How to Build a Long-Lasting Beauty Career: Slow Down, Get Grounded and Grow
There are many aspects of this industry that move fast. Express services, back to back bookings, 24-hour response times. While many of these practices establish necessary efficiency, there are many stylists out there who have decided that the constant hustle is at odds with the life they lead and the career they want to build. Even if you’re energized by a fast-paced lifestyle and work environment, there may be areas where slowing things down could help you prioritize and realign your energy to meet your goals.
In this episode of Pro2Pro: The Podcast, Ashley Krupa Berg, PRAVANA Global Artist, educator and bridal stylist, and Natasha Vranic, stylist and co-owner of Craft Salon in Detroit, come together to discuss how they’ve built careers grounded in the same philosophy: the stylists who last are the ones who slow down.
In this episode, you’ll also hear their take on the “after” photo, thoughts on creating a safe space for clients, and the value in slowing down. Here are some takeaways from the episode - watch it in full on YouTube or stream it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Building a Safe Space
Natasha shares how a late night TikTok scroll opened her eyes to the business she’d built - one that is now known across Detroit as one of the most welcoming and creatively-charged spaces in the city. In this case, a parent posted looking for a Detroit salon for their transitioning child. The comments were almost entirely pointing to Craft. "I just started bawling," Natasha shares.Craft offers non-gendered pricing and has intentionally built a culture where anyone can walk in and feel like they belong. "I love being known as a safe space. I have 100% confidence in what we have built."
That kind of community trust does not come from a marketing strategy; it comes from the value base you operate from every single day, and it keeps people coming back.
The After Photo Conversation No One Is Having
Ashley shared something that made Natasha feel immediately seen, and will probably do the same for a lot of stylists reading this.She stopped doing post-appointment photo shoots. Not because content doesn’t matter, but because she realized she was stressing her clients out. Now she tells them: if you go home and take a selfie you love, send it to me. Tag me. "Because the best photo is the one taken when you are feeling yourself, and that is not always in my chair."
"I think you are the first person who has ever said that," Natasha told her. "Because I feel the same way and I always feel like I am doing something wrong."
Plan a content day with models, or ask your clients to send you pics. Regardless, if you struggle with before-and-after shots, you have company!
Stop Rushing Your Clients Out
If this episode had a soapbox, this would be it. "Clients want to sit and hang out with us,” says Natasha. “They want to talk to us. Why am I going to rob them of that?"Ashley puts it perfectly: someone once told her that clients put stylists in their budget the way they plan for groceries. They set aside time to go and money for the service. "That is beautiful, why do you want to rush that person out?" Express services have their time and place. But speed as the ultimate goal? Both of them push back hard on that.
Advice for the Stylists Just Getting Started
When asked what they would tell junior stylists coming up, both of them kept coming back to the same thing: slow down. Figure out how long your services actually take, get your fundamentals locked in before you try to stack your book and do not compare yourself to people whose full time job is posting content. Your client sitting in your chair right now is paying for your time and your talent. Ashley says, "that is your priority."
With pricing, she ends every class with the same line: charge what you are worth, deliver and do not apologize. Not because it sounds good, but because it is true.
Ashley and Natasha brought so much energy to this episode! Watch the full episode on YouTube or stream it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
And while you are building the career you deserve, make sure you have got the right tools and products behind you. Marlo Beauty Supply has been supplying beauty professionals for over 40 years with trusted brands, professional-grade products, and the educational resources to keep you growing. Stay connected on Pro2Pro for more artist conversations, spotlights, and resources built for you, the professional!
| SHOP: | www.marlobeauty.com |
| SHARE: |
|
