June 30, 2025 • 47 mins
L'Oreal Professional artist & educator @christopheraaronstudio shares his 10 most important aspects of running an indie salon. We dive into topics such as atmosphere, organization, client loyalty, and networking.
This Week's Topics:
• His Career Journey
• The Importance of Education and Learning
• Building a Successful Independent Studio
• Client Engagement and Loyalty Programs
• Mastering Client Communication
• The Power of Networking
• Educating Clients for Loyalty
• Staying Ahead of Trends
• Creating Signature Services
• Enhancing Client Experience
• Overcoming Negativity in the Industry
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi Christopher, how are you?
I'm doing good, how are you?
Good, it's good to see you.
Before we started recording, we were talking about some of the transitions that you'remaking with the brands.
And maybe you could talk about it as little or as much as you want.
I think you have an idea of when this is gonna be released.
But before we do that, I'm gonna introduce you for the listeners who don't know you yet.
(00:22):
You're a Chicago area hairdresser.
You are, a salon-centric educator turning into a L'Oreal educator.
Same company by the way for the listeners who don't know uh you focus on lived in colorextensions and Great coverage and by the way, I love that you have on your Instagram
(00:43):
profile that you do great coverage because great coverage is money in the bank But a lotof us in this industry that we don't want to talk about that.
We do great coverage, right?
It's seen as something that's not that exciting or whatever uh nothing to really talkabout but
You know, when the money is hitting the bank, that's something to talk about, isn't it?
(01:04):
You know what, I think it's so funny because some people were like, I want to just dobalayage all day long.
And I said, that's great, I don't.
I love doing balayage and I love doing everything that I do behind the chair.
But you have to think about what's going to make you money.
And those clients that are every three, four weeks, they're coming back every three, fourweeks and giving you value clients.
(01:25):
So don't look at them as a bad thing.
They're a great thing.
I mean, that's...
In the world we're living in right now where people are actually watching what they'respending, those are the clients that are still coming back.
It's not the people that are doing a balayage and they last six, seven months with it, andthen they want to push their glazes back and everything.
They're really focusing on what's lasting as long as possible.
(01:48):
Yeah, 100%.
And that's one of the reasons I wanted to mention that.
Okay, well, let's just start with your origin story.
The very beginning, where are you from originally and why did you get into this business?
So I am born and raised from Chicago, Illinois.
I'm from the suburbs of Chicago.
People get mad when I say I'm from Chicago because I'm from the suburbs of Chicago, butit's just easy to say Chicago because nobody knows where Deer Park is.
(02:14):
exactly, you're in Deer Park and that's why I didn't introduce you as being from Deer Parkis deer what?
So you're west of Chicago probably what, 45 minutes, an hour maybe?
I'm well in a good traffic day.
about 40 minutes away from Chicago.
Yeah.
Okay, sorry to interrupt.
Go ahead.
No, you're good.
(02:34):
I have been in the industry for, my God, so crazy to say that, over little bit, over 20years now.
So weird, I'm turning 40 this June, and that's so scary to say also.
um You know what?
The Botox will keep me young as possible, is what I say.
So, I mean, I've been in this industry for so long, and I've done everything.
(02:57):
I've worked at super cut salons, I've worked at kids salons.
I worked at a JCPenney's hair salon, Ulta, and then I started working for myself.
And I definitely think I've hit every realm of my career.
And then I decided that I fell in love with education.
Education was something that I never thought I was going to be exactly until I saw peopleon stage doing hair on stage.
(03:21):
And I was like, I want to be a part of that.
And I got detoured for a little bit and started doing hair for TV shows.
So I was working with like certain shows like basketball wives and I was working with PBSdoing the shows and I did the Oscars and things like that.
And nothing made me fall in love with more than just being behind the chair in education.
(03:42):
And that's what I've stuck to for the last year.
And I've been doing education with a brand for 10 years now.
And I just actually left that brand to join L'Oreal, which I'm so excited to announcebecause whoever thought this little
gay black boy from the middle of Northwest suburbs of Chicago would be working for one ofthe most known well companies there are right now.
(04:06):
biggest beauty personal care company in the world.
Yes, never did I ever think this would happen.
So I literally thank my mother and God every day for that, because if it wasn't for mymother pushing me through beauty school, I probably wouldn't be here today.
Oh, interesting.
So in beauty school, you, did you, was it a struggle?
Were you, or were you good at it?
(04:27):
It sounds like it, uh you weren't quite into it.
You know, beauty school was drama infested, I think for me, with a lot of drama peoplethat you went to beauty school with.
But I was always good at the creative side.
I wasn't good at the testing.
Like, you know, I had a learning disorder that when I would read a book, I would be like,oh, I'm over this now.
And I really had a hard time getting through those times of test because I felt like, whydo I need this?
(04:57):
But really in real life, you do need it.
I need to know the biology of the body and things like that.
Nobody ever talks about those things that you're gonna go through beauty school.
I thought I was gonna live in roller sets and curling irons, you know, it was gonna begreat.
And that wasn't the case.
And I almost flunked out of beauty school at one point until my mom literally every nightwould sit down with me and have note cards and text me.
(05:18):
And I was in high school doing beauty school.
it was a great, to have that person that really realized what your worth was and to pushyou through it, I never thought.
that I would be where I am today and I wouldn't be where I am today without that.
Yeah, where would any of us be without our mothers and without guidance and all that.
(05:39):
We're actually right on the heels of Mother's Day.
So that's apropos and good for your mother.
That's really special.
Okay, so you got through beauty school.
It sounds like you were good at the technical.
Yeah.
And so you graduated from beauty school.
And I love the fact that you went to
(06:00):
all of these kind of large chain corporate, probably very structured, uh maybe don't payyou so much types of salons, but they probably had a decent amount of uh support and
education enough to give you a good foundation.
They, mean, look, the first line I worked on was super cuts.
(06:22):
And I remember making like 9.50 an hour and I thought I was rich.
I was like, I am wealthy.
I am doing my thing.
And I thought it was so cool.
I was going to these educational classes super cuts would have.
And the funny thing is I still use some of those techniques that I learned back all theway then.
(06:45):
You know, I think it's so funny.
People.
want to lessen people that work at those salons, but some of those people could run ringsaround all hairdressers.
And it's so funny, like, I still remember a girl named Janna who could fade in like fiveminutes and it was like perfection.
And I still think about all those things that I learned from her.
I really enjoy the fact that I went from the bottom, and I'm not going to say it's fromthe bottom like in a bad way, but the bottom of the fact that I started not thinking that
(07:15):
I knew everything.
and was okay about it.
I was okay doing that 11.95 haircut to now charging what I charge now.
Well, absolutely.
Really not the of course, we all know what the bottom means and the way that you're usingit, but it's really the start, right?
And it's good.
We have a saying in our house.
I have little kids and while they're less little now, but there was a book that I read tothem and my wife read to them years ago and I still reference this book.
(07:43):
It's called Bubblegum Brain and it talks about the difference between a kid
in the book who has a bubblegum brain and then another kid in the book who has a brickbrain and the brick brain kid is basically hardheaded.
You know, he doesn't accept any new information that's coming in.
(08:06):
He doesn't, he's not honest with himself about not performing well at the whatever, youknow, on the page.
And so he doesn't want to take advice from his, the people around him who can help him.
Whereas the bubblegum brain is always, always has a very flexible way of thinking andthey're humble and they want to get better and they're looking for advice, help, guidance
(08:31):
and all that kind of stuff.
So you were a bubblegum brain uh and that's how you become really good.
That's how you become a master at your craft.
And you've definitely gotten to that point and you're now educating and helping others doit.
It's a mindset that's so important.
And of course,
A lot of us are brick brains because it gives us a sense of solace, maybe a sense ofcomfort to at least fool ourselves into thinking that we've got it all down.
(09:01):
We know everything already.
I still don't know everything.
I still don't.
I still have color corrections that kick my ass.
I mean, it's just a part of life.
I think the number one thing that I have tried to stay humble for is if I don't knowsomething, go learn it.
You know, I just had a client the other day that left me to go get an extension methoddone that she thought would be better for her and that she loved.
(09:28):
She still comes to me for color.
But then I was like, why don't I know that extension method?
And now I'm taking the class to learn it because I'm like, I'll be damned if I'm going tolose out on something because I'm pushing myself away from not learning just because I
think I know everything.
Right?
100%.
I would say of the 400 episodes we've done on this podcast for the last seven years, andof course we've interviewed all the greats in our industry, every single one of them says
(09:57):
the exact same thing.
I'm still learning.
I mean...
important thing.
You can't stop.
You cannot.
because things keep changing.
I mean this industry will always keep changing, you know.
I will say the industry will keep changing, biology will not go anywhere.
Yeah, exactly.
Okay, so you went to all these places and picking up little fundamentals and maybe sometechniques.
(10:22):
You still use some of them to this day, like you said, which is awesome.
The structure was probably good, the scheduling, the humility, not getting paid veryhighly, building clients all the while, I assume.
And then you went independent.
And one of things that I saw on your Instagram that's really cool that I know you educateon is how to be successfully independent in your own studio.
(10:49):
And you have one post that I just adore.
Do you know which one I'm talking about?
Um, you know, it's always the post that I don't think anybody adores, but it's probablynot.
Well, it's, uh I mean, I don't know it.
The only way to describe the post is that you have 10, oh, hacks.
You called it hacks for successful life and, and, uh, and independent studio.
(11:16):
And I'm going to go ahead and kind of feed you the, the, the, the one through 10, becauseyou probably don't remember.
And then you can expound on them.
Number one was.
in your studio or suite, some people call them suites, call them the salon republic, wecall them studios.
uh Number one was create a welcoming atmosphere.
Invest in comfortable seating and pleasant decor, a warm and inviting environment makesclients feel at home and more likely to return.
(11:46):
That's a big one.
When I've redone my space 500 times, because you know, I get bored and want to change itover, I just call it my extra bougieness side.
I always look at where people are sitting in the chairs that when they're waiting to gettheir hair done.
And nothing drives me more crazy than you sit in a salon.
And there's these hard chairs that people are waiting on.
(12:06):
And I think for me, I want someone to feel like they can put up their feet, grab a cup oftea and
be on their laptop and feel like they are not in a salon.
I feel like so many times we take that away from people that we're so business.
I want you to feel like this is like your den in your own house and you just happen tohave foils in your hair.
(12:27):
And I think that area is so important not to look salesy.
I really don't keep anything that's product related on that table where salons usuallywould market themselves at that point.
I try not to.
I want them just to feel at bliss in that moment.
Absolutely, very important.
(12:48):
Number two, stay organized.
Use storage solutions like carts, bins, and shelves to keep your supplies tidy and easilyaccessible.
A clutter-free space enhances efficiency and professionalism.
Okay, this comes from not walking into so many swans and there's just crap everywhere.
Nothing drives me more than crazy and my assistant will probably tell you, I change it allthe time because I want, if we get something new in, I want it to be easy to get to.
(13:16):
And I don't want the client to ever look in my cabinets and be like, that looks like a hotmess.
Or because my color bar is in the open, I want it to look like you're walking into astore.
I think image is everything as much as people
will say that people don't notice those things, they do.
Because if I can go to somebody else's space and notice the little dust on the walls orthe dust on the shelves, your clients are seeing it as well.
(13:43):
100%.
And by the way, you let's say you have 100 clients, there might be 20 who don't notice it,but there's going to be 80 who do notice it.
And you just, yeah, you want to be professional.
It's part of being professional.
Number three, leverage social media.
Showcase your work on platforms like Insta and Facebook.
(14:05):
Regularly post before and after photos, client testimonials, and special promotions toattract new clients.
I love that you have client testimonials in there.
I think that's something that a lot of people miss.
I think the thing is we all miss what clients think of us because we don't want to shareit or we think that it's, some will say it's arrogant in some form way.
(14:32):
I think people need to know how we make them feel behind a chair because that's whatpeople buy into.
I mean, look, there's some bad hairdressers out there, but people buy into them because oftheir personality and who they are.
And I want my clients to be seen and heard.
when they're with me.
So sharing those testimonies, they look at that, they're like, oh my God, you shared that,that was so sweet of you.
(14:54):
But I take pride in it.
I take pride in the fact that I know that people see my worth.
Absolutely, absolutely.
And then the promotion, the special promotions to attract new clients.
Give us some ideas.
So promotions attract new clients.
When I do promotions, it's more for the fact of like a blow dry situation or like a colorsituation or the times that I'm actually working right now with people being afraid to
(15:22):
spend money.
I'm trying to put out there, let's find you easy ways to give you that big bam hair colorwithout spending so much money.
And then I'll list out the ways they have to get throughout the year with getting a glazedone or treatment done and how much it will cost them for the year.
So that's actually something I'm working on now that I'll share just in my stories, not onmy page, but it gets people involved in it.
(15:45):
Stories are a great way to attract people that are not ready to come to you yet, or alsothe fact of they don't want to like a post, but they want to see what you're doing.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I love it.
Great advice.
Number four, build a client loyalty program.
Offer discounts and rewards for repeat visits to encourage loyalty.
(16:06):
Simple punch cards or digital apps can help track rewards.
All right, so which ones do you use?
Or, yeah.
use a little mixture of everything.
So I use Forest for my software in my salon.
Yes, that's favorite.
(16:26):
The company has helped me grow my business even more.
They helped build me an app for my clients to book on.
But also with that, they have a thing called Treat Cards, where I was able to give mycurrent clients points for everything that they spend on.
Even though I'm a small business, I have to think about the bigger salons that are outthere and what they're giving to their clients.
(16:50):
I might not be able to completely compete with them and giving them like, you know, threefree shampoos and all these other things, but I'm able to make them feel like, I got a
free conditioning treatment.
got a free scalp treatment, all those things that my clients are able to build with everydollar that they spend.
So that's something that we've been doing for the last two years.
And I will say that.
I had clients that have even said to me, I stayed with you because you rolled this out.
(17:15):
Because other slums were offering more initiatives to go to them.
Even though I love what you do, but sometimes it's about the almighty dollar that I'mgetting back.
know, people put themselves into debt on a credit card to just get those points.
So if they feel like they're gaining points, even if it's 300 and they can't even doanything with it until 600 points, they live off of it.
(17:39):
Right.
That's funny, isn't it?
It's a game that people like to play.
And a lot of the apps do this, don't they?
It seems like it's been an arms race for different functionality on the apps.
And if Forrest comes up with something, then within three months or a month or whatever,GlossGenius and Vergara and Square and all the rest of them, Booksy have come up with
(18:05):
similar things.
I know they all have.
uh promotional sort of functionality on their platforms.
I don't know how much people get into the platforms that they use because sometimes theybecome
a little, they're a little overwhelming.
I think as of like two years ago, they, I started hearing from people and I, and I startedseeing that the list of functions was like 30 or 40 and people get overwhelmed.
(18:37):
It's like the cars you buy these days, even like the moderately priced cars have like somany bells and whistles and like all I want to do is connect with my Bluetooth to my phone
and listen to my music and drive down the street.
just want car play to work every time I get in the car and not get me problems.
think, you know, the funny thing is that you just said that and I'm just thinking about itnow.
(18:59):
Do I use everything that Forrest offers?
No, because I haven't learned about it.
But you know, the great thing is I will say that I have to, on my vacations, I'll taketime, two days out of every vacation and like learn things from my business.
And that's something that I have to do on this next vacation, get into my app a little bitmore.
learn some new things about sending emails out to clients and doing other things.
(19:23):
love that.
It's those things where you have to delve in a little bit, spend a couple hours learningabout something.
And it's hard to find that two hours time in our normal schedules, right?
What two hours?
like you've got 20 minutes of your life.
And within that 20 minutes you get distracted 10 times.
So if you even have 20 straight minutes focused on one thing, that's impressive.
(19:46):
Yeah, posting on Instagram, usually in that 20 minutes is what I'm doing.
And coming in with a caption to write.
Right, yep.
You do well on your captions, by the way.
I mean, that's what I'm reading from right now is the caption.
You took a lot of time on this one and that's why I'm reading it.
uh number five, network with local businesses.
Ooh, old school.
Christopher's getting old school on us.
(20:08):
Collaborate with nearby businesses for cross promotions, partnering with a local boutiqueor a wellness center can help both businesses reach new clients.
This is something that, it is so funny that so many people don't think that panning outthose old flyers and meeting people on the street doesn't give you clients, but it does.
(20:30):
I mean, literally I got a client when I was just in Sephora the other day who was justlike, my God, what do you do?
And just like networking.
was like talking to her about, I was talking to my client about our skincare.
And I wanted to come in and buy this $100 moisturizer because I was like, I heard aboutit.
And literally I was like, well, and if ever you need your hair done, cause you're rightaround the corner from me and handed her card.
(20:52):
And now she's a client.
But to think of that one person at Sephora is seen by how many people a day, how many moreclients can she send me?
And I think people forget that networking is everything.
There's a, a med spot next door to me.
And the ladies are always, I personally go bring them Christmas gifts every year that Igive out to my clients so that they have them.
(21:13):
And then they send me clients as well.
And I send them clients with our.
Botox and things like that.
You need to network or you're going to be unknown.
Instagram is not the only way.
TikTok is not the only way.
You need to use every avenue that you have.
It's just like how people say Facebook is for this age group.
Well, what's wrong with that age group?
You want that age group in the chair.
(21:34):
You want every group of people from every market to be in your slum.
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, that's how you bulletproof your business.
And I love that you're talking about this right now.
It's been a while since we've talked about this on the podcast.
You know, in real life, IRL.
So the fact that there's digital out there, the fact that there's social media, I thinkhas taken a lot of the people uh kind of out of the real world, leaving a gap for somebody
(22:03):
who's willing to actually have these conversations IRL, like you just described.
So there's an opening here for people who are willing to just look somebody else in theeye and engage with them on a human level.
So this is what I do and I'm right there.
So if you ever have anybody and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, it's great.
(22:25):
not sad that we feel like we can't talk to people anymore.
Like I even talked to my friends and they were like, just text me.
like, I don't want to text you.
I want to talk to you.
Don't give me all that texting bull.
Give me the conversation.
Yeah, I love it.
The old school's probably more valuable now because of this.
All right, so number six, utilize online booking.
(22:49):
Implement an online scheduling system to streamline appointments.
This saves time for both you and your clients, making it easier to manage your calendar.
So you use Forrest, we know that.
Have you tried other ones?
I have tried a couple different other brands and the reason why I loved Forrest was justbecause of the platform it gave me.
(23:10):
Here's the thing about me.
I'm always gonna go for the most bougie version of anything I can get.
I don't know.
oh I mean, I'm that person that goes into a store and I can buy one item and my friend canget 10 and my price is still $300 higher.
I don't know why it happens.
It's just my luck.
I tried other platforms.
but it came down to the customer service of what I got with the brand that I'm with, youknow?
(23:35):
And for me, I wanted something that was easy for my clients to do.
And the fact of when they said they could build an app with my name on it, I was like,done.
My clients will love that.
They're gonna think of this, well, Chris has his own app.
And I still remember that whole feeling of my clients thinking to me like, Chris, you haveyour own app and we can book on it.
I was like, yeah, girl, it just got built.
(23:56):
You know, I'm done.
And I was like, it was...
It was sold.
To me was done.
I was like, this is perfect.
I mean, that is an additional level of bouge that I think is really nice for your brand.
I think you've got, there's a sticky element to it with your client, isn't there?
(24:16):
I mean, if you're on Vigaro, not to pick Vigaro, not to em unfairly choose Vigaro, thesame thing, fill in the blank.
But um you pick any of them and...
there's promotions to other hairdressers, to other beauty professionals in there.
(24:37):
you know, so it's definitely nicer to have a direct route to you through the app that waswhite labeled from Forrest.
I think that's a great idea.
I know it's more expensive, which was the bougie nature of your consumerism, but itsupports your business.
(24:58):
It's a tax write-off, you know, so.
Yeah.
not quite costing you dollar for dollar.
And I think it does elevate the sense of your brand to your clients.
Well, you know, I think it definitely, here's the the world that we're living in, peoplewant easiness right now, right?
So if a client always asks, what am I booked for this next time?
Or what do need to book for next time?
(25:19):
If I scheduled them throughout the whole entire year and they have to move one appointmentround and it shows them the time that we have open for that, it makes their life easier.
They don't have to be on the phone with me and I don't have to be stepping away andtelling my assistant we can fit them in there and do all this other stuff.
I want my life to be easy when I'm behind the chair, I'm behind the chair.
Mm-hmm, 100%.
(25:40):
Number seven, educate your clients.
Provide tips on hair care and styling during appointments.
When clients feel informed, they're more likely to trust your expertise and return forfuture services, 100%.
So I learned, you never have that day where you get your ass handed to you and you'relike, I should have been better.
(26:04):
I had a client that stopped coming to me because she found somebody that was down thestreet that she got a blowout with one day.
And the lady literally explained to her how to do her blowouts.
And that's why I lost her.
And ever since, and this happened maybe 12 years ago, and ever since, I have always toldmy clients how I do things.
(26:25):
from how to keep a curl on their hair, how to wash their hair.
And I think the problem that we've let happen is we've let social media explain to ourclients, not us.
And people get mad, and I see hairdressers, well, these YouTubers and these influencersand these people are doing this, well, why are you not doing it with them when they're
(26:48):
with you?
And then why are you not putting out content to help them and send it out to them so theylearn how to do it?
Stop.
blaming everybody else and be the person that wants to fix the problem so you keep growingwith your client.
Yeah, it's really an additional value that you're giving to your client for the amount ofmoney that they're paying for the service.
(27:10):
You're helping them look better in between services.
Right, and if you don't do it as you described already, somebody else is gonna do that.
Somebody else is gonna give them more value and you're gonna lose them.
Exactly, call it the 80-20 rule, you know?
People will have 80 % with you, but they'll leave you for that 20 % because it looksshinier and prettier sometimes.
(27:38):
Number eight, stay up to date with trends.
Regularly attend workshops, webinars, and industry events to keep your skills sharp andstay informed about the latest trends and products.
So for me, I try to do three big educations a year where I pay a good amount of money togo learn from somebody that I see online or that I love how their work looks and what
(28:02):
they're doing.
I think it's something that is very important for me because there's all these youngerhairstylists that are doing things way quicker, way faster and easier steps.
When I came into beauty school, it was like back to back to back to back foils.
Now we're seeing people give you more placement than anything to give you the big impactin the front and do less work in the back and charge you triple the amount of money.
(28:28):
Well, for me, I'm like, okay, well, how the heck do you do that?
And I mean, I'm okay admitting that, you know, I was just that person.
I was just doing the basics and I had to start informing myself because if I don't, again,they'll go somewhere else.
I feel that we need to...
make sure that we keep priding ourselves to learn from every avenue.
(28:51):
Even though I'm with a brand, I go outside of my brand and learn from others becausethere's something else going on that I don't know about.
Absolutely.
Super, super important.
All right, number nine, create a signature service.
Develop a unique service that sets you apart from the competition.
Whether it's a specialized treatment or a unique styling technique, uh a signature servicecan attract new clients.
(29:19):
Okay, explain that one.
That one's maybe, people haven't quite heard that one as much as the others.
So when I do signature things in my salon, it could be the scalp treatment.
Now everybody else offers their scalp treatment a certain way.
I'll say we will customize a sugar scope for you or this, things like that.
You have to seem like you're elevating a thing that's the same as everybody else's, butputting it on a platform.
(29:46):
So if they use lavender extracts, you can use real lavender plant in yours.
I think this is something that is so simple.
but it sounds more than it is.
Something that we do in my salon now is that we're looking into getting the system that isthe camera that scans your scalp to see what your hair thinning is and things like that.
(30:09):
But people are like, you're just a studio.
Well, even though I'm just a studio, I need to step above the rest.
Because even though that salon that's big down the street can beat me out of things, I gotto know that I can customize things better than them.
When people come in,
They have options of everything that they want in customization.
Don't be just one stick like, I saw this on Instagram, so I'm gonna copy what they did andgot what they did and got the essential oils.
(30:37):
Take that the step above and customize it and give it a name.
Give it your name, whatever you wanna do.
It doesn't have to be anything crazy.
If they're doing sugar scrub, you do brown sugar scrub.
It's just customizing and making it sound more than extra.
Yeah, I love it.
Absolutely.
And by the way, there's the, you know, the justice studio, you can do all these things inyour studio.
(31:02):
These things are accessible for everybody.
Just requires a little thought and creativity.
And it's gonna make your client feel like this is the place.
Like this place is keeping up with the trends.
There's customized things here.
They're thinking about me.
know, Christopher or Janice or a hairstylist.
is thinking about me in between appointments and really offering, you know, special thingsthat I need.
(31:26):
I don't even know I needed it, but I did.
Exactly, you have to.
mean, you have to be the difference.
If you want the money, if you want the clientele, you can't just become comfortable.
Anytime that I felt like, look, I felt comfortable multiple times in my life and I've hadmy ass handed to me again because I felt like I was like, I'm good right now.
(31:51):
But people come and go, that's what it is.
Prioritize client experience.
Always strive to exceed client expectations.
Personal touches, like a follow-up massage or a thank you note, can leave a lastingimpression and encourage referrals.
So for a long time, I've had different clients throughout my career that of my life of mycareer that have gone through certain problems.
(32:18):
And for me, you know how people say we're the therapists behind the chair.
Sometimes people just need that extra moment of gratitude.
And if I feel like a client is going through a day, I will personally like take the time,even if I'm five minutes behind to give somebody a head massage while they're sitting in
the chair.
I think that
(32:38):
really makes you different in the fact that you realize what they need and you're not justlooking at them like they're a number at the moment.
I, it makes me think of this one client that literally I have had for years and still haveher and she was going through cancer and I literally just went over to her house and made
(32:59):
her dinner.
know, things like that, I'm not saying you have to do that, but those stuff above momentslike that is what really
makes me love what I do more than anything in my life.
know, not just they're my people that are paying me and paying for my personal life, butthey're family in some form or way.
(33:22):
Yep.
The scalp massage thing that you mentioned is a funny one because I've heard from so manyof my friends who are just clients that are not hairdressers, not beauty professionals,
but they're clients in salons and they go to Janice or they go to Christopher because ofthe scalp massage and they'll even sometimes say, you know,
(33:46):
Yeah, Sarah's not the best hairstylist, but she gives me a scalp massage that keeps mecoming back.
Like that's how valuable a scalp massage is.
And it can be, and it's, of course I'm a client too, right?
I get my hair done and by lots of different people over the years.
(34:06):
And the, there is a difference between sticking your fingers into somebody's, you know,head in the shampoo bowl.
for 20 seconds versus two minutes.
There's a big difference in your client's mind.
As a client, you're sitting there and you're back in there and you feel the fingers go onyour scalp and you're like, oh, great, this is my favorite part.
(34:31):
And then, know, 19 seconds later, they go away and you're like, okay, I mean, yeah, thatwas fun for the 19 seconds, but.
I remember thinking to myself when this happens and like my barber doesn't do it very muchfrankly.
I think he's gotten lazy.
Maybe we're we know each other so well.
(34:52):
It's like too familiar.
But when the when it is like going from 20 seconds to 40 seconds to you know a minute anda half you're sitting there and you're like woohoo like this is the best thing in the
world the whole way your clients love it that much.
It's worth spending a couple minutes doing that 100 percent.
(35:13):
girl, I literally just told my assistant this the other day because my assistant doesamazing shampoos and it pisses me off because I've trained him so well in the years he's
been with me that my clients are like, Chris, you should get longer nails like he has sothat it can feel better.
And I'm like, I don't want those nails.
And then they're like, well, you should at least pay for him to get his nails done.
(35:35):
I'm like, that's not my expense.
I didn't tell him to get nails, but it's so funny that people literally live for that headmassage.
that I have to, now that I'm thinking about it, Lord, I gotta step up my game better nowmore with the massages, because my assistant's about to take everybody just for a scalp
massage.
If he got a studio next to you, he'd wipe you out.
(35:56):
He probably would.
I don't even want to give him that idea or I'm going to have to open the studio, but Istill own the business.
Exactly.
It's so important.
you know, the whole scalp massage thing, like I get massages, I don't know, once every sixweeks, like normal massages, you lay down on a bed and they do your shoulders and stuff,
and it's heavenly.
(36:17):
But a scalp massage is a whole different experience.
Your head is only wet.
Sometimes, like right when you take shower, you're at home.
And of course, never is anyone massaging your head then.
So it's only when you're in the salon, in the shampoo bowl where your head is wet, wheresomebody can actually do it.
(36:40):
And so to not spend the two minutes, what an opportunity lost.
So I don't wanna beat a dead horse.
I mean, spend the money on the shampoo chair as well.
I mean, that's something that I, I, cause you know, when you're in a studio, the studiogives you your shampoo chair.
I spent over two grand this year to bring in a better bowl because just of the head mountand the back of the bowl that held their heads.
(37:06):
Like it was, clients are like, I love this.
This is so much more comfortable.
But it literally, goes into those little details that changes it up.
It does.
And so I'm thinking to myself, what if a listener doesn't like to do it for whateverreason, know, hands are sensitive or maybe it takes too much strength or maybe they have
(37:31):
carpal tunnel or whatever reason.
Maybe you can get one of those.
those uh big claw deals that like go down on the, you know those things?
I mean, I don't know.
I'm trying to think creatively about other ways to do it if somebody doesn't want to doit.
used to feel the best thing in the world.
I used to love that thing.
I know exactly what you're talking about.
They'll just give you that little tickle when it would just get to your neck and you'relike, yeah, thank you.
(37:54):
But I see, I'm a person that when I like a head scrub, I like nails.
My girl when she scrubs, yeah.
But I think for me, if you're not a person that has the mobility or the strength or youdon't have the energy or you don't like doing it, there's this thing on Amazon I bought
years ago.
It's that little.
massager that's electric and it has these little feet little ball things on it and it youpush the button and it literally massages around and then on your scalp and you can get it
(38:27):
wet at the same time so it's not gonna like shock your clients hopefully thank you pleasedon't sue me for that but it's like literally amazing I I one of my girls used it one time
and I was like this feels actually pretty good and she like brought it down to my neck andthen it went over to my shoulders
Wow.
the towel in there and she didn't use her hands at all but just that massager.
(38:49):
So that's.
it?
Do you know what this thing is called?
A head massager?
I have to look it up on Amazon.
We'll have to put it on a link for the people so they have it.
Yes.
because I want that.
I'm actually, talking myself into this.
That's how into it I am.
Okay.
(39:10):
Of course it totally is.
So the next time I'm in the shower and my wife's like over at her vanity or whatever, I'mgonna call her over and I'll be like, here, hold this.
She's gonna be like, no, I'm not holding that for 20 minutes.
She's like, I'm not doing that.
I'm not even gonna do it for 10 minutes.
Does she ever not hear that a husband should be happy as much as the wife is too?
(39:32):
Well, the problem is, if she does it for me, then I have to do it for her.
And it takes the luxury out of it.
That's exactly right.
Okay, if you could wave a wand and change anything about the industry at all right now,what would it be?
For me right now, I'd probably say the negativity of hairdressers that I see on socialmedia.
(39:58):
I am so tired of seeing people's relationships and the drama of everything unfolding andpeople joining in to hate groups of people.
I really just hate it.
What happened to just the love that we have in our industry?
I get it that everyday is not perfect, but I really think we need to stop.
judging each other and sharing so much of our personal business to create hatred towardsothers.
(40:23):
I hate saying that.
I think that's, I mean, I get it's like a reality show of people, but I ain't for it.
I'm not really for it.
just think that stay in your lane, stay in what's doing best for you.
Those things don't grow you, they pull you down.
I Do you have any horror stories for us?
(40:46):
Oh God.
Don't we all have hair horror stories?
I remember my first horror one, because it still haunts me today.
Anytime I go to do an angle on someone's front of their hair, I had a girl that I was whenI was working in a supercut, I cut this girl's hair.
And before I could even like fully cut it, she started yelling, what the hell did you do?
(41:10):
And it's destroyed.
And I remember not wanting to cut hair after that.
I remember that that girl haunted me for years of not doing angle.
would talk everybody out of it.
But one thing that I've learned is that no one can write your story better than you.
So why are you gonna let somebody do it?
Amen.
Nobody can write your story better than you.
(41:32):
So don't let them do it.
It's the whole, it's the whole, who said that thing like you're letting them rent space inyour head for free?
Yeah, I ain't got time.
If you're not paying any bills over here, don't come over here.
Exactly.
Don't be bothered by that kind of stuff.
I think tenacity is something that's kind of, I find that people aren't really astenacious.
(42:00):
Just the idea of being tenacious.
I think it needs to be out there more.
You know, people are very sensitive about stuff and, and not that an example like you justdescribed right there isn't horrible.
Of course, you know, somebody yells at you for doing something.
Whether you did it right or wrong, it doesn't really matter.
(42:21):
It's not a fun experience.
But the idea of being tenacious, I think it encourages us to, all right, so that happened.
If I fucked up, I need to be honest about that and make sure I don't fuck up again andthen move on.
Right?
Yeah, and I think that's something that we do as people is we hold on to things.
(42:46):
I mean, I'm not gonna lie and say I don't hold on to things because I'm a real person.
But one thing I've learned is that I can't grow if I have things holding me down.
Exactly exactly.
It's just what a burden it becomes and it's just You know, you just waste so much energyand time on that kind of stuff
(43:08):
yeah, so much.
All right, any other last words for the community?
I think for the community, just want them to realize that they can have anything that theywant.
No matter what your skin color is, what your sexuality is, I think that we live in a worldthat can be very judgmental, but we're also in this perfect career that does not judge,
(43:34):
and it is open to all.
And I want people to keep seeing that.
I don't want anybody to feel like they don't fit in because they look a certain way or...
They grew up in a certain area.
There's plenty of people that have come from nothing to have everything.
And everything is not everything, but they've grown from where they were.
I think just to create joy behind the chair is all we need to do.
(43:58):
And if you love what you do, then keep doing it with pride.
If you don't love what you do, then find something else.
Beautifully said.
Absolutely love it.
All right, so you've got, your birthday is uh June 20th or 27th?
June 27th, and you've got something happening around there?
(44:19):
So in June, I'll be announcing completely that I am L'Oreal Professional, which I'm soexcited to say.
Thank you so much.
And I'm going to be announcing some other things that have been going on and just doingsome more branding to my own brand and some classes I want to roll out for the next year
and things like that.
But it's more just about building my brand with L'Oreal right now.
(44:43):
And I'm really excited to do it.
I stepped back from a lot of other companies I was working with.
just to focus on one thing because I felt like I was spreading myself too thin and I couldnot be any more excited than to just keep growing right now.
Well, congratulations.
You're doing great.
Christopher Aaron, Christopher Aaron Studio on Instagram.
(45:05):
Check him out on there and get some of these updates on his Instagram.
Thank you so much.
It was great to see you.
Thank you so much, it was so good seeing you as well.
Hi Christopher, how are you?
I'm doing good, how are you?
Good, it's good to see you.
Before we started recording, we were talking about some of the transitions that you'remaking with the brands.
And maybe you could talk about it as little or as much as you want.
I think you have an idea of when this is gonna be released.
But before we do that, I'm gonna introduce you for the listeners who don't know you yet.
(00:22):
You're a Chicago area hairdresser.
You are, a salon-centric educator turning into a L'Oreal educator.
Same company by the way for the listeners who don't know uh you focus on lived in colorextensions and Great coverage and by the way, I love that you have on your Instagram
(00:43):
profile that you do great coverage because great coverage is money in the bank But a lotof us in this industry that we don't want to talk about that.
We do great coverage, right?
It's seen as something that's not that exciting or whatever uh nothing to really talkabout but
You know, when the money is hitting the bank, that's something to talk about, isn't it?
(01:04):
You know what, I think it's so funny because some people were like, I want to just dobalayage all day long.
And I said, that's great, I don't.
I love doing balayage and I love doing everything that I do behind the chair.
But you have to think about what's going to make you money.
And those clients that are every three, four weeks, they're coming back every three, fourweeks and giving you value clients.
(01:25):
So don't look at them as a bad thing.
They're a great thing.
I mean, that's...
In the world we're living in right now where people are actually watching what they'respending, those are the clients that are still coming back.
It's not the people that are doing a balayage and they last six, seven months with it, andthen they want to push their glazes back and everything.
They're really focusing on what's lasting as long as possible.
(01:48):
Yeah, 100%.
And that's one of the reasons I wanted to mention that.
Okay, well, let's just start with your origin story.
The very beginning, where are you from originally and why did you get into this business?
So I am born and raised from Chicago, Illinois.
I'm from the suburbs of Chicago.
People get mad when I say I'm from Chicago because I'm from the suburbs of Chicago, butit's just easy to say Chicago because nobody knows where Deer Park is.
(02:14):
exactly, you're in Deer Park and that's why I didn't introduce you as being from Deer Parkis deer what?
So you're west of Chicago probably what, 45 minutes, an hour maybe?
I'm well in a good traffic day.
about 40 minutes away from Chicago.
Yeah.
Okay, sorry to interrupt.
Go ahead.
No, you're good.
(02:34):
I have been in the industry for, my God, so crazy to say that, over little bit, over 20years now.
So weird, I'm turning 40 this June, and that's so scary to say also.
um You know what?
The Botox will keep me young as possible, is what I say.
So, I mean, I've been in this industry for so long, and I've done everything.
(02:57):
I've worked at super cut salons, I've worked at kids salons.
I worked at a JCPenney's hair salon, Ulta, and then I started working for myself.
And I definitely think I've hit every realm of my career.
And then I decided that I fell in love with education.
Education was something that I never thought I was going to be exactly until I saw peopleon stage doing hair on stage.
(03:21):
And I was like, I want to be a part of that.
And I got detoured for a little bit and started doing hair for TV shows.
So I was working with like certain shows like basketball wives and I was working with PBSdoing the shows and I did the Oscars and things like that.
And nothing made me fall in love with more than just being behind the chair in education.
(03:42):
And that's what I've stuck to for the last year.
And I've been doing education with a brand for 10 years now.
And I just actually left that brand to join L'Oreal, which I'm so excited to announcebecause whoever thought this little
gay black boy from the middle of Northwest suburbs of Chicago would be working for one ofthe most known well companies there are right now.
(04:06):
biggest beauty personal care company in the world.
Yes, never did I ever think this would happen.
So I literally thank my mother and God every day for that, because if it wasn't for mymother pushing me through beauty school, I probably wouldn't be here today.
Oh, interesting.
So in beauty school, you, did you, was it a struggle?
Were you, or were you good at it?
(04:27):
It sounds like it, uh you weren't quite into it.
You know, beauty school was drama infested, I think for me, with a lot of drama peoplethat you went to beauty school with.
But I was always good at the creative side.
I wasn't good at the testing.
Like, you know, I had a learning disorder that when I would read a book, I would be like,oh, I'm over this now.
And I really had a hard time getting through those times of test because I felt like, whydo I need this?
(04:57):
But really in real life, you do need it.
I need to know the biology of the body and things like that.
Nobody ever talks about those things that you're gonna go through beauty school.
I thought I was gonna live in roller sets and curling irons, you know, it was gonna begreat.
And that wasn't the case.
And I almost flunked out of beauty school at one point until my mom literally every nightwould sit down with me and have note cards and text me.
(05:18):
And I was in high school doing beauty school.
it was a great, to have that person that really realized what your worth was and to pushyou through it, I never thought.
that I would be where I am today and I wouldn't be where I am today without that.
Yeah, where would any of us be without our mothers and without guidance and all that.
(05:39):
We're actually right on the heels of Mother's Day.
So that's apropos and good for your mother.
That's really special.
Okay, so you got through beauty school.
It sounds like you were good at the technical.
Yeah.
And so you graduated from beauty school.
And I love the fact that you went to
(06:00):
all of these kind of large chain corporate, probably very structured, uh maybe don't payyou so much types of salons, but they probably had a decent amount of uh support and
education enough to give you a good foundation.
They, mean, look, the first line I worked on was super cuts.
(06:22):
And I remember making like 9.50 an hour and I thought I was rich.
I was like, I am wealthy.
I am doing my thing.
And I thought it was so cool.
I was going to these educational classes super cuts would have.
And the funny thing is I still use some of those techniques that I learned back all theway then.
(06:45):
You know, I think it's so funny.
People.
want to lessen people that work at those salons, but some of those people could run ringsaround all hairdressers.
And it's so funny, like, I still remember a girl named Janna who could fade in like fiveminutes and it was like perfection.
And I still think about all those things that I learned from her.
I really enjoy the fact that I went from the bottom, and I'm not going to say it's fromthe bottom like in a bad way, but the bottom of the fact that I started not thinking that
(07:15):
I knew everything.
and was okay about it.
I was okay doing that 11.95 haircut to now charging what I charge now.
Well, absolutely.
Really not the of course, we all know what the bottom means and the way that you're usingit, but it's really the start, right?
And it's good.
We have a saying in our house.
I have little kids and while they're less little now, but there was a book that I read tothem and my wife read to them years ago and I still reference this book.
(07:43):
It's called Bubblegum Brain and it talks about the difference between a kid
in the book who has a bubblegum brain and then another kid in the book who has a brickbrain and the brick brain kid is basically hardheaded.
You know, he doesn't accept any new information that's coming in.
(08:06):
He doesn't, he's not honest with himself about not performing well at the whatever, youknow, on the page.
And so he doesn't want to take advice from his, the people around him who can help him.
Whereas the bubblegum brain is always, always has a very flexible way of thinking andthey're humble and they want to get better and they're looking for advice, help, guidance
(08:31):
and all that kind of stuff.
So you were a bubblegum brain uh and that's how you become really good.
That's how you become a master at your craft.
And you've definitely gotten to that point and you're now educating and helping others doit.
It's a mindset that's so important.
And of course,
A lot of us are brick brains because it gives us a sense of solace, maybe a sense ofcomfort to at least fool ourselves into thinking that we've got it all down.
(09:01):
We know everything already.
I still don't know everything.
I still don't.
I still have color corrections that kick my ass.
I mean, it's just a part of life.
I think the number one thing that I have tried to stay humble for is if I don't knowsomething, go learn it.
You know, I just had a client the other day that left me to go get an extension methoddone that she thought would be better for her and that she loved.
(09:28):
She still comes to me for color.
But then I was like, why don't I know that extension method?
And now I'm taking the class to learn it because I'm like, I'll be damned if I'm going tolose out on something because I'm pushing myself away from not learning just because I
think I know everything.
Right?
100%.
I would say of the 400 episodes we've done on this podcast for the last seven years, andof course we've interviewed all the greats in our industry, every single one of them says
(09:57):
the exact same thing.
I'm still learning.
I mean...
important thing.
You can't stop.
You cannot.
because things keep changing.
I mean this industry will always keep changing, you know.
I will say the industry will keep changing, biology will not go anywhere.
Yeah, exactly.
Okay, so you went to all these places and picking up little fundamentals and maybe sometechniques.
(10:22):
You still use some of them to this day, like you said, which is awesome.
The structure was probably good, the scheduling, the humility, not getting paid veryhighly, building clients all the while, I assume.
And then you went independent.
And one of things that I saw on your Instagram that's really cool that I know you educateon is how to be successfully independent in your own studio.
(10:49):
And you have one post that I just adore.
Do you know which one I'm talking about?
Um, you know, it's always the post that I don't think anybody adores, but it's probablynot.
Well, it's, uh I mean, I don't know it.
The only way to describe the post is that you have 10, oh, hacks.
You called it hacks for successful life and, and, uh, and independent studio.
(11:16):
And I'm going to go ahead and kind of feed you the, the, the, the one through 10, becauseyou probably don't remember.
And then you can expound on them.
Number one was.
in your studio or suite, some people call them suites, call them the salon republic, wecall them studios.
uh Number one was create a welcoming atmosphere.
Invest in comfortable seating and pleasant decor, a warm and inviting environment makesclients feel at home and more likely to return.
(11:46):
That's a big one.
When I've redone my space 500 times, because you know, I get bored and want to change itover, I just call it my extra bougieness side.
I always look at where people are sitting in the chairs that when they're waiting to gettheir hair done.
And nothing drives me more crazy than you sit in a salon.
And there's these hard chairs that people are waiting on.
(12:06):
And I think for me, I want someone to feel like they can put up their feet, grab a cup oftea and
be on their laptop and feel like they are not in a salon.
I feel like so many times we take that away from people that we're so business.
I want you to feel like this is like your den in your own house and you just happen tohave foils in your hair.
(12:27):
And I think that area is so important not to look salesy.
I really don't keep anything that's product related on that table where salons usuallywould market themselves at that point.
I try not to.
I want them just to feel at bliss in that moment.
Absolutely, very important.
(12:48):
Number two, stay organized.
Use storage solutions like carts, bins, and shelves to keep your supplies tidy and easilyaccessible.
A clutter-free space enhances efficiency and professionalism.
Okay, this comes from not walking into so many swans and there's just crap everywhere.
Nothing drives me more than crazy and my assistant will probably tell you, I change it allthe time because I want, if we get something new in, I want it to be easy to get to.
(13:16):
And I don't want the client to ever look in my cabinets and be like, that looks like a hotmess.
Or because my color bar is in the open, I want it to look like you're walking into astore.
I think image is everything as much as people
will say that people don't notice those things, they do.
Because if I can go to somebody else's space and notice the little dust on the walls orthe dust on the shelves, your clients are seeing it as well.
(13:43):
100%.
And by the way, you let's say you have 100 clients, there might be 20 who don't notice it,but there's going to be 80 who do notice it.
And you just, yeah, you want to be professional.
It's part of being professional.
Number three, leverage social media.
Showcase your work on platforms like Insta and Facebook.
(14:05):
Regularly post before and after photos, client testimonials, and special promotions toattract new clients.
I love that you have client testimonials in there.
I think that's something that a lot of people miss.
I think the thing is we all miss what clients think of us because we don't want to shareit or we think that it's, some will say it's arrogant in some form way.
(14:32):
I think people need to know how we make them feel behind a chair because that's whatpeople buy into.
I mean, look, there's some bad hairdressers out there, but people buy into them because oftheir personality and who they are.
And I want my clients to be seen and heard.
when they're with me.
So sharing those testimonies, they look at that, they're like, oh my God, you shared that,that was so sweet of you.
(14:54):
But I take pride in it.
I take pride in the fact that I know that people see my worth.
Absolutely, absolutely.
And then the promotion, the special promotions to attract new clients.
Give us some ideas.
So promotions attract new clients.
When I do promotions, it's more for the fact of like a blow dry situation or like a colorsituation or the times that I'm actually working right now with people being afraid to
(15:22):
spend money.
I'm trying to put out there, let's find you easy ways to give you that big bam hair colorwithout spending so much money.
And then I'll list out the ways they have to get throughout the year with getting a glazedone or treatment done and how much it will cost them for the year.
So that's actually something I'm working on now that I'll share just in my stories, not onmy page, but it gets people involved in it.
(15:45):
Stories are a great way to attract people that are not ready to come to you yet, or alsothe fact of they don't want to like a post, but they want to see what you're doing.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I love it.
Great advice.
Number four, build a client loyalty program.
Offer discounts and rewards for repeat visits to encourage loyalty.
(16:06):
Simple punch cards or digital apps can help track rewards.
All right, so which ones do you use?
Or, yeah.
use a little mixture of everything.
So I use Forest for my software in my salon.
Yes, that's favorite.
(16:26):
The company has helped me grow my business even more.
They helped build me an app for my clients to book on.
But also with that, they have a thing called Treat Cards, where I was able to give mycurrent clients points for everything that they spend on.
Even though I'm a small business, I have to think about the bigger salons that are outthere and what they're giving to their clients.
(16:50):
I might not be able to completely compete with them and giving them like, you know, threefree shampoos and all these other things, but I'm able to make them feel like, I got a
free conditioning treatment.
got a free scalp treatment, all those things that my clients are able to build with everydollar that they spend.
So that's something that we've been doing for the last two years.
And I will say that.
I had clients that have even said to me, I stayed with you because you rolled this out.
(17:15):
Because other slums were offering more initiatives to go to them.
Even though I love what you do, but sometimes it's about the almighty dollar that I'mgetting back.
know, people put themselves into debt on a credit card to just get those points.
So if they feel like they're gaining points, even if it's 300 and they can't even doanything with it until 600 points, they live off of it.
(17:39):
Right.
That's funny, isn't it?
It's a game that people like to play.
And a lot of the apps do this, don't they?
It seems like it's been an arms race for different functionality on the apps.
And if Forrest comes up with something, then within three months or a month or whatever,GlossGenius and Vergara and Square and all the rest of them, Booksy have come up with
(18:05):
similar things.
I know they all have.
uh promotional sort of functionality on their platforms.
I don't know how much people get into the platforms that they use because sometimes theybecome
a little, they're a little overwhelming.
I think as of like two years ago, they, I started hearing from people and I, and I startedseeing that the list of functions was like 30 or 40 and people get overwhelmed.
(18:37):
It's like the cars you buy these days, even like the moderately priced cars have like somany bells and whistles and like all I want to do is connect with my Bluetooth to my phone
and listen to my music and drive down the street.
just want car play to work every time I get in the car and not get me problems.
think, you know, the funny thing is that you just said that and I'm just thinking about itnow.
(18:59):
Do I use everything that Forrest offers?
No, because I haven't learned about it.
But you know, the great thing is I will say that I have to, on my vacations, I'll taketime, two days out of every vacation and like learn things from my business.
And that's something that I have to do on this next vacation, get into my app a little bitmore.
learn some new things about sending emails out to clients and doing other things.
(19:23):
love that.
It's those things where you have to delve in a little bit, spend a couple hours learningabout something.
And it's hard to find that two hours time in our normal schedules, right?
What two hours?
like you've got 20 minutes of your life.
And within that 20 minutes you get distracted 10 times.
So if you even have 20 straight minutes focused on one thing, that's impressive.
(19:46):
Yeah, posting on Instagram, usually in that 20 minutes is what I'm doing.
And coming in with a caption to write.
Right, yep.
You do well on your captions, by the way.
I mean, that's what I'm reading from right now is the caption.
You took a lot of time on this one and that's why I'm reading it.
uh number five, network with local businesses.
Ooh, old school.
Christopher's getting old school on us.
(20:08):
Collaborate with nearby businesses for cross promotions, partnering with a local boutiqueor a wellness center can help both businesses reach new clients.
This is something that, it is so funny that so many people don't think that panning outthose old flyers and meeting people on the street doesn't give you clients, but it does.
(20:30):
I mean, literally I got a client when I was just in Sephora the other day who was justlike, my God, what do you do?
And just like networking.
was like talking to her about, I was talking to my client about our skincare.
And I wanted to come in and buy this $100 moisturizer because I was like, I heard aboutit.
And literally I was like, well, and if ever you need your hair done, cause you're rightaround the corner from me and handed her card.
(20:52):
And now she's a client.
But to think of that one person at Sephora is seen by how many people a day, how many moreclients can she send me?
And I think people forget that networking is everything.
There's a, a med spot next door to me.
And the ladies are always, I personally go bring them Christmas gifts every year that Igive out to my clients so that they have them.
(21:13):
And then they send me clients as well.
And I send them clients with our.
Botox and things like that.
You need to network or you're going to be unknown.
Instagram is not the only way.
TikTok is not the only way.
You need to use every avenue that you have.
It's just like how people say Facebook is for this age group.
Well, what's wrong with that age group?
You want that age group in the chair.
(21:34):
You want every group of people from every market to be in your slum.
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, that's how you bulletproof your business.
And I love that you're talking about this right now.
It's been a while since we've talked about this on the podcast.
You know, in real life, IRL.
So the fact that there's digital out there, the fact that there's social media, I thinkhas taken a lot of the people uh kind of out of the real world, leaving a gap for somebody
(22:03):
who's willing to actually have these conversations IRL, like you just described.
So there's an opening here for people who are willing to just look somebody else in theeye and engage with them on a human level.
So this is what I do and I'm right there.
So if you ever have anybody and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, it's great.
(22:25):
not sad that we feel like we can't talk to people anymore.
Like I even talked to my friends and they were like, just text me.
like, I don't want to text you.
I want to talk to you.
Don't give me all that texting bull.
Give me the conversation.
Yeah, I love it.
The old school's probably more valuable now because of this.
All right, so number six, utilize online booking.
(22:49):
Implement an online scheduling system to streamline appointments.
This saves time for both you and your clients, making it easier to manage your calendar.
So you use Forrest, we know that.
Have you tried other ones?
I have tried a couple different other brands and the reason why I loved Forrest was justbecause of the platform it gave me.
(23:10):
Here's the thing about me.
I'm always gonna go for the most bougie version of anything I can get.
I don't know.
oh I mean, I'm that person that goes into a store and I can buy one item and my friend canget 10 and my price is still $300 higher.
I don't know why it happens.
It's just my luck.
I tried other platforms.
but it came down to the customer service of what I got with the brand that I'm with, youknow?
(23:35):
And for me, I wanted something that was easy for my clients to do.
And the fact of when they said they could build an app with my name on it, I was like,done.
My clients will love that.
They're gonna think of this, well, Chris has his own app.
And I still remember that whole feeling of my clients thinking to me like, Chris, you haveyour own app and we can book on it.
I was like, yeah, girl, it just got built.
(23:56):
You know, I'm done.
And I was like, it was...
It was sold.
To me was done.
I was like, this is perfect.
I mean, that is an additional level of bouge that I think is really nice for your brand.
I think you've got, there's a sticky element to it with your client, isn't there?
(24:16):
I mean, if you're on Vigaro, not to pick Vigaro, not to em unfairly choose Vigaro, thesame thing, fill in the blank.
But um you pick any of them and...
there's promotions to other hairdressers, to other beauty professionals in there.
(24:37):
you know, so it's definitely nicer to have a direct route to you through the app that waswhite labeled from Forrest.
I think that's a great idea.
I know it's more expensive, which was the bougie nature of your consumerism, but itsupports your business.
(24:58):
It's a tax write-off, you know, so.
Yeah.
not quite costing you dollar for dollar.
And I think it does elevate the sense of your brand to your clients.
Well, you know, I think it definitely, here's the the world that we're living in, peoplewant easiness right now, right?
So if a client always asks, what am I booked for this next time?
Or what do need to book for next time?
(25:19):
If I scheduled them throughout the whole entire year and they have to move one appointmentround and it shows them the time that we have open for that, it makes their life easier.
They don't have to be on the phone with me and I don't have to be stepping away andtelling my assistant we can fit them in there and do all this other stuff.
I want my life to be easy when I'm behind the chair, I'm behind the chair.
Mm-hmm, 100%.
(25:40):
Number seven, educate your clients.
Provide tips on hair care and styling during appointments.
When clients feel informed, they're more likely to trust your expertise and return forfuture services, 100%.
So I learned, you never have that day where you get your ass handed to you and you'relike, I should have been better.
(26:04):
I had a client that stopped coming to me because she found somebody that was down thestreet that she got a blowout with one day.
And the lady literally explained to her how to do her blowouts.
And that's why I lost her.
And ever since, and this happened maybe 12 years ago, and ever since, I have always toldmy clients how I do things.
(26:25):
from how to keep a curl on their hair, how to wash their hair.
And I think the problem that we've let happen is we've let social media explain to ourclients, not us.
And people get mad, and I see hairdressers, well, these YouTubers and these influencersand these people are doing this, well, why are you not doing it with them when they're
(26:48):
with you?
And then why are you not putting out content to help them and send it out to them so theylearn how to do it?
Stop.
blaming everybody else and be the person that wants to fix the problem so you keep growingwith your client.
Yeah, it's really an additional value that you're giving to your client for the amount ofmoney that they're paying for the service.
(27:10):
You're helping them look better in between services.
Right, and if you don't do it as you described already, somebody else is gonna do that.
Somebody else is gonna give them more value and you're gonna lose them.
Exactly, call it the 80-20 rule, you know?
People will have 80 % with you, but they'll leave you for that 20 % because it looksshinier and prettier sometimes.
(27:38):
Number eight, stay up to date with trends.
Regularly attend workshops, webinars, and industry events to keep your skills sharp andstay informed about the latest trends and products.
So for me, I try to do three big educations a year where I pay a good amount of money togo learn from somebody that I see online or that I love how their work looks and what
(28:02):
they're doing.
I think it's something that is very important for me because there's all these youngerhairstylists that are doing things way quicker, way faster and easier steps.
When I came into beauty school, it was like back to back to back to back foils.
Now we're seeing people give you more placement than anything to give you the big impactin the front and do less work in the back and charge you triple the amount of money.
(28:28):
Well, for me, I'm like, okay, well, how the heck do you do that?
And I mean, I'm okay admitting that, you know, I was just that person.
I was just doing the basics and I had to start informing myself because if I don't, again,they'll go somewhere else.
I feel that we need to...
make sure that we keep priding ourselves to learn from every avenue.
(28:51):
Even though I'm with a brand, I go outside of my brand and learn from others becausethere's something else going on that I don't know about.
Absolutely.
Super, super important.
All right, number nine, create a signature service.
Develop a unique service that sets you apart from the competition.
Whether it's a specialized treatment or a unique styling technique, uh a signature servicecan attract new clients.
(29:19):
Okay, explain that one.
That one's maybe, people haven't quite heard that one as much as the others.
So when I do signature things in my salon, it could be the scalp treatment.
Now everybody else offers their scalp treatment a certain way.
I'll say we will customize a sugar scope for you or this, things like that.
You have to seem like you're elevating a thing that's the same as everybody else's, butputting it on a platform.
(29:46):
So if they use lavender extracts, you can use real lavender plant in yours.
I think this is something that is so simple.
but it sounds more than it is.
Something that we do in my salon now is that we're looking into getting the system that isthe camera that scans your scalp to see what your hair thinning is and things like that.
(30:09):
But people are like, you're just a studio.
Well, even though I'm just a studio, I need to step above the rest.
Because even though that salon that's big down the street can beat me out of things, I gotto know that I can customize things better than them.
When people come in,
They have options of everything that they want in customization.
Don't be just one stick like, I saw this on Instagram, so I'm gonna copy what they did andgot what they did and got the essential oils.
(30:37):
Take that the step above and customize it and give it a name.
Give it your name, whatever you wanna do.
It doesn't have to be anything crazy.
If they're doing sugar scrub, you do brown sugar scrub.
It's just customizing and making it sound more than extra.
Yeah, I love it.
Absolutely.
And by the way, there's the, you know, the justice studio, you can do all these things inyour studio.
(31:02):
These things are accessible for everybody.
Just requires a little thought and creativity.
And it's gonna make your client feel like this is the place.
Like this place is keeping up with the trends.
There's customized things here.
They're thinking about me.
know, Christopher or Janice or a hairstylist.
is thinking about me in between appointments and really offering, you know, special thingsthat I need.
(31:26):
I don't even know I needed it, but I did.
Exactly, you have to.
mean, you have to be the difference.
If you want the money, if you want the clientele, you can't just become comfortable.
Anytime that I felt like, look, I felt comfortable multiple times in my life and I've hadmy ass handed to me again because I felt like I was like, I'm good right now.
(31:51):
But people come and go, that's what it is.
Prioritize client experience.
Always strive to exceed client expectations.
Personal touches, like a follow-up massage or a thank you note, can leave a lastingimpression and encourage referrals.
So for a long time, I've had different clients throughout my career that of my life of mycareer that have gone through certain problems.
(32:18):
And for me, you know how people say we're the therapists behind the chair.
Sometimes people just need that extra moment of gratitude.
And if I feel like a client is going through a day, I will personally like take the time,even if I'm five minutes behind to give somebody a head massage while they're sitting in
the chair.
I think that
(32:38):
really makes you different in the fact that you realize what they need and you're not justlooking at them like they're a number at the moment.
I, it makes me think of this one client that literally I have had for years and still haveher and she was going through cancer and I literally just went over to her house and made
(32:59):
her dinner.
know, things like that, I'm not saying you have to do that, but those stuff above momentslike that is what really
makes me love what I do more than anything in my life.
know, not just they're my people that are paying me and paying for my personal life, butthey're family in some form or way.
(33:22):
Yep.
The scalp massage thing that you mentioned is a funny one because I've heard from so manyof my friends who are just clients that are not hairdressers, not beauty professionals,
but they're clients in salons and they go to Janice or they go to Christopher because ofthe scalp massage and they'll even sometimes say, you know,
(33:46):
Yeah, Sarah's not the best hairstylist, but she gives me a scalp massage that keeps mecoming back.
Like that's how valuable a scalp massage is.
And it can be, and it's, of course I'm a client too, right?
I get my hair done and by lots of different people over the years.
(34:06):
And the, there is a difference between sticking your fingers into somebody's, you know,head in the shampoo bowl.
for 20 seconds versus two minutes.
There's a big difference in your client's mind.
As a client, you're sitting there and you're back in there and you feel the fingers go onyour scalp and you're like, oh, great, this is my favorite part.
(34:31):
And then, know, 19 seconds later, they go away and you're like, okay, I mean, yeah, thatwas fun for the 19 seconds, but.
I remember thinking to myself when this happens and like my barber doesn't do it very muchfrankly.
I think he's gotten lazy.
Maybe we're we know each other so well.
(34:52):
It's like too familiar.
But when the when it is like going from 20 seconds to 40 seconds to you know a minute anda half you're sitting there and you're like woohoo like this is the best thing in the
world the whole way your clients love it that much.
It's worth spending a couple minutes doing that 100 percent.
(35:13):
girl, I literally just told my assistant this the other day because my assistant doesamazing shampoos and it pisses me off because I've trained him so well in the years he's
been with me that my clients are like, Chris, you should get longer nails like he has sothat it can feel better.
And I'm like, I don't want those nails.
And then they're like, well, you should at least pay for him to get his nails done.
(35:35):
I'm like, that's not my expense.
I didn't tell him to get nails, but it's so funny that people literally live for that headmassage.
that I have to, now that I'm thinking about it, Lord, I gotta step up my game better nowmore with the massages, because my assistant's about to take everybody just for a scalp
massage.
If he got a studio next to you, he'd wipe you out.
(35:56):
He probably would.
I don't even want to give him that idea or I'm going to have to open the studio, but Istill own the business.
Exactly.
It's so important.
you know, the whole scalp massage thing, like I get massages, I don't know, once every sixweeks, like normal massages, you lay down on a bed and they do your shoulders and stuff,
and it's heavenly.
(36:17):
But a scalp massage is a whole different experience.
Your head is only wet.
Sometimes, like right when you take shower, you're at home.
And of course, never is anyone massaging your head then.
So it's only when you're in the salon, in the shampoo bowl where your head is wet, wheresomebody can actually do it.
(36:40):
And so to not spend the two minutes, what an opportunity lost.
So I don't wanna beat a dead horse.
I mean, spend the money on the shampoo chair as well.
I mean, that's something that I, I, cause you know, when you're in a studio, the studiogives you your shampoo chair.
I spent over two grand this year to bring in a better bowl because just of the head mountand the back of the bowl that held their heads.
(37:06):
Like it was, clients are like, I love this.
This is so much more comfortable.
But it literally, goes into those little details that changes it up.
It does.
And so I'm thinking to myself, what if a listener doesn't like to do it for whateverreason, know, hands are sensitive or maybe it takes too much strength or maybe they have
(37:31):
carpal tunnel or whatever reason.
Maybe you can get one of those.
those uh big claw deals that like go down on the, you know those things?
I mean, I don't know.
I'm trying to think creatively about other ways to do it if somebody doesn't want to doit.
used to feel the best thing in the world.
I used to love that thing.
I know exactly what you're talking about.
They'll just give you that little tickle when it would just get to your neck and you'relike, yeah, thank you.
(37:54):
But I see, I'm a person that when I like a head scrub, I like nails.
My girl when she scrubs, yeah.
But I think for me, if you're not a person that has the mobility or the strength or youdon't have the energy or you don't like doing it, there's this thing on Amazon I bought
years ago.
It's that little.
massager that's electric and it has these little feet little ball things on it and it youpush the button and it literally massages around and then on your scalp and you can get it
(38:27):
wet at the same time so it's not gonna like shock your clients hopefully thank you pleasedon't sue me for that but it's like literally amazing I I one of my girls used it one time
and I was like this feels actually pretty good and she like brought it down to my neck andthen it went over to my shoulders
Wow.
the towel in there and she didn't use her hands at all but just that massager.
(38:49):
So that's.
it?
Do you know what this thing is called?
A head massager?
I have to look it up on Amazon.
We'll have to put it on a link for the people so they have it.
Yes.
because I want that.
I'm actually, talking myself into this.
That's how into it I am.
Okay.
(39:10):
Of course it totally is.
So the next time I'm in the shower and my wife's like over at her vanity or whatever, I'mgonna call her over and I'll be like, here, hold this.
She's gonna be like, no, I'm not holding that for 20 minutes.
She's like, I'm not doing that.
I'm not even gonna do it for 10 minutes.
Does she ever not hear that a husband should be happy as much as the wife is too?
(39:32):
Well, the problem is, if she does it for me, then I have to do it for her.
And it takes the luxury out of it.
That's exactly right.
Okay, if you could wave a wand and change anything about the industry at all right now,what would it be?
For me right now, I'd probably say the negativity of hairdressers that I see on socialmedia.
(39:58):
I am so tired of seeing people's relationships and the drama of everything unfolding andpeople joining in to hate groups of people.
I really just hate it.
What happened to just the love that we have in our industry?
I get it that everyday is not perfect, but I really think we need to stop.
judging each other and sharing so much of our personal business to create hatred towardsothers.
(40:23):
I hate saying that.
I think that's, I mean, I get it's like a reality show of people, but I ain't for it.
I'm not really for it.
just think that stay in your lane, stay in what's doing best for you.
Those things don't grow you, they pull you down.
I Do you have any horror stories for us?
(40:46):
Oh God.
Don't we all have hair horror stories?
I remember my first horror one, because it still haunts me today.
Anytime I go to do an angle on someone's front of their hair, I had a girl that I was whenI was working in a supercut, I cut this girl's hair.
And before I could even like fully cut it, she started yelling, what the hell did you do?
(41:10):
And it's destroyed.
And I remember not wanting to cut hair after that.
I remember that that girl haunted me for years of not doing angle.
would talk everybody out of it.
But one thing that I've learned is that no one can write your story better than you.
So why are you gonna let somebody do it?
Amen.
Nobody can write your story better than you.
(41:32):
So don't let them do it.
It's the whole, it's the whole, who said that thing like you're letting them rent space inyour head for free?
Yeah, I ain't got time.
If you're not paying any bills over here, don't come over here.
Exactly.
Don't be bothered by that kind of stuff.
I think tenacity is something that's kind of, I find that people aren't really astenacious.
(42:00):
Just the idea of being tenacious.
I think it needs to be out there more.
You know, people are very sensitive about stuff and, and not that an example like you justdescribed right there isn't horrible.
Of course, you know, somebody yells at you for doing something.
Whether you did it right or wrong, it doesn't really matter.
(42:21):
It's not a fun experience.
But the idea of being tenacious, I think it encourages us to, all right, so that happened.
If I fucked up, I need to be honest about that and make sure I don't fuck up again andthen move on.
Right?
Yeah, and I think that's something that we do as people is we hold on to things.
(42:46):
I mean, I'm not gonna lie and say I don't hold on to things because I'm a real person.
But one thing I've learned is that I can't grow if I have things holding me down.
Exactly exactly.
It's just what a burden it becomes and it's just You know, you just waste so much energyand time on that kind of stuff
(43:08):
yeah, so much.
All right, any other last words for the community?
I think for the community, just want them to realize that they can have anything that theywant.
No matter what your skin color is, what your sexuality is, I think that we live in a worldthat can be very judgmental, but we're also in this perfect career that does not judge,
(43:34):
and it is open to all.
And I want people to keep seeing that.
I don't want anybody to feel like they don't fit in because they look a certain way or...
They grew up in a certain area.
There's plenty of people that have come from nothing to have everything.
And everything is not everything, but they've grown from where they were.
I think just to create joy behind the chair is all we need to do.
(43:58):
And if you love what you do, then keep doing it with pride.
If you don't love what you do, then find something else.
Beautifully said.
Absolutely love it.
All right, so you've got, your birthday is uh June 20th or 27th?
June 27th, and you've got something happening around there?
(44:19):
So in June, I'll be announcing completely that I am L'Oreal Professional, which I'm soexcited to say.
Thank you so much.
And I'm going to be announcing some other things that have been going on and just doingsome more branding to my own brand and some classes I want to roll out for the next year
and things like that.
But it's more just about building my brand with L'Oreal right now.
(44:43):
And I'm really excited to do it.
I stepped back from a lot of other companies I was working with.
just to focus on one thing because I felt like I was spreading myself too thin and I couldnot be any more excited than to just keep growing right now.
Well, congratulations.
You're doing great.
Christopher Aaron, Christopher Aaron Studio on Instagram.
(45:05):
Check him out on there and get some of these updates on his Instagram.
Thank you so much.
It was great to see you.
Thank you so much, it was so good seeing you as well.
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