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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
Dear Messy, Help! I'm Opening a Salon and No One's Applying.
Send a a Text- leave your name & email so we can respond!
In this “Dear Messy” episode, Abby and Kelsey team up to answer a message from a nail tech who’s opening a full salon — but struggling to find the right team.
Together, they unpack practical, creative, and realistic ways to approach hiring in 2025, including:
- How to brand your salon to attract stylists who fit
- Why building relationships is more effective than cold job posts
- The power of reaching out in your local community (yes, old-school works!)
- Creative ideas beyond Indeed: school visits, open house, and meet & greets
- Strategies for the short game and long-term growth
If you’re building a team or dreaming of opening your own salon one day, this episode will give you the clarity and confidence to start strong.
Got a “Dear Messy” question you want answered on the pod? Text us with the link above — we might feature you next!
Follow Abby on Instagram and TikTok at @theabbywarther
Follow Kelsey on Instagram at @kelseymorrishair
Dear Messy. I'm about to open up a full salon and spa. I've been a nail tech for 19 years in my own space for just over five years. I'm looking for lots of positions to fill, such as stylists, nail techs, massage therapists and estheticians. I thankfully have one stylist that will open with me. I need help attracting employees. I'm on target to open around the second to third week of May. I enjoy your podcasts and insights.
Speaker 2:I've used social media word of mouth and, indeed, I literally love that. You know, I love when people send us any type of message, but that is so exciting because it's from a nail tech, so it's a little different than from a hairstylist, right? And it kind of forces you and I to think a little bit more outside of the box. Welcome to the Messy Hairstylist Podcast. I'm Kelsey Morris.
Speaker 1: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 2:Okay, if you listened to our last episode, the audio was awful and I got this little lapel mic which I was very excited about. But I was trying to use my phone and it didn't work. But we got it to work on my computer, so this is much better. Our ears are thanking you. I'm so glad, I'm so glad, and the funny thing is we don't even know if the last episode is going to make it to episode.
Speaker 1:is going to make it to? I know you just said, if you listen last episode.
Speaker 2:We might be scrapping it. We don't know it might not even make it, because it might not have you said the audio was so distracting that she couldn't even like focus. So, yeah, so we're you know what, but we practice what we preach. We're coming, we're coming to you in uh, in messy form, and I am excited today. So well, the thing is, if we're going to scrap the last episode, we can't even say what we said in the last episode. So we'll recap.
Speaker 1:We'll recap. Okay, yes, so what we're doing is we are getting so many of you that are writing in you can, as you know, you can text in to us at the top of our episode descriptions. So we're getting a lot of you that are that are texting in questions or topic ideas to us and we love, love, love it. So we're going to use this to kind of kickstart a running series that we're going to have, not every episode from here on out, but just randomly put these in and it's going to be called the Dear Messy series, so kind of like that. Like Dear Abby, there's another one and there was another, and like you know, but but but do people know, because we're of age where we used to look at the newspaper and see the Dear Abby articles- I'm gonna be 100% honest with you, you don't even know.
Speaker 2:No, that's why I was like could you please describe what you're talking about? What is Dear Messy? And you were like you know, and I'm like so you just want them to title it like Dear Messy?
Speaker 1:I was confused. Okay, so for anyone that's younger than 40, there used to be ongoing for decades in newspapers, the Dear Abby column, and the Dear Abby column was like a advice column. That's what it was an advice column. You know what an advice column is? Right, yeah, and so her name was Abby, so it was always Dear Abby, and then she would give her advice and you see that in magazines, you see it in advice columns. That's what we're doing, but it's going to be called Dear Messy.
Speaker 1:I just think you liked it because it said Dear Abby, I did love it as a kid that it was Dear Abby, but sometimes she was a little rough. Yeah, she was a little rough, okay, but this is Dear Messy. So we want to keep these questions coming in because I think that they're great and we love to connect with you guys. So if you ever have a question that you want us to address on the podcast, just start it with Dear Messy.
Speaker 2:Right, because apparently, if you don't start it with Dear Messy, we're not going to read it on. I don't know if that's the way it works.
Speaker 1:We'll still read it, but it just makes me happy because then we can be like this. So here is how we're going to start this off, with a question coming in from Brandy. Brandy says she didn't really say this, but I'm going to pretend like she did. Dear Messy, I'm about to open up a full salon and spa. I've been a nail tech for 19 years in my own space for just over five years. I'm looking for lots of positions to fill, such as stylists, nail techs, massage therapists and estheticians. I thankfully have one stylist that will open with me. I need help attracting employees. I'm on target to open around the second to third week of May. I enjoy your podcasts and insights. I've used social media, word of mouth and Indeed.
Speaker 2:I literally love that, you know. I love when people send us any type of message, but that is so exciting because it's from a nail tech, so it's a little different than from a hairstylist, right? And it kind of forces you and I to think a little bit more outside of the box than we're used to.
Speaker 1:So, she's going big. She's going big with a full service salon. So exciting so exciting yeah, so congrats.
Speaker 2:Brandy.
Speaker 1:We're so excited for you. But yeah, I get the stress.
Speaker 2:That's really cool, but you have to think it's probably for her, like she's a nail tech, so she doesn't have the same connections that we would as hairdressers looking for hairdressers.
Speaker 2:Right so he's got to think totally, totally different. Um, so this is, this is exciting. So I was trying to mull this over when we first brought it up, actually when she first sent us the message, and trying to think, like what, what would be my recommendations that are something different than what we've already talked about, and I'm like do you have anything that just like pops right in your brain? That's the first thing that you would think of. Besides, ask Chat GBT.
Speaker 1:It's funny because it's true. Okay, so the first thing I think of when I like so what I usually do when someone asks a question, I try to put myself in their shoes. I'm like, okay, what would I do? What am I thinking? Where would my head be? And the first thing I think of is like, okay, what's my short term game? What's my long term game?
Speaker 1:Because the reality is is, when you're opening a new space, you need people in there. You need at least she probably knows, like we all know, that when you open your own salon, you're like, if I can just get X amount of people to work with me, I can make this work in the beginning, with the idea to grow beyond that. So that's what I think of is like, okay, what would my short game strategies be? To get people in, like ASAP. And then, what are gonna be my long-term strategies? To truly like, build the brand of my salon. So if people who, like I mean you, have just recently went through this with opening up your new space, you had to get people in right away. And now you're just like it's nuts the amount of people that are coming in. What a year, what? No, what did you know, six months ago, dang Okay, so it's still short term, but feels like long term you really needed those people in the beginning flashback of PTSD from this.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, I know how she's feeling and you know it's hard when you are doing this and you know you have to have so many people to pay your bills. It's hard not to just like take people, to take them, and you it's. You know, to not use strategy and to not like really try to build like a good team, cause at that point you're like almost desperate. You're like well, so that it is a really hard feeling and it's scary to like try to separate the need to have money and make money and also like look for the right people. I mean, and it's almost like I don't even know, and I know in the beginning for me I really didn't have the ability to just wait around for the right people. I was like I'm going to take the people and then those that don't work out will weed themselves out and that's just what's going to happen Exactly, and I think that that's okay.
Speaker 2:That's okay, that's your short.
Speaker 1:that's your short term strategy Exactly To get it going. I agree, you know, yes. And then I mean the first thing that I think of, I'm like okay, of course she already said she's doing what social media word of mouth and putting stuff out on Indeed, okay, great, she's covering those bases there. So it sounds like she knows what it's like to like brand it and and put her brand out there and all those things. But it's like, well, what else could I do on top of that to really you really need to like kind of make some noise about hey, we're here, we're opening, pay attention to to us over here. What if? Like if I don't know what her setup is, but what if you had she had like a open house style thing, like even in construction, like I don't care if there's dust and things aren't finished and it you feel like it looks like a mess, but you host an open house.
Speaker 2:Totally agree. I totally agree. I think that that's a such a great way to for people to come like see the space or like even what it's going to be. I mean, I did something similar to that with mine Not really an open house, but I just like brought in a few people that I just to see it in its bones. But I think an open house is such a cool idea if you can pull that off.
Speaker 2:And another thing that makes me snowball off, that is like community events. So she's in a really cool position as a nail tech where some of stuff that she can be, that she can do, is mobile, Right. So maybe if, like you, um, meet up with a local winery or a brewery and do, like um, cocktails and mayonnaise or something like that, and, like you know, do a little five minute mini manicures or something simple, like you know that, but it's bringing in people, and then you can start talking about your new salon and what's going to happen and and they're going to be like, oh, my friend is hair or my friends and you know, and start getting involved in community things. You just like it might not seem like that kind of stuff will pay off, but it does. Do you remember when?
Speaker 1:I did.
Speaker 2:When we opened my salon and I did that big mother-daughter event and I brought in hairstylists and we had nails and massage and we had all this cool stuff, facials and everything. I ran a Facebook ad for it and because of that ad, which I was advertising towards people to come to get these services done, hairdressers were seeing my salon and they were seeing oh, this is like a new salon, that's in Delaware, this is, you know, really cool. They're doing events and that's how I got two of my girls so it's like you know like you.
Speaker 2:You just got to put yourself out in the community and and and try to. You might not think you're targeting stylists or targeting nail techs, but you're targeting people who are interested in what we do, which they'll know.
Speaker 1:People, or you know might be that person. Totally See, I love that and I think that that is the short term and the long term way to attract people to your business, to work at your business is show the inside, the heart of your business, through everything. So, so, by putting just the post hiring, hiring, hiring, hiring. You have to do it, you have to do it occasionally, you have to sprinkle it in so people know that you are accepting new people to work at your place. But start showing like, yes, you're doing social media stuff. Show yourself behind the scenes, building it out, what types of people talk about, the type of people you're excited to come work with you, the benefits of working with you, all of those things.
Speaker 1:The other thing that I would do is I would go to every single local school cosmetology, esthetician, nail tech school and don't forget the vocational schools inside the high schools. Yeah, don't forget those, because now are we getting people straight out of school? No, but they have contact still with the people who have graduated from there and they want to have high placement rates. They want to have their people who have graduated be able to have a job after school a year or so after school, because that helps them look better. So get in contact with all of them and say, hey, spread the word. This is what I'm looking for. These are the types of people oh.
Speaker 2:I do a lot of work for you. I absolutely agree. Look at this cat behind me, just die.
Speaker 1:We never told. Our last episode didn't air, so we even tell people your, your life story. Let's not get into that right now, because we are focused.
Speaker 2:We are focused here. Yeah, um, yes, yes, I think that the schools are often missed out, and I think that sometimes we go into the schools with the wrong idea of what, what our goal is. It's not, like you said, it's not necessarily to hire someone from the school, but it's also to create contact with the administration there. You probably have done this and I've done this, have gone to demo at schools, and so there's a few things I want to say about demoing at schools.
Speaker 2:I love to demo at schools. One, because I like to give back to the next generation and I think it's just a really cool learning experience for them. But it's funny how many people if even if they didn't come to work at my salon right after have kept in contact with me, or who follow me on social media, who went to go work at that commission salon and then, a year or two down the line, they're like ah, it's not working. You know, do you happen to have any space? I've had to turn down a few people because I didn't have the space at the time, but now, as I'm building more I it's funny because I'm hearing from these girls again, you know, and so I think that's a cool way to keep connections with people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's that long, long-term plan, long-term strategy. Yes, I love that. Okay. So what else? So another, okay, I had somebody recommend this to me and it did work. It did work. It sounds different, but often so, say someone does come on, say you get this hairstylist to come onto your team and you say, hey, I'm looking to bring on more people like you. Is there an incentive that you can give that person for bringing? And the person that gave me, I, for a little bit, I worked with I don't know if you remember I was working with Cash Lawless of the millionaire hairstylist, and so he was helping me when I was like newer in a rental world, from from commission into rental on to fill up my chairs and to start to become known for that. And that was one of the things that he suggested to me is to give people a referral bonus, and so I did. I gave. If somebody brought in a friend or referred somebody, I gave him a $500 referral bonus, like that's huge.
Speaker 2:We had that at the suites I worked at. He gave you a thousand dollars. Yeah, I'm like, oh my gosh, so I actually that's a great idea and, to be honest with you, like, the girls that have come into my salon are all sort of connected with each other.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they want their friends to come work with them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and not necessarily like two came together from the same salon, but then four of them have all kind of like known each other, I mean. So it's like everybody's interconnected in one way or the next. So I think a referral bonus is a great idea.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So the other thing that I think of so and she says she's posting on social media is she's on social media. Don't just post on it. Make sure that you are engaging with the local industry, people, your local industry. So follow, follow every single person that you can follow. That's a hairstylist, nail tech, esthetician. Follow all of them.
Speaker 2:And comment comment comment comment, just be genuine.
Speaker 1:You're not like poaching somebody from another salon. You're not saying like, hi, I see you come work with me, you can do that. There's some people that say to do that. I've never done that, it doesn't feel good to me. But to genuinely be like commenting on someone's stuff, like then they might follow you and then if you're showing you building out your salon and what you have to offer in the space you have available, then you're going to get more interest from that. So you have to be social on social media and not just post about the openings. You have to actually go out and chat with other people online.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I can actually attest to this one because I just did this as well. I you know you start talk about the short term play and starting to get desperate. I was feeling extremely desperate so I started to stalk, physically follow and stalk as many local hairdressers as I could. I'm talking psychotic status. But you got to be. I had to be strategic. Okay, because if you go in, if I came in hot and like was DMing or not DMing, commenting on their like every post they did, like I love you come work for me. Yes, creeper vibes, right. Like you got to be strategic.
Speaker 1:You gotta play cool girl yeah creeper vibes right, like you got.
Speaker 2:I gotta do be strategic. I play cool girl. Yeah, I had to play cool girl Now. There were some times so I did. There were a few girls who I actually was very like. I was like, okay, this is going to be a great fit. I would send them a DM and would just be like hey, you know, I I've been watching you and I love your work. I like your vibe like we're expanding our salon. Would you be interested in coming and take a tour? I will say that none of those panned out, none of those ended up panning out.
Speaker 2:Yet Now I did have a couple where they're like oh, I just signed a lease, you know blah, blah, blah, but most of them, like, responded really nicely and I probably did that to like seven or eight different girls and but the ones that did pan out are the ones that I was engaging with, just just like, you know, with normal things like oh, love this fire, you know like fire emoji, great hair, love great. And not every second. If you, I feel like you got to be strategic If you go on there and every single time they post something you like, say something you really look like a stalker.
Speaker 2:So, engaging in social media is a great way to do it, but with authenticity.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you have to be genuine. You can't be like, okay, I need to make sure I like every single post of theirs. If you really liked it, then yeah, so that's how I just filled my last chair. So my salon is officially full as of now. And this last renter, her and I had been in talks for her to come with me since August or September and she signed in February.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it took that long Sometimes it takes time.
Speaker 1:Sometimes it takes time, but she and her and I knew each other just because years ago she took one of my classes yeah, years ago, and then. So she's just always followed me and always kept an eye on my salon. And so then, when it was time the conversation started, actually, she came in and sat in my chair and I did her hair.
Speaker 2:And that's cool.
Speaker 1:And she said, oh, I would love to be in a salon like this she was in a suite at the time I'd love to be in a salon like this. I miss working with other stylists. And she was like, but you're full right now and I actually had like a secret pocket little chair that I didn't, didn't market because I wanted to find the right person. And I said, well, actually. And so that's how that came to be, because she, we had a connection, not that you have to be teaching classes, but we had a connection somewhere at some point in the past. And then we continue to connect over social media and so I was still on her radar. So, yeah, it all comes down to building relationships.
Speaker 2:Literally, it really does. It really does Because you know. The first thing that came to mind was like, you know how people always say it's a, it's about who you know, and I agree with that to an extent. Right, like, but who you know is also based on the connections you've built. It's not like, oh, I just happened to be in this well off family and now I know rich people like. That's not me, but I have made it a goal of mine to connect with people in our community and other hairdressers and on social media and to really invest in relationships with people. So, like, you have to be a good, I think, business owner in general, salon owner especially. You have to be able to do that kind of stuff and be authentic with it and genuine and try to build relationships, because I think what we're saying through all of this is essentially that most of these people that we have found to fill our salon have come from genuine connections.
Speaker 1:True, yes, and it doesn't mean you have to be initially connecting with the hairstylist, nail tech, esthetician, massage therapist. That's where you can connect with the people in the schools, correct. You can connect with those other local businesses where you may be hosting an event at Correct, and the more people connect with, the more people you know. Then there's more people that they know and it just can snowball and work can get out more, and so you know, and it helps to just be that friendly person, just you know leave a room and have people be like oh my gosh, love her.
Speaker 2:And one last takeaway I think that we should mention we did an episode recently on Facebook ads and if you haven't listened to that episode, go back and listen to it, because that is a really good. Also another good way to you know, I have a baby sitting next to me. Look at her, she's just here. She comes, she's really doing it. I I think in this situation, facebook ads would be really cool from the beginning start to finish the build out phase coming soon, to drum up some excitement and to and and I don't think necessarily that, um, you know you have to put a ton of money into it or do it constantly, but start getting it floating around, get people interested. And I think at this juncture, that would probably go farther than her posting consistently on her Instagram or posting consistently like now, hiring or salon opening. It's like I feel like she would almost need to put out an ad to get it to more people in the community who are in the industry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and just like what that episode said, it was like just don't make that graphic now hiring graphic. Show that behind the scenes video coming soon show the build out. So, yes, yes, I love that. That's a great. I like cause. That's like a tangible thing she can do while she's building relationships.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Exactly so it gives you a little bit of both, like right, there's something we can do physically, like tangibly, and then also building relationships along the way. And you know, just keep doing what you're doing, girl. It sounds like you've got a good plan.
Speaker 1:And you know, just keep doing what you're doing, girl. It sounds like you've got a good plan. I love it. Yeah, and once you start, don't stop the entire time. For salon ownership, we got baby on board, but the whole time I'll wrap it up from here, because we've got our little cutie baby on board.
Speaker 1:So what this means is that once we start this, whatever it is that you decide to dive into to really get your salon full before you open up in May, is building these relationships. And once you start this it doesn't stop. You own a salon. You are constantly building relationships. So don't think once you get full, you're done, because it's cyclical. You're going to always need to be bringing new people in, always marketing not just your business but your business for other hairstylists. So I absolutely love this question of our Dear Messy. Now that everyone knows what Dear Messy and Dear Abby is episode, I'm excited to do so many more coming up. So remember, if you want to have us answer a question and write into our little advice column, then text us at the top of the episode and just title it Dear Messy and you'll make me happy at least. All right guys, we'll talk to you next week. All right guys.
Speaker 2:We'll talk to you next week.
Speaker 1:Okay, got it, we made it through. That was that rough there. At the end we did. It wasn't that bad. I had a cat.
Speaker 2:I had a kid. I got a computer. That's dying, that's dwindling. We're at 3%. I'm over here sweating bullets, trying to figure out if we're going to make it.
Speaker 1:It got almost like what is happening All in an RV. I love it All in an RV.
