Podcast Summary: Thriving Stylist Podcast

Host: Britt Seva
Episode: #418 - The Second Job You Need If Clientele Is Building Slowly
Date: December 29, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Britt Seva addresses a rising concern in the beauty industry: the struggle many stylists face in growing and maintaining a solid clientele. Rather than recommending the traditional route of taking on a second unrelated job, Britt reframes the challenge—arguing that the most powerful "second job" stylists need is being their own digital marketing manager. The episode explores current industry trends, the realities of stylist incomes and workloads, and offers a crash course in marketing strategies that can accelerate success more than picking up extra shifts outside the salon.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. State of the Industry & The Second Job Crisis

• Clientele Building Has Gotten Tougher:

  • Britt reflects on how the “glory days” of easy client growth (2021–2023) have shifted, and it’s becoming more difficult to build and sustain a book of business.
  • “I naively didn’t realize what an outcry there was for second jobs... but now it’s coming back around.” (03:17)

• Anecdotes from Industry Forums:

  • Britt notes a high frequency of stylists seeking second jobs out of financial necessity, such as working full-time day jobs and styling in the evenings—sometimes totaling 60 hours a week.
  • “It’s like hair is their supplemental income and they’re working a full 40 hours a week doing something else and then maybe 20 hours a week doing hair. That’s 60 hours a week of work.” (05:19)

• Community Comments Exposed:

  • Examples included stylists saying they’re “hanging by a thread” or considering leaving hair altogether for other careers, e.g., nursing.
  • Others expressed a need for side hustles that better fit their lives than traditional second jobs.

2. Four Identity Types Among Stylists

• Britt categorizes stylists into four types:

  1. Sinking Stylists: Low income, working 35+ hours/week—majority of the industry.
     • “They’re working really hard. They don’t have a ton of free time, but they’re not making as much money as they want to be.” (10:00)
  2. Struggling Stylists: Low income, but with lots of potential free time—not enough clients.
     • “They have the desire, they want to work, they’ve got the time—but there’s not enough demand.” (11:18)
  3. Sacrificers: High income, but zero free time—risk of burnout.
     • “It’s like, nights, weekends, 10–12 hour days, sacrificing time from the family—but the bills are paid.” (12:08)
  4. Scalers: Abundant money and time, working ≤35 hours/week—what everyone should aim for.

• Warnings About Burnout:

  • Taking on more hours (with traditional jobs) just shifts stylists from “sinking” to “sacrificing,” not toward the ideal “scaler” lifestyle.
  • “The longer you sink and the longer you sacrifice, burnout is the natural repercussion. At some point, you have to get to scaling.” (13:40)

3. The Ultimate Second Job: Digital Marketing Manager

• A Well-Fit, Lucrative Side Hustle (Right Under Your Nose):

  • Britt’s big reveal: The best second job for stylists is to become their own Digital Marketing Manager.
  • "You look deep within yourself and you say, am I ready to take this career seriously? Because if your clientele is not growing as quickly as you'd like it to be, it's time for you to do a better job of being your own digital marketing manager. Kind of tricky, huh?" (19:29)

• Why Marketing as a Second Job?

  • 5–10 hours per week spent on marketing can double a stylist’s income—far more than bartending or waiting tables.
  • Work is performance-based (rewarded by results, not just hours spent).
  • Can be done fully remotely, flexible schedule—fits any stylist, from those short on time to those with extra hours.

• Necessary Skillset:

  • Some basic digital marketing/social media know-how required, but easily learnable.
  • “If you found this podcast, you have enough knowledge to do it. It’s not rocket science, but there could be a learning curve.” (18:50)

4. Why Stylists Avoid Marketing—and Why That’s a Mistake

• Common Obstacles to Embracing Self-Marketing:

  • Marketing can feel “cringe” or intimidating (especially video and self-promotion).
  • Uncomfortable learning curve—easier to just pick up hours elsewhere.

• Britt’s Challenge:

  • “Push through the freak and awkward. Education right now is at your fingertips... it has never been easier to learn how to market yourself.” (22:00)

• Education Abundance:

  • Britt promotes her own 400+ podcast episodes, paid programs, and free online resources.
  • Emphasizes YouTube and other platforms as sources to learn branding, photo taking, and more.

5. The Marketing Crash Course (For Stylists at Any Level)

• The Six-To-Ten Rule:

  • A healthy, scalable business means attracting 6–10 new guest requests per month.
    • “If we can get you to a place of six to ten new guest requests per month, financial freedom is only a matter of time... and by a matter of time, I mean months, not years.” (27:35)

• Step-by-Step Marketing Funnel:

  • Branding & Target Market: Ensure your message and imagery speak to your ideal client—not just “cute and trendy," but strategic (29:20).
  • Pre-Visit Communication: Build trust before they walk in, starting with a robust, fully-built website (not just an online booking page). (30:45)
    • “You have to have a full website. Social media is not enough, and a booking page is not enough to build trust on its own.” (31:45)
  • Service Menu & Pricing: Clarity and transparency on your website is key to building trust and setting expectations.
  • Social Media Presence: Consistency, education, and a strong point of view differentiate you from the competition.
  • Driving Awareness: Use platforms like Nextdoor, Google reviews, referral programs, and direct messaging strategies to expand reach.

• Time Commitment Reality Check:

  • While 5–10 hours/week is ideal to set up systems, ongoing marketing can often be maintained in just 2–3 hours weekly when established.
  • “Instead of spending 20–30 hours bartending, spend 5–10 hours a week marketing yourself… the results are exponentially higher.” (24:30)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Industry Burnout:

  • “The longer you sink and the longer you sacrifice, burnout is the natural repercussion. At some point, you have to get to scaling.” (13:40)

• On the Real Second Job:

  • “You need to be your own digital marketing manager…that’s the only ‘second job’ I recommend for every stylist listening.” (19:29)

• On the Power of Marketing:

  • “The key to any business, whether you’re selling hair services or farmers market eggs or cupcakes… marketing is the fuel to the fire. There is nothing else.” (21:08)

• On Learning to Market Yourself:

  • “Education right now is at your fingertips. It has never been easier to learn how to market yourself as a stylist.” (22:00)
  • “Push through the freak and awkward. If you can just learn this skill set, I promise you can do this.” (25:38)

• On Scaling:

  • “The second job you need is marketing. The first job that you committed to, and I know it feels like a second job because by the way, it is.” (34:22)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 03:17 – State of the Industry and the “Second Job” Surge
• 10:00–14:00 – Stylist Identity Types: Sinking, Struggling, Sacrificing, Scaling
• 18:50–19:29 – The “Best Second Job” Reveal: Be Your Own Digital Marketing Manager
• 21:08 – The Vital Role of Marketing in Success
• 22:00–25:38 – Overcoming Fears, Learning to Self-Market
• 27:35–28:30 – The 6-10 New Guest Rule for Financial Freedom
• 29:20–31:45 – Marketing Funnel Crash Course: Branding & Website Essentials
• 34:22 – The True Nature of the “Second Job” for Stylists

Tone

Britt’s delivery is supportive, candid, and motivational, but doesn't sugarcoat the realities of the hair industry today. She acknowledges the real struggle, challenges her audience to embrace the discomfort of learning marketing, and persistently reframes self-promotion as the true lever for stylist wealth and freedom.

Summary Takeaway

Instead of recommending more hours away from home or another exhausting side hustle, Britt Seva insists the game-changer for stylists is shifting 5–10 hours a week into digital marketing—becoming their own best advocate and business driver. The episode demystifies marketing as a required “second job” and offers clear steps and motivation for stylists to take agency over their careers, achieve financial freedom, and avoid burnout.

“Your first job is serving clients at your highest capacity. Your second job is marketing the shit out of it. And you have to do both parts. And I promise if you do, you will make more money than you ever dreamed possible in this career.”
— Britt Seva (34:36)

For more actionable strategies, Britt recommends listening to previous Thriving Stylist episodes or checking out her Thriving Stylist Method training online.