We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Carly Fisher. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Carly below.

Carly, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I do genuinely feel happier as a business owner. I am pretty particular in my process, routine and systems. However I fully admit that I ask myself all the time what it would be like to work for someone else or have a job that’s not a hairstylist or owner. This bridal season has been brutal to say the least. Definitely the most demanding year both with volume of clients and with clients expectations. I have clients and their family who feel the need to contact me at crazy hours- I am talking 6 am on a Sunday calling me to see if they can bring a jeweled hair piece to the wedding. Things that could be emailed and totally answered on Monday when you’re back in office. When you’re a business owner you have to be “turned on” 24/7. You have to be readily available at all times, even if it disrupts your time with your family or personal time. As both a business owner and a mom of 3 finding balance is truly a struggle. Trying to put up boundaries while still maintaining a professional and exceptional experience for clients is something I am truly working on. On the flip side, owning a business, leading other team mates towards their goals, accomplishing goals as a business together and taking care of our clients who are absolutely wonderful has made it all worth it!

Carly, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I grew up in a family full of entrepreneurs. I was a young kid playing with my dads calculator and legal pads helping him do rent/ payroll and he would teach me how to “crunch numbers”. My whole childhood I aspired to be just like him. Work for myself and cultivate an environment that provided a living for other people too. Discovering my craft is a unique story in itself. I had just gotten sober and I literally stumbled upon cosmetology school. I went because my Mom thought it would be a good idea even though I was a tomboy myself. However my very first day of school was the first day that I ever felt like I fit in somewhere and had a purpose. Realizing that we as cosmetologists have the ability to help others feel confident or good about themselves is empowering not just for the client but for us as well. Its instant gratification. Its creative and artistic but we also are connecting with others and forming long lasting relationships.

I started out in a regular salon but It wasn’t the right environment for me. I later took off and worked towards specializing in formal and bridal hairstyling. I was published in the Washingtonian within the year and my career just took off. I was able to return back to the salon during the week as a new confident stylist and that’s when I was able to truly build a clientele and ultimately branch out and open a shop.

Finally I am the most proud of our clientele. Its not the money, its not the publications and its not how busy we are. I am truly proud that we have a clientele built with humble, kind, smart, generous, beautiful human beings. We have a clientele that we are genuinely excited to see every single day. I am proud that we created an environment that feels like spending time with your best friends. Its comfortable, its safe and most importantly its positive and happy. Everyone deserves to work in an environment that in a way feels as comfortable as your home with people that you can trust and thrive with. We have that.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I cannot stress this enough. NETWORKING. Event when you think you have networked enough do it some more. Industries are forever in a growth stage and if you don’t evolve and grow then you’re getting closer to a dying business every day. There are always going to be new people to meet and potentially work with. Even if they don’t provide you with referrals for a year or ever- getting your name out there with other people in your industry or the community is always going to serve you in a positive way.

When I first opened I networked with other local photographers. I provided free styling services for their shoots and creative projects. Before I knew it they were giving my name to their clients and that’s when I started seeing growth. Some people weren’t able to provide referrals for a year or two, and that’s okay! It gave me materials to use on social media and that much more experience for my clients.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Brit Seva with ” The Thriving Stylist”

Its an AMAZING podcast. She talks about all the issues and even the uncomfortable ones that no one wants to share. She gives a ton of book recommendations as well as offers classes on social media and leadership classes. I have learned so much from listening and the two classes I have taken from her.

Last year I took a class on how to get organized for the year. It was about social media goals and salon and team building goals. I am so glad that I did it. I had a rough first two years when I opened my business so 2022 was the first uninterrupted year. I was able to make realistic goals. Now I have a solid foundation of numbers that will lead myself and my team into 2023 with the opportunity to be the most successful version of ourselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pinsstudios.com
• Instagram: @pinsnbrushes @pinsstudios
• Other: blog instagram @rasisingbarbells

Image Credits
Kait Bailey Photography