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Connect with Lisa Huff
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Connect with Lisa Huff
Hello, friends. Welcome back to Stylus Soul Tribe Conversations. I have an exciting guest with me today, Whitney Kilpatrick. She's a salon owner and innovative hairstylist with over 9 years in the industry. Whitney has not only led her salon, Maven Fort Worth Hair Co to remarkable success, but was also on the national stage in hairstyle, the talent show USA, a hairstyles competition TV show. She's a passionate mentor committed to elevating the beauty industry. She brings her wealth of knowledge an experience to inspire the next generation of hairstylists. Whitney reached out to me on Instagram asking if I was open to collaborating and bringing guests on, and I said, heck, yes. So you guys are listening to me getting to know Whitney for the first time as well. Whitney, thank you so much for being here and reaching out. How are you doing today? Oh my gosh. Thank you so much for the introduction. I am so happy to be here and grateful to connect with you. I've been seeing your work in the So I'm happy to kind of have this conversation with you. Yeah. Totally. That's what I was saying to Whitney before we started recording. Obviously, in this podcast, if you guys have been listening, if you're new, if you found me through Whitney, hello. I'm so happy you're here. I run an online mastermind membership for hairstylist called Stylus Soul Tribe. And while a podcast had been on my radar for years, I never pulled the trigger on releasing it, but finally got to the point I was 5 years into running this mastermind. And I was just like, there are so many incredible conversations that I am witness to right now. I am like, my my full time job is listening to hairstylists have the best Conversations ever, like, breakthrough, mind blowing conversations. I was like, I need to share that with the rest of the industry. So that is 1 reason why this podcast started, but it was also another another reason I did it is to network and to connect with new people. This is a really cool platform to just be able to, like, deep dive, converse and I've been Falling in love with just, like, having these long form conversations with people. So I'm super excited to dive into it. Why don't you share by just, like, Telling everyone your story. Start where it feels appropriate to you. Give us a brief overview, and then I always say this in the podcast episodes. I'll probably interrupt you 15 times, and the Conversation will take off in a million different directions because that's how my brain works. But I'd love to just get to know you a little bit more. Awesome. Well, we both sounds like we both have squirrel brains. So Mhmm. I'm cool, like, going off on all these tangents. It's fun. Who knows where it'll take us? Yeah. My A start in the hair world began when I was in high school. So I was able to do a High school program and get my license when I graduated, but it wasn't my original plan to be, like, a career hairstylist. At that point this was in 20 15 when I graduated high school. And at that point, people, like my families and, you know, society was Still telling me, like, college is the way to go. Mhmm. You can do hair while you work your way through college. Yeah. But, like, that was always the plan on the Yeah. Yeah. Like, I'll just you know, it's better than working at, like, you know, the mall. Yeah. You know? So it's like, I'll I'll do hair while I go to college. And then Mhmm. Luckily, I, like, landed at a salon, my first salon, where people were doing really well, and that was just the first I've haistylist making good money. Mhmm. And my mentor at the time was 23 years old. Mhmm. She was making 6 figures on a w 2 paycheck. And she was putting her husband through college and bought a house. So I was like, k. What? You're like the and then you're, like, going to college learning the, like, average salary of graduates. And you're like, do you guys know what's going on over here? Like cosmetology school isn't a bad idea. Yeah. Yes. Yes. And I'm like, I'm making more than the professors teaching me business Mhmm. When I'm like, so it just didn't make sense. And then once Yeah. And they were on a they the salon I started at worked With the Summit Salon Systems, and so they had the level system and the goals, and that was really worked well in my brain. And I'm just Competitive by nature. So when my mentor was achieving the things she was achieving at her age, I was like, okay. I gotta do it before her. And, like, the numbers and the goals, all of that just, Like, really clicked my brain. And so I ended up doing working there for 4 years, and I my last year there, I totaled up on my w To a hundred and 65000 dollars in a year at the age of 21 Incredible. Which is wild. And I didn't come from much. I had a single mom, and so this was, like when I out earned both my parents, I was at 21. I was like, I wanted to scream it from the rooftops of, like Yeah. You should do hair. Everybody should do hair. Like, what are we doing? I didn't have college debt. You know, I have flexibility in my schedule. I worked 4 days a week doing that, and so I just thought it was, like, better than slice. Can I ask what your gross services were that year? I'm just curious. People always wanna know how those numbers break down because 1 65 on a w 2 is extremely impressive. Yeah. Insane. I would have to pull up I have my my books. That was in 20 19. Mhmm. So I just I clearly remember my w 2. I can see it. It had to have been over 200002 50, you know, something like that. To 3 depending on what kind of margins your owner was able to create. That's amazing. Right. Yeah. I think I was getting paid, like, 51 percent commission on that. Yeah. And then, you know, and all of that. Yeah. Yeah. So, But it was it was up there, and it was impressive. Like, I was just like I'd never seen that much money in the car. So services were you doing in this period of time? It was a lot of color. It was a lot of color. But it is crazy to me to think about how the industry has changed just from That year, like, in 20 18, 20 19 because it was the summit way. So I don't know for people who aren't familiar. Summit's just like a way that people, You know, operate salons. And Mhmm. Back in that day, it was a lot of, like, quickness Mhmm. And more, like, Quantity. Mhmm. And so I started to feel a little bit of burnout going there because I was seeing probably 10 to 12 clients a day, and I had So you'd, like, double, triple booking? Yeah. Okay. Yes. Yeah. And 2 assistants with me. So, I mean, that's how I was able to, like, do that. I love. Yeah. Yes. But fast forward, I was able to scale it as these new techniques, you know, come to be. And now we're doing you know, I was doing 4 to 6 week highlight touch up, and we were doing a Mohawk section. You know? And I could get that in in 30 minutes. Yep. So now it's lived in. I'm seeing people, like, 12 to 16 weeks in between their appointments instead of 4 to 6. So times have changed, and with that, you know, comes a longer service time, comes a higher ticket. So Absolutely. I think we've Been able to scale in that way. Mhmm. But yeah. So I was at that salon doing really well, and I loved that part of it that I could work 4 days a week, Come in. Do hair. Incredible morning. Yeah. Go home. Yes. Like, it was awesome. Then It just started to get a little bit toxic because I was so young and doing well. It immediately felt like everybody in the salon was, like, That's Not a fan of Yeah. Yeah. And like, so it there became a little bit of, like, some bullying or you'd walk in the back room everywhere Talking and I had mentioned it to the boss, my owner at the time, and I was just like, you know, hey. I'm having I really don't wanna leave, but, like, this is getting to be a little bit unbearable for me. Yeah. And she was like, Donkeys run with donkeys and thoroughbreds run with thoroughbreds. And it's lonely at the top. Wow. And I was like, Okay. Well Did you just call our entire staff donkeys? Literally. That that leaves you better. That leaves you, yeah, feeling kind of, like, powerless. Like, what what do we do now? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it got to the point where I was like, okay. I don't see myself. So 1, the culture was bad because there was a lack of leadership, and I I really dissected Her her style of, like, she just was very she was doing her best, but it was very She wasn't willing to have the hard conversations, and she wasn't willing to, like Should we see that? Like, very Yeah. Yeah. And cultivate a a very specific type of Team. It was like whoever wants to work here can work here, and I was like, I'm feeling not comfortable here. So it's lack of leadership and Culture and then it was lack of growth opportunities. So I'd gone through the level system, like, all the way to the top, and then it was like, what else? But I wanna know ceiling. Yeah. Yeah. They're like, just do more hair. And I was like, okay. So then I started looking into maybe becoming an educator for a brand or maybe becoming a consultant for the summit People and so I was, like, you know, looking for other opportunities outside of the salon. And then it got to be pretty unbearable. Like, I I remember just, like, contemplating if hair was even right for me and, like, you know, coming you're driving to work, and I just would think, like, should I just not exit On the highway? Like, should I just keep driving? And, like, you know, maybe I'll hit a coast at some point. I'm in Texas, so it'd take me a while to hit a coast. But Maybe I'll just run away from all of this. Yeah. Keep going. And so then I was like, okay. I have to find a change. So I interviewed at several other commission salons because like I said, I liked that arrangement. I was like, this is a cool I'm still young. I could How much let me real quick. This is what I mean by the squirrel. How much were you marketing yourself during that time? Because obviously, there's Misconceptions or sometimes this is able to be the setup. Like, were you just being fed those clients through the salon, or was that a lot of your own doing or a mixture? Sure. What was that setup? Yeah. I would say it was a good mixture because they were a pretty, like, well ran salon, and they were even after I left, they were to, like, really stay afloat for a while. But I will say I was this is, like, 20 15 to 20 18, 20 19. So this is like pioneer days of Instagram. Mhmm. Yep. I was the youngest 1 there. So I was on Instagram, And nobody else is on Instagram. Different. Yep. And I was willing to pay for ads myself. And I would drop. I was, like, I was super nerdy, so Mhmm. Still super nerdy. So I would, like, Google, you know, Facebook ad strategy or Yeah. Instagram ad energy. And I would put, like, a dollar a day and you know? So I was willing to invest money of At the highest point here's my squirrel raining out of the highest point? How much were you spending on ads? Would love to know. Oh, I bet you I'd probably spend, like, a couple hundred dollars a month. Okay. Good to know. Yeah. Someone else just said something similar about Yelp ads in a podcast interview I did, and at 1 point, she was up to 700 dollars a month in Yelp ads, but she was bringing in 15000 dollars from those ads, so it was a no brainer. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Keep going. Well, sorry. Not too too much. No. You're good. Yeah. Because I you know, I didn't need to. It was just, like, a days, it was like, ads were so brand new. You were like, okay. I'm just gonna boost this and throw a little bit of money behind it to see what happens. Off on a tangent now. I know you're getting into the digital edge digital education world. I am trying to understand ads in that standpoint, not the behind the chair standpoint. I've taken quite a few boo boot camps, things like that, but I'm in a mastermind right now with Stu McLaren who teaches people how to run membership sites. And I just went to a mastermind event in Nashville in September, I think it was. And this woman, Ally Kaye was her name. She like, teaches people how to paint online. She has, like, an online membership for that. She did this, like, crazy launch week where she pumped ads behind it and Stu did this, like, big breakdown of her numbers. And he basically showed I mean, it got to the point where I'm gonna skew these numbers. Maybe I shouldn't have said her name. I doubt anybody listening to this is ever gonna know who she is. But she was spending at 1 point I mean, I wanna say, like, 7000 dollars a day or some, like, crazy amount on ads, but stoop showing us her, like, Excel spreadsheet. And he was like, people hit this point where, let's say, we get to, like, a thousand dollars a day on ads, which you guys, I'm not doing this at all yet. I'm just absorbing this as this little baby this room of all these incredible online entrepreneurs, he was like, a lot of people hit this point eventually and they get uncomfortable. But if this column It's bigger than this column, which means the money that's coming in that day is bigger than the money on the ad spend. You keep going. You don't stop until you hit the point That that those columns are, like, eventually got to the point after this launch that she did. She brought in a hundred and 83000 dollars Per month of recurring revenue in her business. I was sitting in this room, like, I need to learn ads. They're so fucking complicated, though. I can't figure it out. 1 day I'm gonna know how to tell but, like, you just don't realize the possibility of what is online. And even she was there sharing with us, and you could tell she was just as, like, Flabbergasted by it as well. She was like, I have no idea. I need to hire a team. I don't know what I'm gonna do with this. But she literally her launch was so successful. A hundred and 83000 dollars per month of reoccurring revenue because of this, like, crazy successful ads week she had. Anyway, sorry. I got off on a tangent. I love it. No. I love it because I think it Goes to show, like, it can that's a principle of investing in yourself. Yeah. And anytime you Invest in yourself or put the money. And I think a lot of people get scared to, like Yes. You know, go spend when I tell people that I've spent probably a college degree on my Education. Yeah. They're like, what? You know, a class an extension class, 5 grand, and they're like, You know? Or my shears, you know, I I, You know, I bust down and buy the the nice shears and Yeah. And they some people are like and I think it comes from that, you know, Money stories. Yeah. Mhmm. And and so I think it's just a good principle to know that, like, every when you bet on yourself, It's always gonna pay off. Yeah. And that don't be afraid to invest in you and your education and And just pay attention to that ROI, and it's true because everyone has a number where they Start to get uncomfy. It could be 20 dollars. It could be 25000 dollars. Everybody has that number that lands somewhere. But if you're paying attention to ROI, If this column is bigger than this column, you always keep going. You keep doing it with every year that I've become more successful or Growing my business in whatever way. Every year, my investment into myself goes up to an uncomfortable level. I have to keep pushing myself to do that. Yes. Right. I'm right here with you. I I just dropped 25000 on a mastermind last year. And Mhmm. It's just something that When you put yourself in rooms with people you would not normally be in rooms with, you learn 10 times the the investment that was in there. And I think it's just it goes to show that, you know, when you observe the people who are doing the things you want to do, you kind of that rhythm down of, oh, they're investing or you hear people like Jasmine Star or that was, I think, the first Person who had mentioned masterminds in her podcast. And when she told me she hundred grand to be in a mastermind, I was like Yeah. The limit truly does not exist. Yeah. But it gives you it gives you proof. So, like, I don't know what oh, you said your upbringing at a single mom and stuff, but If you don't put yourself in those rooms, all you have around you is people that, you know, like like, the proof is around you that, like, this is as As much as anybody anyone is able to get, when you go out of your way to put yourself in the room, like, I was sitting next to that woman who did this, like, incredible launch, it's like, That's proof. She's just as shocked. She's she's behaving how I would behave if that happened to me. That's proof that it can happen. Anyway, I told her I was gonna interrupt you. You were killing it behind the chair. You decided you needed to to move on to something else. Keep going with your story. I'm so sorry. Yes. No. You're good. So we we found I was looking at commission salons, you know, trying to find something because I liked that model. Mhmm. I did not wanna be Business owner. Like, was not on my radar. Every salon owner I knew was miserable, didn't like their life. So Mhmm. That's not the route I to go. Yeah. But I interviewed, like, commission salons, and I couldn't find 1 that was, like, a level up. It just felt like it was A lateral move. Mhmm. And then there were some weird rules that really irked me. Like, oh, because you're new you have to work till 9 PM twice a week. And you're like, oh, I worked too hard to get away from that. Yeah. Yes. I'm like, I'm bringing in 25 20 to 25000 dollars a month in services. Kidding me? They can't have the freedom to work what I want. Yeah. And I'm not working evenings right now, so why would I work evenings going to your place? So, you know, there were some things which I'm thankful for now because I probably would have just gone to another commission salon, and I I wouldn't have been where I am now. And so I felt pretty forced to go do my own thing, and I had found a com or a booth rental salon that was a little bit of a hybrid. They provided back bar shampoo service, front desk software. Good culture, I'm assuming. A great culture. Yeah. And so I was like, okay. This is, like, a good Step. You know, it's like, okay. I'm not really on my own per se. They do a lot of marketing. So I was like I liked that. Went in there, and I still had I was always work Used to working with an extra set of hands, so I had brought my assistant at the time. I don't call them assistants anymore. We Okay. Use the term resident. We don't like that. Yes. Yeah. Like, a doctor. It's almost like a doctor going on residency. I love that. Yeah. Like, they have their degree, which our residents have their license, but they're here to get their advanced Hands on training. Obsessed. So we have we call it our residency program, and so our residents come in. So I had 1 come with me, and and then it got to the Point where I was like, well, you know, we don't really you're kind of done learning from me, but, you know, what's next for you? Are you gonna booth rent here? I'm like, well, I guess I could, like, Take you on as a team member, but I don't really know how to do that. So, you know, it just started, like, learning with her of, like, okay. I guess I have to, know, learn how to do payroll and Yeah. You know, find a find a better CPA and, you know, start start you know, building the the knowledge base of what it takes to be a leader, you know, grow a team. Yeah. So I started with her, and I still have her on my team. But this was 20 19 when I hired Her and and she's on my team to this day. And so we just started going 1 at a time like that, and we went from that suite to 2 suites to 3 suites until We were, like, doing 35000 dollars a month in 3 suites. And I was like, okay. I think we can I I think we can bounce and go into a salon? And so a year ago, this in January, we opened up our first, like, brick and mortar. We're out of a suite, and now I have a team of 12 stylists. Goodness. In our first year in our building, we did half a million dollars, which was really cool. And we're on track to hit Or our goal is to hit a million, 7 figures this year. Yeah. That's a million. So we're we're really working. And and the money is cool. Right? Like, that's that's Cool of a of some sort of KPI success marker. But for me, the more important success is watching the team grow watching these Stylists double their income over the last year or see the change in their mindset when they really are surrounded about surrounded with people who have Big goals and dreams and, you know, watching their eyes open to, like, the possibilities of what could be in the industry. Yeah. So I think That that to me is a more important KPI or marker. The money will come. I'm like, the the the big numbers will will happen along the way, but my is is the team and what we're building. And above all else, like, getting to the point where you don't think about not hitting your exit anymore. You know? Like, going into work every single day being so happy and excited. So I'd love to hear your thought process around building this team. Because those benchmarks, everything that you just, you know, spewed out are almost unheard of. So I guess how was that intentional? What did that look like? Are there, you know, Growing pains happening right at this very moment because there are for a lot of people. Like, tell me more. Zoom in on that. I would love to hear more about that. Oh, for sure. So The team aspect for me is really I think by nature, I'm just a problem solver, and I've over the years, I've really just come to okay. That's how my brain works. Mhmm. And because I saw those the 2 main problems at my first salon, lack of leadership and culture and lack of growth opportunities. So I know that when I was Designing this, I was like, I don't wanna be a miserable salon owner. I wanna be a happy salon owner, so I have to create systems So that I am not the glue that holds everything together. I could remove my Yeah. And this operation would Continue on. Yeah. And I wanted it to be a salon built by hairstylist for hairstylists. Mhmm. And so we started with you know? And I just went through I mean, we did go through quite a few team members before finding you know, sifting through and finding the right ones who are, like, deep down. I I don't know if do you listen to Leila and Alex Romozi? Yes. I mean, not religiously, but definitely familiar with them. Yeah. Well, they they they call they say it's some down motherfuckers. That's who they have. You know, that that's like There Uh-huh. So I don't I don't quite get explicit like that with my team. Uh-huh. But that's, like, that is who we're looking for. You want that, like, doc. Yeah. Mhmm. Yeah. Like, somebody who's got the drive, somebody who's the go getter somebody that, like, truly believes in our and is, like, proud to be a part of it. Some somebody who's a part of something bigger than just, like, I come here, I make money, and I go home. Yeah. It's like we're building an empire. We wanna change the industry. We wanna show people that women can work in a supportive, encouraging, uplifting environment, and, like, that's the mission. And then the money follows. Like you know, all of that kind of happens when you put out good value, you try to be the best version of yourself, the rest of it happens. So for me, the growing pains is learning how to be a good leader you know, Especially in my early twenties because I think in our early days, we're just trying to figure ourselves out. Yeah. There It was handy. Like, therapy is a hundred percent. I mean, I feel like entrepreneurship is the biggest self development journey you would be on. Yeah. Because you're putting yourself out there, and you don't wanna put an unhealed version or, you know, a version of yourself that hasn't That you're kind of going through blindly. You know, we actually parts will manifest in different ways. Like, if if there is still something un healed, which we all have that, you know, but, like, that will show itself in business times x because you're making big moves. You know? And a lot of people Find themselves in that on their skyrocket journey to success. So it sounds like it's been a very impressive Run for you, and it sounds like you're very self aware and staying on top of all of that. So you said you have 12 team members currently? Yes. Are you at capacity, or you could take in more? No. We're taking it's been this has been crazy. We've had over a hundred and 65 applicants to work at our sleep salon in the last year and a half. No. I'm the I'm like, I just had an interview with 2 people on Monday, and we're onboarding them next week. And you're in Dallas? Or where are you? We're we're we're we're. It's the better part of DFW. Okay. But a lot of people say Dallas. Yeah. We're I mean, we share the same airport, so it's fine. Uh-huh. But Okay. But we don't beef there. Okay. We don't we don't put that there. So Fort Worth have you, like, considered a second location? Where's your brain even at 1 year in with this level of success? I know. I'm like so I'm I'm Literally trying to sort through all of that. And, you know, we were talking about you asked about growing pains too, and it it definitely as we're growing it and I tell my team, like, this is the first time I've, You know, been a leader over 12 people. You know, like, I'm still learning. I'm I'm trying to figure out how to keep the culture as we scale and and all of that Kind of stuff. And so second location has definitely been on the on the mind. Mhmm. But I am I have witnessed this has been, like, a a very relevant and current conversation recently I've had with some of my family and and team members. But The first 1 I worked at, they started going downhill when they opened a second location. Mhmm. And the booth rental salon I went to, They opened up a second location, and then after that, it started they just ended up selling their first location. So it's like So you have some fear and some triggers around there. And you know what? I'm And I think that's smart to take it slow because Who knows what 3 years from now your team can look like? Who knows what those applications can look like? And while you wanna capitalize on this, like, Trajectory you're on right now, it also is safe to and and probably wise to be like, let's just get our bearings for a little bit. Let's, like, Really get the foundation under us, and then if we still feel very confident in that move, then maybe go that direction. Yeah. And it will be it would be a totally different move for me because before, I'd incubated my salon in a salon suite. Mhmm. And so to Go to an immediate salon location with a a a build out and a debt payment and big girl rent Yeah. You know, immediately Makes me feel like I'd be a little bit more desperate to hang on to Fair. Team members if they weren't the best This is how that system gets broken. Yep. And you see and you've been empathized with these other salon owners who were in that same position. Yeah. Mhmm. And so that kind of scares me, but we have thought about we're we're kind of because we just can't sit still. Me and my team, I think we've I've I've attracted these doers. And so we have thought about planting some seeds in Denver. We just have a couple stylists and Myself included that love to travel to Denver, and we have a couple VIP clients that are moving to Denver and have asked us to do They're hair up in Denver. So we're we've thought about maybe just, like, renting a chair, you know, everything. Least, yeah. Pop up situation. Totally. Yeah. And just you know? And then if it takes off, then we have a seed planted, and then I can incubate. That feels comfortable for me to, like, incubate the salon in a suite, in a chair, you know, and then grow into That my salon coach has been really helpful in showing me some of that mindset of, like, we were doing 35000 dollars a month with 7 Stylist in 3 chairs. Wow. So we can maximize our space. So we only have 8 chairs right now and then we have the soon to be 14 stylists, but we're open 7 days a week. We're double shifting, triple shifting our days. Commission based? It's all commission based. Yes. Wow. So I I think we have lots of room, but it's definitely on the brain of, like, okay. We're at some point, this can't continue. Something that we have implemented that I think has been really helpful and maybe a little bit different in the industry is that we do have a 90 day Trial period for people, but it's more so a 3 month mentorship. And if we both feel like it's a good fit after For 3 months, then we'll offer you a long term position. And that helps bring people through because we have so many applications. And And what I've learned in the hiring process is a lot of people want this level. You know? Like, just like a lot of us want 6 pack abs. Mhmm. But, like, who's Willing to actually put in the work, and it usually takes about 90 days to kind of figure that out with people. Lose that sparkle they had in the beginning or that, you know, drive they had in And I Yeah. And I and I and I tell I'm very explicit in our interview process where I'm like, hey. This we're not the type of salon where you can go do hair and go do and go home. Like, we're we're somebody who wants to be fully involved. We have team bonding events. We sell birthdays. Yeah. We're like, we are all in into this. Yeah. And if that's not you, like, no shame in the game. Like, no worries. I'm glad we have an industry that caters to everybody, but, like, yeah, just not the right fit with us, and I think people want that. And then they come in and they're like, oh, so I you want. Yeah. Yeah. Like, I have to be here at 7 30 AM. Like, I'm I'm used to just, You know, booking at 10, and I'm like Yeah. Yeah. No. Sorry. This is it. So I think that has helped us. So kind of offering a 3 month mentorship, then if it doesn't Go on, then we can filter through people. And then we're still sending people out of our salon company after 3 months Yeah. Learning, you know, a better stylist. Like, they've learned a lot from us, and then we can send them on their way. And and they can find somewhere that might be a little bit of a better fit or Style for them, and I think that's that's been some some current growing pains that we've kind of had to go through where I'm like, they're like an 80 percent fit. And I have this, like, Where I, like, wanna help everybody. And I'm like, I could just, you know, I could if they just a little bit more work, and I think we could, like, really I see the potential I have a lot of owners in Soul Tribe Say that that they just see the potential so much, and then they quickly realize they're like, oh, I want it way more than she wants it. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. And so then I've realized, okay. You can't keep the 80 centers. But if I can keep them for 3 months, show them some new techniques, show them, you know, our just our our big dreams and how that's possible, You know, then I send them on their way. We've done a good job, and we can pee like, parse peacefully part ways Mhmm. And continue on that journey. Yeah. Love that. So when we were talking a little bit before we hit record, you said you have, like, an ebook coming out. You're dipping into digital education, which For me, it makes perfect sense because I'm obviously, that's the route that I went as well. So what is it that you're sharing its owners that you're trying to And what is, like is it just all these systems that have worked for you, or tell me more about what you're trying to bring to the industry now? Yeah. Pretty much. So I knew that for the next phase of my life. So I'm 26 right now, and I know I've been married for 7 years. And so I'm, like, kids are on the horizon. And I knew that, like, okay. I gotta stop trading time for dollars so much, and so I just wanted to start You know, and the things are working for me are crazy working for me, and I don't think share it. Mhmm. Yeah. Why not share it? And I believe in this beauty industry so much, and I believe that we are Like, we are the we I wanna be the change in the industry and help everybody kind of move and elevate in that direction. And so it's like, why not, you know, you know, share what's working for me? And so I I had a couple beta coaching clients beauty business owners, not just hair salons. I actually have a my client is a waxing salon owner. And They she felt pretty trapped, and I felt trapped as well in the beginning where I was like, I don't have much to offer. I'm in a suite. You know, I have these Goals and hopes of being a salon 1 day, but I would pretty much think if you wanna take a chance on me, I'll hire you. You know? Like and I didn't have much interest. So it was pretty much anybody who applied got hired. Yeah. And then I quickly ran through people, and I was like, oh, this is not gonna work. And so the same with this waxing boutique owner, she was hiring peep just anybody who had interest. Yeah. And I just basically shared her all my ugly Google Docs that I had just written out everything of, like, This is how I hear you. To the madness thus far. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. And I was like, let's just, you know, try it, put it in because I think you need to cast a wider net. And so I put all my hiring systems into her business. And in the first week, she had 10 phone interviews scheduled for people interested in her business. I was like, oh, this works. And I just wasn't even I had no idea. The the purpose of the beta coaching was just kinda figure out where my zone of genius is and Mhmm. What might seem ordinary to me was Totally. You know, worked extra Can it be duplicated by somebody else? Yeah. Right. And so I was like, oh, clicked. So I was like, perfect. And then I'm in a bunch of Facebook groups for salon owners, And people complain about staffing and hiring all the time, especially legacy salon owners that are hiring Gen z's. And I feel like I'm that zillennial era where I can kind of bridge the gap and show you guys, like, hey. This, like, old school mentality of, like, of a commission salon owner of we we keep the lights on. We supply back bar and products, and we pay the rent. Like, that's not gonna be out today. Yeah. Like, that is basic. That's, like, expected. Now what sets you apart? Like, for us, we do quarterly content photo shoots where I bring in a Photographer and a videographer, and everybody gets content. You know, it's like things like that that kind of set you apart. Yeah. And, like, learning how to speak, You know, offering the things you need to offer to attract the type of talent that you want. So that's kind of where how that came to be. So I was like, hey. This works. I can, And I'm passionate about it, so I can write and click on this. And so it's, like, 99.9 percent ready, and so It'll be it'll be launching in the next, like, 7 days or so. So I'm very excited to see that come to fruition. Yeah. Whitney and I talked before like I said, before I hit record. So we're recording this on January 30 first. You guys are gonna hear this into March. I'm actually, like, really on top of my batching right now. So why don't you tell them what it's gonna be? You told me that you're gonna do, like, a early bird special for the first Hundred people that buy it. After that, the price is gonna go up, but you said for we'll have a link for this podcast episode specifically where they can get the book for 97. What did you say? 97. Yes. 97 colors. Cool. Love that. I really appreciate you doing that. That's really amazing. And it's funny that you say this because actually inside of Stylus Soul Tribe in March, we have a hot seat already scheduled for a really successful owner in in the mastermind that I run but she wants everybody's support around hiring the right staff. So it really is kind of wild timing. I'm like, we may get you in there and pouring into her because I you're right. So many people deal with that. So I do feel like you have something special right now because I don't know the perfect fit for that. I can bring people around, and we can all brainstorm, and we can think about it together. But I love that you feel like you have a system and a process for that. That's incredible. Yes. Yeah. And I think it's the way I developed the system too is to be very much Flexible and adaptable. Like, you take what works for me, like, kind of principles and what fits your culture, your vibe, your Values of your salon because not what I you know, value for my salon is not the same for other people in their salons. And so that kind of, You know, being able to manipulate it to fit what the type of talent you want to attract is really nice. But, yeah, I mean, it's a huge problem in our industry, You know, staffing and, you know, people just wanna complain about these Gen Zers that they don't wanna work. And I'm like, no. They just wanna work they wanna work for something That's bigger than themselves. They wanna know how this is benefiting me. You know, what you know, I don't wanna just come in and and do hair and go. I wanna be a part of something that's they're gonna get really uncomfortable when you get to put a glass ceiling in front of them really quickly. So I think that that's incredible. Okay. I wanna pick your brain now just because we can't I'll let you, like, get off of this recording without touching on it. You were on this TV show. I don't even know anything about it, but I stalked your Instagram. I but I don't watch TV in, like, any capacity almost. How the heck did you find yourself on there? What was that process like? Obviously, I have to hard stop in an hour or else it doesn't let me upload video, But, like, I wanna hear a little bit about that. We can't not touch on that. What the heck was that about? Yes. On top of all these things that you've done in the last year, like, how did that work itself in as well? Oh, I know. And it's just a true testament to the team I've hired because I was gone for, like out of last year, I was gone, like, 6 weeks out of the country. Wow. Like, totally different times. They don't, you know, just out, and we still, like, record, you know Incredible. Loop through our numbers. So you know, Cheers to the my my team that held the fort down for me, but we so, basically, shampoo rep came up to me and was like, hey. This Alfa Parf Milano, this brand is putting together a TV show, and I think you should audition. And it was wild to me because I had told everybody like, I'm obsessed with Tabitha and Tabitha takes So we're, like, I own like, I own them. And I watched them in hair school, like, that she was just like, holy cow hairstylist can be on TV. Like, what? So I really spoke to you. Yes. I was like, we need an Ink Master's for hair. And so I actually watched old sheer geniuses from 2007 where Tabitha got her Start. Mhmm. I studied them actually before I left because I was like, what kind of challenges could come above you know, come above this? And so I'd I'd kinda spoke it into existence of of just, like, oh, I want 1. I'm huge on law of attraction, so I fully believe that you manifested that. Yes. And so I was like you know, I want 1. I want 1. And then it the opportunity presented itself, and Wow. I sent in my audition, and then they asked me to come to New York for a live audition. And that was a wild story because I was actually booked for a wedding in Cancun the day before, and I had to change my flight and fly overnight from Cancun. But you're like, I'm not letting this opportunity, but I'm not screwing this client over. Oh my goodness. Yeah. Yeah. And meanwhile, my whole family thinks I'm nuts because there's no this is first season, so there's no, like, records to say, like, you know, like like, are you getting kidnapped? Yes. Because they thought I was getting they thought I was getting myself human traffic. They're like, oh, they got you. 1 time, Kajabi flew me out to the headquarters, and that was a crazy experience too, and I remember getting that email. And my mother-in-law, my dad, like, so many people were like, how do you know that that's Actually, what this is, are you really just gonna get out of an airplane, Lisa? It was it was for real. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And so We got to New York, did all of that, and then I got and that was just the whole story too. Yeah. But I'm trying to I'm trying to cut back. I know. We might have to have you back on for another episode deep diving into that. Yeah. Yes. And so that was that was a whole fun story. And then then I got the text or the email that I would be going they asked me to film the TV show in Spain, and there's 12 of us going, but only 10 were gonna get on the show. So Wow. 2 people are gonna be all trans, and we didn't know who. So at this point, I still, like, Couldn't really get super excited. I was, like, nervous to post about it because I'm like, what if I'm an alternate? That's gonna be really Yeah. But we ended so that was really crazy. I, like, wore my running shoes, and my husband made me wear like, put a AirTag in my bra. And, like, he found the US Embassy's, like, address and phone number. Oh my goodness. Because I'm like, I had to fly to Spain alone, and then somebody in a van Picked me up at the airport and brought me to the hotel. I'm like, I hope we're going the right way. Yeah. So that was crazy. And then you know, the first day on set, they drove us an hour out of Madrid and To these warehouse buildings, you would never know it was a movie set, and we're on the same set as MasterChef. Like, eating in the same cafeteria as MasterChef, Project Runway, Like, America's Got Talent, and so everything's getting filmed out there. It was it was just I mean, it was, like, the most intense Time of my life in the good ways and the bad ways. So, like, the things that were pretty crazy were, like, magnified, and then things that were, like, You know, insane cool was also magnified. Wow. We're getting mic'd up. And Rihanna and Nikki from Salon 9 0 1 in LA, like, they were on the based on, like, I'm just I met Shakira's hairstylist. You know? I met Christine Quinn from Selling sunset. And so it's like all of you you're just like, what? So that was pretty Crazy to watch all of that go down, and then you know, it was it was a little tricky with the castmates. There was some I don't did you did you I guess you haven't watched the show yet. Watched it. No. No. Honestly, I've never even truthfully heard of it. But when I went to the page, because I went to it from your page. I saw that a ton of Soul Tribe members are, like, follow that show. So I'm just under a rock Go over here. I just read books, and that's all I do. But that's incredible. Yeah. It was it was pretty it was a cool it was a really cool, exciting journey. I'm really grateful to be a part of it. I learned so much about, you know, just all facets of hair People, like, what's possible in this industry, and I gained a lot of confidence in myself. I ran into a similar Problem with, like, maybe people feeling a little bit threatened by me, you know, from my first salon that happened a little bit with the the castmates I had there, and there was a little bit of Drama that went down. You if you if you've seen it, you know episode 3 is spicy. So episode 3 is It's a little bit heated. And that was all real. None of that is fake. I'm always wondering, like, how much of that is, like No. It was all real. And it was all real, and I'm almost irritated that they didn't so I think since it was season 1, it was, like, budget season 1. You know? Like, let's see. It did get renewed for season 2, so I think Maybe their budget will be bigger for season 2, but they didn't film anything outside of the set. So, like, they missed out on a whole another show That happened off out of the camera. Like the the bachelor mansion. What's happening behind the scenes? Yeah. There's no. And everybody like, there was 1 Dinner we were having were, like, me and Beau, my messy Beau, were sitting here drinking our drinks, and these 2 girls are standing up in public at tables screaming at each other. And we were just Stop. You're like, where are the cameras? Wow. Yeah. And, yeah, I'm like, why are we not getting this? Like, what? Oh my goodness. That That was definitely real. Like, they didn't tell us to script. They they really and the only things we had to kinda fake was, like, we I don't know. I mean, we don't even know if I'm allowed to, like, say this. So you should probably go back to my NDA and see what I agreed to. Yeah. Like, let's let's see. But They, you know, they we knew the challenges before the challenges. Okay. So, like, we had the rise. Yeah. Yeah. Fair. I would imagine that the I mean, how else do you make something like this Happened. There has to be the loopholes. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So there's some things like that where we're like, woah. We had no idea. Yeah. That's so funny. But I will say the host, they had lines. They had somebody in their ear. Like, people yeah. Wow. Because I was a little frustrated. I think If you were to ask me my opinions on Nikki and Rihanna, you know, not knowing they had lines, I'd be like, Who are they, and what do they who do they think they are? Like Yeah. Why are they judging me, particularly like this? Like, are they even and then I'm like, oh, they're getting fed lines. So it's like But I will say, like, I can't watch reality TV anymore without, like, knowing, like, that's not real. That's kind of how I already feel about reality ODTV back here. I bet you have already a, like, a whole different perspective around that. Some people got eliminated, like, 3 times Because they didn't walk off right, you know, or, like It's like, okay. Let's start over. Act really surprised again. Take. That's not funny. Yeah. Yeah. And they get eliminated again. So so that was pretty crazy. Wow. And then when people went home, they didn't really go home. You know? They were they were still hanging out in Spain. Oh, wow. Submitting ourselves to torture the next days as the competition continued. Well, here's my big takeaways from that. 1, I believe in the power of manifestation, and I fully think that that I don't know if you make vision boards. I don't know if you're into all that, but, like, Okay. So you you brought that to life. I fully, fully, fully believe that. And 2, I'm not saying this is maybe the right move everybody, because you're right, human trafficking is real, but there is something to just blind naivety of just like, I'm just so fucking excited. I'm just gonna Try it. And that's how I've always lived my life too. And if I listen to all the scared people around me every time opportunities like that present itself, remember the first time when I literally invested in Thrivers back in 20 16. My husband was like, that is an online scam. You should not do that. Blah blah blah. There was an education like that. And and then when I flew cross country to go to a retreat, when I do all these things, like, if I listen to the people around me, which no. I I love my husband. I love my parents. They're just looking out. But people who are doing big things have that special something in them where they just I don't know if it's because I'm an Enneagram 7. I'm an optimist. Like, I'm just expecting the best to happen in situations, and I find and it sounds like you find yourself in These crazy off the wall situations as well and statistically where you're at right now because you just believe you can. Right? Yeah. Exactly. I think it's the people that have the courage to jump off not knowing where they're going and knowing that, like, it we're gonna figure it out. Like, Marie Forleo's book, Everything is Figureoutable. It was really a good book that kind of set that the tone for me of, like Yeah. I'm just gonna like, anything that sparks my interest or my passion or No. You know, something like that. I'm just gonna give it a go. And if it doesn't work for me, I'll learn something from it. If that's the worst that happened, You know, it's not a failure failure. It's a learning opportunity. So if, you know, if I can learn from it and move forward, and then sometimes you end up in Spain On an all expense paid trip, and you're on TV. You know, it's like crazy. How does that happen? You just, you know, you just follow your heart and and go for it. And you take some chances every once in a while because it's high risk, high reward. I love that. Oh my god. What a cool life you have. I could interview you for 20 hours straight, I think. It's been really cool to get to know you, Whitney. Thank you so much. I I had some other things in my talking points. We could Gone the AI route. We could have gone a lot of different routes, but I think for time's sake, we'll wrap it up at that. We definitely are gonna have to stay connected, you and I, as you continue to watch this ebook as you continue your journey. I'm just grateful, like I said, to have this opportunity to get to know people really well, and now I'll never forget this, and you're gonna be my friend, and I love that. You know? So I will put the the ebook in the show notes in the description wherever you're listening to this. Is there anything else you wanna add before we wrap up. I would just like to get to know your Soul Tribe people. I mean, I think that is The you know, how we were drawn to each other. I think that you have an audience of of hairstylists and beauty business owners out there that, you know, would align close to what I'm working on, and I love seeing people on our same mission and goals. Like, we're here to, like, make a difference in the beauty industry, and so I'm excited to kind of connect with Oh, yeah. Some of audience members and see what we can all do together because we are so much better when we put our heads together, and I really am a Huge advocate for community over competition. So I'm just excited to kind of, like, get to know your audience a little bit better and jump off the bridge, guys. Like, go go shoot for the shoot for the stars and do the things even if you're a little scared and see where life takes you. And then send me a DM because I wanna know what happens. Yes. Same. Okay. Love it. Thank you so much for listening, friends. Thank you, Whitney. And I will talk to you all next week.