Are You Afraid to Be Seen?

Have you ever wanted to ask another hairstylist for help, but stopped yourself because you were worried about how it might make you look?

Or maybe you've wanted to try a new service, post your work, show your face online, share what you know, or put yourself out there in a bigger way...but then you started thinking about what everyone else might think.

Sometimes the thing keeping us from growing isn't a lack of knowledge.

It's the fear of being judged.

In this episode of Cutting Through It, I'm sharing something personal: I thought about starting this podcast for years. And one of the things holding me back wasn't whether I could actually do it, it was knowing that my family, friends, and people who knew me were going to hear it.

I had to learn something I'm still reminding myself of today:

You don't have to stop being nervous before you allow yourself to be seen.

We'll talk about how fear of judgment shows up behind the chair and in your business—and I'll give you a simple way to work through it when it does.

You'll learn how to:

Because confidence doesn't always come before action. Sometimes action is how we build the confidence.

Your challenge this week

What's one thing you've been holding yourself back from doing because you're worried about what someone else might think?

Name the fear. Think about who could benefit if you did it anyway. Then take one small step.

You don't have to feel completely ready. Sometimes you just have to do it nervous.

Let's keep the conversation going

I'd really love to hear what you're going to do nervous. Come join me in the FREE On Point Pro community and tell me. I want this to be a place where hairstylists can ask questions, share what they're working through, learn from one another, and realize they're not the only ones figuring things out along the way.

You can join the community and find all of my other resources on my Links & Resources page. While you're there, grab my FREE tutorial, Four Ways to Get Clients in Your Chair Fast, with simple, actionable steps you can start using today to help get more clients into your chair.

onpointhairbysherri.com/links

If this episode made you think of another hairstylist who's been holding herself back, send it to her.

And make sure you follow or subscribe to Cutting Through It so you don't miss what's coming next.

You have a website. You're posting your work. You're showing up online.

But here's the question:

Can the right clients actually find you?

In this episode of Cutting Through It, we're taking the next step in our conversation about your online presence and talking about something that can sound a little intimidating at first: SEO.

But don't worry—we're not turning you into a marketing expert.

I'm breaking SEO down in hairstylist language and showing you how being more intentional about the words you use online can help Google better understand who you are, what you specialize in, and where you're located.

And we're bringing AI into the conversation, too.

What SEO means and why it matters to hairstylists

Why getting specific about what you do can make a difference online

How to start thinking like the client who's searching for you

Why your website and Google presence need to clearly communicate your specialties

How AI can help you uncover the words and questions your ideal clients may actually be searching for

Why you shouldn't let AI take away your personality and voice

You don't need to understand every technical piece of SEO.

You need to make it easier for the right client to understand:

This stylist does what I'm looking for. She's in my area. And I want to know more.

Choose one service you would love to become better known for.

Then think about your ideal client.

If she needed that service but didn't know your name, what would she type into Google to find someone like you?

That's where we're going to start.

🎧 Listen to this episode of Cutting Through It and learn how SEO and AI can work together to help the right clients find you.

I'd love to hear what you discover when you start looking at your own online presence.

Come join us in the FREE On Point Pro community. It's a place for hairstylists to ask questions, share ideas, get tips, and have conversations about growing behind the chair and building a stronger business.

Grab my FREE tutorial, Four Ways to Get Clients in Your Chair Fast, where I’ll walk you through simple, actionable steps you can start using today to help get more clients into your chair.

Find everything here:👇

https://www.onpointhairbysherri.com/links

And if you know another hairstylist who's wondering how to get found online, send this episode their way.

Make sure you follow or subscribe to Cutting Through It so you don't miss what's coming next.

Because it's one thing to be online.

It's another thing to be found.

If a potential client Googled you today, what would they find?

If Cutting Through It is helping you think differently about your business behind the chair, make sure you follow or subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next.

And if you know another hairstylist who could use this conversation, send this episode their way.

I'll see you in the next episode of Cutting Through It.

Have you ever had a client say, "I'm not happy with my hair," and immediately felt your stomach drop?

Before you even know exactly what she's unhappy about, your mind starts racing. Did I mess it up? Should I offer to redo it? Should I give her money back? Is she going to leave a bad review? Maybe I'm not as good at this as I thought I was…

That moment can make even an experienced hairstylist question herself.

But how you handle those first few minutes matters.

Because handled well, an unhappy client doesn't necessarily mean a lost client. In fact, the way you respond can actually build trust and strengthen the relationship.

Handled poorly? A small concern can turn into a much bigger problem — and leave you replaying the entire appointment in your head for days.

In this episode of Cutting Through It, I'm sharing a simple framework built around one word: STOP.

It will help you slow down, listen to what your client is actually telling you, respond professionally, and confidently lead the conversation toward a solution — without immediately becoming defensive, giving everything away, or deciding you must be terrible at what you do.

Because the goal isn't just to fix the hair.

It's to protect the relationship with your client, protect your business, and protect your confidence behind the chair.

If client complaints make you nervous or you've ever walked away from one questioning yourself, this is an episode you need to hear.

Want More Clients in Your Chair?

If you're working on building your clientele, grab my free 5 Easy Ways to Attract New Clients & Fill Your Chair training.

In about 20 minutes, I'll walk you through five practical things you can start doing to get yourself in front of more potential clients and start filling those openings in your book

.Free training link: https://www.onpointhairbysherri.com/free-training

And if this episode helped you, share it with another hairstylist who could use it and subscribe to Cutting Through It so you don't miss the next episode.

Pixie cuts and short haircuts can feel intimidating, especially when a client shows you a photo of a haircut you've never done before.

Mistakes, misunderstandings, and services that don't go as planned can happen, even when you're an experienced hairstylist. But sometimes the biggest mistake isn't what happened behind the chair. It's what happens next.

In this episode of Cutting Through It, I'm talking about a story I recently came across — a client who went public on TikTok after a bad experience and what it reveals about how we handle those uncomfortable moments with our clients. When one unhappy client can share their experience with thousands of people online, how we respond matters more than ever.

Triggering Questions

Highlights

 You don't have to have all the answers before you pick up the phone. Sometimes the most important thing you can do is simply be willing to listen.

If you're a hairstylist who knows how to do hair but feels like you're still trying to figure out the business side of this career, I created something specifically for you. Own Your Chair Like a Pro is a step-by-step program designed to help you build your brand, attract the right clients, create an experience that keeps them coming back, and build the business foundation underneath your chair. You can learn all about it here👇

Have you ever been so afraid of failing at something that you actually created the very failure you were trying to avoid?

Or maybe you've tried something new behind the chair like a haircut you weren't comfortable with, a harder consultation, talking to someone about what you do and because it didn't come easily, you started thinking:

“Maybe I'm just not good at this.”

Maybe you've even said:

“I just don't get haircutting. Color comes so much easier to me, so maybe I'll just stick with that.”

Or maybe consultations feel awkward, so you tell yourself you're just not good at talking to people.

But what if none of that is actually true?

What if you're simply in a stage of learning that feels uncomfortable and you're allowing that feeling to decide what you're capable of?

In this episode of Cutting Through It, I'm sharing a story from when I was 15 years old and on the swim team. I was called in at the last minute to swim the 100 butterfly in place of our star swimmer.

Butterfly was actually my favorite stroke. I knew how to swim it.

But I got so inside my own head and put so much pressure on myself that when the race started, I took off swimming freestyle instead and got disqualified.

Looking back, I can see something I couldn't see at 15:

My talent didn't disqualify me. My identity did.

And I think we do this behind the chair more often than we realize.

Something feels hard. We don't understand it right away. We try it a few times and struggle. And pretty soon, instead of thinking, “I haven't learned this yet,” we start thinking, “I'm just not good at this.”

That's a very different story to tell yourself.

In this episode, I want to introduce you to something called the Learning Cycle and show you why these feelings can actually be a normal part of learning something new.

Once you understand where you are in that cycle, you can start asking yourself:

Is this really something I'm not capable of doing or am I simply uncomfortable because I haven't learned it yet?

Because there's a stage in learning where you suddenly become very aware of what you don't know.

And that's often the exact point where we want to quit.

But what if instead of quitting, you recognized it for what it was?

You're learning.

My hope is that after listening to this episode, you'll have a new way to look at those moments when you're frustrated, uncomfortable, or tempted to tell yourself, “I'm just not good at this.”

Because sometimes you don't need more talent.

You just need to stay in the learning process long enough to discover what you're actually capable of.

Don't confuse where you are in the learning cycle with who you are as a person.

And remember:

Confidence doesn't come before action. Identity comes before confidence.

FREE Tutorial + Checklist: 5 Easy Ways to Attract New Clients & Fill Your Chair

If building your clientele is something you're struggling with, I created this short, free training to give you five practical things you can start doing right now to get yourself out there, attract new clients, and start filling your chair.

Watch the FREE Training + Get the Checklist

Visit On Point Hair by Sherri

Join the Facebook Community

Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook: @onpointhairbysherri

Questions? [email protected]

If you know a hairstylist who's been struggling with something new and starting to wonder whether she's just not good at it, share this episode with her.

And make sure you subscribe to Cutting Through It so you don't miss next week's episode.

Have you ever wondered if you should stay in commission, rent a chair, move into a salon suite, or even own a salon?

If so, you're not alone.

In this episode of Cutting Through It, we're talking about one of the most emotional decisions hairstylists face. Too often, we compare our journey to someone else's and begin to believe that moving to a different salon environment somehow means we're moving backwards.

The truth is, your success isn't determined by where you work — it's determined by the decisions you make and the value you bring behind the chair.

In this episode, I share how to evaluate the different salon environments through the lens of a business owner instead of through comparison, fear, or pride. Whether you're just starting out or you're considering a big change, this episode will help you think through your next step with confidence and clarity.

In this episode, you'll learn:

If you've been second-guessing your next move or wondering whether you're on the right path, I hope this episode reminds you that your chair becomes successful because of the person standing behind it — not because of the address where it's located.

🎉 Own Your Chair Like a Pro is officially open, and I'm personally inviting the first 10 hairstylists to build this with me. You'll get $100 off with code FIRST10. I'd love for one of these spots to be yours: https://www.onpointhairbysherri.com/own-your-chair-like-a-pro

FREE RESOURCES

Free Tutorial + Checklist: 5 Ways to Get More Clients in Your Chair

Visit My Website

Join My Free Facebook Community

Follow Me

Enjoying the Podcast?

Email Me

Why are clients leaving your chair unhappy even when they seem happy with the service"?

 (1) the consultation IS the work, not small talk before it.

 (2) learn to decipher what a client means, not just what they say.

(3) Be willing to tell clients the truth, even when it's not what they asked for.

 (4) Expand your skill range past your go-to styles

FREE RESOURCES

Free Tutorial + Checklist: 5 Ways to Get More Clients in Your Chair

Visit My Website

Join My Free Facebook Community

Follow Me

Enjoying the Podcast?

Email Me

Do you ever wonder what your numbers would actually look like if you stopped guessing and started really knowing your business?

Have you ever quietly wished you could scale back your schedule… without your income falling apart?

Do you keep your personal and business money so tangled together that you couldn't tell someone your real numbers if you tried?

In this episode of Cutting Through It, I'm getting personal about my own numbers after 40 years behind the chair, including the schedule I run today and what it actually took to get here.

Because the truth is…for a long time, I had no real idea what I was actually making.

In this episode, I'm walking you through the story behind my numbers, the early years of breaking even, the burnout that followed, and the shift that changed everything about how I run my business today.

 In This Episode, You'll Learn:

If you're ready to stop guessing about your business and start building a schedule and income that actually works for your life, I'd love for you to join me inside my free workshop:

FREE RESOURCES

Free Tutorial + Checklist: 5 Ways to Get More Clients in Your Chair

Visit My Website

Join My Free Facebook Community

Follow Me

Enjoying the Podcast?

Email Me