, the beginning- ...

of the natural hair movement. I was like, "Nope, not doing that, mm-mm." Right, right. My apprentice supervisor was like- she was like, "'Cause you don't have a system."

She was like, "You're gonna create a system behind how you section, how you blow dry, how you wash, and you're gonna cut the time in half." I can do just about anyone's head. Like, that client could walk into my s- chair now, and I'm done in two hours, start to finish. Mm-hmm.

I have a system now. So it's- Right. again, when you do something a bunch of times, you create a system around it, it becomes so much easier, it's natural. So if you're like, "I've never worked with any other hair than the hair on my head," creating it, like, diving into it, learning, doing it more, you're gonna get better at it, and you're gonna realize, "Ah, damn, it's not, it's not that hard."

Right, right, right. It's really not that hard. Yeah. Right.

That's awesome. And I love also that you said earlier, um, uh, I love that you said earlier that you feel like beauty school has kind of, um, uh, made this, like, perspective that, that, um, uh, tighter curls is, is scary. And it's, like, this thing that it's, like, so much more difficult, right? And it, it...

And it's been stigmatized. Like, that's truly what it has been. And, like, I mean, the books that we, that we study from in beauty school, like, h- like, these awful, like, foundations, right? I mean, that is probably 100% rooted in racism, unfortunately.

Like, that has stigmatized, you know, tighter hair textures with, with curls. And that's why it seems like this big, holy mammoth of something to start to learn and to attack. But like you said, like, I t- I talk the same... I talk about, like, tech the same way too, because I teach a lot of tech in my programs.

When people say, "I'm not techy," I'm like, "Were you, like, hair cuttery when you first started to cut hair?" Like, so same situation, right? I mean, like, if- if you start with something new, you're- you know, it's gonna take a little bit of uncomfortability, a little bit of work, a little bit of experience, but the more that you practice, the more that you systematize, and the more that you lean into mentors and resources and, and trusted educators, such as Crystal, right? To, um, to learn these things, the better that you're gonna get at it, the more comfortable that you're gonna ge- get at it.

And it's not just, like, you take one class and then you're good to go. It's like, no, you gotta, like, come back. You gotta work on that craft. You gotta sharpen that skill, and then you'll feel confident.

Then you'll be able to go back to the chair a lot more confident in that, in that area. Mm-hmm. So speaking of that, I am a very proud founder of The Beauty Collective, and so Crystal, would you mind sharing a little bit with us about The Beauty Collective and what all has to do with, uh, it, because it's an amazing program. Absolutely.

So first off, thank you so much for being a founding member, being an ally, being always, always, always, um, being one to speak up-... um, when something is, is not right, and wanna speak- Right. out, um, and, and share the message because without people like you, this work would never, um, it wouldn't reach the masses the way that it, it, it, it does, and it has the ability to. Um, so the Beauty Collective, I always say that it's not like your traditional, um, beauty coaching program.

Um, it is more about investing in systematic change that affects everyone regardless of your skin color. So, I also like to say, like, inclusivity isn't just about skin color. Right. Um, it is about so many other things.

It's about gender. It's about, it's about race, it's about body types, it's about abilities. Um, there's so many things that it's about that we cover when we talk about the Beauty Collective. You get actionable steps to properly implement diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

So, you'll hear me say, so the, so most people talk about DEI, so I do DEIB. Um, and actually our industry is leaning, well not, maybe not our industry, but, um, I just finished a certif- uh, certification of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and belonging with University of Stanford. Mm-hmm. And so academically, they're moving into adding the B of belonging, which I think is so amazing because- Yeah.

you could have diversity, equity, and inclusion, but you wanna make sure people feel like they belong in the spaces that they occupy. Mm-hmm. Um, so that is that. And then, uh, and then what we've added this, to make it, this year it's, it was six months, now it's one year.

And one of the biggest questions that I was getting often was like, "Okay, now how do I, I've, I feel like I've changed my heart and my mind. How do I now pull, put more technical tools in my tool belt?" So, we'll, uh, we've added understanding techniques of cutting and coloring on any texture of hair- Mm-hmm. so that you'll now be able to expand your services that you offer.

Um, and this will also be an opportunity that, that's different this year that we didn't have last year, is there will actually be a, an official certification. So, I wanted to get myself certified in two different areas of DEI, so I have one from the University of Stanford, and then, um, from, um, from, from Stanford University, and then from the University of Michigan. Mm-hmm. Um, so p- so attendees will actually now have the ability to get a certification through, um, the Beauty Collective, and become a beauty ambassador for our industry and community.

Mm-hmm. So, if you wanna go on and dive deeper and be able to, like, teach what you teach, right? And this is what I, this is what's so interesting 'cause one of the girls in All Hair Academy now was like, "Well, I don't wanna, like, take up your space. Like, this is what you teach."

And I was like, "No, no, no. The point of this is for educators, right? Salon owners, hairstylists to come in, learn this work, apply it, and then now they're gonna go into their spaces." They're gonna continue to teach what they're teaching, right?

Right, so- You're gonna continue to be a body off specialist. You're gonna t- continue to be an education, um, branding, on boundaries. You're gonna continue to do those things, but you're now gonna have a completely different lens that includes diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and be able- Yes. to incorporate that.

Not that you're now gonna be like, "I'm a DEI..." No, no, no. You're gonna teach what you teach. But your lens is gonna be different.

Yes. But you're gonna be able to change the world in your corner, because now you're teaching an understanding, like when we talk about dream client, ideal dream client, you're gonna talk about all the things that come in there, not just, you know, Shannon, who's a size two and, and blonde, and fine- Right. to no hair on her head. Um, you're gonna discover ways to set up your business systems to become more profitable, whether you're a booth runner, or a salon owner, or a suite owner, or a commissioned stylist.

Um, we're going to hone in on how, your hair specialty so you can scale it, um, whether you are ex- you're having clients who are curly, or straight texture, or any fabric, um, on their head. So, we have four foundations, um, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging training. So, the full training that you can, you'll, uh, you'll be able to actually pay an additional fee to get the certification 'cause they're gonna be a little bit more to that. We're gonna do financial foundations, um, hair techniques around cutting and coloring, and then marketing, social media, and strategies.

Um, which is a little bit different this year. So you'll have, um, it is a year long. Um, they are 90-minute classes once a month, but then there is a library of pre-recorded and reco- uh, resources. So, within that library, say if you're like, "Oh, you know, I did this class, now I wanna dive deeper into social media from the inclusive lens," you'll be able to go into that library, pick a topic that you wanna cover, and then watch it.

So, there's gonna be, um, a lot more resources, um, within whatever you're wanting to do that's pre-recorded. So, like, if you don't need it, you don't have to go there. If you need it- Mm-hmm. you have it.

Um, we're bringing in industry experts. Um, and the other big thing that we added this year is there will actually be a two-day workshop at the end. So, there will be- Mm-hmm. a two-day workshop, in-person retreat somewhere really cool and dope, and then we'll actually all get to meet.

Um, and then- My gosh. Yes, so that is new. And so all founding members will, um, will get an invite to this. Um, and we actually want the founding members to come back, um, and you guys will actually get to come back at your current price point.

Um, however- Yes. the price will go up, um, quite a bit for, um, people coming in. Mm-hmm. But our founding members will always have that exact, um, $97 price point because that was the goal, um, to bring in...

to be able to bring that in. But what, what we're h- having this year, and usually DEI cert- I mean, I will tell you, my DEI certifications, both of them were, um, well over, uh, well over 10K. Yeah. Um, and I didn't get anything other than, like- ...

the actual book knowledge, you know? Right. There was no business. It had zero to do with, like- Yep.

me as a salon owner or an educator. Um, so I'm giving you that knowledge as well as- Nice. how do you actually integrate it as a educated salon owner within your business, um, at $3,333. So...

Mm-hmm. I think that, yeah.Um, I think that that is so badass. I just think that's so cool.

And, and as a founding member of Beauty Collective, like, I just, like, what I got, like, the first time around versus what this is gonna be, like that is insane. Like, that is so cool. Um, and it's also, I think we're in an era where, um, it's really hard to commit a lot of your time, and I think that this is, although, you know, there is homework, there is real work you gotta do, I think that this is so doable. Like, there, like, it is so doable as far as the time commitment goes.

And so if you're like, "Oh my gosh, I don't feel like I, I'd have the time to be able to invest in this right now. I feel like, you know, a whole year is a long time," like, trust me, like, it is very, very, very doable. Like, 100%. And it sounds like the value that is packed into what you're, what you're giving, especially when you consider, like, DEI training and then also all of the other education that is just gonna help you make a more profitable business, I mean, it's completely worth it in my, in my eyes, and I am a full advocate of that, and I will be rejoining.

So I'm glad to hear that I'm invited back, because I cannot wait to be a part of it again, um, and I am just really, really, really excited to see all of the beautiful change that we get to make as an industry together because of this beautiful initiative. And I love that you talked about how we're all educators, right? Like, quote unquote, right? Like, you're a salon owner.

You're a hairstylist. You are an industry educator. Like, I, I think that we all too often do not really fully realize the impacts that we make in our communities and how we have so much power. Like, we hold so much power as an industry to make massive waves and shifts, no matter what role you're in.

And joining something like this can help you make a really positive, beautiful change that we want to see and that needs to be seen. And so I wanna thank you, Crystal, for creating a space for us to be able to learn how to do that and to confidently and actionably, you know, create a beautiful business for ourselves and create beautiful lives, um, life and impact in other people as well too. I think it's really, really powerful, and I really thank you, and I'm really grateful for that. Thank you.

It's true. I mean it, and I can say this with the utmost truth. Like, it is my pleasure. Mm-hmm.

Like, it is truly my pleasure to be able to be called, to be able to hold space out of love. I tell people that all the time. Like, I do this work out of love. Like, I do this work because I feel like all of us did what we thought we were supposed to do as industry leaders.

Mm-hmm. Educators, salon owners, hairstylists, booth rental commission stylists. We did what our beauty schools told us to do. So, like, if you've created a space that you don't feel like is equitable or inclusive, like, it's okay.

It's okay now that you recognize it. Now you just have to do the work to change it. And if you come hang out with me in The Beauty Collective, I promise you, um, I'm gonna be there to show you how to do this work in a loving, effective, actionable way. That's freaking awesome, dude.

So we will make sure that we leave all the links below, um, in the show notes, wherever you're listening to this, friend. Um, Crystal, where can people find you on Instagram otherwise, just so we can say it vocally? And then also, uh, I mean, I guess maybe just, like, a website to go to, or if Instagram is, like, the way to go, like, just tell us where we can go and find you and get started with, like, diving into your world. Um, so you can hang out with me in these social media streets on Instagram @crystalhairandmakeup, and that's C-H, um, hair and makeup, and then if you want to join the community, you can do that from the link in my bio, or you can go to allhairacademy.

com. Awesome. So cool, so cool. So we'll leave that in the, uh, in the show notes.

I'm gonna be going live on Instagram with Crystal so we can talk even more about Beauty Collective, uh, and this should be going out about the same, um, uh, s- about the same time where enrollment's probably gonna be open too. So, uh, so yeah. Make sure to check Crystal out on the Insta, and, um, if you're really, really serious about, you know, creating an inclusive business that you absolutely love and that, where everybody wins at the end of th- end of the day, right? Then, um, then I highly recommend that you check Crystal out and The Beauty Collective.

So Crystal, thank you so much for sharing space with us today. I really, really appreciate it. I learned so much about you, even th- even more, um, and I had a lot of fun getting to chat. You are just such a joy.

Um, and I will have to do this again, and I am so glad that we get to be friends and we get to hang out, and, um, you, listener, thank you so much for tuning in. I appreciate you very much. Crystal, do you have anything to say before we peace out of here? No.

Um, just thank you so much for having me, and I, and I look forward to hanging out with all of you in these social media streets. Beautiful. Good stuff. All right.

Have a blessed day, friends. Peace out, girl scout. Bye-bye.

End of transcript. © 2022 Hunter Donia LLC.