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. 1d ago

    Part 1: Pro's And Con's Of Trending Service Niches

    In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, Hunter Donia and Jodie Brown kick off a two part series breaking down the real pros and cons of some of the most popular service niches in the hair industry right now. Hunter has said for years that niching down is one of the most powerful things a stylist can do for their business, and this episode is proof of that. But it also gets honest about the fact that every niche comes with its own unique set of challenges that do not always get talked about. Hunter pulls directly from his experience working with over 20 six figure, fully booked Mastermind students, the majority of whom have a service specialty, to walk through what these niches actually look like from a business perspective once you are inside them. Key Takeaways: 🧖 Head Spa: High Demand, But Is It Sustainable? The head spa trend is creating explosive growth for stylists who jump on it early, and the content marketing almost sells itself. But Hunter is honest that building your entire business on a trend is a risk, and that the marketing strategy for this niche is closer to a spa than a traditional hair business, which requires a very different approach to retention, gifting, and pricing. 🌀 Curly Hair Specialist: Massive Demand, Massive Operational Challenges: This is the niche Hunter has the most hands on experience with through his students, and he is clear that curly specialists are some of the most in demand stylists out there. The problem is not getting clients, it is managing the volume, the low conversion rates, the emotional weight of the work, and the lower frequency of return visits. Hunter shares how he has helped his curly specialist students crack the code on all of it. 💇 Extensions: High Ticket, High Retention, High Risk: Extensions can be extraordinarily profitable, and the before and after content practically markets itself. But Hunter breaks down the concept of client concentration risk, the volatility of inventory supply, the higher barrier to entry, and why building your entire business around a small number of high ticket clients is a model that requires careful strategy and strong new client flow to stay stable. 🎯 Every Niche Creates A Different Game: The through line of this episode is that specializing is powerful, but it changes the rules of how you grow and scale. The problems you face as a niche stylist are fundamentally different from those of a generalist, and understanding that upfront can save you a lot of confusion and frustration down the road. Why You Should Listen: Whether you are considering diving into one of these niches or you are already in one and wondering why certain things feel harder than they should, this episode gives you the honest, unfiltered business breakdown that most people in the industry are not talking about. Tune in for part two where Hunter and Jodie Brown cover toppers, men's toppers, gray transformation, and trichology. Let's connect on Instagram!

  2. Jul 13

    How To Actually Decide What Is Next For Your Business

    In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, Hunter Donia and Jodie Brown dig into a conversation that comes up constantly at the higher levels of business: you have hit a glass ceiling, you know you want more, and suddenly you are looking left and right at every possible next move instead of figuring out how to keep going up. Hunter shares a real story from a current Mastermind student who is making incredible money working three days a week, has strong demand, and is still feeling capped. The options on the table were a digital product, becoming an influencer, hiring an assistant, or doubling down on her most profitable service. This episode breaks down exactly how Hunter thinks through those decisions and what he helps his students land on. Key Takeaways: 🪟 When You Hit A Glass Ceiling, You Start Looking Sideways: Hunter explains why high performers instinctively start chasing new ideas when growth stalls, and why that sideways energy is almost always harder and riskier than doubling down on what is already proven to work. ⚖️ Every Growth Option Has A Cost: Whether it is a digital product, an assistant, or a new service direction, every path forward comes with its own friction, discomfort, and learning curve. Hunter is clear that none of these options are easy, which means the question is not which one is painless but which hard you are willing to choose. 📈 Double Down On The Most Profitable Service First: When the goal is simply to make more money, Hunter almost always comes back to the same answer: look at your most profitable service per hour and figure out how to fill more of your calendar with it. It is already proven, your audience already exists, and the revenue math usually works out to be significant. 🔥 Passion Is A Valid Variable In The Equation: Hunter gets nuanced here. Even when the strategic path is clear on paper, if you have zero excitement about it, you are not going to go above and beyond to make it work. If there is something you are genuinely obsessed with, that passion can actually move the needle in ways that a clean strategy without motivation cannot. 🧭 A Great Consultant Helps You Find Your Own Answer: Hunter shares how he approaches these conversations with Mastermind students by laying out the pros, cons, and risks of each option without pushing his own bias, and then letting the person lead themselves to the right decision for their business and their life. Why You Should Listen: If you are in a season where you feel like you have maxed out what got you here and you are not sure which direction to grow next, this episode gives you a real framework for thinking it through. Hunter is honest, practical, and grounded in what actually works, and this conversation is one of the most useful ones he has had on the podcast for stylists at the higher levels of business. Let's connect on Instagram!

  3. Jul 6

    Generic Business Advice Might Be Sending You In The Wrong Direction

    In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, Hunter Donia and Jodie Brown break down something Hunter has been seeing come up again and again in his private coaching calls: stylists spiraling over business advice that was never meant for them in the first place. Hunter shares three real conversations he had recently with stylists who were each convinced they had a major problem in their business. Spoiler: none of them actually did. This episode is about learning how to filter the noise, read your own numbers, and stop letting general advice pull your focus away from what actually matters for your unique situation. Key Takeaways: 🔢 Your Numbers Are The Answer: The fastest way to know whether a piece of business advice applies to you is to look at your data. If your numbers tell you something is working, it is working, regardless of what a podcast, an expert, or an Instagram post says you should be worried about. 🚫 One-Size-Fits-All Advice Has A Ceiling: General industry advice is built for the majority, and the majority has not hit six figures yet. Once you are in that space, your business is too unique and too nuanced for blanket rules to reliably apply. Hunter is clear that what got you here is probably not what gets you further. 🎯 You Have To Diagnose The Right Problem First: Hunter walks through his framework for identifying whether you have the right problem paired with the right fix, the wrong problem with the right fix, or some messy combination of both. Fixing the wrong thing, no matter how well you do it, will not move the needle. 💡 More Leads Is Not Always The Answer: In one of the three examples, a salon getting 10 new client requests a day was convinced they needed better SEO. They did not. They had a conversion problem. Hunter breaks down why chasing more traffic when your follow-through is broken is a waste of time and energy. 🧠 Stop Rebranding When Your Brand Is Working: Hunter gets into why hairstylists, especially creative ones, tend to gravitate toward fun, visible fixes like a rebrand when the real issue is something less exciting to tackle. If ideal clients are finding you and booking, your brand is not the problem. Why You Should Listen: If you have ever heard something on a podcast, in a class, or from a mentor and immediately started questioning everything about your business, this episode will help you get out of your own head. Hunter gives you a practical way to evaluate advice against your own numbers so you can stop spiraling and start focusing on what actually needs your attention right now. Get 50% off your first two months with Glossgenius! Let's connect on Instagram!

  4. Jun 29

    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!

  5. 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!

  6. 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!

  7. 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!

  8. 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!

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4.9
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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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