The Modern Hairstylist ™ Podcast

Hunter Donia
  • 4.9 (137)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Teaching you how to grow your beauty business as a hairstylist or salon owner without the overwhelm by implementing modern strategies so you can reclaim time, freedom and energy from working behind the chair.

  1. 3d ago

    Things You Should NOT Use AI For

    In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, Hunter Donia and Jodie Brown get into a topic Hunter feels strongly about: the ways hairstylists and beauty professionals are misusing AI right now, and why it is quietly doing more damage than good to their brands, their businesses, and their client relationships. Hunter is clear that this is not an anti-AI episode. He uses it extensively in his own business and with his students. But there is a big difference between using AI smartly and using it carelessly, and this episode is about helping you tell the difference before it costs you. Key Takeaways: 🤖 AI Does Not Know Your Industry Better Than You Think It Does: When you ask a large language model for hairstylist specific business advice, it is pulling from what the majority of stylists have historically done online, which Hunter points out is largely ineffective. The industry has not had strong business fundamentals until recently, and AI is reflecting that back to you. ✍️ Do Not Let AI Write Your Copy From Scratch: If you cannot tell the difference between AI generated content and your own voice, you are not ready to be using it for captions, emails, or any client facing copy. Hunter explains how AI flattens your brand, creates a homogenized look and feel, and erodes the trust your audience has in you. 🖼️ AI Generated Images Are Being Clocked And Boycotted: Younger generations in particular are actively calling out and avoiding businesses that use AI generated visuals. Hunter is direct: right now, the risk to your brand reputation is not worth it. 💬 Never Use AI To Handle Hard Client Conversations: Outsourcing a difficult response to AI, whether it is a tough text exchange or a public review reply, is a risk to your most important relationships. Hunter shares a real example of a client who noticed and responded badly, and explains why human communication in high stakes moments is non-negotiable. 📊 Be Careful With AI Inside Your Booking System: From inaccurate metrics to privacy concerns around your client data, Hunter breaks down why the AI features being built into booking platforms deserve a lot more skepticism than most stylists are giving them. 🔒 Your Data Is Not As Private As You Think: Even when companies say they are not training on your data, they are storing your conversation history. Hunter walks through what that means for you legally and why feeding sensitive client information into these tools carries real risk. Why You Should Listen: AI is not going anywhere, and Hunter is not asking you to stop using it. But if you are using it without the right knowledge or oversight, it could be quietly undermining your brand, your client trust, and your business data. This episode gives you the awareness to use it responsibly and stay ahead of the stylists who are getting it wrong. Get 50% off your first two months with Glossgenius! Let's connect on Instagram!

    35 min

  2. Jun 22

    Why You NEED To Drop A Day Behind The Chair

    In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, Hunter Donia and Jodie Brown tackle a topic Hunter feels strongly about: why every fully booked hairstylist needs to drop a day behind the chair, and how to do it without losing income. Hunter gets real about the difference between being booked and busy versus actually growing, and why working two full time jobs (doing hair and running the business) is a recipe for burnout and stagnation. This episode breaks down exactly who is ready to take this step, who isn't yet, and the numbers that make it possible. Key Takeaways: ⏰ You Are Working Two Full Time Jobs: Doing hair and running a business are each demanding enough to be a full time job on their own. Hunter explains why trying to do both, full time, leaves no room to actually grow, and why something has to give. 🚦 Not Everyone Is Ready For This Yet: If you have gaps in your schedule, Hunter is clear that you do not need a day off, you need to be using that open time to work on your business. The day off is a reward for being solidly booked, not a starting point. 📊 The Math Behind Working Less: Dropping a day means reducing supply, which means you need to know your numbers. Hunter walks through how to calculate what your average ticket needs to increase by in order to make the same money, or more, in fewer days. 🧠 Why This Transition Feels So Uncomfortable: The scarcity mindset that got you fully booked can make it hard to trust that you can take a day away from the chair. Hunter talks through why this mental shift is necessary as you grow into your next level. 🔒 Protect That Time Like It Is A Client: Once you get that day back, Hunter stresses treating it with the same accountability and structure as a day behind the chair, or it will get swallowed up by everything else. Why You Should Listen: If you are fully booked and feel like you have no time to actually grow your business, this episode lays out exactly why that is happening and what to do about it. Hunter gives you the real numbers based approach to working less while making the same or more, so you can finally start working on your business instead of just in it. Get 50% off your first two months with Glossgenius! Let's connect on Instagram!

    16 min

  3. Jun 15

    Why Your Loyal Clientele Might Be Your Biggest Obstacle

    In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, Hunter Donia and Jodie Brown dig into a pattern Hunter kept seeing on calls with stylists who, on paper, have everything figured out. They're booked out, making six figures, and have built a loyal client base over a decade or more. But they're stuck, and they can't figure out why. Hunter breaks down what's really going on for these stylists, and it has nothing to do with talent, work ethic, or how good their business actually is. This episode unpacks the emotional and strategic blind spot that keeps successful stylists capped, and what it actually takes to break through. Key Takeaways: 🚧 The Glass Ceiling Most Successful Stylists Hit: Being booked three to four weeks out, hitting six figures, and having strong retention all feel like signs you've made it. But Hunter explains why these same indicators can actually mean you're at a ceiling, not a peak, especially if new client requests have slowed to a stop. 💔 Why Your Loyal Clients Might Be Holding You Back: The relationships you've spent years building can make it emotionally hard to raise prices, change your booking process, or shift your services, because it feels like you're inconveniencing or overcharging people who feel like friends. Hunter explains why this hesitation, while completely understandable, can quietly stall your growth. 📈 Price Increases Require New Clients, Period: A meaningful price increase will cause some client churn, and Hunter is clear that you need new client requests coming in to replace them. Without that pipeline, raising your prices safely just isn't realistic, no matter how strong your current business looks. 🎲 Why Word Of Mouth Alone Is A Risky Foundation: Word of mouth feels great, but Hunter points out that it's unpredictable and uncontrollable. You can't tweak it, scale it, or count on it bringing in the right kind of clients, which makes it a fragile base for real growth. 🔍 The Fix Is A Funnel You Actually Control: Hunter talks through why a strong website, an optimized Google My Business profile, and clear, research backed messaging matter more than posting on social media every day. These are the foundations that bring in consistent, aligned new client requests. 🛠️ It's Not About Doing More, It's About Doing The Right Things: Hunter reassures listeners that this isn't about ramping up content or hustling harder. It's about setting up the right systems once so they keep working for you, even with minimal ongoing effort. Why You Should Listen: If you've built a successful business but feel stuck at a level you can't seem to push past, this episode will help you understand why. Hunter offers an honest, practical breakdown of what's really holding stylists back at this stage, along with a clear path forward that doesn't require burning yourself out on social media. Get 50% off your first two months with Glossgenius! Let's connect on Instagram!

    20 min

  4. Jun 8

    Why You're Not As Smart (Or As Dumb) As You Think You Are

    In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, Hunter Donia and Jodie Brown explore a concept that hits differently depending on where you are in your business journey: the Dunning-Kruger effect, and what it actually means for hairstylists and beauty entrepreneurs trying to grow. Hunter gets candid about his own spiral after watching a TikTok that made him question whether his confidence in his work was a sign of expertise or a blind spot. What came out of that conversation with Jodie was something a lot of high performers will recognize: the early stages of business reward bold, fearless action, and the more you learn, the harder it gets to move fast. This episode unpacks both sides of that tension and what to do about it. Key Takeaways: 🪞 The Dunning-Kruger Effect In Real Life: The less you know about something, the more confident you tend to feel about it. True expertise brings nuance, and nuance brings doubt. If you have ever walked into a class thinking you already know everything, this one is for you. ⚡ Why Ignorance Can Actually Be A Superpower Early On: Hunter reflects on how not knowing what he did not know gave him the courage to take big swings at the start of his career. That confidence, even if uninformed, got him moving when hesitation would have kept him stuck. 🧠 How Knowledge Leads To Analysis Paralysis: The flip side of growing your expertise is that every decision starts to feel heavier. Hunter talks about how this plays out for high performers and why it is one of the most common things he coaches people through in Mastermind. 🚀 Done Is Better Than Perfect: Waiting for something to be perfect before you launch it means delaying the feedback that would actually make it better. Real examples from Hunter's own product rollouts make this one land. ✅ Two Takeaways To Walk Away With: Whether you are walking into rooms with too much ego or holding onto ideas for too long, Hunter closes with two clear, honest challenges to help you move forward smarter and faster. Why You Should Listen: If you have ever felt like you are getting in your own way, this episode reframes what that feeling might actually mean. Hunter and Jodie bring a refreshingly honest conversation about confidence, growth, and the messy middle of knowing enough to be dangerous to yourself. It is the kind of episode that makes you feel seen and then gives you something to do about it. Get 50% off your first two months with Glossgenius! Let's connect on Instagram!

    19 min

  5. Jun 1

    Is Selling A Digital Product The Right Move For You?

    In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, Hunter Donia and Jodie Brown have the honest, unfiltered conversation that so many beauty professionals need to hear before they go down the road of creating a digital product or online education business. This one started as an off-the-record rant between the two of them and turned into something too real not to share. Hunter breaks down what it actually takes to build a digital product that works, who it is genuinely a great fit for, and why the motivation behind your "why" matters more than most people realize. They also get into the passive income myth, the skill gaps nobody warns you about, and why optimizing the business you already have might be the smarter first move. Key Takeaways: 🎯 Motivation matters more than the idea: Hunter breaks down the difference between building something because you are genuinely passionate about it versus building something because you want out of what you are already doing. One leads to sustainability, and the other usually leads to burnout on two fronts. 💰 It is not passive income, sorry: Jodie sets the record straight on one of the most overhyped promises in the online business space. A digital product is a business, it requires real investment, real strategy, and real work, especially in the early stages. ✅ Know if you are actually ready: Hunter shares the markers he looks for when someone comes to him with this idea, including whether your current business is dialed in enough to give you the time and space to build something new without it all falling apart. 🧠 The skill gap is real: Jodie explains why most people underestimate how much there is to learn when it comes to building a brand, a funnel, and a sustainable online business, and why filling those gaps is what separates the people who make it from the ones who do not. 🔄 There is more than one path to the goal: Whether it is location independence, more income, or more time, Hunter and Jodie both make the case that you need to start with the end in mind and work backwards, because a digital product is not always the most direct route to what you actually want. Why You Should Listen If you have been thinking about creating a course, a digital product, or stepping into education as a second stream of income, this episode will give you a clear-eyed, no-fluff look at what that path actually involves. Hunter and Jodie are not here to talk you out of it or hype you up for no reason. They are here to make sure you go in with your eyes open. Get 50% off your first two months with Glossgenius! Let's connect on Instagram!

    22 min

  6. May 25

    How To Hire Help Without Wasting Money

    In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia and guest Jodie Brown break down what it actually looks like to hire support staff in your beauty business, why most stylists do it wrong, and how to make sure you get a real return on the investment. If you are a six-figure stylist who is maxed out, stuck doing everything yourself, and wondering if bringing someone on is the right move, this episode is for you. Hunter walks through the full hiring process from identifying the gap in your business that actually needs to be filled, to defining the role, finding candidates, and running a paid test project that tells you everything you need to know before you commit. He also introduces a framework for understanding the two types of hires and why knowing the difference before you post a single job listing will save you a significant amount of time, money, and frustration. Key Takeaways: 🔍 Know your gap before you hire anyone: Hunter outlines three types of gaps that signal it might be time to bring someone on: a volume gap where you could grow more if you just did more of what is already working, a low-leverage task gap where your time is being eaten up by maintenance work instead of growth, and a skill set gap where someone else will simply always do it better than you. Identifying which one you have changes everything about who you hire and why. ⚙️ Systematize before you outsource: Before spending money on a human, Hunter makes the case for automating and streamlining the task first. A bad system handed to a contractor is just an expensive bad system. Getting clear on your processes before hiring protects your investment and sets whoever you bring on up to actually succeed. 👥 There are two types of hires and you need to know which one you need: Hunter breaks down the difference between an initiative hire, someone with more experience than you who brings ideas and is held accountable to growth, and a linear hire, someone who follows a strong system and gets you time back. Both are valid. Hiring the wrong type for the wrong role is where most stylists lose money. 🧪 The test project is your most important filter: Hunter is direct about this one. The test project represents the most effort and the best work you will ever see from a candidate. If you are not genuinely impressed by it, do not move forward. Hiring out of desperation or settling because a candidate was the best of a weak pool is a mistake that will cost you. 🎯 Get intentional about what you will do with the time back: Hiring someone to take low-leverage tasks off your plate only pays off if you are clear about what you are going to do with that time. Whether you reinvest it into growing the business or use it to actually rest and live your life, both are valid choices. But going in without a plan means the investment is unlikely to feel worth it. Why You Should Listen: If you have been putting off hiring because it feels overwhelming, expensive, or risky, this episode gives you a clear and honest framework for doing it the right way. You will walk away knowing exactly what to look for, what to avoid, and how to make a hire that actually moves your business forward instead of adding more stress to your plate. Get 50% off your first two months with Glossgenius! Let's connect on Instagram!

    34 min

  7. May 18

    Increasing Profitability And Managing Your Finances As An Entrepreneur

    In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia and guest Jodie Brown get into the money conversation most stylists either avoid entirely or stress about at the wrong time. If you are an independent hairstylist or salon suite owner who has crossed or is approaching the six-figure mark and you want to actually understand what is happening with your money, this episode is for you. Hunter and Jodie walk through what financial management as a stylist entrepreneur actually looks like at different income levels, why the advice to cut expenses is not always the right move, and what it really means to increase your profitability. Hunter is candid about the limits of his own expertise while sharing the real frameworks he uses with Mastermind clients to help them take home more money without working more hours. Key Takeaways: 💰 Your revenue level determines your financial priority: Hunter makes a case that stylists earning under $75K should be less focused on financial management and more focused on making money in the first place. Once you cross the $100K threshold, the way you understand, organize, and move your money starts to actually matter and creates real opportunity. 📈 Increasing profit is about making more, not just spending less: At a certain revenue level, most necessary business expenses are what got you there in the first place. Hunter explains why the smarter move is learning to outpace your expenses through higher-profit services and strategic pricing rather than cutting the investments that are working. 📂 A bookkeeper is not a luxury, it is a baseline: Hunter breaks down the difference between a bookkeeper, an accountant, and a financial advisor, and why most stylists are expecting one person to do all three. Hiring a dedicated bookkeeper, often for as little as $150 to $200 a month, gives you clean, accessible numbers and takes a significant mental load off of you as the business owner. 🧾 You cannot make good decisions without knowing your numbers: Whether it is understanding how much to pay yourself, evaluating which expenses are worth keeping, or knowing when you qualify for an S-corp election, none of it is possible without a clear profit and loss picture. Hunter shares why facing your numbers, even when it feels uncomfortable, is one of the most empowering things you can do for your business. 😌 Financial clarity is a form of self care: Jodie speaks to the shift that happens when you stop avoiding your finances and start having someone help you manage them well. Moving from reactive to informed decision making changes not just your business outcomes but your day-to-day sense of stability and control. Why You Should Listen: If money feels like a stressful, confusing, or shameful topic in your business, this episode normalizes that feeling and then gives you a clear and practical starting point for changing it. You will leave understanding what financial tools are actually worth your attention at your income level, why knowledge is the fastest way to remove fear around money, and how to start making decisions from clarity rather than chaos. Get 50% off your first two months with Glossgenius! Let's connect on Instagram!

    22 min

  8. May 11

    What Being Overbooked Is Actually Costing You

    In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia and guest Jodie Brown break down what is actually happening beneath the surface when a hairstylist is overbooked and why being fully booked is not the finish line most stylists think it is. If you are three to four weeks booked solid, turning away new clients, and still feeling exhausted, stretched thin, and stuck, this episode is specifically for you. Hunter and Jodie walk through the real costs of staying overbooked for too long, from the administrative and operational weight that spills into your time off, to the income potential you are quietly capping every time you say no to a new client. This is not about being ungrateful for a full book. It is about understanding what it is actually costing you to stay there without a plan to scale out of it. Key Takeaways: 🪞 Overbooked is a phase, not a destination: Being fully booked feels like security, but Hunter breaks down why it is actually phase two of growth and why staying stuck in it without a strategy creates a glass ceiling that keeps pressing down on your income, your energy, and your future stability as a business. 💸 Saying no to new clients is costing you more than you think: When your book is maxed out, most stylists stop marketing and start turning away inquiries. Hunter explains why that decision quietly caps your income potential and why a steady flow of new clients is not optional, even when you feel like you cannot fit anyone else in. ⚙️ The administrative weight is what burns you out first: It is not always the hours behind the chair. Hunter and Jodie talk through how a large client roster creates an equally large operational load outside of work and how automating and systematizing your client communication is often the fastest way to reclaim mental capacity and breathing room. ⏱️ Streamlining the in-chair experience is an overlooked lever: Hunter shares why systematizing what happens during the appointment itself, not just the booking and communication around it, creates real efficiency gains that let you deliver excellent results in less time without compromising the client experience. 📈 Scaling out responsibly means manipulating the right levers: From strategic price increases to building out systems to eventually increasing supply through hiring, Hunter walks through the actual options available to a stylist at this stage and why approaching them in the right order makes all the difference between coming out ahead and burning the whole thing down. Why You Should Listen: If you have worked hard to build a full book and you are now drowning in it, this episode gives you an honest and clear picture of what is actually going on and what you can do about it. You will leave understanding that overbooked is a solvable problem, that the cost of staying there is higher than you realize, and that there is a responsible path forward that does not require starting over. Get 50% off your first two months with Glossgenius! Let's connect on Instagram!

    27 min
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4.9
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137 Ratings

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Teaching you how to grow your beauty business as a hairstylist or salon owner without the overwhelm by implementing modern strategies so you can reclaim time, freedom and energy from working behind the chair.

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