Thriving Stylist Podcast
Episode #417 – The #1 Shift That Is Crippling Stylists & Owners
Host: Britt Seva
Date: December 22, 2025
Episode Overview
In this reflective, mindset-focused episode, Britt Seva examines a subtle but powerful shift that is “crippling” stylists and salon owners: an industry-wide aversion to change and a persistent craving for a past that no longer exists. Drawing from personal experiences, industry observations, and psychological insights, Britt unpacks how nostalgia, burnout, and risk aversion have eroded the previously celebrated culture of innovation in the beauty industry. She addresses why clinging to old ways is stifling growth, and provides actionable guidance to reignite adaptability for a thriving career.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Annual Reflections and The Power of “White Space”
[00:47-05:30]
- Britt shares her end-of-year ritual: carving out intentional time for reflection, dreaming, and strategizing, away from the busy hustle of business. She calls this “white space,” a time where true clarity and creativity naturally emerge.
- “When you’re grinding and hustling… you kind of close off from independent thoughts and possibilities. That impacts all of us.” (Britt Seva, 01:45)
2. A Moment of Clarity: The Industry’s “Silent Virus”
[05:31-08:54]
- Britt describes a recent insight she had: there’s a “silent virus” moving through the industry, manifesting as burnout, resentment, and frustration, now commonly expressed but rarely understood at its root.
- She sees a new, widespread “funk” in the industry that wasn’t always there.
3. Personal Story: Dealing with Perceived Change and Criticism
[08:55-15:30]
- Britt recounts a formative conversation at a retreat where someone asked how she feels when people say she’s changed.
- She realized many operational and strategic decisions are misunderstood unless someone has full visibility into a business.
- “Nobody understands the inner workings of my business more than I do… you have to make decisions that make logical sense, even if not everybody understands them.” (Britt Seva, 11:22)
4. Enterprise Commitment: Survival Over Sentiment
[12:20-13:55]
- Britt references Les McKeown’s concept of “enterprise commitment” from the book Do Lead: successful businesses put organizational survival ahead of individual preferences or outside opinions.
- “If you’re putting people’s opinions… ahead of the business, you’re slowly killing your business.” (Britt Seva, paraphrasing, 13:22)
5. The Trap of Longing for the Past
[15:31-24:30]
- Britt noticed elite stylists and owners at her retreat longing for the way events, salons, or the industry “used to be.”
- She diagnoses this nostalgia as a collective Achilles’ heel: “Craving for the past is becoming like a poison. It is the Achilles’ heel for so many of us and change has been demonized.” (Britt Seva, 19:55)
- Contrasts with a previous era where the industry celebrated innovation and the “rebellion” of growth. Now, change is met with exhaustion or even contempt.
6. Turning Points: The Pandemic and the Shift in Values
[24:31-39:01]
- Britt identifies 2020 as a major inflection point—consumer behavior, time value, and work-life priorities changed dramatically during the pandemic.
- “We all developed a deeper love for time… our interest in the grind and hustle really, really changed.” (Britt Seva, 26:38)
- Post-pandemic, an artificial boom occurred due to salon closures and decreased competitiveness, making growth seem easy and risk-taking seem safer than it was.
- Britt warns that this was a temporary “artificial inflation,” and now as things normalize, many are ill-prepared for the true challenges ahead.
7. Burnout, Exhaustion, and the Demonization of Change
[39:02-44:39]
- Fatigue from relentless change has led to widespread risk aversion, burnout, and even blame-shifting in the industry (owners criticizing stylists and vice versa).
- “We are living in a time where none of us like our ideas being challenged… we’ve lost the art of curiosity and being open to change.” (Britt Seva, 42:15)
- Britt shares Brene Brown’s concept of “permeable boundaries” as necessary for growth: being open to feedback, ideas, and uncomfortable change.
8. The Consequences of Change Aversion
[44:40-48:32]
- Innovators are “growing in silence,” making massive strides while others, resistant to change, risk being left behind.
- A striking moment: A salon leader at Britt’s event realizes, “Business is passing me by.” (Participant, paraphrased by Britt, 46:22)
- Those who once thrived on change are now quieter and less visible because the industry no longer celebrates innovation as it once did.
9. Am I Adverse to Change?: Self-Reflection Questions
[48:33-52:34]
- Britt challenges listeners with four hard questions:
- What am I doing wrong here and who can help me?
- How can I change to be better? And what does better look like?
- Who is seeing better results than I am?
- Where have I made mistakes and how can I fix them?
- “We have become very good at pointing fingers and we need to point thumbs back at ourselves.” (Britt Seva, 51:15)
- “Change is the only way to succeed. Holding on to the past will only cripple you, your business and your life moving forward.” (Britt Seva, 52:02)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On reflection and burnout:
“Usually when we’re grinding and hustling… we’re much less creative, much less inspired… you kind of close off from independent thoughts and possibilities.” (01:45) -
On feedback and unseen decision-making:
“Nobody understands the inner workings of my business more than I do… there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes that nobody else gets privy to.” (11:22) -
On ‘enterprise commitment’:
“If you’re putting people’s opinions… ahead of the business, you’re slowly killing your business.” (13:22) -
On longing for the past:
“Craving for the past is becoming like a poison, and how it is the Achilles’ heel for so many of us and how change has been demonized…” (19:55) -
On pandemic and shifting values:
“We all developed a deeper love for time… it was like there was this reprioritization.” (26:38)
“If your business was up and growing from 2020 to 2022 or 2023, that was fake, but it felt very real.” (30:17) -
On exhaustion and change aversion:
“We are living in a time where none of us like our ideas being challenged… we’ve lost the art of curiosity…” (42:15) -
On innovators and being left behind:
“People are innovating in silence. And what happens when people innovate in silence is they grow incredibly fast, while the people who are too stubborn to change slowly cripple themselves.” (46:00) -
On self-reflection:
“We have become very good at pointing fingers and we need to point thumbs back at ourselves.” (51:15)
Timeline of Important Segments
| Timestamp | Segment | Summary | |-------------|------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:47-05:30 | White space & Year-End Reflection | The importance of downtime for clarity and creative business strategy | | 05:31-08:54 | Industry “Silent Virus” | Identifies burnout, resentment, and funk as widespread issues | | 08:55-15:30 | Story: Dealing with Criticism | Insights on change, criticism, and misunderstood decisions | | 12:20-13:55 | Enterprise Commitment | Putting business survival first, referencing Les McKeown | | 15:31-24:30 | Longing for the Past | Collective nostalgia seen at events; the danger of craving the past | | 24:31-39:01 | Pandemic Era & Artificial Inflation | The COVID-19 turning point and its distortive effects on business growth | | 39:02-44:39 | Burnout & Demonizing Change | Why stylists are exhausted and risk-averse; Brene Brown on permeability | | 44:40-48:32 | Innovating in Silence | Innovators excelling quietly while resistance breeds stagnation | | 48:33-52:34 | Self-Reflection & Action Steps | Four key questions for breaking out of stagnation |
Concluding Thoughts
Britt’s message is clear: The beauty industry’s biggest threat isn’t competition or lack of talent—it’s the growing resistance to the discomfort of change. The tools and opportunities to thrive are more available than ever, but only for those willing to relinquish nostalgia, embrace feedback, and courageously adapt. As 2025 closes, Britt urges listeners to reflect honestly, open up to change, and lead the next era of innovation.