Welcome to another episode of the Sustainable hairstylist. Welcome. I'm super excited about today's episode. And today's episode is all about holding the space for your clients. And what all of that entails. So I've been in the industry for over 20 years, it feels kind of weird to say that out loud, because I don't know about you, but I feel that time has just flown. But it is when I'm looking back and understanding everything that been going on everyone that I've been helping that, yes, some time has passed. And when I work with hair extensions, and I when when I work with locs, I see as that I'm creating huge, huge, huge transformations for my clients, for most of my clients, if they are getting either hair extensions or locks, it is kind of a big deal for them. Because there is a lot of judgement going on for them around, they deciding to get any type of hairstyle or how much money they are spending on the hair. Is it really necessary shouldn't be, you'd be so way vain. All of this is people around them have ideas of what it is that they are doing for themselves. And I know that every single client that comes to my chair, they come both for the transformation, and for getting their hair done. Most of them don't really know what they're getting themselves into. And that makes me feel like a witch or something when I say that out loud, but it is a fact that when we're creating huge changes with someone's hair, if they are willing, and if you as the hairstylist can hold the space in the most beautiful way for your clients. If you're open, if you are allowing for magic to happen, the clients can really transform from the inside and out while you are doing their hair. And I think the more we can start to understand this, that we're not just doing hair, we're creating the transformation from inside and out, the more you can understand what your work is really about. And if you're called to start to charge a little bit more, maybe you want to charge more premium prices. And you actually understand that you're not only hairdresser, you are they're creating an amazing transformations for your clients, then you might be more comfortable starting to charge more for your services. And for us to be able to create amazing transformations for us to be able to have our clients feel secure and they must feel safe. They must feel that there is no judgement from you. Maybe the other hairstylist in the salon, if you're working with other people, the other clients in the salon, maybe they feel that the environment is open, friendly. And a gift that I want to give to you is for you to really hone in and understand that the more you can get your clients to feel welcome. The more that you can get your clients to feel that anything is okay in your space. I can be myself. I don't have to put up a facade. I don't have to play a role to be okay. In the salon do more. They feel secure that it is okay to be just me. Maybe they want to become a better version of themselves. That's awesome but you don't Want to have your clients feel that they have to act or be in a certain way just to be okay with getting their hair done by you. So, if you can open up yourself to ask yourself, how inviting Am I, for my clients? So why should we start to think this whole aspect of holding the space for our clients the more you can understand that the whole experience that your clients are having with you in the salon, the more you can actually be K with even going deeper and explore this more for yourself. The more you will be able to eliminate innate competition, because the space that you are holding for your for your clients is something that is unique to you. It is unique to with the connection that you have with your client. And that is one of the key things that are actually eliminate any kind of competition competition for you. Because you are unique. Your clients are unique. And together, you have a unique experience. That is something that no one can copy. Yes, people can style their hair they can do the type of services that you do. But how you hold the space, how you get your clients to feel how you are open that up for having the clients change from within while you're doing their hair, the easier it will become to actually have clients that will do anything for you. So if you start to raise your prices, they will go like yeah, of course, it's worth it. If you maybe move this along, they will follow you as long as they feel that they are a good fit together with you. And you also have to remember the aspect of that they also like you have to be feel that they are a good fit for you. So the first thing we need to talk about is setting up expectations for when people come to you, the one thing that you can start to ask yourself is what is it that you want to offer your clients? And when I'm talking about what is it that you want to offer your clients? We're going to dig deeper, and not just only talk about the hair service, it is more about how do you want them to feel when they are with you? What is it? How, how open are you? Me, for instance, I'm a bit weird. And I'm very, very woowoo. But when someone actually asked me and I know that this is not normal, when someone asked me like, how are you doing in work? I will just not just say Yeah, fine below, I will actually tell them. This is me, this is what's going on. If I have a bad day, and the client asked me, How are you doing? I actually tell them, I don't go into detail or what's going on. If I have a crappy day. I will actually say like, Hey, I'm a bit down. It's not about you. It's all about me. So you haven't done anything wrong. And when I asked people how they are doing, if I actually see that, then I usually can see a bit more in people that maybe they
have something they need to talk about. I actually ask them like, so it what's underneath there. Is there something you share? Is it something that you want to talk about? And I actually go a little bit deeper and this is just who I am. I'm not this person that puts a fake smile on my face going like Oh, it's so amazing to see you again. No blah, blah, blah, blah. I'm I've never been that kind of person. It would be weird if I am that kind of person. And one client actually told me that for the longest time she had actually a hard time with me not greeting her with this amazing like Oh, it's so fabulous to see you again because I'm good I'm not, I'm not like that. But now she's sexually understood that when you meet me, you get the true me. I don't put like any fake things on, I am just who I am. And that could also be something for you to explore. Who are you? How do you want your clients to proceed? Proceed, you, maybe are that amazing bubbling person. And you're just like that. And I know people who are like that, and it is just truly amazing. But I think as hair stylists, the more we can hone in on who we are, the easier it will become, to attract the right type of clients to us, we have to remember that when we are creating hair for our clients, it can have a huge impact in their life, because I see it as that we are really pulling the beauty from within and bringing it out into the open for the world to see our clients. And it can give so much for people and have such a huge impact in their life, that they maybe dare to go and speak to that guy that they've always wanted to date. Or maybe they go for that job promotion. Or maybe they have the courage to start their own business or, I mean, the list can go on and on and on. Maybe someone is just showing up with more confidence that actually is training their kids to share that it is okay to do certain things. And that can create huge ripple effects all over the world. So I don't want to you to devalue the work that you're actually doing. But we need to set up a foundation for understanding what am I like? What kind of experience do I want my clients to have? When you they come to your salon? Do you want to be the hairstylist that one to have more in depth clients? Or maybe you are the one that just want to babble on and on about the Kardashians? Or what's happening in in different reality shows, we are all different. But you have to find, what is it that you really want to what kind of experience do you want to have for your clients? And how do you want them to feel? What are your own boundaries, maybe start to think have? You probably had clients that have made you uncomfortable? Why? What was it that made you uncomfortable? Maybe there are certain topics that you don't want to touch with your clients, something that you want to keep just for yourself, it is truly, truly up to you to know, what are you comfortable with? And what are you not comfortable with? I'm super open with my clients. over 10 years ago, I actually put an intention at New Year's Eve that I wanted to have more spiritual conversations with my clients in the salon. Within just a few weeks, I saw a ripple effect. People came to me and started to ask questions about this and that about spirituality. And starting to ask like Emery, I think you're into this, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, I almost forgot that I put the intention there. But I really really, truly saw a huge shift in what was going on. And nowadays, I have really, really deep conversations with my clients. At some point. Sometimes it's almost like I'm coaching them as well guiding them, finding pieces and things for them and helping them in their lives. And I think that's truly truly beautiful. But I do have one thing, and I cannot deal with people that are racists, and I cannot deal with people that are Nazis, and more have these beliefs. That is something that I'm like, Hey, I'm not comfortable with this. Maybe you should find someone else to get your hair done or do your hair. Those are things that are so embedded in me that this is not okay. Are you Other things that have happened in my life I have things have happened with our family and so on. That make me really, truly say that I do not want to be around people that have these ideas and thoughts and so on. If you are working in this long with a lot of other people, you also should ask yourself, how are you interacting with the other hairstylist? And what is okay there? And what is not? Okay? And how are you interacting with their clients as well. These are also key questions to ask yourself, and how is the environment in the salon. So even if you're working yourself, or you're working with other people, what kind of environment? How open is it? If you feel uncomfortable, where you're working, I highly recommend to start to look for something that you feel that you're comfortable with something that you feel that I am home, this is where I fit, this is where I truly, truly can be myself. True. Trust me. If you feel comfortable, the more inspiration, the more joy you will have. And the more fun you will have at work. And we are working long hours as hair stylists. And you truly deserve to feel comfortable where you're working and connecting with that is what is the energy in the space? What kind of energy do you have? And how how do you feel? Do you feel comfortable in the space and the you will either feel maybe that you're inspired in a space that has high vibe and energy, or maybe you feel drained that that space, if you feel drained by something, then maybe it is time to start to look for something else. If you maybe are stuck in a situation where you feel so drained every single day, when you come home from work, there can be many different things going on. That may be keeps you from becoming drained. But it isn't it it is for you to explore and actually change the situation. Because nothing will change. If you don't start to understand what is it that you need. So that you can create an amazing space and hold that space for your clients. Something that I want you to explore is you probably have had,
hopefully several times throughout your career, a moment when you've been doing hair for someone, and it is like you are going into a time warp time does not exist, you have a good connection together with your client, you are really vibing with that person, you may be feel like hey, this is a really cool person, I'm getting to know them. I'm really creating amazing hair for them. And all of a sudden, maybe three, maybe eight hours depending on what kind of services that you offer. When I do do locks, it can take like eight to 12 hours. So it is a full day. But when I actually step into my salon space, I sometimes feel like I am going into a time machine. Because I go in so much into a meditative state when I'm working that time just goes five hours can go past and have no idea what I've happened. And my clients say the same, they look at the watch going like it's the afternoon and when we would happen with the day like and maybe you have had that kind of experience. The key here is to start to think of what kind of client was that? What were you talking about? What was it that was so special with the connection that you had with that client? How did you feel when you were doing the work? How was the work repress received by the client, how how was the interaction between you two and how probably when you have these special connections, they come back again and again what what happened the second time, the third time and see start to explore this. And if you want to have more clients like that, it is important to explore All of this because the more you can open up to seeing, what is that connection? What was it that I gave to that client? How was I acting? How is it showing up? And how can I start to attract more clients like that into my business, the more you can find that kind of focus, the easier it will become to try to attract the same same type of people. And these are so like important ingredients to actually find all of this. And also put the intention in there that I wish to have more experiences like this, I'm not saying that you want to have the same type of clients that I want to have. Because we are all unique. I'm just talking from my own experience here, I have made a PDF file for this episode, if you go into the show notes, you will be able to find and download that you can actually go through and my guidance there to actually find more of this and explore this even further. And another thing that we should start to explore is, so more of client attraction is something I'm going to talk about in other episodes. And I want to jump in and start to talk about about you, and how you can raise your energy, how you can have a better clearer energy while you're working. In one thing, is actually also to set up expectations for your clients, even before they arrive. When I'm talking about setting up expectations, it's actually understanding what kind of rules do you have in your business? What is okay? And what is not? Is it okay that they come with their full family to the service? Or do you want them to come along? All of this should be stated, when they're booking an appointment with you maybe should have information on the website, then we can do video. Welcome, what to expect, blah, blah, blah, blah. It's so easy to just sit down. I say it's easy now but just put record and talk a little bit about what your clients can expect from you. But what is it that you need, as the boundaries? And then what you need to actually be able to perform at your very best? And we also have to look at how many hours per day are you okay with working? And what you do need to do like to set up in the beginning of the day, so that you have good energy? What kind of food do you need to eat throughout the day? And how many hours do you need to rest after work? Some people maybe need to work out in a certain way. I get a lot of energy from doing long walks. Or I get a lot of energy from watching some good TV. We are all different. But you need to know what is it that you need to be able to hold space for your clients also set up boundaries like when are you going to respond to your clients requests? Are you going to be there for them? 24/7 Or are you going to have the quiet time where you're just hanging out with your family and friends. And I think that's even more and more important today that we actually understand that I do not need to be there for my clients 24/7 It is okay to turn off the phone. It is okay to not be there for them. And that could also be something that maybe can give you some mental space because as business owners as hair stylists, it is almost like we are working 24/7 Because people can reach out to us whenever and you do not have to respond immediately to anything. If you are like that kind of person that wants to do that. That's fine, but you do not have to don't have to if you don't want to, you need to explore for yourself. How many days of work days a week? Are you okay with working, how much how many hours in those days what you need, before you're starting to work and what you need to close off the day. And what you need in the space between working and working again, to actually fill yourself up with energy. And the more you start to listen within, the more you start to listen to the little intuitions that we all have within ourselves, the easier it will become for you to really know that. Okay, this is not working. And all of this is defined that holistic aspect of you, being the one performing the service, and creating an amazing experience for your clients. And you can do this. But you have to be willing to explore and listen within yourself, so that you can actually hold the space. When I'm talking about holding the space is also the morning, putting the intention in and seeing what is my intention for today? How do I want my clients to feel and how can I hold this energy for a client, I am a trained Reiki healer. And I have infused the the the energy in my whole space. And I'm always open for the energy to go through me and help the people that need that help.
And for you, you can just put the intention there that today I want my clients just to feel safe. And remember that that is what you're infusing into your space. It doesn't have to be more than that. But the intention there is better. Something that I also do is I have a little closing ritual in the evening. I have certain times when I do things in the morning when I do things in the evening. So I don't have to stress about checking my email, like the whole day or checking messages or doing this and that. But as a closing ritual, I actually look at what are three things that I'm grateful for today. Practising that gratitude. I also clear my space clear myself sometimes I do some energy cord cutting visualisations and sometimes they even clean the space with either sage or I use palo santo or I use Reiki just to really cut the cords with everything that's been going on today and letting that go open the door, letting all that out just to leave that behind. And then in the morning, I'm walking coming new people into my space. And that is for me putting the intention there in the morning, welcoming people in knowing that you do not have to put on a mask or be someone when they are with me, they can just be themselves. And that is the energy that I'm holding throughout the day. And then I'm closing it off in the evening. Because I'm super sensitive. If I don't close things off, I can become super drained. And that is something that I have to remind myself every single day because sometimes you know you people are waiting things are happening. We forget but keep on remembering this so and uh we'll do an episode of the opening up ritual and the closing down ritual as well. I have it on my list that will be coming up. So it will help you. But remember that if you want to create amazing transformations for your clients if you want to help I'm on a deep level and create amazing transformations. One of the key things is to start to hold the space for our clients, and start to really understand who it is that I want to have into my balance. What kind of transformations do I want to create? How do I want my clients to feel, and so on. And if you go into the show notes for this podcast episode, you can find the our show notes and our website at Serene flow.com. And under podcast, you can find the episode and you can actually download a PDF file that I have created for this training to actually help you explore these questions further. And for you to really hone in on how do you want your clients feel, and so on, so that you can create this amazing experience for them so that they feel welcome, so that you can actually eliminate any type of competition so that you can thrive as the most amazing version of yourself as the best hairstylist in and no one can take that away from and I think that is about it for today. It's been a deep conversation. I have really enjoyed it. I would love for you to let me know what has been the biggest aha moments for you today. There send me on DM on Instagram. You can find me at swing flow underscore, and Instagram. I would also be super super grateful if you would go in on iTunes and put on a review, hopefully a five star review. And if you know any hairstylists, any hair extension specialists and electricians that maybe can learn something beautiful from this episode. Please share this episode with the people that really needs to hear this today. I want to say thank you for today. I'm sending you lots of love and see you in the next episode. Bye
