On this episode I am joined by Amanda Kavanagh. Amanda is the owner of the Design Room, which is located in Surrey, BC.
We discuss what opening a small business just before the pandemic was like and how business leases differ from personal housing ones. We discuss how the Design Room is different from a lot of salons and how she actively tried to create a different vibe that feels like home. Amanda is a mom to two young boys so we also discuss the challenges that come with being a mom, a wife, and a business owner. She also gives us a little update on what to expect from the Design Room in the new year that hasn't been announced yet.
The Design Room is having their annual Holiday Sip and Shop event on November 25th at 5671 176A Street in Surrey, BC at 4pm. There will be 20% off all products and gifts with purchase.
The Design Room (@the__designroom) • Instagram photos and videos
Home - New - The Design Room (thedesignroomsalon.com)
Filled Up Cup - Unconventional Self Care for Modern Women
Ashley (@filledupcup_) • Instagram photos and videos
On this episode I am joined by Amanda Kavanagh. Amanda is the owner of the Design Room, which is located in Surrey, BC.
We discuss what opening a small business just before the pandemic was like and how business leases differ from personal housing ones. We discuss how the Design Room is different from a lot of salons and how she actively tried to create a different vibe that feels like home. Amanda is a mom to two young boys so we also discuss the challenges that come with being a mom, a wife, and a business owner. She also gives us a little update on what to expect from the Design Room in the new year that hasn't been announced yet.
The Design Room is having their annual Holiday Sip and Shop event on November 25th at 5671 176A Street in Surrey, BC at 4pm. There will be 20% off all products and gifts with purchase.
The Design Room (@the__designroom) • Instagram photos and videos
Home - New - The Design Room (thedesignroomsalon.com)
Filled Up Cup - Unconventional Self Care for Modern Women
Ashley (@filledupcup_) • Instagram photos and videos
Welcome to the Filled Up Cup podcast. We are a different kind of self care resource, one that has nothing to do with bubble baths and face masks, and everything to do with rediscovering yourself. We bring you real reviews, honest experiences, and unfiltered opinions that will make you laugh, cry, and most importantly, leave you with a filled up cup.
Ashley:I am very excited. I have Amanda Kavanaugh, who is the owner of the design room in Surrey, joining me today. Thank you so much for being here, Amanda.
Amanda:Thank you so much for having me, love. So excited to be here.
Ashley:Can you tell us a little bit about Your journey with hair, have you always wanted to be a hairdresser? What made you want to be a business owner?
Amanda:You know what? I always was really into hair. Like I was kind of that girl growing up that like, I always styled my own hair. I always styled my friend's hair. I was coloring my friend's hair on my mom's patio from like a really young age. And I also knew that traditional schooling. Very early on, wasn't going to be for me, sitting in a desk and going to a classroom after high school, I knew wasn't what I wanted to do. So hair seemed like the perfect fit and I come from a background of entrepreneurs. My mom's a business owner and now believe it or not me and my two siblings are, and I just kind of knew that was gonna be my path. And it came honestly, pretty easily to me, which I'm very lucky with.
Ashley:Which is kind of cool that your parents didn't push you, as so many other parents kind of think that college is the one and only path. So it's really awesome that your parents were open to being like, there's a million other ways to be successful.
Amanda:Totally. My parents at that point had just finished high school and they were like, you have to do something. Because they were feeling like I wasn't using like my capacity to the full, which I wasn't because I did hate traditional schooling. It wasn't for me. I know we've talked about that before and so I already actually worked at a spa. I worked at Spautopia doing cleaning of their beds and their spa rooms and I always loved the hair. So my parents were really supportive, which I'm very lucky for.
Ashley:Did you do your courses locally when you decided to get into hair?
Amanda:I did. Because I worked at the spa, I was very interested in their program. So I went to Utopia Academy, which was in Abbotsford. So I lived in Langley. It was really close. It was a year I didn't work at the spa during that time. I actually got a serving job just cause the schooling for hair school is a year and it's like nine to six, five days a week. It's pretty intense. It felt like a lot because I was 18 and a lot of my friends were taking like a gap year. I had just finished school I did it right out of high school, which is Yeah. I was kind of like, Oh my God, I didn't want to get into university, but all my friends that are in university have way more time than me. Like I was really focused on that at that point. I was young, but having it done, and then not going back to school, besides like upping my education when I want to was so amazing for me.
Ashley:Which is the kind of nice thing too with something like that is you can always. Be learning more things. You can always be taking more courses, which is kind of cool too, because it's not like when we've talked about this too, that it's like I wish that doctors or lawyers kind of dived into things like that too, where it's like, absolutely. There's no way of knowing all of the things all at once. So it's kind of cool that you still have that drive to be like, I'm going to take this class and I'm going to learn about this color.
Amanda:Yeah, I mean like continuing your education for me in any, like we've said, we've talked about this, everyone should have to do it because what I learned in hair school and what I do today are completely different. I learned the foundations of what to do, but I love taking advanced courses. I like find who I really like. I like their techniques. I like their products and I learn. And I would say that is where I find I'm doing 90 percent of my foiling techniques, my formulations, my styling, everything is from what I learned year to year. Your just experience and background helps you be good at it.
Ashley:For sure. You don't want to become one of those hairdressers that, cuts the same way that they did in the 80s or only dyes in one way, where it's like, at least if you're always learning, you're going to be able to have a variety in clientele.
Amanda:It's so great because I feel like social media has really drove a lot of hairdressers to do that. I feel like the hair game in the last even like 3 years really, really changed and people kind of realized if I want to be successful at this and if I want to, have stuff that looks like everyone else's. I mean, you don't want to look the same, but you know what I mean? The really beautiful things are on social media. You have to learn and grow. And not only is there so many amazing free opportunities, but there's also so many you can pay to do. I feel like the hair game has really elevated because of that. Thank God, because it needed a little bit of a revamp. It was kind of getting stale.
Ashley:Which is good to have that mindset of it because it also the flip side must be that it's really stressful that not only do you have to, be a business owner and be a hairdresser, but also, be a master of social media and with something that is always changing the algorithm. And I feel like even for me, once I learn it, it's like, Instagram doesn't like that anymore, or you have to post it different on Tik TOK and all those things. So it must be a double edged sword in some ways.
Amanda:Absolutely. I feel like that is the hardest part of my job. Like for me, hair has come really naturally and I love it so much that I really don't feel like I'm working. My day to day doing hair brings me so much joy and I find it, I don't want to say easy, but it's the easiest part of my job running a business and social media and wanting my team to grow and helping them grow. It's hard. It's more than a full time job for sure.
Ashley:Did you work in other salons or did you immediately decide to open the design room?
Amanda:I worked in other salons right out of hair school. I did a very intensive, like two and a half year apprenticeship. And it was amazing. It was at Spa Utopia. It taught me so much. There was multiple different stylists that I worked with helping them with their toners, their shampoos, their blow dries, really learning from them. And that really helped me, I think, get where I am today at a young age, like really just being able to learn and focus on that. Then we did models. So after doing such a long, intensive apprenticeship there, I kind of knew that I wanted to kind of start my hair journey somewhere else just because I felt like I couldn't grow there just based on, you know, being an apprentice and being an assistant. It's really hard to kind of get out of that role when you're already so in it for so many years. So then I worked at a salon in Langley and I worked there for about four years it was fantastic. I really worked at a salon that was so great for me because they were very flexible, which was always really important for me when I decided I wanted to be a hairdresser was being able to be flexible. They really allowed that. And I loved it. I grew so much there. Again, I worked with like 10 girls who you just learned so much when you work with people as opposed to one on one. I don't think if I would have opened a business right out of hair school, I would never be where I am today. I think learning and being slow, you really learn a lot. So then after that, when, you know, I had an amazing clientele and it felt time, I started to look into it and I was so scared. But I was like, you know what? I'm looking at where I've come, I'm looking where I am, and it just feels like the next step.
Ashley:How many years have you been in operation now?
Amanda:So I have been in operation for four years now. The new salon is only one year, and then my old salon was three years. And honestly, it's not even a really great story, but I'm going to tell you because I always think it's funny. I was, having one of those moments that we all have and I was just feeling stuck. I had just gotten married and the last two years of my life had been planning a wedding and working as much as I could to pay off the wedding and the wedding was done and I was like, oh my gosh, like, what do I do now? I was feeling unmotivated. So I took my lunch break and I was driving around and I actually drove by a space and it said for lease and I was like, Is it time? Like, can I do this? Maybe it's time. And I called my mom and she was like, let's start looking at places. And I started looking at places that week. Literally, it was that fast. And I think I had signed a contract for a space within the next two and a half weeks.
Ashley:See, I love that. When you know, you know,
Amanda:I know, a hundred percent. I always say to anyone that asks me, like, you know, how do you do it or how did you decide to do it? Or what was your plan in going into it? It's like, if you have the fundamentals and the foundations of what service you're going to be offering or what business you're going to be doing, the more you think about it, the harder and scarier it seems. And I really think there's something to be said about being a little bit naive because I was definitely naive about honestly going into both of my businesses. I think it was the best thing that happened to me. I found a very small, quaint place in Cloverdale. It was around 200 square feet. It was really small, but The second I saw it, even from outside, I knew this was it. It was going to be a two chair salon. I was going to be able to transform it and make it really beautiful without spending a lot of money because it was really small. The monthly rent is something that I was scared of, but I felt really comfortable with. And after that, I stopped looking and I put all of my eggs into that basket and knew I was going to get it.
Ashley:Were you happy with two chairs? Did you wish that maybe this space was a little bit bigger off the jump, or you were really, really happy and content in that space.
Amanda:When I was opening the salon, I was so content. I was so happy. Probably the happiest I've ever felt and just proud of myself and just being like, Oh my God, I cannot believe I'm doing this. I also didn't know what it was going to look like because I was working commission. I was getting my EI vacation, all of the things like I was in a really secure space. I didn't know who was going to come. I was scared. We outgrew the space so fast and my excitement became passion and I knew I would honestly say within the first six months that this was, I was going to need a bigger space, but I was enjoying the process and kind of getting myself ready for what was to come.
Ashley:When you had opened it was what a year before the pandemic hit or was it kind of right in the thick of it?
Amanda:Oh my gosh, it was right in the thick of it. So I opened my doors of July of 2019 and then I got slow February because that's when people were really starting to get scared, which of course, so I was at stress at that point because I was like, okay, what am I going to do here? And then I had to close my doors March able to open at the very beginning of June end of May beginning of June
Ashley:that would have been so brutal. You're basically open for like 8 months that must have been so stressful of worrying about paying rent and landlords and all of that kind of stuff as well.
Amanda:It was extremely stressful because I didn't qualify for any grants or anything because you had to be able to show your last year's income and how it was affected. Because I didn't have a last year's income as a business owner, I didn't qualify for anything, so I got no government help at all during the pandemic. My landlord refused to give me any rental, help because like how it worked and again, I could be saying all this wrong. So don't quote me everyone, but I Didn't get help because the landlord pretty much had to forego 25 percent like the government was gonna pay 25 percent the landlord had to forego 25 percent and then I would pay 50 percent and that's how they were really trying to help people which Would have been extremely helpful, but my landlord refused to do that it was just awful. It was extremely stressful, really hard time. At that point I was pregnant as well with my first son and yeah, crazy, crazy, crazy times.
Ashley:Which is really shitty that your landlord would do that. Especially when there was other options available for them. One thing that I really appreciated, especially like as a client of yours, is that you put kind of a no COVID chit chat, basically all of your salon. It's one of those things, it was so heavy and there was so much misinformation like obviously there was a tragedy and it was really difficult, but it was just. Even watching stuff on TV, it became so draining like I want to pretend this isn't happening or I want to think about other things. So I really liked for your salon that it was like, you could touch on it, but it wasn't like you were going to hear all these horror stories once you walked in or that was going to be a debate or just like one of those environments.
Amanda:It's 100 percent and you know, it was really important to me because, for me running a business, I've always been so grateful of my clients and their time and them choosing to come to me that I want them to feel great. I want to talk about them. I want to get to know them. And. During COVID, it was a really hard time for my mental health. Just because like you're saying, I would consume it. Even when we were closed, I was still at the salon every single day. I was selling products. My clients were really rallied for me. I was doing tutorials. I spent every single day at that salon and even my brief interactions were so. negative and not because people wanting to be negative. It's just, it's draining. And then when we reopened the salon, of course, like you're saying, that's all we talked about. It's all we consumed. It was really hard for me to like do 10 clients a day and go home and then open my phone and all of it. I was like, you know what, I don't know how people are going to feel about this, but I'm going to say we aren't going to talk about COVID, not because I don't care, or because I don't want to know what's going on, or I don't care about your opinions or your beliefs, but I just want people to leave my salon feeling good about themselves, feeling happy, and feeling uplifted, and I feel like it's impossible to do that when we're all, scared, or talking about fear, or talking about all these things that we have no control over. So honestly, 10 out of 10, recommend it, and... I think it was really great. So I'm really glad to hear that you liked it because I think it was one of the best things I did during the pandemic to keep the business really positive and happy and have my clients who really enjoy being there and never being scared.
Ashley:Yeah, I definitely appreciated it. When did you start to open up? And then when did you decide when you had opened up t his two chairs is definitely not going to cut it and start looking for other places.
Amanda:I opened up in June and I was getting ready to go. It was such bad timing. I was due at the beginning of July with my first son, so there wasn't even time for me to get back into it. It was so crazy for six weeks. I worked like 12 hour days, six days a week for those six weeks until I was 39 weeks pregnant. Not because I wanted to, but because we had to pay our bills, I needed to do everything I could to kind of get myself into a good position. I had to go back to work at six weeks postpartum, again, because we had months and months of debt at that point from paying my lease and all of that kind of stuff and like, you know, just simple things like our car payments and all those things. So when I went back to work at six weeks postpartum, I ended up getting really bad postpartum depression just because I felt like I wasn't able to enjoy my pregnancy. And I felt like I wasn't able to enjoy my newborn. I felt really robbed of it. I was choosing to think of the negatives and I couldn't see the light. I always have had the best clients. I really believe that I have the best clients and they're really more of like my friends and my family. And I decided. When I went back to work and I was just like not feeling myself, I decided if I was going to have more babies that I was going to grow this thing and I was going to, spend the time and the dedication to make sure that I could spend more time with my babies. I also wanted to be able to accept more clients. Cause at that point too, I couldn't take anyone new and I just felt like, okay. This is it. And, might I say, I also at that point hated my landlord because he made it so difficult for me. So yeah, I feel like that was the start of my journey to be like, okay, I'm not sure when, but soon I'm going to be changing something up.
Ashley:Going back six weeks later, I think, would be so hard. It's like, you almost want to cut yourself into two people. To really feel like your mind is constantly being battled between mommy mode and work mode. I think give yourself some credit for that, that that really would be hard and it doesn't mean that you don't love your clients or it doesn't mean that you don't love your job, that it's just, it is one of those things that it's so shitty that it has to be this. This or that.
Amanda:Yeah, and I appreciate you saying that. It was, like you said, just really shitty because I couldn't help but think like, you know, if the pandemic didn't happen, maybe I would have got more time because I would have been able to work all those months or X, Y, Z, and I also really enjoyed the break and then I would feel guilty for that, like being a mom, being a working mom of any sort, being a mom, being a stay at home mom, being any type of mom, you know, is so hard and I think we're all really hard on ourselves and then especially when you throw all of that on it, it's impossible to feel good about anything.
Ashley:It does. And then society, if we are working, tells us we should be staying at home. If we're staying at home, society says you should be working. And for any listeners that are outside of Canada, generally speaking, Canadians get 12 to 18 months of maternity leave. So six weeks is highly unusual in Canada.
Amanda:Yeah, it felt because again, like my friends around me were off, you know, and like you said, society tells us that. And also, I don't think we mean to, but you know, The people you run into day to day, I feel like we're all really programmed to be like, oh my god, you're already at work? Like, why? But when you don't have a choice, you just do it for your family and for your business and for everything and I felt like that just like got me down.
Ashley:At least you recognize that it got you down. Were you able to find, help with your doctors with postpartum?
Amanda:You know what? I didn't because I felt embarrassed and I also don't think I could really reflect and tell really where I'm at now. That like, I was as bad as I was and I recommend anybody who's feeling that way to get help. I wish I would have. I would say I had postpartum depression for upwards of a year and It was really hard on my relationship. It was really hard on, my relationship with my baby and all these things and I wish I would have been able to self reflect. Obviously, I couldn't because I was not in a place to, but I wish I would have been able to or had the tools to. Do it sooner, luckily with my second son, I didn't feel that way, but I am in therapy now, which has also really helped and I've gone back and kind of done a little bit of work on that and I plan on doing even more because I feel like I still need to heal from it three years later, but I think therapy is an amazing tool and also if you need medication, like, I wish I wasn't embarrassed and would have got more help, I think I would have, you know, been in a better mindset.
Ashley:It's one of those things like it's really easy to see where you were then and a lot of people when they're struggling and you're in the thick of it isn't generally when people are like, and I need all this help. Like, if you are, you should never feel. Shame or embarrassment or anything for needing help like we all need help and I think we get trapped in the almost Instagram highlight reel of life sometimes where it's like this person's life looks like this and if I'm not feeling like I Live up to that. Or I'm not feeling like I'm the same than all of this shame and embarrassment and whatever comes in or if it's like you're saying with the postpartum, my postpartum didn't look like how I wanted it to or how it, you know, quote unquote should. So then therefore I'm bad or it's bad because it's not where so many of us have that mindset that it's like we just need to let ourselves off the hook and it's not bad that you obviously feel like you couldn't have found help at the time, but just for anybody listening to, there are so many more resources now, but whether it's traditional talk therapy, whether it's something more. Like a Reiki or floating just know that like, you don't have to feel bad and there are services and therapy is great. So it's awesome that you're, being able to heal that version even now, sometimes it does take years and years and years after to go back and do it. And a lot of our stuff that comes up is really about childhood. So sometimes it 20 to 30 years to really deal with it.
Amanda:Absolutely, it's amazing that I feel like now everyone's kind of wanting to do that work and really wanting to be the best versions of themselves. I think it's fantastic and I know for like moms that you can be both you can be a working mom, and a really good mom when you're there and you can be really happy that your baby is safe and that you have a baby but also feel really sad and really, upset with how your postpartum experience is looking and I felt like how can I be upset I have this perfect baby and I have, a business that's, successful and you know thriving through a pandemic and I felt like I couldn't be both and you can feel however you want to feel.
Ashley:Yeah, absolutely. The greatest thing about being an entrepreneur is obviously not in the very beginning because it's going to take time to get a business up and running. But it's like, it does give you the flexibility of being the type of mom that you want to be. If you want to make sure that every Tuesday you're going to the zoo with your kids, then it's kind of awesome to be able to, especially as they get a little bit older. Build in that flexibility. You can go on field trips. You can, go to the Christmas shows where a traditional nine to five mom doesn't always have that opportunity. So that it is kind of cool to be able to be an entrepreneur and have that flexibility in your life too.
Amanda:Honestly, exactly what you're saying. There are a lot of sacrifices I make with my business happily because I truly. My business lights me up. It makes me who I am. It makes me a better mom because I just, it brings me immense happiness. I love not only doing hair, but running a business. But I also get insane flexibility. Like you said, I go to the zoo with my kids like twice a week. And today after this, I'm taking them to the aquarium. Because I worked all day yesterday and I chose to work 12 hours yesterday. But I chose to do that so that today I could be off with them all day. And when Wyatt has swimming lessons on a Wednesday at 10 a. m. Because that's all I can get him into. I can maneuver my schedule and make sure that I could be there and I love it so much. I can't even put into words how much I love it.
Ashley:And as much as it's so important to be there for all of those moments, your Boys are also going to grow up knowing my mom was so successful and my mom showed us this is what it takes to open our business. And so I think it's also one of those things that, yes, it's so important that we're with them, but it's also so important that they see us happy and thriving when we're not with them too.
Amanda:I do think it's really nice that the boys see me. going to work and I drop them off at daycare. They love daycare. They learn so much there. They know mommy's going to work. I FaceTime them. FaceTime became really prominent in our family. It's a great way for me to still say good night to the boys. I can still sing them good night songs, but you know, mommy's at work and my kids don't know any different and they love it. And you know, Wyatt it will come into my salon and be like, mommy salon, mommy salon, can I get a haircut? All these things. I love it. It makes me a better mom for myself personally to have something that, It drives me and the boys love it.
Ashley:Well, and it is also one of those things, like how many times has your husband been, asked how does he balance it all?
Amanda:Don't get me started. Don't get me started.
Ashley:Or all of those kinds of things. So it's also like, as we move towards equality, we need to treat moms and dads the same. So it's like if we're going to have, you know, mom guilt and how are you working, then we need to start asking dads those questions. Or if you would never even consider asking that question to a man, we need to stop asking women those questions.
Amanda:I feel so passionately about this because no one, like, calls a working dad a working dad. No, never. I'm guilty for saying it too, I've said it, you know, here during our conversation, like, I'm a working mom, but it just shouldn't be a thing, and, men are praised for working out of the household and providing for their family, and women are not. I. Can tell you, I've had multiple people say to me, like, you work so much, your kids are going to grow up in a blink of an eye. Nobody says that to men. Being a woman in business is extremely hard, and especially a mom, because you do feel those comparisons. It almost makes me sometimes a little bit resentful to my husband, even though he hasn't done anything wrong to me. But just hearing it all the time, consistently, it's really frustrating.
Ashley:It gets super, super old. I feel like women, we still tend to use the stay at home mom and the working mom because it was conditioned with us so deeply, especially in the era that we were raised. So I think that it's just more of like habit than how we truly feel at this point.
Amanda:Oh, a hundred percent. Cause I don't like either of those terms. I think there it's, yeah, I don't like it, but I say it, you're right. I just say it because that's just what comes to my mind.
Ashley:Or even having to explain it so that other people get it, it's like you can't just be like, I'm a business owner and a mom. It has to be defined, I feel like, for us to make other people comfortable, which is a whole conversation in itself. But yeah, it's just basically we're just moms and dads are just dads. Although I do like the idea of starting calling them working dads
Amanda:I'm going to start that
Ashley:Letting them kind of get it because they feel like a lot of very stereotypical, but a lot of dads don't necessarily understand that are you a stay at home dad? Are you a working dad? How many hours are you working? Oh, that must be so tough for your kids. And it just, all of those things that we have to deal with, that it would never even occur to them because they weren't programmed to have to deal with that, which then leads to the shame and guilt and all of the other things that we have to deal with on top of. All of the things and joys of just being a regular woman.
Amanda:Absolutely. You literally just said it there. It's unfortunate, but it is true. I hope we can kind of start steering away from that, especially as, now most families need two incomes. You are seeing way more, dual income families than as opposed to, you know, having one parent at home. I'm hoping that we're going to see a switch in that. But I do feel like, again, stereotypical, but women.. As mothers experience more guilt naturally from society, from themselves, from everyone, because it is being put on us.
Ashley:Going back to your landlord. So you had kind of gotten resentful with him, decided that you would outgrown the business. What did that look like as far as getting out of that space and finding the space that you're currently in?
Amanda:I had signed a five-year lease at the time. I felt that meant security for me. But it didn't on my end because I had found out that my landlord was trying to sell the building which, created immense. stress for me And anxiety because I was like, okay, what is this going to look like? Am I going to have to leave my space that I've just reno'd and love it here and find a new space? I could never hear from him. I would have issues with my space constantly. I had a leak come through the lights because we had apartment buildings up top. So I had a leak. They refused to help me. He just wouldn't answer my phone calls. I had to financially pay out of pocket and fix it. There was a smell issue. We couldn't do that. Oh my God. I was going to say like, yeah, it was so bad. I was feeling really trapped, he wouldn't reply to me, all these things, but I felt like, okay, he can sell this building, and just pass me off to someone, I'm really stuck in here, I've signed this lease, and X, Y, Z, and again, very similar to my first story, I was walking to drop off my laundry, I got my laundry service done in Cloverdale by another local business that did laundry, I didn't have that service in my salon, so I would just get it done there, and as I walked by, it was one block from my salon, I saw space and it said for sale and I looked and I thought no there's no way like I can't do this but I knew at that point that the anxiety and the unsure of like if I was gonna get kicked out of my space and the upset. And the drama that I was bringing into myself by trying to get a hold of my landlord, get reimbursed for things, being able to operate my business. There were so many times I had to cancel clients, reschedule things. It was just becoming embarrassing for myself at this point. And I knew that it wasn't serving me anymore.
Ashley:And how unprofessional for your landlord, like if you're going to be a landlord, that's a business in itself. Like you can't just not call people back.
Amanda:Unfortunately, and now what I've learned is it's actually really common in commercial spaces because you are running a business and most people are just going to like up and, bring their business somewhere else where like you would move if your landlord was treating you like that, maybe if you could, if you were like renting a home, obviously but like a business, what am I going to do? Plus finding commercial spaces is really hard. So, yeah. The disrespect I felt from him was honestly, I felt like normalized, if that makes sense.
Ashley:I think a lot of people have the misconception because there is so many, I guess like safety things in place with say a home leasing type of situation when you're renting. There's the tenancy board, there is specific rules for both sides. It's not exactly the same when you're renting a commercial space.
Amanda:No, it's not the same. I felt like I had no rights and I knew that it wasn't going to work for me anymore. So he ended up selling the space and I did have new landlords and to be honest, they were very lovely. I don't think they've lived here or they traveled. They were really helpful at that point, but they were just never. Present. So none of the issues were going to get fixed. And at that point, I kind of already knew, I didn't feel comfortable leasing a space for a long period of time, putting my heart and soul and money into the business, not knowing if I was going to have security. I was also really lucky to be in a financial position with real estate that I felt like, okay, if I could buy a space, I'm going to be paying the same amount of monthly. So could I do this? So we ended up finding a space that was a block away from our space and it was big. I knew I was going to be able to have like six to eight chairs. I called my mom. I called my husband. I called my mortgage broker and kind of said like, do you guys think I could do this? And everyone said, yep, I think you can do this. I contacted a lawyer, the lawyer who looked over my lease when I signed it. I was scared that they were going to come after me in small claims court and then it was going to be more money on top of it. He's like, your lease is void. You don't even need to have me do it. Send them an email letting them know why the lease is void. The leaks, you know, the smell, all these things like you're not safe. It's not a safe environment for you and they're refusing to help you. Therefore you do not have to worry about this lease. So once I felt that. Like, okay, like I can break this lease and I wouldn't feel bad about it because I have done everything I could to try to make it work here and I already felt like I had the potential of opening a bigger salon, I decided to go for it.
Ashley:Which is so amazing. You were also pregnant at that point too, weren't you?
Amanda:I like being pregnant and opening salons.
Ashley:It's like the baby is like psychically telling you, I know. I want a bigger space.
Amanda:Seriously, Kevin's like, are we opening another salon if you have another baby? I was like, no. So we looked at the space. It was really quick too. Someone had bought the space and then they wanted to put a business in there that they hadn't checked if they could. And then they couldn't. So they wanted to flip the space like quick. So I think we looked at the space in October and we had possession of it November 12th. Which is so fast. It was the craziest six weeks of my life. And for anyone who's bought a home or done real estate. I assumed it was going to be really similar, and again, I went into it very naïve. Buying a commercial space is very different from buying a home. I wasn't prepared for that, but I was already in it, and with my two feet, and we were also doing a full reno, so we were doing like a gut job. So we got the space November 12th, and I found out I was pregnant at the end of December.
Ashley:I just laugh because it, I do remember that time, and so it's like trying to get out of the one space. There was still shortages for being able to get construction supplies and all of the things, but it was almost like one step forward, two steps back, but I think other people also would have just, I don't know, cracked under the pressure and it's just, you thrive in it so well, or you present that way that I, laugh about it just because it's, like, amazing that you were able to accomplish that and not have your head spin around.
Amanda:Thank you. I really appreciate it. I would agree with you. I really feel like I thrive under pressure. I'm not sure why. I think it's probably, you know, coming from my mom, who was, a single mom. My dad was in the picture, but she just, like, hustled, and she owned businesses, and she did everything, and I just saw her thrive in it. And... I have always been that way. Like when I make a decision and I decide I'm going to do something, I put my head down and I do it. I definitely think I kind of cracked under the pressure more at home, but really I would say that it's something that I'm good at. Thank goodness. Because, I also am really sick during my pregnancy. So during that time I was throwing up and the Reno took. About three months longer like you said because of shortages and time and it just was really hard at that point so three months longer and at that point I was paying the mortgage on the new salon and the lease at the old salon still doing clients full time and we did the reno with friends and family but we didn't have a contractor we did not hire anyone to do it we did it all of ourselves
Ashley:Your space is so beautiful that you would almost think that an interior designer had taken on that project.
Amanda:Thank you. I appreciate it so much. I designed the salon fully by myself and then we had, yeah, like Kevin did the floors and all the, like the work we had, our friend do our drywall. We had my brother do the electrical. My brother's friends did the plumbing, but I designed everything and it was the most cost effective because at that point we put every dollar we had into purchasing the space. So we were on like a tight budget and I honestly cannot believe the salon looks the way it is. For the cost that we spent to transform it.
Ashley:When you had got into the bigger space how was hiring staff and switching? Clients over the other space was how did that process look
Amanda:the process of switching clients over was honestly really seamless and I'm so thankful for that just because it was close, right? So it was only a block away, so it didn't affect anybody. So a lot of times when you're moving spaces, you end up losing clients, of course, because of commuting time travel, all of those things. Luckily for me, I didn't have that. So all of my clients were happy to switch over or I had everybody's contact information and I would just post where we were going to be. It kind of went for that as for hiring staff again, this was something I was so new to. I honestly, one year later, still feel very new to it. I feel so amazingly lucky to have such a great team. Right now I have three employees and I have two chair renters. When I first opened the salon, I wasn't sure which way I was going to go, so I decided to do both. I decided, you know what, let's just see. What works best for me, and I feel like the best way to do that is to do both. So I hired two amazing chair renters, so they work for me and just, essentially, like it sounds, they pay a rent fee and then they deal with their own clients, their own products, their own everything. It's very separate. And then I have, my team that I really pour into. I educate them. I do all their bookings. I help promote them. I pay for education for them. And they're my staff. So. It's been hard, you know, finding a really good fit for a hair salon, especially with people that you're with all day, every day. Unfortunately, women are, sometimes competitive with each other. And I have worked at salons where it could be a negative space. So I knew for me, having a space that felt welcoming and homey, but still elevated and high end, but there was no gossip and no room for anything other than wanting each other to be the best. That's how I was going to hire, so I'm still, looking to grow the team, but I feel like it's been really good. I've learned a lot. I feel like I've learned more business stuff than I ever thought I would in my entire life in the last year.
Ashley:I think prioritizing not just having a body to fill the space, but really having the right personality, I think, makes a huge difference. Not that everybody does hair the same because God knows they don't, but it's like, I was thinking of an old salon, nobody at your salon. But I think like technical wise, it's so much easier to, teach somebody how to dye hair versus how to, have good customer service and be the type of person that people want to actually be around.
Amanda:It's really important to me, especially because, I do know that these girls are also giving up their time with their families and their kids. I want everyone to love doing hair as much as I do. I love my job. It's not a job to me. I genuinely love to be there. I know if you have the right environment that people can feel that way too. I knew that if I was able to do that and find that, then also it's easier for me. Like I love pouring into these girls. I love. The salon environment, we've never had truthfully any issues with anything like that. So I feel very lucky and I'm going to continue hiring like that moving forward. And that's why I feel like it is taking me a little bit longer, but again, like I love the process. I love meeting new people. I interview people a lot and. It's been really great. I'm really happy that I feel like I have an environment that everyone feels safe and comfortable to be themselves and happy when they're there.
Ashley:As a customer, it's like you come in and you almost just feel like you're hanging out with the girls. Like you're really, whether it's getting TV and movie recommendations from Stacey or whether it's living vicariously through Chloe as she was going through like dating her long term person. Or it's just like you just come in and you veg out and it's almost like sitcoms in the 80s where people would vent their bartender. You just come in and it's like visiting with friends and chilling and getting your hair done versus it being this like, I don't know, like uptight space or feeling like. You just don't have that energy with the people doing here.
Amanda:Totally. So I feel like when I had my small space, it was just me. So I really was able to have that one on one connection with my client, where it felt like kind of an in home salon, but it wasn't. So when I decided to open the bigger space, I knew I wanted that same feel and because the girls that have been working with me were newer into the hair world, which I think was so, so fantastic because we were really able to create this environment together they didn't have any experience elsewhere. It truly is that is exactly how you're explaining it makes me so happy I can't even tell you because that's what I wanted. I wanted my clients to feel like they were with their friends at home, relaxing, but also getting a really high end service with high end products and, scalp massage, finishings with styles. We don't let people leave feeling not 100%, but you also feel full. Like, I want... people to feel both. It was really important to me having clients, spend their hard earned money and their time to see me that I made them feel that way.
Ashley:Why did you choose to work with the product lines that you carry in this one? And can you tell us which products those are?
Amanda:Absolutely. So we use Davines primarily, and then we also use Kevin Murphy. So for our color line, We are exclusively Davines. It's the only product we carry. And then for our styling lines, we use both. Honestly for me, it was a no brainer with Davines. It's an Italian based brand that is B Corp. If you don't know what that is, it's just like pretty much they give back to the world as much as they take out. It is an amazing brand. It's, 90 percent naturally derived. It is the shiniest product I've ever worked with. The smells are really natural, so it doesn't affect anyone with smells. I actually use this when I work at a spa utopia. And then when I switched over to the other salon, I did not use it. But I knew always the. If I ever opened a salon, it resonated with me the most. They give so much free education. They pour into the people who pour into them, which I love. Because I think the more you know, of course, knowledge is power. The more you know about a product line and what they offer and how it works, the better you're going to be able to give it to your client. So I just knew for my clients It was high end. It was luxurious. It was shiny and full of nutrients and you could bleach someone's hair and they have built in bond builders. It was going to feel better even after I do highlights, it was going to feel better no matter what we did. So that was a no brainer for me. And Kevin Murphy was a really, really great secondary line because I found it a little bit funkier, a little bit, more fragrant. I love their styling line. They're beautiful and they are cruelty free, which was really important to me. And it just felt like a really great match to have, both more natural products, both that give back to the world and are cruelty free, but also beautiful and luxurious.
Ashley:Which does make a difference. I know I like, I always say it wrong. The Dabney's stuff is my like, go to. I have dyed my hair every color under the sun, box dye for years. It's amazing I'm not bald. I find that that product probably has something to do with it.
Amanda:It truly, it transforms people hair. Like if you use the regime, which you do, and we bleach your hair. So we bleach your hair, you use the regime, we do everything. Your hair feels amazing. It doesn't even feel damaged at all. I wanted a product that I could stand by. Like that, because that I do 90 percent blonde. So that was important to have, that healthy blonde hair, but also have at home products that people loved. And honestly, everybody loves them. I don't have anyone ever be like, you know what, Amanda, of course, there's ones that work better than your hair from others, of course, that's just the reality of any brands, but people love it and. I stand by the brand 110%.
Ashley:What are some of the trends that you're starting to see come up for next year or what would be some of the trends that you hope kind of die in 2024?
Amanda:You know what, so some trends that I'm absolutely loving right now is really adding warmth into the hair. For years we saw people wanting to stay away from warmth, people didn't like Warmth and now that's all we're seeing. Beautiful honey blondes and really rich brunettes. And it lights my soul on fire because I've always loved warmth. I feel like that's a trend we're really seeing. Really doing more lived in blondes and we have been seeing that for a few years but I'm talking even more lived in with. more of a natural root, more, you know, low lights through the ends, really dimensional, really pretty. I love that we're seeing like the 90s blowout come back. I think it is so amazing, such a fantastic style and one that I think is going to actually stay around for a really long time, which I love. For me, trends to always stay away from, in my opinion are, bangs, bangs come in and out, but they really are for a specific person and I don't think they should be used as a trend. Don't kill me. But I think that if you love bangs and you wear them all the time, I think it's amazing. But I think if you see, you know, like a TikTok of everyone getting bangs, I'm like, girl, don't do it. You really have to commit to the bang. So those are kind of, What I love and what I don't love, and I think that we're kind of going to be staying away from cooler, flat, one toned colors. We're really going to see everyone, even brunettes, which is different. Normally we're seeing all the blondes, but even the brunettes being like lived in with a few, you know, honey foils. Or just like adding that beautiful dimension that makes your hair look really tonal and beautiful.
Ashley:The bangs, it's almost like you have to be like, did you just break up with somebody?
Amanda:Literally, I have this conversation with my clients all the time. I'm like, okay, babe, so what's going on in your life? How are you? Are you good? Like, why do you want the bangs? It's so true. But I love it. I do love a good trend. Of course, I am the kind of person that I dress based on trends. I only buy cheaper pieces for trends because I don't want it as like my capsule, wardrobe. But it's with hair. Unfortunately, if you're committing to a trend, you know, if you're getting bangs and you have really long hair, you're committed.
Ashley:Yeah. Or same with color. I'm primarily like gray and white, so I'm kind of stuck with the blonde until I decide to go natural. But I know even seeing like the orangey, like coppery colors, I'm like, that would be cute, but it would be cute. And then you have to like strip your hair. So it's like, sometimes those trends are like a five, 600. fix when you lean into them. So I think it is a little bit different to try to lean into it. Although if you have the money and you are brave enough to try by all means, like lean into it for a season. But I know for somebody my age or somebody who has a lot of white or gray, it's just all of those things to consider on how much it's worth it.
Amanda:Absolutely, and anytime I have a client coming in, because of course we're seeing coppers right now, it's huge, they're calling it the cowboy copper, it's huge, it's everywhere, and I love it, but you know, for me, the most important piece I can give my clients is education, and just really having an in depth consultation with them and saying, I know that this is going to look so bomb on you, but How often are you going to do maintenance? What shampoos and conditioners are you willing to buy and what extra products? How long are you wanting this color? Are you going to want to be back blonde? Are you going to want to be back dark? And kind of walking them through not what today is going to look like, but what the next six months to a year is going to look like for them. And a lot of times people are down and they change it and they never look back. But a lot of people are like, oh my gosh, Amanda, thank you so much for, talking to me about that. I've completely changed my mind.
Ashley:Well, and that's one thing that I think is unique about your salon and your hairdressers too is it's not like, okay, we did this blonde last time. It's not like it's pre mixed sitting beside me when I sit down and it's like, okay, we're definitely doing this again. You sit down and you look at your client's hair and you have that like quick little discussion. Are we doing the same? Are we doing something different? How does your hair look every single time that it's not just same old, same old.
Amanda:Yeah, like one thing you will never see from me is pre mixed colour. It is not something I would do to any of my clients because it doesn't give your clients a voice. And I want to hear what they have to say. So every single time I see a client, which you and your daughter are fantastic clients of mine, of course. So I see you guys a lot. And every time you both come in, I say, What are you liking? What are you not liking? Do you like the tone here? Are you liking the root? I want to make sure these things, because sometimes I shift it a tiny bit and it's like, oh my god, I love it this time. Or sometimes like, you know what, Amanda, I love it. I want the exact same. But again, this comes down to like me really caring about my clients and their time and their effort and energy to spend their days with me. And you know what, I might ask you, for example, once, like, hey, are you liking this tone? And you might have thought you did, but you might be like, you know what, now that you're asking me that, I'm not sure, I think maybe I'd like it a little bit different. It gives people the ability to think out loud, and I love it, and it's something I instill in my girls, is really just allowing your client to tell you all about their hair before you make any decisions ever about what you're doing.
Ashley:Which I think is so important, because it also just creates trust in your hairdresser if your hairdresser doesn't give you that space to be like I want bangs or I want to chop my hair off or whatever the case may be. I think women tend to be like, Oh, just be polite. So it's like, you might feel weird about being like, Oh, actually, I don't know about this or whatever. I love the fact that we can sit down and change it up. Although granted, I'm super boring and I basically do the same thing every time.
Amanda:But yeah, my daughter, you're not boring. You just chopped all your hair off.
Ashley:Well, that's true.
Amanda:I think there's so many varieties of both and that's just, you know, what I love about hair. It's never the same. Everyone always has different, thoughts, feelings, opinions, what they want, what they don't want. And I just love it. That's why I feel like my job is not a job.
Ashley:Which is really, really nice. Like if you find for anybody who's like, Oh, this is the only path to success. And I have to, you know, do well in high school and then I have to go to college. And then by 30, I'm going to have it all figured out. That just is a lie that was sold us. For so many years where it's like, whatever your passion looks like, if you can turn that into a job, that's what you should do because you don't want to go to work every day feeling like, oh, I'm here, like, how many more hours I want to go home that you really want to be Know that like the time that I'm spending basically going to work, whether I'm spending 12 hours, I want to spend 12 hours really like having fun and doing the stuff that I want to do so that at the end of the day, it all feels worth it. Not just financially, but just time well spent.
Amanda:Absolutely. I feel like I have such a passion this year. I've really created this passion for helping other women. You know, creating businesses and doing what they want to do, not just in hair, but in every aspect, I feel really called to, help people be successful in anything they want to do. And like you said, if you have a passion and you want to put your energy into it, do it because you could be living a different life in a year. I believe if you have passion and drive behind something you like, you will be successful at it and you can create a life for yourself that right now, you know, you're sitting at work dreaming of you can a hundred percent make it a reality and. I feel really called to help people do that because I feel so grateful and passionate for the life that I've created for myself and I truly want everyone to feel that way,
Ashley:which is so beautiful. And I really do think if we take anything, positive out of the pandemic. I think for me, it really put in perspective of like, okay, if I didn't talk to this person, am I going to miss them? No, I don't miss them. Or, oh, I didn't get to, you know, be around that person. I miss them so much. So it really, I think it taught us what matters. Am I going to go sit in an office for a massive corporation from nine to five, like wasting my time and basically resenting my coworkers and hating this? It's really prioritizing time and how we spend our time and who we spend our time with is so amazing because, you know, life is short.
Amanda:It's too short. It's going to be over in the blink of an eye. And you know, with an older, like even my son being three, I'm like, how? So I feel like that is one good thing that the pandemic did. I feel like for everyone to change the traditional job. And I think that traditional jobs are on its way out. And whether you're in, media or marketing or products or sales or anything, interior design, hair, literally anything. There is literally people that teach you how to walk your cat on Instagram and make millions of dollars. Like I think you can do anything. And I also think the tools we have now, I think it's just so fantastic. So if you're thinking about starting a business, anyone, you need to do it.
Ashley:Agreed. What is next for the design room? You said that you're kind of helping other like through inspiration, you're helping other business owners or is there like a Something else in the works that way.
Amanda:You know what? There is so much coming right now for the design room. So I'm really excited about all of it. Something that I can kind of tease that is our most up and coming is I'm going to be launching a online six to 10 module course. That's going to teach women how to style their hair at home. So this is going to range from anything from a blow dry to a blowout, to curls, to waves, to half up, half down. My Slickback Classic, and this is going to be something that you can purchase online. You get it for a lifetime, so you can always come back to it. So that is currently what I'm working on. I'm so, so, so excited about it. That sounds awesome. I know, I'm so excited. So that's something we're working on. I have never talked about it on my Instagram, so this is the first time I'm actually saying what it's going to be. Really excited about that and like you said, I do feel like in the next little bit I would love to, create an online forum, whether it's a podcast or it's a mastermind or, group training or Zoom calls where I can really help elevate people and kind of, you know, teach them what I've learned and because I do a lot of self development and I, feel like I've really got this formula. Down on how to if you do this. you can be successful. So I feel really called and driven to do that, that's not something I'm currently working on, but it absolutely is something that I'm going to be doing moving down the line.
Ashley:Which I'm so excited to, be able to see everything that you guys do with it. I would love for you to do a reality show, because I just think that everybody that works there is so funny that it would be kind of interesting to see, with different clients coming in and all the things. So I think you all should. How
Amanda:fun would that be, right? I would love that. I would love that too. That would be so fun.
Ashley:Now, you had talked about currently being in therapy. Is there any other things that you do for self care?
Amanda:Yeah. So, you know, I work hard and I like to play hard. I love a good self care day in the traditional sense, which means for me, like, I love getting my nails done. I love getting a facial. I love, going for breakfast by myself is something that I absolutely love. I go to a little cafe in Fort Langley probably once a week by myself, get a coffee. And whether I'm reading a book or writing in my journal or just doing whatever by myself to really recharge. I love that. And then I love, you know, also. Self care for my mind, whether that's, listening to podcasts, or writing down my goals, or taking a walk with my kids, and just being really present, putting my phone away. I try not to scroll. Scrolling, for me personally, is not good for my mental health, so I love social media to use it as a tool. But I don't love to consume content that is going to make me either compare myself or just make me feel bad about things. So, you know, that, if that's you, that is me too. And so I just don't do it. I don't consume it and it's really good. I really feel like everyone can up their self care game. These are the things that really work for me, whether it's being alone. And, doing those things like getting a facial or just, being with my kids and listening to a podcast where I take away five things that make me feel like I have a more clear mind. Therapy is newer for me, but I love it. It's been such a game changer for me.
Ashley:I'm such a supporter of therapy. I feel like it should almost be like going to the doctor, that it should be, okay, let's go check in with the therapist. It doesn't necessarily have to be ongoing, but almost like getting your car tuned up.
Amanda:Absolutely. I love it.
Ashley:If anybody is looking for the design room online, can you tell us where would they find them?
Amanda:Absolutely. So on Instagram and Facebook, we are the underscore underscore design room. Then we have our website, which is hello at the design room salon. com, which is also our email. And then on TikTok, I'm just under Amanda Kavanaugh Weins right now, but we are going to be. Creating our own design room TikTok that's also on the agenda. So that's where you can find us and chat with us or interact with us and just follow along.
Ashley:Awesome. Well, thank you so much for having this conversation with me today.
Amanda:Thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed that and I always love talking to you. You're so easy to talk to and I love that about you. Thank you so much. Thank you.
Thank you so much for joining us today for this episode of the filled up cup podcast. Don't forget to hit subscribe and leave a review. If you like what you hear, you can also connect with us at filledupcup.Com. Thanks again for tuning in and we'll catch you in the next episode.