Episode #4: Reset and Recharge with Ryan Weeden

You're tired. You're stressed. You need a break, but you don't know how to fit one in.  

We all know that being a hairstylist is hard work. Between clients, color, cuts, and product education, your days are long and exhausting. Not to mention trying to stay on top of all of your everyday, life responsibilities. 

We need to take the time to reset and recharge. Think about our businesses in a different way and strive to work smarter, not harder.  Keep in mind, though that you may have to work harder at the beginning to give yourself the foundation to work smarter in the future. 

In Episode 5 of the Chair-apist, I interview Ryan Weeden, the founder of Masters of Balayage and the creator of the MOB HERO Retreat. We chat about the importance of recharging and resetting in order to be our best selves. This episode is perfect for anyone feeling burned out or stuck in a rut and looking for some inspiration to jumpstart their creative juices. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! 

Transcript

Cameron 
Hi Ryan, thank you so much for coming to another episode of the Chair-apist 

Ryan 
I'm very excited. It's so good to chat with you again. 

Cameron 
And I just I can't believe I got you. You're so busy. 

Ryan 
Well, we have a connection, so you're already inside the castle, you know. 

Cameron 
I just feel so grateful for that because you, like I said you are a busy man, and you are now running successfully, which what we talked about how many years ago now at Kevin Murphy? 

Ryan 
Seven, something like five, six, seven something it? It sounds like it feels like a lifetime ago. 

Cameron 
A decade ago.  

Yeah, Masters of Balayage which you brought into for you made it happen. You talked about it and now you're doing everything you said you were going to do. 

Ryan 
I had to sit on the couch and manifested it for six years. No, I'm just kidding. 

Cameron 
I mean is that? It's your best self, right? Your future self. 

Ryan 
Exactly right. So, when I'm just, you know, sitting back with a beer and just looking back into all the hard work I put in early, which is what it takes. 

I actually did a post today on social media where I talk. You know, people are always talking about work less make more. Well, the real truth about that is in order to work less and make more, you first have to work more and make less and be ok with that and grateful for all the opportunities that are given to you. 

Cameron 
Absolutely, and you couldn't have said it any better, because really, we all think coming out of beauty school that we're just going to hit the ground running right. 

Ryan 
Right? 

And I don't know if that happened for you, but it sure didn't happen for me. It didn't. And it doesn't happen to anybody, really. 

I mean, I think there is that entitlement that people come out and they have a license, or they have a diploma, and they think like OK I did all this time, and it was school, and I did it all this time with my education, so give me the money like no. Yeah then you gotta deal into that next phase.  

You got your education now you gotta get that real world experience and build yourself up and show us that you are worthy of making the kind of money that you believe you are. 

But it takes time. 

Cameron 
It takes time and it takes patience, and it takes due diligence and time behind the chair and possibly being somebody's assistant for a really long time. 

Ryan 
Right, exactly 

Cameron 
'cause you gotta learn from the best. We all learn from each other. 

Today we're going to actually talk about recharging and resetting. It is a great topic because as I sit here in my chair, after grocery shopping, dropping my child off. All of the things that I do plus being behind the chair and educating...Our cups are essentially empty at the end of the week, right? 

Ryan 
Well, especially in our line of business where you know I'm not behind the chair anymore. I serve as many people as I can and in that in that act of service, we're giving ourselves to other people. We're giving our energy away unless we're getting some energy back or we have ways to reset and recharge. We are going to have an empty glass at the end of the week. 

Cameron 
And we actually have a really good way to reset and recharge, and one of those ways is the mastermind group that we're in. 

Ryan 
Um hmm, right. 

Cameron 
That's been really helpful because it's made me very mindful of the time that I'm spending and what I'm actually doing to fill my cup back up. And you actually were a huge part of that, because with your Retreat that I went to the HERO, the mob HERO Retreat last year that I went to. That's the reason why I'm doing what I'm doing now. 

Ryan 
That's amazing. You mean like the podcast? That's why you decided to talk great. 

Cameron 
I mean really, it is absolutely. I mean, it was at your Retreat that it was that that light bulb went off and I said I gotta do this. 

Ryan 
Well, it's all about, I guess what HERO is about. And if you're new to HERO or the HERO Retreat is something that we put together. 

I've always been a big fan of people like Tony Robbins and life coaches, and those that teach others how to have mastery in all levels of their life. And I noticed that there was a big gap in our, in the hair industry and her education where it's all skill based. I mean it's 99.9% skill based. But being the best hair cutter being the best, Balayager isn't going to give you all the money in the world. 

It's not going to give you all the fame in the world. It's not going to take you to that next level. You need to learn how to how to sell yourself, how to market yourself. You need to have a business mindset. 

It's kind of like where money in learning how to become financially independent isn't taught in school, which it should be. These are things that are some of the most important factors in a person's success in their lifetime. 

Cameron 
You know, everything that we do. There's always a reason for everything and you have put together such a wonderful reason for people to come together and create community and do exactly what you're talking about. And I thank you for that, because honestly, you know when I was like, hey Ryan, I really want you on this podcast. 

Let's talk about Balayage. But really, in the rawness of it all we need to talk about how we can all work together as a community to reset and recharge and make each other...well, you can't make each other feel better, but at least fill each other’s cups back that just. 

Ryan 
And you can be there to support somebody when they're down and just let them know that they are loved and that they do have a support foundation of support around them when they're ready, you know. And I think it just somebody just being there knocking on that that door, that friendly door and saying, like hey, I'm here for you whenever you need me, you know that's important, and I know that whenever I've been really down in the dumps, and we've all had those moments in our life where we're at rock bottom or just feeling absolutely awful. I'd say the thing that would always turn me around the most are my friends. I don't have a ton of friends, but I have a couple of people that I would call up right away or they would check in with me if they haven't heard from me and they would say like Ryan, what's up, man I I'm here for you. I will get you back on track. 

And two of those people you know them - Rob Smith and John Russo, and they're also life coaches in our mastermind and those are two people that will always, always, always paint that brighter picture for me. They'll always lift me up when needed. They'll always be a shoulder to cry in if I need it, and I think it's important that we surround ourselves with like-minded, supportive peers as much as possible. 

Cameron 
They are really wonderful, and I have to say being in that group has really lifted my spirits up. And you know, I am a lot more aware when I get on Facebook or on Instagram of there are people reaching out and asking for help and I'm the first person, especially with my friends to reach out. 

And say, hey, I'm always here for you if you need me and it's the same for you like you can always reach out to me if you’re ever like I'm just stumped right now because we just get into those like you're beating your head against a wall, and I think with everything that's been going on in the world we can just talk about energetically and everything that's happening. It's a lot. 

And then you add your business. Your business is growing, which I applaud that you guys are really killing it and I'm so proud of you because like I said, you brought that brought that energy and you bring it to us every day which I love your Masters of Balayage the program. 

Cameron 
Can we just talk about that just a little bit? 

Ryan 
We can, yeah, absolutely. Well, Balayage online is something that I've wanted to do for a long time and that is our online - It's we have courses; we have a membership program. What it is, is the education that I wish I had when I got into balayage, I would have been able to accelerate my own growth if I had education like this. So, I wanted to be able to serve the world with something that will help accelerate their growth - give them basically a shortcut to success and for those of that actually take it and apply themselves to it.  

Do the work 'cause you need to work hard to get ahead, there's nothing. That that's that never will change. You always have to work hard and but of course you need to also learn how to work smarter so that you can work less and later on in life and enjoy more of what life has to offer outside of your office outside of your salon, whatever. 

But it's a... it's really blown my mind at how successful it's been. But I also kind of knew that it would if I applied myself to it because I know that what I can offer the world is important and it can help people and it can change lives and it has. And I think as long as we, as educators, as role models always keep our customer in those that we serve first in in line like it is what I'm teaching something that's going to help them move ahead if they're successful, then I'm successful and the more people that we can make successful, the more successful we're going to become and more fulfilled. 

Cameron 
For sure, and at the same time, education I'm the biggest pumper of education to anybody that my stylist friends. I'm like, ok, you're not feeling it, you need to go get some education and I have been telling everybody when you're down and you're having a bad day, you just put on Masters of Balayage. Watch one of those videos and learn a new technique and you will just feel like a whole new person, 'cause we're all artists and we need to learn, and we need to be able to use our hands. And I just love the fact that I can go click and go on to the next lesson or go on to the next technique and really get something out of it and be able to apply it to my next client. 

Like if I had a no show the other day, for instance, how mad was I when I'm as busy as I am, you know, and I'm just sitting there, stewing and instead of...I said in an instant I am ridiculous for sitting here stewing about this, I'm going to go on and I'm going to click on the next lesson of Masters of Balayage. 

You know, I'm, and I'm dead serious. I'm not just saying that 'cause you're here, watching me, judging me for not getting through all my lessons. 

No, I'm just teasing, but you know, it's really important that we fill our cup in all those ways, self-care, education, friendship, you know, even though we haven't been able to see each other in person, I get to see once a month on Mastermind. It's something to look forward to, even when I'm super busy. I'm about to go to a class, I still jump on say hi, you know and it's just nice to see everybody and all of the like-minded individuals. 

So really, you know resetting and recharging isn't just about self-care, it's also about educating yourself and getting yourself in your community. 

Ryan 
Right? Well, one thing I've learned in my life is that you're either growing or you're falling behind. I mean, you could even take it and say you're growing or you're dying, and I think some people the word maybe grow scares them. That means they got...They think they gotta take all this education they gotta always be reading, always be learning like no, you don't have to be doing something at every single second of the day. 

But growing can also equate to evolving. Like the butterfly becomes a butterfly after being caterpillars. l They're supposed to change, and they're supposed to turn into this beautiful creature, and I feel like all of us as humans have that potential to, and we should always be evolving into becoming our best self. Which is the butterfly. 

Cameron 
And you know, I've watched you evolve. And I mean, I've always thought you were super charismatic and fun, and I was always drawn to you and Ray. You guys were my favorites, you know, to hang out with, grab a coffee with you. So, you've definitely evolved. You were always great, but you're you just keep getting greater. So, I'm really proud of you and I'm just so happy to have you on here. 

But I do have one quick pump for you is OK. the Retreat. Let's talk about the MOB Retreat that's coming up in September. 

Ryan 
Oh my gosh, I am so excited. The more I think about this Retreat, I just get goosebumps.  This is something that I've wanted to do for a very long time, and this is actually our third annual HERO. I would call it HERO for short, but we turn it into the HERO Retreat, where we find a really cool place to do it. Last year was at Clearwater Beach in Florida. Beautiful, beautiful setting right and then this one is going to be at this mountain resort just north of Phoenix. Absolutely gorgeous. I visited it.  

It's very, very cool and it's in essence it's like a Tony Robbins meets the hair industry. So, we've got a bunch of education where we give the people what they want with Balayage education, but we show them what they need, you know, to take it to the next level. 

A lot of people don't want to sign up for, say, a RAH RAH event, because they don't think like jumping around and screaming and yelling and clapping is going to take them to the next level, but this is going to be just the perfect amount of everything where it's just going to check all the boxes.  

People are going to go there and they're going to be blown away. If they haven't been to a HERO event before. It's an experience that's going to change lives. 

They think they're going for education and the resort. 

And yes, that's all great for the recharging and resetting. But they're going to walk away with so much more, and it's a lasting change. It's not something that you're excited about, and they're like, ok, well that's it, wears off. I've been to events like that where you go there, you get excited and then you're like what I do now. 

A lot of what we train on at these events is we have coaches, we have speakers, we have leaders and role models that all have actionable strategies to take your business to the next level. Take your life to the next level. To take your relationships to the next level. To take your skills to the next level and know how to keep the momentum going after it's going to be 2 power packed days full of incredible speakers and guests, and we've got some music that's going to be happening there. 

Do we have an artist that's coming in? It's going to be sick like it's going to be so, so cool, and I'm going to be hosting it and I just... 

I took a Tony Robbins event recently, Unleash the Power Within, and I learned so much from that event. It was a virtual event that I'm going to bring to the HERO Retreat. 

Cameron 
I'm excited 'cause last year was really wonderful, and I mean honestly, I came out of there. I did. I started raising my prices. I started working less days. I did start working smarter, not harder, and I'm I've been saying no and taking time for myself. 

Ryan 
That's great, it's important. 

Cameron 
And really, I know that I already knew that, but sometimes it takes an event or your friends or your community and our community is so tight knit and so wonderful. It's not like these people that aren't unattainable. We're all on the same level together and you don't make anybody feel like anybody is less than. 

Everybody feels like they're all on the same level, and that's what's important. And we all do need to come together because we all kind of need to do a big virtual hug for everybody. 

Ryan 
Right? 

Cameron 
You know, because we all need it, and you do that that. I mean HERO is a virtual hug, and if it's not a physical hug, it's a virtual hug for sure. And really, I didn't think I needed it you know, as much as I did need it, it's like oh, I'm gonna go see Ryan whoop whoop! And then I was like, oh, this event is amazing. 

Ryan 
I'm telling you right, you go there you're not really sure what you're going for. You think you know what you're going for, but you walk away with something so much more than that. 

Cameron 
And I mean, I met some wonderful people out of it too. You know, I'm going to have Ben on the show. Ben White, he's going to be on the show.  

Ryan 
Such a funny guy. 

Cameron 
He's super funny. And you know I follow Jake's wife now and get cooking techniques. It's just so cool that our community we just all bring people. Networking is just phenomenal for the hair industry. 

My last two questions for you are. You ready? 

Ryan 
Yeah, yeah, let's go. 

Cameron 
Ok, so the craziest thing that's ever happened to you and I'll let you think about it for a second, while I talk about my sponsor just briefly. 

Style Sharp Shears 

Style Sharp Shears is my guy who comes in and sharpens my shears and makes my days brighter. Trey with Style Sharp Shears he really does. He does make my days brighter. 

Ryan 
That's amazing. 

Cameron 
He comes in and he sharpens them in front of me with clients going and he just fits right in with the atmosphere, and you know all twenty of my shears that I have get sharpened in one sitting and then I have him back immediately, so I don't have to send him off. It's fantastic. 

That's my, that's my sponsor. 

Ryan 
That's awesome. 

Cameron 
Yeah 

Ryan 
It’s great, it's good. I don't even have a sponsor on my podcast. 

Cameron 
I'll sponsor you. 

Ryan 
Ok, thanks. 

Cameron 
Hair Poetic. 

Ryan 
So craziest thing that happened to me. The first thing that came to my mind, it's it was pretty wild too. Well, I... This is after what I'm going to say first. The first thing I will say is this happened shortly after 911. I was in New York City. And when everything was happening and I was there, and I actually witnessed the towers collapsing. It was a terrible tragic day for of course the entire world, especially those that were directly affected. And you know, for somebody seeing it with their own eyes and it just was also a completely surreal experience. And that was just a terrible, terrible day. 

Life in New York City changed very much, so after that. Yes, New York is very resilient, but just the anxiety and the stress levels in the city around that time. I mean, every day there were bomb threats. Every day there were people walking around in Hazmat suits and it was just it didn't feel comfortable. And I was dating this girl at the time, and she was Israeli, and she was there. I don't remember how long she was actually there was. 

We weren't dating for very long, but we really liked each other, and she was staying with me one day and we decided that like you know we just need to get out of the city. 

We need to we need to...just we're kind of just like we need to get out of the country, really. We're just like let's just we. Got we just got to take a break from the US right now. You know it's just it was too much, so we jumped in a car. We went up to Canada. We went to Toronto. 

We did not have a great time. We realized during that trip that we were just not the right fit, right? So, we're just like, ok, whatever, this we had our few days there we got in the car headed back to the US on the way back, you know, driving in the car. We didn't really have a lot of dialogue going back and forth and I was just thinking of ways to break up with her. Right, I just... I could kind of feel the tension in the car anyway. 

I mean, we just weren't getting along and so she had just moved in with me and I was like this is not working out. 

How are we going to? How are we going to end this? You know, without a big fight or whatnot. So, I'm thinking about this. We pull up to the the border there at the US. And you know. Or you know, I don't know if you've ever driven across a border before. You're up in the Northwest, so maybe you've gone to Canada or not. 

Cameron 
We go over to Vancouver. Well, we used to go a lot. More before COVID but... Yeah, the the borders are... kind of you feel intense at the border. 

Ryan 
Yeah, exactly like so this is getting real here even if it is just? Canada in the US right? Yeah? 

Cameron 
They might not let me back in. 

Ryan 
But especially after 911, things were heightened and you know, we. 

Cameron 
For sure. 

Ryan 
So anyway, we go there I show my passport and fine. I mean, she shows her passport. The guys at the thing says hey miss, do you mind you? Guys just please pull around front, come inside, we just need to double check something. 

Like, ok, fine, we're just kind of had a rough trip. I just want to get back to, you know, to New York City, which is like an 8-hour drive from the border, which is a long, long drive. A long time to be stewing about how I'm gonna break up with her. 

We go inside and the guy calls her up. Calls us up and says looks at her visa and says ma'am your visa is expired. 

And she's like, no, no, it's not. It's like I had it done right here. She's like no, this is not our certified seal like I don't know where you got this done this is this visa extended? But this is not. It's not a certified seal. We can't let you back into the US. 

Cameron 
Perfect. 

Ryan 
She instantly faints, falls to the ground, collapses. Nobody gives a crap. They just like I'm there and I scoop her up and like Oh my God, what's going on? What, what? What's happening? Like we'll figure this out I'd suddenly become this like you know, caring person. 

Just kidding. I've always been a caring person. But you know what I mean? It's just like I was just like I'm gonna break up with her and now she's collapsing, so I'm comforting her. I’m giving her water 

So, then I we go and sit down and then somebody comes over it and tells us go wait in this little area and he comes over about 5-10 minutes later and and says like I, I can't let you back into the country. Your visa is expired like we're not allowed to let you back in the country. He's like you got to go back to Canada.  

Like what? What is happening. What is even happening right now? And then I said ok. You know what? We'll figure this out. I'll let's just go back to Canada and he's like, no, no, you have to go back to the US.  

You can't go to Canada. He and he looks at me like I had just committed a crime too. And I had a DUI like in the 90s in the 90s in college. And so, in that just any crime in Canada even if it was like years and years past. Every time I go to Canada, they still bring it up and like it's been decades. Guys I F’d up. I F’d up. 

Cameron 
Like I'm sober now for the love of God. 

Ryan 
Nobody was hurt. Thankfully nobody was hurt you know, with my stupidity, but they looked at me like I'm going to smuggle her into the country. And they're like you know what you need... She either needs to book a ticket right now to Israel from Toronto or we're going to put her in jail. 

Cameron 
Oh my gosh. 

Ryan 
Like you got, this is not even happening. This is this is like this is just a drama. I don't know what's happening right. Lifetime Movie. This is what this is turning into, so I'm like ok, you know what? I didn't even have that much money right then at that moment. 

So, I had a credit card and I'm like well, you know, I guess I'll buy you a ticket tomorrow to Israel like 900 and something dollars or maybe more than that, and this is like in 2000. Of course, 911 or just after like in October. And I booked her this ticket and then they're like OK, she's not going to jail. 

She needs to call a cab to go back to Toronto.  You have to go to the US, and you have 10 minutes to say goodbye. 

Instantly I start crying, I'm like. I love you. I don't wanna lose you. I can’t believe this is happening. You know we were meant for each other. All this stuff. So we had this separation. I drove 10 hours, sobbing most of the way. Got home and had all of her stuff in at my place 'cause she had just moved. 

Cameron 
You're such an empath. 

Ryan 
Never saw her again. We, we chatted like you know, for a while after that and rang up some serious to some serious calling card debt. You know, 'cause you know, had calling cards, yeah? 

Cameron 
Oh, my goodness calling cards. Our kids aren't going to know what those are. 

Ryan 
No, we had calling cards and I don't know hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars later and then I'm like I can't keep doing this and you just kind of like realized that it wasn't the right fit again, and she's like alright. It actually worked out really well, so I guess I kind of manifested that in a way. 

Cameron 
Wow! That is the that's. 

Ryan 
Oh, that was a really clean break. 

Cameron 
Ok, I've been doing this, you know, for a few episodes now and that's the craziest story other than the one you'll hear on Korbett’s, which is really funny. But wow, that's that's a crazy ok, so you probably get like at least first place for crazy so far. We'll see coming up. 

Ryan 
Nice, nice. 

Cameron 
And then a little-known fact about you that people don't know. This is like the happy hour of the show, you know just grab a drink, talk about the crazy things and a little-known fact. 

Ryan 
But it's funny 'cause I'm so used to sharing so many things about me, it now being public facing for so long and being that like authentic person that doesn't like to lie. 

Cameron 
You are authentic and that's what I love about you. 'cause I am as raw as it gets too like there's no filter on this mouth of mine. 

Ryan 
Well, I sing a lot now. I sing all the time. Probably piss my wife off and my kid, my kids off my. 

Cameron 
I didn't know that you played guitar. 

Ryan 
Yeah, yeah, I'm getting better and better and better. It's one thing I'm really focusing on now. It's something else I want to become an expert in. And if all goes well, John and I will be playing a song on the stage at Hero 

Cameron 
Yes, if you need any backup singers you know you got a whole mastermind of people willing to do it, I'm sure. Who knows how good or bad it would be, but... 

Oh, my goodness, thank you so much Ryan for coming on the show. I'm just I I'm so glad I got to nail you down. And I know people want to hear from you. 

You are becoming a big face with balayage, and I know you are very, you're just you're so down to earth that you're not going to be like, yeah, I'm kind of a big deal, but you are kind of a big deal in my eyes, and in a lot of people's eyes, so celebrate you. I'm proud of you. Thank you so much. 

Ryan 
Thank you, I appreciate being here and I appreciate you and I look forward to seeing you in our next mastermind session. 

Cameron 
I cannot wait. 

Ryan 
Thanks for tuning into the Hairapist. 

Cameron 
Thank you, thank you so much.