Stylist Soul Tribe Conversations

053 - Alannah Zilkowsky: HairAid, Breeze Web Designs, and Growing Your Business without Social Media

• Lisa Huff

Share episode

Have a topic request or someone you think we should have on the pod?! Send us a text and let us know!

Welcome back to Stylist Soul Tribe Conversations! Today’s episode is filled with inspiration and practical tips as I sit down with the incredible Alannah Zilkowsky, a stylist, salon owner, and the founder of Breeze Web Designs. Alannah has not only dedicated her career to the beauty industry but has also found ways to make a meaningful impact globally through her work with HairAid, an Australian charity teaching haircutting skills to those in need. In this episode, she shares her passion for service, her journey in building a location-independent business, and her powerful approach to growing a clientele without relying on social media.

What We Cover:

  • HairAid and the Power of Service: Alannah dives into her volunteer work with HairAid, where she teaches basic haircutting skills in developing countries, empowering individuals to create sustainable income. Learn about the powerful impact of service and how Alannah integrates empathy and purpose into her work.
  • Launching Breeze Web Designs: Alannah shares her journey in founding Breeze Web Designs, her web and SEO service for salons and stylists. Discover how she built her business with the intention of gaining more freedom to travel and serve through projects like HairAid.
  • Client Growth without Social Media: Tired of social media? Alannah shares her approach to attracting clients through Google My Business and SEO, breaking down how salon owners can use search engines to build a steady flow of ideal clients without the overwhelm of social media.
  • Stylist Soul Tribe Impact: A dedicated member of the Stylist Soul Tribe for four years, Alannah reflects on the community’s role in her personal and professional growth. Hear how accountability, shared goals, and connection have fueled her journey.

Whether you’re a stylist looking to make a difference or simply want practical tips to grow your business without spending hours on social media, this episode is for you. Tune in to hear Alannah’s unique blend of purpose, creativity, and actionable advice!

Links & Resources:

We’re celebrating one year of Stylist Soul Tribe Conversations! 🎉 To mark this milestone, we’ve created six exclusive Starter Packs packed with powerful episodes, masterclasses, roundtables, and content from the Stylist Soul Tribe Vault. Click here: https://stylistsoultribe.mykajabi.co

Sign up for Mindset to Magic: https://stylistsoultribe.mykajabi.com/mindset-to-magic-sales-page

Connect with Lisa Huff

Audio Only - All Participants:

Hi, friends. Welcome back to Stylist's Old Tribe Conversations. I am joined today by, honestly, one of my favorite humans on Earth. Alana Zielkowski is a hairstylist, salon owner, and website designer specifically for hair salons and stylists. She lives all the way in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and has been in the hair industry for over 15 years. In her personal life, Alana is an amateur beekeeper, scuba diver, and occasional snowshoer. She's a dog mom, plant lover, and world traveler, which we're going to talk about today. She has traveled twice to the Philippines to volunteer with HairAid, an Australian charity, which teaches women basic haircutting skills so that they can earn an income and support their families. And just wrapped up a trip to Guatemala, which is their newest location, right before she came to the retreat, which we were just together last week. hi Alana, thank you so much for being here. We've been trying to record this podcast for a little while now. we had a couple things come up that caused us both to reschedule, and I believe everything happens for a reason. So I'm kind of selfishly a little excited to be chatting post retreat with you. and we were just together in person for four days, so it just feels like here we are again. It feels great. Thanks for being on. Thanks for having me. I feel like we've got so much cool stuff that we can chat about, moving forward. So I think it was, everything happens for a reason. Do you feel the same way I do? Because when she was rescheduling this last time, she was like, should I do the day after the retreat or a week after? I'm like, Oh God, probably a week after. Do you agree? I was dead last Friday. I was so tired. 100 percent would have been useless. You would have been like, how was the retreat? And I'd be like, you better. I don't have, no, no, yes, because they really are like that. They just take it out of you. But this is actually the first podcast I've recorded post retreat. I thought about doing like a retreat dedicated podcast and I've just, It's been busy and I haven't gotten to it. So it is nice to be back in my group, be back into my podcasting flow today. Actually the day that we're recording this, not the day that it comes out, but I am celebrating the one year podcast anniversary today, November 1st, last year, the podcast launched. I know. And what a year it's been. Like, that's so wild. And one token, I've recorded 52 episodes, so like, I kind of feel like I've been doing this forever. I don't get nervous the same way I used to, but then in another, I'm like, Oh my God, I can't even believe a year's passed. I have no idea what I'm doing. Right. And. That's like, I'm like, it's November 1st today, what happened to this year? Every client I talk to is like, this year just seems to have flown by. I know, I feel like I'm just getting older and older and like acting just more like a Midwest old lady every time I say that, but time is such a fucking trip and I can't comprehend it. Anyway, okay, so let's chat. I know, obviously you guys, I know Alana actually really well. How long have you been in Soul Tribe now? I'd say probably four years because that was my third retreat. I feel like I've known you for a very long time. I also want to commend you because I think that you really are someone, when I think of like who gets the most out of Soul Tribe, I always preach you get out of it what you put into it. And you are someone that like really utilizes the community. Stays in touch with me. Like I just feel so close to you because I've watched you do so much in your life in these last four years and bring so many ideas to life that I just feel connected to you, in a different way. So it's been really cool to watch, but I've watched Alana since I've known her become much closer with Harried. I guess what is your technical role with Harried right now? I don't know that I have a specific, title, like, cheerleader, like, gospel spreader, I don't know, I just really believe in the organization. Yeah, number one fan. I just feel like I really believe in the organization and what it does and how it can change the lives of the women that we're teaching. That I just want everyone to know about it and I think every hairdresser should experience it. So, first, I guess, other than the brief intro that I just shared, what is Hair Aid? If someone has no idea what you're talking about, tell us more of what this even is. Okay, so Harried is this phenomenal organization. It's an Australian charity. It's been around for I think 13, 14 years now. it operates volunteer led projects, in Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and now recently Guatemala, which is great for our North American people. Cambodia is a stunningly beautiful place, but it is a long flight and Guatemala is, it's a lot, it's a lot closer. And what it is, is it's a week long training project where we teach women basic haircutting skills so that they have the ability to go back to their communities and earn an income and support their family and put food on their table. Yeah, and how many people usually go on a trip with you? so most of the three trips that I've been on, there was between, 14 to 18 hairstylists. They typically, I believe, max it out at 20, just because then it starts, you know, we do team events together, we do cooking class, we do dinners together. It's hard to coordinate more people than that. Yeah. Awesome. And when was your first one that you went on? So I did my first volunteer project in January, 2020 in the Philippines. And I flew home the day that the World Health Organization was like, wow, there's some mysterious virus out of Wuhan, Yeah. It's so wild. So that was the last project before it was shut down. And then my second project was January, 2023 in the Philippines. And that was the first project after things had reopened. Amazing. And when are you going next? I'm going to be going to Cambodia in July this year, so in about six, eight months. Oh, amazing. Okay, and what goes into it if a stylist is interested in this? Like, obviously, people hear this and they're like, oh my god, that's cool, but like, they assume that's never something they can do. Like, what goes into this? If someone was interested in it, how would they participate? Yeah, well, the first thing is, Head to their website, kind of look it over, next year I believe they've got four projects that still have some openings left, they'll be announcing 2026 pretty soon. And you look, you see, for me it's more what, not necessarily the location, but what dates align best with like my schedule behind the chair, my family life, things like that. And then, you know, you put a deposit down. Pricing is about 1, 500 U. S. for the volunteer cost. That covers your accommodations, the insurance, transportation to and from locations. Depending on the hotel, sometimes breakfast is included. Not flights, right? No, and then not flights. So those are your own costs as well. And typically, Harrods recommends fundraising for the cost. So they give you kind of a little pamphlet, of funds. What other people have done successfully in the past, like fundraising, trivia nights, raffle baskets. Really getting your clientele, like your clientele is so stoked and they wanna support you on this, whether it be getting donations. The last time I went, I got my suppliers to donate capes. I got some scissors. I got coloring books for the kids.'cause the women we were teaching were single mothers. So a lot of them brought their kids to entertain them. typically, the entire cost, most people do fundraise for. Incredible. Yeah. And I know Kelsey and Chelsea, right? They're going to Bali. we have a girl in Soul Tribe right now who's going on a trip and she is really taking advantage of the fundraising and her clients are loving it. they are so excited. I say, why not get people involved? This is actually like charitable work. I mean, I know some of it you have paid out of your own pocket, but if that's a stopping factor it's a very creative thought process Really anyone could do this if they decided they wanted to, and put some effort and some strategy into raising the funds for that. How would you say you have changed as a person since doing this? I would say I'm a lot more empathetic. I have traveled a lot and I've been privileged to do so, but you are exposed to, like, base level poverty. Like, we're talking women who live, without running water and electricity, and just realizing It's very humbling, for sure. and also, the value of our skill and our industry, you know? We get this image our industry can have and things like that. Legitimately, you're sharing your skills with someone who's so grateful. by the end of the week, it is wild, how quickly they learn, they legitimately have an ability to earn an income by your teachings that they didn't have at the beginning of the week. And it's so beautiful, and it just really, like, opens up your perspective to the world and the value of the knowledge that we have and how we can share that. How does Herod find these, is it always women, or not always? No, not always. in the Philippines, they work with a men's jail, actually. to provide them some skills so that they have the ability to not go back to a life of crime and have legitimate ways of earning income. So, they are actually looking, and I believe they're starting to partner with a, Jail in indonesia, so they're looking for more barbering people like more barbering skills as well. so no, it's not always not always women. It's people in these people like I can't even imagine the logistics that go into planning on the back End of this like how do they find these? people. Oh yeah, Selena, the founder and SEO is like a rock star, like she's such an organizational person. But it's partnering, it's partnering with government organizations or NGOs on the ground. So when we were in Guatemala, I was at Propochina, which is, they have a Spanish language school. They, they support mainly single mothers, getting them occupational skills, supports, things like that. So Hay Raid partners a lot of the time with not for profits who are already supporting, communities in need, so they kind of have those contacts, and some structures set up, but a lot of the times, like, we're teaching in basketball courts, we're teaching in churches, we're teaching in parking lots, Wow. Is there licensing in those areas? Sorry if that's a really ignorant question, but are these women allowed to just legally go because we're not allowed to do that here. How does that work? so, yes, there is licensing, and if you were to go to, say, in the Philippines, if you were to go to a mall and go to David's Salon, which is, a chain mall salon, yes, those people are licensed, and they have inspections, and the comparative of state board and stuff, but the women that we are teaching live in slum communities. A lot of them are undocumented because there are millions of people in the country of the Philippines that are undocumented. when you don't have running water and electricity, there's not a whole lot of like, Oh, I don't have a license. Like it's putting a chair in front of your house and offering to trade your neighbor for a bag of rice. Like, and then if there is, you know, there's always superstars. So you had them in hair school who like, they just got it, right? Um, Hair Aid does have connections and support to potentially get them scholarships, to get them to an in salon. There's, I'm assuming, a language barrier, right? When you're teaching these women, how is that navigated? So there are translators, each location has at least one translator, I picked up a little bit of Tagalog working in the Philippines. I had a little bit of Spanish. Tell me a little bit. I don't even know what Tagalog is. Tagalog is the Filipino language. So like Magadanumaga is good morning. But honestly, like, I'm at the point right now, I can teach someone how to cut hair without speaking any English. the first day is super important to have a translator because they are explaining the technical things. But once they know how to hold a pair of scissors and a comb and I can hold my, oh wow, look at my roots. I can hold it up and be like, Pequito. Yeah. like, it's such a visual art form that you can figure it out. Do you feel like you get to know these women that you're teaching or not necessarily, like, not on a personal level necessarily, like, you say they're so grateful, like, I'm trying to understand, even if it's just that, like, spiritual connection, like, how would you even put that into words? Are you getting to know them at all or is it kind of just like, here's the gist and then you go? Does that question make sense? Oh, for sure. Like, you, you're like a hot mess on graduation day. Like, like you're, cause they're just It's, it's such an emotional experience that on day one, like, you're introducing yourself to these women, and you are working very intently, very intensely for that week, that on day five of graduation, like, there's tears, there's hugs, I got this little, like, this little, and I sat you right in front of my desk, this little, like, handmade, it's made out of paper, like, People with so little like, take time. Oh, that's so special. Like craft you a little. That's lovely. And it's just like in front of on and you know, I get a lot of'em adding me on Facebook. So the day before my birthday, I always get like all of these because they're on the other side of the world. It's this wishes bond of like mentorship and. Just sharing that is so, I mean, it's like the retreat. How close do you get to people in like 48 hours that like, at the end of the retreat, you're like, I can't believe I've actually only known you for three days. And I feel like I'm closer to you than friends I've had for years. It's that like connection of sharing something. And I remember I also asked you this, this was when we were just hanging out at night during the retreat, it wasn't during, it was just a few of us in a room together, and I said, do you get close with other stylists? And you're like, oh yeah, definitely. So like, tell me even about that, because each one, you've been with different people, right? Or have any of them overlapped? Yeah, so a few of them have overlapped, Crystal, who is amazing. She's from Australia. She was on first and second in Philippines. and then Nicole was in the second Philippines. She was in Guatemala. So we were the two people in Guatemala who had done a Harried project before. You stay connected on Facebook. you get paired with a roommate unless you've gone with someone like I'm sure Kelsey. Kelsey and Chelsea will probably be in a room together. Maybe not. and yeah, it's just, it is such a. Intense intimate experience that you're spending like the whole week with these people. Basically, you get up, you have breakfast, you go off to your locations, you come back to debrief that, you make a lot of friendships. I am so excited to go to Australia because I feel like I've got places to stay at. All down the coast planting all these seeds all over the world all these different people. That's so incredible It's dawning on me now that we're talking about it, too Cuz you went straight from Guatemala to the Miami retreat and it just kind of hit me like wow That probably was quite the whiplash, right? I mean to go from one level of experience to another. Did you feel that? Or you've been to both of them, so you kind of knew what to expect? Or did that really, like, kind of hit you when you get back to the States? I'm sure you probably come back with a different sense of perspective every single time, but like, Talk about a juxtaposition in experiences that I can only imagine kind of weigh on you a little bit, right? there was kind of 100 percent and I even talked to Alan about that when I got home. there was kind of two different levels. when I got my coffee in the morning in Guatemala, it was like two dollars and then I went to go get a coffee in Miami and it was like twelve dollars Canadian, like it was wild. And then You see so much excess in Miami. I think Miami was beautiful, I loved the area we stayed in for Wynwood, just so much excess of wealth, and, yachts as far as the eye can see, and like all of that, And just very, like, the beach, obviously, beach is my happy place, but other than that, Miami is a concrete jungle, and coming from Guatemala, where you're at the base of three volcanoes that are green and mountainous, and, older, Spanish influenced architecture, no skyscrapers, you're just like, it was A lot of contrast, but not necessarily in a bad way, like, talk about, a very rich variety of experiences back to back to back Was it cold when you got home? Because it was cold even in Illinois when I got home. Yes. Yeah, so that just boom. Anything else about Hey Raid that you feel like people should really know? I, obviously, I just went on my own little curiosity tear, tiring, but like anything else that you feel like people maybe misunderstand or something else that if people are listening to this, you feel like they should really know about Hey Raid specifically? I would say that You already have the skills that you need to be able to teach. Like you don't need to be an educator. You don't need to have 10 years experience behind the chair. you already have what you need to be able to share those skills and that it may seem scary. and it will definitely be out of your comfort zone and there'll be some times where you're stretched as a person, but that's how we grow. I just cannot express enough, how phenomenal of an experience it is you go there wanting to share your skills and help but what you'll take away from it, I don't think you can actually understand until you've done it, like, how impactful and valuable it is for you as a person. So I just really. Highly, highly, highly recommend it. 10 out of 10. I can tell, yeah. I can tell that that's how you feel, but I, and I also understand that there's probably no words to it until you've, experienced it yourself. Amazing. When you say basic care, care cutting skills, are you only using scissors and combs? Are you using clippers? Like, what are you showing them? Or no. Yeah, so in Guatemala on the men's haircutting day, we actually did have Pepe Barbado, who is a local Guatemalan barber who has a barbing academy. They came in in the morning with clippers to kind of demo to, to our ladies, but typically no, we don't use clippers because you, clippers are expensive. They need a lot more maintenance and you need access to electricity for them. So we are teaching, you know, there's no blow drying, there's no hot tools, there's no styling. It is. basic, basic haircutting skills. And at the end of the week, when the women have successfully completed their training, which is not a given, they have to do a minimum of so many haircuts. And they're all of them live models. Like by the end of day one, they are cutting on live models, a one length straight haircut. They're doing really great. so when they successfully complete, they get what's called a business in a bag, which is a pencil case. Four clips, a comb and a pair of scissors. And we teach them with that, you can go out and start making money. Yeah, that makes sense. Wow. Wow. Wow. Incredible. Okay. So yeah, I think that really does go to show that anyone who thinks, Oh, I haven't been doing it long enough or, Oh, I'm not super good at haircutting. Like there, that cannot be a fear of yours. Like if you were performing haircuts on anyone or ever have, you definitely can participate in this. Yes. Absolutely. And you know what? It actually also really improves your skills behind the chair. Like, you get pretty lazy with like, your sectioning and your parting and your cleanness and everything. And, yeah, you get home and you're like, oh, look at me. Teaching something always makes you learn it better. Yeah. Anytime you teach something, it's like you're also teaching yourself that same skill again. Totally agree with that. Amazing. Okay. So I know, breezeLab Design was founded, correct me if I'm wrong, off of your basis of wanting to continue to travel, which obviously makes sense with you, your hair aid projects and things like that, because you love traveling as is, correct? And how would you kind of word that and explain that and then maybe kind of share with them what it is that you're doing with Breeze? Yeah, so I mean, I feel like if you're listening to Lisa's podcast, you kind of know her methodology. You may understand what a big magic idea is. that's the whole, you know, Elizabeth Gilbert's big magic book, Universal Download. You're kind of just, you have white space and it kind of just hits you. Yep. but I do think there is a bit more intentionality behind it. I had Breeze Magic, Breeze Web Design come in to me when I was in Costa Rica a couple years ago. And I was with, my husband, Alan, and two friends. And my two friends can work remotely. Um, and they're sitting by the pool on their laptop for an hour or two. Close their laptop, let's go for lunch. And I'm like, I feel like you guys should pay for lunch. Like, you guys are just working. Like, how do I get on this? and I kind of just started thinking, you know, I'd love to travel more. I'd love to do more hair aid projects. My goal would be to do two a year. it really fills my cup and fills my soul. but I have a mortgage and I have bills to pay and we are in an industry typically where unless we're standing behind a chair cutting someone's hair. We're not making money. Very much time for money. And you have to be in the same physical location with someone to do it. yeah. So I just, I started kind of thinking down the path of like, I really love our industry. I've been in the industry for You know, 17 years now I own a salon. I've done competition. I've had apprentices. I've done training. I've done lots and lots and lots of business courses. you know, so I, I feel like I do have so much knowledge in that area that I don't want to go to a different industry. but how, how could I still add value, while having something where I could make income remotely? And it got me thinking to web design, which has now evolved more into like the SEO, Google My Business, like you have a website, but, you know, it's not appearing in search results and things like that. and it's something I can do remotely. and I also, I'm getting a lot of satisfaction from like getting messages from people being like, dude, I got three new client requests this week. I just learned a price increase. Oh, You're Harry's number one cheerleader. I'm Alana's number one cheerleader because I have seen it firsthand. I also want to commend you on how adamant you are about Getting results. There's a lot of people who want to do other things, but they're just willing to throw shit at the wall and see what sticks I commend you as a human and your core values Alana did the first round of the intensive, which is a high focus mini mastermind inside of Stylus Soul Tribe, a bigger mastermind. And she, that's when the SEO really kind of came to life and SEO, For those of you that I'm speaking another language to search engine optimization. So Alana, I think agrees. I've learned so much just from coaching you through this right now in this moment of time, end of 2024, I would say correct me if you disagree. I think in my circle of influence where stylists are getting the most clients right now is Google. And when they have that optimized Google and optimized website, they're using search engine strategy. it's working really, really, really well. And so, yeah, I mean, I've just seen people in soul tribe specifically, you're so interconnected with soul tribe. people have started using a lot of services The results are actually crazy. if you really just get a top tier website going, start implementing some SEO strategy. I've even just learned so much through you, sometimes it's not even what people in our industry or what we're spinning our wheels in some spaces and not making the most impact. do you want to share what you've learned so people can have value taken away from here? Yeah, I think so. The two biggest things I think would be, if you don't have a Google My Business profile, make one today, because if you don't have a Google My Business profile, Google doesn't like you, so if someone searches hair salon Lincoln, you're just not going to show up, and then nurturing it, posting on it, doing pictures and stuff, And then a branding photo shoot, I think is really, really important. crisp, clear, professional pictures of you in your space, doing a model, washing out a client, picking color off the shelves. Like, you want to make your life ten times easier, and you hate posting on social media, which, I mean, social media is a whole nother jungle of things, but if you have, you know, 30 crisp, clear, professional pictures of you in your space, You can take your foot off, in my opinion, you can take your foot off the gas of taking pictures of every client behind your chair, and you know, now if you do still post on social media, which personally, I don't know. Controversial opinion? I don't. I post my travels and my hair raids and stuff, but I haven't taken a picture of a client in Probably almost two years to post I don't post hair on my page and i'm getting eight to ten new client perfect target market requests every month Yeah Yeah, some people social media is great for me. it's a stress It's overwhelm, it's imposter syndrome. It's not good enough, and it's just another thing on the list that it's just not good for my mental health. So you can have a successful business without social media. I think. I hope for some people hearing that that's like a breath of fresh air because I don't know. I mean, it is the end of 2024 right now. I really, really, really truly believe, like I think back and. 2018, 2019, social media was definitely different. You were getting lots of clients from it, I just don't see people getting the same amount. And now some people do have great habits when it comes to social media, and so they're getting like a trickle of clients, but I am finding in the stylist that I talk to on a regular basis, majority of it is coming from search engine. And that's not to say in another two, three years, that's completely going to change again. But I do really think in this moment of time, I was even listening to like a Gary Vee podcast or something where he was rambling on about, just AI chat GPT. I actually just had someone in a soul tribe call say that for the first time. Their brand new client said they found them through chat GPT. They asked chat and I'm like, okay, so I think we're almost at the cusp of it won't be Google anymore. So I hate to say that. I mean, it'll probably be a couple of years, but I really do think that's how much just like staying on the cusp of things, but right in this very moment, everyone that I know in soul tribe and beyond. That's where people are getting large influx of new clients. And so if you're still spending, which also it's so much easier than social media, like it takes a fraction of the time, a fraction of the creative energy, a fraction of everything to keep a well oiled machine working with Google and search engine, versus Instagram, Facebook, all of the things that we're trying to do. So you said branding photo shoot is very, very helpful. Like you, you hate building websites when people don't have professional photos. Right. I won't do it for people anymore. That's like a hard line. I won't even start the process because I just find you were doing yourself a disservice and I'm not going to be able to get you the results that I know I can get. If you don't have it and like I don't want to take money from you knowing that's not going to work as well So, professional photo shoot and starting a google my business I'm going to share just a few things that i've learned. I seriously think strictly from coaching you I've learned these but I will say there's a few things that i've learned that just came up the other day in a soul tribe call When you shared with me the tidbit you learned in an seo course about how the first Line on your website should not say Hello gorgeous or hi beautiful. It should say hair salon in this city and state because that's what people are searching on the internet like That is like mind blowing but duh makes perfect sense. Like that's what keywords and search things like that I thought that was huge. Some people will say, Oh, I have a Google my business. I'll be like, well, have you updated in the last week? And they're like, Oh God, no, I haven't done in months. I think if people rather than posting on Instagram five times a week, or in conjunction posting on Google business once a week. Getting a steady stream of new guests, Client reviews on Google is so incredibly helpful that with the website, with you updating, is kind of the perfect storm for the Google machine. when your clients leave you a Google review, Respond to that Google review and use as many keywords as you can. like, I'm so glad you like your haircut and color, or welcome to this town since you just moved here. I'm so glad you like your services. Anything that someone would type into Google. To find a hairstylist are the words that you want to be using, both in your updates and your pictures and the things that you're sharing. It doesn't have to be this big, long educational caption like Instagram. It just needs to be simple keywords. And I feel like if you just know those tricks, Right now, end of 2024, that's what, that's the best bang for your buck, energy wise, when it comes to marketing. Do you agree? 100%. I'm so proud of you. I was just like, in my head, I'm like, reading it off, and I'm like, and then you reply to the reviews with the keywords, and you did, and I was like, oh. Like, that is a very simple strategy, but that's all that people need to be doing right now, and it makes a massive impact. Huge difference. Like people like, Oh, I loved my hair from Lisa. And you're just like, Oh, thanks so much, Diane. you know, thanks so much for coming into my hair salon, Diane. I'm so happy that you enjoyed your cut and color, and I can't wait to see you for your next hair appointment, still the same thing, make a massive difference, difference, you know, to do it. And nobody would think to do that unless you're taught it. I don't know how long that marketing advice is gonna be the best, but I will say in this moment in time, I think that is the best use of your energy. In our industry right now, and I've learned a lot of that from you because I love how much of a student you are. And when you go into a new venture, how serious you take that and how curious you are. And I feel privileged to have been part of that journey in some capacity where I'm learning these things and passing them along. So, yeah, those have been some of my like biggest takeaways from you and the big magic idea and all of that. So all that being said, I'd love to hear from you, Alana. Having it been four years, having it been this is your third retreat, you being someone that shows up to Souls Tribe so intentionally, fully, what would you say has changed and or why do you like this Modality of being in a mastermind, constant education, continually, like, growing and moving and taking that next step and striving for whatever more is on your path. I think, the one buzzword that I could say for Stylist Soul Tribe for me, Looking back on it would be the accountability. and just having those monthly touch points and with the Marco Polo, even with the intensive, I had that Google business SEO thing, rumbling around in my head for, at least six months before it was on my to do list and it just kept pushing down, but then having that intentionality, Of the other people cheering you on, I can look back at the last four years and 100 percent say with certainty that I would not be where I am right now if I hadn't joined Soul Tribe and had those sisters, that community of people cheering me on and holding me accountable to the things that I want to do in my life. I mean, I'd still probably have done some of it, but not with the effectiveness that I think that I've been able to do. Well, I can flip the script and say Soul Tribe wouldn't be what it is if it hadn't been joined four years ago, so we could just love fest it up over here. I completely agree. And again, I just want to commend you that I think you show up really well. You allow people to hold you accountable, which some people struggle with. it really is cool to see you continually, and not to a toxic, point. I think at this last retreat, tell me how much you want to go into this. Because you don't have to, but like, You got to this last retreat and a lot of it was personal and so it's been really a joy and an honor to just know you and watch how you move. That it's not, it's not always business, it's not always that, but you are someone when I think of who really creates an intentional life and is constantly looking at that intention and deciding is this still in alignment? Does something else feel better? Is this what I want? And then continually working towards it. Like, I look up to you for that. And I think that's something you do so well. And not everybody has that. So I just want to commend you for it and shout you out for that as well. Well, thank you. I appreciate that. And I feel like a lot of that is skills and techniques and things that I've learned like through Soul Tribe and other business courses and other books that I've read about like, you know, All of these, like, I'm a numbers person, so you know, it's like, you know, 80 percent of people don't do, make goals and you're 60 percent more likely to do the goals if you write them down and things and I think, I think we have, we all have a potential and, and Harry tied into this of, of the appreciation for life of, we all have the potential to live such a bigger life than we allow ourselves to and sometimes it's very easy to just slip into the day to day and like, this is good, This is good enough and we are, you know, hustle culture. We're all so busy that to take the time to look at our life and say like, is this what I want? Is the direction I'm going still in alignment with what I thought three years ago? How can I be better? How can I give back? How can I be happier? How can I have better relationships with friends and family? Honestly, I think so many of us, just don't even take the time for reflection. We just, go through life. And a lot of it is like, you know, work hard and then one day I'll retire. one day, well, one day is not on the calendar. Like, when are you going to take your family to Mexico? When are you going to have date night? And just that being more intentional with life and that takes a lot of work. It is a lot easier to coast. And I think intention is the one word and I think some people between, you know, not having others around them that seem very intentional, not having that constant reminder and before you know it, you look back and years have passed, we're just talking about how is it even November? I think intention is the word and that's something I think of when I think of you, that's something I strive for. When I see intentional people, I'm always drawn to them. that I think that's really all it takes is just choosing, choosing to participate with life that way and setting that intention and doing that. So, this has been amazing to no surprise. Thank you for coming on. Thank you for sharing. I mean, we definitely covered a wide range of topics, but I think there's gonna be lots of value for a lot of people. I'm assuming it's in this Calendly form that you filled out, or Alana will make sure I get all of the info when it comes to hair aid and breeze web design anything else we should be including or anything else that the people need to know? I just made a blog about my most recent post to guatemala. That's on my website so I can post that in there if you want to just do a quick read with the pictures Do you have any questions? You can dm me. You can send me a facebook message try people who have me on marco polo I am an open book about anything like even if it's not in your budget to do website or seo I'm happy to like do a video walkthrough of your website and just give you tips If you've got something in your mind with questions, concerns, something holding you back, just shoot me a message, because I'm happy to chat about it Awesome, so we will have all of that in the show notes, in the description, all of the things, but yeah, Lana is, accessible. She's a real person. You can shoot her a DM. She will respond back to you. So any questions about anything and same goes for me. as always, I'm just so grateful to have this long form opportunity to have these conversations with people and bring it to, any larger audience that may be listening. thank you again, friend for coming on. I'm glad we did it when we did it. It feels really good. and thank you all so much for listening. I will talk to you all next week. Bye.