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The Messy Hairstylist
Whether you are a mess literally OR figuratively we are here to help you take imperfect action to find your success as a hairstylist. Each week we deep dive in to tough topics to address the struggles we face in our industry. We push the boundaries, break the stereotypes and go hard against the "norms" that make us feel inferior.
The Messy Hairstylist
Unlocking Success: Morgan's Journey from Beauty School to Salon Owner
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Morgan, a 25-year-old salon owner, shares her journey from a young stylist to a business owner, emphasizing that financial success does not guarantee happiness. The discussion touches on the importance of finding purpose beyond profit, achieving balance, and nurturing connections in a fulfilling career.
• Morgan's early experience in hair school
• Transition from stylist to salon owner at a young age
• The surprising challenges of business ownership
• The importance of ongoing education in the hairstyling industry
• Discovering that six-figure income doesn't equal fulfillment
• Focus on wellness and personal growth for future goals
• Nurturing genuine connections in the salon community
• Navigating the emotional heaviness of the hairstyling profession
• Redefining success as more than just financial metrics
Follow Abby on Instagram and TikTok at @theabbywarther
Follow Kelsey on Instagram at @kelseymorrishair
Welcome to the Messy Hairstylist Podcast.
Speaker 2:I'm Kelsey Morris and I'm Abbey Warther. Whether you are a mess, literally or figuratively, we are here to help you take imperfect action to find your success as a hairstylist.
Speaker 1:I wanted to start this podcast with a song today, but Afby told me that she didn't have that on her 2025 bingo card. No, no, vetoed, no, and I mean I was like, but my singing is so, it would be so pretty and it'd be such a great way to bring in 2025.
Speaker 2:I can't even believe so. I just love your confidence. You know, your false confidence. That's great. I love that for you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. But you know, sir, no, I'm sorry everybody, you're not getting a song this morning, but we are excited to be back and recording. We took a couple weeks off around the holidays because we practice what we preach to take some time, and we did and it was really good. Were your holidays good.
Speaker 2:Wonderful. Yes, I was a rotting mother on Christmas, and that's a positive thing. I read books, I laid on the couch, I took naps. It was heaven. I loved it. How was yours?
Speaker 1:It was the same. I spent Christmas morning like vegging on the couch and finishing some last minute wrapping and watching Christmas movies. I was like, wow, this is nice. So it was like one of my more chill holidays and, honestly, okay. So the way the holidays fell this year it kind of forced extra time off right, because Christmas was in the middle of the week, so then you had that whole end of the week, and then New Year's fell in the middle of the week, so then you had that whole end of the week. So I actually got a lot of relaxation time. But I walked into work yesterday ready. I was like 2025, let's go. Here I come. I was pumped, so I'm excited to be back.
Speaker 2:I haven't even started taking clients yet. Wow, slacker, it is January 7th. I know tomorrow is my first day back taking clients in the salon and I am ready, so ready.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm glad for you, but you're going to be in the same boat.
Speaker 1:You're going to walk in. Yeah, my back hurt by like two. I was like yikes, okay. So I'm really excited about today. We have a guest and we haven't had a guest since I think Hunter was our last one. You know we love to have some guest speakers on here, and this one is someone who's very dear to me. She is a fellow salon owner down the street from me in Delaware, ohio. Her name is Morgan and she is the owner of Aura Salon, and so I am really excited. Welcome, morgan. Thanks for being here.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having me. I feel like this isn't real. I've listened to almost every single episode by you guys since it started and, yeah, this is crazy.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, we're so excited to have you here because Kelsey's told me a little bit about you and how you've just inspired her, given her great advice, and so I'm excited to learn more about you and what you do and what we're going to be diving into today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm really excited too, so I thought it would be a great place to start for our listeners. So we have I mean, people who listen to us are all over the map right. We have seasoned stylists who have been doing this forever. We have young stylists who are still in school and trying to figure out what their next path is, and then we have some that are just like you, who are right in that middle, that sweet spot. So tell us a little bit about your story. Tell us about hair school, what happened after and how you got to be a salon owner.
Speaker 2:At what age? Let's start there so they understand the context. What age did you become a salon owner?
Speaker 3:So I became a salon owner at 22, turning 23. I graduated hair school in 2019 and I had always, when I started hair school, I knew I wanted to, I guess, be an owner of my own space or I essentially work for myself not necessarily become an owner of, like, an entire building or have employees or anything along the lines of that. I didn't know that I would get into that side of things at all, but I definitely knew I wanted to create something, create a brand. Yeah, so I started school in 2019. As soon as I graduated, while I was going to school, I was working for a salon who is still near and dear to my heart. I started.
Speaker 3:Their training program was in their training program for, honestly, the whole time I was there that consisted of just shadowing and taking some of my own clients.
Speaker 3:When I wasn't working on my own clients, I would be watching others and taking notes there.
Speaker 3:I would be watching others and taking notes there, stuck with them for two years and then, after that two years was up, I started my own thing. The original plan was, honestly, to go in with, actually, my co-owner currently Aubrey Schroer she is amazing, still owns Aura with me today but our original plan was to get a booth together and just kind of do a two chair, one room situation. And when we met up to talk about the decorating, honestly, of our room, she had casually mentioned that she had heard about this super ideal building down the street, which is now Aura being available and it was kind of a I don't want to say a joke, but we didn't think that it would become what it is now at all, especially at that time, especially with me just taking that leap, leaving where I was, her leaving where she was and Aura was born. And Aura is still there today. We're a full salon with eight stylists. I have my own full-time assistant and, yeah, that's where.
Speaker 1:I'm at now.
Speaker 3:And it would just keep growing and growing.
Speaker 1:It's so cool because I remember when you guys were taking Aura and at that time we were in a space and I was like our space is like we were kind of growing out of it and I'm like, man, we should take over this other building. And then you guys got it, which it's been such a blessing. But I love that because I think it was the right fit for you guys and it wouldn't have been for us and, like in timing, for me it would have been a nightmare. But from the minute you guys moved in, I just remember being so proud and so happy for you, especially when I found out that like it was two young business owners. Like that is so cool. So I want to understand, I want you to map out for me a couple of things. Number one I'm sure you were terrified. Like, can you imagine Abby being 22 years old, having not a huge client base, taking on a massive building? I mean, how many square feet is your space?
Speaker 3:Honestly, I have no idea.
Speaker 1:I think it's like 3000 square feet because you have an upstairs too. Yeah, yeah, we have two rooms upstairs, so it's like you literally are now responsible for not only like trying to like build your client base, but like build a stylist and you're responsible for a whole building. Were you terrified?
Speaker 3:Terrified.
Speaker 1:She's like no.
Speaker 3:No, no, terrified. She's like no, no, um, I I still am working through this now, which we'll definitely get into it, but I almost love and or consider myself addicted to, like elevating and like that adrenaline feel. Um, it fed something that is good and bad. I think it fed a little bit of my ego, right. So we're working through that Um, but I wouldn't say terrified, just just eager. And it made me more motivated. To make sure. The business side of things for me was like I didn't have room to, um, mess up, I guess to mess up.
Speaker 1:I guess that's not necessarily the right term. I'm blanking out. No, I think it is. I actually think it is the right term because I feel that, I totally feel that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was just an extra added motivation for me to make sure what I was doing was right and to also continue my education in more than one way right. Like you can't necessarily be a salon owner and just stay where you're at and stay in your old ways. I know that's a big topic of discussion when it comes to our industry, but just another one of those things that I think made me to where I am now. I've learned so much. I continue to learn so much, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I think this is interesting to hear your story, because I don't know any of your story. You know, I'm literally just learning all this with the listeners too, so I'm all ears today. But what this sounds like to me and the reason why Kelsey probably, I'm guessing wanted to bring you on is your story of you, and I want to know a little bit more about this. You trained at the salon for two years. Then you were going to share a booth or a suite and then you stumbled into a whole space and so you didn't come at it with fear, just kind of worked messy, and that's what you know. Obviously you said you listened to the podcast that's all about yep.
Speaker 2:And so here's I like to like back things up, because when I hear how people started, I I want to know like the nitty-gritty of it. So for anyone that's listening, that's whether they're younger stylists and they're like well, I would love that Like, how did that happen? Or somebody it doesn't, it doesn't matter age. There's. I work with stylists who are wanting to open up their own space right now and they've been in the industry 10 plus years and unfortunately, I think sometimes the older you get, the more that fear can kick in Absolutely. So when you were you're training, were you just training or were you taking clients of your own at that first salon?
Speaker 3:Yep. So I would have to test out on every service that my salon offered. However many models that took as long as one of the two owners approved. I was tested out and I could take my own clients on those services With me. I was actually going to Ohio State for my business degree at the same time that I was working for that salon and I did end up finishing that in four years, and I do give some of the credit Get out of here.
Speaker 3:Yeah, incredible. So I definitely, honestly, I'm so thankful that I did both at the same time, because that made me almost slow down and not rush into things, because, honestly, if it were not for Ohio State and finishing that out, I probably would have just dove right into early, and I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I've learned over time that one of my gifts is manifestation. I'm a huge manifester without even realizing it. That's something that I've actually learned this year. I said in 2019 when I graduated, I was going to open up a salon, and the salon was opened up without me even trying, and that's kind of how things have fallen, and the more that I fixate and obsess over a specific plan, the longer it takes, which is another thing that I wanted to get into. Honestly, when it comes to a timeline and looking back at things from afar, I think one of the best things I ever did was when I opened up Aura and I was finally off on my own.
Speaker 3:I joined a business group, so a group of like-minded stylists. To be specific, haley Evans started it, someone who I look up to for many reasons. She changed my life. I think it was a group of 10 women all over the United States. We would do weekly Zoom calls and Haley meets with you, met with you. I don't think she's doing these programs right now, but she met with each person individually every week and you would talk about your goals, like, okay, morgan, what do you want from me? How can I help you get to where you want to be?
Speaker 3:And at the time I wanted to hit six figures. That's all I cared about. I was like, oh, if I hit six figures, I'll be set for life, we'll be good, we'll be rolling, we'll have everything in place. My house will be. That is not true. At the time I definitely thought that that was true. Yeah, and, to be honest, haley got me to that. We worked my numbers, talked through services, talked through boundaries, um, everything that would get me to that. And then I'd say, three months in, we got to a point of, okay, your numbers are where they're at. Okay, you know you're at this hourly, everything's great, everything's what you wanted.
Speaker 3:But I didn't feel fulfilled. I guess, um, and all of these problems toward the end of my program that were coming up, she would kind of be like that's not a business question, that's like a personal type situation. And then she had then referred me to this woman named Kristen Sosaman. She's an energy coach. I talked to her once every month. I was on a week basis with her, done a couple of retreats and programs with her. She is another person who I give a lot of credit to when it comes to changing my life and she is the one who really continuously, monthly, makes me take a step back.
Speaker 3:And it's not about the numbers. Numbers isn't going to make you happy. Money is not going to make you happy. Just because your business is thriving doesn't mean you're thriving, and I'm kind of sitting in that right now. That's the phase that I'm at as a salon owner. I had always dreamed of where I'm at, but yes, I'm 25. Yes, I did X, y and Z, but that doesn't mean I'm fulfilled. That doesn't mean I feel like I'm, you know, on top of the world. All the time I thought that that's what it would be but it's, it's definitely not so yeah.
Speaker 2:So how many years did it take you to hit six feet to be a six figure stylist?
Speaker 3:Um, I was definitely not a six figure stylist when I was working for hourly. Um, I would, to be honest with you, say it took me a year and a half.
Speaker 2:And this is once you opened your own salon. Yes, and you did Go ahead, abby, sorry. I think, we're going to ask the same question. Okay, you thought, if I hit six figures I'll be living the golden life. Why wasn't that the case for you? You know, because that's the end, all be all. That's what at least social media puts out there for hairstylists. Be a six-figure hairstylist, you're good, yep. And why didn't it feel like that?
Speaker 3:I was totally that consumer where I was like, oh my God, like six-figure plan, let's get it rolling. Why doesn't everyone do this? Why, because materials only go so far and I think that the whole six figure thing was feeding my ego, not feeding my soul, and there's a difference. And I work on my ego a lot. I'm not saying it's fully, you know, in a working a good, in a perfect spot, it's not where I want it to be. It'll never be perfect. I shouldn't have said that, but it's not where I want it to be. But I'm aware of it and I think that that's one of the first steps. I think that's honestly the most important. Why is six figures not? I mean multiple reasons. You know, a designer bag or two is um, short term happiness, uh, I definitely struggled with the whole materialism thing.
Speaker 3:Like you know, as a little girl, you always dream of oh my gosh a Prada bag Like I would die to be able to.
Speaker 3:And then you get one and you're like, oh yeah like, yeah, you know that was, that was cool, but I don't really know how cool like I've had so many of those moments because I'm such a big dreamer and I'm such a big like, oh my gosh, like I want to be like her or I want to be. I've always, you know, followed specific influencers and and I'm definitely a huge consumer of social media I mean, I'm 25, it's been around my whole life um, that doesn't help, but I don't know many reasons. It's just not what life's about. And, honestly, the higher end clientele I get the whole me having the clientele I have and dealing with different kinds of people. You kind of learn just with talking to up to 10 people a day that sometimes the people that are rolling in it are kind of miserable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think. I think it's really interesting because, um, what what you said was like you've been, you've had been a consumer of social media forever, and one thing I've like loved learning about you and like talking to you is like is you have done all of this at a very young age and you've experienced great success at a very young age. So I guess, when you're talking about you hit these numbers and you've done all these things, what's next for you, if you know you're in a spot where you've achieved the goals you wanted to achieve, is, if you know you're in a spot where you've achieved the goals you wanted to achieve, you know that that six-figure goal didn't really make you feel happy Career-wise, like, what's your next step? Are you finding joy in other things? Like I know you're an educator. Is that where you're finding joy? Are you thinking about being a coach, like for someone who's feeling like gosh? I've done all these things and I still feel completely underwhelmed with everything. What would you do? What are you going to do next?
Speaker 3:When I think about what fulfills me, what makes me feel good. It's definitely more into the education realm, helping people. I feel like that's purposeful. It makes me feel like I have purpose, like I'm helping. I think having an assistant I hired my first full-time assistant this past summer, may of 2024. And every day I just feel like is better because I'm kind, I'm kind of teaching her and showing her the ropes. I mean, not only does she help me and shampoo and style and do all the things, but it's, it's one of those things where I mean I I learned so much from her too. Like education is not one way, it's right, and I just feel like I'm getting somewhere. Numbers Like you know, you can only make so much. I don't know Like. You know like.
Speaker 1:No, I totally agree with that, because I've said that for a long time too. Education is what? And teaching others and help growing other stylists and I've worked with an assistant for years and a lot of it is more or less like bringing in people and helping them grow and that is like what fuels me. That is what fuels me Like you can do well all day long with making money and doing all these things, but watching the people around you grow, it's like there is something different about that.
Speaker 2:Right, and I agree. I think that's the greatest accomplishment as a as a hairstylist. Once you've had any sort of success is like okay, I can make it happen for myself, but can I help other people make that happen? I? Think that's the true test, Don't you think like can I help other people achieve the success that they want?
Speaker 3:Yeah, and in and in every phase of our career, whether we're an educator, whether we're a salon owner, whether we just work behind the chair for someone else or ourselves, it's there's constant. You know, there's not one person that knows everything. There's not one person that knows there's not one specific way to go about it. Everyone's different, and that's also something that I feel like I've learned within the past two years. I don't know, like you had mentioned previously the whole six-figure plans. I was all about that. Oh my God, I was like addicted to those, like, oh, I want to help people hit six figure. I want to help people be happy and work, work thoroughly to where they can live the life that they want to live.
Speaker 1:Yeah, with a good balance.
Speaker 3:With a good balance. Balance, balance is word of the 2025 year.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, we need to be profitable, we need to make money, but just losing the idea that six figures means that you've made it because you can make $50,000 a year. And if your lifestyle, if that supports your lifestyle and you have a quality of life that you love, then that's incredible. That you're doing a career that you love, as a hairstylist, bringing in $50,000 a year that totally supports your lifestyle, then that's amazing. So it's dropping that comparison of the six-figure club.
Speaker 1:That is the end all be all Right, and I think that can hit at any age, right? So for us, one of the reasons we love our career and I think a lot of us got into this career was because the idea of being your own boss, the idea of making your own hours, running your own business like it for us it works great because we have kids, right. So we're like okay, I want to be able to pick my kids up from school or do X, y and Z and be flexible. But for someone who's younger, maybe they don't have kids, but they want to travel they. But for someone who's younger, maybe they don't have kids, but they want to travel, they want to experience, you know, festivals and do different things where they also.
Speaker 1:So I love this idea that our career, although you can make a ton of money, it also offers a different, a different thing, thing Like the balance is. I love that you said that the word balance because it offers this other thing where that balance that time that you can't get back might fulfill you more than making a ton of money. And that's one thing I always like. I always talk to my friends who are in corporate jobs and they're like sitting at a desk all day, and I will not, I'm not going to lie to you guys. Like probably once a month, maybe once a quarter, I sit there and I'm like I wish I had a desk job.
Speaker 2:Oh, you would be the most miserable person. I wouldn't want to talk to you if you had a desk job.
Speaker 1:I know, I know, but I feel that way one time a month or a quarter or something, and I'm just like I just want to sit down and stare at a computer like everybody else. But then, when they like tell me what their days are like and like, I'm like, like I don't know, you make a lot of money, but is that rewarding, Is that fulfilling? And like what if you don't, I don't know. So it's like we have the most interesting industry, because there's like. It's like you have your moments and you're like, oh my gosh, I need a break, but then I wouldn't want to do anything else because of the balance it gives my life and being able to do what I want to do and make the money that I want to make. Wait, can I tell you guys? Can you guys see my hand? Sunlight's blue shampoo. There's a testimony From yesterday.
Speaker 2:It won't come off. I know it will not come off. You have to use gloves with it.
Speaker 1:You have to it says it on the bottle and I didn't listen to it and I did like yes, and I did like three people and I was just looking at my hand I was like, oh my gosh, it's legitimately blue. So sorry about that.
Speaker 3:That's another good perk of our industry. You can have blue hands if you want and and to outside of. You know the color stains and the messy side of what we do. It can. It can be so emotionally draining, um, you know, talking to awesome people that are going through stuff, or, oh my gosh, yes first time this conversation not so awesome and are going through stuff or-.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, yes, first time calling-. Just had this conversation.
Speaker 3:They're not so awesome and are going through stuff. It's just heavy. Whether you take it in or not, it's still heavy and I think that's another thing that's kind of made me step back and realize that like, okay, what do I want out of this? What is a client? Having a full book is one thing, but having a full book, you know, during the holidays and different times with specific clientele can be, can be different for everyone.
Speaker 3:Um, I don't know about you guys, but I'm in a process of kind of cycling my clientele out with who aligns with me. You know, you have those weeks where you have your people right and it's awesome, smooth and you feel great and you feel like you're. You know you're in the career you were meant to be in. And then other times, where people aren't as aligned with you, it feels heavier and it's harder to get through. So I feel like that's another aspect that I've realized recently that I didn't think about beforehand. Just because you have a full book doesn't mean it's going to be fulfilling and awesome and easy and great. You got to hone down on it. It's a constant process.
Speaker 2:Well, I think it sounds like you're at a point in your career where you do have the luxury of doing so, and so that shows that you've built an incredible business to where that's something to be grateful for, even though that's something that is kind of like, okay, I need to get more of my ideal clients in my chair. Not everybody has that luxury to do so, and you've worked really hard to build a business to where you have the luxury to do so, and you've worked really hard to build a business to where you have the luxury to do so. So that's an incredible thing. It's not a fun thing to do, but that's a good problem to have, yeah for sure, I totally agree.
Speaker 3:Another moment that I never thought that I would be in, another moment that I'm sitting in and I have to remind myself, like damn Morgan, like you did not think that you would be in this situation, out of all the situations, two years ago. So for sure, for sure, yeah.
Speaker 1:I think it's really cool how you are able to like, reflect and like I don't want to use the word grateful, but like almost like be, you know, just understand, like how I don't want to use the word grateful, but like, almost like be, you know, just understand, like how I. There's nothing better than to be able to look back to where you are and see where you've come and like think about that girl at that time and be like, oh, she wanted this so bad and I and she did it. And just like what you would say to your younger self Like I love that idea and I see you do it so often and it's really really cool to watch. So I want to know what is your 2025 goal?
Speaker 3:2025 goal. Okay, I have my 2025 vision board posted in front of me.
Speaker 1:I love it.
Speaker 3:So I have my 2024 and then my 2025, and they are completely different. 2024 consists of just words and specifics. Specifics, as in you guessed, it numbers the amount of classes I wanted to attend, the number of people I wanted to have working for me. And then the 2025 one is taste the good life, life is good Connections. The word past with a big X in it. The body's temperature is regulated by water. Really, 2025 is all about wellness and trusting that everything that's meant for me will come to me. It has when I've worked my ass off and not thought about anything else. But I think it'll flow even better if I focus on me and not so much business, business, business, work, work, work. And I feel like you know my health. If my health is thriving, I'll only be better for my clients, I'll only be better for my assistant and my team, and I want them to live a healthy, more fulfilled life. And if I can be the first example of that, that's my next goal.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I love that. I have to say that it's really cool to you. Know, you said you're 25 years old and that's the age I was when I was starting all of these things as well. I'm now almost 42. And so it's really neat to see your energy and excitement and drive as a 25 year old hairstylist, Because a lot of times stylists at your age are like, well, I'm too young and they get really caught up in how, because clients do speak to the 20 some year old stylist differently until you teach them how to talk with you right, and so it's really cool to talk to somebody, because I think Kelsey and I are talking to people typically in our age-ish.
Speaker 2:You know where we're at and so it's really cool to talk to you in that season of your life. And what I also think is amazing, which I wish I would have had the ability to do when I was your age, is you went from 2024 to all the numbers and the business and the go, go, go to now 2025 goals of like wellbeing, and that took me 10 years of running myself to the ground to get to that.
Speaker 2:So I think that's incredible and I feel like your business, even in the next five years, is going to be somewhere where you can't even imagine you're going to be doing something you don't even know in the next five years because of how you work.
Speaker 3:I can already see that I feel that too, I give I give a lot of the credit to working with others um being in those groups doing. My version of therapy is with kristen energy work. Um, everyone's um version of therapy is with Kristen Energy work. Everyone's version of therapy is different. I do think everyone needs a version of it, though At least I think that that's what I mean.
Speaker 2:Totally agree, totally, we agree.
Speaker 3:No, we agree.
Speaker 1:All about it.
Speaker 3:I think without that, and without the consistency of that, I would not be able to finish out what I have planned. Yeah, you can't do it alone. No, love Kristen.
Speaker 2:I've worked with not worked with her, but we've been in the same social group. I need Kristen. I need these names Is she the energy work person oh yeah.
Speaker 3:Someone needs to work on my energy.
Speaker 1:That's my goal for 2025.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you need to get her. So tell Kristen. I said hello because we used to be in the same business programs together years ago. Love her Well. This has been, I think, a great way to start the year. This has been very inspiring for you to share your energy and your excitement for this business and making sure to take care of yourself. So I'm just happy, kelsey, that you said hey, let's bring Morgan on. This was so fun. She's pretty cool.
Speaker 1:I'm not going to lie, she's pretty cool. So I look up to Morgan and I'm just like so excited you're here and I'm also excited I can just like walk down the street and grab a coffee with you if I wanted to. So go me. That's lucky. But, girls, it was so exciting to see you. Welcome 2025. It's.
