Building a Brand That Feels Like You: Community, Authenticity & the Happy Hair Company with Melanie Roberts

Building a Brand That Feels Like You: Community, Authenticity & the Happy Hair Company with Melanie Roberts

In this episode of Rooted & Rising, we're joined by Melanie of The Happy Hair Company, an independent hairstylist, community builder, and someone who might just change the way you think about the stylist-client relationship, based in Michigan. If you've ever followed along from the outside and thought her brand just feels different, this episode is for you. We cover: * How The Happy Hair Company got its name and became an LLC (and why available domain names matter) * Why authenticity isn't just a buzzword. It's a daily practice, especially for stylists coming out of branded salon environments * The difference between building a clientele and building a community, and why Melanie's hiking group is a masterclass in both * Her seasonal Canva newsletter strategy and why it outperforms generic email blasts * Setting clear boundaries with clients while still holding space, without crossing into therapist territory * How specializing in cuts at a high-end salon shaped her craft, and why she eventually expanded to full-service * The exciting mini-documentary dropping in June for The Happy Hair Company's 5-year anniversary, created by her filmmaker husband Melanie's key takeaway: "I wish I had been more myself from the beginning. As soon as I started showing up authentically, I had those clients for life." Connect with Melanie on Instagram: @melaniedoesmyhair [https://www.instagram.com/melaniedoesmyhair/] If you loved this episode, share it with a stylist friend who's trying to build their brand, or tag us on Instagram @RootedandRisingBeauty. We'd love to hear what resonated with you.

Valley of Despair & Victory Laps: The Truth About Moving Salons No One Talks About

Here are the updated show notes: Show Notes: Three months ago, Quinn and Josie made major career moves: new salons, new environments, new everything. Now they're back with the update they promised: the real one, not the highlight reel. In this episode, Quinn and Josie get candid about what switching salons actually feels like, the identity crisis, the ego checks, the slow Januaries, and the moments they wondered if they made the right call. Spoiler: they did. But it wasn't always pretty getting there. In this episode: * What they each expected vs. what actually happened * How many clients followed them (and why losing even 10% stings) * The confidence dip that hits when you're in a new environment * Firing a client for the first time and surviving it * The honest money talk: pay cuts, slow starts, and finally feeling stable * Why moving salons makes you a better stylist, full stop * Quinn's practical tips for making the move smoother for you and your clients Quinn's practical tips if you're thinking of switching: 1. Shadow the salon first and meet with the owner 2. Communicate your move clearly and professionally to clients 3. Make the transition as easy as possible for them, think parking, pricing, formulas, all of it 4. Set up a way to contact clients outside your current salon (Google Voice is free!) 5. Show up with open arms and acknowledge that following you was an active choice they made Whether you're mid-move, thinking about it, or just made the leap, this one's for you. Connect with us:📲 Instagram: @rootedandrisingbeauty [instagram.com/rootedandrisingbeauty] If this episode resonated, leave us a rating and review, it genuinely helps more than you know. 🖤 Sonnet 4.6

Curl Specialist, Suite Life & Bridging the Gap in Curly Hair Education | Kia Rogers

This week on Rooted in Rising, we're sitting down with Kia Rogers: curl specialist, Evo Salon Educator, and the stylist Sacramento's curly-haired community has been buzzing about. Kia keeps it completely real about every chapter of her career: starting at a five-star commission salon with zero clients and a dream, navigating COVID and a newborn, going solo in a suite with seven grand and six clients, and finally landing at Junie Hair Salon where she's found her people. What makes this conversation so special is Kia's honesty about building systems from scratch, being the only Black stylist in the room (again and again), and choosing to bridge the gap in curly hair education rather than gatekeep what she's learned. In this episode we cover: * Her journey from commission stylist → suite life → rental chair at Juni Hair Salon * Starting her suite with $7K, no retail, and 6 clients and how word-of-mouth (and one Reddit thread) changed everything * Why she made the switch from Davines to Evo and what led to becoming an Evo Educator * Being the only Black stylist in the room: in salons, in classes, and at brand certifications, and why she's committed to creating safer spaces in education * The importance of transparency with clients (even when you're still figuring it out) * Her vision for building her own curly hair curriculum * Why she'd rather you ask the "dumb question" than leave her class without what you came for Connect with Kia:Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/koloredtextures_/]Website [https://www.koloredtextureshairstudio.com/] Connect with Rooted + Rising: Rooted + Rising [https://www.instagram.com/rootedandrisingbeauty/] Josie Aldrich [https://www.instagram.com/lighten.with.josie/] Quinn Mattingly [https://www.instagram.com/quinn_does_hair/] Keywords: curly hair specialist Sacramento, curl education for stylists, Evo educator, natural hair stylist, salon suite vs commission, curly hair cutting techniques, salon educator, bridging the gap in hair education, Rooted in Rising podcast, hairstylist career transitions

Kelsey Miller: The St. Louis Stylist Who Styled the Most Talked-About Hair at the Winter Olympics

We know you saw Alysa Liu [https://www.instagram.com/alysaxliu/]'s halo tree ring hair at the Winter Olympics and completely lost your mind because so did we. Naturally, we needed to chat with the hairstylist behind the iconic look so we could share it with you! Meet Kelsey Miller [https://www.instagram.com/kelsey.styles.hair/]: hairstylist, lived-in color specialist, and the woman behind Alyssa Liu's viral Olympic halo look. With 15+ years behind the chair, Kelsey specializes in dimensional color and redheads, but recently went viral for stepping WAY outside the box to create the tree ring halo that had the whole internet talking. Based in St. Louis at CopperMain Collective, she's equal parts talented and down to earth. Oh, and she has a mini labradoodle named Crouton, which tells you everything you need to know. 🐾 We're talking how a random client lunch turned into the Olympic appointment, what was actually going through her head when she realized who was sitting in her chair, and the moment Alyssa won gold and Kelsey's phone basically exploded. We also get into the real stuff: * what it feels like when everyone suddenly has an opinion about your career * how to stay grounded when things move fast, * why saying yes (even when it's a little scary) is honestly just the move. Kelsey has been behind the chair for 18 years and she is still so genuinely excited about it which truly was so inspiring to hear about. This episode felt like catching up with a friend who just had the craziest few months of her life and we got to hear everything. Connect with Kelsey: @kelsey.styles.hair [https://www.instagram.com/kelsey.styles.hair/] Copper Mane Collective [https://coppermanecollective.com/] Connect with Rooted + Rising: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rootedandrisingbeauty/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@rootedandrisingbeauty] Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@rootedandrisingbeauty/shorts]

Carly Zanoni of Blonde Chronicles on Online Education, Imposter Syndrome, and Growing Without Losing Yourself

In this episode, Josie and Quinn sit down with Carly Zanoni, hairstylist, educator, and founder of Blonde Chronicles University, to talk about what it actually looks like to build something from scratch, the messy, unglamorous, figuring-it-out-as-you-go version. Carly breaks down how BCU started as a private Instagram account and a Wix website (her words: "so bad"), why timing and a $10 price point mattered more than she expected, and how she's continued to evolve the platform without losing what makes it feel real. We also get into the stuff that doesn't always make it to the highlight reel. Anxiety behind the chair and online, navigating epilepsy while running a growing business, and why hustle culture almost cost her more than she realized. Plus, Carly shares tangible advice on landing brand deals, growing on social media as a micro influencer, and why charging your worth is not a conversation that ever fully gets easy. If you're somewhere in the messy middle of building something, this one is for you. Topics covered: * How BCU started and evolved from private Instagram to Kajabi * Startup costs, early mistakes, and what she'd do differently * Anxiety as a stylist and as an online educator * Landing and maintaining brand partnerships (including Schwarzkopf) * Why follower count isn't everything when pitching to brands * Pricing, raising your rates, and the emotions tied to both * Managing epilepsy and chronic illness while running a business * Why accessibility and authenticity have been central to her growth Find Carly:Instagram: @the.blonde.chronicles [https://www.instagram.com/the.blonde.chronicles/]BlondeChroniclesUniversity.com