One Step Back, Three Leaps Forward | Episode 20

Heads are rolling and things are about to get spicy as Danielle, Val, and Ani take on the hot topic of Protection in this week’s episode of Big Money Stylist.

For Big Money Stylist, we go over the following formula each month: Week #1: Power Week #2: Production Week #3: Profit Week #4: Protection In This Week’s Episode…..PROTECTION Point #1: Copycats

• Val: We’re keeping our brand and education safe and sacred; we don’t want it getting watered down. The more it gets out there, the more copycats we have – but also the more eyes we have. We want people who are receiving NBR to have an amazing experience. That’s why we’re so protective of it.
• Ani: Why the fuck is Sally Sue training other people? This has been a week of “all eyes everywhere.” It’s not just all of our eyes and ears, it’s our students and artists as well. They have invested so much time, energy, blood, sweat, and tears into learning NBR and growing their business.

QUESTION: What are you doing to protect the quality of the NBR brand? Point #2: Protecting Your Work

• Ani: We’re seeing artists who at one point in time were learning NBR from Danielle. They didn’t put in the work, started feeling entitled to something, and instead of thinking “I should do the work and get better,” they decided to make a “new” method and claim that it’s better, when in reality it’s the same fucking thing as NBR.
• Danielle: I used to lose sleep over this and I’d want to throw in the towel so many times. Now, it’s not just about me, it’s about the tribe we’ve built and all of our students. The only thing left to do is to protect, so we have a full-time lawyer on our team. As many copycats and crap that’s going on out there, and as much as we’re protecting it, my main goal is to focus on a quality experience.

QUESTION: How does doing the work protect you?

Point #3: Edit and Course Correct

• Val: I want my assistant to thrive and succeed, but I’m always looking at things from the perspective of looking out for my family. You have to remember that you’re running a business. With girls, everything gets so emotional, but it’s okay to say this isn’t working. If it’s not serving me or helping my business grow and I’m in the protective mindset, it’s easy for me to make non-emotional decisions.
• I’m constantly self-evaluating. If something’s not working, I course correct and change it. I never want to get comfortable, so I’m constantly cross-checking myself and editing so I can keep growing.

QUESTION: Where in your life could you use some course correction and editing? Point #4: What Are Your Numbers Telling You?

• Danielle: So many stylists are so into the art that they don’t know their numbers and think they’re making more than they really are. We teach our students all the time that you have to know your numbers and that you can’t be that business owner who is ignorant. If you’re a salon owner and are merely breaking even, what’s the point?
• Ani: Garrett and Danielle came to us recently about the numbers with DKW. “Here are the numbers. This isn’t working and we have to course correct. This is what we’re going to do – you have the option to stay or leave. We want you to stay, so if you’re in, that’s great; if you’re out, we still love you.” That’s not something that’s easy for people or business owners to do, but is so necessary.

QUESTION: Where in your life or business are you ignoring the numbers? Point #5: Protect Your Mindset

• Danielle: People listen to the voices in their head telling them all the reasons why they can’t do something, which keeps them small. It’s hard at first, but the ones who are willing to push through those voices are the ones that make it.
• Don’t ever doubt yourself, just push forward and protect your mindset. You have to get to a peaceful place inside of you, tune out the noise, and power through. It’s so important that you protect your mindset so that you don’t self-sabotage.

QUESTION: What steps do you take to protect your mindset? Quote of the Week:

“The topic of protection makes or breaks a lot of areas of your life. If you’re not protecting one area of your life and you’re falling short, it ultimately spills into every other area.”

— Danielle White

“If I give all of me wherever I am and protect that space, I feel like I succeed better.”

–Valerie Plunk

“A lot of times in life, we don’t think we’re worth it and we tend to keep playing small because of it. I feel like it’s something we have to constantly course correct. You have to protect every little piece of you because the minute you stop, that’s when shit starts going sideways.”

–Anianne Rivera