Salon Talk with Nancy

Nancy: 00:00

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Kiss Salon Talk With Nancy. I'm Nancy, and I'm your host. Thank you for joining us today, and I'm so excited. Today, I am going to be sharing and having a conversation with Lynn Levesque, who's the owner of of Limitless Hair. Before I start, I do wanna really point out that this whole podcast was started, because of my love for the industry and my over 20 years experience of doing anything and everything imaginable.

Nancy: 00:29

But my main goal is to elevate, inspire, and empower the beauty professional because I truly believe that hairdressers are true superheroes. And I know a hairdresser changed my life many years ago, and if you wanna learn a little bit more, watch episode 1. But I do know the power of the power that, you know, we have and what a responsibility that is. So with that, you know, I've met a lot of hairdressers in the world, and not everyone has that passion. And I am so so fortunate to have Lynn, my dear friend, Lynn, joining us because, she is the epitome of passion.

Nancy: 01:06

So, Lynn, do you wanna tell us a little bit about yourself?

Lynn: 01:11

Well, as Nancy said, my name is Lynn LaVey. I have been doing hair for 24 years now. I don't know. You kinda stopped counting after 20, but I know my son's 25.

Nancy: 01:21

You say 20 plus. That's it. You don't even the exact because, you know.

Lynn: 01:25

20 years now. At 20 plus years now. I have owned my own hair salon for 11 years. I am a bridal specialist. I have been doing brides' hair since day 1.

Lynn: 01:36

I've been specializing it in probably 11 years too. I am also an educator, which is my newfound passion over the last 4 years. It's really driving me. I super love it. I'm an ambassador for La la's texture iron.

Lynn: 01:53

I also am, one of Air's Pro team members, and I have won multiple hair awards.

Nancy: 02:00

Like, so many hair awards. It's ridiculous, actually. So if anybody Lynn is like a I always say she's the hidden little secret in Rhode Island. Like, West Greenwich, Rhode Island, Lynn is like the little hidden secret. And I've had the privilege of attending your classes, and you're a wonderful educator.

Nancy: 02:19

And I still recommend you when people say they wanna take bridal classes or grow their bridal team. I'm like, okay. You gotta follow Lynn. You gotta look at her links. You have to you know, she'll do private classes.

Nancy: 02:29

So okay. Before we start, Lynn, your favorite part. I'm going to ask you 2 random questions so that our audience can better get to know you. Now, Lynn, you've not heard these questions. Correct?

Nancy: 02:42

No. Okay. Are you nervous?

Lynn: 02:45

Yeah. Love this.

Nancy: 02:47

I know. Okay. Let's see if I can read my trick in scratch. Okay. What is one fun spontaneous thing that stands out in your head that you've done that you never would have expected?

Nancy: 03:09

So one fun spontaneous thing that you've done in life that stands out that you never would have expected to do.

Lynn: 03:17

I mean, I'm a super simple person, and I'm not spontaneous at all. Like, I'm a planner. I have to plan everything. Like, I have to spend time with friends. It's like I have to prep myself.

Nancy: 03:33

I know.

Lynn: 03:35

I am I mean, one day, I was, like, working in the yard, which just so isn't like me because I'm also I think about stuff that I spend, like money that I spend. I'm not spontaneous. I'm very career driven. And one day, I was just cleaning the yard, and I was like, I'm gonna have to do it. I'm gonna have to jump on this bandwagon and join the world of technology.

Lynn: 03:58

And I put the rate down, and I went to Best Buy, and I bought myself my very first computer that we're actually, like, talking on right now.

Nancy: 04:07

That's right. That's right.

Lynn: 04:09

I know it's not, like, wild, but I'm not spontaneous. Like, I'm a planner. So

Nancy: 04:15

Okay.

Lynn: 04:16

The the computer that I'm looking at right now is part of the journey, and that was very spontaneous per purchase that I was like, I have to do it.

Nancy: 04:23

I know. Sometimes we just have to. Right? I know. I I need to get I'm I work off my iPad and I have my company computer, and I'm just like, I know I need to get my own computer, and, it's in the making.

Nancy: 04:36

I I have to figure out and I wish if anybody's out there, please please message me. That can really explain, like, you know, I I seem to be able to do everything with my iPad, like all the apps and all the editing, like, all the things. And, like, you know, to do my job and to do my life, I can't really figure out what to use of it if I were to get a computer. Like, I don't understand. I can do everything from my iPad.

Nancy: 04:59

So I'm like, I feel like I should have a computer, like, personal one. I have a work one. But, I mean, I can everything I do on my computer, I can do on my iPad.

Lynn: 05:11

Maybe I'll go with an iPad.

Nancy: 05:12

It's so interesting to me because you can right? Correct. Alright. So so I'm gonna tell you because I always have to my one spontaneous thing I did is I'm really have since my it was probably, like, 9 years old, 10 years old. I have been terrified of pipes, and I realized that when I was trying to be wild climbing up side of a small cliff as a kid.

Nancy: 05:35

And I looked down and I froze. That was the moment I realized I was scared of heights. So the one thing I did and I feel like I was suckered into it, but I I have followed through, was, I being scared of heights, my friend said, hey. You wanna be part of a fundraiser and do ziplining to raise money for our chamber? And I was like, oh, sure.

Nancy: 05:55

Of course. I'm like, I'll get out of my comfort zone. It was, like, spontaneous. I'm like, I'm gonna say yes to this, and I started raising money for it. I did not know it was off the top of Foxwood's highest building.

Nancy: 06:08

I actually physically had to, like, lift my leg physically to get up to the next step because they had you get up to, like, so many stories, then you had to go outside the building to actually climb up to the roof. And I was I actually was so horrifically scared. I told the lady, she was supposed to, like, stand at the edge and wait for your turn. I go, I'm I'm paralyzed right now. What I want you to do is I'm gonna close my eyes.

Nancy: 06:33

You're gonna guide me over there. You're gonna hook me up, and you're gonna push me. That's what you're gonna do because I'm not going back down those stairs. So that was that. Okay.

Nancy: 06:45

Oh, here's a good one. If you could switch places with 1 person in the world for one day, who would it be and why?

Lynn: 06:59

Oh, it's nasty.

Nancy: 07:00

There it comes. You could go backwards in time or forward in flight or be present. It there's no time frame either because I have one in my

Lynn: 07:07

hand. So I would definitely want to stand in my aunt's shoes. My my aunt passed probably about 7 years ago, and she was more of a mom to me. Yeah. She was just I would love to stand in her shoes.

Lynn: 07:28

She's so creative and her mind is so creative, but it's like it was different creative than my creative.

Nancy: 07:35

So she could

Lynn: 07:36

inspire me with my creativity. And I actually just did a collection, and she was the inspiration of the whole thing. Oh, she really. She really was.

Nancy: 07:45

I love that. That's why and I'm not giving it away. That's why you're gonna win. Yeah. That right there, your intention.

Nancy: 07:55

Okay. So my mine would be not so meaningful like yours. I actually, when I was younger, loved Lara Croft. So when I was, like, in my really early twenties, I used to love Tomb Raider, and I used to play Tomb Raider all the time. Then when the movie came out and Angelina Jolie played it, I would wanna be her for that entire time so I could pretend I was, like, Lara Lara Croft at 2:9 of them.

Nancy: 08:22

That would have been the most greatest adventure was at to live out my alter ego like that and to be hot like Angelina Jolie. So I just wanna point that out. That would be mine who I'd switch for the day. I'll even set up for one day of shopping. Right?

Lynn: 08:36

Yeah. Love that.

Nancy: 08:38

Sometimes mine are really, like, meaningful, actually, a lot of times, things that I say are, but sometimes they're just like an adventure.

Lynn: 08:47

If you

Nancy: 08:47

could like, I love these questions. Okay. So let's talk a little bit about how we mix. I think it's really important to people. And I'm gonna say my version.

Nancy: 08:55

You can tell your version. So anyone that doesn't know me, I am a business consultant, and I have lived many roles and worked for L'Oreal, and I've worked for different brands. But in the, present role and we have to rewind, though, like, 8 years, I believe, or 7 years, something like that. We've probably been together, like, 7 years. I was a consultant for Just Rhode Island for salon centric, and I love meeting new hairdressers.

Nancy: 09:28

So, you know, people are like, oh, what do you do? I always I take it as I grow people. That's what I do. I grow people. So I'm always looking for salons that are looking to grow because we have so many great resources.

Nancy: 09:40

So I so I walk into, your original location, which was a much smaller location, and it was you and your sister. Right? Was there anyone else? Did you have anyone else at that time? Karen wasn't there.

Nancy: 09:52

So I Lynn and I started to get to know each other, and she had made a comment that she at one time that she wanted to get a little more active on social media and grow her bridal business. And I don't even know if you had a Facebook group or if you I mean, a Facebook already or not. But at the time, we were offering a social media class in Massachusetts. And anybody that knows the road, us, Rhode Islanders, people don't really like to drive very far. So I'm okay with that.

Nancy: 10:20

I was going to it because I wanted to grow myself on social media. So I'm like, Lynn, this is what you are looking for. Here's a class. It's a live class. I'll drive.

Nancy: 10:28

I have a company car. I'll drive us. And you finally surrender to me, which I love you for doing that. Thank you. And, you bought the ticket.

Nancy: 10:37

It was like $200 ticket. So now I I go, I'm gonna pick you up. So I get there to pick you up, and all of a sudden, you start having doubts. You're like like, buyer's remorse. Like, I don't know if I should go.

Nancy: 10:47

I don't know if I can do this. I don't even know what what do you even remember why you were saying, I don't know why? I'm like, dude, I'm driving. You already bought the ticket. Get in the car.

Nancy: 10:57

I love it real quick. I will drag you by your hair if I have to. Get in the car. You already bought the ticket. Like, why wouldn't you go?

Nancy: 11:05

Yeah. And I still have our recording, and I swear to you, I'll probably post it as our first recording when I air this. Okay? It's so funny. It's so fun.

Nancy: 11:17

So fun to look back. Now you have, like, a zillion followers, and I can't even keep up with you if I try. So that was the first thing. Like, you're you know, you had this passion, and you were totally courageous and wanted you know, you you do willingly go out of your comfort zone quite often, which is what I love about you, which is why you're my guest, and we're talking about this. So do you have do you wanna add to our story of, like, your version?

Lynn: 11:46

I mean, that's all true.

Nancy: 11:49

Well, we had such

Lynn: 11:50

a good story. Thank you. We had so much fun, and I remember being so nervous. Susie was with us too. We met I don't remember if we met Susie or Yeah.

Nancy: 12:01

It was you and I driving, but we she was up there. Yeah. It was in my boat. I forget where we had it.

Lynn: 12:08

I just remember being nervous the whole time. Like, butterflies in the belly, nervous the

Nancy: 12:13

whole Well and anyone that again, I believe that we should be having fun while learning. Like, it shouldn't be so serious. Like, if you know? Sometimes people look at me and they I I know I make it look easy, like my job, but it's like, you know, I have many peers across the country and it's, you know, it's not. It's not easy and and because it's always evolving and changing.

Nancy: 12:40

Right? We're in a constant evolution of changing industry, the beauty industry, and I'm okay getting out of my comfort zone all the time. You just I just need to be okay. Like, people would be okay with me having fun while doing it, like making jokes and laughing if I screw up, you know, not be so serious because that's when people, like, you're you're that's when you actually, like, don't wanna do it because you're like, well, peep it's so serious. Are people gonna judge me?

Nancy: 13:05

And I'm like, scoot. Sorry. But, like, just have fun and learn together. It's always my thing. Okay.

Nancy: 13:12

So tell us

Lynn: 13:12

probably one of my biggest, like, stepping out of my comfort zone is Nancy. Like, that was probably the first one. Opening my hair salon was really super huge, but through my whole life, I've always asked myself, the question, like, before I make the move, what's the worst that can happen? If I can't make that answer, then I move on. But Yeah.

Lynn: 13:33

That was, like, super out of my comfort zone going to that class with you. It was

Nancy: 13:38

great. Yeah. Glad you went. We those we all have crossroads in life, and it's like those crossroads of uncomfortableness is what, like, our choice to either stay stuck and stay I feel like it's a hamster wheel or to step into the blackness muck of unknown and Yeah. Greatness.

Nancy: 13:58

Like, when that happens, when change happens, like, when life rips a Band Aid off you and all of a sudden, like, you something's changed, I've always found that to be the greatest opportunity because you can just be whatever you want. Like, nobody has any expectations when neither should you. Right? Right. Okay.

Nancy: 14:15

So tell us how what got you into the industry? I wanna know a little bit about, like because you're passionate and you're in it to win it. What got you into it?

Lynn: 14:23

I always wanted to do hair. Always. Always. Always. I was the girl that was invited to the birthday parties to do the I didn't have a lot of friends in school.

Lynn: 14:34

So I it was, like, nice for me to, like, feel wanted and needed, but I was really only there because they wanted me to do braids in their hair and, you know, like, that. But then I was, like, you know, sheltered out. I've always had such passion for hair. Like, I've always got my hands in hair. I always knew I wanted to do hair, but I actually had started, like, being part of a nursing program and looking into doing occupational therapy because my grandmother who, like, was like, oh, you know, I just love my grandmother.

Lynn: 15:11

She didn't want me to be one of them cheap hairdressers and that I, you know, I should, like so I didn't have the greatest support because you don't wanna, like, let the people down that you love so much, you know, that they just see more of you, but there's so much that this industry has to offer.

Nancy: 15:27

I know.

Lynn: 15:28

I did stay in the comfort zone for a long time as far as, like, I thought I could just work behind the chair. And people that do that, like, yay. It's a really hard job. It's really hard. You know?

Lynn: 15:39

Like, I'm not I'm not putting it down, but, it took me a really long time till Nancy walked in my door and was like, oh, look at this hair and all this opportunity. And

Nancy: 15:50

Yeah.

Lynn: 15:51

You saw something in me. You know? So

Nancy: 15:54

Well, I was looking I always forget. Looking for you too. You don't realize it. Like, I tell people all the time, you know, there are so many peers of mine that don't like going in to meet new new people, new salons, and it can be scary because they get people, you know, always think you're trying to sell them something, and all we're trying to do is grow people. Right?

Nancy: 16:14

And, I love it because whenever something like you happens where I find the it's like I find the one. Right? Like, in the Matrix, The 1, which is my favorite movie ever made. Like and they want to grow, and I see them grow, and I see them being open and just just going and following what I, like, ask them to do blindly and just being like, okay. And yet you lead to success every time because you don't prejudge it.

Nancy: 16:41

You just say, okay. I'm gonna do it because I trust that you're you know, this is a resource and that, you know, I trust you as a friend. You know? So that's so interesting. I appreciate it.

Nancy: 16:51

It's so mutual. It's so I was looking for you too.

Lynn: 16:57

But, yeah, always destined to do hair. It's it I I wasn't meant to do anything else.

Nancy: 17:03

Right. Right. I know. I feel the same way. I love I love our industry.

Nancy: 17:09

I love every day of it. You know? I don't even now my role is, you know, I work with very, very elite salons and, you know, we all have bad days. And so even I still like, if I walk in and somebody just is it's I never take it personally. Like, if some as an owner or a manager, there's a circumstance that has made you irritated and I happen to be the first person you see.

Nancy: 17:33

Like, I no. I'm here to help you. I'm I'm here to help to the best of my knowledge, make your life better, help you to, you know, have a you know, there might be a technology class that could help you with this issue, you know, not just hair classes. So, yeah, I love I love every day of our industry. So you, like me, wanted to be a hairdresser or get into the industry since you were very young.

Nancy: 17:55

Did you meet a hairdresser when you were young? Was was anyone in your family a hairdresser?

Lynn: 18:01

Nope.

Nancy: 18:02

You just knew you're like, I just wanna be a hairstylist.

Lynn: 18:05

Yeah. I I always knew. Like, I would go with my grandmother to, like, her hair appointments and, like, organize the alerts, and they give me a dollar. And, I still remember it was called hair lines. The hair salon it was, like, on the street that's not even a street anymore.

Lynn: 18:21

And, the woman would take me in the back, and I remember she would make wigs in the back, and I would watch her make the wigs. It was just always so intriguing to me. I was like

Nancy: 18:30

What town was she in? Warwick. In Warwick. Okay.

Lynn: 18:36

There's like a a bank there, like, a big bank there now and all the where all the rotaries are and the roads have changed so much.

Nancy: 18:42

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Yep.

Nancy: 18:44

Okay. Alright. So what continues to propel you in the industry? So what inspires you as you go along? So we know what got you into the industry, just your natural passion, how we met, but what is it that triggers you and come and propels you to continue to move forward?

Nancy: 19:05

Because I'm gonna let you start talking a little bit about your more in detail of your accomplishments. You know, I'm gonna say to everyone, you're very modest when you explain how many awards you've won. And Lynn has won more textured hair awards than anyone I know, and your yet your hair has been straight. I'm like, and yet you love it. Right?

Nancy: 19:29

And I and I I love curly hair.

Lynn: 19:31

Favorite. I do

Nancy: 19:32

too. I do too. And, I wanna point out that once peep like, curl anybody that's listening that doesn't like, curly hair is a fabric, and it needs such different care than straight hair. Right? And if you are somebody that is actually more like, feeling like, you know, you've done a really great job getting where you need to be and you're looking for a new adventure, start studying textured hair.

Nancy: 19:59

It is mind blowing what we don't know. We don't even know how to put products in it, to be honest. I remember taking one of the best classes I ever took was a WeDAD live WeDAD class or one of our partners, and, I used to be an educator and, you know, used to have to teach color and and all sorts of stuff. And I stood up in that class because I felt like I knew nothing. When she started, she started talking about hair and and texture and products and diffuse even how you diffuse and how you layer the I actually was so excited.

Nancy: 20:28

I still have my go. I just wanna know. I feel like I know nothing. She goes, I'm so sorry. I go, no.

Nancy: 20:33

It's a good thing. You don't understand. This is the greatest class I've taken in forever. It was such a great class. So curly hair, people.

Nancy: 20:40

Curly hair, textured hair. What propels you? So you want you something keeps continuing to propel you. What is it? Because you just keep going and going and going.

Nancy: 20:49

So between multiple, one shot awards, multiple texture awards, you know, If you've got a lot of I have

Lynn: 20:59

placed in one shots. I've never won a one shot. But, it's it's funny, because that it's funny what drives me. Right? Like, one shot, I'm recognized in one shot.

Lynn: 21:11

I I don't I don't know how to, like, word it. But, like, I'm less motivated with competitions that end in a popularity contest.

Nancy: 21:21

Yeah. Where

Lynn: 21:22

competitions like NAHA is not a popularity contest, but it is the most prestige hair award, right, in hair Yeah. What propels me? You say I'm derailing. What propels me? So, you know, I open I'm always, like, looking for my next adventure, really, Nancy.

Lynn: 21:40

Like, I opened my hair salon, and, then, you know, I started taking bridal more serious and and posting about it. My bridal amped up. And then I started you know, it's never enough. Right? Like, every you know, like, coming up there on social media.

Lynn: 21:56

Now you have to learn photography. Now you have to learn, you know, I just I just remember wanting more. I got sick of being the person sitting in the audience, and I think there's nothing you can learn so much being in the audience, but I was the person sitting in the audience watching the educator going, I wish I could do that. I wish I could be that someday. And instead of, like, sitting there going, I wish I wish I wish, I guess what propelled me what keeps propelling me is, like, what are the steps that I need to do to get there?

Nancy: 22:30

And So that same thing with me. When I first got into the industry, I think I it was, like, 3 months into it, and I saw my I saw my first educator come in. And I literally went into my manager's office. I said, in 5 years, I'm not gonna be here. And she kinda chuckled at me now, looked back and go, I was pretty bold.

Nancy: 22:49

And she goes, really, Nancy? Where are you gonna be? I go, I'm gonna be traveling, and I'm gonna be teaching people just like her. So it's the same thing. I saw it, and I'm like, I wanna do that.

Nancy: 23:00

Right? I wanna grow people. I wanna know what she knows.

Lynn: 23:04

Yeah. So in order to do that, like, what do I what did I have to do to get there? So I started this thing called Model Mondays, where I would go into the salon. Not every Monday, guys, whoever's watching this. Like, not every Monday.

Lynn: 23:16

I'm not saying, like, you know, don't just do hair. Maybe, like, once a month, I would go in. I would plan wardrobe. I would be inspired by a look. And I started with just mannequin heads, but now I've, like, grown with models.

Lynn: 23:30

I have real models in the salon. I have wardrobe. I do their hair I do their hair, and their hairstyle is usually inspired by, a song that I heard or something nature outside. And I I I get to just, like, grow it and build it, in that moment and really push myself and step out of the box and and put what, people would think, like, not the everyday look on just to, like, push myself and, like, give, like, wow. So I started doing those model Mondays, and I started sharing.

Lynn: 24:03

And they started getting shared and recognized and entered them in a it just, like, I entered them in competitions. It it just it just snowballed, and it opened a whole another world. But my point is is it didn't come to me. I worked very, very hard to get where I am. And, last year, it was at the International Beauty Show that I was sitting in the audience, and I was who was I?

Lynn: 24:29

Whose class was I taking? I think it was Philip Wolf's class. I think Philip Wolf

Nancy: 24:35

Yeah. Wolf

Lynn: 24:36

Yeah. For Matrix, I believe. I believe. He was with Matrix

Nancy: 24:40

at the he was. He last year or earlier this year, he made an announce just because that's one of our brands. And, he made an announcement that he went over to k18. Yeah. It makes sense.

Nancy: 24:52

Yeah. Because his part is there. Yeah.

Lynn: 24:55

And I remember, like, thinking that that it so I did all I've done all this hard work. That was I think that was 2019 that I had wished that. And then last year, I taught my first three classes at the International Beauty Show.

Nancy: 25:11

I'm

Lynn: 25:12

was amazing. It was really so I

Nancy: 25:15

I love it. Yeah. So, really, what propels you is is is it's actually interesting because It's

Lynn: 25:24

always fitting, Nancy. Like,

Nancy: 25:26

what is you've always been something that inspires you, you're like that's how I swear, this we're soul sisters, girl. Because same thing, I see something in our industry, I'm like, I can do that. I can do that. Or I don't know how to do that. I'm I wanna learn because I wanna be an in I am an industry expert.

Nancy: 25:42

Like, if something's changing or I need to learn how to do it, and, it's same thing. So most people get scared, and the first thing they think when they look up at somebody on stage is they go, I could never do that. Because they think they're it's they're not good enough.

Lynn: 25:59

Right. And I would expect most of America. Right, Nancy? Like, most of America, they they go to their jobs. They don't like their jobs, or they're okay.

Nancy: 26:07

They work 9 to 5,

Lynn: 26:08

and they're happy with it. And then there's people because

Nancy: 26:11

they don't know what's wrong with it. There's nothing wrong with it, but they just they do what they think they have to do. And, love my husband. He's very much like that. Like, he's been you know, he's a business owner and he just it's interesting.

Nancy: 26:24

He I he's come so far of getting out of his comfort zone because he can't he's been around me for so long now, and the and what makes me wanna vomit is the fact if I had to do the same thing over and over again every day, I would you I'd be so unhappy. I don't even know what I would do. I'd feel trapped like a wild animal.

Lynn: 26:44

You know what I think lots, people in that too is the fear, Nancy. Yes. Fear.

Nancy: 26:50

Yeah. So Fear it's mainly fear of failure, fear of disappointment, fear it's definitely lack of belief in themselves and I I here's the thing, and I don't blame people because I had a mindset too. It's our parents teach us. Right? We were born, it's a clean slate, and then our parents teach us things.

Nancy: 27:10

And they're doing the best that they can, or the people around us are doing the best that they can because they care about us. And they want us to be stable and secure and fit into society, but then there's those few. Like, there's, like, this 20% of people that just, like, they you can't keep them in a box, and they can be the most unexpected people that, you know, that they need to, like they wanna learn more. They wanna grow. And you're 1, I'm 1.

Nancy: 27:37

Like, I actually feel physically like I'm in a box if my company that I'm working with wants me to do the same thing over and over again, like, I actually am like, I can't do it. So I'm the one that's like, nobody else has a podcast. Like, you know, I'm always trying something new to be able to touch another professional in the industry with a resource and information because, you know, as an as an educator like yourself, you love to learn. So what's the number one thing? You wanna share.

Nancy: 28:10

Right? We wanna share. We want everyone to be have to feel the way we feel about this. You know? So I get to go.

Lynn: 28:18

Model Mondays. Like, we're doing the Model Mondays also, like, you learn from other people, but by doing the Model Mondays and pushing myself, I'm learning my own techniques. What works best

Nancy: 28:28

for me?

Lynn: 28:28

You know? So that I'm able to share, like, stuff that works for me. Like, this worked for them.

Nancy: 28:35

Works for me. And I've thought I've taken one of your bridal classes, and I learned so much. Even just how to put pins in. Like, we think we know how to put pins in, and we don't. And I'm, like, was disgusted with myself.

Nancy: 28:45

I was like, how do I not know how to put a pin in?

Lynn: 28:49

I have a

Nancy: 28:49

bridal business. I was like, oh, that makes sense, Lynn. Thank you for sharing. I I'm just prepping the hair. And it's funny because I do run behind because I always now I, like, prep the hair.

Nancy: 29:01

It's all about prepping the hair, so when I put it together, it flows together so much easier. And but I do run behind. Like, I'm like, I'm an hour ahead an hour a person because I wanna prep your hair correctly, especially if you have skinny hair. Okay. What are what is something you're currently doing now to get out of your comfort zone?

Nancy: 29:26

Tell us a little something about what you're currently doing.

Lynn: 29:30

So I current I the last 6 months alright. So I always had this, like, dream of working with Ruth Roach. Ruth Roach is the global artist for Redken, and she's a multi winner. I always talked about it. I talked to, like, people other people in the industry about it.

Lynn: 29:49

I've she's so inspiring to me. Right? So she had, launched this thing that she was looking to mentor 10 hairstylists, and she was taking applications. So I filled out my application. I chickened out.

Lynn: 30:04

And then, one day, I was like, ah, forget it. I'll send it in. I forgot all about it. I'm telling you the shot version. I forgot how she sent me a message and said, Lynn, I thank you so much for filling out the application.

Lynn: 30:18

I thought she was gonna be like, but you know, like, it sounded like it was going another way, and she's like, I'm so excited to let you know I've chosen you as one of the 10 mentors, the the 10 mentees. So I have been working with Ruth Roach for the last 6 months. Through that, I have been working on a hair collection called Wild Bloom that was inspired by my earlier conversation with my aunt. Like, it was all inspired by, like, a color of a flower or a flower shape, or it was all inspired by her. So, that's actually something I'm like, I I I did share that with Ruth, actually.

Lynn: 30:55

But, so I

Nancy: 30:57

just why you're why you're getting wind.

Lynn: 31:00

Yeah. I didn't share with many. So, yeah, I built this collection, and then that door opened up, an opportunity to go to New York and meet Ruth. She picked out my models. Well, we picked them out together.

Lynn: 31:13

She pulled the team together, with wardrobe specialist makeup artist, the photographer, photographer Joseph Cartwright, who is an amazing photographer, and we photographed my very first Naha collection. I love it. I'm so excited. I really love it. The deadline was on November 6th, so I was, like, shaking the butterflies in the belly as I'm entering it, and I I entered.

Lynn: 31:39

And now the finalists will be announced on February 23rd, which is my grandmother's birthday. I'm just yeah. Yep. I love that. Winners are June 1st, and my birthday's June 3rd.

Lynn: 31:51

So all this, like, really great stuff. But at the end of the day you win?

Nancy: 31:57

I know. You have to let me know. I I need to go I'm flying down It's in Florida. Right? Yeah.

Nancy: 32:04

Yep. And I'll go to it. I'll go I've been waiting for a reason to go. I'm so proud of you. I can't even say it enough.

Nancy: 32:13

I'm gonna be like, I knew her when? I know. No. I feel so blessed in our industry. I actually I always say people do not realize, who I have the privilege of working with.

Nancy: 32:28

It's, like, amazing. It's amazing. Like, oh, and, you know, remember Samantha that you mentored she for bridal? Yes. Yes.

Nancy: 32:37

She's an educator now for WeDAD and Bioionics.

Lynn: 32:41

Yeah. I saw that. I

Nancy: 32:42

saw that. Yep. She's gonna be on my show. She's coming Friday to do a recording, and we're gonna talk about textured hair.

Lynn: 32:48

Oh, she's super sweet. Her her children have this, like, beautiful curly hair.

Nancy: 32:53

I know. Yeah. She's She's got a good she's got a good story and, she happened to have gone to school hairdressing school with my daughter. And, you know, I just she has a good story. She's, you know, she just does.

Nancy: 33:07

She's thinking, following her passion, and

Lynn: 33:10

I'm

Nancy: 33:10

so proud of her too. I've seen her grow up and I wanna cry if I see her. I'm like, I love you. Okay. So what advice would you have for new stylists?

Nancy: 33:19

So if I'm a new stylist or I'm a stylist that's stagnant in the industry, give some advice to help somebody, you know, that might go be going into this with, like, good intentions or good goals or they just have found themselves stuck. You know, we all like, everyone had a dream when they went into this industry. You know? Hopefully, it was a positive one. But do you have any advice?

Lynn: 33:43

Yeah. I think yeah. I have tons of advice, but I'll keep it simple. Don't sit in the box. Like, don't if you're in the box and you're looking on the outside of the box going, I wish I could do this, I wish I could do that, that one inspires me.

Lynn: 33:58

This you know, step out of the box, get out of your comfort zone, break through that fear, and put yourself in the room for people that inspire you. And you will grow, you will learn, and you can go explore the industry. There is so much this industry has to offer.

Nancy: 34:17

So much. So many career opportunities.

Lynn: 34:20

What Yeah.

Nancy: 34:21

One time, I, I happened to be my I was at our local HomeGoods, and and I was minding my business, looking for, like, towels or sheets or something for Airbnb. And I heard a woman and her daughter talking, and she the daughter was saying, well, I really wanna go to hairdressing school, but I don't know. Everyone's telling me I won't make any money. Now her mom's like, well, honey, you know, you gotta do what you want, what you feel passionate about, you know, may you know, and she so anyways, her people around her were telling her, she not can make any money, she needs to go to college, but she I heard her saying, but I love doing hair. I just wanna go to hairdressing school, mom.

Nancy: 35:01

I don't want I I can go to college later on, which I end up I did that. I went to hairdress I mean, I went to college as an adult. And, so proud of myself. Never thought I would do it. Got a bachelor's degree.

Nancy: 35:12

Yes. So, you're never too old. Never too old. So I had to I just felt compelled, and I I went down the aisle and I said, I please forgive me. I was not eavesdropping, but I heard a comp part of a conversation, and it triggered me because our you know, you're talking about my industry.

Nancy: 35:29

And I introduced myself and explained to her, bullet point, what I've done and and how well the industry has served me with just a hairdressing license. That was even before I got went to school to move over to the business side. And the happiness that I've experienced, and I gave him an idea of, you know, the income that I've been able to make all off of this this license. And and I said, I really hope that this has helped because somebody that doesn't understand they're outside looking in and they have never explored, you know, going to a a really professional hairstylist. So, you know, there's somebody for everybody out there.

Nancy: 36:14

There's some people that are passionate. They just wanna do a more mature clientele and they want to, you know, do whatever they do. And there's some people that wanna be blondie special, some people whatever. You know, we go to hairstylists that wear, like are like us. Right?

Nancy: 36:30

Like attracts like. So I thought it was really interesting to hear that people were influencing us. So again, to my point was, like, you know, people live these 9 to 5 jobs that they don't necessarily like because somebody around them with good intentions, and that was my point. It's like that our family loves us and they're trying to help us, but the reality is true where does true happiness live? You're living it.

Nancy: 36:55

Where does it live?

Lynn: 36:58

Where does true happiness live

Nancy: 36:59

on? True happiness live for you?

Lynn: 37:02

I I love my job. I love my I love I love what I do. I can't imagine doing something I didn't like every day.

Nancy: 37:10

Yeah. I mean yeah. I tell my kids, follow do follow your passion. You will find a way to make money doing it. So true happiness to me

Lynn: 37:20

never feel like you worked either. Yeah. I never feel like I'm working. Like, what find your like, what would you do for free? Like, if you just ask somebody, you know, anybody, what would you do for free?

Lynn: 37:31

Okay. Well, that's what you need to chase. You know? Is it photography? Is it, you know, is it is it art?

Lynn: 37:36

You need to chase that and find how you can make that your career, and and that will bring you you will be happy, and you'll never feel like you worked a day in your life.

Nancy: 37:45

When you're living your purpose, you are true happiness. And I I to me, that true happiness lives in the industry that I'm passionate about, so in my passion, but it is also like, I continue to be happy when I continue to choose to step into my uncomfort zone. Like, when I when I choose to allow myself to be uncomfortable and learn something new, I'm truly happy because I know I'm growing. And, you know, to I we're meant to expand and to learn. And learning sometimes, like, especially when you're reading, you're trying to, like I just remember, you know, trying to learn something, and it's, like, makes my head hurt.

Nancy: 38:32

Right? And there's a reason for that. Like, you're actually like, the neurons, like, you're whatever. I'm not a brain specialist, but I when you're actually learning and your head hurts, like, there's something happening in your brain. Super interesting.

Nancy: 38:45

And, but that's you know, once you get past that, now you've become something more. You have a new skill that you can learn, whether it's challenging yourself to do a or you just continue to do something. You took photography classes. And, you know, you I just love it. So, my my suggestion or something I wanna say is, you know, if people are looking for change in their life or they're looking they're they're finding complaints and stag you know, a life of living stagnant.

Nancy: 39:17

Your life is never gonna change until you step out of your comfort zone because life begins right past it. The second you step into that uncomfort zone, that is when life is beginning. And I really wanna point that out for people because I think it's so important. But I'm so thankful that you joined me, Faye Lynn. I appreciate you.

Lynn: 39:38

I have one more thing

Nancy: 39:39

to say. Go ahead. Yeah.

Lynn: 39:40

One more thing because I think it's very valuable. Right? So fear holds people back. They're they're so afraid of going through the fair because they're afraid to fail. Yeah.

Nancy: 39:51

Or to be judged or to be whatever. Yeah. Yeah.

Lynn: 39:54

But failure is the greatest spot to be in because that's your growth. So I I have failed. There have been Model Mondays that I went in, and I'm like, this is awful. But I grow so much from that, and I I pull through even stronger. Like, I'm even stronger.

Lynn: 40:11

So failure don't be afraid of failure because failure is going to equal growth. That's where you wanna grow in your in your in your failure. So if I could suggest anything, like, don't be afraid to, like, go through that fair feel, and then you will grow from it. You know, like, you gotta

Nancy: 40:31

do those. You gotta do it. So I also tell my daughters that, a plethora of, like, one one sentence inspirational quotes. I've told them, if you're gonna fail, fail forward.

Lynn: 40:42

Yeah. Right? Yeah. If

Nancy: 40:44

you're gonna fail, fail forward. And I anytime something, doesn't go the way I planned it, I go, what did I learn? What did I learn? That's the first thing I ask myself, and then I'm like, and and it makes me think. And instead of dwelling in the fact that it didn't come out the way I wanted or it failed, right, I go, what did I learn?

Nancy: 41:07

And that's how you should look at a situation like, you know I think, many of our, like, amazing scientists in the world have failed thousands of times, but they've all learned something from it. You know? It may not have been what they were looking to achieve. They've actually found good successes in between, but they, you know, they learned and they learned and they learned and that's what got them to where they need to be. So I believe setting a goal, I'm all about the vision board and not having having the courage, courage versus fear, for sure, like, you know, to move forward and try something new.

Nancy: 41:45

You'll have fun. And you know, you're gonna find like minded people when you're doing it. Like minded people that hopefully, you can laugh while you're learning like you and I did, and I'm totally posting our video. Just, you know, I have it. The remember we were first walking the building, we did a little lot, like a little Yeah.

Nancy: 42:02

Video?

Lynn: 42:03

I was so nervous.

Nancy: 42:04

Yeah. Well, it was so fun, but we did it together which made it fun. I was getting out of my comfort zone too. I wanted to learn. I'm like, let's do it together.

Nancy: 42:12

I have such a mindset about them. Like, if we're gonna learn, let's just do it together. So thank you so much. I wanna just, talk speak to our audience. If you like this podcast, please make sure you share it with, other hairstylists, share it with your friends.

Nancy: 42:26

You know, this is about elevating our beauty professionals, but also to grow them personally, not just professionally. I believe that you have to have this balance because growth starts from within. And, make sure you share it and subscribe. And, I look forward to seeing you win the naha that I know you're gonna win, and I'm gonna be there. Is there any last words before we say goodbye to our friends?

Lynn: 42:50

No. No. No. Nothing at all. Nothing at all.

Lynn: 42:54

Thank you so much, Nancy. I really

Nancy: 42:56

Thank you so much. I appreciate you so much and thank you. I will see you soon. Bye.