Snip & Sip Podcast
Welcome to Snip and Sip, the podcast where hairdressers and industry professionals come together for unfiltered hair talk!
Snip & Sip Podcast
Are You Just Another Blonde Specialist? Why Branding Matters
Join us on Snip and Sip to unlock the secrets of branding success in the hair and beauty industry. Featuring Jade from Privé in Melbourne, Gemma from Ardor Organics in Perth, and our guest host Janelle, a Sales Manager and Freelance Hairdresser in Brisbane, this episode offers a treasure trove of insights on how the right branding can elevate your salon to new heights. Discover how industry icons like Tabitha Coffey and Renee from Salon Society use their unique personal brands to create emotional bonds with their audience and how you can do the same in your own salon.
Explore the fine art of aligning your brand with your recruitment strategies to attract not just clients but also the perfect team. We dive into how clear communication of your salon values across platforms can be a magnet for like-minded individuals, ensuring your team grows in harmony with your core ethos. Whether you're focusing on low-tox, holistic hairdressing or looking to carve out a niche in a crowded market, our conversation will guide you in tailoring branding strategies that truly resonate.
Navigate the challenges of maintaining a strong brand identity, especially for businesses committed to low-tox and organic offerings. From managing client expectations to handling critical feedback with grace, discover how transparency and consistency can reinforce your brand's reputation. We also discuss the importance of building a brand that can thrive even when the founder steps back, highlighting the role of team culture and consistent customer experience. Plus, get strategic tips on promoting your specialties to attract the right clientele without becoming just another face in the saturated world of hair and beauty.
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Find our guests:
Jade Crosland from Prive Hair Organics
Gemma Innes from Ardor Organics
Janelle Fletcher from Eco Salon Supplies
Welcome to Snip and Sip unfiltered hair chat for the other 95%. What does that mean, gabby?
Gabby:The other 95% means we are for every single hairdresser, not just massive Instagram influencers or salon owners that have 30, 50 staff. We want to hear and lift up everyone's voices and we want to hear everyone's opinions, and I think we've got a good group to give us those today. So we've got Jade from Privé in Melbourne, we've got Gemma from Ardour in Perth and we have an extra special guest host We've got Janelle, who is a sales manager and a freelance hairdresser.
Danielle:Hey guys, Thanks for having me, and we're your hosts, danielle and the always fabulous Gabby Hi.
Gabby:So today we are going to be talking about branding, and if you're here for a how to, how can I brand my salon? I'm sorry, but you're in the wrong place. Today we are going to be talking about why you would brand, how you would brand the good, the you're in the wrong place. Today we are going to be talking about why you would brand, how you would brand the good, the bad and definitely the ugly. So, guys, I've got a little bit of an icebreaker for you. I wanted to ask you what is your favorite brand in the hair and beauty industry, and it doesn't just have to be like I don't know a generic Schwarzkopf answer. I want to know what you love about a brand and how they market themselves and why who wants to go first?
Jade:I can go first. Go, Yep, Okay. So someone that I love as a brand and she is a brand in herself is Tabitha Coffey.
Gabby:I love her. I'm obsessed with that show.
Jade:Yeah, literally. So she's obviously a hairdresser and just think she is has such a powerful presence and consistent message, and so one of her sayings, which is like a really well-known, inspirational thing, is just like you know, as a female hairdresser, I'm proud to say I'm a bitch and everyone's like well, but bitch stands for brave, intelligent, tenacious, creative and honest. And I was like, oh my God, I'm a bitch too. I want to be a bitch. So, yeah, I just think her message is so consistent and inspiring and, you know, as someone that came from nothing in the industry and built herself up, I think it's really inspirational.
Gabby:Yeah, that's really good. She does have a really good brand, like randomly, but her haircut is such like that's her brand. Yeah, that's my scalp bleach. Imagine if she came into your salon like I would be petrified same same die. Yeah, that's so good. I love that.
Gemma:Gemma, and so I love Renee from Salon Society. She is I just love falling. She's always wearing something really like she's about to head out, just love following. She's always wearing something really like she's about to head out on a night out. She's always just beautiful and she's got a beautiful message that she's trying to bring together as a collective voice in the hairdressing industry. So I feel like I enjoy looking at her stuff.
Gabby:Yeah, does she have like an Instagram following, like a big Instagram presence, or?
Gemma:Well, she's an Instagram, so she teaches hairdressers how to do Instagram Amazing. But who she is on social media is who she is in person as well. So she's just and I just love that. She just is always dressed up so amazingly.
Gabby:That's so nice. I love that. Yeah, what about you, janelle?
Janelle:I think I'm going to go with the Secret Fox. So it's a group of education, so it's a collaboration of all brands Hair color, hair cutting, it doesn't matter what brand you've come from, it's just a nice collaboration to share information and it's a membership-based program so everyone can be a part of it, so you're getting a nice broad range of training.
Gabby:I've loved like the visuals of them, like when they first started and they had like glitter and like fun. I was like I'd love to be a part of that. I don't know what it is, but I like the look of it, it's the glitter Gabby.
Jade:It's the glitter Anyone. So by glitter it is, and I think everyone can relate.
Gabby:There's something in there, yeah you can do.
Janelle:Vivid color you can do. Lived in you can do sharp hair cutting.
Gabby:Yeah, do it all, you'll find something. Yeah, I love that fabulous. Well, you guys are on the right track, I guess, with branding in general. Um, so the first thing I want to talk about is, like why is branding important? Like why is it important to have your own salon brand or your own personal brand in the hair industry today? Because I know maybe 10, 20 years ago you could get around being like a faceless human without any kind of thing, but now we need it. And why is that?
Gemma:I think there's so much noise out there, there's so many hairdressers and I guess with social media these days you see all those hairdressers on there. I guess we didn't really have social media that you didn't really have to compete with so much out there. So I think having a brand is definitely important in standing out and having your message out there type thing.
Jade:It's actually really been researched and documented that people aren't invested in the business as much as they used to. It's actually the person behind the business which ties into branding and personal branding, and it's because there's an emotional connection, and so you know, some of the most liked reels and posts that we do in our salon, which I'm sure you would agree, are the people, so the staff, when they're talking, when we're, you know, doing our day-to-day interactions, versus an immaculate picture of hair which still performs well when it's relevant. Yeah, but people are really invested in who are the people behind this brand? Um, and so I think you know, personal branding is definitely, when you're the owner, a real reflection of that. So it's really the founders and the directors of things that are building the brand, more so than just the brand itself yeah, that makes sense and then that emulates the culture, the whole energy.
Jade:It has to all tie in to build that emotional connection, loyalty, and want for people to invest and, yeah, have services with you yeah, yeah, I definitely agree what do you expect?
Gabby:do you expect your staff to be part of that branding?
Jade:100%.
Gabby:And how Like on Instagram. Is it how they work? Like, how is your staff involved in that?
Jade:I think it comes down to recruiting the right staff.
Gemma:I definitely think it has to be. I think if they don't align, then when people come in it's going to almost be fake as to what you're actually portraying out there. So you need people that that completely understand what your, your mission is, I guess as well yeah, yeah.
Jade:Mission, values and ethos ultimately is the core of everything you do, and branding is a representation of that. So you have to your staff have to embody your mission, values and ethos, and then that is the branding in itself does it sound like that?
Danielle:that's a genius you feel like that's a lot of pressure, though, because I feel like you used to be able to just have a skill set, do really well with your skill set and move on, and now that everything's a bit more exposed with social media, it's almost like every decision you make is a reflection of your business and it's going to reach so many more people than it used to because of social media. Yeah, so every decision's a bit more deliberate. You can't just hire people with the skills anymore. They've got to be people with the brand yeah, I feel like I've like my team.
Gemma:they still they, they like obviously believe in the brand, but I still feel like they need to have their own identities within the brand as well. Do you know what I mean? I feel like you can't all be these robots going through the business of this is the way it is. So I feel like that kind of brings a bit of spunk to the business as well. Having people that little bit of something no-transcript.
Danielle:Different brands and people um, what do you notice? Can you tell when someone has made decisions that don't align with the brand that they're trying to portray? So you've walked into a salon, can you tell the something that sticks out like a staff member that you're like, hmm, they're trying to portray. So you've walked into a salon, can you tell the something that sticks out like a staff member that you're like, hmm, they're not really what I visualized when I picture this. You know, yeah, I've.
Janelle:I probably have seen, you know, staff come into a business, for example, that might be low talks or use a low chemical hair color, right, and they're used to a really high chemical color and expecting the same performance and actually not being open-minded to even learn about a new, healthier alternative. So I see that a lot that we really aren't open to. You know those misconceptions. It's not going to work, you know, not to talk all product today but, I see that a lot.
Danielle:So that's part of the brand, what they believe in and what they're happy and open to. I suppose part of branding as well is actually believing in everything that you're putting out, and that might be one of those elements, and it's such a big part of your life as well, making sure the colour works, yeah.
Janelle:Or, you know, maybe they're under the impression that they've. You know they've gone to maybe an incorrect salon for them.
Gabby:Exactly.
Janelle:Because they're not on brand with the salon. Yeah, that's fine.
Jade:That's not down to the staff member, that's down to the employer or manager that's recruited them. Because at the first point of call, you know, if you're having those conversations about like, what drew you to us, why did you apply with us? Tell me a little bit about what you would like to achieve with us. If it's very clear through those questions that actually they're just looking for any old job because it looks like it could be great, and they're a hairdresser, probably not aligned, and so I don't think it puts pressure. I don't think there's any pressure with branding. I think it has to be so organic because there would only occur pressure with complete misalignment. If someone's like you know, I really just want to use well over 40, well, but seeing as I'm here, you know, is there any chance we could get some in the back room?
Jade:you know those kind of questions shouldn't occur if you've recruited with a line staff, I reckon yeah, and you see it.
Janelle:You definitely see it. You see the secret other colour in the back room specific to that hairdresser.
Danielle:Well, I call that an identity crisis, a branding crisis.
Gabby:They do it and they'll be like oh, that's just for such and such, he won't work without it. And you're like okay, yeah, literally, oh you go, no, you go.
Jade:I was going to say how do?
Gabby:you show this brand Like obviously we've got, you're thinking about this really tight brand and you need, you want staff. How do you get them and show them this brand?
Jade:I think in everything that you do. Why do people apply for a job? Well, it starts with, like your CCAD, the wording, what you have to portray your values through. That Not just about senior stylist wanted, it's about we embody this. We believe in a lower toxin alternative to empower people to feel the best version. Blah, blah, all the values. But it's also your social media, because no one's going to apply for a job without checking your instagram yeah, and if your instagram is engrossed in, you know, holistic, gentle, good culture, energy.
Jade:It's everything that you kind of present. You know what I mean Every single touch point. I think that's where the brand comes from.
Gemma:Yeah, I agree, I feel like whenever I put ads out there, I've always spoken about us as a whole, as a salon, and even like when I'll get emails from people and it's very much their, very much my alliance. You know, have you got a job going there? And it's very much their resume, very much alliance. Yeah, you know, have you got a job going there? And it's very much aligned with exactly what I put on social media.
Gemma:Yeah, low-tox, curly hair, holistic hairdressing, so they're all into it in some way yeah I don't think I've ever had someone that has come, that hasn't really been in, somewhat into, and then they've obviously evolved within the business, so yeah I feel like the salon, like the salon that I worked at, we would just get any old random person walking off the street.
Gabby:Some of them would really like they'd be like yeah, this is awesome, like, and they really start to align with us. And then others and look eventually, you work it out.
Jade:Yeah, they're like does this color even work? You're like uh, yeah, we're running a business. People always ask. They're like does this even work? Even work.
Gabby:You're like, yeah, we're running a business. Obviously it works. People always ask they're like does this even work? I'm like, no, it's incredible. We made an entire business off something that doesn't work. We're that good.
Danielle:Yeah, isn't it amazing? What else other than your people is your branding Like? Is there anything else that you see, other than the people that you hire, that you put a lot of effort? Reels, yeah, social media. I've just learned that recently. Reels, reels yeah.
Gemma:Yeah, I can definitely social media, yep and the reels, and you're really good with your social media.
Jade:Everything, your reels, even down to your website, the tones that you use, like at the very foundation with my coaching clients, because they're often starting new businesses I'm like, right, who is your target audience? And they're like what does that mean? I'm like, okay, so who are you speaking to? Are you speaking to a demographic that are between 40 and 60? Where do they live? How much money do they earn? And so when you know who your demographic is, doesn't mean you don't apply to people outside of that, but you your niche market. How old are they? What do they do in their spare time? You can create branding around that in terms of your tones, the way that you talk on your website, the way that you do your captions. You know somewhere like Tony and Guy, where I used to work. We're completely different to them. We're not in competition. We're completely different clienteles, like people that go there won't want to come to us and vice versa. Yeah, and so when your branding is clear enough and aligned, you actually attract all the right people yeah, I do agree with that.
Gemma:I feel like we definitely the clients we attract are very aligned with, because we just don't do the stuff that doesn't align with our brand. So I don't do any kind of chemical straightening or any kind of things like that, because it just doesn't align. So we are only really attracting the people yeah that.
Danielle:How did you pick your brand? How did you come up with it?
Gemma:well, I was. I was already low-tox before I even started, so I kind of my husband got made redundant and I was a stay-at-home mom at the stage and I was we're already living a low-tox life. And then, um, I was like he came home one day and I was like we're gonna change your pool room into a low-tox hair salon he's like what?
Gabby:and then that's the most you thing I've ever heard.
Danielle:He's actually a unicorn, though, to be instead of being like you no, you're not.
Gemma:Yeah, and you know what I kind of was like I did think as well, if I can't find a brand, I'm not going to do it. So then that kind of. I was already using a hair care line for my own self, um, but I was like I'm not going back to the industry unless I can create this. So, because it just didn't, it didn't align with me as a person anymore, so I couldn't go and put myself into something that wasn't what I wanted to live anymore.
Janelle:Yeah, so I guess that just came out straight away and and we want to do this job for a long, long time. So why not use something holistically so that we can do it?
Gemma:for a long time.
Janelle:You know, like our muscles and bones and everything are already sore enough. We don't need dermatitis.
Danielle:You're like athletes where you have to retire at 30. It's been so hard on your body.
Janelle:Try and just create a healthy environment for us as the hairdresser, as well as the clientele, definitely.
Gabby:Something I noticed about Preve in particular like your brand and I just noticed it in lots of salons some people will portray themselves to be like high-end and we are this, and then they'll be using like you look on the bottom of their cups and they're Kmart cups and you're like this doesn't look great. It doesn't look great, it doesn't feel great. You're meant to be a luxury, high-end brand and you're not using luxury, high-end things. And I noticed in Preve it is everything is top quality. Like your brand is high-end and you are high-end when those glasses get smashed
Jade:all the time I'm like oh, my heart breaks every time the glass smashes, but I well I think that brand alignment isn't just Instagram or social media.
Gabby:It's everything in the salon and it needs to align and same with. Like you know, we're a high-end hairdressing brand and we do $500, you know services, and then you're using foil or you're using combs that you got from Norris for four dollars, not.
Jade:The salon isn't clean. Yeah, that's one of my things. I'm like sometimes I go to other salons with the education and I'm like and I and I worry about ours. I'm always like right and Henry's in there mopping in the morning.
Jade:He's like the floors look great when they're glossy, but it's actually encompassed and the whole team uphold that, because they respect and they're proud to be part of the brand and the vision, which is clean luxury. You know it's what they want to be part of, yeah, and so, yeah, it's everything, down to the glassware, down to the cleaning standards, down to every element.
Gabby:We don't have rap music on. That's like you know, and some salons I've been into and I'm like standards down to every element of the client Music music, music, music.
Jade:Yeah, music is huge. We don't have rap music on that's, like you know, and some salons I've been into and I'm like the F bomb has just dropped and Susan, that's 60, was not enjoying that rap. We just don't have that because you can't.
Gabby:That is my most hated thing.
Jade:It is when I was in the salons.
Gabby:They would get so angry at me because I would be like the Spotify, like oh, I was intense and I would yell at someone I'd be like, did you? Change my list. I know you changed that Because I did not put Pitbull on this playlist.
Jade:You can't, you literally can't. No it's so true, and you know we get comments all the time and the clients new clients are like best experience. Absolutely loved it.
Gabby:The music was great and it makes a difference and it's fine if you want pitbull, yeah yeah, if that fits with your salad? Yeah, and your brand. Yeah, if someone has come in for a relaxing experience. Yes, they don't need to hear mr worldwide.
Jade:No, they just don't and it stays as well, right, like we tailor it. Like a saturday we have a bit of like uplifting house music. On a Tuesday we have a lot more calm. It's like the funk, jazz, chill and it's, yeah, just being really aligned and in tune with every element of your business.
Gemma:I think you need to. When you brand, you need to take into account all aspects of what you're doing, because you and we're the same. We have, you know, certain glasses for certain services and certain drinks for certain, so that just becomes, and certain essential oils that we diffuse. So then, even when people walk, it's the same smell in certain rooms of the salon.
Jade:Yes, you've got the relaxing one near the base. Yeah, you've got the welcome invigorating at reception. If someone messes it up, I'm like uh, relaxing's at reception yeah, yeah, who has been? Relaxing at reception. They're falling asleep at the sofa. We need them.
Gabby:They need more uplift before they come in. So what else are key elements? We've got, like smells, obviously, music logos in Instagram. What else do we have to have for a great brand and staff?
Jade:I think, product alignment, 100%. You know you can't talk about holistic low talks but then have out the back some, you know, dodgy bleach, that's like Max thing or anything that's aggressively smelly or it just doesn't tie in. So you know, I think just everything across all fronts has to tie in with emission values, ethos, what you do and you know you were saying you've always been low talks ethos, what you do, and you know you were saying you've always been low talks. Actually I wasn't. I was like Tony and Guy, like Wella L'Oreal which is an incredible brand, by the way like very results-based high performance. Um, but yeah, and it was when I got pregnant. I was like, before I started the salon, I went down the rabbit hole and I was like oh wow, oh wow.
Gemma:Oh, oh, my God.
Jade:I'm going to start a salon, but I think it has to be organic, because I've always loved more of an organic, holistic life. But I definitely wasn't committed to it, especially with work. I didn't know any different. And then I was like, okay, rewind, going to reset everything. And that's when we found O-Way and I was like, right, this is really aligned, it's sustainable, it's amazing and everything grew from that. Yeah, and expanded. Versus being like we're going to open a salon and we're going to find everything, it was like we found the core and built from that.
Gemma:Yeah, because that's why I feel like my business is. It's evolved like. It started low tox, then it became more holistic, um, and then it was like self-care, so like self-care sanctuary, so it's kind of it's still all got that, but it's just built on, yeah. So I've built on it as I've grown what about you, janelle?
Jade:I think, like freelance is just because it would be so unique, right having these kind of branding and ethos, but being freelance, it's like it's literally a free-for-all you can brand this you can brand who you like, how you like, when you like like. How does that?
Janelle:yeah, so when I first went out on my own, so I, to be honest, so like 15, 12, 12 years ago, I'd say there weren't many salons that offered it. But the beautiful thing was that because there weren't a lot of salons offering it, clients like our guests didn't know that that's how we worked, because we still worked as a team, as a community. I chose for me working in the salon. I needed to work amongst people that were still motivating, putting out great work that still aligned with my brand. I needed to make sure that their conversation wasn't about their dirty weekend like it was still right, like if I'm offering a high-end service, your brand can be diluted amongst other hairdressers.
Janelle:So it's choosing a freelance workspace that aligns with you and your clientele, so that you're comfortable working with the person next to you and your client is as well. So that's probably the one biggest thing is finding a community and then treating it still like a beautiful salon, right. So making sure you have the structure of. You know, I came from high end salons and I needed to make sure that the spaces were clean and tidy, basins were tidy, so you know what I'm putting for you so hard.
Janelle:Yeah.
Danielle:Because you have less control of the space. So trying to bring that in, I know this is your business, but step it up a bit.
Janelle:You don't have any control Well, and we've had to have some honest conversations about just hey, just be mindful of the conversation that you're having with your guest, because you don't know what's happening in my guest's life Tell us the most confronting conversation you've ever had gone.
Jade:I really want to know come on.
Janelle:I might need an NDA um, just rename them Jim. Yeah, we'll call them Jim well, I think it's actually the hairdressers that are in more trouble than the clients, like sometimes we this is we're digressing a little bit here. Um, you know, we get so comfortable with our clients, yeah, and we forget that they are paying us, not the other way around and, yeah, let's just say some, this conversation was for a therapist, not your guest.
Janelle:Normally were the therapists right. Yeah, where I was looking, I'm like really, really, you're gonna talk about that like your clients got her own issues with her yeah, you know, left the husband and kids. She just wants to relax. She doesn't want to hear about your life and your dramas maybe that's their brand. Yeah, dramatic yeah, well, it's funny the people she attracts.
Danielle:Yeah Well, what you put out, you get back. Which is actually a good segue, because I was going to ask you We've talked about all the good things of brand. What's the worst thing that's happened? Because even especially with social media, you can be yourself and be genuine and authentic, but you're still going to get those trolls that come back and just don't agree with your message and your brand. Yeah, they are trolls.
Jade:They just pick it apart. They're like love coming, but I'm always going to complain, but I'm always going to come back and you're like, just go yeah love coming, but I hate the music.
Danielle:It smells really bad in here, oh, yeah, yeah, their brand doesn't align with yours.
Gemma:Yeah, I think some people put you on a pedestal as well media like. I once had someone say to me I didn't think you drank coffee. I'm like what? Why? Because because you're low tox. I'm like what, can I not drink coffee? I said that I don't drink coffee. I mean, I've stopped drinking coffee now, but at that time, um, but yeah, at that time I was too.
Gemma:I was, but so I think people do put you on a pedestal that you're this, yeah, certain type of person, and it's like I'm still, and coffee's not bad yeah, or even with like um.
Jade:You know, you do attract, as a lower toxin, more organic space. You get the ones that are like um, so could you give me the list of ingredients that's in um, this hair color? And I'm like, uh, well, what I'll do is I'll grab the oa pedia, which is brilliant. It's really resourceful, so I'm really on it and I always tell the team to do that. But then they're like, yeah, this isn't clear. Could you just get the tube for me? And I'm thinking, girl, do you want your hair colored?
Jade:or not like you know, we're not trying to deceive or hide anything. And then, yeah, we do have the Karens that are like um, the music's too loud. Can you just turn it down like you? Just they. You just they only say it not because the music's loud, just because they want to have that power and that you know, something to say or oh, the essential oils are a bit strong today.
Gemma:I'm like yeah, I've heard that. I'm like it's essential oils. They're good for you.
Gabby:Yeah, me too. We were getting lunch, we were all organ organizing lunch together and there was one girl and she she's irish. I don't know if this makes anything make more sense in the story. She's irish, she loves potatoes and she will not. She will not eat salad, she does not eat anything green, and we just know that about her. We love her, selena, we love you but, not a salad gal, and that's fine.
Gabby:And we were all organizing um lunch and we said, oh well, we can't get salad because Selina doesn't eat salad. It was a joke, we were all just laughing and we ended up getting a complaint that it was like how can you tell everyone that you are organic salon when your manager doesn't even eat salad? Oh really, it was like what? Oh honestly, where is the correlation? That is insane, yeah. And she literally didn't come back because Selena didn't eat salad.
Danielle:Well, she's not on brand with you, so that's okay.
Gabby:We don't want people that don't like potatoes, that's insane.
Jade:She's Irish, she loves a potato. She just likes potatoes, it's not her fault.
Gemma:Yeah, I think people do. I think the low-tox thing as well. You do have people that are the very hardcore, yeah, and they're like, oh, it's no-tox. I'm like, no, it's not no-tox. You're colouring your hair, yeah, yeah, like you've got to have something in it. So, yeah, it's the expectation. There's this thing about bamboo sticks and oil and I'm like, well, you know.
Gabby:Well, I think it's kind of a little bit the opposite. I know we work in places that don't use lots of chemicals, let's say, but then we get the opposite. I'm sure I don't experience it, but those guys that do amazing blonde work and they use super, super intense products, and then they've got these clients that are like I'd like you to use this henna on me. That obviously then doesn't fit with their brand, like come to us, I guess, but like.
Gabby:I do feel for those guys as well. In like they're we've got this brand that we would like to portray and we only do blondes, and isn't it beautiful. And then they get the brunette that comes in and they're like how did you find your way here? I clearly didn't want to do you.
Jade:I think the more niche you are um, the the better the branding is, but you do also attract the, the ones that are hyper, hyper, too much in that way does that? Make sense like, yeah, like the, the people that are like, oh well, I can't have this and I'm allergic to this and I can't do this. And we even had a lady once. You know the scanners that you get now, where they scan and tell you whether something's green or yes, and is it on her phone?
Gabby:Is it on her phone or like an?
Jade:actual, it's called YouGov. Oh Yucca, there's so many right, and I'm not joking, she's picking up every single box. Yeah, no she emailed me yeah, yeah, and she's like this is good, this is, oh, this, this is. You can't have this. Well, I'm not sure where that information.
Gabby:And then we scanned it with another app and it just you know just too, far, but you attract, you do attract that because that's they want to come for, that experience.
Jade:So there's yeah, there's always good things about branding and bad things, but there's always nutters in hairdressing. I've never had a single month go by where I haven't encountered one nutter in almost 20 years in the industry.
Gemma:And always one nutter in almost 20 years in the industry and always on a full moon too.
Gabby:Yeah, it actually is. Brings them in. Yeah, what about, um, your personal branding and your salon branding? Let's say, and jade, I know that your brand is very intertwined in your salon brand, you were just saying it before. What happens when you want to step away? What happens to your brand?
Jade:I think if you, if your team, embody it enough, it it shouldn't matter, like there's always someone that is. You know, the culture, the energy, what you put out, whether I'm there or not, everyone emulates that in their own unique, individual way and so you know when I talk about my personal branding it's a little bit different to the salon. I'm very authentically me, I always am, but I just bring a level of awareness and appropriateness maybe not the full luxury high end moment very politically correct very politically correct, just the slip and slip.
Jade:So yeah, I'm aware of it, you know, but if I to step away, I don't for one minute worry that suddenly the brand would diminish because it's so established and so solid and the culture of the team is so ingrained that you know it's not just about the person and the person behind the brand, but that just adds to it in the end and that just supports it, especially when you're building, when you have a more established business. You just need to continue maintaining that and being forward-thinking with it.
Janelle:I think that's why consistency, laying the foundations, are really important, so that, almost like when the boss isn't there, it's like the boss is watching.
Jade:You're still doing your thing On the cameras.
Gabby:Yeah, that your staff is still following If they got their hair done with myself or they got their hair done with Jade On the cameras Exactly that.
Janelle:Your staff is still following. You know, if they got their hair done with myself or they got their hair done with Jade, they knew what to expect when they walk into. Preve that they will get the same service whether you're there or not that customer journey as well.
Gemma:We always talk, we talk all about customer journey and it has to be the same, even down to the point of when you're at the base, and that everyone receives a five-minute massage. There's no like because you're running out of time, suzy just gets a two-minute massage, because that's what they'll remember yeah, because they got a good one last time and not the same. So we have little egg timers at the base and they all have to do it by the egg timer, as we also had the opposite.
Gabby:Like you can't over service someone, you can't give them the 10 minute head massage, because next time they come in they only got five and they're like keep going, yeah or you have to let them know that you're like yeah it'll be nice treat we can do this for you for complimentary today yeah, you know they're right, because your next hairdresser's running late. I don't know I need to stall.
Jade:We literally have a guy's car and we do a hand scrub which is complimentary with any um when you're developing, so whether it's colour or scalp treatment, and it was his first day and he's actually a masseuse as well, bless him. So anyway, we give him the hand scrub, we give out a little yeah, rob, he's so cool we give out this little dish and you get like a dish and a hot towel and the scrub and the cream and he, to be fair, we obviously just didn't communicate. We were like give this to and I turn around and this client, right, he's like this and he's doing the cream for her. She's never gone to see another hairdresser since.
Jade:And I'm like you, kind of just got to massage her hand every time because she was like oh, that was amazing, but actually they're just supposed to do it themselves. This woman's like, she's like I'm coming back. Sorry I thought you were men alike, just do it. You know I was like sorry. I thought you were meant to like, just do it. You know I just I was like sorry, but no, it's yeah, consistency, experience, um, and I think, position yourself as an owner or a founder or whatever it is, as not the star of the show some clients know who I am some clients have no idea.
Jade:They're just like oh, have you been working here long? I'm like it's actually my style, but that's fine, because I don't want to be the star, because everyone else is the star.
Janelle:Yeah, exactly.
Jade:That's okay.
Janelle:I think that's a massive compliment, then. It means that everybody is being professional and that they don't know who's who.
Gabby:Yeah, we have a I know a salon, paloma Rhone. Like Mickey Auld, she herself has an amazing brand and she's, like I do, lived in blondes. This is what I do and she's now created a salon where she's like I want everyone to have their own specialty so someone can come here and find something for themselves. So she does that. And then this person really likes to do short haircuts, so they'll do the short haircuts and I love how she's based off her own brand has been able to help everyone else find theirs because I do see now, when we were talking about the other day, everyone is a blonde specialist.
Gabby:Now every single person is a blonde specialist and so you're no longer different. That's you can't make that your brand. Sorry guys, but you can't, because everyone's that and so you need to have. It needs to be slightly different. What? What makes you a blonde specialist? Why are you a blonde specialist? How can you do it and how can you do it a little bit different to everyone else?
Danielle:I think that's. The difference, too, is that I'm noticing you guys have built it from the ground on what you believe in, in your values, and then worked your way up, rather than coming in from the top and going well, this is who I am and now I've got to fill in all the gaps and I've got to find the stuff to try and suit that. That's when it doesn't quite align, but if you know who you are and you've built from the bottom, find your products first, find your values, find where you want to be in your space and then build it up from there, I think that's a really solid brand. Instead of I'd like to do more of that. Do you guys find that you have to revisit the brand? Have you always had the same brand, or are you looking at trends and things that are happening out there to sort of fine-tune yours or change it a little bit?
Gemma:I feel like I'm trying to head away from trends. I don't want to be like anyone else. I want to. I'm always just dancing to the beat of my own drum and just going and evolving to what I feel like holistic hairdressing needs to be. So that's kind of where more I go.
Gabby:But it is about that evolution, like you're always leveling up, yeah.
Gemma:Yeah.
Gabby:We were talking, I know a brand and they a salon and 10 years ago they had the most like elite kind of service menu and they even had, like you know, a tea menu. And this is 10 years ago when all you got was tea or coffee, maybe a soda water, but definitely nothing else.
Gabby:Yeah, sparkly water, yeah, and that was like, oh my gosh, fancy. This salon had a tea menu with like 10 different teas and you could get snacks, you could get everything. And the clients were just like, oh my gosh, I've never seen this before. Now, like, oh my gosh, I've never seen this before. Now every single salon not only has a tea menu, but a cocktail menu and a soda water menu and every single other menu, and this salon still just has their tea menu. So you know, it used to be amazing 10 years ago and that was oh my gosh, this is a luxury brand. And now it's like where's the rest? Yeah, but and they haven't evolved and they haven't taken it that step further, which is not a bad thing, I guess. Like if they're happy with how they're going and their clients are happy, but if they want to level up, everyone needs to compete.
Danielle:To compete, you have to evolve.
Jade:It's just like life, though you know you have to evolve as a person Like imagine if you took all your learnings, behaviors and personality attributes of your 20s, when you thought you knew everything, way behold. But if you carry that through your whole life.
Gemma:I did know a lot yeah so did.
Gabby:I.
Jade:I was one of those rare people that did. But yeah, like you don't grow, you don't change, you don't attract new opportunities or experiences. You'll never build success because you're just repeating the same thing different day and so it's the same. With a business, you don't have to. You know, like jemma said, I don't, we don't follow trends. The only trend that I would say we do follow a bit is the when there are trends on instagram and tiktok. Yeah, we're not super cheesy, right, because that's not our brand, so we don't do all the super over the top. You know where there's literally people like I don't want to work here because of this, with a sign. I'm like, yeah, we definitely wouldn't be posting something like that, even though it's relevant for some brands.
Jade:But we do try and follow some trends like that Because it is engaging, it's funny and it's great for the algorithm. We don't follow trends based on our brand ethos, values and expanding our services. You know that's unique to us. We can take inspiration, but we're not trend following in that way. I think you have to be aligned with you and stay in your lane yeah, or else you'll be changing it every day 100% and then you lose identity, like who is this salon? What do they do? What do they stand for? Who knows? Yeah?
Danielle:I love it. Do you find that customers are asking for the things that are trendy like this and I'm sorry, it's probably a really cool haircut, this wolf situation? You know where they? It's choppy, it's like a mullet, but it's not a mullet like that sort of thing. You know that's a certain type of clientele. Do you find that when that starts coming up, that you do it or you go? That's not our brand. You're gonna have to find a new.
Jade:We never get asked those things because it's just not our demographic.
Danielle:They don't seek you out. We do not. We never get.
Jade:We don't get greens we have coppers, but it's all very natural, lived in beautiful, elegant hair. We never get crazy colors, we never get crazy haircuts, because it's just our branding, it's what we put out, and so we just don't attract it.
Gemma:I feel like there's one girl in my salon who gets more of that type work but we've sourced low tox, like bright colors. We've kind of that's kind of still our thing still achieve that look while finding a safer alternative. But that's what. Whenever someone starts with me, I always say to them what fills your cup, what do you want to do so that to her she really loves doing those colors, she loves doing the choppy little wolf cuts and she doesn't do many of them but she does really enjoy doing them. So that's kind of I find she's more attracted to that, whereas've all got other things that we attract and I like the head spa and curlies and all that kind of stuff.
Danielle:So what about you, janelle? Do you get much of the trend requests or do you have a solid brand? You're like that's not me. No, thank you. I'm a bit spoiled that my books are closed so I'm not taking on new clients.
Janelle:So I've got my clients that I have and I am I'm not a niche hairdresser, I do everything, yeah. But I look at your Instagram as your business card, right. So if you put out a vivid hair color, you will probably attract another vivid hair color, right? Because there are so many niche hairdressers and specialists at the moment. So what you put out is generally what you're going to attract. So if I don't want to do vivids, I ensure I might do it, but I don't put it on my Instagram and like don't tell anyone.
Gabby:Yeah, where did you get it done, don't know where it's at.
Janelle:Have no idea. That's right, yeah, that's right, fabulous.
Gabby:Well, I think that's our chat done for now. Thanks so much, guys, for chatting to us about all things branding. Hopefully everyone's left with a little bit more of an idea of at least why you would brand and how maybe not to brand yourself no more blonde specialists.
Gemma:No more blonde specialists, we've got enough.
Gabby:Awesome. Well, thank you. So much, guys. Thank you, thank you, bye, bye, bye.