How To Cut It in the Hairdressing Industry

Still guessing your prices?

If you’re a freelance hairdresser or salon owner who feels guilty raising rates, this episode is your permission slip—and your plan. In this How To Cut It panel, Georgia Bell, Ruth Lundstrum (Freelance Suite), Samantha Toogood, and Samantha Blues reveal why hair pros undercharge and how to price with confidence. We strip emotion from money, swap rigid menus for bespoke, hair-type packages, and build pricing that covers wages, tax/VAT, profit, pensions, sick pay, education, and cancellations. Ruth busts the “clients can’t afford it” myth—spending is a choice—and shares real numbers, including intentionally outpriced services that prove value sells.

Learn when to raise prices, how to stay booked, and the differences between salon and solo realities, plus the financial gaps NVQs leave behind.

Hear how they opened at speed, navigated Leicester’s lockdown from a family garage, and replaced “ladies/gents” with gender‑neutral, length‑ and time‑based pricing. They share lessons on risk‑taking, constant education, and turning hate toward their Pride flag into powerful community solidarity, culminating in a 140‑person drag‑queen re‑raising.

Plus, their growth playbook: DMing influencers, smart pro bono collabs that led to Netflix premiere work and headline moments, and brand partnerships with L’Oréal. If you want culture, pricing, and marketing strategies that actually move the needle, this one’s for you. Hit Play!

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Are scary ingredient headlines warping your colour decisions? In this episode brought to you by Wella Professionals UKI, we’re joined by Ursus Schweitzer—an R&D connector who bridges the lab and the salon floor. He observes how productsare really used, then translates complex chemistry into clear, salon-ready truths.

Ursus cuts through the noise and decode what’s really inside the bottle so you can make smarter choices and educate clients with confidence.

You’ll learn how to separate study-based evidence from clickbait, why full formulations and purpose-built systems (including alkalizers) matter more than single “hero” or “villain” ingredients, how credible sourcing, biodegradability, and sustainability guide modern development, and practical ways to translate science into salon language.

An episode perfect for hairdressers and salon owners who are ready to swap noise for knowledge. Hit play!

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RESOURCES

Are scary ingredient headlines warping your colour decisions? In this episode brought to you by Wella Professionals UKI, we’re joined by Ursus Schweitzer—an R&D connector who bridges the lab and the salon floor. He observes how productsare really used, then translates complex chemistry into clear, salon-ready truths.

Ursus cuts through the noise and decode what’s really inside the bottle so you can make smarter choices and educate clients with confidence.

You’ll learn how to separate study-based evidence from clickbait, why full formulations and purpose-built systems (including alkalizers) matter more than single “hero” or “villain” ingredients, how credible sourcing, biodegradability, and sustainability guide modern development, and practical ways to translate science into salon language.

An episode perfect for hairdressers and salon owners who are ready to swap noise for knowledge. Hit play!

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Are scary ingredient headlines warping your colour decisions? In this episode brought to you by Wella Professionals UKI, we’re joined by Ursus Schweitzer—an R&D Product Developer who bridges the lab and the salon floor. He observes how products are really used, then translates complex chemistry into clear, salon-ready truths.

Ursus cuts through the noise and decode what’s really inside the bottle so you can make smarter choices and educate clients with confidence.

You’ll learn how to separate study-based evidence from clickbait, why full formulations and purpose-built systems (including alkalisers) matter more than single “hero” or “villain” ingredients, how credible sourcing, biodegradability, and sustainability guide modern development, and practical ways to translate science into salon language.

An episode perfect for hairdressers and salon owners who are ready to swap noise for knowledge. Hit play!

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Samantha discusses why many stylists are taught to focus on the finished look rather than what is happening inside the hair, and why hair reading, residue, underlying pigment and consultation questions are essential. She also covers toners, colour correction and the limits of relying on formulas alone, saying the goal is to build confidence, structure and better client communication.

Hit Play!

In this episode, I break down why stage work matters for hairdressers and barbers. It builds confidence, sharpens your communication, and transforms how you show up behind the chair.

I explore how performing unlocks creativity you didn’t know you had. How it opens doors to educator roles, brand work, and art teams. And why live visibility still hits different in a world dominated by algorithms.

I also share my own journey learning stage craft—and introduce SHAIR! UNDRGRND, a raw, unfiltered stage format I created for rising talent.

Plus, I announce SHAIR! UNDRGRND at HairCon Manchester, 14-15 June.

Ready to take your first step onto stage? Hit play.

EPISODE RESOURCES

APPLY FOR A STAGE SPOT AT SHAIR! UNDRGRND HERE

GET TICKETS TO HAIRCON HERE (USE CODE HTC10 FOR 10% OFF ALL TICKET PURCHASE)

FOLLOW SHAIR! ON INSTAGRAM @WEARESHAIR

CONNECT WITH DOM ON INSTAGRAM @DOMLEHANE

CONNECT WITH HOW TO CUT IT ON INSTAGRAM @HOWTOCUTIT

FIND OUT MORE ON TODAYS PAID SPONSORS KERATIN COMPLEX HERE

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What if your next job, chair, brand deal, or education booking didn’t come from battling an algorithm—but from one app built only for the hair industry? Meet Spotd!

In this episode of How To Cut It, I’m Dom Lehane, and I’m joined by my fellow Spotd co-founders Richard England-Lee and Ollie Johns to break down Spotd—our soon to launch iOS and Android opportunity platform designed for hairdressers, barbers, salon owners, educators, and brands.

We share why we built it, what problems it solves, and what you can expect at launch. Think location-based opportunity alerts, curated profiles that work like a portfolio/CV, and a cleaner, more professional way to connect—without the noise of social media.

We’re building Spotd in public, and your feedback matters. Want early access (and a chance to test it)? Join the waitlist at getspotdapp.com.

If you’re ready for your next big move in the hair industry—or just want to learn more—press play!

Ever thought about adding hair extensions to your menu, but stopped because you’re not sure how to learn them properly, the return on investment, or whether the hair is ethically sourced?

In this HTCI x Remi Cachet partnered episode, I sit down with Remy Cachet founder Victoria Lynch to get into the real questions: what responsible sourcing and sustainability actually mean in the extensions world, what salons should be asking suppliers, and where the red flags are.

We also break down the learning curve—how to move from “extensions-curious” to confidently offering them as a professional service, what training should include, and why consistency, standards and support matter just as much as the hair itself.

If you want to build a new revenue stream without compromising your values, this conversation will give you clarity and a practical way forward.

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Want to become a session stylist? This episode with Anna Chapman is the practical route in — not the fantasy.

I’m back in the HTCI PodShed with Anna Chapman, a leading session hair stylist with an instinctive understanding of hair and over a decade in top salons before moving into the session world. Todaywe’re to have real catch-up since we last spoke in 2020 podcast episode. Anna breaks down the actual steps to get into session work today: how to position yourself if you’re coming from salon, why session styling is a different job entirely, and what you need to do first to get on set.

We get into the assisting ladder (what assistants really do, how to reach out, how to follow up, and how to get yourself rebooked), plus the skills that matter when the pressure’s on for major brands. Anna also shares what to post on Instagram if you want work—how to show range, not just “glam”—and why persistence, visibility and standards are the long game.

If you’re serious about building a career in session hair, start here.

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