A business journal for independent beauty pros, by salonMonster
There’s a conversation happening in the music industry right now that’s gotten loud enough for the general public to start paying attention. Artists being asked to play weddings for free. Producers being offered a shoutout in exchange for a track. Session musicians, the invisible hands behind some of the most recognized songs on the radio, … Read more
Are you old enough to remember the days of the Yellow Pages? That massive brick of yellow paper didn’t just make a great doorstop, it was the main place people looked to find anything. Every business owner had to have an ad in the Yellow Pages. Today, the Yellow Pages are a thing of the … Read more
This one started with a broken leg. A few weeks ago one of our team members got hurt, nothing life threatening, just one of those unexpected things that shows up without asking. And almost immediately, without really talking about it, the rest of us started shifting. We started showing up a little differently. Checking in … Read more
The rise of “stylist horror story” content and what hairdressers can actually do about it
There’s a particular kind of gut punch that hairdressers know well. It usually arrives as a notification… a tagged post, a comment from a colleague, a client’s username in your DMs; and when you click through, you find yourself watching a video of someone you just spent four hours with, describing your work like you were the worst thing that ever happened to their hair.
The caption says “stylist horror story.”
The comments say “girl run.”
And somewhere in the retelling, the consultation disappeared. The formula discussion disappeared. The three reference photos you both agreed on disappeared. What’s left is a narrative that’s clean, shareable and almost entirely fictional… and it has your salon’s name in it.
The last time I saw Douglas McCoy in person, we were in New Orleans—aka its own country (Douglas’ words, and honestly… accurate). This time, we linked up for an episode of The Digital Chair and immediately slipped back into that easy, “industry friend” rhythm—swapping travel stories, education hot takes, and the kind of behind-the-scenes salon … Read more
What happens when you mix raw talent, a fearless drive, and a vision for a better salon culture? You get Nikii Beis, owner and stylist at Elevated Studio in Squamish, BC—and my latest guest in our one-on-one salon sit-down. Nikii’s journey into the industry started in the most relatable way—highlighting a friend’s hair in a … Read more
Some interviews feel like work. This one felt like sitting down with someone who has lived the same chaos, asked the same hard questions, and then decided to build better answers. When I sat down with Hunter Donia, I knew we were going to get into the real stuff: career starts, bad industry advice, business … Read more
There are interviews where you hit record, ask a few questions, and everything stays nicely on the surface. And then there are the ones where you blink… and suddenly you’re talking about bleach chemistry, mental health, and the very real art of putting your “human suit” back on before you greet a client. That’s what … Read more
When I sat down with balayage artist and educator Sarah Cabral, it felt less like an interview and more like catching up with a stylist friend who has quietly built a powerhouse career behind the chair — and behind the camera. From trade school teenager to BTC team educator with 100K+ Instagram followers, Sarah’s story … Read more
When I sat down with Rhino Gaudet, I knew we were in for a good conversation—but I didn’t realize just how much ground we’d cover, from rock-star dreams and livestock show floors to closing a salon and falling back in love with the basics of our craft. Rhino’s story starts in Calgary and lands on … Read more