Thriving Stylist Podcast: Episode #389 - Rethinking Guest Journey with Caitlin Garland

Release Date: June 9, 2025

Introduction

In Episode #389 of the Thriving Stylist Podcast, host Britt Seva engages in a transformative conversation with Caitlin Garland at the X Club Retreat 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. This episode delves deep into the evolving landscape of the beauty industry, emphasizing the critical shift from mere technical prowess to strategic business and marketing acumen necessary for sustained success.

Setting the Scene: X Club Retreat 2025

The X Club Retreat 2025 serves as the backdrop for this insightful dialogue. Described as four "incredible days" filled with connecting, networking, learning, and feeling inspired, the retreat gathered approximately 80 high-performing stylists and salon owners. The attendees, all of whom had to qualify to enter, benefited from an environment ripe for collaboration and growth.

Britt Seva [01:04]: "We just finished four really incredible days together of connecting, networking, learning, feeling inspired, decompressing, relaxing, a little bit of everything."

Guest Introduction: Caitlin Garland

Caitlin Garland hails from Frederick, Maryland, positioning her firmly within the DMV (District, Maryland, Virginia) area. She operates a five-chair salon employing three other stylists, each specializing in areas such as extensions, color, and curly hair. Caitlin's long-term vision includes transitioning from a hands-on stylist role to a leadership position, fostering growth and development within her team.

Caitlin Garland [04:29]: "I own a 5 chair salon, currently employ 3 other stylists besides myself and I specialize..."

Experience at the Retreat: A Room of High Achievers

Caitlin recounts her initial feelings upon entering the retreat’s main room—overwhelming yet exhilarating. Despite feeling like the "smallest fish in a huge pond," her outgoing nature enabled her to connect effortlessly, debunking fears of cliquishness and fostering genuine interactions.

Caitlin Garland [02:39]: "I felt like the smallest fish in this huge pond. And that's my favorite kind of environment to be in."

Britt echoes Caitlin's sentiments, highlighting the collective growth that occurred as attendees shared their unique experiences, triggering personal insights and connections.

Key Insights from Joey Coleman: The Art of Retention

A pivotal moment of the retreat was a workshop led by Joey Coleman, a bestselling author known for his works on customer and employee retention. Joey emphasized the often-overlooked significance of customer service experience and retention compared to the plethora of marketing and sales literature.

Caitlin Garland [06:40]: "What pings when you say where have you had a great experience? We can all think of something right off the bat... keeping that in mind and kind of knowing from a guest perspective what they're experiencing from before they meet us through after."

Joey's assertion that retaining a guest is more efficient and cost-effective than acquiring new ones resonated deeply with the attendees, including Caitlin.

Joey Coleman [Paraphrased]: "It's so much more efficient and effective and cost-effective to retain a guest."

Caitlin highlighted how this insight necessitates revisiting and refining the entire guest experience journey, ensuring consistency and excellence from the first interaction to post-service follow-ups.

Caitlin Garland [07:49]: "Revisiting what the entire flow of the experience looks like is super important."

The Hot Seat Experience: Mapping Caitlin’s Guest Journey

One of the retreat's standout activities was the Hot Seat session, where Caitlin was selected to have her guest journey meticulously mapped out by Joey Coleman. This exercise aimed to transition a clientele from mere patrons to raving advocates who actively promote her salon.

During this session, Joey challenged Caitlin to narrow down her target market, prompting her to refine her focus from a broad age range to a more specific demographic.

Joey Coleman [During Hot Seat]: "What does the average... Do you think women aged 40 and women aged 60 have the same style, the same needs, the same challenges, the same budget?"

Caitlin realized the importance of segmenting her clientele to better address their distinct needs and preferences.

Caitlin Garland [12:01]: "I would say more than 50% of the time, my guests have never worn extensions prior."

This revelation opened new avenues for targeted marketing and personalized communication, especially for clients unfamiliar with extensions.

Actionable Takeaways: Caitlin’s Path Forward

Post-retreat, Caitlin identified two primary actions to enhance her business strategy:

1. Increase Pricing: Recognizing the need to elevate her services' perceived value, Caitlin decided to raise her prices, acknowledging it as a barrier to entry for further growth.

   Caitlin Garland [15:05]: "I do need to increase my prices... that was really clarified for me as really the first barrier to my entry of growth."

2. Train Her Assistant: To foster leadership and delegate effectively, Caitlin aims to train her new assistant thoroughly, enabling her to focus more on leadership roles and less on day-to-day tasks.

   Caitlin Garland [15:05]: "I would like to get my newest assistant really well trained so that she can take a lot of extra things off my plate."

These steps not only promise to streamline her operations but also ensure the long-term sustainability and scalability of her salon.

Conclusion: Embracing Strategic Growth

This episode underscores the imperative for modern stylists and salon owners to transcend traditional reliance on reputation and referrals. By embracing business acumen and strategic marketing, exemplified through Caitlin Garland's experiences and insights from Joey Coleman, industry professionals can navigate the complexities of today's beauty landscape. The Thriving Stylist Podcast continues to be a vital resource, offering actionable strategies and inspiring success stories to empower stylists in building wealthy and fulfilling careers.

Britt Seva [Closing]: "Caitlin, thank you so much for joining me today. This is an absolute pleasure to have you here. So much love. Happy business building, and I'll see you on the next one."

This comprehensive summary captures the essence of Episode #389, highlighting the transformative experiences at the X Club Retreat, the critical insights on customer retention, and the actionable strategies that Caitlin Garland plans to implement to elevate her salon business.