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Black Hair Reimagined by @echelon_noir was more than a runway show, it was a celebration of artistry, identity, and beauty in all its forms from head to toe. |
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A few weeks ago, Stephen broke his leg.
Just one of those things that happens when it happens. And like most unexpected things, the timing felt completely inconvenient. Because it always does, doesn't it?
Watching him navigate those first few days brought a question to the surface that we don't ask ourselves often enough - what does my foundation actually look and feel like right now?
If you're an independent hairdresser, you already know the answer has layers. You're not just the person behind the chair, you're also the person managing the books, fielding the messages, building the clientele, and quietly holding a lot of things together all at once. There's no HR department sending you paperwork. There's no paid leave policy to fall back on. When something unexpected happens, it lands squarely on you.
This newsletter volume isn't here to tell you what you should have saved, or what medical plan you should be on, or hand you a checklist and send you on your way. We're not in a position to do that, and honestly, we don't think that's where the real conversation starts anyway.
What we do want to open up is an idea and a conversation. One of having some kind of foundation, whatever that looks like for you, wherever you're at.
Something to land on if the ground shifts.
For some people that foundation is financial. For others it's a network, knowing you could call your salon bestie who would show up, cover a shift, make a call. For some it's information: knowing what options exist, even if you haven't needed them yet. There's no single version of what "prepared" looks like. But there's a big difference between having thought about it and not.
We've pulled together some reading, a few distractions, and, because sometimes you just need to let your mind wander somewhere calm, a playlist to sit with while you do. No pressure. Just an invitation to think about it a little.
Take care of yourselves.
-The salonMonster team |
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Let's talk about the 'Request Feature'
The request feature puts you back in the driver's seat when it comes to your bookings. Instead of clients being able to book directly into your calendar without you, appointments come in as requests that you review and confirm on your own time. Nothing gets locked in until you say so.
It's a small toggle you'll find it in your booking settings, but what it gives you is real breathing room. Whether you're navigating something unexpected, easing back in after time away or just going through a season where you want a little more control, turning this on means your calendar works for you instead of the other way around.
You might not need it today. But knowing it's there - and knowing how to flip it on quickly if something comes up - is exactly the kind of small foundation we're talking about in this issue.
You'll find it in your settings - booking settings - it's the first toggle at the top. Worth a look. |
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Tools
Meet your new self-care best friend! Finch is a self-care pet app that helps you feel prepared and positive, one day at a time. Take care of your pet by taking care of yourself! Choose from a wide variety of self-care exercises personalized for you.
Struggling with stress, mental health, or need motivation? Is self-care a chore? Finch makes self-care finally feel rewarding, lightweight, and fun. Complete quick self-care exercises to grow your pet, earn rewards, and improve mental health! People who struggle with mental health, goals, meditation, and journaling found it easier to be mindful with their self-care pet in the Finch app! |
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Distractions
Interview magazine, founded by Andy Warhol and John Wilcock in 1969, is an iconic American publication known as "The Crystal Ball of Pop". It features intimate, conversational interviews between celebrities, artists, and creative minds, alongside high-fashion photography. The magazine covers culture, music, film, and art. |
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Behind the software is a team that genuinely cares about independent hairdressers. The Independent Chair is where we get to say so in long form. |
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When the Ground Shifts Do You Have a Plan? (And No, We Don't Mean a Financial One)
It was during one of our regular weekly meetings that we actually stopped and named what was happening. We'd lost one leg of the stool. And the stool was still standing, but we all felt it. The weight had redistributed. We were each quietly carrying a little more, while also trying to make sure our teammate knew things were okay so they could actually focus on healing. And on top of all of that, we were managing our own feelings about it, the worry, the uncertainty, the mental load of holding someone else's wellbeing alongside your own work and your own goals. |
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Becoming a hairstylist was always about one thing for me—building a career that allowed me to be present for my children. After spending several years working in a high-end salon, I made the decision to step away and begin working from home while my babies were still small.
Not long after, an opportunity came along to open a small salon in a small town. The rent was affordable, the space needed only minor renovations, and the investment felt manageable. I had no experience running a business, but I took the chance anyway.
What started small grew naturally over time.
Today, more than ten years later, my salon has expanded to include two additional stylists renting chairs, a full boutique of professional haircare products, and a lash and brow technician renting a private room.
I share this because it’s important to remember—starting small is okay. Growing at your own pace is okay. Stepping away from a high-end environment to build something that fits your life is okay. Taking chances can lead to something truly rewarding.
And through it all, never stop educating yourself.
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One of the many "tabs open in my brain" at the moment... what does it actually feel like to know things are going to be okay? Not because you have a plan on paper or some savings, but because the people around you have it handled. That whoever needs to step back, can.
That feeling is its own kind of foundation. And it got me thinking about what that looks like for all of us, individually.
That's kind of what this playlist is for.
When we started putting this newsletter volume together... thinking about what it means to have something solid under you when life does what it does... I kept coming back to the idea that some thoughts need a little ambient pressure to surface. Not silence, exactly. Just something running underneath that isn't asking you to pay attention to it.
Long Exhale is what came out of that. AIR, Underworld, The xx, Black Marble... music that has weight to it without being heavy. Songs that can hold space in a room or hold space in your head, without crowding out whatever you're trying to work through.
If this newsletter stirs anything up for you... a question you've been putting off, something you've been meaning to look into... I hope this is a good playlist to have on while you sit with it.
— Annie |
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Thanks for being here
Whether you've been with us for years or just found us at 2am in a scheduling spiral — welcome.
Running a salon is no joke. We're just here to make it slightly less chaotic. — Liam, Stephen, Annie, Denber, Layla & Niku |
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Marcia Leal Hair Studio, designed by Sarturi Gumz Arquitetos, is a 68-square-meter beauty salon in Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil, that trades the sterile feel of a typical commercial unit for the warmth of a “salon-home.” Its vibe is intimate, tactile, and unhurried, shaped by ceramic flooring, brushed terracotta quartzite, ecological brick cobogó, exposed concrete, wood objects, and antique pieces.
The clever move is the large central table: instead of treating waiting, reception, coffee, and conversation as secondary functions, it turns them into the spatial heart of the salon, making care feel less like a service transaction and more like being welcomed into someone’s home.
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Ctrl + Stephen
Random thoughts on business and tech |
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When the Ground Shifts
A few weeks ago, I broke my leg.
Not mountain biking. Not doing something dramatic. Not launching myself off a cliff with questionable judgment.
Fly fishing.
Which honestly feels a little rude.
I spend a fair bit of time doing things that many people would consider risky — mountain biking, multi-day backpacks in the mountain, the occasional “this seems like a terrible idea” activity — but those are usually the moments where I’m actually the most focused. I’m operating within my skill range. I’m paying attention. I’m committed.
Most of the time, the injuries happen somewhere much less exciting. A moment where your focus drifts because you don’t think you’re at risk.
I think there’s something interesting in that.
As I’ve been stuck on the couch with my leg elevated, now my temporary office for the next few months, I’ve been thinking a lot about foundations. About what happens when life suddenly shifts underneath you.
One of the ideas that’s stayed with me for years comes from Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He talks about what he calls the “Maturity Continuum”: the progression from dependence, to independence, and finally to interdependence.
When we’re young, independence feels like the ultimate goal. We want to prove we can do everything ourselves. We associate needing help with weakness. Independence feels like adulthood.
But the older I get, the more I think that’s incomplete.
Interdependence is the real win.
The ability to build a life where people show up for each other. Where community exists. Where support flows both directions. Where you’re not carrying the entire weight of existence alone.
If I were still trying to live as a fiercely independent island, I’d be in trouble right now.
Instead, I’ve been surrounded by kindness.
Friends checking in. People offering help. Food arriving. Rides being offered. Work being covered. Patience from my team while I navigate this strange temporary reality of couch-based living.
And honestly? It’s emotional. I feel incredibly lucky.
It’s reminded me that your community doesn’t need to be massive. But building the right community around yourself matters deeply — your friends, your team, your clients, your collaborators, your family. The culture you create around yourself becomes the thing that catches you when the ground shifts.
I think this applies to salons too.
The strongest businesses I know aren’t built solely on talent. They’re built on relationships. Trust. Mutual support. People who genuinely want each other to succeed.
That’s the real foundation.
Not perfection. Not control. Not pretending we’ll never need help.
Just good people, connected well.
I’m beyond grateful for mine.
You know who you are.
— Stephen. |
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Got a hairdresser friend? That's $100 waiting to happen!
Refer a friend to salonMonster and earn $100 when they sign up for a paid account.
Simple as that. |
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Talking Shop with Liam
The Digital Chair Podcast Episodes and more |
Hairdressers are dealing with more inspiration photos, faster trends, bigger expectations, and now AI-generated “hair” that sometimes is not even possible on a real human head.
In this conversation, Liam sits down with Sonya Dove to talk about what real longevity in the hair industry looks like: patience, mentorship, honest education, creative growth, and telling the truth when a client’s dream hair needs more time than social media makes it seem. Sonya shares stories from her 45 years in hairdressing, including her early competition days, her long relationship with Wella, her move from England to the United States, and the lessons that shaped her as an educator and mentor. |
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Saved for Later...
Interesting links that crossed our path |
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Kid Cudi/Scotty Ramone, photographed by Nils Müller. |
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Kid Cudi Is Artmaxxing.
KAWS Has Some Questions. |
Why is Kid Cudi painting now? It’s the question one asks when the man who turned emo rap into public therapy quietly swaps the studio for a sketchpad and reintroduces himself under a new artistic alias: Scotty Ramon. Fresh off his artist documentary Echoes of the Past |
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image from salonownerscollective.com article |
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How to Create Systems in Your Salon Business To Increase Profit and CEO Freedom - Salon Owners Collective |
You didn’t open your salon to become the person everyone depends on. But somehow… that’s exactly what happened. Your team asks you everything. Clients expect you to fix everything. And every day feels like a stream of little decisions flying at you. “Can I take Saturday off?” “How do we do this service?” “Where’s the consultation form?” “Is it okay if I…?” |
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image from hairstory.com article |
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Hairdresser Health: Risks & Remedies |
You make your jobs look easy. You put on smiles, exude graciousness and hospitality, and make clients feel like the center of the universe. But your job is far from easy. Being a hairdresser is a difficult career path, and in fact, it’s downright dangerous with painful and poisonous health problems facing your body and mind. |
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Monster SightingsEvents to check out |
Be+Well | Beauty and Wellness Show June 27-29, 2026 Las Vegas Convention Center
The International Beauty Show (IBS) and International Esthetic, Cosmetic & Spa Conference (IECSC) in Las Vegas have been where thousands of beauty, spa, and wellness professionals come to perfect their craft, discover innovations, learn from the masters, and connect with their community. Now, both shows have united under one powerful brand: Be+Well | Beauty and Wellness Show – the Ultimate Event for Hair + Skin + Body Pros.
Same iconic events. Same legendary quality. Expanded opportunities. The brands and exhibitors you trust (400+). The education that elevates your craft (100+ paid and free education). The community you've built (13,000+ professionals). Now with even more cross-category innovations and connections to help you deliver the holistic experiences your clients are asking for.
Toronto Barber Expo: Hairfest Chapter IV Sunday, June 28, 2026
Iconic Men proudly presents the Toronto Barber Expo Hairfest Chapter IV powered by BabylissPro on June 28th, 2026 at the Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto.
Get ready for over 40+ influencers from all over the world under one roof! Full education – competitions, private classes, over 120 vendors, cash bar, top-notch restaurants, hotel & casino.
WEIRDFEST 2026 July 15 – 18, 2026 Park City, UT
Join our team members, family, friends, neighbors, townies, and scores of badass CULT+KING hair stylists from around the country for our annual outdoor warehouse jam.
The Ultimate Curly Hair Experience 2026-The Curlverse
Location: 37 Carl Hall Rd unit 2Toronto, ON Date: Sunday, Aug 16 from 2 pm to 7 pm
Step into The Curlverse, where beauty meets tech in 5 hours of curly hair empowerment and immersive experiences like never before! Welcome to The Curlverse: The Ultimate Curly Hair Experience 2026! Presented by Curly Girl Meetup Inc. back for our 8th anniversary with the most anticipated curly hair summit in Canada!
This isn’t just an event, it’s an immersive celebration of curls, culture, community and innovation. Expect 5 hours of interactive and immersive experiences, creativity, and curly hair education like never before.
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Honestly? We love making this newsletter.
The feedback we get from this community keeps us going, and putting the Digest together every two weeks is one of our favorite things we do.
Thank you for reading - it means more than you know. |
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