Welcome back to Hair what I'm Saying. Today's a little bonus episode because I'm catching up with my girl, vandy. You know the braid queen behind VLS Hair ATX, out in Pflugerville, texas. We're just gonna kick it, talk hair salon life and all the little things that come with being behind a chair. So grab your tea or your snack and listen in we're keeping it real and fun. Or your snack and listen in we're keeping it real and fun. Welcome to the Hair what I'm Saying podcast. I'm your host, kenetra Stewart. Today we have Vandy of VLS Hair ATX joining us for a second time. How you doing, girl, good. Thank you for having me again. Of course, you were such a wonderful and patient guest the first time. We did this because I was trying to be the podcast engineer, the podcast producer, the podcast director, the podcast host, and it was a hot mess, yeah, trying to do it all and we had to go. What was that little daiquiri shop? We had to run down 11 Degrees.
Speaker 1:Took all my nerve.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was like an eight hour podcast.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we were there all day and you were so amazing Like you was just so patient with the shenanigans.
Speaker 2:Well, when you're a content creator, you understand what technical difficulties can do to you. It can delay your entire process for hours, sometimes days. It sure can.
Speaker 1:And it definitely did that to us, but we had fun throughout the chaos.
Speaker 2:We definitely made the most of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was that stupid update. I don't know if you remember I updated my MacBook and it was no longer compatible with the software that I was using and you hit the button and it's like nope, not today.
Speaker 2:So mad, been there so many times, right.
Speaker 1:Because you've been content creating for a long time, because you have, like, a very established YouTube channel.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've been doing it for a while, probably since 2018.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, because how many subscribers you have, like a lot of subscribers.
Speaker 2:We hit over 300K a couple months ago.
Speaker 1:I was like dang, Because my first impression of you was on Instagram. And then, when I invited you on the podcast, that's when I noticed like oh, she does YouTube. Like for real, for real.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's crazy because all of the different platforms have different audiences. So on Instagram it's more niche down I'm going to run into more people in my industry, in my career field. On YouTube, it's more global and it's for the folks who are looking for how to do things.
Speaker 1:Solution absolutely all right, girl. We're gonna jump into the first question because I want to cover all this content. I want to run out of time, so what styles are you loving right now when it comes to braids?
Speaker 2:um, when it comes to being a braider and clients, a girl, whatever you want to talk about all of it give us all the um, well, for me, uh, lately it's been my, my pixie okay, but I've had to change my outlook on that because I've changed my lifestyle. So I've just never a workout girly but now I'm a workout girly, so I do Pilates like three to five times a week now and my little natural pixie is just not gonna hold up with that, especially if I need to be camera ready or if I need to shoot content or something like that. It's just too much. So now I'm really considering growing my hair back out so I could just stay in braids all the time, and right now it's just all crochet, yeah, um, for clients, I would say, the favorite right now, and especially fan favorite, is the barrel boho bob I think I've seen you create content about it on instagram anything boho bob where it's like short sweet, to the point.
Speaker 2:It is the most low maintenance style you can ever have, pretty too. You don't have to worry about putting it up, putting it down, no product in it, like, and it's great for like hot weather. So those of us who be catching them flashes like keep that hair off your neck, yeah yeah, um, is that the one where you had sort of like that?
Speaker 1:um, it's like a copper brown hair color on there, is that?
Speaker 2:the one. No, everybody's kind of been getting the one Bs. I haven't really had a lot of color options.
Speaker 1:Well, I guess for you, what I saw you showing like demonstrating was it the copper brown. I don't know why I thought it sounded like a copper brown.
Speaker 2:Not for the bob, not for the bob Colors. I do a lot of colors but not for the bob. I haven't done a lot of coloring, oh okay, I kind of saw it.
Speaker 1:I don't know, it's so much content, you know, all over Instagram it's overstimulating, it is it's overwhelming, you know. So, girl, I'm probably mixing you up with someone else, but I could have sworn. I saw copper, like it was like. It looked more like locks.
Speaker 2:Maybe not Girl. I do so many things. People bring me pictures from years ago or they'll bring me a picture they screenshotted off of YouTube and I'm like how did I?
Speaker 1:do that again. I know it's really like that, though, Like you really forget your own artistry. Sometimes it is difficult to recreate your own art. Right it is.
Speaker 2:And especially in today's economy. The way things move, everything is a trending style and then it's gone. So we're constantly revolving styles in and out, calling them new things, calling them old things, you know, and then, like, I remember when crochet was like the biggest thing in 2012. And now it's coming back around. It sure is it?
Speaker 1:sure is, everything is so timeless. You know it'll have this little rush of you, know it's moment, and then next thing you know it's on to the next thing and then it's coming back around.
Speaker 2:You know what kills me, is the young girls always giving a name to a style that was in the hair books in the 90s? Have you seen like the whole trend now of micro braids?
Speaker 1:Like ma'am, have you not? Seen Moesha All the girlies had them.
Speaker 2:Oh, I was just watching an old movie that had Solange Knowles in it and Cedric the Entertainer. She had the tiniest micro braids she sure did, and they were human hair. Like people act like this is brand new. But we also have to remember we are older than most of the folks out there, that's true Like two decades yeah. So we've already lived that cycle over a couple of times and so this is just brand new to them and they're turning it into their own thing, which is perfectly fine yeah um, but don't come in my chair telling me how to do my job when I already know what you're talking about absolutely not it.
Speaker 1:Um you talking about johnson's family vacation, that's it yeah, uh-huh, yeah, yep, that's it and that was like late 90s. You know what I'm saying? So to me, I'm like there's no way you, you, you didn't see a little bit of that you know.
Speaker 2:But we also have to remember a lot of these kids weren't born until the 2000s.
Speaker 1:That's true our oldest was 2025.
Speaker 2:So that mean our oldest was born in 2001, so that?
Speaker 1:that means what? 24? Yeah, about 24 years old, that's true. Why is time moving so fast like this? I can't do this girl.
Speaker 2:Time is the only gift that we should value. No, seriously.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, I 100% agree with you there. Well, what's one trend you low-key wish would go?
Speaker 2:away. I think everybody can agree it's the boho braids.
Speaker 1:I've been seeing that a lot lately. Like the braiders are like when they book, like just plain old, knotless, like Well, we braiders were complaining about it from day one.
Speaker 2:What I'm seeing now is that the clients are starting to complain because they realize it's too much maintenance or it's just not going to pan out the way you think it's going to pan out. Right, if you're a low-maintenance person, that's probably not the style you want to get.
Speaker 2:If you're not used to running your hands through your hair or putting a little bit of water on it and there are people who are like that, then that's probably not the style for you and you can't blame us for it, because we told you up front several times.
Speaker 1:This is a high maintenance style.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I've actually seen quite a few content creators get on, you know, create content around. Oh, I got regular braids again so I don't have to worry about the boho life anymore. So it's finally. They're finally feeling. You know the pains of it. For us it's just labor intensive, it's time consuming and people don't want to pay for it. Like human, hair costs money.
Speaker 1:It sure does, especially if you want that natural, real boho Right, or if you want five bundles braided into your hair.
Speaker 2:That's a lot of work.
Speaker 1:And how long does it take you to do boho braids?
Speaker 2:I know it depends on the size. Yeah, it depends on the size. What's the? Longest it's ever taken you six hours, yeah, and that's still quick though, and that's with help oh, my god, right. Because they wanted four bundles in their head, did it go on my website?
Speaker 1:absolutely not no, I'm not doing that again. Promote it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely yeah, but for the right people who asked politely I might consider it and who's willing to pay for it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but no, because it do depend on the aura of the clients who sit in there that long and then also fussing with a hairstyle, you know it takes a different level of skill.
Speaker 2:I just saw another video where a girl got boho braids and she got the hair from a trusted brand but when she got done she was not happy with it because the braider had put so much product in the in the actual curls. The hair was just weighted down and sticky and she didn't know what to do. And in my mind I'm like girl it's because the braider put too much product on the actual curls. It takes a skill for you to not be able to do that to pull the hair out of the way and not put no product on it or not dip it or any of that. Because you know human hair is just like human hair when you put product on it it's going to stay on it, it's going to soak it up and the only way to get it out is a shampoo.
Speaker 2:And, sure enough, she washed her hair and it came out perfectly I wonder why that she didn't inform her of that information, like ahead of time, so that she could be aware. Um, probably because the braider is just doing their job. They just like okay, I'm just gonna put the hair in your head and you be on your way. A experienced braider would know you only put the product on the braids, not the curls. I didn't even know that, I just learned.
Speaker 1:Well, you're not on a braid though, so I never knew how to process it.
Speaker 2:The number one advice I give every client who gets boho braids is don't put any product in it. Less is more, because it's just like human hair. If you do a wash and go, you're going to have to wash it out in a couple of days because all of that's going to build up. And if you're a workout girly, you've got all that sweat, all that dirt. Everything is just building up on the hair and it has nowhere to go. The only way to get it out is to wash it out.
Speaker 1:Yep, makes sense to me and that's why a lot of people are going back to the synthetic hair.
Speaker 2:Because synthetic hair less maintenance holds way better. It holds its shape better human hair. It's going to mold and shape, however you put it up it in at night. Yeah, fail to realize that too. So if you perm rod it or if you curl it with some flexi rods, it's going to hold that shape. But if you put it in a messy bun at night, it's's going to look a little janky, yeah absolutely so what style do you have right now? Oh, so I actually just did a video last night, it's so pretty.
Speaker 2:Thank you. These are some human boho locks. Okay, they're like on the shorter side. So if you want like a lot of volume. But I did a new method of doing a knotless crochet.
Speaker 1:So yeah, oh, so that's what you have right now knotless crochet. Yeah, it's so pretty, it's so neat. Thank, you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it looks really good. Thank you. Yeah, so there's no knots at the root.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's what I was looking I'm like. So what do you have right now?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I'll be dropping a tutorial on how to do that, probably in the next week or two.
Speaker 1:It looks. It's so nice and natural. It compliments you really well. It's so pretty, Thank you.
Speaker 2:You're welcome, girl. Thank you, I will definitely be reusing this hair.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it looks good. So what is your approach to clients who are indecisive and have four different braids styles that they are unsure about?
Speaker 2:Research Research, research research Communicate. We're only a text away. Say, hey, this is what I'm thinking about getting, this is what I have. Book the consultation.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. The consultation will save you a lot of time.
Speaker 2:We make sure that, yeah, you book the consultation. The $25 you pay for the consultation goes towards your appointment. It's a win-win for everybody, it sure is. At least you know exactly what you're getting. But really the main thing is research, research, research, because I get so many people in my chair who just booked the style because of some trend they saw or some influencer who put it up on their site and didn't have a clue what they were getting.
Speaker 1:That's important and to me that's pretty brave because I want to know what I'm getting. I got to make sure we're on the same page.
Speaker 2:What blows my mind is that you put your credit card down to pay a deposit for something you don't know what you're getting. There's no way. It makes zero sense to me. I get it. Some people, you know, just got money to blow like that, but most of us don't. No, I don't.
Speaker 1:Most of us don't.
Speaker 2:So, yes, if I'm going to put down $50 for a deposit, I'm going to read those policies, absolutely. I'm going to YouTube and I'm going to find a creator who has hair like mine, who did the exact same style.
Speaker 1:That's important to find someone that has hair like yours. That's so important because different hair produces different results.
Speaker 2:That's a real thing Every time. And I always end up having to set expectations. They come in with bone straight hair and they want kinky twists. That's not going to happen. It says it on the actual website. This is not ideal for straight hair or relaxed hair. Why did you book this?
Speaker 1:Why did you book this Like? Think about the texture itself, kinky, yes, we're talking about straight hair.
Speaker 2:We're fighting against two different textures here and your hair is going to win every time, every time. I said your hair is going to win, every time it's going to win every time.
Speaker 1:Oh yes indeed yes.
Speaker 2:So I spent a lot of time setting expectations. Hey, I can. Either I can't do this I'm going to have to send you on your way, because I would rather not do it and not have an issue later on or we can do this, but I'm going to have to change how I do this, and you're going to have to understand what I'm doing.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, and it's going to produce different results. Yeah, you know policy, what you originally had in mind, you know, and the question I hate the most is what do you think will look best on me? First of all, I don't know you from can of paint. I just met you today, yeah. Second, you're the one that has to live with this for the next six to eight weeks and what if your suggestion turns out to be the very thing that they don't like?
Speaker 1:and now you finished a complete hairstyle and guess who fault? It's going to be Yours, not mine. But I'm just saying. You know that's a projection, you know that is definitely the projection.
Speaker 2:You're not going to blame me today. You're going to pay me my money. You can be on your way.
Speaker 1:You said you're going your way, you gonna pay me my money, you can be on your way. No, seriously, I don't. I uh, I have some artists that say, like I love when they give me creative freedom, I'm like I don't like when they give me creative freedom, creative, creative freedom. Because what I like may not be what you. You might think you like this, but when it's on you it's completely different. Because it's on you, you might like it on me, but that does not mean you're going to like it on you, you know. So I don't like that creative freedom. I actually like a picky client because it leaves less room for error.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, if you know what you want. I can do a better job of executing that need and that desire for you. Have you ever had a conversation with a girlfriend that you've known forever and be like that girl's hair is so cute, I think it'll look good on you, and they'd be like, uh-uh, exactly, I would never you know how often we have those conversations.
Speaker 2:Yeah, think about how many times we have these conversations with clients yeah, behind that chair, and then you'll go through the entire process with them, build up the expectations and they're still unhappy.
Speaker 1:Some people are just unhappy in general. Yeah, it has nothing to do, nothing you can do about that and you just can't take it personal. Yeah, you just can't those effects, and you can always tell too. It's a dry sneet.
Speaker 2:One thing about being a hairstylist you, your discernment meter gets a lot of work. It surement meter gets a lot of work. It sure does. It gets a lot of work and you know how to weed out the good ones from the bad ones.
Speaker 1:You sure do, Absolutely Even different marketing strategies. You know how to even market or target that audience that you want. Because of the mistakes in the past, You're like you know what. I know how I attracted that client because I had this certain policy in there, worded a certain way. Let me go and reword it. You know it's so much strategic, you know I mean so much strategy behind how we, you know, attract the clientele that we want. Once you get the experience, you know it's like I am not ending up in another situation like that. You know, and that's where all that discernment come from too. Just experience, you know, and some clients don't understand some of y'all the same personalities, y'all just different and y'all whatever unique ways you know fonts, but that's true, you learn a lot.
Speaker 1:What's something you pretend to be okay with, but you're not in your profession? It don't seem like you pretend to be okay with none. It's like look, I don't like it.
Speaker 2:I'm a very direct communicator Very direct. Yeah, people touching their hair during the appointment.
Speaker 1:During the process. Yeah, talk about why that is not okay, please, because I think they are receiving it like as though the artist is being rude about it, but it's like no, there are actual reasons and benefits as to why you shouldn't be touching your hair. So many different reasons.
Speaker 2:The main reason is we are artists, we are creators. Have you ever been to painting with a twist? I have. Or a painting large, sipping paint, or anything like that no. Have you ever been to painting with a twist? I have been, no. Or a painting large, or a sip and paint, or anything like that? No. Have you ever painted a picture? Yes, drew, something Spent some time on a picture, mm-hmm. What if you're in the middle of that picture and somebody comes by and throws milk on it? How would you feel?
Speaker 1:That's a problem. That is a problem. How would you feel that's a problem? That is a problem.
Speaker 2:So what we do? Well, depending. Not every braider is a creative. Some of them are just in it for the money. They just learn a skill and they're like okay, I'm a one trick pony, I'm going to learn how to do this one thing and call it a day.
Speaker 2:But, those of us who've been in the game for a long time and who have mastered this skill. We're creatives. For a long time and who have mastered this skill, we're creatives. And so my process is when somebody walks through the door I may not have ever seen them a day in my life I start visualizing how that style is going to look on them and throughout the process, I'm constantly checking to see how this is looking on them. How is it flowing on their head? Where is the length stopping? Like, how do I layer it? When you are constantly grabbing at your head and grabbing the braids, especially braids, especially braids that I have not finished? Can you please stop? Because not only are you like messing with the product, like the, the process, you could potentially be like pulling some of the, some of the pieces out.
Speaker 2:Absolutely yeah, that's happened to me so many times. I even had a client a long time ago. She had a habit of yawning with her arms out like this and she was stretched all the way back, and one time she stretched all the way back and her fist hit me in my eye. No, ma'am. So going back to what we were talking about, going back to what we were talking about how you change your policies. I had to start changing my elevator speech when people came into my chair. I said hey, look, keep your hands and your feet in front of you. Please Do not keep them behind you, because it is a safety issue at this point it's happening at this point.
Speaker 1:It's getting harder at this point. What the heck?
Speaker 2:Exactly, but she just had no disregard for what I was doing. I have several people sitting in a chair and they're just hopping around, moving around constantly talking to the next person next to them and it's like can you please stop?
Speaker 2:Can you please stop or the people who think that it's beneficial to hold their head this way when I'm on this side. You know, when you do that, it changes my grip game. It sure does, because now you have no grip, I have no grip, so I constantly have to keep adjusting because you keep doing this or you keep doing this Trying to help you. You're not helping. No, you're not helping us.
Speaker 1:No they think so. They really think so Because I know like even at the bowl I've had some girls to like raise their head up when I'm in the back. I'm like you're going to get wet. Like just stay here and relax.
Speaker 2:Just chill. We just need you to sit down, chill and relax. That's what you're there for. Let me do my job so we can be done and on time.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I know for me it's a pet peeve, especially when I'm doing silk presses because or when I'm taking out a weave and they're like touching the hair and it hasn't been shampooed and cleansed and then the next service is to book a silk press. So it's like your hair is oily. I mean your hands are now oily because you've been touching the hair to have all the buildup that has accumulated while you've been in the weave.
Speaker 1:So now you're touching the silk press, which is now clean, and when you have no movement and no body and it's not as silky, that's because you keep touching your hair.
Speaker 2:But they want to blame you for that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like, oh, it's so stiff. It's like, yeah, one side probably is because you keep grabbing it and you keep touching it after you've just touched dirty hair, you know, and the only way that silk purse is going to move is if the hair is clean.
Speaker 2:You know, and sometimes we're working with hot tools behind you. Yeah and you grab it. You put your hand back there and I got a flat iron trying to seal your braid Like please stop.
Speaker 1:Yeah, please stop. Now you done got burnt. Now you want to sue it. Don't work like that, exactly.
Speaker 2:What is something braiders will only understand in the braiding industry, girl you so funny. I think that was the question I was stumped on, because we live the same, pretty much life as most hairstylists. I think braiders value time more than others, simply because what we do requires large chunks of time for us to set aside. So no shows, no call, no shows are detrimental. Actually, even though I don't sweat it, there are a lot of people who are not in that position to handle no shows because we need these heads to pay these bills.
Speaker 1:Right, absolutely. Yeah, that's a large time to try to make up. Yeah, we're talking about six hours at least.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and we value our. I can't speak for everybody, I can only speak for the serious ones, but we value our clients time. We value the money they put down for it. We set aside our entire schedule to block off that time to be with you, so that we can perform this service. If you think about it, we're general contractors, we're basically contractors.
Speaker 2:You're contracting us out to perform a service. So that's why we require a deposit. And then, for those of us who include all of the materials, all of the hair we're putting forth a lot of time and effort to make sure that we are ready and prepared for your appointment. For you, so for you to not show up or don't even give me a heads up that you're not coming, instant block absolutely and it's also to um braiders.
Speaker 1:Y'all separate the hair and prep it, sometimes before the appointment. Y'all don't do it, you know, as soon as the client comes in. That's a lot of time too. What is it like?
Speaker 2:what 30 minutes maybe, um, depending on the person. I've seen people take it. Takes them hours to prep one head, um, but that just goes. Goes back to efficiency. Are you trying to be more efficient with your time? Do you understand time? Some people don't understand the concept of time, they don't understand a sense of urgency, so that's why they'll. They'll take 10 hours to braid because they can. Well, that's not really efficient, because if you're taking 10 hours to braid on a $250 hairstyle, that's only $25 an hour.
Speaker 2:And the math ain't mathing Like. You might as well go to get a job at Chick-fil-A. You know what I'm saying? You can just show up to work, exactly.
Speaker 1:No, seriously, it's less work on your a braider. You know anybody in the industry. You know we have. You know we had to become content creators at this point, and so the time that you allot even for that, it's just not worth it. It's not worth it. Like you said, you can just show up at Chick-fil-A throw that chicken in that oven, or however they fried.
Speaker 2:And collect your paycheck every two weeks and you'll be making more than you are charging for that head of hair.
Speaker 1:And have more time you know on your hands. Yeah, so you were right about that. What's one thing you wish all clients knew before sitting in your chair?
Speaker 2:my love language is time going back to what we were saying no, no call, no show, instant block. Because I'm a serious person, I'm serious about what I do and serious about the service that I'm providing. I put a lot of time and effort and energy into preparing for you to be there Right. Second, when you show up, I need you to know what you want. You need to at least have an inspo pick something.
Speaker 2:There's been times people show up and don't have a clue what they're getting or what they want, so they just book the service just to have the appointment Just to have the appointment, and what ends up happening is I've now wasted 30 minutes of my time going back and forth with you trying to figure out what it is you exactly want, because I'm not going to spend the next four hours giving you something you don't want and, on top of that, you eating into my time, eats into other people's time. So I need you to understand that one. I am a serious professional and I'm here to do my job. I'm not here to be your friend. I'm not here to be your counselor. Those things are bonuses. Those things are bonuses. I'll be a counselor if we click and we communicate effectively. You know, and I'm not wasting time running my mouth while I'm doing your hair Like, but most of the time you're booking a service. Sit down, get your service done, let's go.
Speaker 1:We got things to do, yeah, but that's real. You know, we do take on a lot of other things in this profession that we just did not sign up for, like you said. And like you say, if we click, yeah, we can talk on that level, you know. But sometimes you do get some clients for the first time. They're ready to dump First appointment. You don't even know them from anywhere, you know and they're ready to dump and you have a whole day ahead of you too.
Speaker 2:You know, and my shop is very interesting because it's, you know, wide open There'll be people come in and tell us their whole life story. I mean, we done been through a whole traumatic Tyler Perry soap opera and the entire salon is listening.
Speaker 2:Yes, they be, kids in the shop. Yes, the whole salon is listening. Like one time I had to go to somebody and say, hey look, um, I think you're sharing a little bit too much. They just that just happens to be their personality. But some people just can't read the room, um, or you just kind of, as a professional, say, hey look, I'm running behind schedule. I can can't, you know, talk like we normally do all the time. So you know, let's just get it in, get it done. Yeah, all those other things are just bonuses.
Speaker 2:It is yeah, and in some days we are just human. Some days we don't want to be there. Some days we woke up and we're cramping like nobody's business. Oh Lord, have mercy, we're not feeling good. There's been times people have left an appointment and immediately sent a text. I didn't like your vibe. Well, ma'am, I was having a horrible migraine and horrible cramps right in the middle of your appointment. Would you rather me cancel your appointment today? Nope, Exactly no. Stop taking things personally. This is a professional service. We are not besties. I am here to provide a service for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right some days we just ain't got it, but we still come to work. That's right. We don't get pto, nope, no, we don't get pto. And sometimes emergencies do happen and people understand that. But some people just don't understand that because they don't have a plan B or they book their vacation breaks the day before their flight. Oh, like, come on.
Speaker 1:That one right there, I feel like you cannot book your as much as you want to. Don't book your appointment around a special event. Anything can happen.
Speaker 2:Like at least do a week in advance because it's still going to look good in a week, and I think that is the misconception. They think that they need to be snatched on day one, when really you probably should give your hair a week to, you know, do its thing, so that you can be comfortable on your trip.
Speaker 1:That's right. I don't ever schedule nothing around a trip and if I do, I don't care if the appointment happens or not. You know, that's just me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I always have a plan B. I have a plan B.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh girl, I can't tell you how many times I've been at fault for having to reschedule because, well, I have a trip coming up and I plan according to that trip. Well, I don't know why would you do that? Because things will happen, things can happen, you know, and it's like it's well, I guess whatever you want to call it, like a protective style or whatever you want to call it, but it's going to last. This isn't a silk press, know, it's it's hair, that's, you know, covering your hair so that you can have it for a long, a long period of time. So I don't think a week would hurt. I don't even think two weeks would hurt.
Speaker 1:I don't think so yeah, I just be like if someone has to reschedule, at least you have that week of wiggle room to try to figure it out, or I can even get you the next week, but today is just not. But yeah, that's one of my things too. I really don't like when clients schedule around events because I don't know what's going to happen. That's just life. Oh goodness, what did your first few clients experience back in the past versus now?
Speaker 2:I don't know. I guess not much has changed.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, talk about that. That's a lot of growth. It helps to get some outside perspective. Yeah, because you know we're in it but they actually get to view it.
Speaker 2:You know, right, yeah, some of my longest standing clients found me on Craigslist.
Speaker 1:Yes, oh, so you was promoting on Craigslist. That's how long I've been doing this. That's a long time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, actually, some of my really good friends that we become really good friends found them on Craigslist. That's when we was in the trenches like learning how to do these things, because remember braiders wasn't a thing back then Like we would go to the African braid shops to get our stuff done, Right right. It was just becoming a thing where we were independent braiders and we were actually getting out and marketing ourselves independent braiders and we were actually getting out and marketing ourselves. Most braiders just braided at the house and you knew them through your cousin, auntie, you know somebody.
Speaker 2:but no, when I first, when I when I decided that this was going to be like something that I made money doing, then I actually put 100 in doing it and I've had clients who have followed me from place to place to place and still stuck with me when I tried to quit. Oh, my goodness, why was you trying to quit? Because I was an accountant.
Speaker 1:Oh, this was when you still had a full-time job.
Speaker 2:I was a professional executive doing my big thing, and hair was just something that I did for fun, really, and I just so happened to make money doing it. But it wasn't until we moved from our apartment on the north side that we moved to East Austin and I tried to quit because I was like I can't do both, because it was getting to the point where people were. I was working my full-time job and then I was booking clients in the evening, but then I would hurry up and rush home to be on time for that client and clients weren't showing up.
Speaker 2:So this was before deposits were a thing and all that stuff, yeah and so it was just becoming draining and I was like I would rather do my regular nine-to-five than you know be running around here trying to, you know know, book a client. But no, those same people are the people who kept me doing what I do. I know it's like it kept choosing you. Yeah, and then the minute I decided to give 100% into this, they were my number one salespeople. Your clients are your number one salespeople.
Speaker 2:And not much has changed. Everything that I have learned and developed professionally I've taught to my team, so everybody's expected to get a consistent experience and consistent service that is in line with how I do business.
Speaker 2:So, the same elevator speech I used to give folks when they came in the house and sat in the chair and you know I got comfy and all that stuff. I still give them the same you know speech when they come in to the shop. It's no different. The idea was just to get moved from the house to a bigger space and create a home away from home, and that's one thing that people, that's one thing that people praise us about is that the environment is calm, quiet, safe. You know, because we're there for hours at a time. Nobody wants to be in chaos for hours.
Speaker 1:Well, we know it's safe if they love dumping. So we know it's safe.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the clients who stuck with me for all that time and who are still continuing to support my brand because we would not have grown to where we are now without that support Right.
Speaker 1:They keep booking Because you're like operating a front store now, yeah, and working on a second, oh, congratulations. Where's that?
Speaker 2:location going to be Hopefully on the south side, because we have a lot of clients who come from san antonio, houston, and a lot of them won't come all the way up to pflugerville because you know austin traffic, you know, right there, depending on the day, uh, the time of day, that means an hour to two hours, you know. So the idea is to hopefully get a location on the south side.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely Got to keep that, you know, in fruition. One thing for sure is that we are never going to go out of style. We are a recession-proof job. That's true. My business was booming during COVID. Yeah, it did. You know why?
Speaker 1:Absolutely, because all of the other shops got shut down, but we were still able to work from home and people were willing to still come get their hair done, they still needed to look good on those zoom calls yeah, that's right, you know, because you know some of us uh, you know, even though we were, you know, moved out of our locations, they still had to show up in different ways, so they still had to be presentable. And everybody, you know, I feel like braiders really took off during that time because you couldn't go as often as you wanted to and you needed something that lasted longer. Yep, you needed something that lasted. So that's when I really started noticing the Braiders in the area, because I didn't know who the Braiders were, because I had moved here in 2018, then started getting out to 2019. And, literally four months later, covid happened and that's when I started saying like dang it is Braiders in.
Speaker 1:Austin. So that's when I noticed the Braiders. For sure during the pandemic.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, oh yeah, we was out there. Yeah, people just wasn't checking for us because they didn't need us, but now they see the value in what we provide.
Speaker 1:I know even for my clients. They didn't know because they were asking me do you know any Braididers in the area? I'm like I don't know nobody in the area I just moved here. I'm like the first braider that I went to out, it wasn't even out here, it was in Dallas, because I didn't know anyone out here. I was hashtagging because, since I live in a Killeen area, I was doing more like Killeen braiders and it's Killeen braiders everywhere, braders and it's Colleen braders everywhere, and I had no idea and I'm not sure if they were using hashtags like that back then to market because they were nowhere. I had to do Dallas braders to see a brader.
Speaker 2:I had been doing business since 2013. I didn't even really start taking Instagram seriously until 2018.
Speaker 1:See that makes sense. Yeah, around the time we moved here fall 2018. I didn't get out to fall 2019, and then COVID happens almost spring 2020. And that's when I saw the blossom of the braiders. I'm like, oh no, it's a braider here, it's a braider there, it's a braider here. I mean, just choose which one you want to go to check them out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and the opposite is true now, because now I get people asking me all the time do you, do you know any silk press specialists, do you know any natural hair specialists? And I'm constantly referring folks out yeah, so it's evolving.
Speaker 1:You know, the black hair industry in Austin is finally, you know, evolving.
Speaker 1:Yeah, finally people are noticing you know you have options now, you know, as I've seen a salon just recently open up and it's a nice cool vibe vibe I was like, finally, you know, people have selections now instead of, you know, trying to fit in because people's schedules are so tight, especially if you're in high demand, people's schedules are so tight, they have nowhere to go, right, you know, because of the limited resources of you know black hairstylists out here, when I first started here in Austin, every client I got said that they were still driving to Houston and Dallas to get their hair done.
Speaker 1:To get their hair done.
Speaker 2:Yep Sure were, so that was really my primary client source was folks who got tired of traveling.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:Worked out for you. Yes, it did. Yes, it did. When you see the opportunity, take it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true, yep. What used to take you hours back when you first started, that you can fly through today, everything.
Speaker 2:Right. Everything took me hours. It took me a minute to realize that most of my time was being spent thinking about my next move. Oh, every time you sit around thinking about what you're going to do next, you're wasting time. So what helped me gain the speed that I do is realizing where I can fill those gaps in. So did it take me half a second to think about that size of that piece that I wanted?
Speaker 2:Or did it take me half a millisecond to think about it, and those little milliseconds add up to seconds add up to minutes add up to all of that.
Speaker 2:So I learned how to multitask do several things at one time so that by the time they get out the chair it's time to go. I have braiding has never really taken me a long time. It was more so me um figuring out how to master, um, how to make it look the way I want it to look. I wanted it like I said. When somebody walks through the door, I have a mental picture of what it's supposed to look like on their head, and once I get that picture down and I know what the final look is, I already have the steps in the plan in place to complete it.
Speaker 1:Like I said, it's like a general contractor.
Speaker 2:Once I know what the final product is supposed to be, I work backwards and I know exactly what I need to do after every, every single step, which is why I think it's interesting that some people say oh um, I braid faster because I pull the hair. I don't prep the hair well. I've watched people pulling hair and it takes them much longer.
Speaker 2:Right, I was just trying to visualize that it takes them way much longer because I'm watching the seconds that it takes for them to look over. Grab that piece, decide what size piece you need, pull it Almost. Knock the access off yeah, almost knock access off. Yeah, almost knock everything off. And then now you got shoulder pain and joint pain because you're constantly doing this all the time. You done spent five seconds deciding on one piece, when all you had to do was just grab one, yeah. So that's why I spend the time that I do prepping, because I can do a whole head of medium knotless waist length in three and a half hours Right.
Speaker 1:And I'm sure that pulling going to create some inconsistency, like it's kind of hard, it is going to create inconsistency.
Speaker 2:And that's why I teach the way I do. Everything is math based. Again, I have two degrees in accounting. I was math minor in everything. Yes, ma'am, everything is math based.
Speaker 2:If you break everything down into equal pieces, all you got to do is add the pieces up to the the end result, right? So, for example, if one braid is going to take me six pieces of hair, every braid is going to take me six pieces of hair. It may not be the same around the perimeter, if the hairline is, you know, thinner, it may be different in the middle, but I know how many pieces I need for each one. To add up to 10, that's right. That's right. That make a lot of, as opposed to, let me grab this small piece here. Let me grab this big piece here. Let me get grab this medium piece here. Like you're spending too much time thinking about it, that's right. You just need to, like, fill in those gaps. Or I had to tell somebody the other day hey, why are you waiting until the end of the appointment to style their edges and wrap it down?
Speaker 1:and dry it, and this is the one in your salon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, why are you waiting until the end of the appointment? You're already spending 30 minutes braiding the ends down. Her hair could have been, her edges could have been laid and dried by the time you finished braiding those ends down. That's right, yep, do that first, and then you won't have to make up for that time later. So that's why I teach what I do on YouTube, like find those efficiencies, find those things that help you get to where you need to be, because there's a big difference between doing one client a day and four clients a day. That's right, it sure is. That just separates the braiders from the serious ones, that's true.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and income wise, I was about to say, and don't forget the income we talk about four clients opposed to one in one day you can master doing one head a day for $250 a day for four days a week? Right, that's $1,000 a week. That's $52,000 a year. Imagine if you could double that, yeah absolutely Imagine if you could double that.
Speaker 1:Y'all better start taking it serious.
Speaker 2:I must say, when I was doing all this, when we were in the growth process, I would get to points where I'm like God, how do I grow this thing, like, how do I figure out how to master this time thing and grow this thing into something that is sustainable? Because doing one head a day at six hours a day just ain't it, it don't make sense. You might as well go back to accounting. Exactly, I didn't know. And then that's when I decided I needed an assistant. And even then I was like, lord, how do I pay for an assistant, you know? And once I did the math and figured out the time and got the efficiencies down, figured out how to do rotations, that's just when things started to open up. Yeah, and by the time I was done with my first assistant, I had two chairs in my house and I had six clients a day.
Speaker 2:We were rotating heads out that much, and this was at the height of COVID, so people were booking left and right and at that point two chairs in my house. I got to go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you do. That's when you know it's time to expand, it's time to expand.
Speaker 2:But even then I was like Lord how am I going to pay rent?
Speaker 1:Especially it's time to expand. But even then I was like Lord, how am I going to pay rent? Especially because you didn't. You didn't go into a suite, right, you went straight to front store.
Speaker 2:No, my, when I first started it was at my apartment. Then that was too much. So I shared a salon suite up north and I did that for a while where I built a lot of clientele, but even then that was expensive. I was sharing a suite with three people. I was still having to pay $125 a week.
Speaker 1:But how were y'all managing the time? Were y'all able to be in there at the same time? Well, there were two chairs.
Speaker 2:One was a barber, one was a hairstylist. Like yourself, she only worked during the day. I worked in the evenings, and so we would split that chair. Yeah, that's still pretty steep. That was pretty steep, yeah, but it was worth it for my peace of mind, because I got people at my house and I could separate my job from you know all that stuff, sometimes, that peace, it don't come with a price.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's priceless.
Speaker 2:Exactly. And then when we moved to the house, I turned my whole dining room into the actual salon space. But then it just got crowded, like it got to a point where, like there were too many people in there. And then too, when you're working from home and you got that many people running in and about your house, it's a lot to deal with, especially for the rest of your family. So everything worked out perfectly. I was able to find a space and I planned everything in advance.
Speaker 2:So again, I'm an accounting major. I made sure that I didn't have any debt. I made sure that everything was paid for cash, because I knew that if I moved into a larger space I was going to have this liability of rent. I don't want to have to deal with rent and having to pay a loan payment. That's right, you know. So I worked really hard to just save up as much as possible, moved into the shop and then I didn't do what most people do when you move into your first salon suite or you move into your shop, you can't wait to decorate it Not me.
Speaker 1:Oh no, you know that's the part. That's a part of the process. Yeah, I mean, you know it's like building as you build. Yeah, yeah, no, yeah.
Speaker 2:And then, too, when you're working with leaseholders, you think you want to do one thing, but then you get in there and they're like no, you can't do that. That's right, you can't do this. So many limitations. We forgot to tell you that we don't have that. You know that's true. Yeah, so it was just been a work in progress and I've been really proud of the fact that I've been taking my time with building this one space so that it can become the blueprint for the next space, right, and then I can just carve and copy that to the next space, and then I don't have to worry about that.
Speaker 1:Exactly, absolutely, yeah. What's one mistake you made early on that taught you a lesson today, as, as you were building and you know, know, moving into your new space.
Speaker 2:Deposits changed the game. Mm-hmm. Changed the entire outlook of my business. So when you were at home you weren't accepting deposits, mm-mm. Nope, it was all you know, because back then hairstylists didn't do that. That just wasn't a thing. But, like I said, back then braiders weren't a big thing either. So people were treating us like regular, everyday hairstylists. Um, and then too, I had like a set group of clients who were consistent. But the new people girl, that's the one of the new people I would.
Speaker 2:I would go to 10 different hair stores looking for something that they needed, only for them to not show up.
Speaker 2:And at the time I was still working my nine to five. I got young kids. You know I got a lot going on. Like I said, the worst thing you could do to me is disrespect my time. So one day I remember I came home and somebody just did not, just no call, no show. And I said you know what this has got to stop? I said if I implement this deposit policy and it works, I'm going to stick with hair.
Speaker 2:I'll stick with it and show enough, it works. Yeah, I went from having like three no call no shows in a week to nobody no call and no show. Because I set the expectation up in front and I let them know hey, you pay this deposit. It will definitely go towards your service. This is just to ensure that you show up.
Speaker 1:Yep that you're going to fulfill your commitment. And that's just serious, yeah, and we'll go out the ones that are not, because if they don't want to pay a deposit, I'm telling you and that just weeds out the serious candidates from the non-serious candidates. That's right. Like I said, we're basically contractors.
Speaker 2:You're hiring us to perform a service. You wouldn't hire somebody to build your house without paying a deposit. You wouldn't buy a house without putting some escrow down.
Speaker 2:That's how it goes they need good faith to know that you are in it to win it, especially if they don't know you. It'd be one thing you know. If it's your sister, your brother, you know where to find them. You know where to collect. You know, but people you don't know Exactly, like people you don't know, like you got to have a good face. You know payment something to let me know that you're serious about this Right Now. The ones who accept deposits and say it doesn't go towards their service, that's a different story, I know. Do you know why they do that? I'm curious. Most of the I'm going to tell you right now, I would say 80% of the time they're scamming no-transcript.
Speaker 1:All deposit deposits went towards your service, and so when they would ask me, I'm like, I have no idea I'm and that's why I'm asking you like what? What is it Like? Why is that a thing you know you?
Speaker 2:know and into. Everybody's relationship with money is different.
Speaker 1:That's true, they may. That's a good one right there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they may just say, hey, I got to take this for X, y and Z, or they just did not take the time to research how to word it properly. I noticed that some people have changed their wording. They've actually gotten some advice from some real legal people, some lawyers. You get one too many chargebacks. You're going to change something. That's right. But I think everybody's relationship is different with money, especially those who are living. You know, client to client Right. You know I had somebody tell me that they got paid for a service and that money was already spent. But then the client complained and they were going to offer them a refund, but they didn't have the money to give them back the refund because they didn't already spend the money.
Speaker 1:Oh well, it's kind of spending deposit money. You know you have to kind of leave we're doing it left and right all the time when it kicked off, you know, because they just saw it as this is a money grab.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna get money in the account, it's gonna hit the cash app. That's why a lot of people don't take cash up anymore either. Yeah, um, and, and they just aren't financially literate that part. So I'm hoping that, um, I can start doing more educational classes on financial literacy, because how you view money and how you bring it in and how it goes out makes a huge difference on how you grow in your business.
Speaker 1:That's right what you have in that accounting background. That would be amazing to like start because I feel like a lot of us in the industry we, you know, you go to hair school they're not teaching financial literacy and most of us now they should start incorporating it because most of us now are breaking out to be business owners you know, so I think it's so important, even though it's so overlooked.
Speaker 1:And, like you said, your relationship with money will determine how that business is going to grow or not. You know, if you have a bad relationship with money already, personally don't expect to have a good one business-wise.
Speaker 1:It's not going to work. But so many of us, even when I had tried to start doing something like that, they were scared. I'm going to tell you right now, the number one reason why they're not going to inquire is the fear. Reason why they're not going to inquire is the fear, the fear of you seeing how careless they are with their money and how they're not budgeting and how they are not setting so much aside to invest. It's like embarrassing for them, I'm like. But the moment you start today, you'd be surprised what it's going to do for you later on, you know. But that was. It was like a scare tactic. It was, uh, the emotional, the uh, the unhealthy emotional connection that they have with it. They were not open at all.
Speaker 2:And don't get me wrong, there are still clients that I don't take deposits from because I know them oh yeah, they're going to show up to their appointment.
Speaker 2:But when it comes down to your money and business, there's a difference in mindset. Some of us have the financial wealth mindset where we're thinking big, we're thinking long-term, we're willing to set aside that extra money every month because we have a bigger goal. And then there are some of us who are in a financial place where they are living head to head. And then there are some of us who are in a financial place where they are living head to head and there's nothing wrong with that. But when are you going to get tired of living head to head? Start doing your research, start watching those videos. There's so much information out there. You just got to be willing to seek it out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's right. It's everywhere now. For me, I say if you don't know the information and you haven't tried to find information, it's because you don't want the information Exactly, you know, versus when we were coming up. We had to really hustle and grind for that information. Today they have Google, you have ChatGPT. Now there's no reason. Don't get me started on that.
Speaker 2:When I say I use ChatGPT for everything and I still see people who don't even bother with it.
Speaker 1:No, it's going to free up so much time. You know something that you sometimes it takes time to like curate an email, to say it the way that it needs to be delivered in order for the tone to make sense and for it to be deliverable and receivable you know, let me tell you something.
Speaker 2:That is the whole reason y'all see me on these, on these social media streets more often because it saves so much time, so much professional time, so much time. But at the end of the day, you can't help somebody who don't want to help themselves. No, so if you're not willing to seek out that information on your own, don't ask me to help you, because clearly, you're not willing to seek out the information on your own, don't ask me to help you, because clearly, you just asking me for me to flap my gums?
Speaker 2:Yeah, because you won't even receive it here.
Speaker 1:That's right and what you say about your time.
Speaker 2:It is mine, it is valuable, it is my most valuable gift on this earth, absolutely.
Speaker 1:What's one brave myth you want to bust?
Speaker 2:I'm gonna get so much backlash for this. No, you're not somebody.
Speaker 1:You know, sometimes I say it, just take one person to say it.
Speaker 2:People are already feeling that way, but just say one person to just say it, all hair types can have braids hair, but you can't get flulani braids. Oh, absolutely not, If you want to be bald get flulani braids, get tribal braids, depends on what you want Now the two, three, four braids. We add a little color in there, that's doable. It sure is, but there are certain things you have no business getting and don't complain when all your hair fall out.
Speaker 2:That's right. That's right? No for sure, but no, all hair types can be braided. All hair types can be braided. Um, it's just a matter of one are you culturally sensitive? And two, do you know what you're getting yourself into? Right period like do your research? There's been so many times I've had somebody sit in my chair and they're like this is what I want. I'm like your hair is not going to support that. Your hair will not support that. Yeah, and we need to come up with another plan, yeah, so take that. I don't think you're going to catch any backlash.
Speaker 1:I think if people understand hair texture and what in density and you know what it can handle, what it can't handle, they know. That's all facts, you know, like you say, it just depends on what it is that you're asking for. But if you want braids, you can get braids, depending on the circumstances and the situation. You know.
Speaker 2:It depends on the circumstance, but what I've learned from the time I was a kid is that most people just don't understand hair at all. No, they don't.
Speaker 1:They do not understand hair at all and they don't care to understand.
Speaker 2:That's why they come to you like clockwork every couple of weeks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, and that's okay, but don't don't sit in my chair asking me for something that you just booked on a whim that's right we're gonna have a little talk yeah, and then also they should be able to receive the information just knowing that I'm just trying to help you. You know this isn't me trying to decline a service, you know, because I think sometimes the client hear that more than I'm just trying to help you. Keep the hair on your head.
Speaker 2:Oh, I love those ones, because they start bringing up all these excuses about. You know, I didn't do this and I didn't do that and I'm like, well, at the end of the day, I still can't perform this job because you didn't meet me halfway, that's right, it's a collaborative situation.
Speaker 1:I don't think they really understand that. You know we're collaborating in order to meet the goal for you. You know this isn't a one sided job here. You got a job to uphold, and I do too, and when we work together we make things happen.
Speaker 2:Another thing where we kind of get a bad rap as braiders is that we don't know how to mitigate those situations. We don't know how to talk to people and educate them. Instead of saying, well, you shouldn't have did this and you shouldn't have did that, you need to ask the right questions and say, hey, I think we we need to change our plan. It's how you deliver it to the client Most of the time. If you deliver it in a way that is a teaching moment, they're more acceptable to it. But if you are sending texts back and forth talking about, well, I'm not doing this and I'm not doing that, and you should have did this and that's why I can't do that, then that's how you build animosity between in the client relationship. So if y'all need a class on that, no, seriously, like etiquette.
Speaker 1:You know, yeah, because it's not what you say, it's how you say it. You know all the time, in so many situations, you know so and that that can be across the board. In the beauty industry, I feel, you know, not just braiders hairstylists get backlash for the tone and delivery of what they say to via text, via, you know, even face to face. You know, um, that's another thing that they should start incorporating.
Speaker 2:These classes like how to conduct, yeah, you know all those modes of communication land differently and us, being millennials, we understand. We understand how communication comes off differently. Remember when text messaging first came out and you used to get an argument with your man over some text you sent, but they took it the wrong way, wrong way we learned that yeah, we did.
Speaker 1:Growing up, we sure did.
Speaker 2:Folks these days are not in tune to how those things land on people. So, for example, look your client in the eyeballs. Yeah, stop talking to them behind the chair. Yes, yes, seriously, like eye contact is proven to build connection with people. Yeah, so stop doing that it's OK to sit in front of them and have a conversation with them, make them feel human.
Speaker 1:And sometimes too, if I can feel like some tension, you know, with the client, I'll even grab my stool and sit down.
Speaker 2:I do it all the time. Yeah, because if you're standing up.
Speaker 1:that's also like this demeanor of I'm the one in charge and in power and making the final decision. So, girl, I'll grab that stool and I'll sit down, and anything to kind of alleviate and decrease the animosity that you feel brewing. It's like, oh she getting mad.
Speaker 2:It's a proven fact that when you're standing above somebody, they feel lower than you, so they already feel like you're scolding them about something even though you're saying it in a different way.
Speaker 2:Subconsciously, their body language is feeling, oh, you're saying it. In a different way, subconsciously, their body language is feeling, oh you're, you're looking down on me. So get to them eye level, get to them a little bit low level, like that. All of those little things make a difference, and there's thousands of classes on youtube for you to learn these things. It sure is. But at the end of the day, if you want to be better, if you want to provide better services, these are like the little, tiny things that make a huge difference, it sure is.
Speaker 1:I'm glad you touched on that girl because that's a good one right there. That needed to be said. Any braid care tips?
Speaker 2:to keep hairstyles longer that you recommend? Everybody asks that question. At the end of the day, it's about your hair. We still have to add an extension to the foundation of your hair, so your hair is going to grow. I've never dealt with a client who didn't have hair that wasn't growing. Right, that's right, absolutely so. Like the first, I would say just wait some time to wash it. Um, if you're the type of person who needs to wash it often, wash it. Yeah for sure. Please, for the love of god, wash your to wash it often. Wash it. Yeah for sure, please, for the love of God, wash your hair.
Speaker 2:If you have cerebriatic dermatitis, like I do, and your scalp is prone to buildup, is prone to, you know, excess oils and dirts and stuff like that, shampoo it. That's right. Put some shampoo on a toothbrush, rub it on there. Go on YouTube and understand how shampoo shampoo works. It's just like soap on your body. The molecules have to attach to the dirt. The dirt has to be carried out by the water, yes, and then, if it's still there, if you have layers and layers and layers you gotta do it um, but again, that's a biology chemistry course that a lot of people skipped.
Speaker 2:that's true, yeah, it is, um. Or it, like I said, a lot of people just doesn. That's true, yeah, it is. Or, like I said, a lot of people just don't understand hair and it just doesn't click for them, which is fine. But if you want better hair for yourself, most of the work you have to do on your own. I only see you once every six weeks, that's right. That's right. So there's plenty of tips and tricks. That's something that I specialize in. I'm always posting tips on, you know, how to maintain your braids, how to wash them, how to make them last a little bit longer, like, especially if you're on your last leg and you want to look a little bit more snatched. You know, in the last week Thereall got to stop one wearing these braids for six months plus you got to change it out and make sure you're washing your hair.
Speaker 2:Get all that stuff out Absolutely.
Speaker 1:For sure. What type of braid style is best for someone growing out their edges, like if they are suffering from traction alopecia?
Speaker 2:Actually, you can get any braid style you want. You just got to get comfortable with leaving your edges out. There we go. Yes, for example, I have a receding hairline and I have hair loss, you know, due to age and genetics. So now, these days, I just leave a little bit more, yeah, and I just get used to styling it on a daily basis, because if I were to pull all that hair up, I ain't gonna have no hair by the end by the end of this time, right, um, because not only is it the tightness of the braids, but gravity takes into effect as well.
Speaker 2:So a lot of people love to get long, long braids. The longer the braid, the heavier it is. So that's another skill set that a lot of braiders have not picked up on is okay, you have fine hair, I'm not going to put this much hair in your head, because this is going to cause a lot of weight and due to gravity over time, and it's going to cause, you know, issues and breakage. So these are things that you just learn over time and you realize that you need to say these things to clients especially, you know, before they leave. Set those expectations because you don't want them coming to you six weeks later talking about their hair fell out and it's your fault, and it's your fault, yeah, so yeah, you can really pretty much do anything.
Speaker 2:You just need to get used to the idea of leaving those areas alone. Yes, you've got to let it breathe. Absolutely Leave it alone. So it's okay to leave your edges out. I know the girls, the little girlies, are just wearing on like extra edges and cutting their hair and all that stuff edges.
Speaker 1:Now we were fighting for our edges and they're like intentionally cutting that perimeter out to create baby hair.
Speaker 2:but you also got to keep in mind is your whole head is a situation, so it's not just your edges. People do too much at the middle of their head, the back of their head, and they lose hair in those spots as well. Yeah, so your whole head needs to be tended to. Sure does so. No, there's no styles that you're really limited to. It's really just based on one your personal preference, what look you're trying to achieve. And two, are you comfortable with, like leaving it out and maintaining?
Speaker 1:it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure, especially those who are trying to grow their edges out. They usually get like a hair growth oil or something like that, or they're massaging that area a lot. Yeah, I don't stray away from that. Now, if you have a full head, that is just breakage and brittle and all of that, like we might have to come up with a different solution. Yeah, but that's what. That's why we communicate, that's why we have these conversations and that's why you need to book that consultation. That's why you need to book the consultation.
Speaker 1:You don't waste your time too.
Speaker 2:You know, would you advise them spending more time, I guess, in treatments before they come see you? If you know these people and you work with these type of people in those professions, you can talk to them and say, hey, this is what they're doing, what styles hey, they get, they can do. And they'll say, oh well, let's make sure that we don't put anything in this area, let's just make sure that we are using the least amount of tension in this area, like at the end of the day, it's still a conversation, for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah well, we cutting it close on time, so we're gonna wrap it on up. Um, make sure you, uh, shout out your social so that the listeners can follow you again. We have more listeners now, so we have a new audience, so we want to make sure that they stay connected with you and what you're doing and how you're growing, especially with your second location. You you know and works, so please shout out all your socials so that they can stay connected.
Speaker 2:You can find me everywhere under Vandy Vanity, on YouTube, on TikTok, on Instagram. The professional pages are VLS Hair ATX. We have the Braided Beauty Collection, which will be dropping next month, and we do have Braid School. So if you can't remember Vandy Vanity, you can remember Braid School. Search that anywhere. So, yeah, that's where you can find me. Oh, and if you need to book an appointment, go straight to VLSHaircom and I'll be sure to leave that information in the show notes so that y'all can have it as well written.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you for your time, girl. It's always a pleasure for sharing with us. Girl, of course that's too easy. Like as soon as you, I was like you know we need to get you back in here, especially all the trouble we did you know we experienced initially I was like we got to get up and get up and congratulations on the globe.
Speaker 2:Thank you, girl. It looks amazing on the globe.
Speaker 1:Thank you, girl, it looks amazing.
Speaker 2:Thank you, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:To your point. You've come a long way in a short amount of time. Google, I was like podcast studios in Austin, Texas, and that just goes back to our point Research research, research and then put it into action.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, because I wasn't doing that ever again. You was the last person I tried to do that like a whole segment, like I did snippets just to promote on social. Ever again you was the last person I tried to do that like a whole segment, like I did snippets just to promote on social media. But you was the last person I ever tried to record a whole segment with. I was like I quit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, that one just ended up being a flop. The audio from the video we tried, we tried.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you were, because you was like I'm going to let my husband do this and it just, but this one's going to be great. I'm going to share this one with you so you can upload it.
Speaker 2:I really appreciate you Of course, girl.
Speaker 1:All right y'all. That's a wrap on my time with Fandi. Big thanks to her for sharing her skills and good energy. Much love to VLS Hair ATX and Flu Reveal. If you're close and want your hair cared for with love, check them out. Thanks for vibing with us today. Stay glowing, stay confident and keep loving yourself. Catch you next time.