How To Get The Most Out Of In-Person Industry Events

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's 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, friend. Welcome back to the Modern Hairstylist Podcast. I am hype, as per usual. I say this every single freaking episode.

I- I- I always say, "I am so excited." It's like, girl, do I have any other vocabulary words to be using for... I mean, that's just how I feel. It is what it is.

I'm freaking excited. So I'm excited because today we're gonna be talking about how to get the most out of in-person industry events. You know, the world is starting to open up a little bit more. Um, I think we are all kind of, like, crawling out of our skin to want to go and see each other in person again.

You know, as such a high-touch, personal, uh, very physical industry, you know, we've been, we've embraced the digital, we've enjoyed the digital, and there's still such an amazing, beautiful space for digital education, you know. That's the type of education that I run mainly and, uh, it's- it's an excellent space for us to all connect and grow in between the in-person industry events. But some in- in-person industry events I've been to, uh, over the past year or so have been absolutely excellent and it's been such a great experience to connect and see each other in person. And it's been so weird to meet people in person that you've had these connections with online for so long, because it's surreal, but it's also kind of like you don't feel like you haven't seen them.

It's like, I don't know, for me, like, the people who I normally talk to online, when I met them in person, it was kind of like we just kept- kept picking up the conversation. So it's just been a really fascinating time, but we are gonna be talking about getting the most out of those industry events today, so that way when you go and invest in an in-person event, um, you can really get what you deserve out of that investment of your time and energy and money. Um, I have my friend, Caitlin, here with me today. What's up, Caitlin?

Not much. How are you, friend? I'm good. How are you?

I'm doing good. Just, you know, another day. Another day. Your, uh, I know nobody can see, but your curls and waves look really pretty.

Oh, thank you so much. Yeah, I adore it. It's the- the British sea. It does wonders for the hair.

I love that so much. Caitlin, have you been to any, uh, in-person industry events? Yes. In the pa- uh, post- post-pani?

So I... In person, nothing huge. I think the biggest one that I went to was, uh, the one that we were at collectively this past spring, at the Soul Tribe event. But other than that, no, I haven't been to any big industry events.

Just, like, some, like, in-person, like, one-on-one... Or not one-on-one, but, like, smaller classes, I guess, with, like, salons and stuff. And then prior to that? I'm not asking you to, like, give us a whole list, but have you been to a fair bit?

Yeah. Yeah. I had been to a lot of, like, hair shows. Um, I...

When I was really early in my career, um, I was fortunate enough to work in a salon where, uh, the owner wanted to send us to all of these different events and stuff. Um, so I went to, like, some behind-the-chair events. I did some local hair shows and... Yeah, a lot of, a lot of, like, big convention-style stuff, I guess.

Yeah. And then, uh, a good amount of, like, really, really intensive education as well, that was, like, in-person stuff too. Cool. I love it.

So I've been to a fair bit of industry events. M- actually, lesser the hair shows. But it depends on what you call a- a hair show. I mean, like, your traditional convention hair show, you know, where there's, like, a shit ton of, like, booths set up, right?

That's what I think of as, like, a quote unquote hair show, right? But I've been to many other events that weren't super hair show-y, I guess, where it was a little bit more intimate/it wasn't as sponsored/like, it wasn't as branded, you know? Mm-hmm. But actually, when we...

I was in beauty school, when I was in vocational school, they would send us to the... In high school, they would send us to, uh, International Beauty Show in New York every year. So for three years in a row, we would take a school bus up to, from Pennsylvania to New York, and we would attend the Beauty Show. And it was always a...

It was a cool experience as, like, a 16-year-old to, like, go in there and, like, see all the crazy shit going on and, like, all the crazy hair and stuff. And we would spend way too much money on things that we did not need. I love that. But I think that's all of us.

What are we gonna be talking about today? Like, what can we get started with, with this topic? So we're kinda gonna... I feel like we're gonna touch a little bit of everything with today's topic.

I mean, at the end of the day, it's- it- the main goal is to, like, guide everyone on the right direction to go and, like, keeping yourself centered, I guess, when it comes to industry events. So I think a really good place to start would be just kind of, like, talking about, like, having a plan. Don't just, like, buy your ticket and show up. What I want everybody to think about first off, I think this would be a good place to start, is I want everybody to think about the fact that they are spending money out of their business.

Not only out of your personal pocket, possibly, but you're- you're spending money as a business. This is a tax write-off, right? This education, this event, it's a tax write-off. It's a business expense.

And whenever you have any expenses in your business, you, as the smart, as the smart CEO, the CFO, you wanna be thinking about what your return of your investment is going to be. Any smart CEO is gonna think about the return of the investment when they are spending money on something in their business, right?And so, you know, these industry events, a lot of the times we get into them because they're fun, they're re-inspiring, or you just straight up have FOMO, right? Which is fine, but if you're going to be investing that money, you wanna make sure that you really get a return on what you're investing to make, make your investment make sense for you in the business in the long run.

Coming up with a plan for how you're going to attack this event and really, uh, make sure that you're using your time wisely and not taking it for granted, I think is a really smart thing to do. And so making a plan could be, you know, making sure that you're looking at all of the schedule of all the education events, or looking at where... which brands are gonna be there and which ones that you really wanna visit and see if they're having discounts or whatever it may be, you know. And then literally creating, like, an hour by hour itinerary for yourself so you have a plan and you're not just wandering around and wasting time, you know.

Those type of events, they get... they are done in a blink of an eye, right? Like, you get there and it just, like, zooms by and you're like, "I can't believe I was just here for a whole day." You know, you wanna make sure that you use up that time the most that you possibly can.

Now, I'm not saying don't eat. You, uh, you need to eat you know? Like, set some time aside to eat. But, you know, you definitely wanna check out the itinerary that they have and then figure out, like, which places would be s- smartest for you to show up in, um, for that day.

So with that, I recommend when you're making your itinerary, I think it's really easy to want to sign up for the class that has, like, your superhero educator that you have taken education from before, that you listen to all the time, that you've paid for before, you know. I think it's really easy to go straight towards that, which I think is fine, but I would encourage you to consider that a lot of the times that superhero educator that you've already paid for and seen before, you've already seen them before. You know what they're gonna say, you know what they're gonna teach a lot of the time, right? Unless they're teaching completely original content.

And I'm not saying that you can't learn something from somebody multiple time. I mean, I'm a firm believer that you can take the same exact class 10 times and you will learn something new every single time. I truly, truly believe that because I've experienced it myself. However, this is an educational event where it's kind of like a once in a lifetime situation for you to have this exact schedule, this exact lineup and opportunity for you to see these people.

So is it really gonna be super worth it for you to see this person that you've already seen multiple times and you already know what they're gonna be talking about, right? Kaylin, do you have anything to add? I mean, I can give, like, a relevant example, I guess. Like, when we were at the Soul Tribe event, uh, in April, obviously I work with you, so like...

and I've taken all of your classes, so it's like I know what you teach very, very well. And it's not that I wasn't excited to, like, get to learn from you, because I do always still learn stuff from you, but like, I definitely wouldn't have the same, um, like, "Oh my gosh, this is like next level shit," because like- ... I've already heard what you've had to say to a degree, right? So like- Right.

I mean, as much as I do love getting to learn from you, even still, like, it, it doesn't hit as hard, I guess, as it would with somebody- Yeah. that you've never really learned with before. Yeah. I, I tell my students all the time, like, "Don't sign up for my class."

I just did an in-person event... I mean, I've done... I just d- recently did a couple of in-person events, but, uh, I was at one where like I was teaching a very, like, official breakout class, and I knew a s- handful of people who were my students coming into it, and I was like, "You're not taking my class, right? Like, you didn't sign up for it, right?"

Because, like, they are... they were already going to have access to the version of it online, you know? And so I don't want them to, like, come and waste their money and time. I want them to go, like, make the most out of their day, and then we can connect and we can hug outside of the class, you know?

So yeah, I, I, I think that, uh, it can be really easy to, like, want to jump towards, like, your, your person that you're a super fan of, but you know, you can connect with them outside of that class, hopefully, if you see them walking around or something like that. And then on top of that, I think it's really easy to lean into classes about things that you're already super comfortable in, such as, like, if you are a low maintenance color specialist, it could be really easy for you to want to take a low maintenance color class, like a balayage class or something like that. When I would encourage you... Yeah, I think that it actually is smart for you and, and it's a great investment of time for you to be taking some of those classes, like, 100%, because that is what you are building the pinnacle of your business off of.

Like, that is the foundation of your business. So I think it's brilliant to go a- go ahead and do that. I would also recommend, though, sprinkling in some things that you aren't comfortable with, right? Even if it's something that you don't do the majority of behind the chair, or you don't see ever doing the- yourself the majority of behind the chair, because it'll just keep you inspired and you'll learn things that you can bring back to your specialty that will help you serve your clients better.

So for me, for example, over the past year, I have taken so many haircutting classes. I mean, haircutting is, like, not my tea. Like, I don't take haircut-only clients anymore. You have to be getting a color with me.

And I'm very rarely doing any kind of, like, intense haircutting anymore, you know. Most of it is just some good old, like, trim at the bottom, some layers and some face framers on some, like, medium to long length hair, you know? It's like nothing crazy. I, I...

Truly, like, that's the majority of my haircuts. But I've taken some really, really crazy cool haircutting classes over the past year and I've learned so much, and it's actually really gotten me excited to cut my... even just my, like, basic bitch haircuts ... like, in a different, more efficient and cooler way, you know?

And so I would recommend j- like, for the inspiration, also for the di- diversification of what the tools and knowledge that you have are in your toolbox to go outside of your comfort zone and look into things that you normally aren't into. Especially, like, let's say that you're listening to this, and you don't do majority textured hair, or you aren't comfortable with textured hair, right, or curly hair, whatever that may be. If there is curly hair education out there, like, go and get it. Go and get it.

You, eh, because if you can't do your specialty on every texture of hair, right, and there's the opportunity for you to learn how to work on that texture, high key, high key, sign up for those classes. It, it is a shame when I'm going to, and I'll just say it, m- a mostly white event, and I see that, you know, the, that people are starting to push for having more texture hair education in these spaces, and those classes don't get as many signups as they should, you know? Um, because we need that education. So getting the things that you're uncomfortable with, right?

If you're not uncomfortable, you're not growing, and I think that, you know, having a really healthy blend of all the things when you're going to these spa- these, um, events is a good idea. What do you think, Caitlin? I couldn't agree more. Like, I feel like it's something that we overlook as stylists.

Like, we're going to this big event, so it's like, "Oh, I gotta do all the, like, big, cool things." But, like, literally, even something as simple as, like, a solid blow dry class, like, people, we, I feel like we, we skip over the, like, foundational skills, and, like, we aren't constantly evolving those skills as well. So, like, fine-tune your blowout game. Like, that makes a huge difference, like, your finishing looks.

It, it seems super simple, 'cause it is, but at the same time, like, we don't take the time to really, like, continue to educate ourselves on that. It just kind of, like, evolves the way that we do our work over time. Yeah. Totally.

That brings me into also, like, if there's an option, invest into the hands-on portion if there is one. If we're talking about ROI, right? Like, if you really wanna take this new skill, this new knowledge, and you want to apply it, invest in the hands-on. I think, okay, so gonna butcher this, but I've, pretty sure that there's a study that shows that if you learn something only by theory, only by word of mouth and seeing it maybe on a board, you will retain, on average, 10% of the knowledge.

Isn't that nuts? Like, that's like, very small. It's a very small amount. If you watch it in a demo, I'm sure that you retain a little bit more, right, versus just seeing a head sheet.

But as soon as you put the hands-on portion, if you learn the theory, and then you apply the theory immediately, then I'm pretty sure it goes up to like, 80% of the knowledge that you actually will retain. E- if you really want a return on the investment, you know, I mean, how often have you gone to a class, you learn this cool technique, and then you go back to the chair, and you either, one, don't remember any of it, or two, never apply it or never practice it, right? All of the above, you're not gonna be getting the return on your investment. Like, what did you just spend this money for?

And honestly, inspiration is great, but I, to me, it's not tangible enough, and it doesn't make enough sense for you as a CEO to see that as a effective return of your investment, you know? Sometimes inspiration is exactly what you need, but most of the time, if we're spending real ass money, right, then, then we want to see the money multiply. And you're not gonna see the money multiply if there isn't action or retention of the knowledge. I always say invest in the hands-on portion if you can get away with it, because I think it's completely worth it, right?

I mean, I almost feel like sometimes, sometimes it depends, I almost feel like sometimes, it's like, not even worth it to even buy just the demo, because you're just gon- you might very, very easily just waste that money away, you know, versus getting the whole package. Do you agree? Yeah, completely. And if I could just, like, sidebar a little bit on that too, like, I think it's important to remember as, like, I'll, I'll refer to us as, like, the average stylist, right?

Like, we aren't editorial stylists, so why would you be taking or going to these events if you're only there to see editorial looks? Like, that isn't gonna give you anything other than inspiration maybe, but it's not, like, tangible. It's not usable. So like, I, I learned that really quick, eh, like, in my early days of going to, like, uh, big conventions and stuff like that, like, "Oh, cool, like, they did this editorial look, but, like, what does that do for me other than, like, I'm excited about it?"

I've had some classes where they will, they'll take the approach of teaching and like, kind of, more avant-garde editorials, like style or cut or color or whatever it may be, in hopes that you'll learn the techniques along the way and be able to apply those techniques in a more conventional way, and in my opinion, it never worked like that for me. It never worked like that for me. I'd be so focused on, like, the end result and, like, what that got me, where like, yes, I would be able to pick up the techniques, but I probably would've been more helpful if this was just like, if the end result was a conventional, um, style or what- or result, and I learned those techniques along the way. I think that would be more helpful for me, less overwhelming even, and I'd probably retain it a little bit better.

So I completely agree with you. Um, you know, think about tangibility, like, what's re- like, what's actually gonna be helping you and what's really gonna be giving you an ROI. Okay. What's next?

So let's kind of branch out a little bit, and I feel like we will, we'll both be able to really offer, uh, varying opinion on this, because I am very much an introvert, and I know that you are kind of, like, a healthy mix of everything, but you're much more extroverted than I personally am. So like, let's approach what to do and how to approach industry events from both of those perspectives.So me, myself, I am... I, I'm what they call an ambivert.

So I have like a... Like you said, I have a little bit of both in me. I, I, I have an introverted side to me and I have an extroverted side. And I think what it really comes down to is, like, I need to be alone for a moment to gain energy.

Like, I don't gain energy by socializing. I gain energy by resting and being by myself. But when I'm in person and I'm in the mix of it all, I love social interaction, I love connection, and I'm good at it too. Like, I'm good at, I'm good at making connections with people.

And so, um, I have a little bit of a mix of both and I get... And I do have a... Believe it or not, okay, believe it or not, I do have a little bit of social anxiety in in-person situations. Sometimes I feel really awkward, I feel really out of place, I have a little bit of a fear of awkward interactions.

And so sometimes I will just... That anxiety will take over and I will just kind of want to hermit and, like, not talk to anybody. And so if you're listening to this and you can relate with us at all, we wanna talk about, you know, just like giving you permission, number one, to not have to show up to the parties or the in-person crazy extra things if you don't want to, um, if it's really not gonna be helpful for you or if it's gonna be way too much anxiety for you. But also, if you do wanna be a part of that, right, if you do feel like it would be helpful for you in the end, uh, give you the encouragement that you're not the only one feeling this way, you know?

I, I, I think that there are so many of... Uh, I, I mean, if not all of us who are probably a teensy bit nervous to be in a space where you might not know anybody, right, especially if you go to these places alone. But even if you go with- not alone, you know, it can still be nerve-wracking to go to these spaces where you don't know anybody and you're kind of expected to socialize with other people that you've never met before, and you're not alone. And if you want to go do those things, you know, sometimes you're just gonna have to feel the fear and do it anyway, because I know that's what I have to do sometimes.

But Caitlyn, can you give your advice, like, as more of an introverted person for like people who maybe do want to get involved and like do wanna participate but have, like, a little bit of nerves around the whole, the whole idea Yeah, absolutely. There's just a couple different ways I feel like you can approach it. So like I, uh, in the latter part of my career so far, I do typically go to events alone just because I tend to fly solo for most things. But when I go, I am...

I guess this is pre-pandemic, but I was very guilty of literally just like holing up in my room and I would not leave my hotel room until, uh, like something was going on and I could just go show up and then go back to my room and like eat in my room and like just very like hermit like. I, I know as well from past experiences that when I go and I socialize and like I really put forth the effort to, um, connect with people outside of just the education, it feels to me like it's actually a better experience because you're actually, like, connecting with people. I mean, it is absolutely okay to be a hermit if you feel like you want to be, but like if you do wanna branch out and like socialize a bit, just give it your best go. You have to, like, conscientiously put forth effort, I feel like, to be social.

But then as well, like, you can always pre-education event, like, connect with people. Like, "Hey, who's going to this event? Is anybody gonna be there?" Uh, pop on Facebook, pop on Instagram, whatever, and see if you can connect with people before the event because then you can meet up with them, you can say hi, all the things.

And that kind of takes off a lot of that pressure, I feel like, of trying to make friends in the moment 'cause nobody enjoys that. It's awkward as hell. But a great option too is to take a stylist friend with you. Like, if you do have a buddy or m- even more fun, like if it's somebody that you don't live in the same state as but you know, like, they have the same interests, like, you can meet up there and then you have a friend.

And of course everything is easier when there are two of you or more. So that would be my immediate advice, but.. Yeah, I love that. I think...

I love the idea of making a plan for meeting up with people, like prior to getting into it. A lot of the times these industry events will create, like those Facebook group communities and I've seen people go into it and be like, "Hey, I'm flying solo, you know, I'm a little bit shy, but I'm putting myself out there because I wanna, I wanna see if anybody else feels the same way. And if you wanna connect while we're at the event, um, I would love to, like, get connected with you, get to know you before I get there." And I just think that's, like, so badass and like such a great way of preparing and, and really looking ahead and being like, "I know that I'm gonna feel anxious when I get there.

I have this resource of... And community of these people who I know are gonna be there. I can't be alone. Let me reach out."

I think that's a really great idea for sure. And, you know, just be yourself, dude. I know it's way easier said than done, but just be yourself, you know? Don't feel like you have to act like you're this, or that, or the third.

Just, like, have some freaking conversations with people and you know, small talk, especially for introverts, small talk can be super exhausting. I know it's exhausting for me, but sometimes the small talk is what opens up a real conversation, you know? Sometimes you have to break the ice with a little bit of small talk to start relating with people and then you can actually get into real conversation, you know? So what can you relate to these people with, you know?

You're all hairstylists. Ask people what kind of structure they're in. Ask people how long they've been a hairstylist. Ask them how they got into it.

Ask them, um, how they like their current salon, you know? Like, we have... We have really great similarities between all of each- all of us, you know, between each other that we can all start out with and start talking to each other about, you know? And that can just open up the conversation and get into real connection about real conversation and stuff.

So don't be afraid to just maybe have, like, some small talk conversation points in the back of your pocket just to start out with, you know? And then, like, be yourself and let the, let the conversation flow from there.So you introverted people out there, I see you. And by the way, I am always, always, always, if you ever see me at an event and you are a little bit more introverted, I'm always a safe space for you.

Always. I am... I fe- I truly feel like I am a very empathetic person. And, like, I feel like I can...

Although I am more extroverted, although I, I ha- I am good at socializing and, like, being in those, those social interactions most of the time, I still can very much relate to having social anxiety. And also, like, not being, like, the cool person in the room or not feeling like I am, you know? And so, like, I'm always a safe space for you. You can always come up and give me a hug.

I will give you the time of day. I truly, really will. So just to know, you're not alone and there's people out there who want to see you thrive and participate when you're in these, these situations. So with that, I want to just harp again on...

I want you to really be thinking about your RO- your ROI. What is the return of your investment? How are you making the absolute most out of this industry as a business? And I want you to truly think about your time and energy spent at this space as an investment of two resources, the two resources that are the most important ones, which is your money and your time.

You are spending time away from your family and your friends and your business. You are spending money out of your business, right? What is the investment and what is... How are you gonna get a return on that investment?

And you should also think about that whenever you're deciding whether you want to spend money on this event or this education course. It's like, what is this gonna give me back and does that align with my overall goals, right? Um, I think it's super important to start thinking like that as a business owner and it makes decisions a little bit easier and it puts it into better perspective for you. Thank you so much for tuning in to the Modern Hairstylist podcast.

Uh, safe travels to whatever industry event you'll be attending, um, soon. I hope that I'll be at the same one as you, my friend, so that way I get to say hello to you, meet you in person. Make sure to come up and say hello to me. I would absolutely love to get connected with everybody and see your beautiful face in person.

I hope that you enjoyed listening to this episode of the Modern Hairstylist podcast. If you did, we would very much appreciate if you left a five-star review on whatever podcast platform you're listening to this on. If you're on Apple Podcasts, um, I would also very much appreciate if you left a tiny little blurb of what your experience has been listening to the pod. It just helps us reach more like-minded beauty professionals just like you who are looking to change the standard of this industry and are looking to work smarter, not harder, and grow a beautiful, badass business for themselves behind the chair.

Kaitlyn, thank you so much for joining me on these episodes. I very much appreciate having you here and helping me stay on track and, you know, stay organized and keep cool with all the bullet points and stuff. You are the bomb. Thank you so much.

Till next time, peace out, girl scout. Bye-bye.

End of transcript. © 2022 Hunter Donia LLC.