Good Neighbor Podcast: Union
Bringing Together Local Businesses and Residents of Northern Kentucky! Based in Union, KY....The Good Neighbor Podcast helps the residents of Northern Kentucky get to know local business owners as people. We allow the business owners and influencers in NKY to tell the stories of how they started their business and why. We hear about their families, their personal interests and why they love living in and serving resident of Northern Kentucky!
Good Neighbor Podcast: Union
Beyond Hair: Creating Connections at The Hive Hair Studio
Step into the chair at The Hive Hair Studio, where seasoned stylist Miranda Walsh transforms not just hair, but creates lasting connections with every client. After 15 years in the industry, Miranda has brought her passion for hair extensions, color work, and eyebrow treatments to Union's growing Promenade district, opening her books to new clients after nearly a decade of closed clientele.
What makes Miranda's approach special is her unwavering commitment to both technical excellence and personal connection. "I love creating that bond where they feel like when they're sitting next to me, they're not just leaving with a new hairstyle—they're leaving with a new friend," she explains. This philosophy extends to her educational approach, ensuring clients understand how to maintain their hair investment between their recommended six-to-eight week appointments.
The Hive Hair Studio represents more than just a new business in Union—it symbolizes the personal and professional growth happening throughout the community. Located in the Luxe Suites at the Promenade, Miranda has witnessed firsthand the influx of new residents seeking quality services. When she's not transforming clients in her chair, Miranda balances life as a mother to three sports-active children, crediting her own mother as the "rock" that makes her success possible.
Ready to experience the difference at The Hive? Contact Miranda directly at 859-818-3473 or find booking links on her social media. Whether you're new to the area or simply seeking a stylist who values relationships as much as results, Miranda welcomes you with open arms: "If you're looking for real connection and want to not just feel good about yourself but make friends and leave with a lasting impression—come see me."
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Mike Murphy.
Speaker 2:Hey, charlie, thank you very much for that introduction. Yes, I am Mike Murphy, host of the Good Neighbor Podcast. We talk to local business owners, influencers, people who make our life easier to live here in northern Kentucky, influencers people who make our life easier to live here in Northern Kentucky. And so I have with me today somebody who is pushing all their chips forward into this new development, this new growth here in Union. They're at the Promenade, in the Luxe Suites, we have a new hairstylist, not new to the world of hairstyling she's got 15 years of experience but she's new to union. Miranda walsh of the hive hair studio. The owner of the hive hair studio, is here to just let you meet her, learn about her a little bit, and so, without further ado, miranda, welcome to the show thank you you're welcome.
Speaker 2:So you have. You. Have you actually started? Have you opened up yet the hive hair studio? What's that? What's the opening date? Is it past or is it upcoming?
Speaker 3:so we have been open for about a month and a half, almost two months. We opened July 1st, maybe the 2nd.
Speaker 2:And we've been working out of there ever since.
Speaker 3:How has it been going so far? I love it. It's very, very, very different than what I'm used to. It's very open and spacious and it's beautiful and the people in the community have been really welcoming to us being there and my clients love it.
Speaker 1:Okay, good.
Speaker 3:They think it is a breath of fresh air. We got to specifically pick out most of the design and how we wanted it to look in our suite and it's been perfect all right.
Speaker 2:So when people come to you and they sit in your chair, what view do they have? Do you have a window? Do you? What do you look out? Do you see a do? Do they see a parking lot? Do they see a building? What do they? What do they see? That's funny.
Speaker 3:Do they see a building? What do they?
Speaker 2:see, that's funny, you ask that.
Speaker 3:So this is actually the first suite or place that I've worked for my business that does not have an open window.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:I am in the center, like the heart of the building, all right, but there is also lots of natural sunlight that comes through, because our doors are glass but you can't see directly outside. But when you walk in there's this huge open window and then there's it's just individual rooms, just suites for other business owners, small businesses to open themselves. Mine is in there, along with the aesthetics ablaze, but as of right now it's just the two of us and she has a window, but I don't, and I'm kind of like jealous of it. But it's fine, I get to go sit out in the lobby with my clients and we enjoy the light out there, all right.
Speaker 2:But you know, it's not about the view, it's about what happens inside that room, right? So you mentioned 15 years of experience, and so what is your specialty? I mean, what can you do for your clients? Just let me know. I mean, do you do color? What's the whole?
Speaker 3:spiel, so I specialize in hair extensions in color okay um, I literally can do anything if you, if you want me to be completely honest. I just don't do nails, okay, and I don't do lash extensions. I am certified in lash extensions and nails. I just don't offer that. It's just something that it's not for me. But what I specialize in is hair extensions and color. I love to do brows and brow tending. It's one of my secret loves and I could probably cut hair with my eyes closed if I wanted to, but I like to stick with my color and my extensions for sure.
Speaker 2:Well, if you love something, you'll do a better job at it probably.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:Extensions, hair color, the brows that's pretty popular categories. Yeah, when somebody comes to you, how long do you spend with them typically? What's the average time in the chair?
Speaker 3:it depends on how much we talk to each other, man. I mean anywhere from two to three hours. Okay, I mean the longest I've had a client in my chair is two days. We take a break and then we'll come back. Okay, this is a huge not not two days straight no, no, no, no, not two days straight, but we love it. We have good conversation and we love the before and afters. Okay, it's all about the excitement of it.
Speaker 2:Well, stylists tend to bond with their clients Absolutely, so you end up knowing a lot about them. They know a lot about you.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so part of what we're doing here today is to learn more about you. Yes, so it's not just about what you do during working hours, but what makes you you is what happens when you shut it down, turn the lights off and get in your car and go home. So you go home to some kiddos do you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I have three kids.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:I have two boys and a girl, all right. My oldest is 14. My middle child is 12. He just had a birthday last Saturday, okay. And then my youngest is seven. She'll be seven in October. She likes to say she's seven now, but it's kind of sticking with me too. But they're what I go home to, them and my mother is your daughter a diva oh, she puts the d in diva.
Speaker 2:Yeah see, I knew to ask that question and we never even talked about it no. I just kind of got that vibe. I mean, that's she definitely puts it even but she can?
Speaker 3:she can be a tomboy all through and through because she's got brothers.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:She definitely knows how to be sass.
Speaker 2:Do they fight?
Speaker 3:What the boys and my daughter? Well, like all of them, I mean oh hell, yeah, they fight all the time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, that's just part of a sibling thing.
Speaker 3:That's part of siblings, isn't it I, I mean, I used to fight with my brother. I still do sometimes. So where do you live at? I currently live in the outskirts of Florence and Union in Plantation Point. We just moved there in August. I love it. It's still not like set in that this is my home.
Speaker 3:Not only do we just move into our new house, we moved into the new salon at the same time, so everything is like happening at once and it's just like wow, this is like so amazing and like overwhelming, but it's like joyful at the same time I'm just really grateful yeah, you have those moments.
Speaker 2:you're like uh, laying in bed at night especially like is this real? Yeah, I guess this is my life now.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you just live it day by day and let it soak in and you know what got you here is your profession. Yeah, you know you deserve everything that's coming to you, thank you. So just you know you bask in it.
Speaker 3:Yes, I am basking in it right now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but you know you, you got to keep the main thing the main thing, right? So, um, uh, you know kids and god come first. You know, I'd say, you know what is it, god and family, then your profession is that it's definitely god first.
Speaker 3:okay, then it's my, then it's my kids, and then it's my, probably my profession, for sure, yeah okay, always God first.
Speaker 2:I know you are a spiritual person. We've talked about that. Yes, god has brought you here for a reason For sure, god put you in that chair right there, for a reason.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, he did. I was very fortunate to get the phone call. I'm very happy to be here.
Speaker 2:We all have stories to tell, and so you're getting to tell yours now, when you and the kiddos aren't in the house and you venture outdoors. I'm assuming there's like some sort of sport involved.
Speaker 3:Do you do sports, not just one sport, we do all sports. We do all sports except let's see soccer, tennis and hockey probably.
Speaker 2:Yikes.
Speaker 3:We do baseball, football, wrestling, cheerleading. We're not cheerleading now, nor are we doing gymnastics now. That's a talk of the past. But right now it's baseball football basketball wrestling oh geez, all of them, every single one of them.
Speaker 2:Okay. It's a lot all right but I love it so there's really no time off. I mean there's no time you're working or you're playing, but playing can sometimes seem like work when you're a sports mom and you're yes trying to be three different places at once uh, literally I'm, I have a great tribe. Let me just say that so where do you do these sports at?
Speaker 3:um, so my son is on a travel back baseball league, and then my other son is on a travel football league and a travel baseball league, and then my oldest son does basketball for high school at Ryle. And then my daughter just started playing softball locally and she's pretty good at it. Actually she's a natural. I think she picks it up from her brothers. My boys have been playing baseball since they were four. We go all over. I mean we go to Louisville, we go to Lexington, we go to Indiana, we go to everywhere in Cincinnati for the majority of these sports, unless they are with the school teams or the local team that my daughter just started playing for.
Speaker 2:So that is not cheap, because every time you turn around, they're asking for money for this, that or the other, for equipment for traveling around.
Speaker 3:They're asking for money for this, that or the other, for equipment for my son traveling literally said on the way here mom, I need you to buy me new wrestling shoes, even though I just bought him his foot, because he's going through puberty and his foots getting bigger. So he's like I'm like I just bought you those. It's like I know I need another new pair. I'm like, okay, I'll let you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, oh my god, yeah, I mean, it never ends no yeah, you're kind of surprised at the next level. It's like, okay, I just thought we got done paying for all the expensive stuff yeah and now, here it is. You know, even more expensive and more things that you never even knew you're gonna have to pay for.
Speaker 3:But it never stops.
Speaker 2:I can tell you, as a father, that one day you'll look back on this time and you will um relish, I mean you'll. You'll be grateful for these times and you'll wish you had them back I know I will.
Speaker 3:I I don't. I dread the day that it'll stop.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I hope it doesn't being aware of your blessings is the biggest blessing of all. Yes, so yeah, you have to stay in the moment and every time you're, you know, at one of your kids events, just you know, kind of be grateful.
Speaker 3:I'm so grateful every time I'm able to be there.
Speaker 2:Well, hopefully they're looking at you and how hard you're working on their behalf and they're grateful for you and you're a good role model for them. I'd like to say they are yeah, okay.
Speaker 3:So if you're working on their behalf and they're grateful for you and you're you're a good role model for them.
Speaker 2:I'd like to say they are, yeah, okay. So if you're going to pay for all these sports, and all the gas that goes with that. You need clients correct. Okay, my clients are my gems so um what type of clients are you looking for? I mean, you've got this investment in the Lux Studios here in town. We need butts in chairs.
Speaker 3:Yes, I mean I just opened my books up to new clients after probably 10 years, which I have not done All right.
Speaker 3:And I mean I literally do not discriminate on anybody as a client. I will. I love all people. I don't judge. I come as you are. You want to come in your pajamas? You want to come with nothing? I got you. I just see who I am as a person. I love people and I love to make people feel good and I love creating that bond and that connection with my clients to where they feel like when they're sitting next to me and I'm doing their hair and I'm making them feel the best, that they can feel that they're not just leaving like with this new hairstyle that they just came to get, they're leaving with a new friend. So that is like one of my biggest like take-homes from my job is like I just really cherish my client base relationship.
Speaker 2:So if you want to be my friend, comes in my chair because I love making new friends yeah, well, I think you know, when you're doing your, your craft, your passion, it's a very intimate thing. It's very it's intimate because you're touching people, you're creating their look, their vibe. You know You're helping them live a better life because if they feel good about themselves, they can feel good about their interactions with everybody. So I know what I'm talking about, because you know I tend to just cut my hair with a butter knife, you know oh my goodness not really, but it just kind of looks like it some days.
Speaker 2:So I think that you, you just need people that have hair, right? Yeah, anyone with hair anyone with hair.
Speaker 3:Even if you don't have hair, I can give you hair okay, well, that's a good point, yes I specialize in hair loss and hair extensions really okay, yeah if you don't have it, I can give it to you so the extensions how long does it take to to put in a set of extensions? Um, I've been doing extensions for so long that I mean, depending on the method that I do I mean, if I'm doing like a hand tied method, I can get them in and probably 45 minutes tops- but.
Speaker 2:If.
Speaker 3:I'm doing like an eye tip method. Look to be sitting in my chair for about two hours, because that's a little bit. That's a little more tedious, but I enjoy every bit of it. It's very therapeutic okay.
Speaker 2:So what are your hours when at the new place? What days do you work and what are your normal hours?
Speaker 3:so currently, right now, I work Mondays 12 to 8. I'm typically there until 9. I do flex these hours for people. I it depends on if I'm busy that morning with my kids or not, but Mondays and Thursdays I work 12 to 8. Tuesdays, I work 9.30 to 3. And then Fridays I work 11 to 5. I would like to work every other Saturday, but as of right now, I'm trying to figure out how I can make that happen. With all the sports that we have going on, I already have this huge tribe that helps me out with the sports and I don't want to overwhelm them with more than they already are helping me with.
Speaker 2:So I do what I can, but I also bend when I can bend yeah, okay, but you have to realize too that you know you are allowed to have a private life you're allowed to have personal stuff going on. It's one thing to want to be there for your clients, but you've got to be there for those kiddos.
Speaker 3:Always yeah.
Speaker 2:Always, Never feel bad about setting boundaries. So again, sometimes we get into personal coaching, life coaching type topics in this podcast.
Speaker 3:I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Many times my wife needs to remind me of these things, and so then I parrot them to my guests. She's always trying to help me set boundaries.
Speaker 3:My mom is always trying to help me set boundaries, and so I help my. My mom is always trying to help me set boundaries. Yeah, it's important. She's like you got to remember that you have a life too. I'm like I know I got to keep my life going though over here so I can keep this life going on over here. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:So who is mom? Is she local?
Speaker 3:Yeah, my mom, she lives with me. She's lived with me for many years now. She's my rock. Yeah, I've had a very bad accident a couple years ago and she's just been. She stayed with me since. Okay, she's doing great. Okay, good, she's a super help for me and my kids. So we love mama. We love my mama.
Speaker 2:I would not be where I am right now without her. Yeah, yeah, well, good, I mean. Yeah, there are many people in our lives that support us, support our dreams, and and so sometimes our parents are there for us and sometimes we're there for them yes yeah absolutely good for you. That's how it should be okay. If somebody wants to reach you, what's the best way to reach you? I assume you have a. I mean, is your studio phone number different from your cell number, your personal cell number?
Speaker 3:Um, so there's no studio phone number. Um, I mean there is to reach, like the man who owns the building to like inquire about renting space. But if somebody wanted to reach me for like an owns the building to like inquire about renting space, but if somebody wanted to reach me for like an appointment, you just call my number. Um, can I say it?
Speaker 3:say it now you can call me at 859-818-3473 and I will typically always answer. Um, or you can text me there, or people can book online through square, or they can go to my social media apps um, facebook, instagram, and there's booking links inside of each of those apps where they can directly book online themselves. Okay, um, I typically refer people to contact me directly, just because some people don't really know how to. I don know what I'm booking, what am I supposed to be booking for, and I like to help them. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because there's, there's got to be a master schedule somewhere, and, um, there's no better way to know, uh, what that is, than to go to you directly yeah, just come straight to the source here, yeah okay, all right, good. So do you have a like, a list of services and prices? Do you have a website? Or do they go to your facebook page or um? Is that all being built right now? What's that look like?
Speaker 3:so, um, when you go to my square app where you can book online, it shows all my services and the pricing.
Speaker 3:Um, pricing is basically set at a standard rate and then it can elevate depending on how long you're sitting in my chair, how much product I'm using, what your hair needs, basically. But when you go on my booking site to unsquare, it tells you black and white what your, what the service is and how much it costs, and the duration of time, what the service is and how much it costs and the duration of time that the service is. A lot of people think, though, that when they're booking a color service and they want a haircut, oh, I gotta add a haircut to that, and then they can't ever find an appointment spot, because now we have a four hour gap that we're trying to look for. But if there's like fine print at the top that says haircuts are allotted into all color services, which I try to like, I'm trying to figure out how to make that bigger. I'm really not tech savvy, so I've asked my kids to help me multiple times, but they're like Mom.
Speaker 2:Kids know more than we do about tech. Yes, right, yeah, yes, but that's good to know, because I mean, you just brought up a big thing there, that when people are stressing over you know trying to set an appointment with you if they're making these assumptions.
Speaker 3:They kind of give up.
Speaker 2:I feel like sometimes I'm like it just call, it's okay, like let me help you yeah, okay, yeah, like you said before, straight to the source, and that's that's really what you want them to do.
Speaker 3:Yeah rather than, if they have trouble, just call me.
Speaker 2:Don't be scared, okay and you're, you're flexible, like you said before yeah, I'm flexible, I mean I'm I'm pretty booked.
Speaker 3:I've had the same clients for almost 15 years going into my career and I have a lot of new. I've had a lot of new clients call since I've moved. But there are people that are just like, hey, can you give me in right now? And I'm like, oh yeah, I'm not a walk-in service, like I mean it's very rare if you call me and say, hey, can you get me in right now?
Speaker 2:And I'm like I'm not a walk-in service.
Speaker 3:I mean, it's very rare if you call me and say, hey, can you get me in for a haircut, and I say, yes, you can come in right now or you can come in at this time. That's typically going to happen if somebody cancels last minute or something comes up for a client and I have to reschedule them. But that is not it's rare, it's very rare, yeah, so definitely always call, yeah, well.
Speaker 2:I think people that would use your services for the most part they understand how it works. You know they've got to get in your schedule. It's gonna take, you know whatever amount of time it takes, but it's worth it. When they sit in your chair and they have it done right and then, yeah, they get kind of a. How often do people see you?
Speaker 3:for the most part, um, I keep my clients in my chair on a roundabout of six to eight weeks okay, I do not excuse me, I'm sorry.
Speaker 3:Um, my clients um, typically comes every six, eight weeks normally six, seven weeks and every time their service is done they know they don't walk out the door without rebooking an appointment. Just because I want to make sure that the integrity of their hair is staying good, I want to make sure they're taking care of it, and my most important thing for my clients is you're. You're investing in yourselves when it comes to your hair, so we need to make sure that you're maintaining that investment outside of my salon. So I like to see them come back within six to eight weeks so I can make sure they're doing what they're supposed to do and their hair is still in good condition, and if it's not, then I guide them to the direction, to where it needs to go. Integrative hair is huge, huge for me, probably more so than what I have to offer them. Like the knowledge of what I have to offer in the hair industry is my bigger issue, like my bigger passion, like I love to educate my clients when they're in my chair.
Speaker 2:So when somebody says, hey, do you have a good nail person to refer me to?
Speaker 3:Oh, heck, yes, yeah, so you know all the people out there that. I got like 10.
Speaker 2:Okay, all the supporting services and people.
Speaker 3:I do a bunch of nail tech owners here actually.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:Like salon owners that own nail salons.
Speaker 2:And you all tend to kind of know each other reputationally at least, yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:So in that regard you're sort of a kind of a one-stop shop. You know they can see you for the things that you do for them, and then you can guide them and direct them towards Absolutely. So with all the growth happening in union, it's not just happening with the businesses, it's happening with the homes too. So there are a lot of people coming to town that they don't really have anybody to do their whatever. They need new professionals to help them with all the things. They need new professionals to help them with all the things, and so those new people can start a relationship with you and you can not only be their stylist, but you can help them with other categories as well.
Speaker 3:Yes, I've actually had a lot of new people come into the community and say, for instance, like hey, I just moved here, I need a haircut, and I'll'll say I'm sorry I can't get you in, or I'll direct them to somebody else that I know that can. I never am send you about that kind of thing. I just want people to be taken care of. But there are a lot. I did not realize how many new people were in this community until I moved to the Union Promenades. It's actually unreal and I love it because it's like all right, my books are, my books are open. More come to me, come see me, but make an appointment please.
Speaker 2:It's very apparent when it's when the buses are on the road and it's you know, they're all going to school and you're stuck in traffic and you're like, okay, there are a lot of people here yes, there's a lot of people here yeah, well, speaking of people, we just need more people to call you, meet you.
Speaker 2:Yes, sit in your chair and start a relationship with you. That's the purpose of this podcast is to get the word out, and we love the fact that our community is growing and we love the fact that there are people like you that are investing in that growth Absolutely, and we need to support you accordingly.
Speaker 3:I'm grateful to be a part of this community. Well, that's all we need to know. I grew up here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've known you for years and years.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but I mean I just, haven't seen you in a long time. Yes, I know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's been a while, but it's good to have you back in my world again and I'm happy to just kind of help people get to know you here today.
Speaker 3:So before we sign off, is there anything else that you want to say to people before we go? I just want to say that if you're looking for real connection and you want to not just come in and feel good about yourself, but make friends and leave with a lasting impression of someone and come back and always know that I'm gonna be there for you, come see me. Also, if anyone is looking to open a small business, there are six other rooms available in Lux Suites.
Speaker 2:Good point.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I would love to have some roommates because we're growing and the Union Promenades is about to blow up guys.
Speaker 2:It is Well, that's a great message, miranda, so thanks for sharing that too. That's something that I probably should have said, but, um, it's okay, yeah, you. I got you you got me thanks. Thanks very much. You know we're making a good team today. All right, well, that does it for this episode of the good neighbor podcast. Everybody, um, miranda Walsh, uh, at the Hive Hair Studio in the Luxe Suites in the Promenade in Unionucky. Thanks for sitting with us today thank you for having me you're welcome.
Speaker 2:I'm glad you got to come and sit with us. So there you have it, another episode of the good neighbor podcast. I'll always say to everybody, everybody out there, until we meet again. Everyone out there. Be good to your neighbor.
Speaker 1:So long, everyone, bye-bye, bye thanks for listening to the good neighbor podcast union. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpunioncom. That's gnpunioncom, or call us at 859-651-8330.