How to Prepare for a Planned or Sudden, Extended Leave (Medical, Maternity etc.) with Leisha Thompson

Hello, my friend. Welcome back to the Modern Hairstylist Podcast. I am excited for today's episode, because we have a really awesome guest doing really awesome things. But we also are gonna be addressing a topic that is very common within the industry, but it's kind of like an every now and then for each individual human being.

We're gonna be talking about, um, how to approach a leave of some sort, a long-term leave, something that's more than just a one-week vacation, right? Whether that be a maternity leave or whether that be, you know, something for a medical condition, maybe you wanna take a vacation for a month. Whatever it looks like, we are going to be speaking with you about how to approach when you wanna go away for a while for whatever it may be. And we're gonna be covering some th- three big important topics with this, um, which is going to be how do you refer out your clientele while you're gone to make sure that your clients are taken care of in the meantime and how to do that as strategically as possible.

We're gonna be talking about how do you retain your clientele while you're gone for so long, to how do you make it so and how do you ensure that you are actually coming back to a clientele. And then also, ho- what are some options for how you can make some money or maintain having some money, pay yourself while you're actually not working behind the chair? So if you're ready to get into it, then let's go. What's the tea, friend?

My name's Hunter Donia, industry business educator for hairstylists, but my friends just call me Hunty. Whether it be growing your clientele, making more money, or automating and streamlining your systems, in the next 20 minutes or so, you'll be hearing realistic, actionable strategies to create a beautiful career for yourself behind the chair. So if you're ready to get into it, welcome to the Modern Hairstylist Podcast. I am so excited to dive into this topic, and I'm so excited to have Leesha on the podcast.

What's up, Leesha? How are you? I am so good and just insanely grateful to be here today. Thank you.

I'm so grateful that you decided to come on and chat with us. I think what you're doing is so freaking cool, and you are filling such an interesting gap within the industry, one that has, has been a very complicated one. Mm-hmm. One that not many people, if anybody, has really thought about approaching before in the way that you are, and it's just super fascinating to me.

So please tell us, Leesha, introduce yourself for us. Tell me what you have going on in this amazing solution that you're creating for, uh, hairstylists. Yeah. Well, first off, thank you for that.

So I am Leesha. I am originally from Ohio. I've been in the industry about 13 years. But a little over a year ago, I actually left my ...

I had a really pretty successful business, but at the same time, I had been filling this, like, feeling this need, like there was something more and, and also simultaneously realizing that within our industry, there is kind of this area that is not talked about a lot and also seems like there just wasn't a lot of resources for, and that was, uh, when stylists go on any type of extended leave, whether it's maternity, medical, uh, mental health, you know, extended vacations, like you said. And realizing that, that there was kind of a struggle there for like, "Okay, what do I do?" Like, "How do I pay my rent?" Like, "What do I do with my clients?

How do I keep my clients?" Just kind of all those questions. And I also tend to ... I have a love for travel.

So I, over, a little over a year ago, like I said, I actually left my salon suite, my hometown, um, me, my husband, our pets. We moved into an RV and I decided that I wanted to start this new business called The Traveling Hair Stylist where we travel to you and help fill in for your leaves, help nurture your clients, can provide a source of income for any type of leave and through any type of area. So this is kind of an alternative service, but by experienced stylists. And that's kind of been my, my mission, my purpose.

And since I've done it, it's just felt, like, so clear to me how needed this is and just the stories that I've heard and, like, situations that I've talked to with stylists about their past experiences with leaves and, and things that they maybe did right, things that they maybe did wrong. And yeah, and just really trying to provide a better option that can be not only, like, inclusive to all people, but at- attainable for all stylists of all degrees, so ... Very cool. Thank you so much for that.

And so, uh, I met Leesha from Clubhouse Days, if anybody- Mm-hmm. listening to this knows what I'm talking about. But then, uh, Leesha became a student of mine- Mm-hmm. and we became friends.

And, uh, Leesha's doing work with one of my besties, Lisa Huff, right now. Mm-hmm. And I just remember you being in one of our coaching calls in my program and saying like, "This is an idea that I have and I'm not sure about it, but I wanna know what your guys' thoughts are." And we were just like, "Whoa, that is like so freaking cool."

And I just love how committed to it you have been ever since, like, and how much it's grown. And what I really love about what you're doing, Leesha, is that you are truly doing your due diligence with doing the research- Mm-hmm. and getting your hands in the, in the weeds of all of the aspects of these things, gaining so much experience and then now, you're, you're moving into offering these same options to other stylists- Mm-hmm. and not ...

That, to be able to be a part of what you're doing, not just offering those solutions to stylists as well. And so, um, you've created The Traveling Hair Stylist, right? Mm-hmm. And, um, of course we'll be leaving all the information for that in the show notes of this episode, and we can talk a little bit more about, um, how you can get involved in The Traveling Hair Stylist, whether you would like to seek them for a solution or whether you'd like to be a part of them as well.

Yeah. Um, but-First, let's talk about, let's get into referring out your clientele, right? Because you're gonna go on this long leave and your clients are gonna be like freaking out, like, "What the hell am I gonna do while my stylist is gone?" Mm-hmm.

"My, like, one stylist that I trust so much. I don't trust anybody else with my hair," right? Um, let's talk about it. Uh, you, before we started talking, Alicia, what, what was interesting was you, you said that not only have you gotten some experience from the stylist side obviously and been able to talk to some of the stylists who have gone through this and their concerns, but also, you've been able to understand the client's perspective- Mm-hmm.

as well too and really analyze that. So would you mind sharing a little bit about what you think the cl- what's going through the client's brain, right, and what you've seen and maybe what they prefer as well? Yes. Actually, this has been probably one of the most fascinating things that I've been able to hear from clients.

And something that I've kind of found talking to some clients who have maybe went with a past, uh, through a past leave with their stylist at any point, is obviously your clients love you, they respect you, they want you to take care of, like, yourself, your, obviously your baby. Like, they're happy for you. Um, something I think that's come up a couple times is, is I've had some clients express to me how it can be kind of an anxious time for them because they don't... Either, you know, they have a request maybe that you give them, but sometimes they've tend to have felt like a burden to certain stylists who maybe are very, like, already established, they have their own client.

And they're like, "It's just always kind of a weird feeling, like, trying to figure out how I can fit into their schedule with, like, the clients that they have, because they're not exactly trying to, like, keep me as a client." So you kinda can feel like you get almost on the back burner. That's kind of been an interesting perspective from just even the clients. So I think with some of them, they've like, "I've kinda just opted out of even trying to go to a request," 'cause it's just, it, you know, it can be like an awkward situation.

Or, "Then I have to kinda get used to, like, or try to figure out a new salon or just new things like that too for one or two times potentially." Um, and then even just from the other side too, some, like, good points that I've heard is just I think clients like having communication in your leave is so important, because they just don't wanna be like, they just don't wanna feel like you went on a leave and, like, abandoned them. And obviously you've got things you've gotta take care of, but, um, I think just even emails that you can kinda structure out or, or just different c- forms of communication is, is what's so important to just let them know what's up. Like, let them know how you're doing.

If you, if you just had a baby, like, show them pictures of your baby. Like, they want to know these things. So, so those are kind of like a couple points I found from both sides of it. Yeah.

Okay, so going along with the first thing that you noticed, which was clients c- can sometimes feel like a little bit burdeny or awkward or weird about approaching the, let's call it a, the temporary stylist, right? Yeah. In the same way that they would their, uh, uh, uh, another established stylist as if they were, like, a new client to them because of the understanding, like the- Mm-hmm. pre, the precedent that this is a temporary solution.

And so that's going through the client's brain as well. Mm-hmm. And that's making it a little bit awkward, right? I would assume that what that does is, is that holds the client back from really wanting to do anything too drastic.

I mean, I've been in this circumstance before actually. Now th- this actually brings up a memory- Mm-hmm. for me that I completely forgot about. I was working at a, a team salon and I had a coworker go on a medical leave.

She had to go on, do, go get surgery- Yeah. or whatever. And so she, uh, referred some of her clients out to different people in the salon, and she did old school, like, mullet-y, very old school- Yeah. haircutting, okay, like super precision, badass old school haircutting, like crazy volume, all like- Mm-hmm, yes.

short bobs and pixies, asymmetrical shit, like. And I'm like, "I am the last person-" "... who should be doing any of that. I don't know why this, this lady referred her client to me."

But I remember the client saying like, "I honestly just want a, like a little trim." Like, "I,"- Mm-hmm. "like, I know that this is just, like, an interim situation, and so I just don't wanna... Like, you don't have to do as, as, things as crazy as Stacey does, but just do like a little trim or whatever it may be."

And I was like, "Okay, cool. I'm gonna keep it super conservative. Just make sure that it doesn't get crazy around your ears, whatever." And I remember a couple weeks later, Stacey...

Sorry, I didn't, I namedropped Stacey. She won't mind. Um, Stacey came back from her medical leave and she told me that she got feedback from that client that that client was upset that I didn't cut enough. Mm, okay.

Which is crazy. Yeah. But it's like, it's interesting how, like, you know, we agreed that this is an interim thing, this is just gonna be like a little temporary situation. Mm-hmm.

But the client would have preferred to get like the full treatment in the moment. And maybe if she felt as if this, i- it was more comfortable or this wasn't- Mm-hmm. she wasn't seeing it as a temporary thing or maybe we changed her perspective about it, maybe we would've been more comfortable in actually, like, doing a real cut, the real thing that she actually wanted- Mm-hmm. and the real thing that she was paying for, right?

Yeah, and I think that's even kinda... That's something, like these have all been like golden nuggets that I've taken in just for my own business for The Traveling Hair Stylist, because something that, like, is worked up in, through our, like, partnership of, like, the stylists or salons that I'm helping cover is, is even the communication between them and I and, like, really having a good database of, like, the formulas and notes for your clients, like even just little things. Like, a stylist will kinda say like, "Hey," like, "so this client, she'll say that she wants bangs, but what she actually means is just, like, a long framing. So please don't, like- Right.

have her talk..." You know what I mean? So a- and that's kind of, goes into, like, with clients who are going to a new stylist is like, they have to kind of relearn how to talk to their stylist, 'cause that stylist doesn't quite know, like, that specific language yet. So yeah.

Right. I mean, that totally makes sense just in that one situation that you shared.Yeah, and so from what you just said, two things come up for me, um, which is, number one, making sure that the person that you're referring these people to, you, you, hopefully maybe you know- Mm-hmm. possibly that you have an understanding of maybe that this is a person who's really good at communicating.

Yeah. Right? Like, you, you trust that this stylist isn't just good at doing hair, right? But this stylist is also really great in con- consultations and being able to understand people's needs and wants, right, and being able to, you know, consultate in a way that's not so hairdressery- Mm-hmm.

consultate in a way that's relatable, maybe using visuals, et cetera, et cetera. I would want to make sure that that stylist is somebody who has a strong consultation skill. Yes. Right?

This other thing that you brought up was making sure that you're setting up that stylist for the most success possible with all of your clientele. Mm-hmm. And you said formulas, making sure that the, the notes are right and bringing up those little nuances with each of those clients- Yeah. such as, like, this person is going to tell you that they want bangs but they really don't actually want bangs.

Yeah. I love that so much. Now with that, I want to ask you too, what do you think about... I'm assuming we're gonna have two types of stylists kind of listening to this right now.

Mm-hmm. And I, I, I think the majority are gonna lean this way, which is, I think a lot of hairstylists are gonna be very nervous and micromanage-y over letting their client go to somebody else. Mm-hmm. I think somebody could be extremely nervous about allowing that client to, or the stylist even, to take over what they are working on and to make th-...

And they feel a lot of loyalty toward their client- Mm-hmm. they want their client to have a really good experience. Or we have a stylist who is just like, "Meh, I trust the person who she's going to. They can take over and do whatever they want," right?

But what do you think, what have you seen, or what are your thoughts about that approach? And maybe this is a mindset thing. I don't know. Like, what have you seen with, with this?

So I, every time I, I'm talking with a stylist or a salon, I always tell them upfront, I'm like, "Okay, so it's really important to sort of like start to put this idea in your client's head, like, when you are preparing for a leave and really kinda getting clear of, like, do you feel like you are gonna be seeking some type of services or do you just need, like, a root touch-up spray?" Mm-hmm. Like, because you're always gonna have about... And what I've found is always about, I'd say, 25% to 30% of your clients, they are your diehards.

They don't care if you're gonna be out for a year. They're not doing any- Right. They are not going anywhere else. So, you always know that you're gonna have, like, a percentage of your clients that are not gonna be interested.

It doesn't matter if you've got, you know, whatever going on. But then you have to kind of also think about, like, "Who are my more high-maintenance clients? Who are my mo- more low-maintenance clients? What, who is more of a priority?"

You know, like, do you have a lot of great coverage clients? Like, they are the types that are definitely going to be seeking some type of service. So, if you're gonna be out on a leave, like, this is kinda the thing, is, like, you're gonna be out no matter what and you don't know exactly how that might go, 'cause a lot of the realities too is, like, people will plan to the T on their leaves, but then one thing can happen and you might be out another month than what you expected. Like, it just- Right.

it's just something that happens and you have to kind of try to prepare for it as best as you can, but also kind of embrace a little bit uncertainty as well. So, it's better to set your clients up with even option and a backup option even if you don't think they're gonna quite use it, because you just never know what's gonna happen. And 'cause some things too that I think can be a little bit scary for clients is, is, "What am I gonna be coming back to? Am I just referring my clients out and then I'm gonna lose a lot of them, like, they're not gonna come back?"

Like, so this is another fear that can kind of happen for clients, so I think just having a really good understanding of, like, who you're working with, whether it's, like, a stylist in your salon, a friend in another town, or if you're utilizing even the traveling hairstylist services. Like, really having a good understanding and partnership with who you're working for and being able to communicate and set up, you know, a couple options for your clients. And, and- Yeah. even set up some type of communication to where if it's halfway through and, you know, maybe your, your client needs something, like, you are probably going to be preoccupied to be able to, to contact them.

So, even just giving them a resource of, like, "Here's somebody that you can just reach out to if you just have, like, some questions about something that you maybe wanna try or something." Or, like, "If you're trying to find, get a product or something, like, here's who I enlist to, like, have you help with." So, really trying to just cover all of those basises 'cause you're, you could probably plan for about, like I said, like, anywhere from 60% to 85% of your clients might be looking for something while you're gone, depending on how long your leave is. I love that you said you can plan so much, you can have- Mm-hmm.

all the things in place, you can set everybody up for success, but no matter what, something is going to change. Yeah. Like, something may go wrong, something may go left, something may go great- Mm-hmm. even better than you planned it.

Um, and I think that, you know, planning as much as you can obviously is fantastic and important, but then also let... Like, once you leave that behind, right, and as you've planned as much as you possibly can, really being able to be like, "I have done everything I possibly can. I'm going to, uh, l- like, fully trust this stylist to take care of these clients the best that they possibly can, whether that means that they have to go off of my plan or not possibly," right? Like, taking s-...

'Cause, I mean, there's gonna be situations where that person has to take initiative, you know? Mm-hmm. Like, I'm, like, I had, I've had people come to me from other stylists before and I'm like, "I'm just gonna..." I planned on just using the same formula- Mm-hmm.

doing exactly what my stylist told me- Yeah. but then in the consultation, they're telling me, like, something else and I'm like, "Oh, shit," like, I have to, like, be, go back to my own- Yeah. self as a stylist and trust myself. And maybe for me as the stylist who's taking over, trust that m- the stylist trusts me to do so.

Yeah, exactly. You know? I think... I mean, I always say for me, whenever I...

I've moved a lot the past couple, like, the past, like, year or two. Mm-hmm. I've gone through a lot of different transitions and I'm excited to talk about that actually as well too with this, because it's given me some perspective and experience with this. But with me, I truly, like, if I'm referring somebody to somebody, I freaking trust that stylist.

Mm-hmm. Like, I trust the hell out of them. Yeah. And I always know with me, I......

it's best for me to just do things the best way that I know how to, versus try to follow, like, a rigid instruction- Mm-hmm. every single time. Because sometimes if you're trying to follow a rigid instruction that's off the path of what you know and believe, then it's much more, uh, it's more easy for you to probably mess up- Yeah. or not deliver the amazing results that you're used to delivering.

And so, I think from the other perspective as the stylist, I think allowing to just really trust that person after you've prepared them the best that you possibly can, prepared your client the best that you possibly can, and allowing them to do their thing. And- and I think that's great. And then, like you were saying- Mm-hmm. setting up systems to be able to take care of certain circumstances while you're gone as well.

And we'll talk about that in just a moment. But I still wanna talk about referring out clients. Yeah. What has come up in, like, live group coaching calls and stuff like that before in my conversations with stylists, sometimes people have talked about, like, hiring out a hairstylist.

Mm-hmm. So that way, like, maybe they're a W-2 employee. They're taking commission from them or something like that, so that way they can still make money on those clients while they're gone, right? And we've ta- we've seen, you know, there's a million different directions that you can go as far as, like, who you actually- Mm-hmm.

refer them to and the way that you go about that, right? Think it's a little bit more complicated for independent stylists versus if you are in a team salon or, like, a salon where there's other people whe- that you can trust, that you're in constant communication with. What are your thoughts, and of course, we have the traveling hairstylist, which I also want you to talk about as well as a solution, but what are your thoughts, besides ch- the traveling hairstylist, before we get there, about all of the things? Yeah, so this is an option I've seen and talked with people who have done this in a couple different ways.

And I've seen some people who have tried to find maybe stylists who were, like, actually retired and, like, c- would come back in- Mm-hmm. to kind of help, just, um, I think for probably more of the ease of, like, "Okay, like, they're not looking to do this long-term." But I've also talked to stylists who have used somebody, you know, who was maybe, like, uh, in a different town or something who came in and kind of took over their clientele. And- and I will be honest, I have- I have not talked to a lot of stylists who have done this and felt 100% coming out of it.

So, I think there's just- Yeah. be very aware of, again, who you are entrusting and be very clear on your expectations, and really just communicate that. Because I've talked to a couple stylists who have brought somebody in, and, like, for the most part, things went well, but there's always this little thing that tends to come up where, uh, there was someone I was talking to, and she was saying how her clients, when they came back, there was one thing that was very off-putting to them, and that was that this stylist was sort of, like, trying to almost, like, put a little bit of, like, recruitment into their ear. Like, "Hey, like, I'm not that far if you wanna kind of continue to see me," kind of thing.

So, I think that- Yeah. that's just something to be very, very aware of, depending on who you are using for this. And I- and I think that's what makes a little bit of what I'm doing differently, because with the traveling hairstylists, we are coming for you and for your clients, and when we're done, we leave. So, you're- we're trying to retain- Right.

and nurture your business as much as possible so that you are coming back to a business that is as you left it. So- and then there is always- you know, people will tell you, like, "Oh, expect to lose about, you know, 10% of your clients," or whatnot, and- and that might still happen regardless. But I think it's just bringing somebody in. There's obviously a lot of legalities around it, so you have to kind of make sure that, you know, you're really having a good conversation with, like, your CPA or something and making sure that, like, the structure of how that is going is- works beneficial for you and, like, is following legalities.

I would even potentially talk to somebody about maybe even putting a contract in place, and if that scares them- Yeah. then that's probably a kind of a red flag, if they're kinda like, "Oh, no, I'm not trying to do all that kind of thing." So, I think it's just really, really important if you're gonna go into that to just really protect yourself and your business and make sure that you are getting the benefit and very clear on what you are looking for in that partnership. Yeah.

I love that. So, like, whatever- however- whoever you're gonna refer them to, right, like, make sure that the expectations are super clear up front and possibly- Mm-hmm. have some sort of agreement in place if- if it's a situation where that's something that could be, uh, super helpful. Yeah.

I love that. And you talked a little bit about being nervous about, you know, having- like, giving- y- having somebody go to another stylist- Mm-hmm. and then them continuing on with that stylist, right? Yeah.

I think for mindset purposes, I think it's gonna f- it- it might happen, you know? And I think that we just have to, like, let go of that, like, scarcity- Yeah. and- and- because you ju- you said it before, and I love that you said it, like, you're going on leave no matter what. Mm-hmm.

So- Yeah. whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen. Is gonna happen, mm-hmm. However, I think thinking about how you can retain that clientele as strategically as possible is super important.

Mm-hmm. And I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts about this. But I also have some really important things that I think people should take in consideration. Yeah.

And I wanna hear if you agree with me. So, number one, you know me, you're a student of mine, and everybody listening to this knows I am all about systems. And systems is a big umbrella word for a lot of different things. Um, the systems in particular for these could look like, you know, making sure that your- your stylist has those notes and the formulas and all those things, right?

But also, um, systems for how you communicate with your clients and how you set your clients up for the most success in the meantime, not just your, uh, the clients that you're leaving behind, but also, the new clients who may, you know, be requesting to get an appointment with you while you're away, right? Like, just because you're going away doesn't mean that I feel like we should stop our marketing efforts. Mm-hmm. Or that we should shut down our website completely, you know?

Um, I think having a new client wait list- Mm-hmm. to be able to put onto your website to be able to field interest while you're away that you can approach once you come back and you've gotten everything settled is something that I think you should absolutely take in consideration. I talked about, um, in my- in, uh, a couple episodes ago, I was talking about preparing for slower times.Um, and I also did an episode following up with that, which was talking about, like, how to handle, like, really busy times.

Mm-hmm. And I think what ends up happening is, is in busy times or in times where we're like, "I don't want new clients," we stop, and we don't do any marketing efforts, and we're like, "I'm done." But what ends up happening is, is that affects us, I feel like, much more in the long term than just the short term. And you don't just, when you come back, want to retain your existing clientele, but you want to continue forward with your new client- new client requests.

And if you take a little- it- you- of course, you should take a break, but setting up the systems in advance, right? Making sure that you're batched out, having your new client wait list in place and ready to go to field that interest automatically for you, I think could be really advantageous so that when you come back to a flourishing- Mm-hmm. clientele and you can continue on with the momentum that you left off with. Then, on top of a new client wait list, also a, guess, uh, existing client wait list, right?

One that cannot just field, you know, uh, a first name and email address and you just go from most recent submission to the oldest submission, right? I wanna know, like, what's your normal times and days that you would like to come and see me or that you can come to a salon appointment. Um, what would you like to get done when you come back to see me? Being able to ask those more extensive questions for you to be able to see all that information in an organized place instead of you having to text somebody- Mm-hmm.

or email them back and forth or having to deal with calling them at the end of your leave right before you're returning to get them scheduled back in. If you have this organized space where you can field all that communication, then I feel like the return can be a lot more smooth, and you can effectively attack that in a much more smooth way. And then, an email service provider, a proper one that allows you to batch things out, schedule things out ahead of time, so you can send emails and communicate with your clients on a mass level in a marketing way ahead of time to be able to not have to worry about it when you're actually on the leave, you know? Mm-hmm.

Um, I think, like, that are really, really impactful and important. And even when, like you said, things may go wrong or things may not turn out as expe- as you've expected them to, having those foundational systems will still have your back and make wha- whatever you need to approach or attack so much easier and allow you to reach those people in such a better, most beautiful way. Mm-hmm. Even having a business phone number and an auto-reply set up and stuff like that.

All the stuff that I teach in PVP, truly, like, that stuff will really set you up for a lot of success, I feel like, when you're on a leave such as this. You were talking about communicating with your clients in the meantime, right? When it comes to, like, you know, r- that communication and retaining clientele and all that stuff, what have you seen work, Alisha? Or what are your, uh, recommendations?

Yeah, I have a few, actually. So to even go back a little bit to the existing client wait list, I think something that is really important to add to that is a- some type of question that is, "Did you- have you had an appointment with another stylist or do you have an upcoming appointment with another stylist?" Mm. Because coming back from a leave is another ballgame sometimes.

It's kinda like, you know, we all went through, uh, like, a shutdown period during pandemic and then we came back and it was like, you know, trying to figure out, oh my god, where do I begin? So in- in this circumstance- Yeah. you might have maybe a percentage of your clients who maybe just had an appointment in the middle of that. And so it allows you to be able to come back and almost, again, kinda categorize, like, who didn't- who are my clients who didn't seek anybody during my leave?

Because these are the ones that I need to focus on- Right. first. And then based on the form- Right. if somebody had an appointment maybe in the middle of my leave, okay, so then we can kinda work to that.

And then you've got, like, your- maybe you've got low maintenance, you know, balayages that come in a couple times a year, you know. Their- they- their balayage still looks good, but you could probably put them in kind of a- a- a little bit of a- the third category there. So I think that's just, like, just a- Yeah. specific question that I think is really, um, insightful to add to that form just so you can kind of plan a little bit better coming back and know, like, who's been taken care of, who's about to be taken care of, who didn't get taken care of at all, like, during the leave.

So I did wanna add that, and then, yeah, email is, I think, so, so important and I think what I've found and just what I recommend is being able to drop a little bit of, you know, whether it's, like, newsletter forms or just updates throughout your leave of, like, how you're doing. Again, like, you know, whether it's medical or if you had a baby, like, updates like that. And then even just, like, maybe throw in still, like, a- a tip or something, a hair tip. Like, still keep, like, that hair education, like, nurturing that you're doing in your email.

I think it's also a really great time to maybe, like, go back and recycle maybe some of your, like, tutorials that you did just to, like, keep your social media platforms and stuff like that. Like, keep that going as well eh- especially if you're in a space where maybe you, you know, if- if you've like broken your arm, you probably can't film some fresh things, so try to do what you can do and recycle. It's a perfect time to start recycling some content. I think one- Yeah.

last thing I will add that I would really recommend, and this is something that I actually did when I moved away from Ohio and left my clients, is take a little bit of time before your leave begins to just add a teeny bit of research into, like, the stylist that you refer them out. So for instance, if you've got some sty- or some of your clients who are maybe, like, they're blondies, maybe kind of add notes, like if you have an email and you're listing out stylists, maybe add, like, this is a great stylist if you're a blondie. This is a great stylist who specializes in great- Mm-hmm. coverage.

And also take a moment to look at how their booking flow is and add a couple notes 'cause if their booking flow is a little different than, like, yours, for instance, if there's different types of forms or a different type of process, just add a little bit of notes so that no client starts that and they're feeling overwhelmed because it's different than what they're used to. So I think that these are things that- Yeah. are very valuable to the client, and again, just sets them up for- and sets you up for just a more seamless leave. Yeah, I think that's brilliant.

I love that so much. So I personal- so I just went through, like, a three-month-plus sabbatical myself because I was moving to a new city, and I just wanted to really take my time with figuring out a space that I would feel really great in and that I would be able to serve my clients well within. And so I let my clients know, like, "Hey, like, I will be taking this leave between now and then. Um, I d- have no timeframe per se of when I'll be able to take appointments again.

Just know that, like, I will be c- stay- I will stay in communication with you." I gave them multiple references and I said, like, "Th- in this circumstance, this is probably your best bet for each of those people." I think that's such a brilliant- Mm-hmm. recommendation and super validating for me.

I'm like- Yeah. "Oh, I did the right thing." No, totally. It makes a huge difference.

Um...Totally. And so, and, but while I was gone, I made it a priority to stay in communication with those people, right, in one way or another, um. Multiple times, actually, I sent out a form asking them, like, have they seen a stylist, are you still interested in coming to see me when I'm in this new location, because this new location was an hour away.

For some of my clients, it's two hours away. Mm-hmm. And I'm going to a new area where a lot of my clients don't live near, um, and so I wanted to gauge that interest- Mm-hmm. as well, because as I'm, like, moving, and as I'm finding a new space, I wanna know, like, what clientele I'm working with, because that's gonna dictate what my schedule looks like, how I'm interacting and how I'm interviewing with these salons, right?

Um, it was, I- I was able to have more perspective of my interests so I could go to a salon and say, "Hey, like, I'm gonna have a shit ton of clients. I don't want any of your clients." Mm-hmm. "Right?

So I'm not a threat to you and your business, just, like, I can work here and I'm just bringing all my own people." Yeah. Which also gave me more leverage, right? It gave me more leverage to be able to be like, "Hey, I wanna work these days, and, like, those are the days that are gonna work for me, it is what it is," instead of...

Because I have this business that I'm bringing in, right? But if I didn't have that business that I was bringing in, if I didn't know who was coming to see me, right, then a salon owner may be like, "Um, oh, well, I don't really care what you want. You know-" Mm-hmm. "...

you're gonna take our business. We're gonna be giving you clients. I'm gonna, you know, you're gonna be working the days I tell you to work." Whatever it may be, right?

Um, and so being able to have that information while you were gone, right, while I was gone- Mm-hmm. and also being able to give those people those tips, those reassurances in between, like, telling them, like, "Hey, keep using that purple shampoo, uh, make sure that you are, you know..." Continuing to nurture them the same way that we normally nurture them or that we should be nurturing them- Totally. on, like, a monthly basis, was really powerful.

And I came back, I came into this brand new area and had people who did not see another hairstylist, they waited it out, and they are driving two hours to come see me in the place that I'm at right now. Like, truly. Mm-hmm. And I think that is very much, er, very much has to do with the communication that I, that I set up, the constant gauging of interest.

I found a s- salon space that was perfect for me to serve my people within, with a lot of leverage of, and control over how I do so, and I believe that the experience and the way that I handl- the experience that I give just in general, right, like, the way that I take care of my clients and I give them- Yeah. a next level experience, pre, during and post, right? The ones that I teach within my programs, and then also the experience that I gave them up, leading up to that sabbatical as well. The experience of, you know, telling them, "I'm gonna take care of you."

Mm-hmm. "I will give you every formula. I'll make sure that you know exactly what you need to say to the stylist. I've spoken to this stylist for you.

If you're not gonna go to this stylist, here's a list of them and this is what, this is what they specialize in," and etcetera, etcetera. If you set those people up and if you prove to them that you are a badass, amazing human being who genuinely care, who will go the extra mile and set them up for success, and you've been giving them an excellent client experience, one that is next level up until that point, you will retain those clients when you come back, like, truly. Yeah. Like, very much so.

Whether they go to a stylist who blows them away or not, you will retain a lot of your clientele if you approach it in the same way. That's what I learned from my own experience, personally. Yeah. Your clients trust you.

Like, you have... Especially, you know, if you've gotten through a lot of, like, PDPA and MSN and stuff, like, there's so much nurturing you can do in your business to really build such a beautiful relationship with your clients, and so they look to you for that insight. They trust you. A- and this is kind of one last thing I'll add really quickly, is, this is kinda why too, like, even if you're going on a leave, you don't have to give, like, specific dates of when you're coming back.

You can be like, "You know, I'm gonna be on a leave for a few months. I will be sending you plenty of updates, and as, as I kinda get to a point where maybe I know I'm gonna be coming back, I will let you know and give you that information for the wait list." And if you've built a great relationship with your clients and you've built those systems, they will trust you, no questions asked. They'll be like, "Absolutely."

And I saw this with even my most recent stylist that I was covering for. She w- had a really great system she was using for just, like, communication, emails, and she never put what day she was coming back from her leave, and her clients were like, "She set me up, she's communicating with me, and I trust that I will hear-" Hear, hear. "... when she's ready and I will get her on her waiting list and know that she will get me back on her books when she's ready."

'Cause again, like, that just kinda goes back to you never know what might happen, so don't set yourself up and don't set your clients up for, you know, just, the expectations to not be met. I love that you said that. No, and I wanna actually, there, I, I love that you covered that, is that, and you took my example and you, you made it a point, because I think it is an important point. Mm-hmm.

You don't have to guarantee anything. Yeah. As long as you, as long as you're still giving a great experience while you are sharing that information. Like, as long as you're saying, "Listen, I'm so sorry, I can't guarantee anything, but I'm gonna set you up for the most success."

Mm-hmm. "I will be in communication with you," right? That's how I appro- that's how I suggest anybody approaches any type of conversation, is, is you can set a boundary but you can also take care of the client in the same sense. Mm-hmm.

And acknowledge that it may be an inconvenience to them, right? I love that so much. Thank you for sharing that. And then two other things that...

Well, just, I guess, one overall thing that I just want to also make a point of, we're not just talking about, you know, happy leaves. We're also talking about things that may be super personal, may be really hard for you just in general to handle or approach or talk about, things that you may wanna keep private. If it's a positive thing that you, that you wanna share, I think it's very advantageous for you to share it. I, I, I will just say I think there's a lot of benefits to you sending a picture of a baby, right?

Mm-hmm. Or, like, talking about how things went for you, or whatever it may be. You know, I think that there are a lot of benefits to that.Do I think that it's absolutely essential or a make-or-break to retaining your clientele?

No. If you want to be more private about that, and if you don't want to share that stuff, then don't- Yeah. and just serve those people in different ways that's relevant to the business. And then on the flip side of that, if it's something that is, is negative and it's something that is private, or it's just something that is really shitty and sad for you to talk about- Mm-hmm.

if it's something that you don't want to talk to your clients too much about, either before the leave or after the leave, it's totally okay for you to set those boundaries up front and just l- be honest. And say, "Quite honestly, this is something that... It's not something that I'm, I'm really, like, willing to talk about- Mm-hmm. too much with people.

Um, it's something that I want to keep private and I prefer that the conversations, when I come back or right now, are, are, we keep that out of the conversation." Yeah. "However, I'm still... I...

Just know that I will be okay," right? "And I am here to still serve you and take care of you to the best of my abilities." Like, you can stay private. You can- Absolutely.

keep your boundaries as long as, on the flip side, you're still providing that excellent client experience, right? And that's what I just did. I said, I, I, I set that boundary, but then I was like, "But I will be okay, so you don't have to worry." And even though maybe that's not the case, maybe you feel like it's stressful and you will not be okay, which is fine as well.

But sometimes faking it till you make it is appropriate just to get that conversation off of your back and, and keep people put... Put your clients' minds at ease, and then focus back on the business, the main reason why- Mm-hmm. this person is communicate, in communication with you in the first place. Totally.

So, just wanted to share that as well too. Do you have any other thoughts about that? No, I think you worded that, actually, perfectly. So, no, I think that was great.

I totally, totally agree. And, and, yeah. No, I think you worded that perfectly. I think it's, again, I think it's advantageous.

Mm-hmm. I think it's helpful to let clients in, to a certain degree, but you don't have to. Um, and then lastly, all right? This is a longer episode than I normally go- ...

but I think there's so many important things to cover in this episode, so I appreciate your time, Alicia, and I appreciate you tuning into this. This last part is gonna be very interesting and important to most people, I believe. It's making money while you're gone. Mm-hmm.

Right? Um, I have a couple way, I, I mean, I don't really have a couple ways, but I do have one really big way that I think could be super helpful. Um, but at least, tell me what your thoughts are about this, about, uh, maintaining your income or preparing for this leave with- Yeah. as far as income goes and money goes.

What are your thoughts, or what have you seen? Yeah. And 'cause I feel like we'll probably speak on different sides of this. So, I, w- thinking about this, like, I do just wanna touch base on, like, a couple resources and options that may be available to you as a stylist, whether you're an employee, um, you know, or independent.

Um, I think it's really important to, even if you're not in a place where maybe you're not going to be taking any type of leave that you know of, um, I think it's really important to kind of seek out and just kind of, like, talk to maybe some, like, insurance providers and policies on, like, disability plans and see what that looks like for you. Because that might be something that can be very helpful or beneficial to you to help retain some income while you're gone. Um, I will say there, it can very much vary, especially state to state, policy to policy. Some things, I think, to kind of, like, just know with that is, you are going to...

It, it's all gonna be based upon your specific position. Like, how far you are in your career, your age, your health conditions. Like, so just know that what might have worked really well for somebody may not have worked as well for- Hmm. another person.

So, it's really important just to kinda know- Right. for your specific sess-, uh, situation and ask the questions, even if they seem silly. Um, but- Right. that can be an option to use, potentially, to help retain, um, some of your income.

I will say it's a lot easier to use if you are an employee. It's definitely more geared towards employees than independents, but there is definitely still an option for you if you're an independent. Another thing I will say to look into is PFML, which is Paid Family Medical Leave. That one is actually a really, really great program.

It's very easy, um, to enroll in. The eligibility begins much more quickly and your income can be covered up to 90% for up to 12 weeks. Wow. Just, again, depending on what s-, uh, what state you're at.

The downfall to PFML, though, is currently, and this is as of today, it's only available in 11 states, which is, like, not even half. Mm-hmm. So, that's a, it's definitely... I wish that was an option that was available to more, 'cause it's really great for people who are independent.

It's so much easier- Yeah. to, like, enroll in and it, and it can be very beneficial. Again, one thing I will say is, like, if you found out you were pregnant yesterday and you decide to kind of get into one of these, it might be a little bit more difficult for you to be able to... You won't have as long to be paying into it, basically.

And so- Mm-hmm. that's just, these are all things to just, like, think about, consider, like, ask questions on. But I also wanna just highlight just how underrated it can be to take control of it yourself. Um, being able to just open a separate savings account and, and delegate a percentage that you would be comfortable putting into that automatically, and have it build yourself for just any of those, like, in-case purposes, leave purposes.

And just even, like, a, like, a quick example, if you're paying yourself consistently, let's just say s- 700 a week. If you took 10% of that, that's $70 a week. Within 14 months, you would have enough money to pay yourself the same salary of $700 a week for up to six weeks. And that's- Wow.

fully your control. That's 100% of your profit. Don't have to go through elimination period. So, I just, I just wanna highlight being proactive about that too, if it's something that you feel like you want to do.

You can do it on your own as well, but I, I think it's also, not everybody is in that position. So, I think that's why, like- Yeah. it's important to touch base on just a couple of those other options and looking into that for, for yourself. And then if you are gonna be someone who uses our services, there is opportunity to, um, you would have your rent covered if you're a renter, and then there's also opportunity for a little bit of income to come your way for just whatever the surplus is after a daily rate.

Which, I know that's a, kind of a whole other thing. But-Basically, these are just a few of the resources where there can be potentials for income from, like, that side of a leave. Dude, so great. I, I do wanna, uh, amplify the, if you have the privilege- Mm-hmm.

of doing so, right? Like, if you have the privilege of doing so, being proactive is so- Mm-hmm. important and helpful. And if you have the extra privilege on top of that privilege to be able to know that something is coming up- Mm-hmm.

right? Or that even if it's next year, I know that sounds like a long time away, but to start now- Yeah. will set you up for so much success if you just, if you have an idea that next year something is gonna happen, right? So being as proactive as possible if you have the privilege of doing so, even for unexpected- Yeah.

circumstances. Uh, it can happen, dude. I mean, our industry, we are so reliant on our sensitive little bodies- Mm-hmm. that are just so breakable and so not invincible, right?

Yes. So just, I, I, if you can be proactive about that, start now. I think that's a very important point. I love that.

Another thing with money. I think that actually is a really brilliant thing to lean into, especially, I mean, I guess for any type of leave, is affiliate link sales and online product sales, and not ones where you're delivering it yourself. I never recommend that. Yeah.

I do not think the return on your investment as far as, like, dealing with the shipping or the dropping off or the pick-ups and the communication, I don't think that any of that is worth the ROI on it. However, I do think that affiliate links and maybe if your distributor or your product br- brand allows you to set up your own online store where you get a kickback but they take care of everything else for you, absolutely, um, something that you should take advantage of, for all, any time. Mm-hmm. Any time.

Yeah. But to be able to use that, again, another system, another asset that you have to take care of you or help you, uh, in these circumstances, right? To be able to use that to supplement some income while you're gone. Furthermore, also take care of your clients as well too, right?

Mm-hmm. Give them solutions as well, I think is really powerful. And having a proper email marketing software that allows you to position those things in a really professional and beautiful way I think is, uh, would be really advantageous. And so, um, don't forget about products.

You know, d- even when you're leaving your clients behind, I tell this to stylists all the time, if you're moving and, like, you know, there's no way that you're gonna retain these clientele, right? Dude, don't forget that, like, they still trust you. Mm-hmm. And they will still want to buy from you for a while, you know?

I mean, I'm at a salon where they're not selling my product brand anymore and, and maybe this is, like, a off-topic-ish conversation. I'm at a salon where they're not selling that product anymore and they don't wanna get this thing off the shelf, they wanna buy things from me still. Mm-hmm. And they're still using my affiliate, uh, link for my products that I recommend to them.

I can attest to that too. I moved away from my hometown over a year ago now and I still, I just had a client, like, two months ago, maybe a mon- it was around the holidays and she texted me and she was like, "Hey, can I still order this product on your store?" I was like, "Yes, you can." You know where to find it.

Yes. So absolutely. Dude, I have random orders come in all the time. Mm-hmm.

It's crazy how people- Yeah. will just consistently order from me and I'm not even talking- Mm-hmm. to them about it. So, I mean, I love in-person retail, I love stocking your shelves with retail.

Now, don't get me wrong. However, I do think it's really powerful to make sure that your clients are very aware- Mm-hmm. that it's a solution in all times, but very much so leaning into that, uh, when things like this happen, when you are gonna go on a leave and you can't make money by actually performing services. Yes.

Right? So just another way to make money. Leesh, ple- dude, I think you did, I'm, like, I'm just so blown away just by the small little mentions of the traveling hairstylist throughout this episode. Would you mind breaking it all down for us?

And I want both sides. I want the, if, if a stylist is going away on leave, what do you offer them? And then I also wanna know from stylists listening to this who are like, "I wanna live in an RV and travel-" "... the country and do this."

Yeah. I wanna hear from you what opportunities are available for them as well. Yeah. So, uh, basically with the, the system that I have built, if you are someone who is gonna be going on any type of leave where it's gonna be, I always kinda say about a month or more just depending on it, I think if it's a less than a month that there's actually different strategies and a lot of, like, actually what we talked about today is actually almost more useful, but if you have any type of leave, we get set up on a call.

I, you know, we really go over your business, your needs, your wants, and we customize a plan for you because every situation is a little bit different, and so it's really important that it not only works well for me but for you. And, uh, we set up, like, you know, we've got checklists that we go over to really prepare. Like I said, we get kind of, like, our shared database of, like, your client notes, your formulas, your experience from the minute that that client walks through your door to the minute that they leave. We like to be as much of an extension as you as possible because this is all about nurturing and providing a sense of, like, security with your clients to give them ease so that they don't have to even go to a different place, to give them the same experience that they are used to, that they pay for, and also to help, you know, when your clients are coming in, we already have an idea of their formulas, and like, like I said, just even the notes, like I was kinda mentioning earlier, which is so important.

So they really get to, um, like I said, have as much of the same experience as we can replicate for you so that you can have just ultimate peace of mind. Like I said, we can cover your rent or some options I work on, like, a daily rate. This is, again, this is all customized depending on what works well for you, so this can earn you some surplus income weekly as well. So that's just, like, I mean, a super quick kind of thing of, like, what it is from the stylist and how we kinda work.

Yeah. And, um, and then once we're done, and again, like-Communication with us is, like, really important because maybe you have something where you're like, "I need, like, a couple more weeks. You know, can you cover, like, another week for me?" Or whatever.

Like, these are things that it's really nice to be able to have somebody that you've relied on and brought in for whether it's client questions, taking care of the clients, taking care of your space, covering your rent, but then also being, having that resource there just in case things change. Um, then it's kind of like, all right, perfect. We're, like, we're already there and we're in it for you and we can adapt to that very quickly. So that's a little bit about that, and then from the other side, like I said, I've been, I've kind of really taken this past year to really build this and, like, almost, like, figure out the holes and, and, and what, what needs to happen to make this a seamless process, and I feel like I'm now in a place where I, it is running smooth.

Like, there's the need for it, and I'm really, really, really excited to start opening up to building a team. So if this is something that really resonates with you, if you're looking for something that, um, is really different for you, if you've been wanting more experience, even if it's just, like, a couple times a year, it's not like you need to go move into an RV and, and do what I'm doing. You could, you know, just do this for the summer if you want and, you know, and so- Yeah. if this is something that really resonates you, um, definitely go check out the website at thetravelinghairstylist.

com. There's a join the team page that has more information, uh, and you can definitely inquire about that, and then we can chat. So yeah, there's a quick little snippet of both. Badass.

I love it, Alish. Thank you so much for your time here today. I really appreciate it. Thank you.

I loved this conversation. I feel like there was a lot of, a lot of good value here, so. Yeah, no, you, you brought some really badass points. I really appreciated it.

Uh, thank you, my friend, for listening to the Modern Hairstyles podcast. I really hope that this episode was helpful for you. If you found it helpful, number one, go check out The Traveling Hair Stylist in the show notes of this episode, but also go ahead and leave a five-star testimonial wherever you're listening to this. Make sure to hit the subscribe button if you haven't already, and I hope that you have a blessed rest of your day.

Good luck if you are going through a leave. We send our love and support to you, my friend, in whatever that looks like, whatever kind of leave you're going through. So much love. Peace out, girl scout.

Bye-bye.

End of transcript. © 2024 Hunter Donia LLC.