All About Hair...and So Much More.

Danise Keilitz
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to All About Hair with Danise...where beautiful hair is just the beginning. I'm Danise, a hairstylist, educator, and salon owner with more than 30 years in the beauty industry. After owning four award-winning salons, I never imagined I'd build another one...until now. Join me as I document the real journey of creating Panache & Company from the ground up. From finding the perfect location and designing the salon to hiring a team, mentoring stylists, serving clients, and navigating the unexpected, you'll hear the honest conversations that happen behind every milestone. Whether you're a client looking for trusted hair advice, a stylist building your career, or a salon owner growing your business, you'll find practical education, inspiring stories, and real-life lessons from behind the chair and beyond. New episodes feature: • Behind-the-scenes salon building • Hair education and healthy hair tips • Business and leadership insights • Stylist career development • Client transformations • Honest conversations about entrepreneurship and life Remember...when you know better, you do better.

  1. 5d ago

    My Hair Is Thinning on Top. Now What? Hair Toppers, Mesh Integration & Real Solutions

    Send Danise a Text Message. The moment you catch a glimpse of your scalp under harsh bathroom lights can hit harder than you expect. When your part looks wider, your crown feels flat, or your ponytail is suddenly half the thickness, it’s easy to wonder what happened and whether anyone else notices. I want to slow that moment down, name what’s going on, and remind you that thinning hair in women is common, complex, and absolutely worth talking about with honesty. We dig into the real reasons hair changes, from perimenopause and menopause hormones to genetics, thyroid issues, medications, illness or surgery, nutritional gaps, stress, traction from tight styles, and even the hair shedding conversations popping up around GLP-1 weight loss. Not all hair loss is permanent, and when it’s sudden or intense, I always encourage you to bring a doctor or dermatologist into the picture. As stylists, our job is to support you with smart options and protect the hair you have. Then we get practical with two modern salon solutions: hair toppers and mesh integration. I explain what a topper is (no, it’s not an old-school toupee), how it blends with your natural hair, and how human hair versus synthetic pieces can change the look, feel, upkeep, and budget. We also talk about how toppers attach, why a proper consultation matters, and what makes a result look “beautiful and believable.” Finally, I break down mesh integration, who it’s best for, what maintenance looks like, and how we decide which route fits your lifestyle and scalp health. If you know someone struggling with thinning hair, share this conversation with them, then subscribe, leave a review, and send me your questions: would you try a topper, mesh integration, or start with a simpler change first? www.panacheandcompany.com ________________________________ Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel as well! Visit my Amazon Store for all my favorite products! Instagram:  danisekeilitz  and panache_and_company Shop my favorite Eufora Products.

    My Hair Is Thinning on Top. Now What? Hair Toppers, Mesh Integration & Real Solutions

  2. Oct 14

    What Salon Non-Competes Mean For Stylists

    Send Danise a Text Message. A non-compete can look like “standard salon paperwork” until the day you want to leave and realize it might block you from working anywhere nearby.  We talk through the real reasons salon owners use non-competes, including the very valid desire to protect an investment, training time, marketing, and confidential business information. Then I separate what often gets mashed together in one employment agreement: a non-compete, a client non-solicitation clause, and a confidentiality agreement. Those details matter, especially in an industry where relationships are everything and where clients ultimately choose who they sit with. I also get specific about enforceability. A signature does not magically make a clause legal, and the rules depend on state law and the exact wording. Since Panache is opening in Virginia, I share a short, plain-English look at Virginia noncompete law, including the low-wage employee limits, why commission structures can change the analysis, and what courts tend to consider when deciding whether a restriction is reasonable. Finally, I explain why I’ve never required a non-compete and why I don’t plan to start. I’d rather build loyalty through education, mentorship, fair pay, and a culture where people want to stay because they’re growing, not because they’re scared to leave. If you’re a stylist or a salon owner, you’ll walk away with smarter questions to ask and clearer next steps.  Subscribe, share this with someone in the salon industry, leave a review, and tell me: have you ever signed a non-compete, and did it change your choices? www.panacheandcompany.com ________________________________ Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel as well! Visit my Amazon Store for all my favorite products! Instagram:  danisekeilitz  and panache_and_company Shop my favorite Eufora Products.

    What Salon Non-Competes Mean For Stylists

  3. Oct 7

    Why Great Stylists Still Choose Commission Salons

    Send Danise a Text Message. Stylists are walking away from traditional salons in record numbers, and I understand why. When you’re giving up 50 to 55% but only getting a chair and some shampoo, the math feels insulting. But here’s the question I really want to ask: is the commission salon model broken, or have too many salons stopped earning their share? I share what Chris and I are building at Panache and Company and why I still believe a great commission salon can be one of the best career moves in the beauty industry. We talk through the reality of going independent in a salon suite, including the hidden costs of rent, colour, inventory, software, credit card fees, taxes, and the hours of admin that steal time from doing hair. If you love autonomy, that path can be perfect. If you just want to be an incredible hairstylist, you deserve a place that supports that choice. We also dig into what “support” has to mean in 2026: a structured salon education program that goes beyond cosmetology school, coaching on consultations, retention, rebooking, retail sales, and the numbers behind the chair like average ticket and productivity. I explain the level system we’re creating so stylists have a clear path, growing skills, prices, and income, plus room to specialise in grey blending, extensions, scalp wellness, education, or leadership. And yes, we talk about the big stuff that makes this a real profession: culture, mentorship, marketing that brings clients in, and benefits like paid time off, health insurance, and a retirement plan as we grow. If this hits home, share it with a stylist who feels stuck, and subscribe so you don’t miss what we’re building next. After you listen, what matters most to you in a salon: money, time, culture, or growth? www.panacheandcompany.com ________________________________ Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel as well! Visit my Amazon Store for all my favorite products! Instagram:  danisekeilitz  and panache_and_company Shop my favorite Eufora Products.

    Why Great Stylists Still Choose Commission Salons

  4. Sep 30

    Mesh Integration Could Be The Missing Piece For Women With Hair Loss

    Send Danise a Text Message. Your hair can change quietly, then all at once: a thinner ponytail, a scalp that shows in photos, a part that seems to widen overnight. After more than 30 years behind the chair, we’re hearing those worries constantly and we know they’re not shallow. Hair loss hits identity, confidence, and the way you move through your day. We’re sharing something new we’re genuinely excited about: enrolling in Kelly Maxwell’s Elevate Mesh Integration Certification Program and bringing mesh integration to our toolkit at Panache & Company. Mesh integration is a non-surgical hair replacement method built for thinning hair, especially at the top of the head. Instead of asking fragile natural hair to hold everything, we use a fine, breathable mesh foundation where support is needed, then integrate hair into that base for coverage and fullness with less strain. We’re working to make this expertise available in Williamsburg and the Hampton Roads area, and we’ll share what we learn as we go. If you want more honest hair loss education, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What question about thinning hair do you want answered next? www.panacheandcompany.com ________________________________ Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel as well! Visit my Amazon Store for all my favorite products! Instagram:  danisekeilitz  and panache_and_company Shop my favorite Eufora Products.

    Mesh Integration Could Be The Missing Piece For Women With Hair Loss

  5. Sep 23

    GLP-1 Weight Loss And Hair Shedding

    Send Danise a Text Message. Hair in the shower is one thing. A suddenly smaller ponytail is another. If you’ve started a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic, Wegovy, or Zepbound and then noticed shedding, I walk through what may be happening without panic or guesswork. We get clear on the most common pattern I’m hearing: rapid weight loss, big appetite changes, and the nutrition domino effect. I explain telogen effluvium in simple terms and why the timing is so confusing, since shedding often shows up months after the actual trigger. We also talk about the body’s priorities during fast weight loss, why protein and iron matter for hair growth, and why buying every “hair vitamin” can be an expensive distraction if you don’t know what you’re low in. Then we move into practical next steps. I share what details to bring to your prescriber, when it’s smart to see a dermatologist for labs like iron, vitamin D, and thyroid, and how to tell shedding from breakage (they’re not the same problem). We cover what shampoos and scalp serums can realistically do, how a stylist can help you protect density with smarter colour and styling choices, and where options like minoxidil, PRP, or red light therapy may fit depending on the type of hair loss. If this topic hits home, subscribe, share this with a friend who’s quietly worried, and leave a review so more people can find honest guidance when hair loss and weight loss collide. www.panacheandcompany.com ________________________________ Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel as well! Visit my Amazon Store for all my favorite products! Instagram:  danisekeilitz  and panache_and_company Shop my favorite Eufora Products.

    GLP-1 Weight Loss And Hair Shedding

  6. Sep 16

    The Hair Library

    Send Danise a Text Message. Your salon waiting room says more than you think and most of the time it’s telling you to chase someone else’s hair. We’re flipping that script by building the Panache Hair Library: four coffee-table style guides meant to start real conversations about thinning hair, shedding, breakage, scalp health, grey hair, and what “believable” colour maintenance actually looks like in real life. I share a moment with a client that still sticks with me: she says she thinks her hair is thinning and then apologises for bringing it up. That’s the quiet reality for a lot of women, especially when hormones, texture changes, and confidence collide. So we get specific and practical, including the three hair terms people mix up the most: density (how much hair you have), texture (strand thickness), and volume (how much space it takes up). When you can name what’s happening, your consultation stops being “I hate my hair” and becomes clear, solvable, and calm. We also talk about why hair education often backfires when it turns into a sales pitch, and why I’d rather lose a product sale than sell false hope. You’ll hear the rules behind the Hair Library, why there are no miracle promises, when a stylist isn’t the answer and a dermatologist is, and why toppers and hair additions deserve to be normalised as confidence tools. If you want better hair advice, better questions, and a plan that matches your lifestyle and budget, you’ll feel seen here. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What hair question do you wish a stylist would answer next? www.panacheandcompany.com ________________________________ Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel as well! Visit my Amazon Store for all my favorite products! Instagram:  danisekeilitz  and panache_and_company Shop my favorite Eufora Products.

    The Hair Library

  7. Sep 9

    Building Panache, The Fun Part is Starting

    Send Danise a Text Message. The lease talks are heavy, the numbers are messy, and for a minute it feels like the dream is stuck on a spreadsheet. Then we walk into the Minerva showroom in Atlanta and everything flips. Sitting in styling chairs, testing shampoo bowls, and seeing full station setups in real scale makes Panache & Company feel real in a way floor plans never can. We share what changed once we experienced salon furniture and equipment in person: which pieces instantly moved from “sure” to “no,” which surprises became must-haves, and how we’re thinking about a brighter, lighter salon design with warm wood tones, clean lines, and pops of blue that match our brand. We get specific about the practical stuff that affects daily life behind the chair such as chair height ranges for different stylist heights, comfort for long color services, bases that are easy to clean, shampoo bowl ergonomics for clients with neck issues, and how a retractable ceiling-hung blow dryer system can reduce clutter and even protect stylist shoulders. We also talk real-world salon build-out costs: quotes, shipping, package discounts, and the tempting moment when we find similar stations on Alibaba for a fraction of the price, then start adding up lead times, freight, tariffs, and import fees. Finally, we zoom out to the bigger mission: building a supportive salon community, recruiting a founding team, and creating an education program for new stylists that builds skill and confidence from day one. Listen, then tell us what you’d want in your dream salon and whether you think a head spa is a fad or a future staple. If you like the show, subscribe, share it with a stylist friend, and leave a review so more people can follow the build. www.panacheandcompany.com ________________________________ Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel as well! Visit my Amazon Store for all my favorite products! Instagram:  danisekeilitz  and panache_and_company Shop my favorite Eufora Products.

    Building Panache, The Fun Part is Starting

  8. Sep 2

    Lease Reality Check

    Send Danise a Text Message. We got the lease we were waiting for, and it should have been the final step toward opening Panache & Company. Instead, it stopped us cold. After months of planning a new salon location, picturing the natural light, and lining up build-out bids, our attorney read the document and said the words no founder wants to hear: do not sign this as written. That gap between the letter of intent and the actual commercial lease is where a dream can get expensive fast. We walk you through what changed, why leases often come in far more landlord-protective than expected, and how to think like a tenant who needs to survive for the long term. We unpack real clauses that can quietly shift massive risk onto a small business owner, including personal guarantees, signage rights, operating requirements that can dictate your hours, and default language that can snowball if anything goes sideways. If you are opening a salon, leasing retail space, or negotiating your first commercial lease, this is the kind of checklist you want before you sign. We also get honest about the emotional trap of falling in love with a location and how having a fallback space keeps you from negotiating out of desperation. If you want more real-time updates as we work through the lease and keep building the salon, subscribe, share this with a friend who is signing a lease, and leave a review. What is the one lease term you would never agree to? www.panacheandcompany.com ________________________________ Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel as well! Visit my Amazon Store for all my favorite products! Instagram:  danisekeilitz  and panache_and_company Shop my favorite Eufora Products.

    Lease Reality Check
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About

Welcome to All About Hair with Danise...where beautiful hair is just the beginning. I'm Danise, a hairstylist, educator, and salon owner with more than 30 years in the beauty industry. After owning four award-winning salons, I never imagined I'd build another one...until now. Join me as I document the real journey of creating Panache & Company from the ground up. From finding the perfect location and designing the salon to hiring a team, mentoring stylists, serving clients, and navigating the unexpected, you'll hear the honest conversations that happen behind every milestone. Whether you're a client looking for trusted hair advice, a stylist building your career, or a salon owner growing your business, you'll find practical education, inspiring stories, and real-life lessons from behind the chair and beyond. New episodes feature: • Behind-the-scenes salon building • Hair education and healthy hair tips • Business and leadership insights • Stylist career development • Client transformations • Honest conversations about entrepreneurship and life Remember...when you know better, you do better.

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