Beyond the salon chAIr: Three unpopular opinions from @hairby.gracemelinda

Hi guys, and welcome back to Photographer With a Blog!

This month’s series, Beyond the Lens, is our unpopular opinion series, where we talk about the things photographers and artists are told they’re supposed to believe.

In our last segment, we went Behind the Lens to hear about the struggles, thoughts, and experiences of the artist behind the camera, behind the paintbrush, and behind the guitar. We talked about the things people don’t always see, the challenges that come with turning your passion into something more, and the realities of being an artist.

This month, we’re going Beyond the Lens.

Instead of looking solely at the artist and what goes on behind the scenes, we’re opening up the conversation to hear what the world thinks and struggles with when it comes to the artist. We’re talking about the expectations, the misconceptions, and the unpopular opinions that shape the way people view artists and the work they create.

Because being an artist is about more than the finished product. There’s a person behind every photograph, every painting, every song, and every service. And sometimes, the conversations surrounding the art are just as important as the art itself.

This week, we’re stepping outside of photography and hearing from another artist in our very own community:  @hairby.gracemelinda of Smoke Show Hair in downtown DeLand, Florida.

Grace specializes in extensions, luxury brunette, and blonding services. Like so many artists who have turned their art and passion into a profitable business, she has a few unpopular opinions of her own.

This week, we’re hearing Grace’s unpopular opinions #2, #3, and #4.

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Unpopular Opinion #2: You Can Be an Amazing Hairstylist and Be Terrible at Social Media

This one really stuck out to me.

As a photographer, I had absolutely no idea going into this that I would also have to become a full-blown content creator. And I’m not going to lie to you. I’m okay with Instagram. I’m okay with Facebook. I’m even okay with Pinterest.

But TikTok?

I cannot make a viral TikTok video for the life of me, no matter how hard I try.

So, naturally, this opinion really resonated with me.

I had a few more questions for Grace regarding this unpopular opinion, so I asked her:

Do you think that some hairstylists are getting booked because they’re good at looking like a great hairstylist online rather than actually being one? And do you think social media has made people overlook genuinely talented stylists who just aren’t good at marketing themselves?

Grace answered:

“I think social media for hairstylists has become a great tool for us to share more and more of our personality with clients and expose our work to gain clientele. But with that being said, I do think with any service provider, it’s good to book consultations and really do your research, no matter what, because basing their abilities off of a funny TikTok or Instagram Reel doesn’t show you the quality of someone’s work.” - Grace Melinda

Grace continued:

“There are so many talented stylists who aren’t super active on social media but can give you exactly what you’re looking for, as well as a stylist that is great on social media maybe doesn’t show exactly what you’re looking to get done, just because it isn’t advertised, but can still do an amazing job.” - Grace Melinda

And honestly, I loved her response to this because I feel like it’s something I struggle with as a photographer, and it’s also something that a lot of people who have turned their passion into profitable businesses struggle with.

You post a TikTok, and it reaches 300 people. It gets 30 likes.

And somehow, that can feel defeating.

It can make you feel like, “Oh my gosh, I’m not good at what I do.”

When really, you have an outstanding portfolio. You have amazing Google reviews. You have all of the things that show you are genuinely great at what you do.

But because your TikTok video didn’t reach millions of people and you didn’t blow up overnight, you can start feeling like you’re not getting the recognition you deserve. You feel like you’re not showing up on enough screens.

And in this day and age, it feels important to pop up on people’s phones.

Even though we don’t necessarily believe it should be this important, it is. That’s simply how the times are changing, and it’s something we, as artists and business owners, have to get used to navigating.

But I think Grace’s point is incredibly important.

Your ability to make a viral TikTok does not determine your ability to do incredible work.

A social media following isn’t the same thing as talent.

A viral video isn’t the same thing as an incredible portfolio.

And not blowing up overnight doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be successful.

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Unpopular Opinion #3: A Stylist Who Takes Their Time Doesn’t Necessarily Mean They’re Slow

I loved this one.

I can’t completely relate to this one as a photographer because I am stuck working within time slots. Everything I do is timed down to the minute.

But I completely understand where Grace is coming from.

And I’d like to let everyone know that Grace is also my hairstylist, and my hair is amazing.

Every single time I leave, I don’t even know how long my appointment was supposed to take because, honestly, I don’t care. That’s how happy I am with my hair when I leave.

And I’m sure there are so many other stylists who could do exactly the same thing: give you an amazing outcome over a longer period of time.

That doesn’t make them any less talented as a stylist.

Your hair is still going to look amazing.

So, I asked Grace:

Do you think the beauty industry has created this expectation that a good stylist should be able to work ridiculously fast, even if rushing means sacrificing the quality of someone’s hair? Where should clients draw the line between a stylist taking their time and a stylist simply taking too long?

Grace explained:

“I do believe there is an expectation, especially from newer clients or clients who have had hair appointments and expect hair color and hair services to get done in a certain amount of time, when someone can produce way better quality work if they’re working at their own pace.” - Grace Melinda

She also made an important point about communication:

“I think a line needs to be drawn with letting your clients know an approximate time of the service or including it in your online booking, and they can determine from there if they would like to proceed.” - Grace Melinda

Grace explained that chemical services can be especially difficult to predict exactly, particularly with a new client.

She said:

“Color can process differently, or if a client has box dye, or if a client shows up with a ton of hair that you weren’t able to account for. These are all things that can affect a service that not everyone might think about, especially people who aren’t in the hair industry.” - Grace Melinda

And I think that’s something people outside of any industry sometimes forget.

There are things happening behind the scenes that clients may not even realize can affect the final process.

Sometimes, quality takes time.

That doesn’t mean communication isn’t important. Clients absolutely deserve to have an approximate understanding of how long a service may take.

But fast doesn’t always mean better.

And taking your time doesn’t automatically mean you’re slow.

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Unpopular Opinion #4: Some Clients and Some Stylists Don’t Match, and That’s Okay

This one is something I find very personal, and I can really relate to it.

We’re going to talk about my opinion on this after we dive deeper into the questions I asked Grace about her perspective.

I asked her:

Why are we so afraid to admit when a client and stylist just don’t vibe? Can a client be a perfectly good client and a stylist be a perfectly good stylist but still be completely wrong for each other? And should stylists feel guilty for letting a client go when the relationship simply isn’t working?

Grace’s response was that there are so many factors that can come into play when determining whether a client and stylist are a good long-term match.

She gave examples such as a client making a long commute to the salon, having a demanding job that doesn’t allow them to uphold their end of a cancellation policy, or having scheduling conflicts that make things difficult for both the stylist and the client.

Grace said:

“I also think it needs to be normalized more that not everyone is going to be a great fit for everyone, and that’s okay, even if both the stylist and the client are amazing. There could be a better fit for both of them.” - Grace Melinda

And I love her answer to this question because I feel like this is something that applies across all career choices, especially those centered around art.

I genuinely think that some people just can’t work well together.

That could come down to personality differences. It could come down to scheduling. It could come down to distance and travel. It could come down to a language barrier.

It could come down to anything.

And I think it’s okay to understand that you may not be a good fit for the client you’re talking to.

But you might also know someone who would be a great fit for them.

And that’s an awesome opportunity to refer them to someone else in your industry.

I think it’s perfectly okay, and honestly, I think we need to stop taking on clients simply because we want more clients.

At the end of the day, it makes our clients’ lives harder. It makes our lives harder. And it can make the entire process unenjoyable.

And that’s not fair to anyone involved.

Not every client is going to be the right client for you.

And you aren’t necessarily going to be the right service provider for every person who reaches out to you.

That doesn’t mean either person is bad.

Sometimes, it simply means there is a better fit somewhere else.

And I think recognizing that, and being willing to refer someone to another amazing professional when appropriate, is actually one of the most professional things we can do.

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Beyond the Lens

This week, we heard Grace’s unpopular opinions #2, #3, and #4.

I want to give Grace a huge thank you for being willing to share her perspective with us and for giving us a look into what it’s like to turn another form of art and passion into a profitable business.

One thing I love about this conversation is realizing that even though photography and hairstyling are completely different careers, artists and business owners often experience many of the same struggles.

We’re all learning how to market ourselves.

We’re all navigating expectations.

We’re all trying to create the best possible experience for our clients.

And we’re all learning that not every client relationship is meant to last forever.

Today, you heard unpopular opinions #2, #3, and #4.

Until next week.

With all my love and all of my support,

Keara Russell

Owner & Photographer

Luna Photography