Client Communication, Tech & Boundaries

I am here in Vancouver with Jodi. And Jodi, um, helps me with my marketing and my social media and things like that. And she'll be like prompting me and asking me the questions that you may have on your mind. So, here's the tea about 2025.

Another big thing is, uh, communication- Mm-hmm. and expectations with communication. They surveyed, they surveyed people and they asked people, "What is a, a reasonable customer service response time?" And I believe it was like 15 minutes.

I think it was 10. Yeah. 10 minutes. It was, yeah, I, I think you said 10 minutes.

Wild, right? Mm-hmm. And so, in today's day and age where there's a lot of options, right? We have more hair stylists than ever before.

It's easier to find a hairstylist than it ha- ever has been before. People are all, are wanting very quick service and response. Right. Um, and so, I think that making sure that your communication is as streamlined as possible, it's easy for you to get back to people.

But also, in a way that's not sacrificing your entire life to make it happen, and then also, that's easy for you to keep up with, and it's still in alignment with the boundaries and, uh, in your business, and the things that you need to be able to run your business efficiently and give a great service. So, I'm just gonna ask the obvious question that is probably on everyone who's listening's mind . How do you do that? Like, how do you actually have that quick communication without, like, losing your mind- Yeah.

and being working all the time? Yeah. So, I mean, the system that I've been teaching for years, um, it all goes back to just having one sole way that new clients get onboarded with you. Because when you have like one solid funnel and you only have like one place to check- Mm.

then you don't have to scramble across your DMs and your text messages and your emails to find all of your requests, and then catch up on them. And it's sometimes, I know this has happened to every single person who's listening to this, a lot of the times, you'll s- see a request come through or an inquiry come through, and you'll forget about it and you won't get back to it. But like if you have only one space where people are inquiring with you, right? Then you can keep it very organized.

It's very easy for you to just view it within one space. And then, you can also make sure that as they're going through the steps that you've set up for that one sole way, that you're getting all the information that you need. You can set up automations and systems on the backend that could make it so you can respond to these people in a fast manner. And so, it really goes back to just having like one sole way that people inquire with you- Mm-hmm.

and having one solid journey. Mm-hmm. And there's a bunch of different details in that that we can talk about, but- Right. that's my simple answer.

So, d- is there a, a specific way that you prefer? Or do you feel like just pick one way and stick to it? Or do you think it's like your life will be a lot easier if you use this specific way? Well, I mean, obviously, I mean, if y'all have listened to me before, then y'all will know that digital forms are the way that I- Right.

that I teach, and what I've been teaching for a long time. And I still absolutely believe is a great way of ta- of getting inquiries and having a new client start a process with you. Um, you know, especially if you're gonna be specialized, uh, 'cause we've talked so much about the importance of specialization. Right.

When you, we're, when we talk about like modern-day color services, right? Like, it's no longer your good old, like, partial foil and haircut- Right. and like no toner or the no roots match, you know? Like, there's a lot of aspects that go into clients' demands now.

Right. And as we know, like, we can't just blindly take a new client into our chair. Absolutely. Or like, just like, let them book an appointment and then just like ch- without any prior communication- Right.

and just trust that they're gonna book the right thing- Right. and, uh, timing's gonna be great, you know? Um, so we could have like a back and forth, never-ending DM consultation with them, right? Where we're asking them all these questions- Right.

and just for them to ghost you when you t- when you tell them the price. Right. Um, or we could have them fill out a digital form where you ask every single question that you need. Mm-hmm.

And you can also, again, set up automations on the backend where you can get back to that person extremely quickly. Right. Tell them exactly what they need to book with the right timing, with the right price quote, everything. That person will be made to feel like you've gotten all the information- Mm-hmm.

and you've given that person exactly what they need. So, you're confident and they're confident that they're going to have the right timing booked with the right price, and everybody's on the same page. Right. You know?

Yeah. Um, so you do whatever the hell works for you- Right. my friend. But for me, the back and forth DM consultations, me giving out my personal number as an independent stylist- Right.

that's not my, that's not my tea, girl. And honestly, like, getting back to texts, uh, just in general, like, I have enough of my existing clients to do with that. Right. You know?

So for new potential clients, like, go to the, go to the form. Right. Go to the, that's the only way that you can start, start your inquiry with me. And if you, if they happen to DM me, if they happen to email me, I'm sending them right to the form, you know?

Right. And that's where you start your process with me. Do you feel like this is just as important for your existing clients as it is for new clients in, like, when it comes to having that one channel for them to go through? Yeah.

Um, I think that when it comes to existing clients, there's, it's, I'm personally a tiny bit more flexible. Um, however, what I teach and what I do is I have plenty of resources and things set up for those clients to be able to do business with me as quickly and easily as possible. Now, on the flip side of that, to answer your question in a different way, is like online booking only is my tea. Right, right.

You know? So like, that is the one sole way that you are gonna book an appointment with me as an existing client. But as far as how you get there- Mm-hmm. like, I like to give them many ways to get there, you know?

And even if that is reaching out to me, like, I'm okay with that. Right. But I'm, uh, then I'm gonna send you the booking link. Right.

You know? Um, and, and the thing is, is like, when you set up those resources, when you have your online booking set up the right way, like when you've streamlined it, and when you've given your clients everything that they need to confidently do business with you by themselves, you don't get those texts. Right. You know?

Like- I know. you're not overwhelmed with those texts. And even when you do get a text, it no longer feels like this crazy burden that you have to get back to immediately. Right.

Um, 'cause you may have automations on, with the text messaging software that you're using that can send that person in the right direction with- without you having to get back to that person. Or, you're just getting one text in a day versus like five from your existing clients all asking you to reschedule- Right. their appointments or whatever it may be, you know? Yeah, one text's a lot more easy to manage than 25.

100%, yeah. And so, you know, I think-If you've listened to me before, like, I, and I talk about these boundaries and I talk about, like, the one way that you can book with me and streamlining communication and stuff, you know, it may sound like I'm pretty rigid with it, but at the end of the day, it's actually like, no, like, I will, I will text with my clients. Like, you can absolutely reach out to me, um, existing clients, not new clients. Right.

But existing clients, you can absolutely re- reach out to me if you have a question. And the reason I'm okay with that, and I'm not overwhelmed by it, is 'cause I've already streamlined so much of that communication- Right. that it rarely happens- Right. to where it's so much that I'm overwhelmed.

So I'm not mad about answering a text every now and then and still giving that concierge service. That makes a lot of sense. And, and I think that really helps explain awake. 'Cause I think a lot of people are hesitant to lean too far into automations and a lot of these systems that are available because they're scared they're gonna lose that personal touch and the way that you're describing it, that's not the case at all.

They're just getting a better, more streamlined service from you. Absolutely. And that's what I've always been about. It's like the best of both worlds, you know?

Love it. Like, I, I, I've recognized, like, in the past couple years, I've recognized a lot of people either going in this direction or that direction- Mm-hmm. and, like, way too far. Mm-hmm.

And I believe that there is, like, a beautiful balance and what I've proven with my students and the way that they implement this stuff is, like, it's, like, you can have a balance of, like, having the boundaries in place, having a personal life, but then also still offering an excellent professional client experience at the same time. Right. And that's what it's about. It's about creating that balance in a smart way where you're offering that amazing client experience, but also protecting your own energy and your space, because you can't give that amazing client experience if you aren't protecting your energy.

For sure. Yeah. If you're burnt out and you're not wanting to show up. I love that.

So what do you think are some of the skill gaps that hairstylists m- cannot sleep on when it comes to staying relevant in 2025? Technology, dude. Mm. Ugh.

It's, like, this is, like, so hard, like, because I know that it, it can be a really big pain point for people. Like, it can really... Especially if you've been doing hair for a long time- Right. and you never had to deal with this shit before.

Right. You know? Like, it's really hard to, like, get on board with this type of stuff. And, you know, technology, we could talk about the simple stuff, just, like, using a booking system.

Right. Um, being willing to have online booking. Then we can also talk about, like, being willing to look into more advanced strategies that, like, I'm talking about, like, digital forms- Mm-hmm. and even e-mail marketing softwares and things like that or even just Canva for your marketing.

You know? Like, I know a lot of people who, like, don't even wanna s- like, mess around with Canva, and I'm like, "Dude, you're missing out on a lot of, like, capability-" Oh, for sure. "... and, like, possibilities for what you can create and what you can do with your business and how you can take care of people even better."

Right. You know? Um, I think when I started teaching this stuff five years ago, like, uh, technology was definitely a big, you know, objection for my own program- Mm-hmm. because it's so much technology.

Right. Um, but... And I was kind of like, "I totally get it. I understand.

And if you don't wanna learn the technology, then that's fine." Right. But it'd be really beneficial for you. Right.

But in today's day and age, like, with how competitive things are and what people need to do if they wanna keep up, if they want to truly, like, ex- like, excel in their career- Right. technology is just kind of essential. I think it's interesting too that... Because I feel like a lot of people don't necessarily think of technology as a skill gap.

Right. Right? So, like, that, I think, in itself really highlights the fact that, yeah, it is a skill and it's something that you can learn. Absolutely.

Absolutely. And I think that... You know, and I, I have a lot of experience with, with people who have come into my space- Mm-hmm. and had to learn this technology and really struggled with it.

Right. And what I find helps people the most is just first off, not judging yourself through the process, 'cause trust and belief. Like, I am somebody who, like, I will learn a new technology and I, and I wanna skip, like, the tutorial and I wanna skip, like, the failure and, like, the trial and error, and I just wanna create what I wanna create, what I- Right. like, what is set out to create, you know?

I wanna create this form and I want it to do this, that, and the third, and I just want it to fricking do that, you know? And I don't feel like figuring out the functionality of the platform to be able to make that happen. Right. But you can't skip those steps.

Right. You know, uh, when I was in beauty school and I wanted to, you know, cut a precision bob- Mm-hmm. I couldn't just skip the steps. No.

I needed the, I needed the practice, I needed the head sheet, I needed the mentor to show me what the hell I was doing. I needed all of that stuff, you know? Right. And it just is what it is.

But the beautiful thing is, is once you learn the precision bob, then cutting a lot of other things and a lot of other aspects- It's easier. becomes so much easier. Mm-hmm. And so what it really comes down to for those pe- for...

Going back to, like, I've had students who have come in and, like, had struggled with the technology, it's really just, like, follow the tutorial step by step, 'cause I give you the tutorials step by step. Don't judge yourself through the process. Understand that you are, are learning something brand new. Right.

And that it's difficult for a lot of people to learn anything- Mm-hmm. for the first time and, and just play around- Right. and see what's possible. Like, I just think it's so cool that, like, we get to, like, create these cool things, you know?

Right. Like, that's why I am probably here where I am today, is because, like, from a young age, I just thought it was so cool that I could, like, create, like, something online and, like- Right. m- and share that with other people. Like, I just think that's so badass.

Yeah. And so I would have so much fun, like, learning all these functions and these things that you can do on these softwares. Right. And, like, I think that that's the approach that we need to have, is that, like, you just need to do it.

Like, you just need to test it out and actually play around with the software because otherwise, if you're just trying to make a perfect product right off the bat, you're going to feel overwhelmed and you're gonna feel an immense amount of failure and you're going to put too much pressure on yourself and you're just gonna quit altogether. I think every hairstylist listening probably, definitely myself, uh, jacked up their first haircut, like- Yes. like, really, really bad. Yes.

Like, I can't even think of anything that I've seen that is worse than the first time I picked up scissors. And so... Yes. You know?

I think that's a really great way of putting it. And I came out to speak at your event in Philly. Was that last year or the year before? Two years ago, yeah.

And when I met your incredible community of students, you have, like, every age and, like, every background. Yes. And so, like, I think that's really interesting too, because I feel like, you know, sometimes we think, "Oh, I, you know, like, I have been running my business for 20 years or whatever, and I don't w- like, I don't want to learn this stuff." Yeah.

And so with that being said, can you think of, like, is there one of your students who came into your program and you were like, like, either they were really resistant or you were like, a little worried, you're like, "Uh." Yes. "How am I gonna teach this?" Could you, like, share that a little bit of, like- Yes.

someone that you can think of? Well, I love that you brought this up because I think that, you know, you'll either have, I think, this happens, this happens in two ways. First off, I think we get a little bit ageist as service providers sometimes- Right, yeah. when we say that our clients are old and they will not be able to interact with the technology- Right.

that we give them. Mm-hmm. I don't think that's cool. Mm-mm.

'Cause my dad, well, and let me get to the second point. Then we also get down on ourselves, and we are like, "Oh, I'm too old for this," or, "I'm not techy." And so then we are automatically applying a label to ourselves. Mm-hmm.

And we believe that, and then that's stopping us or giving us an excuse to not just dive into it and learn it. Right. You know? Like, if you believe that you're not techy, then you're not gonna be techy.

100%. If you believe that you're learning something new and that you're gonna be kind to yourself throughout the process- Right. and that you're excited to gain a new skill set and you're willing to put in the work to get good at it- Mm-hmm. then you're going to do those things and you're gonna eventually get good at it, right?

For sure. Um, and so I just think that we get a little bit ageist with others and ourselves. Right. Um, and I don't think that's cool.

My dad is a 67-year-old software programmer engineer. Right. Like- ... for massive companies.

No, still tech, man. Yes. So it's like you absolutely- ... you absolutely can learn.

And for your question, like, my students, like, I-I can't think of anybody specifically on the top of my head right now 'cause there's actually a lot of examples- Right. um, that I could dive into, but, like, I hear it all the time. Right. I hear it all the time.

I hear it all the time, like, "I was never techy- techy before. I never thought I could do this stuff," and with the tutorials and with just me, like, just trying, like, actually just doing it- Right. you know, like, just diving into it and getting my hands into it and seeing what was possible and seeing how this thing worked and, "What would happen if I click this button?" Then they were finally able to feel confident in actually creating it and making it happen.

Yeah. I love that. Did it take a little bit longer than everybody else possibly? Sure.

But the next time, it's not gonna take as long. Right. You know? And I've heard you talk a lot too about, you know, putting in the time now to save yourself a lot of time later.

Do you feel like that is really applicable, or is there- Absolutely. a lot of maintenance? No. Oh my gosh, no.

Well, if we're talking about learning, right- Right. like, learning takes a long fricking time. For sure. But then after that, like, that knowledge, it can't be taken away from you, and you're able to execute those things a lot faster.

Yeah. Of course, right? Like a-a haircut, for example. Right.

Um, uh, as far as actually implementing technology in your business goes, then yeah, that is stuff that a lot of the time, yes, it does take a little bit of initial setup for sure. Right. Um, and it takes some time to, to make the decisions around it. I think that that's honestly one of the big things that really holds people back with implementing the technology.

It's actually not the building out of the technology. It's the decisions that they're making with their business. Right. And then, and then implementing it into the technology, and people try to do it at the same time.

Right. And it gets really overwhelming. Um, like, let's say, like creating a service menu, right? Like, sometimes maybe, like, you'll be discovering what your service menu actually is and like the prices for it while you're actually creating the graphic.

Right. And then you're, like, making decisions as you're going along. Like, of course you're gonna be overwhelmed and, like, freaking out. Right.

'Cause you're trying to make a graphic and then you're also trying to make a decision about the service menu. But once you have this stuff set up, yes, there is maintenance. Like, because the industry changes, you change, the things that you're gonna wanna do change, your prices are gonna change. Right.

Absolutely. But the pros of that are absolutely significant for having those tech- those things set up in the first place. The amount of time that that saves you, um, in the long run is absolutely 100% worth it. And the maintenance is nowhere near as much as the actual initial setup.

I love that. And probably nowhere near as much time as you would spend doing all that stuff manually. That is what I, yes, exactly that. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Yeah. So I wanna wrap this up by just talking a little bit, 'cause I think there's the tactical advice and, like, the skills, and then there's also the mindset piece when it comes to, you know, what it takes, because I think that because there is so much more expected, and, you know, client expectations have evolved, you've been very open about what that looks like. With that, I think there's, you know, a little bit of, um, maybe, like, resentment within the hair community. I think, um, I know you've seen a little bit of that in terms of, like, what is required now and what is expected.

So I wanted to ask you, like, when it comes to mindset advice, you know, the, the, the energy behind, like, what it takes to stay relevant in 2025, what is that mindset advice that you would give that hair- the hairstylist? The advice that I would give to a hairstylist who is trying to keep up with all the BS and all the changes and feeling like they're on a hamster wheel and that they have to, like, change things and keep up with things all the time is that nobody told you that being a business owner would be easy. Um, and furthermore, that it's such a gift to be in this industry. Like, it really is.

Like, I- I- I don't think we take us- enough time to, like, take a step back and understand how fucking sick it is- Yeah. that we get to make a living, like, doing what we do. Mm-hmm. Like, we get to be creative.

We get to make a huge impact on other people's lives. Right. And if you are your own business owner, you gets the, you get to ch- make a lot of decisions and have a lot of autonomy about how you work- Right. and how you make money.

Right. And I just think that's such a beautiful thing, and I think it's worth, you know, the hamster wheel sometimes. Yeah. And I think that there's a way to manage the hamster wheel if you're willing to put in the work upfront- Right.

to make it more manageable. I love that. And so let's flip it and talk about, like, the tactical advice. I know you've given a lot of that throughout, throughout this episode, but if you had to kind of, like, condense that, what is the biggest piece of tactical, like, applicable advice that you would give someone?

Yeah. Don't be afraid to click some buttons and see what happens. Like, nobody is seeing what you're doing. Like, nobody is seeing the Canva graphic.

Nobody is seeing the Jot form. Right. Nobody is seeing the work that you're doing in the backend until you show it to anybody. Yeah.

So don't be afraid to, like, be creative and screw around with technology a little bit and see what happens. Oh, I love that. You know? Like, and just, like, stop judging yourself so much or thinking everything has to be perfect, uh, 'cause you're not gonna learn otherwise.

That's so good.

End of transcript. © 2025 Hunter Donia LLC.