The Modern Hairstylist ™ Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Increasing Profitability And Managing Your Finances As An Entrepreneur May 18, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia and guest Jodie Brown get into the money conversation most stylists either avoid entirely or stress about at the wrong time. If you are an independent hairstylist or salon suite owner who has crossed or is approaching the six-figure mark and you want to actually understand what is happening with your money, this episode is for you.

Hunter and Jodie walk through what financial management as a stylist entrepreneur actually looks like at different income levels, why the advice to cut expenses is not always the right move, and what it really means to increase your profitability. Hunter is candid about the limits of his own expertise while sharing the real frameworks he uses with Mastermind clients to help them take home more money without working more hours.

Key Takeaways:

💰 Your revenue level determines your financial priority: Hunter makes a case that stylists earning under $75K should be less focused on financial management and more focused on making money in the first place. Once you cross the $100K threshold, the way you understand, organize, and move your money starts to actually matter and creates real opportunity.

📈 Increasing profit is about making more, not just spending less: At a certain revenue level, most necessary business expenses are what got you there in the first place. Hunter explains why the smarter move is learning to outpace your expenses through higher-profit services and strategic pricing rather than cutting the investments that are working.

📂 A bookkeeper is not a luxury, it is a baseline: Hunter breaks down the difference between a bookkeeper, an accountant, and a financial advisor, and why most stylists are expecting one person to do all three. Hiring a dedicated bookkeeper, often for as little as $150 to $200 a month, gives you clean, accessible numbers and takes a significant mental load off of you as the business owner.

🧾 You cannot make good decisions without knowing your numbers: Whether it is understanding how much to pay yourself, evaluating which expenses are worth keeping, or knowing when you qualify for an S-corp election, none of it is possible without a clear profit and loss picture. Hunter shares why facing your numbers, even when it feels uncomfortable, is one of the most empowering things you can do for your business.

😌 Financial clarity is a form of self care: Jodie speaks to the shift that happens when you stop avoiding your finances and start having someone help you manage them well. Moving from reactive to informed decision making changes not just your business outcomes but your day-to-day sense of stability and control.

Why You Should Listen: If money feels like a stressful, confusing, or shameful topic in your business, this episode normalizes that feeling and then gives you a clear and practical starting point for changing it. You will leave understanding what financial tools are actually worth your attention at your income level, why knowledge is the fastest way to remove fear around money, and how to start making decisions from clarity rather than chaos.

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What Being Overbooked Is Actually Costing You May 11, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia and guest Jodie Brown break down what is actually happening beneath the surface when a hairstylist is overbooked and why being fully booked is not the finish line most stylists think it is. If you are three to four weeks booked solid, turning away new clients, and still feeling exhausted, stretched thin, and stuck, this episode is specifically for you.
Hunter and Jodie walk through the real costs of staying overbooked for too long, from the administrative and operational weight that spills into your time off, to the income potential you are quietly capping every time you say no to a new client. This is not about being ungrateful for a full book. It is about understanding what it is actually costing you to stay there without a plan to scale out of it.
Key Takeaways:
🪞 Overbooked is a phase, not a destination: Being fully booked feels like security, but Hunter breaks down why it is actually phase two of growth and why staying stuck in it without a strategy creates a glass ceiling that keeps pressing down on your income, your energy, and your future stability as a business.
💸 Saying no to new clients is costing you more than you think: When your book is maxed out, most stylists stop marketing and start turning away inquiries. Hunter explains why that decision quietly caps your income potential and why a steady flow of new clients is not optional, even when you feel like you cannot fit anyone else in.
⚙️ The administrative weight is what burns you out first: It is not always the hours behind the chair. Hunter and Jodie talk through how a large client roster creates an equally large operational load outside of work and how automating and systematizing your client communication is often the fastest way to reclaim mental capacity and breathing room.
⏱️ Streamlining the in-chair experience is an overlooked lever: Hunter shares why systematizing what happens during the appointment itself, not just the booking and communication around it, creates real efficiency gains that let you deliver excellent results in less time without compromising the client experience.
📈 Scaling out responsibly means manipulating the right levers: From strategic price increases to building out systems to eventually increasing supply through hiring, Hunter walks through the actual options available to a stylist at this stage and why approaching them in the right order makes all the difference between coming out ahead and burning the whole thing down.
Why You Should Listen: If you have worked hard to build a full book and you are now drowning in it, this episode gives you an honest and clear picture of what is actually going on and what you can do about it. You will leave understanding that overbooked is a solvable problem, that the cost of staying there is higher than you realize, and that there is a responsible path forward that does not require starting over.

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The 4 Phases To Work A Day Less And Make The Same May 04, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia breaks down the exact four phase process he uses inside his Mastermind program to help fully booked hairstylists work a day less without sacrificing their income. If you have built a steady clientele, you are grossing six figures or close to it, and you still feel like you are hitting a wall, this episode is specifically for you.

Hunter shares real results from two Mastermind members, Steph and Alyssa, and then walks through the step by step framework that got them there. This is not general advice about raising your prices or posting more on social media. It is a clear look at what actually has to happen, in order, for a stylist at your level to reclaim their time without starting over from scratch.

Key Takeaways:

📊 Phase one is a deep dive into your numbers: Most stylists at this level have never seen a full picture of what their business data is actually telling them. Hunter explains how pulling and interpreting the right numbers is the non-negotiable first step, because every decision that comes after it depends on understanding exactly where you are undercharging, where you are losing time, and where your real income potential is hiding.

💰 Phase two is finding your pricing and service leverage: The majority of fully booked stylists are underpriced in at least one area of their menu, and many are spending large portions of their day on low leverage services that cost more in time than they return in revenue. Hunter walks through how swapping service mix and adjusting pricing strategically, not blindly, is often where the biggest income gains come from without adding a single extra hour behind the chair.

⚙️ Phase three is auditing and automating your systems: Getting time back requires taking a hard look at everything that is currently running on memory and manual effort. Hunter breaks down how he goes into Mastermind clients' businesses and builds out the automations and systems that deliver the same quality of client experience with far less daily maintenance, so that the time freed up from phase two actually stays free.

📣 Phase four is building a smarter, more sustainable marketing system: Consistent marketing is what got you to this level and it is what will keep you growing past it. Hunter explains why stylists at this stage need to stop spending energy on what is not working and start reinvesting their reclaimed time into higher leverage marketing strategies like SEO, Google Business optimization, and automated content systems that most stylists never have bandwidth to touch.

Why You Should Listen: If you are booked out, burnt out, and wondering why the income still does not feel like enough, this episode gives you a clear and honest framework for what actually needs to change. You will walk away understanding the four specific phases that separate stylists who are stuck at their ceiling from the ones who break through it, and why working less and making more is not a fantasy for someone at your level. It is a process.

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Creating A Highly Referable Client Experience (For High Ticket Clients) Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia and guest Jodie Brown break down what it actually takes to get high ticket clients talking about you without any incentive, discount, or referral program involved. If you already have higher prices and wonder why organic referrals are not coming in as consistently as you would like, this episode gives you a clear picture of what is missing and what you can start doing differently.

Hunter and Jodie walk through the three core elements of a highly referable client experience for high ticket clients specifically: personalization that goes beyond generic amenities, a signature methodology that gives clients something to identify with and talk about, and a documented, consistent client journey that high paying clients can rely on every single visit.

Key Takeaways:

✨ Generic extras are forgettable, personalization is not: The fancy shampoo bowl and complimentary snacks have become the assumed standard at higher price points. Hunter shares 2026 survey data showing that 62% of clients who talked about a salon visit mentioned the experience, not the hair, and that 20% specifically called out personalization as what made the appointment feel worth it. If you want Susie talking about you at dinner, you need to give her something that felt built for her, not just any client.

🧠 A signature methodology gives clients something to subscribe to: Hunter walks through the real example of Mastermind member Brandy, who built her own documented method for tackling hard water in her specific market. That methodology gives her clients a framework to reference, an identity to adopt, and language to use when recommending her to someone else. It makes her sound like more than just a stylist who does good work. It makes her sound like a system worth buying into.

🔁 Inconsistency is the number one reason high ticket clients leave: High paying clients are not more forgiving of inconsistency. They are less forgiving. Hunter explains why people who spend a lot of money hire experts specifically so they do not have to think, and why delivering a different experience from visit to visit quietly erodes the trust and confidence that makes someone want to refer you.

📋 High ticket clients want to be led, not asked: Showing up and being asked what you want today does not feel like a premium service. Hunter connects real survey data showing that high ticket clients consistently say they wish their stylist took more initiative, and ties it back to why documenting your client journey is not optional if you want to hold onto the clients you are working hard to attract.

🗣️ Documented consistency is what makes referrals land: Organic referrals only convert when the new client actually has a great experience too. Hunter uses the Chick-fil-A example to illustrate how documenting your client experience down to the specific words you use creates the kind of reliable, repeatable quality that makes your reputation something your clients can confidently stand behind when they recommend you.

Why You Should Listen: If you are charging higher prices or working toward them, this episode is a direct look at what your best clients are actually noticing, what makes them bring you up in conversation without being asked, and what gaps in your current experience might be quietly costing you referrals you never even knew you lost. Hunter and Jodie give you a clear framework for what a highly referable experience actually looks like and why building it is one of the most compounding investments you can make in your business.

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The 3 Tiny Details That Killed My Luxury Experience Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

Sign up for the Client Experience Glow-Up Party here: https://www.hunterdonia.com/party
In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia shares a personal story from a recent luxury spa trip that turned into a masterclass in client experience. If you are trying to attract and keep high-ticket clients, this episode breaks down why the smallest overlooked details can quietly chip away at perceived value, even when everything else about your service is excellent.

Hunter walks through three specific moments from his spa visit that fell short compared to a previous experience at a similar price point. None of them were major failures. But together they created a feeling of getting less than expected, and that feeling is exactly what causes high-paying clients to mentally check out or start looking elsewhere.

Key Takeaways:

🌟 Luxury clients expect everything to be thought of for them: When a high-ticket client has to solve a problem for themselves, even a small one, it signals that the experience was not fully considered. Hunter explains why anticipating your client's needs before they arise is one of the most powerful ways to reinforce the value of what they are paying for.

🤝 Personalized service creates trust that transactional service cannot: The difference between a dedicated server who builds rapport with you and a runner shouting your name across a pool is not just comfort. It is connection. Hunter connects this directly to the stylist chair and why the relationship your client feels during their visit is a core part of what they are actually paying for.

📋 Unset expectations are a client experience failure, not a policy problem: When Spa two turned out to be non-co-ed and no one had communicated that ahead of time, the disappointment was not about the policy itself. Jodie Brown breaks down why it is always the business's responsibility to make sure clients know what they are walking into before they arrive, so they can make an informed choice and show up prepared.

🔁 Consistency is the standard your clients measure you against: Once a client has a great experience with you, that becomes their baseline. Every appointment after that is being compared to the best version of what you have delivered. This episode reframes consistency not as something nice to have but as the foundation of client retention and price growth.

💰 The details matter more as your prices go up: High-ticket clients are not more forgiving. They are more discerning. Hunter explains why the clients you most want to attract are exactly the ones who will notice what is missing, and why closing those small gaps is what separates a good experience from one worth paying more for and referring others to.

Why You Should Listen: If you are working toward higher prices or trying to hold onto the high-quality clients you already have, this episode gives you a clear and honest look at what those clients are actually paying attention to. You will walk away with a sharper eye for the small gaps in your own client experience and a better understanding of why getting those details right is one of the most direct paths to retention, referrals, and continued price growth.

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The 2026 Salon Consumer Behavior Survey Results Are In Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

Get the full Salon Consumer Behavior Report HERE!
In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia and guest Jodie Brown share highlights from Hunter's 2026 Salon Consumer Behavior Survey, and this year's results are different. Instead of surveying general salon-goers, Hunter went straight to the clients of his Mastermind members, all stylists earning $100K or more, to find out exactly what high-paying clients expect, what keeps them loyal, and what makes them leave. This episode is for independent stylists who are already doing well and want to keep growing without guessing at what their ideal clients actually want.

Hunter walks through three key findings from the survey and what each one means for how you show up in your business. You will also hear how to get the full report, including the complete results and tools to help you apply them.

Key Takeaways:

📋 Generic extras are forgettable. Personalized ones are not. 62% of clients who talked about their salon visit to a friend mentioned the client experience, not the hair. And when asked unprompted what makes an appointment feel worth the price, 1 in 5 specifically called out personalization. The amenities are the baseline now. What sets you apart is making each client feel like the experience was built for them.

🔁 Personalization does not have to be manual Hunter addresses the biggest obstacle stylists have with personalization: it does not scale. His answer is to systematize it. When you build personalization into your processes through automations and documentation, you can deliver a curated experience every single time without it costing you extra effort.

📱 When you are not showing up, someone else is 64% of clients follow other stylists on social media. Every gap between appointments is an opportunity for someone else to grab their attention, whether that is another stylist or a brand actively filling the space you are leaving open. Staying top of mind between visits does not have to take a lot of effort, but it does have to happen.

💸 Price is not why high-paying clients leave The survey asked clients directly what would make them leave a stylist. A bad result they could not fix, a major price increase, and an inconsistent experience over multiple visits were all on the list. Inconsistency took the top spot. High-paying clients will tolerate a lot, but a repeated pattern of uneven experiences will cost you their loyalty faster than almost anything else.

🛡️ Consistency is a systems problem, not a motivation problem The last client of the day deserves the same experience as the first. Hunter connects this directly to the previous episode on ADHD and systems, making the case that showing up consistently is only sustainable when you have something to follow, not when you are relying on how you feel that day.

Why You Should Listen:

If you want to grow your income without lowering your prices or burning yourself out, this episode gives you real data from real high-paying clients to guide your next move. You will hear exactly what that audience values, what drives their loyalty, and where most stylists are quietly losing ground. Grab the full report in the show notes to get the complete results and start putting them to work in your business.

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Why High Performers With ADHD Need Systems Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia and guest Jodie Brown get honest about what it actually looks like to run a beauty business with ADHD. Hunter shares what he has learned over years of working with his own diagnosis, why the standard advice never quite works for neurodivergent brains, and how approaching ADHD as a design consideration instead of an excuse changes everything. This episode is for any hairstylist who has great ideas that never get finished, things constantly falling through the cracks, and a brain that is always three steps ahead of whatever they are actually doing.

Hunter walks through the real difference between giving yourself grace and making excuses, and why high performers specifically need systems more than willpower. You will hear practical examples of the types of systems that actually work for ADHD brains, from the simplest non-tech habits to automations and documentation that remove the mental load entirely.

Key Takeaways:

🧠 ADHD is a design consideration, not a reason you cannot grow Hunter reframes the conversation away from shame and toward strategy. Two things can be true at once: you can give yourself grace for how your brain works and still take responsibility for putting solutions in place. That shift in thinking is what makes real progress possible.

✅ If it is not written down, it is not real One of the most powerful systems for a neurodivergent brain is also one of the simplest: documentation. Whether it is your client experience, your marketing plan, or your daily tasks, getting it out of your head and onto paper means you are following a plan instead of trying to remember one.

🔁 Systems are not just technology A system is anything you set up in advance to ensure follow through. Hunter shares examples ranging from where you leave your phone at night to online booking only policies that remove the temptation to overbook yourself. The goal is always the same: make it easier to do the right thing than to skip it.

🎯 Stop holding yourself to a neurotypical standard Most productivity advice is not designed for brains like yours. Hunter talks about getting realistic with your own expectations, figuring out what actually works for you, and building around that instead of forcing yourself to keep trying the same things that are not landing.

🔒 Consistency protects your client retention According to Hunter's 2026 Consumer Behavior Survey, the number one reason clients leave a stylist is an inconsistent experience. For ADHD entrepreneurs, systems are what make showing up the same way every single time possible, without having to rely on memory or motivation.

Why You Should Listen:

If you are a high performer who has a million ideas but struggles to follow through, finishes things halfway, or constantly feels like you are dropping the ball, this episode was made for you. Hunter gives you a way to think about your brain that actually leads somewhere, along with real, practical examples of the systems that create consistency without burning you out.

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Why More Clients and Higher Prices Didn't Fix Your Money Anxiety Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia and guest Jodie Brown get honest about something that does not get talked about enough in the beauty industry: the money anxiety and fear of losing it all that quietly follows high performers even after they have built something genuinely successful. If you have raised your prices, filled your books, and hit goals you once only dreamed about, and still feel like it could all disappear tomorrow, this episode is for you.

Hunter opens up about his own ongoing experience with scarcity mindset and the constant background hum of impending doom that has followed him through two successful businesses. He and Jodie break down why that feeling does not go away on its own, and more importantly, what actually helps.

Key Takeaways:

🧠 Why your brain is working against you — and how to use your numbers to fight back When you are catastrophizing, your brain actively hunts for evidence that things are falling apart. Hunter explains why getting a clear, honest look at your actual data is one of the most powerful ways to break that spiral — even when the numbers confirm a dip, reality is almost always less scary than the story in your head.

📊 Why the feeling and the facts are often two completely different things Hunter shares what happens on Mastermind coaching calls when stylists come in convinced their business is tanking — and the numbers tell a completely different story. Learning to separate perceived performance from actual performance is a skill, and it changes everything.

🪞 Why you are not your business One of the most important mindset shifts in this episode: the performance of your business is not a reflection of your worth as a person. Hunter breaks down why high performers are especially vulnerable to tying their self-worth to their revenue, and why actively separating the two is essential for long-term sustainability behind the chair.

🎿 Why getting a hobby is a legitimate business strategy Hunter makes the case for finding something outside the business that challenges you and gives you a source of pride and validation that has nothing to do with your bookings or bottom line. It is not a distraction — it is what keeps you from riding the emotional highs and lows of your business like a rollercoaster.

💡 How to confront worst-case scenarios without spiraling Writing down exactly what you would do if things went wrong — losing clients, a slow season, a price increase that thins your books — is one of the most practical exercises in this episode. Hunter explains why high performers who do this almost always discover they are far more equipped to recover than they think.

Why You Should Listen

If you have done everything right and still feel like it is not enough, this episode will help you understand why that feeling exists and give you real, practical ways to manage it. You will leave with a clearer perspective on separating your identity from your business and a few grounding tools to reach for the next time the spiral starts.

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Referral Programs Are Dead… Here’s What To Do Instead Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia and guest Jodie Brown break down why the traditional referral program has stopped working for independent hairstylists, and what the modern version of word-of-mouth growth actually looks like in 2026.

Hunter shares his own experience watching a single well-connected client organically post about her hair on Instagram and send him more new clients than any referral incentive ever could. That moment became the foundation for something he has been building and refining for years inside the Modern Stylist Movement: the Brand Ambassador Program. Rather than awkwardly asking clients to send people your way, this strategy turns your most community-connected clients into intentional advocates who are incentivized to share your work where people are actually discovering hairstylists.

Hunter walks through exactly how to structure the program, who to invite into it, and how to set it up in a way that is manageable for you and genuinely exciting for your clients.

Key Takeaways:

🚫 Why traditional referral programs are not working anymore The way people find hairstylists has completely changed. Hunter explains why asking clients to text their friends or offering a discount in exchange for a referral creates awkward dynamics and low reach, and why the strategy that worked before the internet simply does not translate today.

📲 Why word of mouth now lives on social media When a client shares their results on Instagram and tags you, they are not just telling one friend, they are reaching their entire network, sending those people directly into your curated feed where they can build trust before ever booking. Hunter breaks down why this is a fundamentally different and more powerful dynamic than the old model.

🎖️ What a Brand Ambassador Program actually is Instead of a generic referral discount, this is an invite-only, points-based system where clients earn rewards by taking specific social media actions on your behalf, like posting a tagged photo or sharing a reel. Hunter explains how to build your point structure, choose your rewards, and make the whole thing easy to manage on the backend.

🎯 Why invitation-only is the right approach Making the program selective protects your brand, ensures you are only rewarding clients who actually have reach into your ideal market, and makes the clients you do invite feel genuinely special — which Hunter says breeds more loyalty and more follow-through.

👥 How to choose your brand ambassadors Hunter recommends starting with five to ten clients who are already connected to your community, not necessarily influencers, but people whose networks overlap with your ideal clientele. He shares the story of a client whose organic Instagram posts became one of his biggest sources of new business without him doing anything extra.

🛠️ How to roll it out without it becoming a headache The program only works if it is simple for both you and your clients. Hunter covers how to invite someone in person, what terms and conditions to put in place, how to equip your ambassadors with what they need to post effectively, and what he is currently building to make tracking and managing the whole thing even easier.

Why You Should Listen

If word of mouth is already happening for you here and there but you have no system around it, this episode will show you how to make it happen on purpose. And if you have tried a referral program before and watched it go nowhere, Hunter will show you exactly why that happened and what to do instead. Word-of-mouth referrals are historically the highest quality new clients you can get, this episode is about building a strategy that actually gets you more of them.

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How To Stop Undercharging Your Long-Time Clients Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia shares a behind-the-scenes look at a real challenge many experienced stylists face: realizing that some of your longest-standing clients are still paying far less than your current pricing. When you have built deep relationships over years behind the chair, raising those prices can feel incredibly uncomfortable, even when you know it is the right business decision.

Hunter walks through how emotional pricing often sneaks into our businesses over time. Whether it happened because you inherited clients, honored old rates, or simply struggled to change pricing as your career grew, many stylists end up with uneven pricing across their client list. This episode explores why fixing those situations is not just about making more money, but about creating fairness for both yourself and the clients who are already paying your full rate.

Through a candid coaching conversation with a stylist who has been behind the chair for nearly two decades, Hunter breaks down the mindset shifts and practical steps that make these difficult conversations easier. You will hear how to approach long-time clients with honesty, how to transition them to your current rates, and how to release the guilt that often keeps stylists stuck in outdated pricing.

Key Takeaways:

💰 Why emotional pricing happens more often than you think
Many stylists end up with inconsistent pricing simply because relationships evolve over time. Hunter explains how honoring old rates or matching another stylist’s pricing can quietly create long-term undercharging.

⚖️ Why uneven pricing is unfair to both you and your clients
When some clients are paying significantly less than others for the same service, it creates hidden resentment and imbalance. Aligning your pricing protects the sustainability of your business and keeps things fair across the board.

🗣 How to communicate a price correction with long-time clients
Hunter shares a simple, honest way to explain the situation without making the conversation awkward or confrontational. Transparency and respect go a long way when approaching loyal clients.

📈 How to transition clients to your current pricing gradually
If the jump in price is significant, you can phase the increase in over a few appointments. This approach allows clients time to adjust while still moving your business toward consistent pricing.

🤝 Why your relationships don’t have to end when pricing changes
If a client truly values working with you, they may happily stay at the new rate. And if the price no longer fits their budget, helping them transition to another stylist can still preserve the relationship outside the chair.

Why You Should Listen

If you have ever hesitated to fix outdated pricing because you care about the clients you have built relationships with, this episode will give you both the confidence and the language to handle it the right way. You will walk away with a clearer perspective on separating business decisions from personal guilt and learn how aligning your pricing can create a healthier, more sustainable career behind the chair.

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