Do you struggle with the love of doing hair…but not earning enough to make a living? You’re not alone.⁠ ⁠ After repeatedly being in and out of the industry, Johnee Livingston gave himself ONE year of being fully committed to hair to see where it could take him. ⁠ ⁠⁠

We continue the discussion with Keya Neal about George Floyd and how this led her to get brands involved in the racial equality movement. Also, she explains why adaptation is a key ingredient in continued success.

Can we look at hair as a fabric, not a race?

This week is part 1 of a beautiful conversation with Keya Neal  – industry activist, educator, and visionary for @thekolourkulture & @texturevsrace

We discuss her path towards a multi-cultural salon, and how her experience helps her education: breaking past the fear of working on someone who looks different than you.

This week’s Topics:  

• Dropping out of college and finding beauty school  
• Learning the need to sacrifice time, energy, money to succeed  
• Running a salon for 10 years and building her brand, then closing it and moving to another state for a relationship 
• Getting back into hair after motherhood; choosing a multi-cultural salon to expand her experience and techniques 
• Her journey towards being an educator; developing her curriculum 
• Texture vs Race: educating how to break past the fear of working on someone who looks different than you

One lucky person who DMs @thehairgamepodcast on Instagram this week will win a BaBylissPRO Hair Dryer! Listen to the beginning of this week’s episode to find out what to DM us. The winner will be chosen this Friday, Dec. 11th.

Do you take every client possible? You shouldn’t.

Our second part with @lugarciareynoso gets into the specifics of focusing your clientele to level up your business. We also discuss the underground hairdressing being done since Covid and why prices in the industry are wildly different.

Show Notes:  

• Getting involved in political activism during the shutdown 
• The lack of support from large industry businesses during shutdown 
• The underground hair movement continuing after re-opening: re-establishing professionalism 
• Why prices in the barbering industry are wildly different 
• Focusing on who you want your client to be 
• @modownbarberexhibit trade show & meetups
• Her Hair Horror Story 

One lucky person who DMs @thehairgamepodcast on Instagram this week will win a Bose Solo 5 Soundbar! Listen to the beginning of this episode to find out what to DM us. The winner will be chosen this Friday, Dec. 4th.

When @barbersocietyla & @modownbarberexhibit founder Lu got her haircut from shoulder-length hair to a skin fade, it turned her life upside down. She shares her journey toward her authentic self and how she chose to keep living. 

SHOW NOTES:

• Her experience in barber shops shaping her journey to hair

• How getting a haircut showed her the power of hair and freed her to explore her true self

• Growing up and experiencing discipline and work ethic

• Contemplating suicide and choosing life

• Starting Barber Society  

Have you left a review for The Hair Game Podcast yet? This week’s Pod Loot winner is getting a $150 Amazon gift card! To enter, just leave a review on the Apple podcasts app or stitcher.com. ⁣⁣Don’t forget to leave your Instagram handle so we can find you!⁠

The second part of our chat with Lisa Walker, aka @lisalovesbalayage takes us into the discussion of responsibility… are you owning up to the things you need to? We also chat about business tips and the common mistakes colorists are making.

SHOW NOTES:

• Starting Balayage Boot Camp

• How Covid has affected her education business

• Common mistakes colorists are making  

• Hairdresser business tips: new clients, pricing, referral gift cards

• Balancing work/personal life: mom, wife, stylist

• Taking Responsibility and how it helps you

• A discussion on responsibilities as an Indie Stylist: rent payments during shutdown & financial stability

• Her hair horror story 

Have you left a review for The Hair Game Podcast yet? This week’s Pod Loot winner is getting a $150 Apple gift card! To enter, just leave a review on the Apple podcasts app or stitcher.com. ⁣⁣Don’t forget to leave your Instagram handle so we can find you!⁠

Educator & Global Brand Ambassador Lisa Walker spent 16 years in the hair industry before realizing she had much to learn in regards to color theory. We discuss her journey towards education and how showing her vulnerability gained her a huge following.

Episode Notes:

• Finding her way to hair; wanting to prove her instructor wrong

• Working at a diverse salon and learning different techniques

• Moving to an indie commission salon & why only following formulas hinders your progress as a hairdresser

• Moving on to a new salon and starting over – the advantages of new clients 

• Going full indie and trying new color lines – reading the manual & the realization she knew nothing about coloring hair – how this changed her whole outlook and attitude

• Sharing her journey on social platforms and how being vulnerable pushed her toward education 

Have you left a review for The Hair Game Podcast yet? This week’s Pod Loot winner is getting a Harmon Kardon Speaker! To enter, just leave a review on the Apple podcasts app or stitcher.com. ⁣⁣Don’t forget to leave your Instagram handle so we can find you!⁠

Our 2-part series with @asil continues as we touch on getting paid what your worth, connecting with brands, and a turn of the tables where Asil asks questions to our host @loveerictaylor

Episode Notes:

• How he connected with Brands; the importance of hair shows and showing genuine enthusiasm

⁠• Pay rates for brand ambassadors

• Hair shows coming back again

• His top insecurities

• What he would change: the pay for beginning stylists & discussion on getting what you are worth

• Hair Horror Story

• Asil asks Eric Qs: what did he do before Salon Republic?

• what he is bad at⁠

• Eric’s most important recommendation for stylists business-wise

Have you left a review for The Hair Game Podcast yet? This week’s Pod Loot winner is getting a Roomba! To enter, just leave a review on the Apple podcasts app or stitcher.com. ⁣⁣Don’t forget to leave your Instagram handle so we can find you!⁠

Is charging hourly right for you? Will you make more money, have less hassle…. maybe even BOTH?

Color Correction & Balayage Specialist Asil Simsek explains his pricing system and why he simply charges an hourly rate for all services.

We also get into how he established a clientele here in USA (through Groupon!!) and his strategies for using his IG/Tiktok accounts (hint: personality counts)

SHOW NOTES:

• How Covid affected his salon and how his financial strategies helped him survive

• Changes in his salon process post-covid

• Why he charges hourly

• His apprenticeship in Turkey

• Differences in Turkey vs US hairdressing

• The move to the USA, and the use of Groupon & IG to build clientele

• His process for raising prices; how he told his clients

• Starting and using @f*ckinghair as an ‘alter-ego’ account 

• The change of IG and the importance of personality + an IG Reels & TikTok discussion 

Have you left a review for The Hair Game Podcast yet? This week’s Pod Loot winner is getting an 10 inch Wi-Fi photo frame! To enter, just leave a review on the Apple podcasts app or stitcher.com. ⁣⁣Don’t forget to leave your Instagram handle so we can find you!⁠

Do you have healthy boundaries with your clients? This means more than just what you discuss behind the chair: it means raising prices, changing hours, giving discounts… every aspect of the relationship with a client.⁠ ⁠ Part 2 with @adriennedara this week focuses on managing the emotion of your business, and using fear as an opportunity for growth.

We discuss:⁠

• Her online education and the Lightening Library⁠

• Common mistakes students are making & changing your prices⁠

• Changing social media trends and her strategies

• Managing the emotion of the business & client boundaries⁠

• What she would change about the industry – cosmo school curriculum

• Viewing fear as an opportunity for growth

Have you left a review for The Hair Game Podcast yet? This week’s Pod Loot winner is getting an @GHDhair pro hairdryer! To enter, just leave a review on the Apple podcasts app or stitcher.com. ⁣⁣Don’t forget to leave your Instagram handle so we can find you!⁠