Thriving Stylist Podcast

When stylists tell me they need to make more money fast, they often add that they're doing everything right and still not seeing results. I have audited a lot of businesses and I can tell you that has never once been true. None of us are doing everything right, myself included. So this week I'm giving your business a check-up. Recent Thriver Society members have hit $10k months, doubled their revenue, and booked 23 new guest requests in a single month, and none of them did it with discounts or gimmicks. I'm sharing the 5 places I look first when someone wants to see more money in the next 90 days, plus a bonus sixth that most stylists overlook. Making money as a stylist has become more strategic and this episode is where you start! All the episodes of After The Last Client are now available! Head over to www.afterthelastclient.com/ to watch the episodes, binge the series, and nominate the guests you want to see featured next season. Do you have a question for me that you'd like answered in a future episode like this one? A great way to do that is to head over to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review with your question. I'm looking forward to answering your question on a future episode on the podcast!  If you're not already following us, @thethrivingstylist, what are you waiting for? This is where I share pro tips every single week, along with winning strategies, testimonials, and amazing breakthroughs from my audience. You're not going to want to miss out on this. Learn more at: https://thrivingstylist.com/podcast/ 

Something is happening in our industry right now that I can't stop thinking about. In early October, a TikTok trend started with clients raving about getting their hair done at Ulta, and it caught like wildfire. It has since moved into mainstream media and my DMs have been flooded with it for weeks. I'm not here to take a side. I looked at what clients are actually saying about why they're leaving independent stylists and salons, what Ulta stylists are saying about their own experience, and what the compensation really looks like. What I found says a lot about where our industry is heading and what it means for the way you market, price and position yourself right now. This story is still breaking in real time, and I want you to hear the full picture before you decide what it means for YOUR business. All the episodes of After The Last Client are now available! Head over to www.afterthelastclient.com/ to watch the episodes, binge the series, and nominate the guests you want to see featured next season. Do you have a question for me that you'd like answered in a future episode like this one? A great way to do that is to head over to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review with your question. I'm looking forward to answering your question on a future episode on the podcast!  If you're not already following us, @thethrivingstylist, what are you waiting for? This is where I share pro tips every single week, along with winning strategies, testimonials, and amazing breakthroughs from my audience. You're not going to want to miss out on this. Learn more at: https://thrivingstylist.com/podcast/ 

I know insurance is not the most exciting topic I've ever brought to the podcast, but I'm covering it today because I recently learned just how many stylists are either completely uninsured or carrying coverage that wouldn't actually protect them when it matters most. 77% of US small businesses are underinsured, and I'd bet a good chunk of those are in our industry. In this episode, I'm walking through the most common types of insurance for booth renters and salon owners, the more nuanced coverages most people don't even know exist, when it actually makes sense to file a claim and when it doesn't, and the specific gaps that tend to catch people off guard.  This is one of those episodes you won't think you need until you really need it, so listen up and as always, let me know your thoughts on this one!  All the episodes of After The Last Client are now available! Head over to www.afterthelastclient.com/ to watch the episodes, binge the series, and nominate the guests you want to see featured next season. Do you have a question for me that you'd like answered in a future episode like this one? A great way to do that is to head over to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review with your question. I'm looking forward to answering your question on a future episode on the podcast!  If you're not already following us, @thethrivingstylist, what are you waiting for? This is where I share pro tips every single week, along with winning strategies, testimonials, and amazing breakthroughs from my audience. You're not going to want to miss out on this. Learn more at: https://thrivingstylist.com/podcast/ 

In the fall of 2026, a wave of Instagram posts flooded the industry with stylists and salons announcing they were going cash-only and ditching credit card payments altogether. It spread fast, it went viral and a lot of US-based stylists started jumping on board without realizing one very important thing: those posts weren't meant for them. In this episode I'm breaking down what actually triggered this trend, how it applies to Australian businesses and not American ones, and what the real pros and cons of going cash only look like for a US stylist or salon owner. Before you make any changes to how you accept payments, listen to this one first and hear what's really going on!  All the episodes of After The Last Client are now available! Head over to www.afterthelastclient.com/ to watch the episodes, binge the series, and nominate the guests you want to see featured next season. Do you have a question for me that you'd like answered in a future episode like this one? A great way to do that is to head over to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review with your question. I'm looking forward to answering your question on a future episode on the podcast!  If you're not already following us, @thethrivingstylist, what are you waiting for? This is where I share pro tips every single week, along with winning strategies, testimonials, and amazing breakthroughs from my audience. You're not going to want to miss out on this. Learn more at: https://thrivingstylist.com/podcast/ 

Back bar fees have been an industry norm for decades, and a lot of salon owners have been running them without ever questioning whether they're legal, fair, or even necessary. I'm bringing this topic to the podcast now because a court case out of Colorado just changed the conversation in a big way. In this episode I'm breaking down what back bar fees actually are, why they've started collapsing across the industry, what the legal landscape looks like state to state, and what a cleaner, smarter alternative looks like. This one is important for both salon owners and stylists to hear, and I can't wait for you to listen.  All the episodes of After The Last Client are now available! Head over to www.afterthelastclient.com/ to watch the episodes, binge the series, and nominate the guests you want to see featured next season. Do you have a question for me that you'd like answered in a future episode like this one? A great way to do that is to head over to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review with your question. I'm looking forward to answering your question on a future episode on the podcast!  If you're not already following us, @thethrivingstylist, what are you waiting for? This is where I share pro tips every single week, along with winning strategies, testimonials, and amazing breakthroughs from my audience. You're not going to want to miss out on this. Learn more at: https://thrivingstylist.com/podcast/