Thriving Stylist Podcast Episode #431

Episode Title: Money-Making Scheduling Strategies
Host: Britt Seva
Date: March 30, 2026

Episode Theme Overview

Britt Seva dives into the changing landscape of scheduling strategies for hairstylists and salon owners, challenging industry norms around working nights/weekends, double booking, and booking months in advance. Drawing on data from thousands of stylists, Britt shares actionable scheduling tactics to maximize income and quality of life. The episode emphasizes building a sustainable, wealth-generating career that prioritizes both mental and physical well-being—arguing that abundance is best defined as time, money, and health, not just a packed schedule.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rethinking "Money-Making" Schedules (00:35–06:50)

• Success isn’t about grinding: Britt redefines “wealthy stylist” as someone who enjoys an abundance of time and money while protecting physical and mental health.
  • Quote: “Teaching you how to make lots of cash is actually relatively easy. Teaching you how to have a life that you love is, is where things become really exceptional.” (02:06)
• Historically, working nights/weekends or salon closure days (Sundays/Mondays) was seen as essential for building a clientele.
• Post-2020, these rules have shifted:

  • More clients working from home; flexibility is greater.

  • Clients value time at home and prioritize family/weekends more since the pandemic.

  • No longer “golden” days; it’s about matching your schedule to your target clientele and building demand through branding and marketing.

  • Quote: “It’s about the target market, clientele you’re working to attract, how you branded, market yourself, and what works for you and your community. If you’re resentful of the schedule you’re working, it’s not going to be good for you or for anybody else.” (06:35)

Notable Moment:

• Britt shares a personal story about her daughter succeeding with a Tuesday–Friday, primarily daytime schedule, illustrating that any schedule can work with the right effort and branding. (04:50)

2. Double Booking – Myth vs. Reality (08:00–13:00)

• Historic industry narrative: “Double booking is working smarter, not harder.”
• Britt challenges this logic:

  • Double booking is harder on you, physically & mentally.

  • You can reach multiple six figures in income without double booking.

  • Some clients despise double booking due to a lack of undivided attention.

  • Quote: “How is taking double the amount of clients in the same amount of time not working harder? Of course it’s working harder.” (08:20)

  • Quote: “If your back is not breaking and your retention is great, then by all means keep doing it. I don’t think that the only way to make great money is double booking.” (10:45)

• Risks: Double booking increases burnout and makes unplanned time-off overwhelming (having to reschedule twice as many clients if sick or injured).

3. How Far Out Should You Be Booked? (13:10–23:30)

• Old standard: Being booked out months in advance = success.
• New reality: Clients aren’t willing to wait as long; being overbooked can lose you clients.
  • Quote: “Right now, it’s not on trend for clients to have to wait weeks and months to come in to see you. They’ll just find somebody else who is more accessible.” (16:40)
• Sweet spot: 2 weeks out is both profitable and flexible for both stylist and client.
  • Quote: “2 weeks seems to be the profitability and lifestyle sweet spot.” (17:30)
• High cancellations: Recent research found 67% of stylists report increased cancellations.
• Having a vast waitlist is complex and doesn’t really guarantee revenue.

Notable Moment:

• Community comment highlights that even 2–3 week waits now feel “overbooked” to clients, a big shift from a few years ago. (18:45)

Key Metric:

• Healthy demand marker: Strive for 8–10 new guest requests per month. Less or more indicates structural/demand issues. (21:00)

4. Income Growth: Demand vs. Structure (23:40–30:00)

• Only two ways to grow:
  1. Increase demand (new clients)
  2. Refine structure (pricing, menu, scheduling tweaks)
• Myth busting: Price increases alone won’t achieve real revenue growth.

  • Average stylist raises prices 5–10% ($5–$10 per service), but this doesn’t reach the needed 15% service revenue growth (to keep up with rising business costs and maintain/improve lifestyle).

  • You’d need to raise your prices by $20–$25 per ticket, which causes significant client loss.

  • Quote: “There is no profitable business on the planet that says, ‘We don’t want any new customers.’” (29:00)

5. Tactics for Maximizing Bookings & Profitability (30:20–45:15)

a. Streamline Booking: Eliminate Friction

• Ditch forms, texting, and calls; require 100% online booking.
  • Increases efficiency, income, and improves client experience—especially for Millennials and Gen Z.
  • Quote: “For every client that you are booking by phone or DM or by text, I want you to imagine losing three.” (31:40)
  • Even Gen X clients mostly prefer online booking (70%).

b. The Importance of a Website

• Many salon booking systems are confusing by default; a clear website adds trust and context.
• Review your online booking as a client—if it’s broken or confusing, you’re losing bookings.

c. Booking System Selection

• No “perfect” platform. Brand-agnostic stance—test from your client’s perspective before deciding.
• Features to demand:
  • Cluster/gap-free booking: Only show availability that minimizes empty chair time.
  • Easy front-end experience (avoid requiring profiles before seeing schedules).
  • Customizable menus and descriptions.
• Britt highlights systems: Gloss Genius (simple), Vagaro (robust/customizable), Forest, MangoMint, Boulevard (for teams/salons). “If the booking system is free, it’s probably not the best.” (35:30)

d. Menu & Pricing Simplification

• Uncomplicate service menus in your booking platform; combine or rephrase for clarity, ideally linked to a website for context and upselling.
• Untangle complex or outdated service lists—less is more for conversions.

6. Stop Charging for Consultations (44:00–48:45)

• Charging for consultations is out of date and limits your ability to build trust and convert clients.
• Thoughtful, free consultations directly translate to more high-value bookings.
  • Quote: “When people charge for consultations, I want to be like, 1996 called and they want their free consult back.” (44:20)

Notable Story:

• Stylist lost a booking after charging for DMs/consults, while a colleague offering a free consult in the same salon closed the sale. “The more clients you can meet, the more opportunities you’ll have to build business and the faster your revenue will grow.” (46:00)
• Free consults are standard mainstream practice in most service industries—they’re how relationships, trust, and conversions happen.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Teaching you how to make lots of cash is actually relatively easy. Teaching you how to have a life that you love is, is where things become really exceptional.” — Britt (02:06)
• “It’s about the target market, clientele you’re working to attract, how you branded, market yourself, and what works for you and your community.” — Britt (06:35)
• “How is taking double the amount of clients in the same amount of time not working harder? Of course it’s working harder.” — Britt (08:20)
• “2 weeks seems to be the profitability and lifestyle sweet spot.” — Britt (17:30)
• “For every client that you are booking by phone or DM or by text, I want you to imagine losing three.” — Britt (31:40)
• “There is no profitable business on the planet that says, ‘We don’t want any new customers.’” — Britt (29:00)
• “When people charge for consultations, I want to be like, 1996 called and they want their free consult back.” — Britt (44:20)

Timing Breakdown of Major Segments

• 00:35–06:50: Philosophy—redefining success & stylist “wealth”
• 06:50–08:00: Shifting rules—old “best days” for building business
• 08:00–13:00: Double booking—pros, cons, and risks
• 13:10–23:30: Booking far out—changing trends, optimal timeframe, demand markers
• 23:40–30:00: Price increases vs. demand for income growth
• 30:20–45:15: Booking tactics—online booking, website, system choice, menu clarity
• 44:00–48:45: Charging for consultations—why it’s outdated, real-world consequences

Summary & Takeaways

Britt Seva urges stylists to move beyond outdated industry myths about nights/weekends, double booking, being perpetually “booked out,” and exclusivity as status. Instead, she advocates for sustainable scheduling, client-first booking systems, website investment, ongoing demand creation, and a consultative approach that is open and welcoming.

Most importantly:
You don’t need to trade your body or your sanity for success. The stylists thriving now have balanced schedules, robust demand, accessible online booking, easy-to-understand offerings, and abundant opportunity. Shift your schedule and systems to support real wealth—abundance of time, money, and energy.

Host’s closing reminder:
“So much love, happy business building, and I’ll see you on the next one.” (48:45)