Artist Spotlight | Michaela Joy Hair

Grab a cup of coffee (let’s be real, we all need one) and check out what Michaela had to say:

Q: What do you love most about being a stylist?

A: I get to make people feel better about themselves everyday, what could be better than that? When I have someone cry in my chair because they’ve never been so happy with their hair. Maybe they’ve been struggling with it for some time. It is a great privilege to be able to do that, and it’s something that I don’t take lightly.

Q: How do you think stylists feel about recommending products to clients? What’s your best advice for educating clients about products? 

A: I think a lot of stylists are used to it being pushed really hard on them by large salon systems that they work for. It’s such a major focus in those types of places and they get a lot of pressure to perform highly so the salon makes money. Home care is an incredibly important element to what we do as stylists, but I think a lot of stylists get turned off by the high pressure to sell and when they start their own businesses, they don’t want to engage in that way. It is still so important in your role as a stylist to make sure your clients are taking care of their hair at home. They need to be for your work to really shine at its best. My best advice is to know your products well and to just be really honest about what people need to be using. They can choose to follow your advice or not, but at the end of the day, it is not a complete service if you aren’t helping them with solutions.

Q: How has having your own online retail store impacted your clients and your beauty business?

A: It has been an absolute game-changer for me and my clients. As an independent stylist, I no longer have to stock retail in house or worry about paying taxes on those sales. My clients are actually buying more than ever before because they can do it in the comfort of their own homes and without the pressure of adding it on to the ticket for their hair services. When I was carrying retail in house, my clients would have to double check what they needed before they came in, or felt like they had to stock up when they weren’t ready so as not to make another trip. Now they can wait for sales and stock up when they really need things and usually receive their products in a couple days. It’s also completely removed any sales pressure they might feel in person. That has been really great because I feel it makes them trust my recommendations more. I truly just want them to have a great relationship with their hair.

Q: How do you build loyalty with your clients so they keep coming back to you service after service?

A: I specialize in textured hair and have a pretty unique skill set. Overall, I really care about my clients and I do my best to be present in every service and create a space where they feel really taken care of. Whether that’s me listening to them or making sure I have their favorite beverage in stock or making them feel beautiful.

Q: What’s one type of product that you wish you could have all of your clients using on a daily basis?

A: I would definitely say some sort of moisturizing leave-in. That can definitely vary in what level of moisture each person needs. People with any type of curl or wave in their hair definitely need something, but so do people with a straight cuticle as well. I think with straight hair we focus so much on styling products that we don’t think about moisture and that can make a huge difference in manageability for them as well.

Q: Anything else you’d love to mention?!

A: I have a lot of respect for what SalonInteractive is doing to elevate stylists and elevate the industry and our clients! Thank you for your transparency and for actually wanting feedback!

And we have so much respect for you, Michaela! Running your own beauty business takes grit and creativity, and it’s clear you’re a beauty badass.

Check out Michaela’s website and socials

Facebook

Instagram

SI Online Store

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