Real Stories of 10k Months, Big Growth & Bigger Confidence — Mastermind Roundtable

Hello, my friends. Welcome back to the Modern Hairstylist podcast. Today is a very special episode. I think there's maybe only been, in like the three years with the 180 plus episodes that we have on the Modern Hairstylist podcast, where we've had more than one guest.

We are now interviewing our Mastermind group. So our Mastermind group is a very special, smaller, intimate program that I started this year, um, in, keeping in mind my own experience as a successful high performing hairstylist, because when you are a business owner and you're first starting things out, you are seeing what works, you are trying all the things, you're joining large communities, you're figuring out what other people have done and what's worked for them, and you're trying to take that and make it work for you, and you're gaining momentum and you need a little bit of a, just a plan, a strategy to start out with, right? And then you start gaining a lot of traction after your hard work and your dedication and your trial and error. And once you g- gain traction and momentum, what takes you getting from where you are now to a whole new level is a truly new evolution of who you are and much more intimate and personalized advice, and a space in which you don't feel like you're always the one giving the advice because a lot of the time when you're in a space in which you are high performing and you're doing very well, it's awesome that you get to now give back to c- your community, people who may be just one step behind you, but then what about you at the end of the day?

Who's pouring into your cup and who is challenging you, pushing you, holding you accountable and serving you with the value that you need for you to get to a whole new level, right? And I was in that space and it sometimes can feel a little bit lonely, right? They have that old saying, like, it feels a little bit lonely at the top. And therefore, I decided to create this program.

I've been wanting to create this program for so long, so long, but never felt like I had the capacity to do it because it does require a lot of my personal time, like, me and these people are getting on one-to-one calls on a monthly basis. We're hopping on quick 15, 30-minute calls every now and then to set up their tech impromptu, and cover really small little issues and address them really quickly, and they have 24/7 access to me through Slack, and, uh, we're getting on, uh, calls with each other every other week and we have guest speakers and we run a retreat and we do a lot of stuff. And so all of that stuff is designed to make it so they are served with everything that they need to get to their next level, and I finally this year felt like I had the capacity to do it and launched it, and these brave, excellent, brilliant, kind, so freaking cool group of entrepreneurs, of beauty professionals, leaders within their field, decided to join us, and it has been such a successful, gorgeous first cohort. And I really wanted to just share with everybody listening to this, what is possible for you if you decide to be bold, to get uncomfortable, to not give up, to treat your business like a damn business, and surround yourself with like-minded entrepreneurs who are doing really badass shit to push you and challenge you and, and serve you, to get to what is possible for you, to tap into the potential that you have as a entrepreneur.

And so that's why we're gonna be featuring them today and asking them a little bit about their journey for what got them to where they are now, and then what has bee- been their experience and their transformation once they decided to join a group such as this, in which they were having more high level conversations, where they had the one-to-one accountability with a mentor, and they were really pushing themselves to grow in a way that they've never done before. So all of the beauty professionals who you'll be hearing from today are here because they are either doing 10K months, they're doing $56,000 in a quarter, they are starting big, new endeavors based off of the successful foundation they've already created for themselves, they're working less and making more, doing the services that they love with clients that they love, and have built a very strong and beautiful successful business that not only makes a big impact in their clients' lives, but also their own life. So I'm excited to introduce to you Miriam Georges out of Florida, Emily Jones out of Milwaukee, Gretchen Hugo out of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Jackie Young from Chicago, Charlotte Morris from Winston-Salem, Lark Imler from Alaska/New Mexico, Jodi Ramos Austria, a esthetician out of San Francisco, Alyssa Monet, a curly hair stylist out of Charlotte, Katie Schoenrock, a stylist from Minnesota, Brandy Chavez, a stylist based out of Phoenix, and Priscilla Vargas out of San Francisco. So I am very excited to have this conversation, and if you've been listening to the Modern Hairstylers podcast, you know that we've had Jodi Brown as a part of these, uh, past couple episodes, and I do not plan on that stopping anytime soon because Jodi is so fucking awesome.

But what's going on today, Jodi? How are you doing? I am so good. I'm really excited to be here because believe it or not, that intro was like a 10th of the incredible things that Hunter has said about you all.

So I'm really excited to be in the room and talk to you all and kind of just dig into the journey of, you know, getting to the next level of your career as beauty pros. So I'm really excited to be here. So the first thing I want to talk about is what was happening in your business when you decided to join this Mastermind? So when I first started, um, uh, thinking about doing the Mastermind, I was approaching my two-year anniversary of my business, and I had......

kind of decorated it and started it very blandly, and very scared, so I was feeling very vanilla before I started, and I am not vanilla now, that's for sure. Yeah, and Gretchen- Um- ... like, I feel like when you first came to join us too, like, and you knew that, like, the way that you set up the business was, uh, a- you, you knew that you had a good foundation, right? But I feel like you wanted to feel more strong in the fact that like, "This is my freaking business and I am the shit, and I'm able to take this to the next level."

Like, I- you have worked so hard to build what you've built to this point, and I feel like you really wanted to tap into the potential of that, and you wanted to make it so all of your hard work didn't go to waste, and you were actually optimizing what you had built up until this point. Would you agree with me? Oh, 100%. 100%.

And, uh, "I am the shit" is our little inside joke because that's my mantra from when one of our first meetings Hunter and I had to remind myself, "I am the shit." I love that. Absolutely. And even when you are at this point, like, which I think this is a really great thing to share with people is, even when you have so many years of experience, and even when you have built up something so badass, right?

You still need a community around you to remind you how fucking awesome you are, because we all get up in our own heads, and we all get imposter syndrome, and we all get down on ourselves, and there's always going to be a goalpost that moves, like, further and further and further away, no matter how great we have it, as far as our success goes. And so, I love that we've had this, like, inside mantra for you, Gretchen, and I think it's been really cool. And just sharing with everybody, you know, like, no matter what level you're at, there's always going to be some sort of level of doubt, and needing to remind yourself how fucking awesome you are, I feel like. Definitely.

Definitely. Thank you, Gretchen. I appreciate it. When I joined Mastermind, I had just recently opened my own booth rental salon, and I was still, and am still, currently working three to four days behind the chair full time.

So, I was just feeling really, really overwhelmed at everything that I had to, I had to complete, all the tasks that I had to do, with taking on this new business and then also still working in my own business. So, I knew that I needed Mastermind because of how overwhelmed I felt, and I just knew that that was gonna help me stay organized. I needed to take on this new endeavor correctly, and I had hoped that Mastermind was gonna help me through that, and it already has in so many ways. Yeah, so I just, um, recently celebrated my five-year anniversary of owning my, my li'l biz.

And it's just been me working there for the, the whole time for- well, for the majority of the time. Um, and I've been wanting to hire an assistant or support, you know, for- I've been telling m- talking to my clients for- about it for the past couple of years, even. And it was just one of the things where I had been putting it off because I wanted to be able to create operational structure, um, and I was not going to do that before I was ready to be a good employer. You know, I feel very- I have a huge responsibility in creating a place of employment for other people, and I'd just been putting it off because I was just so busy working in the business.

And so, when the opportunity for the Mastermind came up, I knew this is something that I need to work on, and, and I knew that I was gonna need help to do it in a way that felt right for me and for my business. I, I knew that I was gonna need to get the help that I need to be accountable and to be structured and to create the structure that I wanted to create for my team. Um, I think I related so much to the intro about needing support and always being the one to give it, because I'm always happy when people, like, reach out to me to help them and follow up with them and give them the support in their business that they needed. But it got to the point where I was looking around and I was like, "Who do I ask?"

Like, "Who is there to help me?" And I had had those feelings and I was like, "That'll be what I focus on in 2025," and then like, the email for the Mastermind came up, and I was like, "Oh, this was meant to be." I love that. I think that's such a, such a interesting point too, because I feel like when you're in the beginning of business, we think, "Oh, once I get to a certain level, there's not gonna be any more questions, or there's not gonna be any more problems," and it's just different questions and different problems, right?

Even when you are at a level when you're leading others. The next question I wanna ask is, did anyone here have hesitations w- about joining in any way? So for me, I am a- I have a- my business partner is on here, and I- my hesitation was another program, another coachable program. And so I- my, my thinking was, "Well, what's gonna be different about this?"

I did know a little bit about it, just the, uh- but it was more tech that, you know, my business partner was doing. And so what I saw was that it, it was gonna be a smaller group, um, so that was a- an attraction to it. But at the same time, because it's a smaller group, there was gonna be more accountability. So, that was a bit of a like, "Ooh, ooh, do I wanna do it?"

But I was like, "You know what? Balls to the wall. It's gonna get uncomfortable." But, you know, I really wanted to be around people that were doing big things, and the women in this group are doing amazing things, and are very kind.

There is not this pettiness or anything. Like, you can ask and you don't feel stupid or, you know? And so I really do like the support of the smaller group. Hesitation was more so like- so I have a home-based salon, and it was, "Am I even at the caliber to be, like, sitting at the table with all of these badass people?"

And I really kind of-... fought a lot with the imposter syndrome. But Hunter always has, like, a quote that he tells us, and it's, "Feel the fear and do it anyway." Uh, and so I decided to talk to my partner about it and let her know kind of what it was, and her immediate answer after I told her all the things was, "So do you have your credit card ready?"

And I was like, "Okay, I'm just gonna do the thing." Well, if that's not evidence you need to be a part of a community, I don't know what is. My daughter who's 28 years old, I was telling my husband and my daughter, and I was all super nervous and all the things. And she looks at me and she goes, "Mom, for God sakes, would Hunter have invited you if he thought you had nothing to add?"

Like... So I was like, "Uh, yeah, okay, I'm doing it." Yeah. Oh, I love that.

A- and, and, you know, I'm so glad that she said that, 'cause it's so true, you know? And, and I tried to make that a point when I, when I shared this with you guys, when I shared the program with you guys, that, like, I will make sure that you're ready, you know? Like, you will be accepted if you're ready. Like, for those of you who are listening, this is an application-only group, and the reason why is because I don't want your money, your time, your investment unless you will actually get an impact, right?

Like, I don't want anybody to be a part of my atmosphere or world if my vibe, uh, and style of teaching is not going to be successful for you for whatever reason. And for this particular circumstance, you, you just have to have some sort of good foundation to be able to make the stuff that we're teaching you work, right? So for example, like, a lot of us actually... a big focus for this entire mastermind, after I went through our one-on-one onboarding calls and I got to figure out what all of your guys', uh, uh, uh, goals were, one of the things that you guys shared was m- more clarity around financial, uh, organization and management and budgeting.

And something that I think is a hot take that I have is that you don't need to spend a shit ton of time on financial organization and budgeting until you actually have a business that is bringing you finances. Like, there's no p- there's no... there's nothing to organize if you're not making money to be organized, right? And so it's just a...

it's just one example of, of a thing where it's like, you need to be ready for the things that we're gonna be teaching you here, because otherwise it's just gonna... not gonna be helpful for you. And so if you decide to apply, then what I pledge to do is make it so y- if I believe that you are ready, then you will absolutely be accepted. And then otherwise, then I'll just gently let you know why and exactly what you need to do to get there, and then I'm gonna be happy to let you in maybe the next cohort so you can actually get value out of it.

Um, but I don't want that to stop anybody from at least trying, because then you'll have a roadmap of exactly what you need to do to be ready for these types of, uh, groups, or this specific program at least, um, to be able to be in the room and to be able to... It's not just about adding something, because everybody here and anybody has something to add from their own experience. But it's to be able to also receive it and actually do something with the information and not make it feel like a wasted amount of time, if that makes sense. One of the biggest things that I think shifted internally for me is my confidence.

And, um, I'm like a total hype girl for everyone else, um, and I think so much that I put it into because deep down I didn't have that in myself. Um, and this group has made me realize that I not only am a business owner, but I'm also, like, a badass human. And so, um, you know, my confidence in myself, not only as a person, as a business owner, as a stylist, as a therapist, all of that has just boosted so dramatically, um, with, with Hunter, with this community. Um, and, and Jodi was right, it's just so uplifting.

Um, there hasn't been this group, this kind of connection, um, that I've ever been a part of before, and it makes you wanna thrive and just makes you wanna keep going and, um, push everyone else to do their best, 'cause they're pushing you to do your best. I feel like, for me, I have always been so hard on myself, and have always, like, been like, "Oh, everybody else can do it, but I can't." Um, but this group has started to make me believe and see that, like, I am capable of a lot more than I give myself credit for, and it's just... it's...

I'm trying not to cry now. But it's been, it's been really life-changing. Like, I want to be a part of something like this forever. Like, I am a completely different person than when I started with Hunter years ago, um, but this group specifically makes me feel like a badass and like I can do anything I want.

Yeah, um, thanks, Jackie. I was just thinking, I was like, "I do have some things to say, but I'll probably cry." Literally ditto what both Jackie and, and Katie said. Me personally, it...

I'm a hyper-independent. I am a... something needs to get done, I get shit done. Don't ask me how, why, when, or how I get it done, I just do it.

I just keep it moving, you know? I do this, I get that done, I make this accomplishment, like, you know, cool. Crush that. Okay, what's next, you know?

And just... Like, I have achieved and accomplished a lot of really cool things, right? But, um, anytime anyone has ever mentioned that, that I've inspired them in some way, or that they think I'm a badass, or that they're just like, "Oh, wow, like, you're... you, you're doing the damn thing, I can't believe, like, you did X, Y, Z," whatever, you know, I'm just kind of like...

I don't know, I feel dismissive, like, like, "Oh, yeah. Okay, whatever." You know, "Ha ha, whatever. Not me."

You know? I'm just, I'm just out here living my life and just doing what I do, and squashing myself, truly. Like Hunter said a few minutes ago, everyone in this group is a big badass and you're just doing these big, huge, beautiful things, and it's just like...You know what?

I actually am doing some really big, beautiful, awesome things, and that's, I think, the biggest shift for me, is actually being able to sit back, like actually call myself a fucking badass queen, you know? Like um, within a group of other people that are just, you know, doing badass things. What's changed most for me internally, I truly feel like it's just being more happy about working on my business rather than stressed. And I know that the reason I feel that way is because of having this group of like-minded, really hardworking business owners, and being able to just, like constantly talk to each other, and celebrate each other's small wins, and pumping each other up when we're doing something difficult, or also then if we are feeling frustrated about something too, just to like, let each other know that it's okay, and it's, everything is gonna be fine.

This community has just helped me so much. It's helped me achieve my goals. It's helped me stay motivated and driven. Mm, I just feel like I've never really had a hair tribe in my area, and so now I have this group of 10 people that live all across the country, and now I've met them in person, and it's just like so cool to feel connected with them in such a unique, small community.

Can you think of a single moment or topic or conversation that was a real light bulb moment for you at this stage in your business as a result of being a part of this community? Katie, go ahead. Um, so fairly recently, we had a mastermind retreat where we got together in person, which was absolutely magical. Um, and while we were there, we had a speaker who made a comment that just really, really stood out to me.

She said, "You know, you're, you're the professional. People are looking for you for guidance." And we get in the habit of just doing, because it's, it's our job. That's what we do.

And we have to remember that the clients don't know what we're doing. And so she said the term, "Narrate what you're doing." Um, and to me, that just blew me away, 'cause it's like, yeah, I put products in people's hair and I just style like usual, but if I actually just tell them what I'm doing, they ask so many more questions, they're more intrigued on it. Um, you know, they're looking to us as the professional, and sometimes we just get into doing the hair or doing the skin and doing the things, and don't step back and remind ourselves that like, we're the person they're looking for for that guidance.

I love that. That was, uh, a great takeaway for you, Katie. And I think that a lot of you guys can relate to the fact that like, raising your average ticket has been a big, uh, a big shift for you guys as a part of this program. And I think, you know, a lot of you, th- the reason why we brought that stuff to you guys, um, as far as like how to raise your average ticket with retail sales and add-on is because, not just because you guys asked for it, like a lot of you guys were focusing on it, but if you think about like, the two ways you could make more money in your business, like the two ways is do more clients or get your clients to pay more.

Right? Do more clients or get your clients to pay more. And once, again, like once you get past the level of, okay, I have clients who are in my chair who are paying me money, then at the next level of business is figuring out, okay, how do I get these clients to pay me more? How do I maximize this average ticket?

And what I love about what you just said was, is, is you are there to make an impact in these people's lives. Like, it always goes back to the why, of like, taking care of these people the best that we possibly can. And it's so cool that we can take care of these people and make an actual impact in their lives by fulfilling their desire for guidance, their desire for knowing what the hell you're doing on them, but also simultaneously growing your business and optimizing the, the foundation that you've built already, you know? And so I think that it's been very much in alignment with where you guys are at, where you, a- guys already have the clients.

You guys have already raised the prices. These people are already paying a fair bit of money, so we have to figure out, okay, how can we get these people to pay even more money when we're maybe in a space where we can't go crazy with our price increases, or maybe we are in a place where we can go crazy with our price increases, but we can s- simultaneously serve these people even better and raise their ticket at the same time. So I love that that was one of your takeaways, Katie. It was the same retail class that kind of shifted a lot of things for me.

Um, our guest speaker had us do this mathematical formula to calculate how much like potential lost, um, retail sales we had, and a peer in our group, their number was something like $45,000, and that blew my mind and made me realize that, A, we're sleeping on retail, clearly, and B, clients want us to solve their problems. They're looking to us for advice and we're doing them a disservice by not talking about what we're using and helping them solve those issues, and also doing ourselves a disservice, 'cause clearly, $45,000 is no, nothing small, right? This is like life changing money. Yeah.

That really shifted things for me. What do you wish more stylists or beauty professionals in our industry understood? Knowing that there is a community out there for you, and it doesn't have to be like, a catty salon. It doesn't have to be all of this drama.

Like, there are enough clients out there for all of us, um, and we can create our own communities within our own little, um, specialty.I agree with what Jackie said. I feel the same. Um, a lot of times we feel like we're just limited to the people that we work in the salon with.

Or if you're even, like, in a suite or something like that, it's like, then you feel even more isolated or something like that. Um, but that... There is support out there, and there, there are your people out there to connect with, to, um, work with, that can give you great advice and just give you that support that you're looking for and that you need. And that's important, even...

Because I, I say this all the time, that even though I enjoy the salon atmosphere, I enjoy being, like, alone in a suite, and I enjoy just, like, it being me and my client, but you do miss out on that connection with other stylists and growing in that way. So, even if you are independent, working alone, you still can have community, even if it's not like, your traditional, "We, I work in a big salon and that's my community." The other thing that I think is so amazing about this, this program in particular is, we are all literally different specialties. We're all in different, you know, areas.

Some of us are in big salons, some of us suites, some of us, you know, partnerships. And, um, you can learn, and I have learned, something from literally every single person. And whether you've been doing hair five years, doing hair 30 years, it doesn't matter whether you do skincare. Like, we have all been able to bounce off and learn from each other.

Um, and that is just one of the coolest things about finding a community of people that you can really, um, trust and feel safe with and, um, allow yourself to, to open up with and really get deep and uncomfortable. Because, you know, uncomfortable makes you grow, and that's what we needed and that's what this community has given us. I think the biggest thing I, like a million percent obviously agree with everything everybody said. And every time I was thinking about, oh, I'm gonna say something, they say it.

So that's... But that's so cool 'cause we're unified, you know? Like, like, we, we all believe in, like, the, the greatness of this industry and how we are not in direct competition with each other. Um, but, uh, Hunter kind of touched on this earlier.

For me, um, I'm, I'm the old lady of the group which I have learned, um, is not a detriment. It's freaking fantastic and... I just would love for the stylists that have been in the business like me, 35 or more years, stop thinking the young people, the new people... Like, because they do it different than us, they're not wrong.

Like, yes, they can build clientele faster than we did because we had dinosaur ways of doing it. Like, it's not dinosaur times anymore. Like, it's so modern and it's so new, you know? And I, I just...

I see that within myself. Um, so I'm just hoping that, you know, like, groups like MSM helps people that are my age fall back in love with their b- with their career, and their business, and not being afraid to have a suite. Because there's a community out there, and you don't have to work in that snarky salon anymore. You can actually work on your own and be really happy with your one-on-one with your clients.

I know that tech is kind of scary and there's a lot of outdated salon and skincare websites out there, but, like, Hunter really makes it very easy, and you don't have to be scared of it. Like, embrace it. Because if you don't get with the times, I feel like you get left behind. Eventually, like, our clients get older, right?

You know, and if you wanna keep attracting, like, new people, you have to, you have to change. You have to change. So, just get out of your head. And stop making your menu so confusing.

I don't do hair, I don't know what that means. I don't know what a balayage is. I just go there and say, "Fix my hair." So, he simplifies that.

And, yeah. Oh, I want you to kind of brag on yourself a little bit and tell us, what's something you've done recently or semi-recently that you, when you entered the industry, would not have believed was possible? I think mine is opening a suite. Like, going and doing it.

Like, leaving the, leaving the toxic salon behind, even without a lot of clients, and actually turning it into a profitable six-figure business for myself. And it didn't have to take, like, five years, 10 years, whatever. Like, two. So, it's possible if you're putting in the work and you're doing it, and having the people around you that you can lean on and get support from and get help from, to make stuff like that happen.

Because, yeah. Like, looking back at that, I don't think I... Like, me graduating from cosmetology school, I think that was the dream. And it wasn't until maybe, like, a few months ago where I was like, like, "Dang, I'm living the life that I, like, really, really wanted."

So, that's an easy one for me, because I opened my own five-chair booth rental salon. And I would never thought five years ago that I could pull that off and be where I am today. And I know the reason that I was able to do that, is because I just, actually in 2020, started to take salon education seriously and really work on my business and not just behind the chair. And going through all of Hunter's education since the beginning and building this beautiful website that attracts clients to want to come back to me, and putting all of these techy systems that are automated in play, has helped me create boundaries for just everything that I do in my business.

And then also, you know, working a schedule that has allowed me to...... work behind the chair and not be too stressed, but then also set my own schedules to work on the business. I, I would say, like, even a couple years ago, like, I felt like we were still, like, dialing in our systems and everything. And something that Hunter has helped, like, um, get that, like more organized and, like, where I need to be to where I now have the time, me and Priscilla have the time to, uh, have our own skincare line, and we're preparing for a trade show.

And I just didn't think we'd ever be there. I always thought it was, like, a dream that's, like, much further down the road, but we're, you know, we're here. It's scary, but we have our support, so that's pretty amazing. That's incredible.

The other day, went and looked at my numbers from the last five years of working with Hunter, and I have actually almost doubled what I've brought in, um, as a annual income. Um, and that has just been incredible to me to see that and know that I don't have to work 10 to 12 hours anymore. I have a normal work/life balance. I can come home and spend an evening with my family and not feel burnt out and overwhelmed and exhausted.

And, um, that's priceless. It's just absolutely priceless. So- I must, I must... They don't give themselves enough credit.

Everything that y'all said is absolutely amazing, but I just must also fucking say, okay? I just must also say. Would y'all have thought that in a million years that you guys would be having, like, 10K plus months? Would you guys have thought that in a million years that you would have a strong clientele that you absolutely love that would stick through the price increases with you, or y- when you threw a event at your salon that people would actually show up just to celebrate you as a hairstylist?

Would you have ever thought that you would be able to create your own skincare line, have the space to pour into it so that way it can be successful with your long-term vision? Would you ever have motherfucking thought that you would have created the space and had your own success to be able to hire somebody else and set them up with a financial security for their future where they can create beauty within your own space? Would you ever have thought that you made fucking, I think, $56,000 in a quarter? Like, no.

Would you ever have thought that, like Gretchen just said, I can take off two weeks for work and then actual personal vacations too? So, going away for work for a week-long retreat is not something where it's like, I have to choose between a personal vacation or a work vacation. You can take off as much as you want and still make the same amount of money. Some of you guys are working three-day workweeks and making the same amount of money that somebody is working seven days a week.

That is fucking nuts. You should be very fucking proud of yourselves. You're in a space maybe, possibly where your partner is, their life is cr- changing very quickly because of their work circumstances, right? And maybe you don't have that same type of security or predictability, but now you are so confident in your own damn business that you know that you're gonna be able to support both you and that person, and you're gonna help that person open up their own damn business and be really successful, successful doing it because of the experience and the knowledge that you have.

That is fucking crazy. And you guys have done that, every single one of you, because of the magic, the power, the dedication, your willingness to show up in community, your willingness to get the accountability, because I love that you said that earlier, Priscilla, "Accountability is really scary for me too." But we all know that sometimes that's what you need. You need somebody who you respect who's gonna show the fuck up and be like, "Hey girl, did you do this thing?"

Right? And so, you guys have done the damn work, and it's just so beautiful, and you should be really proud of yourselves for where you are right now. And I also just wanna say too that every single one of you have a different definition of what success actually looks like, right? Because it's not just 10K months.

It's not six-figure hairstylist. Sometimes it's like, I wanna work X amount of hours and love what I'm doing, and that doesn't mean 100K plus too, right? So, that's not ever going to be, like, the criteria for joining this program either. It's have you shown that you have the dedication?

Have you shown that you take this shit seriously, that you're willing to do the things that are required to get you to where you want to go, right? And that's what you have all shown in one way or another, and it's been really beautiful to see and facilitate. So, sorry, just needed to fucking tell y'all. I have a feeling you could have put on that one.

Tell y'all that you guys are crazy. I love that. Um, okay. So, the, the kind of last major question I wanna ask is, you've likely experienced other coaching or education spaces or, you know, m- different types of programs and different types of education before hav- being at the level you're at in your businesses.

S- so what is something that has been really different about this space in particular? Um, so I feel like what is just so different about this education is how honestly just in general advanced it is, because, like, as a stylist and a salon owner now, I have advanced, and I am different than I was six years ago as a stylist, 10 years ago as a stylist, and, like, I need, needed this advanced education that gives me the accountable steps and actions needed to, to set your goals and just, like, the way that Hunter is truly there with us, and he, he's helping, helping us, jumping on calls, like the one-on-one, being there when we need questions asked. It's just, it's so...... so different than anything that I've ever experienced.

And even, like, in other educations that I've taken, like, I have written notes in notebooks and I've never even, like, re-read those notes. And any sort of note I take with this mastermind, I'm constantly reading through it. Every single recording I've watched multiple times, just because the, the information that we are getting and bouncing off of each other is just so different and so beneficial in all of our businesses. So, I think that's what really is different.

It's just, like, how truly it's, it's setting us all up for success and, like, we are truly becoming successful in, in our businesses and the goals that we are setting for ourselves. So, yeah. Um, one thing that's been extremely different about this is that although, um, we all have very similar things that we're working on, like finances and this and that and the other thing, I have never once been in a class where you are actually working on what is happening in your business currently, right? Like, the actual one-on-one support of what's happening behind the scenes in your own business and not just, like, a generic, here's some information.

Like, we get shit done. We go in, we do the tech, we do the... you know, we do all the things. We do the emails, the promoting, the...

We do every single thing and it's like, you actually get stuff done in your business where you are right now. You can set goals and it's been the easiest to achieve them when you have this kind of a group behind you. I agree with that 1,000%. Um, I always felt like I was somebody who got things done, but I also was somebody who would plan such big things and then not be able to get the small little things to make that thing happen done.

And I feel like it's been able to be broken down in a way that I'm like, "Oh, I can, I can actually do that." A- and I feel like it's really true with this program that I can do hard things and just breaking them down in a way that makes sense. And like she said, you know, it's what happ- what's happening right in your business right now and making those things happen so the big things that you do want to achieve can happen. For me, um, so I was getting ready to log on and I almost didn't log on because I was scared of this being a part of a podcast.

And Hunter knows from the very beginning I was stupidly intimidated about speaking in any manner or whatever. And now, because of him saying to, calling me out at one of the things, "Gretchen's always the first to raise her hand," I was like, "Well, how can you not show up?" Like, "What the hell?" You know, like, and other groups I've been in, like, this has fostered th- like, I'm, like, proud of I'm the one that raises her hand first, you know, to do that stuff.

Um, and other groups actually made me very scared to, like, raise my hand or to speak up. And not that anyone ever did anything, I think it was just the vibe, like, no one was mean, you know, or anything. But yeah, like, 100% transparency, I almost did not even log on today 'cause I was nervous. So, I'm so glad I did 'cause this has been a freaking hoot.

I mean, you could definitely say that I'm addicted to education. I've spent a lot of money on a lot of programs because I just, I love to learn. I do feel like there's no such thing as wasted education. No matter what course, what class, in person, online, self-paced, group, whatever, you can always learn something.

I don't know, you, n- this audience may not expect me to say but that, like, I've been in a part of Hunter's education offerings for several years now and I can say without a doubt that he's not the best educator for some people. Absolutely. And I don't know, what's different, I think, about this group for me is just that I can relate to Hunter as the educator, his style of educating, the way that he structures his education, um, into actionable steps, um, in, you know, being a guide, not telling me exactly what to say, do, or whatever for my individual business, but also g- is, is able to give me enough of a, of a starting point for me to then customize what I need to do. Um, I think that is what I've been able to execute something I've learned from an educator, whereas, you know, like Gretchen was saying, there's been other, other courses, classes, um, in hair, outside of hair, whatever, that I am like, "Okay, okay, you told me this concept, but what do I do now?"

Sure, we've all done a lot of classes that we haven't finished, um, which is a waste of money. It's a waste of money. I think that's what has been really different for me within Hunter's programs is that I've actually been able to get shit done. Did any of you guys come into this program because you have worked so fucking hard and you've gotten to a point where you're like, "Okay, I have the success.

I'm here. I know there's potential for more but I just feel like I'm not as motivated to keep going"? Like, "I need something to kind of relight the fire," right? Because when you're in a space in which you've done the damn thing, you've gotten, like, the dopamine, you're at the space where it's like, "Okay, what now?"

It feels a little bit directionless and I feel like it kind of, like, you feel, like, lost. Like, you don't have that same fire 'cause you just don't know where to go next. Or, like, the next big thing seems so impossible that you're, like, it's, like, kind of, like, defeating and you, like, won't actually... You don't have what you need to fully take that next step and I think that that's what I kind of saw in some of you guys in your applications and when I was onboarding you is that you also just needed that, like, extra kick in the ass now, you know?

Um, and I think that that's been something that I've seen in all of you guys that's been really beautiful, is that with the accountability, like with that spark, with the personalized guidance, right, with me and you, like, sitting down in a call together looking month-to-month, reviewing on last year, reviewing on the past quarter, planning out the things in a digestible way for the next quarter, me holding you accountable, all the things, I think, like, you know, number one, you've gotten the motivation, you've gotten a little bit of re-inspiration and a fire under your ass. But also, even when the inspiration or motivation isn't there, you know you have to do it anyway, because I'm gonna be following up with you about it, right? And I think that that's really fucking powerful. And me and Jodi, we talk about this all the time in the podcast, but it's like, I'm a big firm believer in, like, whether the motivation's there or not, you've gotta just show up and do the damn thing anyway if you actually want success for yourself.

And I think that this group has been really great for lending to both things, I feel like, and hopefully you guys agree, to, like, giving you that fire that you need, but also w- in times in which you don't have that fire, you know that you have the accountability that you need to be able to just get 'er done anyway, right? I agree with that 1,000%, and I think that was one of my big motivators for joining. And I'll also say it became transferrable into life because now I look for that in life. Like, if there is something that I know I need to get done or I wanna get done, I'm like, "Who in my life currently or who can I find to hold me accountable in the same way?"

And it has ha- has allowed me to grow in life so much more as well. 100% what Hunter just said, and also Charlotte. I was laughing about, you know, all the classes that we take and, like, learning and all of this, because I always tell Jodi, Jodi Ramos, my business partner, that it's like collecting tools. I feel like I, I collect a lot of tools.

It's been one of the things in this program, is getting new tools, but also using the tools that we already all have. Because a lot of stuff, we already know this. We already know this, but it's really just putting them all together. And I feel like it's sort of like I had this little vision in my head where I was like, "Oh!"

I was like, "All my tools are on the floor, and Hunter is just now showing me how to use each tool for each problem that I'm- we're trying to solve." And one thing that I wanna mention that it's sort of been touched on, but, like, I think that in this program that you get is, it's the systems that as maybe hair stylists, and I being, uh, in skincare, um, is maybe overlooked, and maybe they are being implemented a little bit more, but just how important these different systems are that I think we're having the client experience so that we can have a business that serves the client, but it's also serving us in the long run. The last question I have is, how has your definition, if it has, changed of a successful business? So, do you think about what a successful business today is differently compared to before the Mastermind?

Um, you know, success to me was always, like, very, um, very numbers based. It was very, um, make sure that you have the followers on social media. Um, you know, it's kind of the imposter syndrome. And, um, you know, it was like, "Oh, if I could do, you know, this well-known person's hair, then everyone will know who I am."

And that doesn't necessarily mean butts in your chair. Like, people can know who you are, but that doesn't mean that you're successful in what you do. Um, so success to me has totally transformed into, um, you know, just making that, sure that my clients are taken care of, making sure that my work/life balance is amazing, that when I walk into my salon every day, I'm excited, I'm not drained, I'm not, um, overwhelmed, I don't have burnout anymore. Um, and that my clients leave not only more confident in themselves, um, not just with their hair, but, like, personally leave more confident, 'cause I try to create this positive environment.

That's, to me, what measures the success now. So, first of all, I always used to think that everybody else deserves success and not me. Um, and I would admire so many people who were levels above me and different things like that. And literally about a month ago, I was talking with someone about someone we used to work with, or it was a client, whatever, someone from my past.

And I was like, "Oh, do you remember so-and-so? And they're so cool, and I, you know, I always wish I could get to them." And the person, like, looks me dead in the mirror, and they're like, "You are them, Gretchen. Like, you are them.

Like, you did this. Like, Linda is not great anymore. Like, you know, like, you're, you're Linda now, you know?" So that was very, very cool to realize, like, um, I've earned it, and I've achieved it, you know?

And, and like we probably said bef- earlier, you know, we don't, we do not appreciate when we get what we've been striving for for such a long time. Um, for me, I always thought when I made 100K I'd be successful and my life would fall into place super easily. But now that I have surpassed that number, which is great, I'm excited that I did that, but for me, it's building a space for my clients, for my community, um, especially in this political climate. Like, a lot of people aren't feeling as safe these days, and I feel like knowing that I can provide that for my clients, that is, that makes me feel so much more successful than what's in my bank account.

I think my perception of a successful hairstylist was, you know, booked and busy. You know, if you, if a stylist was booked out, you know, books are full for three, four, five, six months, um, you know, that kinda stuff. Like, oh, wow, they're successful, right? If you've got no space in your calendar for ever and ever, that's a successful stylist, right?

But if I had, I guess, maintained that mentality or, like, on that path, I was definitely on a path to burnout b-... barely three years into my business, so. And that coincides, actually, when I started one of Hunter's programs for implementing, you know, structure and systems and boundaries. And I had no idea, like, how do I even do that, right?

Um, I knew that I needed to do something or else I would not have, my business would not be open now. And so, I think that my perception of what a successful business is, a successful business is an open business, you know? With longevity and, um, you know, and the ability to be sustainable and to be open and to be of service for your clients for a long time. And to, you know, and if you decide to hire, that you are able to keep the business open in order to support your team.

I know that's something, whenever, Hunter, you talk about that, it always gets a lot of comments. It's alwa- it always gets a lot of conversation. And just, like, knowing how you navigated moving through that and, you know, m- seeing how well you have navigated moving through that and building sustainable and successful businesses, that is really, really inspiring, I think, to the entire industry. So Hunter, if there's one thing that you want people to take away from listening to this episode, uh, what would it be?

So, to the people who are listening to this who are, like, in a space where it sounds like a dream or unattainable to get to a space where, like, you are booked and busy and you are making the money that you'd like to make. Or you can have the privilege of working with the clients that you love and denying the ones that you don't love, right? Like, if that just seems like so far away or you're working towards that right now, what I wanna point out, and the reason I'm gonna point this out is because I have experienced this so much in my own journey as a "successful entrepreneur". When you put yourself in rooms with people who are operating at higher levels or doing really crazy shit in their business, you recognize that every single one of us are just human beings figuring this shit out as we move along, right?

There's nothing th- yes, every single one of you guys that I'm speaking to in this room right now, you, there is absolutely something special and unique about you, and you have this magic inside of you that is different than everybody else's. But simultaneously, at the end of the day, no- none of us are necessarily human beings that somehow had this, like, magical, I don't know, answer that was handed to them and that's why you're successful, right? The reason why every single one of you guys that I'm speaking to on this podcast right now are successful, is because you decided to show the fuck up and do something different. You were bold enough to do something different.

You were bold enough and you believed in yourself enough to put in the damn work to make it happen for yourself, right? To not let fear stop you from taking the next step that you believe would be the right step for you. And you found community, you found mentorship, and you leaned the fuck into it. And so the person who's listening to this right now who is like, "Oh my God, these group of entrepreneurs sound so badass, I could never be like them," well, guess what?

They were just where you're at right now, right? The only difference between them and you is that you aren't deciding to show the fuck up in spite of your fear, in spite of the discomfort, and in despite of maybe not feeling like showing up all the time. These guys showed the fuck up, right? And so that's the only difference.

Every single person, it's po- it, it is absolutely possible for you to get to where you want to go within your own definition of success. My other, last takeaway is that what's so beautiful is that you guys have all gotten to this space here because of doing that hard work, and then you recognize that you have done some really beautiful things and you need a space to cultivate that, appreciate that, and then bring it to the next level. That is different, right? And I recognized that in my own career, that's why I created this.

And you decided to take the leap, and yes, this is not just your normal investment, right? Like, as far as a program goes. But you decided to take the leap because you knew that you needed something different, you needed something more personal, and it would require you doing something different because what you, got you here is not what's gonna get you there, right? So if you're listening to this and you're at a space in which you've built a great foundation for yourself, or maybe the same old advice is feeling a little bit tired or generic for you, maybe it's time for you to do something different, right?

So, those are my big takeaways, and my last takeaway is that you guys are so fucking awesome. I appreciate every single one of you for the past couple of months that we've been able to spend together. I appreciate you guys for trusting me, for trusting yourself, for showing the fuck up for yourself, um, and showing the industry what is absolutely possible if you believe in yourself and you do the damn thing even when you don't feel like it, because that's exactly what you guys have been doing. So, so much love, each and every one of you.

Thank you so much for hosting this conversation with us today, Jodi Brown. We appreciate you. Thank you to all of the Mastermind members here today. Love you guys so much, and thank you, my friend, for tuning into the Modern Hair Stylist podcast.

Hope to see you on the next one. Peace out, girl scout. Bye bye.

End of transcript. © 2025 Hunter Donia LLC.