In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia and guest Jodie Brown get honest about something that does not get talked about enough in the beauty industry: the money anxiety and fear of losing it all that quietly follows high performers even after they have built something genuinely successful. If you have raised your prices, filled your books, and hit goals you once only dreamed about, and still feel like it could all disappear tomorrow, this episode is for you.

Hunter opens up about his own ongoing experience with scarcity mindset and the constant background hum of impending doom that has followed him through two successful businesses. He and Jodie break down why that feeling does not go away on its own, and more importantly, what actually helps.

Key Takeaways:

🧠 Why your brain is working against you — and how to use your numbers to fight back When you are catastrophizing, your brain actively hunts for evidence that things are falling apart. Hunter explains why getting a clear, honest look at your actual data is one of the most powerful ways to break that spiral — even when the numbers confirm a dip, reality is almost always less scary than the story in your head.

📊 Why the feeling and the facts are often two completely different things Hunter shares what happens on Mastermind coaching calls when stylists come in convinced their business is tanking — and the numbers tell a completely different story. Learning to separate perceived performance from actual performance is a skill, and it changes everything.

🪞 Why you are not your business One of the most important mindset shifts in this episode: the performance of your business is not a reflection of your worth as a person. Hunter breaks down why high performers are especially vulnerable to tying their self-worth to their revenue, and why actively separating the two is essential for long-term sustainability behind the chair.

🎿 Why getting a hobby is a legitimate business strategy Hunter makes the case for finding something outside the business that challenges you and gives you a source of pride and validation that has nothing to do with your bookings or bottom line. It is not a distraction — it is what keeps you from riding the emotional highs and lows of your business like a rollercoaster.

💡 How to confront worst-case scenarios without spiraling Writing down exactly what you would do if things went wrong — losing clients, a slow season, a price increase that thins your books — is one of the most practical exercises in this episode. Hunter explains why high performers who do this almost always discover they are far more equipped to recover than they think.

Why You Should Listen

If you have done everything right and still feel like it is not enough, this episode will help you understand why that feeling exists and give you real, practical ways to manage it. You will leave with a clearer perspective on separating your identity from your business and a few grounding tools to reach for the next time the spiral starts.

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In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia and guest Jodie Brown break down why the traditional referral program has stopped working for independent hairstylists, and what the modern version of word-of-mouth growth actually looks like in 2026.

Hunter shares his own experience watching a single well-connected client organically post about her hair on Instagram and send him more new clients than any referral incentive ever could. That moment became the foundation for something he has been building and refining for years inside the Modern Stylist Movement: the Brand Ambassador Program. Rather than awkwardly asking clients to send people your way, this strategy turns your most community-connected clients into intentional advocates who are incentivized to share your work where people are actually discovering hairstylists.

Hunter walks through exactly how to structure the program, who to invite into it, and how to set it up in a way that is manageable for you and genuinely exciting for your clients.

Key Takeaways:

🚫 Why traditional referral programs are not working anymore The way people find hairstylists has completely changed. Hunter explains why asking clients to text their friends or offering a discount in exchange for a referral creates awkward dynamics and low reach, and why the strategy that worked before the internet simply does not translate today.

📲 Why word of mouth now lives on social media When a client shares their results on Instagram and tags you, they are not just telling one friend, they are reaching their entire network, sending those people directly into your curated feed where they can build trust before ever booking. Hunter breaks down why this is a fundamentally different and more powerful dynamic than the old model.

🎖️ What a Brand Ambassador Program actually is Instead of a generic referral discount, this is an invite-only, points-based system where clients earn rewards by taking specific social media actions on your behalf, like posting a tagged photo or sharing a reel. Hunter explains how to build your point structure, choose your rewards, and make the whole thing easy to manage on the backend.

🎯 Why invitation-only is the right approach Making the program selective protects your brand, ensures you are only rewarding clients who actually have reach into your ideal market, and makes the clients you do invite feel genuinely special — which Hunter says breeds more loyalty and more follow-through.

👥 How to choose your brand ambassadors Hunter recommends starting with five to ten clients who are already connected to your community, not necessarily influencers, but people whose networks overlap with your ideal clientele. He shares the story of a client whose organic Instagram posts became one of his biggest sources of new business without him doing anything extra.

🛠️ How to roll it out without it becoming a headache The program only works if it is simple for both you and your clients. Hunter covers how to invite someone in person, what terms and conditions to put in place, how to equip your ambassadors with what they need to post effectively, and what he is currently building to make tracking and managing the whole thing even easier.

Why You Should Listen

If word of mouth is already happening for you here and there but you have no system around it, this episode will show you how to make it happen on purpose. And if you have tried a referral program before and watched it go nowhere, Hunter will show you exactly why that happened and what to do instead. Word-of-mouth referrals are historically the highest quality new clients you can get, this episode is about building

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In this episode of The Modern Hairstylist Podcast, host Hunter Donia shares a behind-the-scenes look at a real challenge many experienced stylists face: realizing that some of your longest-standing clients are still paying far less than your current pricing. When you have built deep relationships over years behind the chair, raising those prices can feel incredibly uncomfortable, even when you know it is the right business decision.

Hunter walks through how emotional pricing often sneaks into our businesses over time. Whether it happened because you inherited clients, honored old rates, or simply struggled to change pricing as your career grew, many stylists end up with uneven pricing across their client list. This episode explores why fixing those situations is not just about making more money, but about creating fairness for both yourself and the clients who are already paying your full rate.

Through a candid coaching conversation with a stylist who has been behind the chair for nearly two decades, Hunter breaks down the mindset shifts and practical steps that make these difficult conversations easier. You will hear how to approach long-time clients with honesty, how to transition them to your current rates, and how to release the guilt that often keeps stylists stuck in outdated pricing.

Key Takeaways:

💰 Why emotional pricing happens more often than you think
Many stylists end up with inconsistent pricing simply because relationships evolve over time. Hunter explains how honoring old rates or matching another stylist’s pricing can quietly create long-term undercharging.

⚖️ Why uneven pricing is unfair to both you and your clients
When some clients are paying significantly less than others for the same service, it creates hidden resentment and imbalance. Aligning your pricing protects the sustainability of your business and keeps things fair across the board.

🗣 How to communicate a price correction with long-time clients
Hunter shares a simple, honest way to explain the situation without making the conversation awkward or confrontational. Transparency and respect go a long way when approaching loyal clients.

📈 How to transition clients to your current pricing gradually
If the jump in price is significant, you can phase the increase in over a few appointments. This approach allows clients time to adjust while still moving your business toward consistent pricing.

🤝 Why your relationships don’t have to end when pricing changes
If a client truly values working with you, they may happily stay at the new rate. And if the price no longer fits their budget, helping them transition to another stylist can still preserve the relationship outside the chair.

Why You Should Listen

If you have ever hesitated to fix outdated pricing because you care about the clients you have built relationships with, this episode will give you both the confidence and the language to handle it the right way. You will walk away with a clearer perspective on separating business decisions from personal guilt and learn how aligning your pricing can create a healthier, more sustainable career behind the chair.

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