Snip & Sip Podcast
Welcome to Snip and Sip, the podcast where hairdressers and industry professionals come together for unfiltered hair talk!
Snip & Sip Podcast
Supporting the Supporters: The Unexpected Life of a Hairdresser
Mental Health Disclaimer:
Please note that in this episode we discuss topics related to mental and emotional well-being. While hairdressers are great listeners they are not trained mental health practitioners. The advice shared on this podcast is based on personal experience and is intended for informational purposes only.
If you or someone you know is struggling and needs professional support, we strongly encourage you to seek help from a qualified mental health professional. We have included a list of mental health resources below for your convenience. Your well-being is important, and help is available.
Episode Highlights:
Ever wondered about the countless roles a hairdresser takes on? Join us on Snip and Sip, where Danielle and Gabby, alongside guests Abby, Gemma, and Blair, unravel the hidden layers of hairdressing. From arranging bridal bouquets to fixing plumbing issues, our candid conversations reveal the unexpected facets of salon life that go beyond scissors and style. We also touch on the importance of a supportive community within the industry, and how various entities help manage these diverse responsibilities.
Explore the resources available for salon owners in our discussion about external support systems. Learn why having a salon coach and joining groups like the Salon Owners Collective can be game-changers. We delve into the practical benefits of tools like Trello boards and templates, and the fresh perspectives brought in by business coaches outside the hairdressing world. Overcoming resistance to non-industry insights can open the door to innovative solutions and streamlined operations, allowing creativity to flourish.
Wellness is more than just a buzzword. Discover the unique initiatives we've implemented, from acupuncture sessions to paid mental health days, all aimed at promoting holistic health. Hear about the positive impact of our four-day work week on team morale and productivity. We also stress the significance of strong supplier relationships and the right training to handle sensitive topics. This episode is a heartfelt discussion on creating a thriving salon environment where everyone feels valued and supported. Tune in to be inspired and equipped with strategies to enhance your own salon experience.
Guest Speakers:
You can find Blair at Pura Holistic Studio
IG - @puraholisticstudio @holistichaircoach @itsblairlewis
You can find Abbie at So You Hair
IG - @soyouhair
You can find Gemma at Ardor Organics
IG - @ardor_organics @holistic_hair_academy
Resources:
1800 RESPECT - Whatever your situation, it is important to know that help and support are available.
Beyond Blue - is here to help all people in Australia achieve their best possible mental health. Whether you're seeking mental health information or 24/7 qualified support for you or someone else, we're here for you.
Salon Owners Collective - The Salon Owners Collective is an online community with the mission of helping Salon Owners move from stress, long hours & overwhelm.
Welcome to Snip and Sip unfiltered hair chat for the other 95%.
Speaker 2:What does that mean, gabby? The other 95% is that we are aiming for hairdressers everywhere, not just that top 5% that are award winners or social media stars. We want to give a voice and represent every hairdresser that loves hairdressing.
Speaker 1:Perfect, and we're your host, danielle, and obviously, the always fabulous Gabby.
Speaker 2:Today we are going to be discussing who supports the supporters. We're going to deep dive into what makes a successful hairdresser and who is it that's supporting us doing that, and and should we all just become therapists?
Speaker 1:And to help us with this, we're joined by Abby from New Zealand, so you Hair. We're also joined by Gemma at Ardour Organics in Perth and Blair all the way from Canberra. Pura, holistic. Thanks, guys. Now Gabby knows this, as many hairdressers do. They wear a lot of hats and you know a lot of things about me that people probably shouldn't know.
Speaker 2:Yes, being a hairdresser is so much more than just being a hairdresser. We are therapists, we are the cleaners, we're the social media managers, we're the receptionists, and then, when you become an owner, you're even more than that you become the HR department, the accountants, the payroll, the lawyers, and what we really want to talk about today is who's doing that. But before we do that, I want to ask you guys a question. What is an unexpected hat that you guys have had to wear in the salon before?
Speaker 3:Who's going first, other than therapists? Other?
Speaker 1:than therapists.
Speaker 3:Well, I've got to be a florist before A florist. Yes, I was doing a bridal party and the bride burst into tears because she had this bouquet of baby's breath and she wanted it to be a real round shape. But it came, you know, a real textured, rustic look, and she started crying. She's like I don't want to ask and I said look, I can cut hair. We're doing this, and I cut the bouquet into a ball for her. Oh my gosh, she loved it With your hairdressings, is it? No, but she loved it.
Speaker 4:I was like it's all right, I've got this, and off we went. That's an extra 50 bucks thanks.
Speaker 3:I was going to say did you charge for it? No, no, no, no.
Speaker 2:I don't know that's so good. What about you, Gemma?
Speaker 4:Mine recently has been a plumber and also trying to de-hair the washing machine, yes, but also flowing the back room because, you know, just trying to get the little filter out when they're still washing in the washing machine, yeah, and then the hair having to get the massive big thing of hair.
Speaker 4:Yes, the problem was when I was trying to undo the base and I actually ended up grinding down the sides. So then when I couldn't do it and Daniel, my husband, had to actually come in, he couldn't actually get the the thing onto the thing to get it out, because I'd worn it down so much so I just made the problem.
Speaker 5:Not a plumber, then yes, maybe not a successful plumber but one of them was okay, it's just the other one.
Speaker 5:What about you, abby? Um, we quite, quite often have in the salon babies and dogs, and so sometimes it's a daycare, doggy daycare and nursery, and it's just a lot of fun. We just, you know, mums need to get their hair done too, and so we have mum-friendly mornings and we invite them to bring their babies in. I mean, who doesn't love to squish a baby, right? Yeah, I mean, they smell delicious and it gives the mum a great time to get her hair done. And I have two dogs and they're regularly at work, so we invite our clients to bring theirs in, and sometimes it's a bit crazy. Oh my gosh, that would be insane. It's awesome.
Speaker 2:It's so good. Well, one time I had to be a detective at work. I was doing this lady's hair. She had a beautiful purse and we were like, oh my God, your purse is so amazing, she goes. Oh my gosh. I am so nervous about this at the moment because I actually got robbed and someone took all of my purses and like we were held at knife point. It was crazy. And we were like, oh my God, wow, anyway, moved on.
Speaker 2:So it was a busy day. So we moved on to our next client and we were straightening this girl's hair and she'd been coming in every week. We were like, eventually I said, what have you been doing? Like why are you coming in every week? Where are you going? She goes, look, I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I'm actually going to go visit my boyfriend in jail. And we were like, oh okay, what did he do? Said, well, he has been accused of holding people up at knife point and stealing their handbags. And I was like, and she told me the details of the story and it was her. And I was like, oh my God, she's there, she's there. And the lady ran out. Well, she got her, she paid for her and she just left. So I found the guy. I never told the, we didn't tell the handbag lady, but yeah.
Speaker 5:Wow, what are the?
Speaker 2:chances Pretty high. It was really cool, so I've had to be a detective.
Speaker 1:Obviously, you guys have a lot on your plate, by the sounds of things, and you can't do it alone. So there's a lot of industry bodies out there and millions of acronyms, so am going to refer to my card to make sure. I get them right. You've got the AHC, haba, hsa. There's a New Zealand one.
Speaker 5:I couldn't remember NZHARA.
Speaker 1:So have you guys used any of those? Are they actually useful? No, I didn't even know they existed. Oh, there you go'm.
Speaker 5:I'm a member of NZRH. Uh, is it useful? No, no what do.
Speaker 2:They say they do for you.
Speaker 5:I think if you're really interested in hairdressing competitions, um that side of hairdressing, then they they facilitate a lot of that. Um, it's just not something we do um, so we don't get much benefit out of it, but they're very supportive to to local, regional and then national hairdressing competitions, right um, they have, you know, legislation and um rules and etiquette to follow, as well as a guideline for all the salons that are registered there. But other than that, no, it doesn't really serve much purpose to me.
Speaker 3:What about you, blair? Yeah, so I am a member of the AHC. When I first opened the salon, I found it useful, purely from the basis of I'm a creative, I'm not an administrative person at all and just having to make up some of those documents and you know things when it comes to HR, or whether it comes to you know policies and procedures, and all of those things. I found the templates were useful. The other thing that I do find useful is the access to industrial relations questions. I think that we're lacking somewhere, though, lots of other things that aren't easily available. You know, through some of these, I guess, bodies for people to utilise.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, Kind of I was thinking about it before off camera we were talking about the pay of someone and it was a confusing kind of thing, like well, how much does she get paid? Because she's this, but she's that and she's there. And it doesn't really feel like our industry bodies are kind of putting their hands up and saying we'll help you with that. If you ever need help, call us. And you maybe could have called and asked, but instead it was just all of us putting our heads together, trying to work it out together, and that's where things can kind of get a little bit muddy and we can potentially get in trouble.
Speaker 4:That's exactly right and that's the problem, isn't it? You can get in trouble for making the wrong moves, but you don't mean to it's if you're a sole trader to if you're a company. So when you change over, then you've got to change everything going. If you don't know that, then you could be paying people wrong, or yeah, there's just lots of places where you can trip up. I yeah, like even do you pay tool allowance? Do you not like a meal allowance? Like that's like there's all these different rules for the one, but how do you know which one you fall under?
Speaker 2:yeah, I see on Facebook, on like all those Facebook hairdressing groups, and someone will be asking, like how much should I be paying this person or something, and then every single person that puts a comment has a different answer yeah, they're different.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, and.
Speaker 2:I'm like, oh god, what are they gonna do? Just pay them what you want. Yeah, that's kind of what it ends up being. It feels like that.
Speaker 3:I think with the AHC, like, I do have access to ask those questions, but if not, everybody's a member, yeah, you know, or they're not aware, or yeah, like if whoever you're ringing and speaking to isn't all over every single state because everything is so different, it makes it super tricky. So yeah, I mean, like in the industry, people can get into trouble a lot because they're not well, they don't actually realize that they're not quite doing the right thing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, it's tricky so they're kind of there maybe to do you really feel like they're just there to kind of help with the accounting, hr, payroll kind of side of things, the Australian ones at least well, from a resources perspective, there's a lot of that in there, yeah, that kind of back-end stuff, which I think is a positive thing that they have that, because most people that are headmasters are creative, so the administrators, that's why they're in the job, right. So the administrative stuff, um, perhaps they need that support, um. So yeah, I think most of it is, I guess, that those kinds of things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So what about everything else that we need?
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's a thing, isn't it we?
Speaker 2:need so much. Where else can we look for that support?
Speaker 4:I think sometimes it's why you try to make sure you've got friends that are salon owners so you can ask them and be like, hey, what do you do for this? And you know, try to figure it out that way.
Speaker 5:I think the most beneficial resource I've ever found was part of a coaching group called Salon Owners Collective, and so Larissa, who runs that, used to have a very successful salon in Wellington that I came over from the UK to work at. A very successful salon in Wellington that I came over from the UK to work at, yeah, and she has has such a comprehensive setup. So it's coaching, but it's not just one-on-one, so you have group sessions and so you have a Facebook group and there's lots of discussion points. Everything's recorded so if you miss it you can go back and watch it, and in the two years that I was part of that, I got all my back end stuff, my systems and procedures because they have all of that on there, and the best thing for me was just the community of being able to say this is what's happening. Does anyone have any advice?
Speaker 5:yeah yeah, and you're talking to other salon owners who are in the trenches with you and giving you proper, real, tangible advice, not just willy-nilly. Yeah, plucked off the internet. Heard through so-and-so it's. It's all backed up by fact. So that's been where I've found the most benefit so like a salon coach.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, I've just started paying for a salon coach and I reckon it's great because it's all of that stuff is behind the scenes, ready for you to go. You need a form for something. It's there, you know, and just even I like to listen to a lot of other salon owners that do things. So if there's a little, I recently brought this thing um a board of this lady who'd created a trello board and it had all the systems in there. You just just go fill in all your details and it's great because then you just go and put in there everything. So it means you can go away and all of your procedures and everything that's in there. Wow, yeah, it's so good. It's just putting all the fine details in there now, but then it's got all the groundwork done. Yeah, the groundwork's done.
Speaker 3:So there's a lot, yeah, lot, yeah. I think that is the hardest part, as in we, you know the we creative brain thinkers, perhaps not this side and um, I, I have personally bought since I have started my salons, have personally bought a different template for my policies and procedures because I was like, okay, I had the basics but now I need to add things. So I I bought a bigger template, then changed it all in mine and that, like, obviously my that's not my head, but I did it. I got through that. But, yeah, some of those things are amazing I've done like prior to being a salon owner.
Speaker 3:The salon that I worked for was a part, had a coach, but they actually weren't in the hairdressing industry and I actually didn't think that that was a bad thing in some ways. But they I think they need to be a bit more aware of the industry because they brought in some ideas and some sort of back-end stuff that made things quite easy to do and fluid that were different. Does that make sense? So I think that that wasn't a wasn't a bad thing. I think that was a good thing and, lucky for me, I was there during that process, so I got to learn some of those things as well, and some of the other things that are out there, but yeah, Danielle, you're not part of our industry.
Speaker 2:as a hairdresser, I would say Sort of you are. You're all my friends right. How do you think? Do you think someone who's not in the industry, can you?
Speaker 1:give advice? Yeah, absolutely. You give advice? Yeah, absolutely. I love hearing all of that because I do wonder whether you need to be in the industry to actually add value to the industry. I've got a lot of sales and finance background, so I love all the detail that you hate Abby and processes improvements. That way, sometimes, when you alleviate those sort of back-end things, it can give you a bit more space for yourself and your own creativity, and so it's good to hear like a business coach not just salon coaches as well. They all add value in some way so that you can focus on what you're good at and what you enjoy doing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, rather than having to be absolutely everything to everybody yeah absolutely, yeah, I feel like having that outside perspective, especially for us hairdressers. We try not to be, but we are such creatures of habit, aren't we like it's always been done like this, so this is how we do it and we could not possibly do it another way. And then having that outsider's perspective being like what are you doing that? For?
Speaker 2:that is crazy, and we're like I don't know, it's just how we do it, that's how you do it, that's what hairdressers do not the norm yeah and like that's what clients expect and we have to do it like that and they're like but why like this is insane. So I think really having that outsider's perspective is really good. But I know, being kind of halfway in between two industries maybe I see hairdressers are very closed off to non-hairdressers. You know you're not in my industry. You do not understand what do you mean, gabby, you are not in my industry and you do not understand what I'm talking about and I notice that a lot.
Speaker 1:And it's true, like there's definitely a huge element that I know from being so. I work for a hair care company, so we do a lot of the back end and the technical stuff and we learn the ingredients and things. But there are things that you guys do that I will never understand. Being on the floor talking to all those people, the emotional impact it has on you. So absolutely, totally, I can see where that comes from. But it is nice to be collaborative and add value where you can, but yeah, it's hard from both sides because it's such a creative area and then to try and take whatever support you can get from the non-creatives like me to try and give you guys the space to be yourself.
Speaker 5:My husband put it in a very interesting way, because he's been my business partner for 10 years and he is an accountant, so he is very numbers and details driven, which is the opposite to me. And he said to me when we were struggling to communicate because we spoke different languages. Essentially he said, you need to learn to speak to me in numbers and spreadsheets and I need to learn to speak to you in pictures and ideas. And we almost had to create our own way of, yeah, being able to, for him to articulate to me what he needed and for me to articulate to him what I needed. And I think that's where having somebody forensically look at your business without the hairdresser cap on can be just nothing but beneficial.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 5:So good to just have somebody who's not thinking the way you think. Look at it and say well, actually you should try this.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and hairdressers are really closed off to that a lot of the time so definitely a lesson to really open it up, and we are really good at hair. Yeah, yeah being creative?
Speaker 4:yeah, yeah, we are. I'm gonna come up with the ideas, not how I articulate the idea yeah, or any of the follow through the numbers and I'm like all right, this is a conversation not for me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, not for me. So we're looking at coaches and salon coaches. Where else can we look for support?
Speaker 5:Home, home, yeah, I think home's a big, big support. We've all got families, yeah, and I'm sure you know, as clients will dump, dump on us. We will then go home and dump on them.
Speaker 3:Um, and I think having a really, you know, connected family is so important yeah, and a connected community, so inside the home and outside, so like people have. So some salon owners aren't actually hairdressers too, so they have different, different strengths, but outside of even the industry, um, you know kind of creating that, um like-minded community, and even though you might be all in different industries, we can all learn things off each other, right? Um, so, yeah, just having that. Yeah, what community is exactly what it is? I?
Speaker 2:think, yeah, yeah, and having the people that have the same ideas as you and are on the same journey, yeah, maybe, just at different points, yeah, yeah, that's so some way that I love to look, because I love Instagram. I actually really look at social media for support, um, and I know that I do whinge about it sometimes and I hate it, but at the same time, I really feel like it can be beneficial. Um, we can get ideas from different people and we can see how they're charging things or different techniques or the way that they're bringing clients in. Even if you maybe don't agree with it, you're like that's an idea. But sometimes I have to put my critical thinking cap on and I have to think can I trust this? What do you guys think? Have you ever considered using social?
Speaker 3:media. Oh, I definitely look at social media, but I've also opened my mind to go well, what's the whole picture? I don't want to know what's just I can see here on this little clip or in the feed, because that's not always well, it's definitely not the everything. So I kind of, from there, I'd like to get on Google.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and go down that hole, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:But like because I want to make sure that who I'm putting in my support network is you know that they're aligned. Does that make sense?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think also our teams. You know Like I feel like when stuff happens on the floor, you want to know that you can go in the back room and have someone to rely on to get you through. If you're having maybe something that's not quite going right, or customer that's not quite clients, that's quite happy, or and I know with me at work I do spot when something's going on and somebody, someone might need them in the back room and they kind of do the same as well, because I've created that community of we hold each other up. You know, we've even got a little magnet system that we put on our lockers if we're like. So once we're doing it's a little white flag and that's a help me. And we've got a little sad face, we've got a little happy face. So if you're needing help throughout the day, you can actually just put your magnet on your locker.
Speaker 1:That's adorable.
Speaker 4:We kind of came through with Christmas we had. The first Saturday was manic and I was like how can we not? How can we diffuse this before it gets this bad? So I came to work my magnets and said I've got magnets. They're like you are an idiot, I'm like you're gonna like this, though you wait. And yeah, we. It doesn't happen all the time, but there's sometimes they'll one of them put it up when they need a bit of extra TLC go get yourself a cup of tea, sit down, get, get some essential oils.
Speaker 4:do a few deep breathing. They're like okay, but they do it to me as well. Do you need some essential oils, gemma?
Speaker 2:We used to have and this is probably off topic we used to have a code in our salon for a painful client and it was D17. I don't know where it came from.
Speaker 1:Even I know that code because I used to get the calls when I lived over in Perth. I would help them with the calls for the salons too, and I would say D7,. I'm like, oh, I'd be extra nice to them.
Speaker 2:But I think having that little rapport and be able to talk to everyone and say, like this person isn't the greatest client we've ever had. We need a little bit more support with this. And so it would be on their client card, for instance, it would say D17. With this, yeah.
Speaker 1:And so it would be on their client card, for instance, it would say d17 and we would know that this is might be a little bit more painful today and the whole extra care with each other exactly, and the whole salon would know together like let's power through.
Speaker 4:Let's do it, guys. I think it's good when you can get through things like that with your team, you come out as a stronger connection and united.
Speaker 3:At the end of it, all you know and I think that's what it comes to is that team connection within your workplaces, absolutely and I think as well, like, and also on another side of this, can help, like, make the team feel more valued, their input on their strengths, right, so you know if there's people that have people may sell and who's who is actually really really good at admin, right, and there's people that have people in the salon who is actually really really good at admin right, and there's someone who's really good at social media and I'm like you know it's sort of removing the ego as well going I have to know everything because I'm the salon owner and I have to be everything and I have to wear these hats because I am the salon owner.
Speaker 3:It's just breaking that down. I go no, I don't. You're amazing at that. Do you want that job in the salon, like that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Like you're really good at that, I'm going to give that to you yeah, and that, having that, you know, drawing on the strengths of your team as well, yeah, I love that. Yeah, we've been talking a lot about ourselves and who's supporting us, but you guys have kind of brought it up a little bit we need to support our staff as well oh yeah yeah, absolutely. Have you guys brought any ways in that you guys are supporting your staff that would be of interest to others? Maybe they haven't thought of it.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you go. Well, I just think I always do like team retreat days or do little things, just show them, I appreciate them and I also say that to them. At the end of the day I would say thank you for today.
Speaker 4:Yes, yes, you know just thanking them for the time that they've been there and the effort that they put in and show them the appreciation, because I don't think we show people enough in any aspect of our lives sometimes how much we appreciate people. Yes, so I try to make sure that I always bring awareness to that for my team.
Speaker 3:Yeah, lift them up, those little daily, you know being grateful.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I even send a weekly email. In the beginning of it I always send a little affirmation goal like thing for them to. I used to write on the whiteboard, but now it's just an email for everyone to read. Yeah, nice.
Speaker 3:We have a bit of a wellness program that we've put in place and it's like wellness for, I guess, total wellness. So our salon works a little bit differently, Like we have a naturopath, an acupuncturist, things like that. So I've sort of come to a little bit of an agreement with you know, cross services there. Also, we have each staff member gets paid mental health days on top of their annual leave. But I've also just recently implemented I purchased the corporate Calm app for everybody as well, so that they're able to learn, you know, how to sort of downregulate if they're feeling nervous go through breathing patterns, things that they can use at night to sleep better, all those sort of extra things.
Speaker 3:And then, like you, we're doing lots of workshops. So a lot of the time when we get together and do team training, often it's not actually about hair stuff. So, for example, at the end of this month we have a chiropractor, exercise physiologist coming in teaching them specific stretches for hairdressers, what to do at the end of the day, things that they can do in between in their lunch break. You know things like that.
Speaker 5:So I think, um, yeah, lots of we can think outside the box, right, and you like, utilize um, things that perhaps that they can't necessarily always find on instagram or you know, yeah um, we've recently, just um, after consulting with the team, um, we've actually gone down to a four-day working week, um, and that was because the girls really felt like a three-day weekend would really benefit them for their mental health. Um, my team put a lot of value on having time away from the salon. So we don't do a lot of team things. We have, you know, day activities that we'll do every now and then, but my girls actually just really like to step away from the salon and do what they are passionate about and so, yeah, now we do the four-day week. We've tried things like yoga, um, before work and whatnot, but yeah, they just they love their three three-day weekends. They want to see you less, not more.
Speaker 4:Yeah don't make me come in on the day off and do yoga. Yeah, and I actually.
Speaker 5:I kind of love that myself, because I'm a real homebody, and so I would much rather spend the day at home with a book than doing some team building, and my girls kind of reflect that as well yeah, well, that's what that like.
Speaker 3:Obviously, what you've noticed is where you've attracted like-minded yeah but, you're also, you know, giving them what they need, what, not what you think they need.
Speaker 4:Yeah my girls get a rosset saturday off and after that three-day weekend they just come back to work.
Speaker 3:It's like a little bounce in their step you know, just keep some absolutely like oh, it's my long weekend and yeah we went to a four-day work week at the start of the year as well, and it honestly has made a difference. It has not made a difference to actually that the way that the salon um performs at all, um but it's absolutely made a difference to the way that the stylists feel and perform. That's awesome yeah.
Speaker 2:And I feel like all of that amazing stuff is going to be attracting staff. Yeah, like those are the things that staff are looking for at the moment, because they can get paid pretty much the same everywhere. It's those extra little touches.
Speaker 5:It's the lifestyle that you bring to it. I think you know having a work-life balance is so important?
Speaker 4:Yeah, 100%, and I just really like my team are like my work children, like I go home and I've got my children and then I come and like their mental health and they are really important to me. Yes, Like just completely away from the business they are. I really care about them and their mental health.
Speaker 2:As business they are. I really care about them and their mental health as humans. Yeah, you should put that as your hat mum.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I'm a salon auntie supposedly because I'm the fun one, so I'm not the place jokes and everybody in right from another.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna flip it from the staff as well but do you also find support from suppliers? Do you find that? Because I know you've spoken about community, the community you guys give your staff, but what about for each other and beyond your salon walls too, Like when you choose products or choose things and the support that those businesses give you? Is that something that you consider when you get those or something that you lean on at?
Speaker 4:times 100, I think my main ones. I get a lot of support from it's just like. There's so many times, though, where I've got a new product in and I've been ghosted and I'm like, how do I even? Like I recently got something in and then the other day I went, I had to go and mix this thing up and I was like, how do I use this? And one of the girls was like, oh, I think you just do this. And it's like, hang on, why have we had no training on this product yet, like, and why, and I've not been contacted by the rep to say, hey, do you need training? I was like, oh, you wanted to talk to me beforehand, but I do have my main suppliers. I do find that I've got they've. You know, they help me and actually care about me as well. So, and give you like a support network, yeah, and I could call up and I know I could probably talk about anything as well, like just because they care, like you know, ask me how I am, yeah, yeah definitely.
Speaker 3:I think that that's. I find that too, that, um, my main suppliers actually know us as human beings. Does that make sense, rather than just another person that's buying, yeah, like literally like a transaction? Um, know, know us and care about us as human beings, and I think that that's actually what's important because, to be honest, you can go and get cutting training, colour technique training, curly cutting, like all these different things anywhere, and they're not the suppliers that are doing them, they're, you know, the people that are skilling themselves to become experts in those areas. But where people often don't get supported from their suppliers is those other things, those extra things that, hey, I've got a question about this. Can you help me about this? What's you know that perhaps? Yes, it's obviously got to do with selling. You're not going to ring your supplier and go oh hey, I'm just wondering how to cook.
Speaker 3:Uh, you would be so surprised I mean, I mean I wouldn't do that, but like knowing, okay, well, hang on, they, they're in the industry, maybe they have an answer for this to help me. And I actually know that when I ask those questions I would genuinely get, like you know as much as they can, information that they can provide they will. So I think that there's that. Yeah, that's obviously where that industry we need to bring in more of that everywhere, I feel, because, like, honestly, cutting training, all of these ones, they're all wonderful because we need to know how to do that, otherwise none of us would have a job and we won't be. You know, not upskilling ourselves. I think we need to consistently do that.
Speaker 3:But upskilling also comes from not just upskilling our technical skills. It comes upskilling, perhaps you know, our knowledge of ingredients, our knowledge of ourselves, um, creating upskilling in communities and um, as in, like, being open to celebrate everybody. Does that make sense? All of those kinds of things? And I think that that's where, um, my, my main suppliers definitely do that, but I know that um, other people in from that aren't using the same as me personally. Um, that's where they go. Where do you learn all that stuff? And I say, well, firstly, I research myself, but I also know that I have, because I have chosen the right network for me and what I need. I know that I could actually, you know, call up my supplier, like-minded salon owners, and go, hey, what do you do here, what do you think you know those kinds of things?
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, you hey, what do you do here? What do you think um, you know those kinds of things, yeah, yeah, you don't need to have 10 000 followers for them to actually want to engage with you, kind of thing I think um, for us in new zealand it's very easy to feel isolated.
Speaker 5:Um, and I guess in the last 10 years that that's probably the biggest thing for me is is having, necessarily, reps. And I think probably eight years ago, if you'd said to me I would be working with a company where there is no rep now, I would have been shocked to my core because back then I thought that was your only point of contact, but my main supplier. Now they treat you like family and the relationship you have, the trust that you have with them, is actually more important than having somebody pop into your salon once a month. You know, knowing that there's somebody always at the end of the phone that you can talk to about those conversations industry related, and they're there to help you, that they want to see you succeed, they want you to grow um, and there's other benefits as well. You know there's opportunities that they can provide you, like this um and connections to people.
Speaker 5:You know being in new zealand meeting australian hairdressers is is huge and building that wider connection between the two countries is is awesome. Yeah, you know, even though we do things a little bit differently, um, it's great having those connections and without for me, my, my, supplier, I wouldn't have those yeah, absolutely yeah and reps just popping in just because they have to go, and they're just taking a box, and it's when you're busy with clients anyway, and it's like I can't.
Speaker 5:I'm with a client, so you know, and I always feel like reps just want to sell you something rather than wholesome conversations rather than being like hey, you know how's it going, is there anything we can do for you? Um? Or being at the end of an email of like this has been a really sucky month or a challenging month, or whatever, and them saying, right, well, here's some tangible solutions. Yeah, exactly because you'd like, that's what you want yeah, are you?
Speaker 2:listening suppliers, that's what they want we don't want.
Speaker 5:We don't want free things being dropped off. Yeah, you know like I think suppliers need to actually look at the values of the salons and be like do we align? Because there's nothing I dislike more than having a brand that doesn't align at all with me, having them constantly popping in and being like here's some free stuff. It's like I don't want it. You've obviously not looked, you don't, you don't mean.
Speaker 5:It is like do you think I'm like that, like I don't want your free things, I just you obviously don't know me, my values, my ethics, my, my business, so yeah, out yeah, yeah, I totally agree well, what can suppliers do?
Speaker 2:what more can they do?
Speaker 3:well, I think the first thing is that they can do is their reps make an appointment to come here.
Speaker 4:Yeah, appointment, I gotta make a point.
Speaker 3:Well, I'm like I know we're joking, but we're all like serious at the same time, right? Because, like so many times, reps have come in and they're like I know you're joking, but we're all like serious at the same time, right? Because, like so many times, reps have come in and they're like I know you're busy and I should have made an appointment, but I'm like there's no, but that's the end.
Speaker 3:I'm like I'm in the middle of a but Like, justify this Like being kind, but like we're often on the floor right and we don't physically, and we're already stressed- and sometimes it's already.
Speaker 5:We're like, okay, I can't, I can't do this right, this is just yeah. There's nothing worse than having to leave a client to go and talk to somebody who spontaneously popped up and decided to impose themselves on you for a product that you're not interested in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, you are interested in and you can't actually give them that time.
Speaker 3:You can't yeah, and I feel like if you are interested in it, you're gonna seek them out, absolutely, I don't think it does them justice just to kind of drop and, and you know, leave things and then not make appointments, because then we're like we're too busy to look at this. What's all this stuff they've left, you know, whereas if we could actually have a genuine conversation, let's see if it is for me, if it's not for me, those kinds of things. So I think, um, that's first from suppliers, but yes, the second is. The second is really getting to know the people that you supply to. I think everything comes back to sort of that human emotional connection, regardless of what it is. People say I want to make more money, but when you dig down deeper, it's the why, why, why, why, why it's always attached to some kind of emotional connection. And if you can make that with people, I think for their own benefit they might sell more, but also the salons are going to feel more supported.
Speaker 5:So, yeah, yeah, I think it would be really beneficial if suppliers with, in terms of education, just offered it to everyone and as salon owners, we could look at you know courses and say, oh yeah, this actually is something we really want to do right now. You know, we can send our people on it, because I don't know if it's the same here, but in new zealand if you're not one of their customers, you can't. You can't go right, and so it's quite limiting where there's already, you know, barely any education out there, as it is to send people on. I feel like it's one one of the amazing benefits of australia. I feel like there's always something for you guys to go to um, and I feel like in new zealand we're really limited in that um. So any any support from suppliers in terms of just putting on education for the masses, for anyone, yeah, would be what's just inclusive, including it's just inclusive to everyone yeah and all that does is benefit the industry something we're so lucky to have in australia at the moment is so many um, individual educators.
Speaker 2:so they're not working for a product company and maybe they might be supported or sponsored by them, but they are working on their own, yeah, and they're doing up. They're doing all of their own things, and I think that is so, so cool Like these specialists in their craft are able to spread that with absolutely no bias. Maybe they might tell you what bleach they're using or something, but in the end, it's them that's actually also getting.
Speaker 4:They want to. And they're getting the money for it too, which they should Like, it's theirs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I really love that. New Zealand need that. You need to do that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you need to be that person Go on Another hat, not so many hats now.
Speaker 4:One of my suppliers. He actually takes me out one Tuesday a month for either breakfast or lunch and we just chat, like he talks to me about you know what can I do for you? How talks to me about you know what can I do for you, how can I help you to get to where you need to be. And it's not about what I can do, like how I can support his product. It's really about he cares about what I'm doing and what he can offer me. So I think that creating relationships in that way will build your businesses way more than if you're just popping in just because you have to meet a KPI.
Speaker 3:Yeah, two-way relationship.
Speaker 4:Yeah, exactly, and he does, he holds me accountable as well. He'll go and write down the stuff we talked about and he's like all right, in a week's time I'm going to message you to make sure you've done this. I'm like, oh no, I have to do it.
Speaker 3:He's almost like a coach.
Speaker 5:We do need to be held accountable, though, don I'm very shiny Shiny things Shiny object syndrome, I'm like oh, what's that over there?
Speaker 2:Working for a supplier, we obviously are talking to people all the time and we have, like in hairdressing, you have to write your notes from your call or from your thing, and sometimes the notes that you see are wild. It'll be like I told her that I was a little bit worried about turning 40. And she agreed and, like call, went for one hour, spoke about one product.
Speaker 4:That's good, though I feel like that's going to like that will get people buying products. Yeah, because then they feel valued as a human.
Speaker 2:That's how you get loyalty Absolutely.
Speaker 4:That's how you get loyalty and that's how you start creating a change within the industry and you know, creating that yeah.
Speaker 2:It is really it's wild, the things that we hear about hairdressing, but we need therapists too. Yeah, we do, and here we are Speaking of therapists. There are obviously more initiatives than just that. We can look outside the industry for help. I saw recently it was called hairdressers with hearts and it was for people to be able to spot signs of like abuse or yes, I've seen that um elder things and be able to actually help the client and find ways to um and give them uh, what's it called help, support.
Speaker 2:Yeah, tell them where to direct them, where to go. Yeah, have you guys ever used any type of service like that or?
Speaker 3:had a look, I have looked into, yeah, that service.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think it's amazing. I think that for lots of reasons um, so, because we do, they tell us a lot of things, right, and then, and we do get to know our clients well, like, sometimes we've been through their, their, you know their weddings, their birth, their divorces, like their, everything right. So I think those kinds of things um are amazing. If we had you know more, yeah, we had more access to resources like that um, or we go source them out ourselves so that we can then direct, because quite often, you know, we we do act as a therapist, but we're actually not therapists, right, we're not qualified to be therapists. So, um, yeah, I think some of these services are amazing where we can direct. I I've actually had um a local um, actually it was for law um pop in and say look, I know that clients talk to you about a lot of things, um, if they're struggling with their separations, um, this is what we do. So I think lots of other people are actually acknowledging that what our clients come in and tell us, as hairdressers too.
Speaker 4:So I think those things are great yeah, we um support a local charity called Worthy Australia which is for and rehoming women in domestic violence. Relationship like relationships, and that's what I feel like we need to learn more about this, because that there's been so many times in my chair. A client has said something that I'm like, oh that's, and then how do you risk, because you've got to respond in the right way as well. Yeah, so you know, no training.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and I can sometimes be tough, not mine like or sometimes we get people that come to us for that reason and then break down because they've just left a domestic violence relationship, and you, you need to be saying the right type of thing.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so, but it's also, like that weighs so heavy. That does weigh heavy on you and you know there's there's been some conversations in the chair that you know still to this day I think about um, but I I've used therapists myself and my god, I love them. Yeah, I cannot recommend therapy enough. It's just so good to just go and just talk to someone who's just non-judgmental and just listens, because we're so used to being the listeners and to have somebody else listen to you. It's just so cathartic. I wish I could afford to do it every week, because it's just incredible there shouldn't be shame associated.
Speaker 4:You know some people, oh my gosh, it's good.
Speaker 5:Therapy is incredible. Just I think, with all the load that we take and I will keep referring back to the mental load that we carry sometimes you need somewhere to offload some of that load you know Exactly because your partner when you get home is not because they're like what?
Speaker 5:No, I think there's an incredible author called Brené Brown and everyone knows her because she is just a god that's been put on this earth and she talks about having, as a couple, having 100, and she'll say she might come home and be like I've got 20 today and her husband will be like I've got the other 80. And if you're both coming home and you're unloading and you're both at 20, that sucks and that gets you in a really hard place in your relationship. So it's so good to have somewhere to go to go and offload and then you can come and bring your your hundred to your relationships at home. Yeah, stops that pressure. Yeah, definitely, there you go go to therapy.
Speaker 3:Go to therapy, but continue to like work on your own mental well-being too, like I don't necessarily do it therapy but I do with other ways that feel good for me, but just to release and move through things.
Speaker 5:Some people use exercise, but that's revolting.
Speaker 4:I use exercise and sauna. Just sweat my little box off in there. Infrared saunas are the way forward. Yeah, they're good. I just sit in there and have deep pondering thoughts of the world.
Speaker 2:Some other random support thing that we were talking about, which is not a sauna but it could be, is actually using someone like, let's say, an interior designer.
Speaker 1:Random.
Speaker 2:However, when we are making our salons, we go, oh my God, that looks so beautiful. And then we make it and it's done. There we go, oh my God, that looks so beautiful, and then we make it and it's done. There are lots of things that we might not be thinking about Accessibility, for instance, or lighting design, those kinds of things, so we can get support from other professionals in other random spots. But we would never think to because, well, this is what a hair salon looks like and so I'll have this hair salon, Instead of thinking like is this lighting going to be right for the photos I want to take? Or, from an inclusion way, will this seat move? Can I get this seat to move so that I can pop a wheelchair here, or can they get up the stairs, or do I have stairs? Do I have a bathroom that they can use?
Speaker 2:There's all these completely random things that we would never think.
Speaker 5:No.
Speaker 4:Which is why we get professionals. And now I'm thinking about myself. I'm like damn, I've got a lot of issues myself.
Speaker 5:Your husband can fix everything.
Speaker 2:That's fine, just to fix it, get him onto it, get a new ramp yeah, but so many different places that we can get support from which that we can get support from which is not in the hairdressing industry. It's not really about hairdressing. No, that's right, but it's really going to impact our business for the better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 100%. And even that emotional well-being too, like if you can offload some of that stuff that you know other people can take on and do it easily, then it gives you the space to actually handle all the things and all of the burden that you deal with. Find the therapist, find the salon stylist, find the people are good at numbers and it will actually help the day-to-day and actually just looking after yourself holistically.
Speaker 5:Yeah, you just can't do everything yourself, and I think there's always there's a period of time as a business owner that you start to think I've got to be everything to everyone, and when you realize you can't and start to delegate things away from yourself so that you can cope with the things you can cope with, that's huge. Yeah, I think that's a real pivotal point in being a business owner yeah definitely absolutely well, have we forgotten anyone?
Speaker 2:I hope not. We probably have. If we have, please comment it down below. Let us know who supports you as the hairdresser. Follow us on Instagram, social media, find us. And obviously, hairdressers are not mental health professionals in the slightest, so we will have resources down below to support you and your clients in getting any support that you may need.
Speaker 1:And if you need to call anybody 1300RESPECT, it will be below as well.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Well, thank you so much, guys. See you next time.