Guest: Jennifer Boutwell — salon owner, industry leader, consultant, and author of I See You: A Guide to Finding Your Inner Strength, Confidence, and Voice after Trauma and Abuse (Gretna, LA). She spent 30 years behind the chair before stepping into full-time entrepreneurship and consulting. She’s also a proud mom to Conner & Bryson (and furbaby Cooper).
From a mall salon start to owning Salon Sanity, from a Redken makeover to paying off IRS debt in a year, Jennifer opens up about rebuilding with structure, healing after loss, and writing a book to help others move from trauma to true self-worth. We dig into NLP, morning rituals, meditation, gardening, and the power of “white space” in your calendar.

• Origin story: Gretna roots → Foxy Lady with Grandma → Regis → owning her own salon

• Rebrand & rebirth: why she dropped the founder’s name and created Salon Sanity — a calm space in an insane world

• Summit shift: systems, accountability, and paying off debt fast

• Healing & the book: losing her sister Gabrielle, confronting childhood trauma, and transforming pain into purpose

• NLP & self-awareness: spotting blind spots, rewriting patterns

• Presence & surrender: rituals, nature, and saying no to misalignment

• Leadership & legacy: empowering others to rediscover voice & confidence

• Barnes & Noble

• Balboa Press

• More info: jenniferjboutwell.com

📲 Connect with Jennifer
Instagram → @jennifer_j_boutwell

Key Topics & Takeaways**Links & Resources Amazon

Guest: Ben F’n Mollin — celebrity hairdresser turned endurance athlete, suicide prevention specialist, and author of Deconstructed: Kill the Thing That’s Killing You.

Corey sits down with longtime friend and industry legend Ben F’n Mollin for a raw, unfiltered conversation about burning down everything that was killing him — and rebuilding a life grounded in truth, grit, and miles.

From Bravo’s Shear Genius to rockstar educator status, Ben lived the dream: fame, travel, and recognition. But behind it was debt, addiction, and a breaking point that almost ended his life on April 1, 2018. Instead, he chose to deconstruct everything — walking away from the salon, the brands, and the spotlight to rediscover himself through endurance sports and deep inner work.

Now a punk-rock, Cali-sober, non-practicing Jew who turned survival into service, Ben shares how he became an Ironman, an ultramarathoner, and a suicide prevention speaker — pacing others on their path back to purpose.

• From Shear Genius to the Edge: What overnight fame feels like and why success can be just as dangerous as failure.

• Breaking Point: The moment Ben told his wife he planned to end his life — and how speaking up saved him.

• The Deconstruction Process: How he “killed” his career instead of himself and rebuilt from silence, sobriety, and stillness.

• Movement as Medicine: How walking became running, which became Ironman Mont-Tremblant and eventually 100+ mile ultramarathons.

• Mindset of a Warrior: Lessons from endurance racing that mirror survival, discipline, and recovery.

• From Burnout to Purpose: Why Ben now helps others confront their demons through The Ben Mollin Project and public speaking.

• Redemption at 50: Returning to the Sedona Canyon 125 in 2025, the race that once broke him — and finishing it in spiritual triumph.

• “Don’t kill yourself — kill the thing that’s killing you.”

• “When it gets hard, that’s when you have to create.”

• “Success can be just as dangerous as failure.”

• “Discomfort isn’t pain — it’s growth.”

• 🌐 Website: benfnmollin.com

• 📘 Pre-Order the Book: benmollin.systeme.io/pre-order

• 🎤 Founder of The Ben Mollin Project — transformational events on mindset, recovery, and finding your power

If you or someone you love is struggling, please call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

Episode OverviewWhat You’ll LearnQuotable MomentsConnect with Ben

Shock & Awe
Guest: Garrison Neill – Neill Group (@garrisonneill)
Mentioned: @seriousbusinessconf

Episode Summary:
In this episode of Your Day Off Podcast, host Corey Gray sits down with Garrison Neill, Chief Marketing Officer of Neill Corporation and President of Paris Parker Salons and Spas. As part of a third-generation family business shaping the future of beauty through education, artistry, and innovation, Garrison shares how Neill Corporation continues its 78-year legacy of helping people reach their full potential through beauty.

Neill Corporation’s portfolio includes Paris Parker, Parker Barber, VoMor Hair Extensions, Aveda Arts & Sciences Institutes, and the industry’s leading personal and business development conference — Serious Business.

In this inspiring conversation, Garrison and Corey explore the story behind Neill’s multi-generational success, how Serious Business became the hair industry’s TED Talk, and why connection-based leadership is transforming how salons grow. The 2025 theme, Shock & Awe, challenges professionals to find gratitude, wonder, and presence in a world that never stops moving.

Highlights:

• The Neill family legacy: 78 years of leadership, education, and evolution

• How Serious Business became a movement for personal and professional growth

• “Connection drives results” — the modern leadership philosophy reshaping salon culture

• The comeback of craft, artistry, and in-person learning

• The purpose behind Shock & Awe: seeing beauty in the chaos

🎧 Your Day Off Podcast – Season 8, Episode 43
Available on all podcast platforms

Corey Gray and co-host Geno Chapman (@genochapman) sit down in Ibiza with Depot Male Tools Global Ambassadors — Luca Malnati (@luca.malnati), Dario J Braun (@dariobarbers.nl), and Tom Hoffman (@diligents_tom @diligentssalons) — for a raw, funny, and inspiring conversation about creativity, connection, and community in the barber world.

Recorded live at Hairtopia, powered by BeautyNova, this episode captures the unique energy of an event that feels more like a beach festival than a hair show. The group dives into how freedom fuels artistry, what it means to collaborate without ego, and how barbers can protect their mental space while building meaningful careers.

You’ll hear:
• How the Depot team turned a stage show into a full-on Ibiza vibe
• The art of street casting real people for authentic work
• Why teamwork and honest feedback create better shows
• How to reset after high-energy events without burning out
• The practice of asking for opportunities — not waiting for them
• Why what you consume shapes your next five years

The conversation moves easily from humor to honesty — from travel chaos and music inspiration to deep talk on leadership, self-awareness, and gratitude for the craft. It’s barbers being human, and that’s exactly what makes it resonate.

🎧 Your Day Off Podcast
Season 8 Episode 42 – Depot Male Tools Global Ambassadors-Luca Malnati, Dario J Braun, Tom Hoffman

Available on all podcast platforms

Why this weekend proves social puts the scissors back in your hands?

Hosts: Corey Gray with Co Host Geno Chapman @genochapman
Guests: @andrewsmithhairstylist @shelleylane_inspires @gianlucagrechi @milkshakehairpro

Backstage energy
Electric prep… tribal goddess hair to the floor… avant garde build tactics… securing heavy pieces without drama.

Social as your voice
And brands used to dictate the look. But hairdressers now set the trend. Therefore you can grow from any town with work that travels.

Shelley’s home salon
Childhood house turned calm studio. Why feel and environment matter. How education reignited a 20 year career.

Gianluca’s path
London training… people watching for real world inspiration… AI as a sketchbook… then proving it by hand.

Andrew’s lens
Light and reflection as the brief. Fostering kids while touring. The heart behind the craft and what family can look like.

BeautyNova x milk_shake x Ibiza
Poolside activations, DEPOT man cave vibes, Guinness record memories, and the Hard Rock closing as we walked out.

Season 8 episode 41… milk_shake Global Ambassadors

Show notes

Show Notes (listener benefits first):
What if your career wasn’t just about cutting hair, but about shaping culture? In this conversation with Tatum Neill, we talk about what happens when hairdressers stop competing and start connecting. From the inspiration behind Elevate and the soulful depth of Serious Business, to how music, artistry, and community collide… you’ll hear why these events matter and how they can reignite your passion for the craft.

Tatum’s story goes beyond hair. From sneaking into raves in New Orleans to building one of the most respected platforms in our industry, he shows how following creativity leads to impact. If you’ve ever felt stuck behind the chair or wondered how to find your spark again, this episode is your reminder: you already hold the power to inspire change.

🎧 Complete Podcast Video available on your @spotify App @spotifypodcasts
Your Day Off Podcast is on all platforms – Season 8, Episode 40 – with @tatumneill @elevatehair @seriousbusinessconf

Season 8, Episode 39
Guest: @mistyjayne - Ranting Money
🎧 Listen on @spotify @spotifypodcasts or anywhere you get your podcasts

Misty Jayne isn’t here to give you a budget. She’s here to shift your mindset.

In this episode, she walks through how she used the debt snowball method to get out of debt—and why small wins matter more than perfect spreadsheets.

We talk about:

• How the brain craves gratification (and how to use that to your advantage)

• Why “being bad with money” isn’t the problem

• What it really takes to shift a money mindset

• How to stop feeling stuck, even when you have multiple debts

If you’re ready to stop feeling behind and start taking control, check out her work at MistyJayne.com

This one is honest, practical, and permission-giving—especially if you’ve ever felt behind financially.

Why this is the future of salon success without burnout

Jennifer Jade Alvarez
Salon Owner | Speaker | Tech Advocate | Host of the Beauty Business Game Changer Podcast
Instagram: @jenniferjadealvarez

Co-Host: Gabby Bach @gabbymarieedits

• How Jen fully stepped away from behind the chair… and scaled instead of burned out

• Why most salon owners are leaking money (and how to fix it)

• The mindset shift that helped her finally trust her team and stop doing everything herself

• How to implement AI, automations, and virtual assistants—even if you’re not “techy”

• Why Zenoti became her 10th (and final) salon software

• How she runs two companies (salon + bridal) with different business models

• The real reason delegating doesn’t work (unless you fix this one thing)

• Transitioning out of burnout and into ownership

• Creating systems your team will actually use

• Building AI-driven guest experience and receptionist workflows

• Smart onboarding and SOPs with ChatGPT and Prompt Cowboy

• Letting go of perfection and embracing the 80% rule

• How AI saved her time and improved her mental health

Take Jen’s Free Quiz:
👉 Find the profit leaks in your salon

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
📱 Search: “Your Day Off Podcast – S8E38”

👥 Guests:🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:🧠 Key Topics:📌 Bonus for Listeners:🎧 Listen Now:

Why Surrender Is Presence… and Why That Changes Everything

📍Episode: Season 8, Episode 37
🎧 Host: Corey Gray (@hairdustry)
👥 Guest: Ambrosia Carey (@ambrosiacarey)
💛 Powered by: Hair Love University (@hairloveuniversity)

📝 Episode Summary:
What does it really mean to be present—and why is surrender the key to getting there? In this vulnerable and wide-ranging conversation, host Corey Gray sits down with friend and educator Ambrosia Carey to explore how ego, boundaries, wellness, and intention all shape our lives behind the chair… and beyond it.

You’ll hear about:

• Corey's life-changing trip to Cambodia with Hair Aid

• Why presence = surrender

• Boundaries that start with you—not other people

• How consuming less noise creates more peace

• The secret power of friendships without trauma

• Gratitude as a way to honor your ancestors

• Why hairdressing matters more in an AI world

• And why your energy is your responsibility

This episode is a reminder that you have permission to protect your peace, follow your gut, and choose what (and who) you allow in. Whether you’re a hairstylist, leader, educator, or someone just trying to stay grounded—you’ll find something in this one.

✨ Favorite quote:
"Presence isn’t something you chase. It’s something you allow. And it begins with surrender."

—

📲 Follow the crew:
@hairdustry
@ambrosiacarey
@hairloveuniversity

🎧 Listen to Hair Love Radio on all major platforms.
Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and share!

Why This Beauty App Knows What You Need Before You Do

In this episode of Your Day Off, Corey Gray and Gabby Bach sit down with Charity Hudnall, CMO of Vagaro, to unpack the features that are making Vagaro a true ally to beauty professionals.

Key takeaways:

• Why the textured hair badge is a game-changer for clients and stylists

• What Vagaro is doing behind the scenes with AI (and how it's already helping your biz)

• Charity’s personal stories and why inclusivity isn’t a trend—it's a responsibility

• Real talk on the future of trades, tech, and the industry’s human-first soul

• The scoop on Iconic 25 in Napa Valley: education, wine, and industry changemakers

Whether you’re running a solo suite or scaling multiple locations, this convo offers real value for how to grow your salon with purpose, tech, and heart.

🎧 Available on all podcast platforms.

📓 SHOW NOTES (Season 8, Episode 36):