Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cydney Gladney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Cydney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?
I would say one of the biggest challenges of profitability in this industry is the idea that you have to suffer before you succeed. Unfortunately it hasn’t always been easy for everyone in the industry to make a living doing hair full time and it is still a struggle. The idea with a lot of the generation above me in the hair world is that you have to work extra hours, work weekends, sacrifice time with your family, and do things for free for a few years before you start seeing profit and building clientele. At the end of the day if you have an amazing guest experience along with the skill, people will accommodate you and keep coming back. Setting boundaries of time and pricing is important from the beginning!
Cydney, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is cydney gladney and Im from Lincoln county Missouri! Growing up I was always the friend who was doing hair and makeup for everyone for school dances and nights out. I knew it was something I loved but had no idea how I could turn it into something i do everyday! After going to college for a semester and realizing it definitely wasn’t the path for me, I decided to start cosmetology school that fall! I immediately fell in love with the theory of color and everything about creating the feeling in your clients that make them feel beautiful. There is literally nothing better than styling someone’s hair with their new look and seeing their eyes light up in the mirror because they feel beautiful! In my chair I strive for everyone to feel included, supported, and listened to. No matter what beauty means to you personally, I want to help you achieve that. My chair is a safe space for everyone. Blonding, color corrections, and vivid color are services that I specialize in. I love the creativity and challenge that these services allow. Anything from huge transformations, to small touch ups, or just stopping in for a haircut, I absolutely love my job and am so happy to be able to have the privilege to meet and build relationships with my clients!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Something that helped me build my reputation in this industry is word of mouth! Having my clients leave happy with healthy and beautiful hair leads to them telling their friends! Setting up goals with my guests and talking about budget is something that has also helped me. No matter the size of your budget, I strive to provide you with hair that doesn’t break the bank! Setting up a goal and a plan of how to get there is crucial!
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
If you’ve ever visited me at my salon, I have your phone number and name saved to my contacts! After a week or two I like to personally check in with my guests and see how they are feeling about their new hair! I always reach out to my clients to confirm their appointments myself instead of automated text messages. It feels more personal and if they have any concerns, questions, or ideas I love to hear them! I also love to befriend my clients on social media such as Instagram! A lot of times as a stylist you hear so much about your clients family and friends and it’s really cool to be able to communicate and keep in touch with social media!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @stylist.cyd
Image Credits
(All photos taken myself)