Episode 276
TX to DC: Building a Thriving Business Through Content, Clarity, and Client Care | Kayli Nicole | Natural Hair Care Specialist, Colorist, Educator | Love, Kayli Nicole Hair & Beauty
In this episode, natural hair specialist and educator Kayli Nicole shares how she rebuilt her career from Texas to DC, created a waitlist before she ever arrived, and transformed her business through content, clarity, and courage.
Her story is a masterclass in resilience, navigating debt, rebuilding financial confidence, and intentionally growing a client base.
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Key Takeaways:
🔅 Use content to establish demand before you arrive — Kayli repositioned her brand, shifted her location tags, and showed her personality online, allowing clients in the DMV to connect with her before she ever stepped foot in the city.
🔅 Let your client experience justify your pricing — Her multi-hour, education-based new-client appointment created clarity, trust, and transformations that matched her premium rates.
🔅 Plan your move with intention — Kayli strategically prepared for her transition by organizing her branding, reviewing her finances, and building a waitlist to ensure momentum on day one.
🔅 Financial literacy is part of being a successful stylist — Facing her debt, working with an accountant, and applying for a grant strengthened her business foundation and improved her long-term stability.
🔅 Connection converts — Clients told her they booked because they felt like they already knew her. Her voice, energy, and presence online built trust long before the first appointment.
🔅 Authenticity is a growth strategy — Posting her work, her personality, and her process helped Kayli attract the right clients—people who valued her expertise, her care, and the experience she delivers.
RELATED LINKS
👉Learn more about Kayli on her website
👉Connect with Kayli on Instagram
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Transcript
Kaylee Nicole is a five year industry veteran.
Speaker A:She's a licensed cosmetology instructor.
Speaker A:She's an independent stylist, a natural hair care specialist.
Speaker A:And today we're going to hear her story, how she got to where she is and how did she move from Texas to the DMV and have a full book with a waiting list before she even arrived.
Speaker A:Welcome back to the Hairdresser Strong Show.
Speaker A:My name is Robert Hughes and I am your host.
Speaker A:And today I'm with Kaylee Nicole.
Speaker A:How are you doing today, Kayleigh?
Speaker B:I'm doing great, Robert.
Speaker B:How are you?
Speaker A:I'm so good.
Speaker A:Thank you so much.
Speaker A:So everybody that's listening and watching, I met Kaylee through the beauty business brunch and we had a chance to meet.
Speaker A:You were like, I think you won, you won the Clippers prize, right?
Speaker B:And the Clippers.
Speaker B:I also won the Virtue salon starter package.
Speaker A:Oh, snap.
Speaker A:That was a good one.
Speaker B:It was, I haven't had the chance to use the products yet, but it was a hefty box.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's a big, it's like one of everything they have.
Speaker A:That's awesome.
Speaker A:Well, and then, but we didn't really get a chance to like, talk a lot.
Speaker A:So then you came to the Hairpreneur happy hour and I got a chance to hear a little bit about your story.
Speaker A:And when you, when you, when I heard that you, you had a full book and a waiting list before you even showed up to the dmv, I was like, whoa.
Speaker A:That is like, because I've had, I've actually had people in school, a lot of like, students, a number of students in school.
Speaker A:Because we have like quite a bit of military around here.
Speaker A:There's always at least one or two people ever on most schools I go to, especially in Virginia, that are saying, you know, my husband or my partner is in the military.
Speaker A:What advice do you have for somebody who's going to move?
Speaker A:And so that was the first thing that popped in my head.
Speaker A:And the second thing is that popped in my head is the amount of people who are not moving and have, are, have like struggled to find customers.
Speaker A:I feel like it would be so valuable for those people to hear this story.
Speaker A:So thank you so much for coming and being willing to, to share your story today.
Speaker B:Thank you for having me.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:Okay, so let's just jump right in.
Speaker A:So you've been in the industry.
Speaker A:I opened up with it for five, five years.
Speaker A:And you own your business for five years.
Speaker A:You told me that.
Speaker A:I don't think I Said that in the opening.
Speaker A:And so that leaves.
Speaker A:That leaves my first question.
Speaker A:Well, I guess before that, my first question is, did you go to school or did you do an apprenticeship program?
Speaker A:How did you get your license?
Speaker B:In Texas, we have to go through and do schooling.
Speaker B: to school, I had to complete: Speaker B:By the time that I graduated, they removed 500 hours off of that.
Speaker B:So now at the moment, they only have to do 1,000.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Hey, congratulations on your graduation.
Speaker A:But you did it 500 hours too many if you would have started a year later.
Speaker A:We know.
Speaker B:I actually had the opportunity to not go through the full 15 hours, but I wanted to, because it.
Speaker B:It kicked in.
Speaker B: believe this was September of: Speaker B:And so my instructor asked everyone at school, like, hey, do you guys want to go ahead and stop?
Speaker B:And I was like, no, because I feel like I'm going to have, like, a one up over people that didn't get the full 15.
Speaker B:And I actually ended up graduating cosmetology school on the day that Covid became a pandemic.
Speaker B: ,: Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So you go to school, you get.
Speaker A:You graduate, and Covid shuts down everything.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Okay, and then.
Speaker A:And then.
Speaker A:And then what?
Speaker A:Like, so what were you doing during lockdowns?
Speaker B:You want to know what's so crazy?
Speaker B:Before I even get into that, I had an inkling, you know, me and God, we are really tight.
Speaker B:And he was like, hey, something's about to happen.
Speaker B:You need to go ahead and graduate.
Speaker B:And I was like, okay.
Speaker B:So I told my instructor, hey, I need to graduate.
Speaker B:We could only graduate graduate on Wednesdays.
Speaker B:I said, hey, I can either graduate March 4th or March 11th.
Speaker B:You pick one.
Speaker B:But I gotta go.
Speaker B:She's like, okay, Kaylee, I guess we can graduate.
Speaker B:March 11, I graduate.
Speaker B:My boyfriend at the time was in Atlanta, so I got.
Speaker B:I like the moment I graduated, I went and got celebratory lunch, and then I went to the airport and got on the plane.
Speaker B:And then once I made it over there, like, within two days, they were like, haley, they're shutting down schools.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker B:They're shutting down everything.
Speaker B:I was like, I told you I had to go.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker B:After I graduated, Texas is different.
Speaker B:A lot of times people ask me how I ended up coming to D.C. i feel like Texas and D.C. go hand in hand whenever it comes to politics.
Speaker B:So whereas certain people were able to go out and do certain things, cosmetologists were not.
Speaker B:There was actually a cosmetologist that was on the news for continuing to try to work during the shutdown.
Speaker B:So I just sat and waited and was angry because I went through this and now I couldn't work.
Speaker B:And then I ended up being in the first round of people who got to take their test after shutdown happened as well.
Speaker A:Okay, all right, so you get licensed and then what?
Speaker B:I became a natural hair apprentice through these two ladies.
Speaker B:They owned a natural hair care business, and I worked with them for about three months just.
Speaker B:And I got really good training.
Speaker B:A lot of my techniques that I learned were from that apprenticeship.
Speaker B:And then I just built on top of that.
Speaker B:Once I completed that, I did some waxing for a bit.
Speaker B:And then I worked at a salon where I was able to wax and do my hair services.
Speaker B:At the time, I didn't have a full book.
Speaker B:I really didn't have too many people at all, actually.
Speaker B:And the lady was like, hey, you know, we are booth rental salon.
Speaker B:But because you can't pay booth rent, how about every service that you complete, 50 of that will go towards the booth rent.
Speaker B:And once you meet your breach your booth rent for the week, then you'll just get the rest of your money.
Speaker B:I did that from.
Speaker B: We'll say like September: Speaker B: And March: Speaker A:Okay, hold on.
Speaker A:Sorry.
Speaker A:Timeline.
Speaker A:Okay, so you were.
Speaker A:When did you do that again?
Speaker A:Do that timeline again?
Speaker B: I graduated school March of: Speaker A: Graduated March: Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:And then I did my apprenticeship during the summer after ended, I worked at that other salon just to get my feet wet and learn anything.
Speaker B: ed my salon suite in March of: Speaker A:So I guess my first question is, tell me about your thought process and your think when you were working under somebody who you felt like you were getting good, good experience and you had a setup, like what was in your head about to that that put.
Speaker A:Made you make that decision to go into a suite.
Speaker B:Hmm.
Speaker B:Whenever I went to cosmetology school, I knew that the goal was always to work for myself.
Speaker B:Prior to going to cosmetology school, I.
Speaker B:The type of jobs that I had.
Speaker B:The list is long, but one job in particular, I worked as a manager at a restaurant.
Speaker B:So I started off as cashier, went to assistant manager, became GM of the restaurant, all of the things.
Speaker B:And I worked very closely with the owner.
Speaker B:So I saw firsthand how running the business was.
Speaker B:At one point, my store was the slowest store.
Speaker B:And then I was able to make sure that we had the best numbers of the week, even for the store that was making thousands and thousands of dollars within the day.
Speaker B:So whenever I started, the goal was definitely like, okay, we'll do this.
Speaker B:Do what we have to do.
Speaker B:But in my mind, I knew about commission salons, but my mind was always to work for myself.
Speaker B:Whenever I worked with the two ladies, it was good because I was able to see.
Speaker B:See, like, okay, how do we work?
Speaker B:And I also learned about the pricing structure, because whenever I was in school, I was like, oh, a silk press is like $80.
Speaker B:Well, then I started working with them, and their suppresses started off at 150.
Speaker B:I'm like, wow, people paying 150 for a silk press.
Speaker B:Then when I watched everything that they were doing that set themselves apart from an 80 silk press to 150 sick press, it just made me.
Speaker B:My mind just kept running, and so I knew the goal was eventually to get there.
Speaker B:Did I think I was going to do that within a matter of 365 days?
Speaker B:No, but, God, yeah.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So, like, I'm still kind of curious to know, like, so you already knew you wanted to go solo, but, like, you went solo pretty quickly.
Speaker A:So what was the catalyst to make it happen so fast?
Speaker B:You know, Robert, something happened at the salon that made it go ahead and happen.
Speaker B:I actually did not realize how fast I was making money.
Speaker B:And so I'm just trying to word everything properly.
Speaker A:Yeah, I got you.
Speaker A:I could tell.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, being respectful.
Speaker A:I got you.
Speaker B:But I will say that the catalyst of it was, again, I'm making money, but I'm like, you know, still doing, but I'm not really paying attention to the numbers.
Speaker B:And so it gets to a point where I actually had, like, $1,000 week.
Speaker B:And I was like, oh, wow, like, you're actually making money doing this.
Speaker B:And at the moment, I was doing hair while also working here.
Speaker B:It's called CosmoProf, but in Texas, it's called Armstrong McCall.
Speaker B:So I was working there, also doing hair, taking cl.
Speaker B:And so when it got to the point of me making that thousand dollars a week, something happened.
Speaker B:And I was like, oh, okay, if you've been doing this and you can hit this point and you actually put in the work, then it's possible.
Speaker B:And it happened.
Speaker B:It was never.
Speaker B:It was a.
Speaker B:Never a time where I was not able to make my booth rent.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So I guess.
Speaker A:I guess just to get some clarity here, when you say something happened, was there some sort of drama that happened?
Speaker B:I don't believe a drama.
Speaker B:It was more so the situation where I was doing the whole 50%.
Speaker B:50%, yeah.
Speaker B:The week that I ended up hitting 1,000, the payment was different because I had made a certain amount of the.
Speaker A:Deal that they got.
Speaker A:You had a deal change.
Speaker B:And so wait, hold on.
Speaker B:I did the calculations and I'm owed more money this week.
Speaker B:And she's like, oh, well, because you did really good.
Speaker B:We subtracted it out this way.
Speaker B:And I was like, but that wasn't the deal.
Speaker A:Oh.
Speaker B:So, like, yeah, you know, that's the.
Speaker A:Kind of like one of the most typical stories I hear is that, you know, it's like, you know, it's like those, like, those kind of situations kind of give salon owners a bad rap.
Speaker A:Because that's kind of like the old school, the old school way of like, you know, just changing the deal all the time, you know, without.
Speaker B:Want to know what's so crazy, Robert?
Speaker B:I didn't even have a bad taste in my mouth about it.
Speaker B:I feel like every situation or obstacle that I have been a part of within my career has just shown me and proven to me that whenever I'm thinking too little of myself, that I can do more than what I'm currently doing.
Speaker B:So if that had never happened, who knows if I would be where I am in this very moment?
Speaker A:What do you attribute that state of mind and that outlook to?
Speaker B:I just think back to the day I decided I was going to go to cosmetology school.
Speaker B:One of the things that I always do is I write down what I am going to do again, it's in the Bible.
Speaker B:Write it down, make it plain.
Speaker B:And so one day I was with my best friend.
Speaker B:I was like, I'm going to go to cosmetology.
Speaker B:So she was like, okay, do it.
Speaker B:And at that point, I wanted to move.
Speaker B:The goal was to graduate cosmetology school.
Speaker B:And, you know, the goal was always to move.
Speaker B:It just was the location.
Speaker B:So that day I just typed up everything, and anytime that I checked something off, I would go back and make sure that I actually did it and did it that way.
Speaker B:So the goal is just to always do the things in which I am doing.
Speaker B:But the main goal with doing what I was doing was making sure that I moved away from Dallas.
Speaker A:So I love that.
Speaker A:So I, I, I, I'm wondering if your experience working through a restaurant in all the diff, all these different, like, positions gave you a, a perspective.
Speaker A:Because, like, I think most people work one or two positions in any company, you know, and it's like for you to, like, Go through all these different ex roles and gives you different perspective.
Speaker A:Like, like when I, when I became a salon manager, it didn't take long before I started to understand the complaints of managers and owners about staff.
Speaker A:I'm still.
Speaker A:But I still have the same thoughts I had about owners and managers.
Speaker A:But like, I also started to kind of have.
Speaker A:My eyes were open to new things.
Speaker A:And I'm wondering if that, that was like, that had a lot to do with like, one, your confidence in making a move like that, and two, your ability to actually do something with such little experience in the industry.
Speaker A:You had had some sort of managerial experience.
Speaker A:You know, you've seen a business operation through almost like almost 360, maybe not quite, but like close to it.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker B:I would say that part for sure.
Speaker B:The full round.
Speaker B:And what's so crazy is whenever I was in the positions I was in, I'm so.
Speaker B:I don't like the term ocd.
Speaker B:I just know how things should be done.
Speaker B:And so in my mind, even if I'm, say, for instance, when we were out at the networking event this week, in my mind, I'm sitting there, this isn't supposed to be happening this way.
Speaker B:Because if this was happening this way and you were doing what you were supposed to do, we wouldn't be in this situation.
Speaker B:So in every, every place that I'm in, wherever I go, it's not that I'm judging, it's just, okay, if this was taken care of, then this would not happen this way.
Speaker B:And so I would say every job that I've had, even.
Speaker B:So whenever it comes to the big backlash about, oh, well, hairstylists cost too much and they do this and these policies and this, this and this.
Speaker B:Even when I go and get my hair done, I get anxious whenever a client is like five minutes early or even if I'm about to be finished with the client and the client is, I'm like, oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry.
Speaker B:And then like, Kaylee is good.
Speaker B:No, because I know what it feels like and I don't like that feeling totally.
Speaker A:So it sounds honestly, like, side note, it sounds like you would be an incredible poker player.
Speaker A:Do you play poker?
Speaker B:I don't even know how to play poker, but thank you.
Speaker A:Like, being able to think about all these different possible actions and reactions and like, oh, and then like, being able to, like, work through being like, oh, if I would have done this, then this would have happened.
Speaker A:That would have happened, and then this would have been the result.
Speaker A:Or maybe it could have gone this Way.
Speaker A:Or maybe could have that, like, kind of navigating all the different scenarios.
Speaker A:That's what a poker player, a good poker player does.
Speaker A:So you might want to think about, you know, getting.
Speaker B:Well, now, I still haven't been to a casino, and I'm about to be 30, so I do need to figure that out.
Speaker A:Yeah, I don't know if I'd do the casino.
Speaker A:I would.
Speaker A:I think I do, like, a house game for, like, 20 bucks or 50 bucks or something like that just to, like, get your feet wet.
Speaker A:And then when you realize you're cleaning up, then you can go to the casino.
Speaker B:I'm coming in for the full suite.
Speaker A:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker A:Take the house down.
Speaker A:Okay, so.
Speaker A:So you're.
Speaker A:You're.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You go to school.
Speaker B:You.
Speaker A:You deal with.
Speaker A:You deal with the COVID You do.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You get into a salon, you learn some stuff.
Speaker A:You have, like, an issue that.
Speaker B:That.
Speaker A:That kind of tells you it's time to go.
Speaker A:But, like, instead of going to another salon, you were like, this is my.
Speaker A:My move right here.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And then.
Speaker A:Okay, so.
Speaker A:So tell us, did you already have money saved up for.
Speaker A:To open up the.
Speaker A:Can you talk about the money situation?
Speaker A:Most people that I talk to want to know the money situation.
Speaker B:You know, Robert, if I'm being so honest, this was.
Speaker B:How old was I?
Speaker B: started Cosmet at the end of: Speaker B:I was actually in quite a bit of debt whenever I did that, but I just knew it had to be done.
Speaker B:Because I worked at Armstrong McCall, there were still a lot of things that I was able to get discounted.
Speaker B:So, like, the dryer was able to get discounted.
Speaker B:The steamer.
Speaker B:I had already had the steamer because I needed the steamer.
Speaker B:At the other salon that was already 150, that was taken care of.
Speaker B:The suite that I went to, they already had the chair.
Speaker B:They already had the shampoo chair.
Speaker B:I remember getting two blue and gold chairs.
Speaker B:I went to Marshalls and got, like, a little stand to go underneath a mirror that I also got at Marshalls.
Speaker B:And then I just kept building up after that.
Speaker B:I don't even remember.
Speaker B:I feel like maybe I had, like, maybe three people my first week.
Speaker B:And then we just kept going from there.
Speaker B:But no, no, no money saved.
Speaker B:And then, let's see.
Speaker B:I got my cosmetology instructor license the same week that I opened my salon suite.
Speaker B:So I started teaching the month of April, the very next month.
Speaker B:So I was a cosmetology instructor from April.
Speaker B: Of: Speaker B:And again, something weird happened.
Speaker B:I'm not the, when I tell you this, I'm not the problem.
Speaker B:I was teaching.
Speaker B:It's just every time, every time you ask me a question and I tell you something, you're going to be like, okay, what?
Speaker B: So we get To February of: Speaker B:This is too much for me.
Speaker B:And my therapist was like, you know, Kaylee, you should go talk to your boss.
Speaker B:I go talk to my boss.
Speaker B:She was like, okay, Kayle, cool.
Speaker B:So matter of fact, Thursday can be your last day.
Speaker B:This was Tuesday.
Speaker B:I tried to give her an eight week notice because the very next week I was about to fly out to Atlanta for an entire week to go and learn extensions, color and what I learned tape and extensions, micro extensions and color.
Speaker B:And I was like, wait, hold on.
Speaker B:I didn't say I wanted to quit this week.
Speaker B:I gave you an eight week notice.
Speaker B:So that's because, you know, it's in like six weeks in increments for school.
Speaker B:And I was just over the face too.
Speaker B:So I was teaching color at the time.
Speaker B:And she was like, no, can you focus on your business?
Speaker B:Like two days can be your last day.
Speaker B:And I was like, I don't know how I'm gonna pay the bills, right?
Speaker B:And I ended up getting a business grant.
Speaker A:Where'd you get the business grant from?
Speaker B:Through my accountant.
Speaker B:I don't know what exactly he did, but I ended up getting like over $15,000.
Speaker A:15,000?
Speaker A:Was it Covid related?
Speaker B:I think it was, I don't know.
Speaker B:This was a new account.
Speaker B:It wasn't any scams, I promise.
Speaker B:But he like me and was like, yeah.
Speaker B:So you actually started your business during COVID Yeah, I'm gonna get this taken care of.
Speaker B:It was over $15,000.
Speaker B:I went and ironically, I come back from Atlanta the very next week and boom, your, your, your stuff is ready because I've been waiting on it.
Speaker B:And after that, yeah, that grant again, I wasn't good with money, so that grant was gone pretty fast.
Speaker B:But I just worked for myself after that.
Speaker B:And anytime that I would try to get another job, I'd be like, okay, I'm gonna go back to teaching so I can stacking and pay off debt.
Speaker B:I'mma go.
Speaker B:And I'm a serve table so I can pay off debt.
Speaker B:Every single time something would happen, it'd be like, no, I didn't tell you to do that.
Speaker B:Do what I told you to do.
Speaker B:That's why stuff keeps not working out.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So at what point in time, how long did it take you to build up your clientele where you were making enough money to start paying down your debt and kind of living a little bit, a little more comfortable life?
Speaker B:The thing about it, Robert, was I was still getting into debt to try to pay off the debt.
Speaker B:I did not realize how bad my debt was until a financial advisor sat on the phone with me for an hour and was like, I want you to add up your interest rates across all of your cards.
Speaker B:I was like, okay.
Speaker B:And when I did it, I sound out in the five cards I had, I was paying 100% interest each month across all of the cards.
Speaker B:So I got to a point, I was like, you can't keep spending on the cards.
Speaker B:Put the cards up.
Speaker B: my life was last year, May of: Speaker B:Things were still going great with business.
Speaker B:I was still working for myself, but I dec. Decided to move back in with my family.
Speaker B:And I said that the next time that I moved, I would be moving out of Texas.
Speaker B:I sold my furniture.
Speaker B:I closed down my salon suite, and I just started saving money and paying stuff off.
Speaker B:Paying stuff off like crazy.
Speaker B:And we're almost done.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Wait, wait, you.
Speaker A:So I think I might have missed something.
Speaker A:So you moved in at home.
Speaker A:You closed your salon suite.
Speaker A:Did you stop doing hair?
Speaker B:No, I kept doing.
Speaker A:So you went.
Speaker B:I briefly worked at another, like an actual salon setting, and this was my first time actually, like, having to do that.
Speaker B:I was able to lower my expenses because I didn't have to buy certain things anymore.
Speaker B:Booth rent was cheaper.
Speaker B:I think I was paying 280 and I dropped down to 225.
Speaker A:Gotcha.
Speaker A:So, okay, so you went.
Speaker A:Wait, 280 to 225.
Speaker A:But was it a boot?
Speaker A:It said it was a booth rental, not a commission.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Okay, so.
Speaker A:So you.
Speaker A:You go out on your own.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You're building your business.
Speaker A:But, you know, unfortunately, the management of money was setting you back.
Speaker A:And when you realize that you were.
Speaker A:You were.
Speaker A:When you started to understand your money better, you decided to make some hard decisions.
Speaker A:But sounds like they might have been smart decisions to cut down your costs.
Speaker A:Cutting out rent and by moving home and then lowering your business rent by going into a booth.
Speaker A:Is that right?
Speaker A:And I got that all.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Okay, cool.
Speaker A:So then you're at a salon or at, you know, you're renting a Booth out of salon in a salon space.
Speaker A:And you and is that when the money situation started getting better?
Speaker B:I would say so, yes.
Speaker B:Because I put myself in a position to where I wasn't using my cards anymore.
Speaker B:I put myself in a position like, okay, so yeah, we're making money, but we also need to like pay this stuff off.
Speaker B:So I still have like videos that I made.
Speaker B:I'm sitting next to my mom cutting up one of my MXs because I'm like, I paid off today.
Speaker B:She was like, and don't get back into debt.
Speaker B:I'm not doing that again.
Speaker B:So now today, do I still have debt to pay off?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:But I am back in the high seven hundreds now.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker B:Good to see you.
Speaker A:Wow, nice.
Speaker B:Last month I was approved for an AMEX platinum.
Speaker B:So that is thing for me.
Speaker B:And now every month we pay the full balance off.
Speaker B:We don't wait.
Speaker B:We don't wait.
Speaker A:Totally.
Speaker A:I think that this, I mean, I mean we haven't even gotten to the part that I wanted to talk about, but this so far, I feel like we could stop now because this is a great lesson that I think a lot of most people need to hear is you can kind of like, you can kind of be doing things that you, you feel good about and you feel like you're being successful.
Speaker A:But you know, if we're not, if we don't have our money, right, or at least our mind on the money and understand what's happening, it can kind of just set us back in a way where then we got to make some like tough decisions.
Speaker A:And a lot of folks, you know, they're, they don't want to have to make those tough decisions.
Speaker A:And so I think that, you know, just all the things, you know, something else that you just kind of like slipped in there that I thought, I think I want to make sure I bring attention to the audience is you mentioned that you had an accountant.
Speaker A:You weren't trying to do your stuff yourself and your accountant is responsible for giving you a fifteen thousand dollar Runway.
Speaker A:And then, and, and then, which sounds like it was a very good reprieve and the at the moment.
Speaker A:And then you also said that a financial advisor sat down with you and talked to you about money and helped get you on the right path.
Speaker A:So like, so like, yeah, you were realizing things, but you also had some, like, some experts, some professionals that knew what they were doing to help you navigate the early days of your, of your career and your, your entrepreneurial journey.
Speaker B:I definitely say those were very eye opening because I would Hate getting to the end of the year and, like, looking at the reports like, where is all of the money you're telling me I've made?
Speaker B:I don't see it anywhere.
Speaker B:I don't have it.
Speaker B:Somebody's lying about the amount of money that I made because it's not showing.
Speaker B:But, yeah, it's.
Speaker B:It's better now at the moment that I am in.
Speaker B:Robert, with so crazy.
Speaker B:I'd say, of course, I love when New Year's happen, But in my 20s, I definitely have to say that the age of 28 has completely changed the trajectory of how my life will be, because not only was I able to get out of debt and finally make the dream of moving across the country a thing, but also, like, I've never saved the amount of money that I have saved in my life and been to the point where, like, no, like, you have it, but don't touch it.
Speaker B:Like, even since moving here, God is so good.
Speaker B:I have not had to dig into my savings account to pay for anything.
Speaker B:Like, once I started, I first started going to work here August 8th.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And for, you know, for anybody that's listening to this later down the road, it is October 17th.
Speaker A:And you.
Speaker A:So you've been here three months.
Speaker B:I moved in July 11th, and I'd be off work for a month.
Speaker B:My last day of work in Texas was June 28th.
Speaker B:I started work August 8th, and even between then and now, I've gone on, I think, three or four vacations.
Speaker B:And next week I will.
Speaker B:I stay on a plane.
Speaker B:Robert.
Speaker B:But next week, like, literally, I think on Tuesday, I will hit my hundredth appointment since working on, on August 8th.
Speaker A:That's awesome.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So that kind of is a beautiful segue into.
Speaker A:So, like, all of this stuff happened, and, and then you, you, you decide you're going to move here, and then, and then you get here and you're, you got, you got clients, like, and so, like, it sounds like.
Speaker A:And are you doing.
Speaker A:Are you having.
Speaker A:Is your business more robust here than it was back home or.
Speaker A:No, not yet.
Speaker B:Seeing some crazy stuff happening right now, Robert.
Speaker B:This month, by the time that September.
Speaker B:No, we're not in September anymore.
Speaker B:By the time October closes, this will be the busiest month of my career.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:Congratulations.
Speaker B:Literally 20, 25 each month I'm like, hey, you did better than last month.
Speaker B:You did better than the month before.
Speaker B:And then I use glass.
Speaker B:Genius.
Speaker B:And it's showing me, like, the projected revenue to come in, and I'm like, wow.
Speaker B:And if you hadn't have moved, this wouldn't have happened.
Speaker A:Totally.
Speaker A:So when you decided to move, I mean, tell us a little bit about, like, what.
Speaker A:How were you able to.
Speaker A:To have clients in a waiting list before you even got got here?
Speaker B:So in January, I went on sabbatical to Arizona, and I wrote down that I was moving in April.
Speaker B:I got to talking to ChatGPT.
Speaker B:I'm like, hey, give me the best places to move for natural hair and color.
Speaker B:You know what I do?
Speaker B:You know what I specialize in?
Speaker B:They gave me a list, and then I went from there.
Speaker B:So I booked a trip to D.C. in April and I met Savannah Hicks.
Speaker B:Shout out to Savannah.
Speaker B:She's one of my besties now.
Speaker B:She had actually we met on TikTok and she was saying how she was about to move.
Speaker B:I was like, oh, we need to meet each other.
Speaker B:So we met, hung out with her.
Speaker B:That same week, I hung out with some friends and I was talking to them about moving, and I was thinking in my mind while I was sitting with them, I was like, dang, God, like, I'm scared.
Speaker B:Am I really about to do this?
Speaker B:And my friend turns to me and was like, kaylee, don't be scared.
Speaker B:I was like, this is weird.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:So I go through the trip, do all the apartment tours, and then I came back home and what I think maybe April 28th.
Speaker B:I'm talking to chat.
Speaker B:GBT.
Speaker B:I'm like, chat.
Speaker B:Should I change my stuff?
Speaker B:Chad's like, yeah, do it.
Speaker B:Let's get it together.
Speaker B:So I stayed up till 12 o' clock in the morning, and I'm like, okay, I'm no longer Dallas natural hair specialist.
Speaker B:I'm DMV Natural Hair Color extensions.
Speaker B:I switched up on Instagram, on Tick Tock and changed all of my hashtags, all of my locations.
Speaker B:I made the wait list, and I think within two days, someone added themselves to the weight list.
Speaker B:I'm like, that was fast.
Speaker B:And then every day, ding, you have an added weight list.
Speaker B:Ding.
Speaker B:You have an added weightlist.
Speaker B:I'm like, oh, I can't change my mind.
Speaker B:This is some real crazy stuff going on right now.
Speaker B:And it just kept dating, kept dinging.
Speaker B:People were DMing me.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So, like, when do you move?
Speaker B:I need to come to you.
Speaker B:And I started posting back, but I still struggle with being consistent.
Speaker B:And I.
Speaker A:That is actually a question.
Speaker A:So, like, were you posting about this experience this whole time?
Speaker A:The whole time?
Speaker B:Not necessarily.
Speaker B:I would, because I'm real big about people saying negative things or trying to talk you out of doing things.
Speaker B:And so I would say, Certain things.
Speaker B:And it'd be like, well, Kelly, what about your clients?
Speaker B:Or what about God told me to do that?
Speaker B:So I can't really focus on that right now.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:So whenever I changed it, my friends in Texas were like, hey, can we.
Speaker B:Oh, you changed the name?
Speaker B:You're.
Speaker B:Oh, I'm serious, pals.
Speaker B:I'm very serious.
Speaker B:And so I had to come back in May because I actually didn't.
Speaker B:An interview.
Speaker B:I did a couple of interviews at some other salons.
Speaker B:All the interviews were very nice, but I just knew when I talked to my mom and a couple of my clients and I ran through, like, all of the things I was told, they were like, did you decide to move a thousand miles from home to go and work for someone else?
Speaker B:No, I guess you're right.
Speaker B:I didn't.
Speaker B:But I was scared.
Speaker B:I was like, but y' all like to get a salon suite in a brand new city to go off of a list of people who don't have an appointment with you yet.
Speaker B:It's crazy.
Speaker B:I agree.
Speaker B:Crazy.
Speaker B:I didn't know any of those women.
Speaker B:I didn't know if they were actually gonna book.
Speaker B:And when I tell you the next part of this story, you're gonna be like, kaylee, what?
Speaker B:So I have all the interviews and I call and I find out Washington, D.C. only has one salon suite in the entire district.
Speaker B:I'm like, okay, cool.
Speaker B:Well, let's reach out, because it's only one.
Speaker B:It stays booked.
Speaker B:When I called them, I was number five on the list two days before I moved to Washington, D.C. again, I don't have a place to work.
Speaker B:These people, they just know I'm coming.
Speaker B:I see this girl saying she's moving, but the address looks similar.
Speaker B:I call the place and I'm like, hey, just wanted to see what number I am.
Speaker B:They're like, actually, Kaylee, you're number one on the list to be able to get a spot in the suites.
Speaker B:God, you're crazy.
Speaker A:So crazy insane.
Speaker A:My goodness.
Speaker A:I mean, it definitely sounds like definitely God is looking out for you.
Speaker A:It sounds like you've.
Speaker A:And you've been.
Speaker A:You're listening.
Speaker A:I think that's the big.
Speaker A:The big piece is like, you're not.
Speaker A:You're not fighting it and trying to make it your own, your own path.
Speaker B:But also, Robert, I had 40 people on this wait list by the time that I moved.
Speaker B:None of them booked.
Speaker A:Oh, geez, hold up.
Speaker B:Okay, I told you that with the spin this.
Speaker A:Oh, wait a minute.
Speaker A:Hold on.
Speaker A:So not ever.
Speaker A:Did you ever see, like, some of.
Speaker B:Them have definitely came.
Speaker B:But like, I send out the blast to everybody and I'm like, hey y', all, I'm here.
Speaker B:And so I sent out an email.
Speaker B:I'm like, okay, cool.
Speaker B:Like, my phone's about to start dinging.
Speaker B:Nothing.
Speaker B:I'm like, okay, Kaylee, let's just wait.
Speaker B:I'm gonna send a text blast.
Speaker B:Nothing.
Speaker B:So then I'm like, okay, maybe I need to text them individually.
Speaker B:A couple of people started dinging in.
Speaker B:I'm like, okay, cool.
Speaker B:So I'm like, all right, Kelly, you gotta get back to posting.
Speaker B:So I make a post on threads.
Speaker B:Just like, okay, let's see what it'll do.
Speaker B:It goes viral.
Speaker B:So that 40 person wait list turns into 70 plus people by the time I shut the waitlist.
Speaker A:What was the thread?
Speaker B:It was.
Speaker B:I'll actually pull it up.
Speaker B:It was me posting a copper that I did.
Speaker B:And every time I post a copper, it does really good on social media.
Speaker B:But I posted saying, hi guys, my name is Kaylee.
Speaker B:I just moved to Washington D.C. i specialize in natural hair and color and I would love to have you.
Speaker B:And then I go to sleep, I think, and when I wake up, phone says, you have.
Speaker B:You have this many extra followers on threads.
Speaker B:You have this many extra followers on Tick Tock Instagram.
Speaker B: .: Speaker A:And so yeah, so what do you.
Speaker A:So like, how often do you post on social media?
Speaker B:It really depends, Robert.
Speaker B:I'm really trying to make myself get to a point where I learned least.
Speaker B:Like post one to two times a day because it does make a difference.
Speaker B:Instagram is kind of finicky because if you've gone a long time without posting on Instagram, Instagram is going to be like, you gonna work for it, come get it.
Speaker B:Then you've been off work a little too long, baby.
Speaker B:Don't just think you about to come back and we in here.
Speaker B:So Instagram, we're still playing with that TikTok.
Speaker B:A lot of clients come from Tik Tok.
Speaker B:So I try to like really forced through TikTok.
Speaker B:Threads is a game changer.
Speaker B:So recently I've been posting just about every day on threads.
Speaker B:And then in October I made a content board and I was supposed to post every day, but I didn't.
Speaker B:So now I have to like speed up to backtrack on what I've missed.
Speaker B:But I'd say I'm averaging one post per day on Each platform.
Speaker A:And, like, what type of, like, advice do you have for anybody who's listening to your story, who's feeling like they would love to figure out how to, like, maybe recreate some of the experiences that you had with driving customer traffic into their business?
Speaker A:Like, something you can say something like, philosophical or spiritual, But I also want you to say something concrete that someone can actually turn around and use today.
Speaker B:Okay, I'll say two things.
Speaker B:Definitely talk to God.
Speaker B:Because if I hadn't have talked to God and really trusted the process, I would not be here.
Speaker B:There would be times where I would be driving to work crying like, God, are you really about to have me do this?
Speaker B:And it was like, yeah, I see a sign, but okay, I still have to go.
Speaker B:And then as far as the other part, I would say mainly, what separates you from the next person.
Speaker B:So even while we were at the network event last week, we were talking about pricing.
Speaker B:I said how much I charged, and they were like, what?
Speaker A:Yeah, I remember that.
Speaker B:I was like, yeah, but the price adds up, all of the things that go into it.
Speaker B:I mean, my new client appointment takes three to three and a half hours because we're going over education, we're going over what to do, what not to do, what we are going to do.
Speaker B:The detox, the protein, moisture, strength, that all of the things, it is well worth the price.
Speaker B:And I will say that every time I have someone come in, I ask them, you know, what made you book with me?
Speaker B:What made you trust me?
Speaker B:Out of all of the people, they were like, by the energy and vibe that you give off, I feel like we are friends already.
Speaker B:And because of all of the things that you say, a lot of times the things that I think are, like, just common sense or like, everybody should know.
Speaker B:They'll say, oh, I've never had anyone tell me this before.
Speaker B:Women come in and they're balding already.
Speaker B:And I'm like, no one ever showed you this.
Speaker B:I didn't even know that that area was there.
Speaker A:So you have a.
Speaker A:Like, I love your.
Speaker A:Your energy and your vibe and the way you talk and, like, communicate and.
Speaker A:And I'm assuming that you're like, you're doing.
Speaker A:You're.
Speaker A:When you're talking on.
Speaker A:On your post, you do you talk to the customer on the PO in your posts?
Speaker A:Yes, I just post, like, hair.
Speaker A:Like, you're, like, you're showing your personality.
Speaker B:I will say that has made a big difference when it comes to posting, because I know I could post a really good hair and it's doing Good.
Speaker B:But when TikTok.
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker B:The people love my voice when they hear me talking and they see me talking to someone, they're like, oh, wait, I like you.
Speaker B:I want to look with you.
Speaker B:I want to have the same conversation that you have where we meet me.
Speaker B:The one video I just posted, it did really good.
Speaker B:And people are saving.
Speaker B:I'm talking to the client, and I'm like, why did you book with me?
Speaker B:What made you choose me?
Speaker B:She was like, your vibe, your hair.
Speaker B:I feel like we're sisters already.
Speaker B:And I just knew that you were going to give me what I needed.
Speaker A:Totally.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Because, like, I mean, I'm having a great time talking to you.
Speaker A:We're laughing, you're telling stories.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean, you.
Speaker B:If.
Speaker A:If this is.
Speaker A:If.
Speaker A:If this is the energy that you're bringing, I can totally see that people are.
Speaker A:Are being attracted to you to.
Speaker A:Want to.
Speaker A:Want to come in and see you.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean, I sincerely thank you.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So I. I feel like.
Speaker A:I mean, we're kind of at our time.
Speaker A:Actually, we're three minutes over.
Speaker A:So I want to.
Speaker A:I want to be respectful and wrap this up.
Speaker A:And I feel like we could keep talking.
Speaker A:I feel like there's a couple of offshoots that.
Speaker A:Conversations that I wanted to have, but I didn't want to derail the conversation.
Speaker A:So I'd love to have you back in the future and.
Speaker A:But until then, to wrap it up and sign off, are there any last things you'd like to say, Words of wisdom, experience, or advice to anybody that's out there?
Speaker A:Like maybe the new person that is getting started, or a person thinking about moving, or maybe even the.
Speaker A:The person who's having a tough go at getting customers to come into their suite.
Speaker B:Post that damn content.
Speaker B:Post it.
Speaker B:It doesn't matter about the editing.
Speaker B:It doesn't matter about the times or which one, or you just got to post it.
Speaker B:And I would say, content has definitely changed my life.
Speaker B:I definitely changed my life.
Speaker B:I actually just got my first pay partnership a few weeks ago.
Speaker A:Sweet.
Speaker A:What's the paid partnership?
Speaker B:It was with Read the Tease.
Speaker B:They sent me that Kevin Murphy package, so I had to shoot the content.
Speaker B:So it felt really good to be like, wait, I don't have to do none.
Speaker B:All I gotta do is just post a video.
Speaker A:That's awesome.
Speaker B:Who's in the product?
Speaker B:Sign me up.
Speaker B:I want all of that.
Speaker A:That's awesome.
Speaker A:That's awesome.
Speaker A:I mean, you got the personality.
Speaker A:It sounds like people like your work.
Speaker A:And so I. I mean, that those are the two most important pieces of this puzzle.
Speaker A:So that, you know, everything kind of makes a lot of sense and attracts.
Speaker A:And I think that's really good advice.
Speaker A:Just, like, get the content out there.
Speaker A:And I. I mean, I. I'll.
Speaker A:I'll add something onto it if you're okay with it.
Speaker A:Not only post it, get it out there, but also, like, show who you are.
Speaker A:Like, show yourself, because people are attracted to you.
Speaker A:Not just your.
Speaker A:The hair that you do.
Speaker B:And a lot of times, people will choose you based off of you.
Speaker B:Like, everybody can do hair in their mind, but say, for instance, I can be terrible at what I do, but because of who I am, they're like, oh, my gosh, no, I want to be.
Speaker B:I want you to be my hair stylist.
Speaker B:So I feel like if you're amazing at what you do and you're an amazing person, it just goes hand in hand.
Speaker A:Totally.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:Well, how can people find you?
Speaker B:You can find me@lovekaylenicole.com and love Kayleenicole on all social platforms.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:And then that'll be in the description below.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story.
Speaker A:It was really was a pleasure, and I look forward to chatting with you again in the future and seeing you again soon.
Speaker B:Thank you, Robin.
Speaker B:Bye, guys.
Speaker A:All right, bye.
Speaker B:Bye.
