“The Quiet Burnout: Unhealthy Social Media Demands on Beauty Entrepreneurs"

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Feeling the pressure from social media's relentless demands? Discover the hidden truths behind these platforms as we welcome back Minnie from Shag Noir Salon, a beloved guest and beautypreneur, whose honest insights offer both comfort and clarity. Together, we navigate the high-wire act of maintaining an authentic online presence in a world that seems to demand perfection. Minnie candidly shares her own journey from Facebook's familiar territory to the vibrant world of Instagram, highlighting both the creative possibilities and the mental toll that comes with constant engagement. So, how do we balance creativity with sanity? Join us to find out.

In the fast-paced world of beauty, the line between personal and professional often blurs, especially with social media's evolving landscape. We dig into the pressures of curating engaging content and protecting our mental health while sharing eye-opening stories, including a personal tale about my mother's transformative journey with Optivia. These narratives underscore the power of relatability and storytelling in connecting with audiences. By embracing authenticity and setting boundaries, we can redefine what it means to succeed online without losing ourselves in the process.

Have you ever felt trapped in the hustle culture, yearning for a moment of peace? We examine the cultural shift from glorifying perpetual productivity to cherishing rest and self-care, particularly for those of us in creative fields. Exploring strategies to maintain a healthy relationship with social media, we emphasize the value of word-of-mouth and in-house management over the digital rat race. Our conversation also touches on the simple joys that bring serenity, whether it's a quiet coffee with nature or meaningful interactions at smaller, intent-focused gatherings. Remember, while social media can expand your reach, it should never overshadow your true business identity or personal well-being.

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buymeacoffee.com/hairwhatimsaying

Saying, where we talk allthings beauty, business and
self-care.
I'm your host, kenetra Stewart,and today we're diving into a
major conversation that's beenstirring up in the beauty
industry social media and theunhealthy pressures it places on
beautypreneurs.
Joining me again for her secondappearance is the incredible
Minnie, owner of Chag Noir Salon.

(00:25):
We'll be unpacking how socialmedia's constant evolution is
impacting our mental health,work-life balance and even how
we do business.
If you've ever felt overwhelmedby the need of constantly
posting or wondered if steppingback could hurt your business,
this episode is for you.
Let's get into it.
Welcome to the hair what I'msaying podcast.
I'm your host, kanetra stewart.

(00:46):
Today we have many of shag noirsalon joining us again.
So far, her episode from seasontwo and I believe it's episode
three is the number onedownloaded episode.
It's called strands of wisdom,so obviously it must be some
good ass information on therethat y'all need to check out.
Yes, yes.

(01:06):
Welcome mini.
How are you?
I'm wonderful.
Thank you for having me again.
Yes, indeed, no, thank you forcoming again.
I really love the informationthat you have held with inside
of you and I just feel likepeople need to hear this
information and also yourperspective is always your
perspective Always get methinking I'd be like yeah, I'm

(01:29):
happy.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
I always wonder if I'm crazy for it, but yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
No, so that's why I was like the only person I want
to share, or at least have aconversational piece about this
particular topic.
The only person I could thinkof is Minnie yeah, so thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Let's jump right.
Is Minnie yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:44):
So thank you, gary.
I appreciate it.
Let's jump right into it.
Okay, Minnie, how has socialmedia influenced your career?

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Ooh, so I would say it's allowed me to put my
creativity out there.
I was always into drawing andjournaling.
I have tons of journals I cango back and look into, but
social media allowed me to bringin the graphics, the creativity

(02:13):
that I used but didn't reallytake into as far as a career,
but also add it with myjournaling, so I can put little
pieces of me, of my journeythrough life, onto social media
and share it, yeah right, yeah,I love that.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
I know.
When I first started it wasjust like I'm just posting yeah,
I don't know what's going onhere?
It's new picture my dog, rightpicture my shoe right right.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
I didn't know what it was for at first and I just
thought this is really cool.
I can, you know, connect withpeople from high school or
whatever, because I didn't useFacebook.
It was for at first and I justthought this is really cool.
I can, you know, connect withpeople from high school or
whatever, because I didn't useFacebook as much.
But it's now you know whichwe'll get into, I'm sure, but
it's become, you know, somethingyou have to use for your
business, and I still tend tojust have fun with it.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
You do, and that's what I love about your content.
It's like, if I want to share,this is what I'm going to share.
I'm not following, you know,like an aesthetic, a certain
theme.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
If I feel like it's worth y'all knowing, then I'll
just share as long as it looksgood right.
Exactly yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
So did you have IG first or Facebook first?
Since you said you were more itsounded like you were more
posting on Instagram than so.
I had Facebook first, but Ididn't go to well.
I went to college for a year soI never had signed up for
Facebook.
And then when I came home fromcollege from Texas Southern, you
know everybody had Facebook.
That was still in school and Ididn't understand.
So I got a Facebook but I didn'treally use it.
You know, Instagram was rightbehind it and I was like, oh,
this is quicker and easier, Idon't have to type out my whole.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
It was just visual and I was like, oh, this is
quicker and easier.
I don't have to type out mywhole.
It was just visual, yeah, andthat's the part that I loved
yeah, and it was.
Facebook was at one time justfor college students.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
If you have a college email, you can even have a
Facebook.
Yeah, and I don't even know ifI ever knew my college email.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
Well, we definitely ain't going to go there, because
I know I definitely don't evenremember mine, but I remember
that's how I started it and atfirst it was kind of like what
is going?

Speaker 2 (04:07):
on it seemed cool.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
It seemed interesting , but where is this going to go?
I really didn't think it wasgoing to go anywhere.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
And then your parents were on it too.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
Later.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it just seemed more on the
professional side, like thiscitizen that you wanted to
uphold for Facebook andInstagram allowed you to.
To take it there a little bit,because you know your mom wasn't
on Instagram ever.

Speaker 1 (04:29):
What you say, girl?

Speaker 2 (04:30):
we're gonna be more conservative yeah, because
people from church are on there.
Aunties, you gotta yeah, baby,yes listen.

Speaker 1 (04:40):
No, have a good time and I feel like snapchat.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
I was done with it.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
I tried it.
I was like it ain't for me andI'm good with it.
I just I was done with snapchatwasn't my thing.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
I didn't find that I could use it for business also,
um, and it didn't seem like aplace for creativity, unless I
wanted to use the filters tochange my face exactly the only
reason why I found it funny, butit was for nefarious behavior,
that's what I found the app tobe.

Speaker 1 (05:06):
Yes, indeed, and then it's like Instagram.
You know, it's just kind oflike I'm not ashamed of what I'm
sharing.
This is just something I wantto share with my folks, my
family.
Yeah, you know, but Snapchatwas like Took it too far.

Speaker 2 (05:21):
Too far for me.

Speaker 1 (05:24):
Way too far for me, way too far girl.

Speaker 2 (05:27):
Okay, yeah, I haven't had that one in like six years
maybe I only bring it out aroundthe kids for the filter yeah,
the little doggy, cute catfilters.

Speaker 1 (05:35):
Yeah, I don't remember the last time I used
snappy chappy, that's what mygrandma called it my dad.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
What was my dad?
My dad was like uh, at onepoint with Facebook he's like
y'all just make sure to face me.
I was like yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:49):
Girl, what'd he say?

Speaker 2 (05:50):
You shouldn't have Facebook at all At all Girl.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
That's social media lingo, I swear it's just.
I guess they're on hell, Idon't know.
So, Manny, have you ever feltstressed because you weren't
showing up enough on socialmedia and you know that constant
pressure of like?
You need to show up in order toget engagement and followers
yeah, uh, this one.

Speaker 2 (06:15):
This one is difficult because it's like I have felt
stressed in because I have abusiness.
If it was just me, I wouldn'tgive a damn At all.
But because I have a businessand my business is not just me,
a representation of me I feelinclined to show up all the time
for my stylist in my salon andI've had an issue with handing

(06:41):
over that control because thereis, as far as my business, a
certain aesthetic that I want tohave and portray.
yes, um because I still want itto be a little sassy, uh-huh and
I don't want it to be cleanedall the way up.
So I do feel stressed when itcomes to my business's social
media.

(07:02):
But I mean it's a second yearjourney.
I get you build your.
You know, I hear like you buildyour brand through the journey
yeah you know.
So I'm not.

Speaker 1 (07:13):
It's not daunting to me yeah, well, that's a good
thing, because it can bedaunting for a lot of people.
You know it's, it is I mean ittruly is.

Speaker 2 (07:22):
Like you know, I'm just on the personal side, like
talking to friends, hearing likeI didn't really understand and
had to have some compassion withpeople that were like I scroll,
I doom, scroll through perfectpeople's photos and I start to
feel bad about myself, like Ididn't understand that yeah, um,
but you don't give me that vibeat all, though.
I know that I would feel thatway.
I mean, I, you know, I gothrough it.

(07:43):
I'm like damn people.
My thing is like, I'm like Iwish I would have come up with
that.
Or I wish I would have had thatidea, that I had.
I wish I had enough nerve toput it on the internet at all
times.
But then I have to remember I'mbuilding a brand, yeah, so I
can't.
I don't feel that it's theright position for me to always

(08:04):
take if I want to just speakoutwardly about this or, you
know, play this game one day onthe internet.
And it's like oh, you have awhole salon of also people that
you're representing, so becareful.

Speaker 1 (08:13):
Be careful how you do it.
No, you absolutely have to becareful Because you know you can
go viral for all the rightreasons, for all the wrong
reasons.
Sometimes you'll post thingsand people take a complete lot
of context.

Speaker 2 (08:25):
You'll see followers.

Speaker 1 (08:27):
Girl, but that's what's going on now, because I
think they're cleaning it up,yeah.
Getting rid of the bots.
Okay, of people that arefollowing you, so it might seem
like there's like a decline innumbers right now for a lot of
people.
It's because they like goingthrough and cleaning up all the
spam accounts and all the botaccounts and things like that.

Speaker 2 (08:44):
And there is a certain I don't know which tab
it is, but you can go to it nowsomething on the top that's like
, uh, I guess where it's like Iguess a risky accounts, where I
have like 79 up there that don'teven care to check, whatever
they've taken all of those away.

Speaker 1 (09:01):
Yeah and so, and it's because they feel like it's
spam and bots.
I know one um creator.

Speaker 2 (09:10):
She was telling you how to retrieve them back and
I'm like, well, they boughtsigning, I don't need them yes,
I don't know, I enjoy the truefollower part of it, like it
doesn't need to get wild for meas far as followers, because I
appreciate those that doappreciate what I put out
because it is, you know, whetherit be comical or, um,
educational or something that is, uh, more on the social side of

(09:33):
it.
I appreciate those that alignwith what I post and if they
don't like it they can go, and Ican admit when I've posted
something that was probablydistasteful absolutely.

Speaker 1 (09:44):
You know you can't appeal to everybody.
It's just, it's impossible, youknow, and I ain't going to try
to either.

Speaker 2 (09:49):
Right, I think what stresses me out more is my mom's
posts.

Speaker 1 (09:53):
Wow, I need to ask.

Speaker 2 (09:57):
I just told her the other day I'm like mom, y'all
are not marketing to anyone,Like, whatever you're posting is
not.
Nobody knows who you are.
They don't know what you'retalking about You're just
putting what is she so?
she does Optivia and I will.
You know I'm so proud of herbecause she's lost so much
weight where she struggled withthis Most of my childhood and

(10:17):
into adulthood, and she's lostso much weight and with this
program and with this program,you know, she wants to share it
with other people and it's MLM.
I mean it's MLM but it workedfor her it was the one thing
that worked and I've seen her gothrough so many different uh
avenues to try to make thishappen, but it really was truly

(10:37):
like when she wanted it right.
So I'm keep telling her I'mlike mom, you, just you and my
aunt just like posting a pictureof like yourself and like I
lost weight, join me, nobodyknows what's going on Like you
have to talk and share yourstory.

Speaker 1 (10:51):
First clean your lens .
Oh, share your story.

Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yeah, yeah, clean your lens first, let's upgrade
the camera or something.

Speaker 1 (10:57):
Girl be quiet, Don't you hate it, Girl, I be
scrolling, I Girl, I bescrolling.

Speaker 2 (11:01):
I see a dirty little dirty smudge, just clean the
lens.
I got me wanting to wipe it off.

Speaker 1 (11:04):
I be like, isn't my camera there?

Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yeah, and she's like what no-transcript?
And she's like well, I did this, I did that.

(11:27):
And I'm like mommy, I'm justsaying listen, just clean the
screen.

Speaker 1 (11:30):
I've been doing it longer than you should.

Speaker 2 (11:32):
Share your story.
Yeah, yeah, because people wantto see what was so hard about
it before.
Where was your Mindset now, at65 years old, with your kids out
of the house, and they're notstressing you out anymore.
I love that.
People want to hear that, thenormal people that you know
sitting in their homes justdoing the daily.
And one day she'll get it, butuntil then they're stressing me

(11:53):
out.

Speaker 1 (11:54):
They just need to understand that you need to be
relatable, right and becausewhenever people find
similarities in your journey,whenever you are speaking about
your journey, then it's likefollow.
I want to keep it yeah keep intouch with whatever they're
doing, because if she did it andI'm still at a place where I
haven't done it, then I can doit.
You know truly.
Yeah, so once you becomerelatable, that's they locked in

(12:15):
as long as you can hold thembecause, girl, they be quick to
not be locked, don't getcanceled, damn it so do you feel
like um did it affect your uhwork and uh personal life
balance at all at times, youknow, trying to keep up with the
, I think when it got into, whenI got into that creative side,

(12:37):
I had I not gone into hair, Iwas going to go into graphic
design.

Speaker 2 (12:41):
Okay, because with me drawing I could replicate a lot
of things.
But very hard for me to likeimagine something and then draw
it and draw it to proportion, toscale.
So I was really getting intothe apps of social media.
I was like, okay, this is cooland people have preset things
for me and then I would, fromthe presets, I would go in and

(13:02):
play and post and see what got areaction, see what didn't, and
that was cool.
But then I would go in and playand post and see what got a
reaction, see what didn't, andthat was cool.
But then I would find that Iwould want to break down the
templates and how did they dothat?
And I could do it on my own.
But then I'm reminded I'm likeyou can't only way you'll really

(13:32):
find out how to use.
It is hours.

Speaker 1 (13:37):
Hours, invest hours in it, you know yeah.

Speaker 2 (13:39):
And I think it's important to like set a time.
It wasn't something that I didbecause I just got so engulfed
in it.
To like set a time.
It wasn't something that I didbecause, yeah, I just got so
engulfed in it, yeah, you know.
And then next thing, I know I'mlike okay, like I've been on
canva for like eight hours,ain't got paid for, none of it
and that's why I feel like it isanother job.

Speaker 1 (13:55):
I mean, you can hire social media content creators,
yeah, managers, etc.
Because it is another job.
Yeah, that we didn't ask forShit I need somebody to perfect
it for me.

Speaker 2 (14:12):
If they could share my brain and how I want it on.

Speaker 1 (14:16):
Yeah, get that visual out for you, Because that's the
hard part translating thevisual to the other person so
that they can understand whereyou're coming from and give them
your passwords.

Speaker 2 (14:31):
Oh yeah, that's a hard one.
I struggle with that and I haveone team member who has all my
passwords and, uh, I trust hercompletely, but I still am just
like what is this like?
Is there a better way?

Speaker 1 (14:39):
why isn't it?
Because you know we're wearing,you know, not just us in the
beauty industry.
There are other people thatwear multiple hats, right.
So we might just want to focuson the one thing that we, you
know, specialize in, right, andlet them focus on the one thing
that they specialize in but alsoserves as an umbrella on our
business, you know.
So it's just I wonder why theyhaven't created that yet.

Speaker 2 (15:03):
I mean, I'm sure there's a workaround, but to me
it's too many moving parts.
But you know, like sharingDougalgox, Dougalgox.

Speaker 1 (15:11):
Put the D on the G, the G on the D.

Speaker 2 (15:15):
Dougalgox.
What's the other one?
Dropbox, all those.

Speaker 1 (15:19):
Dropbox, yeah, but it's just to me it becomes too
many Things.

Speaker 2 (15:22):
I'm just like yeah, I'm just like take it.
But then I'm like damn damn, Ior access to all your photos.
So I've just had to figure outlike backtrack and lock that up.

Speaker 1 (15:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (15:32):
Social media is a lot .

Speaker 1 (15:34):
It is a lot honey.

Speaker 2 (15:35):
It is fun, though it's so damn funny.

Speaker 1 (15:39):
You know what I think , in order for it to be fun for
me, I'm gonna have to tap into,um, like I was talking to
jessica, who literally just leftlike she, we just did a podcast
together, okay, and I have totap into where she is with
social media.
She was like this is a place forblogging, just having fun yeah

(16:01):
and focus really and and wetalked about this when she was
doing my makeup and really justfocus on seo and stuff like that
, you know, um, instead of likeintentionally posting on social
media because it is so timeconsuming yeah, she was.
And then, like a photographerthat I did a podcast with last
season, she was like I'm justthere for fun, right, and if you

(16:23):
want to do business with me,you can resort to my website.
She's like I'm just there forfun, right, and if you want to
do business with me, you canresort to my website.
She's like I'm just here to postand leave, she was like,
because it becomes just too muchtoo much yeah and it is you
know.
Let me backtrack.
It is fun because I do likecreating content, but I don't
like balancing all of my hats.
It's like I like every singlehat in my job.
I love it actually, but do Iwant to do all of them?

(16:46):
No, no, no, no, no, no, no no no, and that's what takes the
enjoyment out of it is wheneveryou do start like juggling all
these different hats that youhave in order to you know, run
your business and that's what'sbeen.

Speaker 2 (16:57):
it's been important for me to like step back and
really gauge what is whatmatters, my social step back and
really gauge what is whatmatters um my social media
matters right.
So I I do like to have fun withit and I do like to have my
staff like be creative, and eventhose that don't like to do it,
I'm like I'll just wait.

(17:18):
I'll just wait and see, becausemaybe, like I have one that
always had this like sour I feellike, like a sour feeling about
it, like I just don't have time, but she's a new mom, right.

Speaker 1 (17:29):
Oh yeah.

Speaker 2 (17:30):
I'm like I'm not going to force her.
I'm not going to force her.
I'm going to just throw theselittle gems in her ear.
And now she's showing up onsocial media and her feedback
that she's not even doing much.
She's putting a little productin her hair.
She's product in her hair.
She's gorgeous, she's fun,she's easy to get along with.
She's, she's just amazing,she's talented.
And now she's showing up onsocial media and she's like many

(17:50):
and I'm like I just wanted tosee.
Yeah, like you know, it can befun, it doesn't have to be as
stressful and what I hear herwith her clients, like I can
tell she's made it stressful andit's easy to do.
You know, like I've made itstressful there's days and I
think it was more like we'vetalked about it, like with my
drinking.
When I was drinking I justdidn't feel pretty and so I

(18:11):
wouldn't want to post and Iwould find a reason to like cope
with whatever shit I waswallowing in, right, and so I
wouldn't post, and it would be,you know, time spent away from
social media because I waswallowing.
And then I'd take a break and,you know, not drink for two
weeks, and then I'd feel amazing.
Yeah, I feel better, but feellike at least even worthy enough

(18:34):
to show up online.
Yeah, so I think it's importantright to like take care of
yourself, so you know likewhen's an appropriate time to
like share my story or sharewhat I want to share.
Keep it fun.
Keep keep it fun, keep itexciting, keep it funky yeah,
keep it funky.

Speaker 1 (18:53):
Recently I've noticed several beauty professionals
announced they won't be asactive on social media because
of time constraints and lack ofinterest.
What do you think about that?

Speaker 2 (19:03):
burnout burnout it's like it's so I guess it was
brought to my attention likereally setting those intervals
of time like it's important,because once you start spiraling
, you look up and it's beenhours, you know, and the return
that you can get for so mucheffort sometimes, yes, can be

(19:24):
daunting right you spend moneyon equipment or whatever, like
one of my staff members was like, hey, can we get a pivo?
And I had a pivo.
You know one of those itrotates with you, yeah and I had
one.
It was broken during a you knowsouth by southwest um.
But I was like that we can keepspending money on equipment

(19:44):
thinking it's going to make itbetter.
But it's really your passion.
You'll find whatever angle youneed to get to get the shots you
need right now, but use thebare minimum.
But if you go in and investingall this money and all this time
and then you get 12 likes, itcould just send you into spiral
time.
Absolutely likes it could justsend you into spiral time so I

(20:08):
can get where it's.
And it's too like shit, likeunderstanding, like where do I
have this control that I can'tlet go of?
Do I need to share this spaceor this position with someone
else?
I offer more commission.
If a, if a stylist comes on andsays I will take over social
media, wow, why you?
You know, I'll give you morecommission.
It's a business deal.

Speaker 1 (20:29):
I love that and it's why you it'd be hard to pass up.

Speaker 2 (20:33):
As opposed to having somebody else that's not in
house.

Speaker 1 (20:36):
do my social media and actually see what's going on
and actually be involved withyour mission and whatever the
focus is for your business andhow you want to see it grow.

Speaker 2 (20:43):
And take that skill.
You'll be practicing it whileyou're in downtime, whatever, um
take that skill somewhere elsejust from playing and practicing
, and you can definitely putthat on your resume, right?

Speaker 1 (20:55):
yeah, you sure can right.

Speaker 2 (20:57):
So that's what you know.
I feel like it's definitely athing if you have to take the
time off like it has to be done,because I've done it, where I
think it's like a week off, um,but I just like creating so it's
fine.

Speaker 1 (21:10):
It can, like you know , I I had to even go back and
check myself.
Like girl, you do enjoy it,right?

Speaker 2 (21:14):
but responding can be a lot too right, like when
you're having you, you get donewith work and because of what?
All the crazy shit on yourstories you posted all night.
You've got like 75 things torespond to.

Speaker 1 (21:27):
And you'd be like, in the moment you feel good about
posting it.
You know what I'm saying, thatwas so funny.
And then you getting back, it'slike three days later and I
always tell them look, I'malways getting back baby.

Speaker 2 (21:37):
But look, Maybe I mean there might be months later
at school and you see the dark,bold letters and you're like
damn, damn damn, I didn't getback to deal.
I mean, charge it to my headand not my heart, that's how I
feel, but yeah.
I mean if you have to take thebreak, take the break, don't
announce it, whatever.

Speaker 1 (21:55):
Yeah, I don't feel like you have to announce it
Disappear.
Yeah, I think either way worksyou know yeah.
I know one of.
She's a nail tech.
I cannot think of her name, butshe stated she just feel like
I'm a veteran, yeah, and I'mjust genuinely over it.
Yeah, you know, I have myclientele that's established and

(22:16):
what's been working for her isword of mouth.

Speaker 2 (22:18):
Right, and that's how .
I feel, you know most of thetime and it might be old school
in my thinking, I do think whenyou are building in your new
social media is free.
Yes, it's free, and you canhave a return if you put that

(22:39):
authenticity and the time andthe commitment and persistence
into it.
But I believe that word ofmouth is way stronger.

Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yeah, because people want to hear from personal
experiences.
I think it's even better thanreviews sometimes.
I think, it right, that personis more likely to sit in your
chair, yeah.

Speaker 2 (22:53):
And I've never I've heard, you know, when I first
got in the industry.
Word of mouth travels 10 timesfaster than any other form of
marketing, and I truly believeit just from what I get back in
the chair, I'm always askinglike, how did you hear about me?
Um, but yeah, yeah, likeannounce, announce if you're
gonna be gone, if you haveclients that would worry if

(23:13):
you're not online.
But you know, I think themelodramatic kind of like, oh my
god, yeah, I'm leaving likesave it because you'll be back,
you'll be checking.
You're the one that's actuallychecking it every night.

Speaker 1 (23:26):
Yeah, absolutely every night yeah, I don't think
I've ever announced a socialmedia break.
I think I just took it one timeI stayed gone for like six
months.
That's nice.
I was like.
I've never done that but Iwould log in, you know, just to
kind of check, see what's goingon Make sure you don't miss
anything, right.
Exactly, but like me posting, Iwas like, I just want a

(23:50):
mindless scroll.

Speaker 2 (23:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (23:52):
And let's see what everybody been doing.
That's all I want to do.
Yeah, do you feel like it'sgoing to negatively impact their
business in some ways If theydid cut it cut?

Speaker 2 (24:05):
the cord?
yes, I guess it could yeah,right, yeah I guess it could if
you, if your following dependson, like what your following was
built on, if your following wasbuilt on how you build in that
social media and that's how theyengage with you and that's how
they expect sadly expect toengage with you, yeah, um, but

(24:29):
if you practice setting thoseboundaries, like this is for fun
, like this is not my existenceand this is not who I am, yeah,
uh, you know, I'm just puttingthis out here.
Otherwise, there's a website orthere's a consultation or you
know an email you can send me tolet me know.
But I think if you do stillkeep you know the frequency out

(24:50):
there that you're doing businessword in people's mouths yeah,
you won't fail.

Speaker 1 (24:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (24:56):
People still keep coming by.

Speaker 1 (24:57):
Yeah, and what I love about those people, they'll say
she's not that active on socialmedia.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (25:02):
They'll support you, girl.
What?
Yeah, they'll talk.

Speaker 1 (25:03):
she's not that active on social media.
Yeah, they'll support you, girl, what They'll talk for you.

Speaker 2 (25:07):
And it's perfect, it's perfect.

Speaker 1 (25:11):
Do you think private studio owners, such as like
solopreneurs, are more likely toexperience burnout since they
juggle all of the hats, opposedto like a shared space where you
can kind of help each otherjuggle all of the hats?

Speaker 2 (25:25):
opposed to like a shared space where you can kind
of help each other.
Yeah, I think it, and it toojust depends on, like, uh, what
your niches are like.
If you're in a private studioand you love the privacy of
being able to create, umnecessarily don't want to do it
in would be wonderful for youright um just being a suite

(25:50):
owner alone in itself that's whyI asked you, because you have
both experiences.

Speaker 1 (25:55):
It is so hard.

Speaker 2 (25:56):
Yeah, it's, it's so hard.
And I and I do see the dualitywhere some people get into a
suite and it's like I'm eithergonna run this like a salon or
I'm gonna run this just likethis is.
I'm running a chair like thisis just like my, my thing, I
don't need to sell retail.

Speaker 1 (26:13):
Never look that way yeah.
I mean because you see peoplestay in them forever.

Speaker 2 (26:25):
and then you see those that like then branch out
and start salons or go back tobeing a part of something.
It's a lot to put on yourselfand then have to realize like I
have to create content for justme and what I'm doing in here
and it has to spread so that Ikeep my books filled.
So I do think it could beextremely stressful if that's
not what you were ready to do orif that's not your strong suit,

(26:47):
but I feel like once you moveinto a suite, it almost becomes
something you have to do ifyou're not going to be word of
mouth or invest.
I mean, who's got tens ofthousand dollars for marketing?
So you've got to get creative,and it really starts with social
media.
It's the cheapest.

Speaker 1 (27:05):
It's the cheapest, go dance on the corner when you're
booked Girl, what you say Danceon the pole.

Speaker 2 (27:10):
We was just talking about pole dancing you hear me
Dance on the pole.

Speaker 1 (27:14):
Do some child.

Speaker 2 (27:16):
The way I'm looking right now.
Right, you got to have OnlyFans.
I mean you got to be doingsomething.
No, I mean yeah.
Yeah because it's slow, it'sgetting slow.
I don't know if it's slow, it'sgetting slow.
You know.

Speaker 1 (27:28):
I don't know if it's because of the election.

Speaker 2 (27:31):
That's how I feel, I feel like this is um.
I'm like was I not just paying,paying attention to it in my
20s or my early 30s yeah um, butI do feel like this one is
heavy.
It's a heavy one.
It's this whole thing hasreached into people's
pocketbooks, into their socialworlds, into their parenting

(27:51):
their children they're, you know, raising their children.
It it's affected a lot ofpeople and I think it's it's
going, it's going to beinteresting it sure is.

Speaker 1 (28:00):
Yeah, yeah, and I feel as though, since you know
it's this, this particularelection, it's like, really it's
a sensitive topic and I thinkpeople are being very conscious
about decisions that they aremaking because of these
candidates.
Yeah, I mean, and they likechild look.

Speaker 2 (28:21):
And like, careful of where they want to share their
conversations.

Speaker 1 (28:24):
Absolutely Everything you know.

Speaker 2 (28:26):
Where their mental health is right now yeah you
know where their mental healthis right now?
Yeah, um, you know, I was justtelling one of my clients.
I'm like it was really dramaticthe 2020 election yeah, and I
noticed this just being astylist who has different, like
a varied group of people, but itdid seem very way more dramatic

(28:51):
to them to like live more moreliberal.
Uh, white clients where theywere preparing to move right if
trump was elected president, andso now we're at a repeat yeah,
and I think they're like and Ithey're really drawing back now.
Oh, yeah, I mean if not some ofthem have left.
Yeah, so, now it's round two,after a pandemic, after a

(29:19):
pandemic With social media.
I mean now I feel like thereare where I typically have a lot
of fun with social media.

Speaker 1 (29:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (29:26):
There's times where I'm like it's got to go off,
yeah.
There's times where I'm likeit's got to go off.
I can't look at anotherscreaming child or another
erratic behavior from somebodythat is completely entitled.
So I think it has played a hugepart.

Speaker 1 (29:40):
Social media definitely plays a huge role,
yeah.

Speaker 2 (29:44):
I mean you hear it all the time.
Now they're just trying to cutyou down from, like reminding
you to cut down that time, cutdown the time that you spend on
the news for the election.
I mean I listen to npr quitefrequently all day, basically
yeah, um, and just they've beenpretty diligent about reminding
people to just chill out,because again it could be too
much yeah, yeah for sure.

Speaker 1 (30:08):
So i'ma shift a little bit the subjects a little
bit.
Why do you believe rest isoften viewed as a luxury and not
something that's like anecessity?

Speaker 2 (30:21):
I feel like it's just a hustle culture thing, right?
Do you feel like that?
Yes, like it's more of.
It's an industry where we'retaught to move fast, like make
money and move fast, that wholeculture.

Speaker 1 (30:36):
Like you said, yeah, and if you ain't doing this
Right and if you're not, doinganything.

Speaker 2 (30:41):
You're lazy or you're not working hard enough.
Sleep is the next cousin todeath.
What are you doing?
Yeah, sleep when I'm dead.
I was there.
I did it, me too.
There.
I did it, me too.
Like I did not nap, I did notcreate times to eat food or just
with like poured food.

Speaker 1 (30:59):
Yeah, go to the bathroom, right.
You know how we are in thebeauty industry.

Speaker 2 (31:02):
I appreciate.
Rest now.
It's a necessity, it's not aluxury.

Speaker 1 (31:07):
Yeah, you know and social media helped push more of
that agenda.
To me, rest no To work, to work.
In the beginning it was allabout working, working, working,
working Hustle yes.

Speaker 2 (31:19):
Grinding, waking up yeah.

Speaker 1 (31:22):
Now I feel like it's trying to shift because they see
it's not working.

Speaker 2 (31:26):
No, it's not and it's not.
Never going to work, not inworking.

Speaker 1 (31:31):
no, it's not and it's not, never gonna work, not in
the capitalist society becauseit's chasing the dollar.

Speaker 2 (31:33):
So I have I have been very serious about that lately
because I did I just rememberworking, not eating double
booking, hoping to level up totriple book and as I have gotten
older, um, I can't like there'sno way that I and I don't think

(31:54):
it's cool to glorify notresting, you know do you look
back back then and be like, howthe hell did I do all that?
How to do it.

Speaker 1 (32:04):
Well, yeah, I mean, I had a young body that's true
too, I had a young body a youngmind in the that didn't absorb
everything you know, like you,just you was just on the surface
doing it, you know it wasautopilot, like autopilot, yeah,
and I don't think with uh a lotof intention.

Speaker 2 (32:20):
But now like I just I was telling one of my friends,
I'm like I'll just find myselflike staring out the back door.
Now I've sort of cut the grass,the dogs out there playing.
I'm just like I will standthere for like 30 minutes and I
will be okay with this.
Like this is totally okay tojust be here with my cup of
coffee.

Speaker 1 (32:40):
It's so serene, it's like such a slept on flex, you
know it is Because my brain willjust go and go and go.

Speaker 2 (32:49):
So I have to I had to , you know, really put that as a
part of my thing, like I usedto just be like I don't nap, I
don't nap.
Who takes naps?
It's too hard to nap, but now Iwill take naps, girl, I'd be
gone.

Speaker 1 (33:00):
You know what I mean.
I'd be gone, girl.
I always took naps, really sotired.
Yeah, like you know, likesomething, they you know, I
think some people are you anextrovert and introvert, or a
little bit of both, depending onwhat it is, I would say that,
more introverted, but okay, yeahbecause I find to me seem like
extroverted people can do thatand don't.

(33:22):
Now, you know, like after thesepodcasts, girl, I'm going to
bed really see, because it takea lot out of me to like, listen
and then give feedback.

Speaker 2 (33:31):
So, girl, that's why you don't really see me at these
social events do you and see mything was, I could get through
it if I was just sipping alsococktails having a beer.
And once I stopped drinking Iwas like, oh my God, I'm not
sure if I'm really enjoying allof this and I have to take it in

(33:54):
doses and recharge, but I wasable to just push through.
I'm like, oh shit, we're gonnastop and get a drink, so I'll be
good, we'll just power up andkeep moving oh, gotcha.

Speaker 1 (34:04):
Yeah, I can see that too, because back then I would
have more battery.
I don know why but it did giveme more fuel to interact like
that, but not no more.

Speaker 2 (34:15):
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Like we just did ACL, I'llnever do it again.
I'm never doing it.
It was so many people.
It was so many people that Ijust didn't even understand how
many people got in there.
And it was so hot and I'd neverseen that many people.
And by day two, I think, I justcarried a face by day two, day

(34:38):
three, we had the wristbands.
I was like I can't do it.
I have to give this away.
I'm never doing it again andnever doing it again.

Speaker 1 (34:45):
I'm fine with that.
I ain't never did one, becauseof the environment.
I'm like it's, it's too muchfor me.
Um, yeah, it's just too much.
You know like I love smallintimate, you know settings.

Speaker 2 (34:59):
I can oh, I can do that all day I'm even trying to
get used to that, like just evenjust being around people, yeah,
in any settings, like small,big, but just not and not having
a crutch.

Speaker 1 (35:16):
Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
Do I really like these people?
Do I align with these people?
I didn't want to say it.
I'm working on it.

Speaker 1 (35:24):
I didn't want to say it, but that's where I'm at
because that's why I don't yeah.
You know a lot of the times.
The dog and pony show girl,it's just too much, you know
acting like you're reallyinterested you know, and you'd
be like, oh yeah, I'm not a dickyou know I'm saying I'm not,
it's just some.

(35:44):
I just noticed like I hate I'mtrying to get well-rounded with
talking about conversations thatare not necessarily of interest
to me.

Speaker 2 (35:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (35:55):
You know, and I would like to.

Speaker 2 (35:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (35:58):
It's just not today.

Speaker 2 (36:01):
I'm going to get there one day.
We're going to get you out toone of these events.
Yeah, I did just do the AustinArea Urban League Gala.

Speaker 1 (36:11):
Did you just go yeah, yeah so I was invited by my
friend darian you and your momwent right.

Speaker 2 (36:16):
No, we were volunteering, so my cousins she
does black mama, black mama'svillage in pflugerville okay,
your cousin.

Speaker 1 (36:24):
What's her name?

Speaker 2 (36:25):
keely nicole mosley on she's like on facebook.
Is that is?

Speaker 1 (36:31):
Is it Black Mamas ATX ?
Not that one.
Okay, it's Black Mamas Village.
Black Mamas Village.
Yeah, so that's where me and mymom were volunteering.

Speaker 2 (36:38):
But I don't normally go to galas because it just
seems like a lot to me.

Speaker 1 (36:43):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (36:44):
And where you have to be performative.
Yes, but I did go and I had areally good time.

Speaker 1 (36:53):
I stayed.
Yeah, I did go and I had areally good time.
I stayed out till two o'clockin the morning.

Speaker 2 (36:56):
Oh, you had a great ass time.
You know it's over time, it wasfun.
I was like I'm glad I reallyneeded it, like I.
I was like I really needed tobe at this and it wasn't a lot
of talking, it was just likeblack excellence in the room and
I was like, oh, this, I need tolearn more about this group
yeah, yeah, and that was yourfirst experience with them, yeah
okay, so it could just be justnot ever being around it you

(37:21):
really don't know until you go.

Speaker 1 (37:22):
You know I'm trying, yeah, we all there it's okay,
we're open yeah, that's whatmatters.
Yeah, for sure what would yousay to beauty professionals who
feel guilty about taking timeoff or prioritizing risk when it
comes to posting on socialmedia?

Speaker 2 (37:40):
I just say take all the time you need.
You know, like, take all thetime you need.
I feel like this kind of rancongruent with like when, uh,
that expectation on what you'resupposed to do, it's free shit,
like you don't have to do, that,it's not calling you, we're not
meant, it's not mandated, um,but like talking to people about
like when they're laid off andthey have to get on unemployment

(38:01):
and I noticed, like most peoplebeing a hairdresser, you know
we talk to people all day longabout things that are are that
are personal, and I think onetopic that feels shameful is
like I got laid off you know,and I just got to get back to
work.
And it's like but you could takeunemployment.

Speaker 1 (38:20):
And some people get severance and still feel.

Speaker 2 (38:23):
I was on unemployment for two years.
I don't know if I'm supposed tobe shamed by that, but I'm not.
What'd you learn in that periodI've been working since I was 15
years old, you know, and I gotlaid off.
I put my whole ass into thiscompany.
It wasn't something I wanted tobe when I grew up but you know,
I was taught amazing work ethicfrom my parents and I started

(38:46):
low level where I didn't eventhink most of us could see the a
position that I got into and I,just from asking, I'm like I
can't stay at 9 25 an hour.
Is there any way that y'all canput me over here?
And next thing, I knew I wasworking over here.
I wasn't making much more, butit was giving me more.
You know, I'm like, I know Ididn't go to college but I can
do so much more.
But when they laid me off aftersix years of putting my whole

(39:09):
ass into that company, I waslike, oh no, I don't know.
And that's when I went to hairschool finished up hair school
but I took two years off.
I took two years off one to bewith my little child, my son,
who was at home, and I'm likewhen am I gonna get this
opportunity?
That's true, right didn't knowthere was a pandemic coming 10
years later, but, um you know, Iwas afforded two months off

(39:31):
yeah, work, but you know, like Itook the two years off.
You have to take that time offif that's what you need.
You're not going to bepenalized for it.
But if you can take that timeoff and just like come back to
center ground yourself andfigure out whatever it is that
you need and maybe it's notsocial media that you need, like
you said like bring it back in.
Maybe I'll ask my clients tospread word of mouth.
That's the kind of business I'mgoing to build.
You can do whatever you want todo.

Speaker 1 (39:51):
You literally can Like whatever's just going to
work for you.

Speaker 2 (39:54):
You can send out mailer flyers to everybody in
your neighborhood and otherneighborhoods, you still got
mailboxes.
You don't even have to have awebsite.
Like Nairobi, the product sells.
They don't have a website.

Speaker 1 (40:05):
They don't have a website?
Why they don't have to?
What?
No, why didn't I notice that,Like I have to?
You know, contact, you know,local distributors to get their
product?

Speaker 2 (40:17):
Amazon or Amazon you know, but they don't have a
website.
But you can call them.
I mean, I've called them andtalked to them.
That is so true.
Selling like hotcakes.

Speaker 1 (40:27):
You just got gotta do what the hell work for you
right at the end of the day.
Whatever that thing that youfind and it works, just go with
it.
Yeah, you know that's true.
Yeah, I am really sitting upright there girl.

Speaker 2 (40:38):
I ain't never went to an aerobiccom no, no, oh, and
they don't have any.
They don't do any marketing,mm-mm-mm, they're probably still
, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (40:50):
They've been around for a few years too, Probably
the last you can find them islike Essence.
Yeah, they like the Morton'siodized salt.

Speaker 2 (40:56):
You know, girl, they don't have to do it.
Yeah, they're Girl, it'salready-.

Speaker 1 (41:00):
You got the same logo , the same graphic design.

Speaker 2 (41:04):
Same color.
I mean, I asked them to evenchange the product to make it
more clean.

Speaker 1 (41:09):
They were like no because it's working for us and
people ain't changing.
Nothing is working for them Doyou hear me?
I was like yes, when it stoppedworking, trust me, they'll do
it.
Yeah, but right now it'sworking they ain't doing that.

Speaker 2 (41:22):
That was a pointless call.

Speaker 1 (41:25):
I tried it though no listen.
If no listen.
If you'd have never asked,you'd never know, you'd have
never known.

Speaker 2 (41:30):
No, it's still an answer yeah, because I know that
he was like ain't that much badstuff in there.
I was like, okay, did he saythat?
Yeah, uh-huh yep, he said ain'tthat much bad stuff I was like
okay, and I was trying to telllike just I wondered how dated

(41:50):
their industry had been withoutadvertising and being a part of
media lately.
And sounds like men wererunning the company.

Speaker 1 (42:00):
Uh-huh, so Ah.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
Yeah, I just wanted to know.

Speaker 1 (42:03):
You know they ain't about to change.
Yeah, I was like I'm going toneed that one, though no, for
real Men and beautyprofessionals.
They feel forced to becomecontent creators.
Mm-hmm, have you felt forced oryou know like?
Do you relate to it Totally?

Speaker 2 (42:23):
Yeah, right, yeah, I mean going back, like there's
just times where I'm like youknow, and then to have friends
who are in the industry and theycan see or have a vision for
you, like oh, Manny, I was justnoticing like how you dress, or
you're the plants, or you couldjust da, da, da da and in my
head I'm like I don't feelpretty right now.

(42:44):
I don't feel like I haveanything to give.
I don't feel like I want tograb my phone and figure out
which angle in the light withthe blinds up.
I don't feel like doing allthis right now.
So I know that you can see this, but I don't want to do it.

Speaker 1 (43:06):
So there's where I felt forced, uh, to show up as,
like a what people think is good.

Speaker 2 (43:08):
Yeah, right, yeah.
But then I'm like yeah, I know,I think I'm just gonna resort
back to like the goofy shit orthe lifestyle shit I feel like
I've always been in that mindsetlike what do people want to see
?

Speaker 1 (43:20):
like what do I think they want to see?

Speaker 2 (43:21):
you know, and I think that's a valid question to ask.
That's funny.
You said that because I justthought of that yesterday.
I'm like, well, and I'vethought about this over and over
again, but I'm like, could youjust get online and be like,
what do you want?
Because I've heard people sayminnie, I like hearing your
voice.
I don't necessarily love thesound of my voice.
My voice is deep to me.
Yeah, I haven't heard nobodysay I love my voice oh yeah, I

(43:43):
thought you were saying, no, wemostly don't like your voice.

Speaker 1 (43:45):
I was like, oh, no, oh my god you're like okay, no,
yeah, you don't like the soundof your own voice.
Yeah, you got a nice littleflow.
Like it's so just relaxing itis.
Yeah, it's not like over thetop, like it has, like it's a
soothing energy yeah, yeah, Ijust think of it as like deep um

(44:10):
nothing wrong with deep, butyou hear the feminine in it.
I mean, yeah, feminine in it,so it's all good touche yeah, um
, but yeah.
I don't know when were we goingwith that.
We were talking about hold on.
It's right here, getting onsocial media and asking people
what do you want?

Speaker 2 (44:30):
to do.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Back to that.
So like, yeah, I think it'stotally valid to ask what people
want, but sometimes they don'ttalk back, and it's social media
.

Speaker 1 (44:38):
So how do you get these people to respond?
Do you intentionally tag themto talk to them?

Speaker 2 (44:43):
Maybe I mean to get them to respond, Because maybe
they would think I think a lotof people are not okay with like
being honest, outwardly honest,maybe on social media, With in
that context, right, like ifthey were responding to you,
maybe would not, wouldn't becareful about where they tread,
like, oh, I like the videos.

(45:04):
Like I personally like yourvideos of when you're you have a
voiceover and it's you justbeing like being funny, or your
educational videos.
Girl, I love those.
Your wedding, the bridal.

Speaker 1 (45:18):
Oh yeah, relatable right, because I remember being
in weddings, because you used todo bridal.

Speaker 2 (45:23):
Yeah, bridal.
Oh yeah, relatable, right,because I remember being in
weddings, yeah, and I did.
I didn't love doing updos, butlike watching you do them
effortlessly, um, but I thinkit's hard for people to want to
be like, oh well, this is what Iwould love to see.
What would it?
You know, would that beoffensive or could it be?
Is it well-rounded foreverybody else?
Yeah right or is it just like?
Am I just serving myself byanswering that question?
I don't know, maybe that'sthinking too much into it I
don't think so I think it'squestions to really ask.

(45:45):
I think it's a valid question toask, but yeah, you may not get
the response.
Yeah, in in mass numbers, likein a massive.

Speaker 1 (45:52):
Yeah, you get a few, because even when I'm trying to
create podcast content and I'llask like, what do y'all want to
hear, what do y'all want to knowabout, what should the next
episode be on?
And it'd be like crickets girl,and I'll get, and every now and
again I'll get a one zero, twozero.
I think you should cover this.
This is exciting, or they'll betalking about something that's

(46:12):
trending in the moment.
I'm like y'all have tounderstand it takes time.
To build this content.

Speaker 2 (46:18):
God man, I'd love to hear you talk to like Cynthia
Loomsey or something like a wigcreator, like how she broke into
the business.

Speaker 1 (46:25):
Oh, who, I don't know she does the colorful black
ladies?

Speaker 2 (46:28):
She does these magical wigs.

Speaker 1 (46:31):
I don't know her.

Speaker 2 (46:32):
She paints them.
I have to follow her.
What's in the paints?
You know her IG handling byheart.
Mm-hmm, it is that CynthiaLumsey.

Speaker 1 (46:39):
Cynthia Lumsey.

Speaker 2 (46:40):
L-U-M-Z-Y.

Speaker 1 (46:41):
Okay, gotcha she's phenomenal.

Speaker 2 (46:43):
Okay, but like I don't, I've been following her
for years.
Mm-hmm Don't know that.
I've heard her speak a lot yes,on IG, it's more so the visual
part of it that I've latchedonto, mm-hmm.
I don't know that I've heardher speak, but I would love to
see like somebody sit down andspeak with her oh my god or just
like more you know, girl, shemaking it work and not saying a

(47:05):
word oh, she's like killing itin the way.

Speaker 1 (47:08):
You gotta see her I do, yeah, I'm pulling I can't.

Speaker 2 (47:11):
They're probably so expensive, it's not even funny
omg, she's making a killing.
I want like I think that's apart of what we were like when I
came in.
We were talking about where Ifeel like, uh, the industry has
gotten maybe a little stale orboring.
Social media, just, you know,you have those that are doing
the stuff that's not going toget you paid every day and it's
so creative, but it's like,where else can we go with this?

(47:33):
But I would love to like tapinto, kind of go back into where
I was when I first started thisindustry, like putting yarn in
my braids and playing withdifferent textiles, things like
that, not more, not so much foreditorial, but just yeah, I
don't know that I could go backto that, but just as a creative

(47:54):
outlet, which I know you coulddo any day.

Speaker 1 (47:56):
but what are the psychological impacts of this
expectation?
You know what do you thinkit'll have psychological impacts
.
You know, this expectation ofshowing up on social media, a
certain way, do you?
Think it will have some.

Speaker 2 (48:09):
Yes, I mean just being an owner.
I can see how it weighs onpeople when they feel like they
have to look a certain way orthey feel like they have to have
this level of education orwhatever.
And you know the impostersyndrome and things like that
OMG.
So it's just like balancing that, because I do feel like it can

(48:31):
weigh on people so heavily thatthey feel like less than and
stop showing up for themselves,let alone their clients, and
then salon things like that.
So you know, depression,isolation, all of that plays.
So, you know, depression,isolation, all of that, yes,
Plays into.
You know, like I said, I nevereven knew people were looking at
people's bodies and comparingthem and then having to go to
therapy to like rearrange.

Speaker 1 (48:53):
Oh, I didn't know that either.
Right, right right.

Speaker 2 (48:55):
But I had people like confess to me like I'm just,
I'm doom, scrolling at where inmy head I'm like well then,
unfollowed them why?
Because most of their bodiesare photoshopped.
We all got hair in places thatdon't need to be.
We all got a fold, we all.
You know what I mean like that'sright, um, why put that on
yourself?
But people do that like I.

(49:16):
Literally use social media tolike, see what's funny, um, to
see what is heated politically,what other businesses are doing,
architecture um things I liketo cry at sweet things, animals
but some people do use it almostlike as a weapon against

(49:36):
themselves is what I did notrealize I did not know that I
mean, I'm sure all kinds ofthings will start to arise as we
deal with social media.

Speaker 1 (49:45):
You know that's a lawsuit going around right now
on social media, because I'mgoing to say, for what you just
mentioned, I haven't looked intoit From people hurting
themselves, or yeah, I'm sure.
Specifically children.
You know and I read through thecomments quickly I didn't
actually tap, you know, I waslike learn more.

(50:06):
I didn't actually tap on the uh, what is those links called?
When you a cta?
Um, I didn't tap on it just toread more about it because I
kind of figured what it was.
But the comments really shockedme because they were like, well
, you know, you could just notallow your child to have a
social media, which is valid,but for the ones that have

(50:27):
already done it, that didn'tenter the situation, thinking
like this was going tonegatively impact them.

Speaker 2 (50:33):
Well, now you see, like with streaming, like I keep
which I sent my son this, butit's already expired because he
didn't click on it.
Look at it.
Yeah, but it's already expiredbecause he didn't click on it,
Look at it yeah.
But you know, like when I'mstreaming my shows at night,
Instagram is really pushing forparents to create that teen
account to stop, because I'msure it has led to a lot of

(50:55):
self-harm, a lot of spikes inmental health.
I mean, it's been going on.

Speaker 1 (51:00):
They said even before the, the pandemic, but of
course it is skyrocketingabsolutely yeah yeah just trying
to, you know, settle back intothe norm, the new norm after the
pandemic too.

Speaker 2 (51:13):
It's just a lot, you know I mean they had rottencom
when we were kids and then whenI thought about it, like now and
I see certain people that wereof like my graduating class,
that also were able, that werenowhere near me, were also like
able to access rottencom.
What is rottencom?
Oh my god.

(51:34):
It was a website thatterrorized us as kids and I
remember getting on it in likethe computer rooms, the science
labs, like computer science labs, but computers had just come
out right, so we'd be in thecomputer labs and then your
teacher would leave for 20minutes.

Speaker 1 (51:52):
And you had the new internet.
Now you go to ridingcom whereyou're supposed to be learning
how to type.

Speaker 2 (51:58):
Famous Beacon teaches typing, but instead we're like
watching people get their headscut off.
Oh my gosh, it was.
We were watching all kind ofstuff and then you know you'd
have somebody different thingnow I mean we.
I mean it was like it was allkind of stuff that they had not.
It was the dark web the darkweb.

(52:20):
god never heard of rottencom ohmy god, the first like instagram
video I saw of some woman wholooked normal now, but she's
like the things I've watched onrottencom and I was like her too
.
She's a victim.
We are the 80s babies that gottraumatized and I'm like.

(52:42):
I just the end.
Like social media can do thesame thing, because there are
things that you know for me,having been a child of that era,
I mean I am cynicism is hugewith me.
I try to you know, balance thatas much as possible, but I also
do have a dark sense of humor,I'd you know I'm a part of it,

(53:03):
so I'm aware of what can becomehugely distasteful for people
you know, like even the things Isee on Instagram.
I'm like, damn, my son can seethis.

Speaker 1 (53:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (53:16):
Like this and for those who you know, don't have
boundaries set up against socialmedia it could be super
traumatizing.

Speaker 1 (53:25):
I mean, that's what people have told me For sure.
Yeah, how can beautyprofessionals manage the
pressure to maintain an onlinepresence while still
prioritizing their mental health?

Speaker 2 (53:41):
I think it's important to to like, have
agency, to know that, like,social media is an outlet, it's
a way to make, it's a means tomake money, it's a means to
express yourself, um, becreative.
But, like agency and knowingthat you have agency to create
the things that you want tocreate and that make you happy
and fulfill you, and like, ifyou know that you don't have to
do, you have the right to dowhatever you want to do.
You don't have to do, you havethe right to do whatever you

(54:02):
want to do.
You don't have to do what otherpeople are doing.
Just knowing that can behelpful, right, and just
remembering that, because I knowit can feel like, oh my God,
there's that trending thing,like I've got a trend.
I mean, if you don't dance,then don't dance.

Speaker 1 (54:17):
Right.
It's fine, Like you don't haveto get out here and humiliate
yourself or maybe you do, foryou want to do that for, but
remember that's going to besomething you have to uphold,
that's true.

Speaker 2 (54:29):
So make it something that's an expectation you'll
unintentionally create yeah forum, and it could be something
that's like I don't want to dothis and I don't want to be this
person.
We see it with actresses, youknow.
And then too, I think advocacyjust just stay advocating for
the things that you love and thethings that you believe in, um,
you know, and then be authenticjust be like, yeah, being
authentic, and I know peoplehate that word, but just like

(54:50):
allowing yourself to be yourselfso that that is something you
can uphold, or you can look backand say, oh, that was just like
little me, but now I've growninto this and I'm you know.

Speaker 1 (55:02):
There's no shame in any of this that's right maybe
some embarrassment there's stuffI posted from you know 10 years
ago that I'm like cringe, justcringe get it off, I know, get
it off, especially them oldFacebook statuses.

Speaker 2 (55:15):
I'll be like girl.
What is this?
I know my girlfriend sent meone other day and I was like, oh
, like, thank God for growth.
I'm like I'm sure I could pullsome trash up, but like it was a
part of me.
You know Like I'm not, that'sright, yeah.
You're not going to catch meout here doing like magic tricks
.
I don't do, that's not.
I do what makes me happy andjust be authentic love it.

Speaker 1 (55:48):
Mm Authentic, love it For sure.
Okay, would you agree?
The constant evolution ofsocial media features adds to
this stress.

Speaker 2 (55:51):
You know, especially you know like how Instagram
started off as visual only.

Speaker 1 (55:53):
Facebook was more about community.
And then here comes Snapchat,and then Instagram trying to be
like Snapchat, and then Facebooktrying to be like Instagram
with the Insta stories, and thenTikTok, and now they all trying
to be like TikTok it Facebooktrying to be like Instagram with
the Insta stories, and thenTikTok, and now they all trying
to be like TikTok.

Speaker 2 (56:06):
It's like look OK.
So you're saying do I think it?
Do I think it like alters?

Speaker 1 (56:11):
You know, like trying to keep up, because they're
trying to keep up with theircompetition, right?
So do you feel like it's beingforced on us to keep up with the
features that they continue to,you know, incorporate into
social media platforms in orderto stay up with their
competition?
I mean, it's trickling down.

Speaker 2 (56:29):
It's totally happening and I get it.
I I'm.
I might be different for thisquestion, but I love the new
features.
I like.
I don't necessarily love allthe new apps.

Speaker 1 (56:41):
There's some that I've just chosen to not use.
Snapchat I'm not using it.

Speaker 2 (56:45):
Twitter I stopped using maybe 10 years ago and I
have not been back on unlessI've gotten like horrible
service or a flight or somethingI need to like put a business
out here for them to payattention.
But I love all the new featurescause it's just like fun and
exciting to me, but it is.
It's only going to get faster.

Speaker 1 (57:05):
It is, but do you think that's playing a role for
some people?

Speaker 2 (57:09):
Yeah, for sure, because, like I said, if that's
not like your niche or whatyou're inclined to go do, or you
don't have the capital to payfor it, yeah, it's going to
become daunting.
I mean, like I said, just eventalking to my mother, where I'm
like you just got to talk, well,I don't know how to.
Well, I'm like, well, yeah,it's on, it's showing you how to
do it on that.
Well, I can't find it.
And I'm like, yeah, it is, it'soverwhelming.

Speaker 1 (57:31):
It's overwhelming.

Speaker 2 (57:35):
I told my mom, like I don't even do that I just me,
I'm willing to sacrifice thesleep, I guess, um to learn it,
as opposed to readinginstructions, because
instructions for me is justsaying child overwhelming.

Speaker 1 (57:49):
Let's go back to overwhelming.
When I get instructions, I readthem from the bottom up,
because I'll be trying to get tothe conclusion, like, what is
you trying to say to me?
You just said all of this yeah,what are you communicating?
Go straight to that conclusion.
If I can't get the conclusion,then I'll find it Like what is
you trying to say to me?
You just said all of this whatare you communicating?
Go straight to that conclusion.
If I can't get a conclusion,then I'll find it somewhere in
the body.

Speaker 2 (58:07):
I just posted a story about it.
Like just instructions.
I'm like, oh damn it, here wego, where I had to like, even as
I got older, I had to starttelling people when they start
giving me instructions.

Speaker 1 (58:24):
I'm like oh stuff, like I'm sorry, my brain doesn't
work this way.

Speaker 2 (58:25):
So, unless you can put it in color, shapes letters
visual yeah, absolutely Because.
I'm just wasting your timestanding here Like got it.

Speaker 1 (58:40):
I lied what if there's like an artist thing,
since we're visually creativemost of the time?
But what if there's like anartist thing?
Because, girl, I tell you, Idon't like to play on words.

Speaker 2 (58:50):
I have to remind myself the same thing I probably
shouldn't have said that noseriously.
Yeah, because even with youremail, when I text you, I'm like
the address, I'm like learn toread instructions.
She created an entire email andnow you're texting about.
I'm like it probably wasn'tthat I know, but it's like stuff

(59:11):
like that where I don't think,I'm like, okay, just read,
because it's probably in thereexactly.

Speaker 1 (59:15):
It's okay, I do it too.
That's why I think it's anartist thing.
Yeah, you just want to get tothe big picture yeah, and I
always tell myself, girl, stopLike, you have to get
disciplined.

Speaker 2 (59:25):
Yeah.
It's working though it'sworking, though I feel like the
older I'm getting, thediscipline I can hear the elders
in my life is tapping in.

Speaker 1 (59:33):
Yes, absolutely, and you should have been listening
all along.
They just sound like theynagging in the moment, yeah, but
nagging in the moment, yeah,you know, but I'm appreciating
it.
Now, all righty girl, can youshare any self-care practices
that have helped you or othersin the industry disconnect from
the demands of social media?

Speaker 2 (59:50):
yeah, um, I love to garden and I love to plant my
plants and do those things.
Yes, ma'am, um, so that's onething I love to do, and I also
love to just check out and layin my bed, which I didn't love,
like we talked about, like Inever really took naps.
So over the last few years Ireally appreciated um just being

(01:00:15):
okay with like laying down,because it's not naturally like
I will find things to clean,organize, arrange, do, because
that's not naturally like I willfind things to clean, organize,
arrange, do, um that.
And I think one of the mainthings that I've really gotten
into now is stretching yes I'lljust like take a little, so good

(01:00:36):
, and just stretch um.
I think, being a hairdresser, weforget how much we don't
stretch I mean, if you're notinclined to like work out you
just think well, I'm on my feetall day, I'm moving around, I'm
you know, but I now spend likehours stretching, and this is a
recent thing, but it's likequiet time.
I think it's what ended upleading me to the back door

(01:00:58):
where I'm just staring out, butstretching has really let me
know where I've held a lot ofit's releasing.

Speaker 1 (01:01:05):
Right, it's very it feels like you're releasing
something you know yeah, yeah, Ijust recently started
stretching, like two weeks ago,yeah, yeah, even perfect, and I
was working out and I would justgo right on in and work out and
I was until, girl I was like,all right, yep, that's my back.
Yep, I'm like I have a.
Yep, that's my back.
Yep, I'm like I have to stretch.
Yeah, that's my back.
Like, girl, you old now.

Speaker 2 (01:01:27):
Yeah, I think that's what happened.
I had gotten straight into likesquats.
I was like I'm just take alittle time out to like do
squats and lunges.

Speaker 1 (01:01:35):
Mm, hmm.

Speaker 2 (01:01:36):
And my back went out.

Speaker 1 (01:01:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:01:44):
And so I out, yeah, and so I was like I have to
stretch.
I'm more inclined to stretchthan I am.
Then, once I get the limbernessback, then I I want to get in
back into weights absolutely gotyou.

Speaker 1 (01:01:51):
So, as we wrap up, what final thoughts or advice
would you share with beautyprofessionals struggling with
the pressures of social media?

Speaker 2 (01:02:00):
you know, it's just one day at a time.
I like, if I look back now, Istill don't have this crazy
following, but I have fun withsocial media and I have learned
to navigate it just by tryingopening it up and trying and
just take the content, take it.
You may not be okay with it now, but you might be okay with it

(01:02:24):
two weeks from now, you might beokay with it a year from now.
You know, like, the amount oftimes we underestimate ourselves
because you just don't feelpretty in that moment, or you
don't feel smart enough, or youdon't feel like you have a dog
in the fight, the fight.

(01:02:47):
You know it.
Really.
You have no idea what that timeis, what it's meant for.
In a certain time, like I hadrecorded videos in my phone at
one point I still haven't postedthem, but this was when my son
was living here and I didn'trealize that he had access to my
phone and I had recorded videoafter video and I'm like I
remember recording those videos.
I was like damn.
I'm not getting it right.
This ain't it, and I alwayssomething happens when I do
stuff like that my phone willdie, and then I'm like fuck this

(01:03:07):
, I'm mad because it's too much,you don't put too much energy
in it, you know and my son got ahold of it, of my phone, went
through my phone.
I didn't know and he's like momwhat I was taking to school.
He's like mom, why did younever post those videos?
And I was like he's like, youmade some videos on your phone
and I was like he was probably10 and I was speaking on a

(01:03:31):
specific topic, but sometimes Iwould feel like I didn't have a
dog in the fight or I wasn't,yeah, tenured enough in doing
hair like you ain't no homeowneryou can't talk about you know?
so it's just like silly stuff,like that.
But you know, you just neverknow, uh, what what impact it
could have.
Just just take, just do theshit, you know.

(01:03:52):
Yeah, and if you land on thisisn't for me then it's not for
you, if you, you know.
But you may have so much funwith it and you don't have to
have a million followers to becool the first time I heard an
artist say that was jay cole.

Speaker 1 (01:04:03):
He jay cole, the rapper yeah, I mean, but what?
I'm sorry, basically he wassaying sometimes I'll create
music that I'm not feeling inthe moment and I revisit two
years and it's just for somereason it hit.

Speaker 2 (01:04:14):
You know I got it from journaling, like I would
write down in my journal, andthink that I was absolutely
crazy yeah, and then you it, andthen you go back three years
from now and you're like thiswas amazing, yeah, like that was
just like a hurt.
Maybe it's just not the righttime.
A hurt young woman right LikeI'm that much stronger now and
now this is what got me here, soI'm grateful that.

(01:04:34):
I recorded that to remind me ofwhat is on the other side of the
tracks, right on the other sideof the tracks, right.
So I find content in my phoneall the time and I will recycle
content just because I'm like oh, I didn't think it was cool
then, but knew me now.

Speaker 1 (01:04:48):
That's right and maybe it's just wasn't the right
time, like, maybe today is theright time.
That's why you should never getrid of it, right?
You know, touche, yes, indeed.
So how can our listeners againjust in case you know they
didn't have an opportunity tofind you on the last episode how
can they connect with you fromhere on?

Speaker 2 (01:05:12):
From here on, so you can always go to our website,
wwwshagnuarsaloncom.
Follow us on Instagram atshagnuarsalonATX.
I am at TrikaFile.
Follow us on Instagram at atShag Noir Salon ATX.
I am at Trika File, and you canfind us on Facebook next door,
oh, okay, east.

Speaker 1 (01:05:29):
Magazine Mm.
Hmm, black Life ATX.
Yes, indeed, yeah, all right,girl.
Thank you so much again AlwaysFor carving some time to come
spend with us and share yourinterest in prospectism insights
.
You always have some valuableinformation and, girl, you might
need to start your own podcast.

Speaker 2 (01:05:47):
I mentioned that the last time if I add another thing
to the list.
I know, I know, let me stop,because you know what.

Speaker 1 (01:05:53):
I got mad at myself because people's doing that to
me.
I was like, but it's your faultbecause you should have just
sat down somewhere I'll justkeep coming here, because I
could not.
Be sure to check out Minnie'swork at Chag Noir Salon and give
her a follow, if you haven'talready, and if you found this
episode helpful.
Don't forget to subscribe,share and leave a review.
Remember, building asustainable business isn't about

(01:06:15):
keeping up with every trend.
It's about staying true toyourself.
Thanks for tuning in to theHair what I'm Saying podcast and

(01:07:31):
until next time, keep showingup authentically, both online
and off.
Thank you, you.