Carefully Cultivated with Aubrey Schneider and Molly Mummert Chalmus
EP 206 with Aubrey Schneider and Molly Mummert Chalmus
Co-owners of Dandelion Hair Studio & Apothecary
Aubrey, Molly, and Aubrey discuss what it was like starting a new hair studio during the COVID shutdown and how they were able to utilize their time out of the salon to kickstart their business planning with renewed focus and dedication. Their story is full of gratitude and support and it exemplifies the power of a positive community environment when starting a new business venture.
EPISODE OUTLINE
[00:02:36] Getting to know Aubrey, Molly, and the beginnings of Dandelion
[00:15:22] Creating a Unique and Sustainable Salon Experience
[00:23:00] The Natural Approach and Apothecary
[00:26:23] Balancing Business and Personal Life
[00:32:34] Community Building and Networking
[00:38:26] Final Reflections and Rapid Fire Questions
RESOURCES
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Mentioned in the Episode:
TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:00] Aubrey: Before we get into the episode, just a friendly reminder that joining our GAP community on Ko-fi is only available until October 14th. Signing up now will also lock in the current cost forever, but if you're still not convinced, I totally understand, which is why we have just as much free content as paid in there. We post basically every single day and we also have a discord group where you can connect and network with other listeners, So head to the show notes, our website goldenapproachpodcast.com, or linked in bio on Instagram @goldenapproachpod for access. We'll see you there.
Music fades in…
[00:00:41] Aubrey: Hi, Sunshine, and welcome to the show. I'm your host, Aubrey, a hopeful romantic who's always loved getting to know others and learning what I don't know. Here I chat with kindhearted humans and insightful professionals sharing their stories to learn from each other's experiences in hope of [00:01:00] going beyond the golden rule and collectively building a more kind and curious world for all, this is the Golden Approach, I'm so grateful you're here.
[00:01:11] Aubrey: To be completely open and honest, life is feeling tough these days. It seems like there's always something and someone that needs something, and no matter how hard we try to get it all done, it just keeps going. I know I'm not the only one. Personally, though, there are two appointments that always help me stay grounded when life gets rocky. That's my therapist, shout out to Craig, and my hairapist. I'm joined today by Aubrey and Molly, two incredible hairstylists and co-owners of Dandelion Hair Studio and Apothecary. I am very lucky to have known them for the last decade as friends and as a client, and I am so excited to introduce them to you, the GAP community. We're going back to [00:02:00] business a bit in this episode, talking about what it took to launch their studio and how they're able to cultivate such a distinct brand and experience for their clients. And it's surely paying off because they are always booked solid. No joke. There's a lot of great lessons to learn in this one. So without further ado, let's get to the good stuff.
Music fades out…
[00:02:23] Aubrey: So, so excited to have you both, truly. Thank you so much. We're going to start with your intros. I'm going to give you each a chance so how about Molly you go first? Will you please introduce yourself to the listeners?
Getting to know Aubrey, Molly, and the beginnings of Dandelion
[00:02:36] Molly: My name is Molly Mommert Chalmus and I co-own Dandelion Hair Studio and Apothecary with my best friend, you'll hear from her soon. I live in Baltimore, Maryland, from Pennsylvania originally, and I went to hair school in Frederick, and
[00:03:00] Molly: now we are in Baltimore City in the Federal Hill neighborhood.
[00:03:04] Aubrey: Perfect, thank you so much. And Aubrey, do you mind introducing yourself to our listeners, please?
[00:03:11] Aubs: I am Aubrey Schneider Johnson. Soon to be Aubrey Johnson, taking away the Schneider part, I am Molly's partner at Dandelion Hair Studio. I've been doing hair for 16 years, and I'm a mom of two teenagers. How about that?
[00:03:32] Aubrey: I have so much respect for all the parents, especially of teenagers and boys. Okay, so we're going to start at the beginning and I'm going to have you guys just help paint the picture, tell the story of how you got from point A to point B, because you do own your own salon, which is really impressive and very cool. And I feel very lucky to get to be a client of yours. So, whoever wants to tell the story, whoever feels more comfortable, can you give us some
[00:04:00] Aubrey: insight into how you ended up on this journey as some kick-ass hairstylists?
[00:04:05] Aubs: Well, first of all, I think we are very lucky to have you as a client, as well. Molly and I met about 12 years ago at another salon. So I moved to Baltimore from the Eastern Shore. I grew up in the Ocean City area. And, when I moved here, the salon that I chose to work at in Harbor East, Molly was already working at, and she had been working there for a couple of years. And we became instant best friends. Like day one, she took me home. Boom. We're besties. From there, that salon ended up going out of business pretty quickly, like only two or three months after I started there. So, we remained friends, but we did split. We went to separate salons. And I went to a place in Towson, which was close to my home. And she stayed in the city. And, we stayed really good
[00:05:00] Aubs: friends. And we started our own on location bridal business. And I remember when we first started planning this, sitting in my dining room at my old apartment, like tiny little apartment, and we were just tossing around different names of the business and what we would call things. And like that part of business planning is just so much fun and imaginative for us because I don't know, we just get to be silly and throw stuff around and…
[00:05:26] Molly: I feel like you were doing hair at the dining room table too. Like I feel like you were doing someone's hair while we were just like writing it down. Charm this, charm that…
[00:05:37] Aubs: Yeah, so we were Charm City Top Knots, that was our bridal business that we did together, and I'm sure one of us was probably getting our hair done at the same time.
[00:05:46] Aubrey: That's so cute.
[00:05:48] Aubs: I'm gonna let Molly take it. You can finish it, Molly.
[00:05:51] Molly: So we had that while working at different salons for a while and wherever we were just like, we sometimes
[00:06:00] Molly: have to do weddings on the side. And that was, okay. I worked, for that summer. I kept my clients close. My mentor Trish, who owned Tempachi in Fells Point allowed me to work a chair that summer. So I figured out we're like long term, we're not jumper around us. Like we want to be comfortable. We want our clients to be able to come to a comfortable place. So we were really trying to find something that we could be at for a long term. So then I found Studio 7, which was in Federal Hill at the time. It was only three chairs. Rosalind, owner of that. I worked there for a year before she took the leap with her vision to open a huge place in Mount Vernon neighborhood, right across from the monument. And I told Aubrey, you got to come back to the city and work here. There's so much more space for us to have people. And she did. It
[00:07:00] Molly: took her a little bit, but she came and it was so great working with her in the same space and that lasted a really long time. Roz was a great boss, very consistent. We did really well there. No complaints at all. I think when COVID happened and we had our own time to envision what life could look like as us being partners really, allowed us to dream it in that time. Because as hairstylists, we never have time off to that extent. And we were getting a little bit of compensation as well. Unemployment. I, instead of sitting at the dining room table, we were sitting under her tree in her backyard, dreaming about a future salon that we could possibly have together.
[00:07:53] Aubs: I wanted to add to that, that when I left the salon that I was at in
[00:08:00] Aubs: Towson, it wasn't a great experience as far as leaving. I think in our industry, a lot of people are afraid that they're going to get fired right away if you tell your boss that you're leaving because salon owners think “Oh, you're going to take your clients with you”, which mostly you probably will. But I had a pretty ugly departure from that salon. And I think going forward, Molly and I really want to make sure that we give an open communicative space for whoever our employee is to feel like they can grow into their own salon if that is the next step that they want to take, because We don't want that to be a continued thing in our industry.
[00:08:45] Molly: And there's enough clients go around. There's enough people to go around. If people want to stay because they earned that relationship with their guest, then they're not owned by anyone. So I think
[00:09:00] Molly: that changing the industry standard of that, just like locked out, you can't communicate with the people like people will come where their experience is the best.
[00:09:09] Aubrey: Yeah, absolutely. So I think there's a couple of really interesting things to unpack in this story, which I greatly appreciate you both sharing. First off, the generational entrepreneurial growth that I'm hearing in your story, cause I do want to do a strong shout-out to Roz because that's where I met you guys was at studio seven, which was a beautiful salon. And for context, I had actually never really seen a professional hairstylist before. My mother actually cut my hair my entire life. So it wasn't until college that I went to like a Bubbles, in a mall And, so Roz had this beautiful, like really professional salon. That was like the first time I ever got to experience anything like that and it was definitely love at first shampoo to be very frank. And that changed my entire life, yeah. Anyway, so
[00:10:00] Aubrey: all of that to say, I have a lot of respect for Roz because, to see and know about that growth and then see how you guys grew there over the years, because I've been your client now for 10 years, and her support and the classes I know you guys took and all those things that she instilled in her stylists. I think it really shows now, in your success, because you had a boss that allowed you that growth while you were with her, and you were able to go and grow on your own and still maintain that connection, and so I just think there's something really valuable to be said about that symbiosis between those relationships versus someone who you're saying you had this bad relationship with that, it ended ugly, cut off, whatever. And I agree with you. It just doesn't need to be like that. So I think there's something really powerful to be said about putting out such good energy.
[00:10:50] Aubs: Yeah, I agree. We learned a lot from Studio Seven business-wise, watching her, watching her successes, watching her failures.
[00:11:00] Aubrey: Yeah, it really shows. And then the other thing that I thought was interesting, too, that you guys were talking about is just everyone knows this story. It's become a universal theme, but just really that time provided by COVID to finally start the, the real vision work. Because again, having been your client for so long, I remember, you know, the whisper conversations while you shampooed my hair, telling me about your ideas and where you guys were in the process and the vision you were trying to create, but you're right. It really did finally take off. And I feel like you guys really started making true moves during COVID. And so I don't know if there's anything you want to speak to about that experience between the, the trying to multitask with your, full-time jobs and whatnot. And then the difference when you actually were provided the time to really, put the work in and put the time in.
[00:11:50] Aubs: I think it would have took, you know, 4 times the amount of time to have done
[00:12:00] Aubs: What we were able to do if we were so working full time. I honestly don't know how people do it. And that's why sometimes people open without having that entire brand and vision and everything, because they don't like where they are and they're uncomfortable and they're ready to branch out on their own, but you have to have a cushion. You definitely have to have some money. We did apply and get an amazing grant from Project Restore, which really helped us and we had a lot of family and our support from our now husbands. Without that, it's really hard to, without your village, it's really hard to open anything. So the time was very much needed to create. And shout out to Brit Siva, the Thriver Society. We started with her first method, which was like this thriving stylist. And then we went into her leadership course, this is all online,
[00:13:00] Aubs: but she really asked us the right questions to help us create the brand that we wanted to give to our guests.
[00:13:10] Molly: I agree. I think that we really took our time and we built it slowly from the ground up. Like I think it was probably from start to finish almost two years by the time we like started planning during our three months off in COVID that was like our business planning mode. And then from there, we continued to work in a place that we were comfortable while we stacked up money, while we bought equipment on Facebook marketplace, and stored it until we were really ready. I think that the main takeaway is take your time, do it right, do it slowly instead of just trying to jump right in and then you have to figure everything out later.
[00:13:54] Aubrey: Yeah, honestly, I find this such an interesting point because I feel like that is what I
[00:14:00] Aubrey: did to Molly's point, I was like, I know this isn't right. And I want to do my own thing. And I've just been, as, Reid Hoffman says, building the airplane on the way down, like, everyone's getting to listen live, like quite literally listen live, while I figure it out. Whereas you guys had such a clear, distinct brand when you launched and it definitely shows the work you did behind the scenes prior, that translates so well to the overarching experience to the point that like, you have two very distinct concepts that you've bridged really well, which I think is so fascinating about your business. And I really want to hash into, because you do have the hair salon part, which is an incredible experience. Honestly, I would say unprecedented. And I think that's why people claw their way into being your clients or stay your clients forever, basically. So let's talk about that part first and then we'll hash into the apothecary part, which I think is such an interesting twist to your hair salon. So for the
[00:15:00] Aubrey: hair salon itself, we've touched on your previous experience and you can clearly see how you carried that through, but is there anything in particular you want to speak to about priorities that were really important to you or how you went about creating the type of hair salon that you did, and maybe even the impact that you've clearly seen?
Creating a Unique and Sustainable Salon Experience
[00:15:22] Aubs: I would say one of our top priorities opening was to make sure that it was clear in our branding that anybody who walked into our door was welcome and could be taken care of. No matter what hair type, skin color, it doesn't matter. Now, I think like from past experiences, you might have someone that looks at you and says, no, I don't think you can do my hair based off of your skin color, but it was really important to us to portray to everyone that we could take care of them and that they would be taken care of equally to anyone else. I mean it's really hard because With your [00:16:00] branding with your pricing you want everyone to feel the equality even if sometimes it does take you a little bit longer. So it's like asking the constant question of how is this going to translate to someone who is white? How is it going to translate to someone who's black or any other type of hair? So I would say that was our top priority.
[00:16:23] Molly: I think that's absolutely true. And I think that we've shown that every single person, no matter what their curl type is, is at home there. If that makes sense. Like even if we don't know something, we'll try to figure it out. Like we are always trying to learn as well and there's some things that we don't offer, right? We don't offer braids because of the time that it takes to do them, but we do all natural hair. We do chemical services, but certain things like the braiders, they can have that, that, my hands can't take it.
[00:17:00] Molly: Anyway, we are so booked. It's important that when we're having our guests in the chair to make them not feel rushed. So when they come in, immediately asking them if they want something to drink, we have a framed refreshment list that we can give them. We have snacks, we have a lounge space downstairs. You can relax at even if we're behind the wash house, we'll tell our next client we're 15 minutes behind, always having that communication. And at the end of the day, it's like just trying the best that you can. The service is about them, not us. Our clients have been with us so long that, of course, they ask about our lives too. But I think as we grow, we want to find someone who has that service spirit as well. I think that in any industry, whether it's a restaurant or this or that when you have a really great service, you tell people, so the word of mouth is really all we've been
[00:18:00] Molly: having to do. The things that we like to talk about when guests are in the chair is that, hey, this hair that we're cutting off your head? Guess where it's going to go? The ocean to help in oil spills. We, we partnered with Green Circle Salons, What's the percentage, Aubrey?
[00:18:17] Aubs: I'm not sure, but I know they take all of our metals, so foils, used color bottles, aerosol cans, they take all of our single-use items, thin plastic caps, gloves, popsicle sticks for waxing, wax strips with wax on them, they take your hair clippings, they take unused color waste. So if there's color left in the bowl, after I put it on your head, we can put that into a bin and they have a process where they can extract the water and turn it into a renewable energy. It's really cool. So I always like to tell people, we only take our trash out, like maybe once a week, because we just don't have that much trash to take out.
[00:18:58] Aubrey: Yeah, talking about, wanting to provide this
[00:19:00] Aubrey: experience and really thinking it through, and I think lots of people say they're going to do that. I mean, that's a pretty general business concept, right? But to go to the level of detail that you guys have is really impressive. And then also, can provide the right type of service for that right type of person that walks in. And then the sustainability aspect, which I really think sets you apart from most businesses even, it's just such a full package. Which is why I'm such a loyal customer because I know I'm going to get the full package when I go there every time and I get so many compliments on the way I look as I walk out the door, which is a real bonus treat. Anyways, so I just think it's really interesting, those three categories, how you guys put so much thought into them, how they interact together, for this really full experience. And I think this is important to talk about because we all know customer service is such a lost art these days. It's all about the in and out and being super productive. So I think there's something really valuable about the
[00:20:00] Aubrey: investment and the influence it does have on the success of your business and the relationship building that you get with your clients.
[00:20:08] Molly: Yeah, I think that it's amazing when someone gives you feedback or you see a review that tells you that it's not just about their hair like the experience they had motivated them for a job. It might have you know made them feel better because they were going through a loss in their family. We have a little sticker in the salon that says hairpist because I truly feel like we are hair people, but we're also therapists like we experience life things with our people and our job at the ultimate end of the day is to make them feel better than when they came in. You don't realize how much that means to some people. And like Paul Mitchell, I was, raised with them. They always were like, the power of the touch is amazing. There’s not that many industries
[00:21:00] Molly: anymore that actually physically get to touch people. So I feel like we don't always realize the power that we have in the job that we have. But when I reflect back and think about it, it makes me feel like a magician sometimes. And we get so much great things from our guests, whether they're helping us put together some Ikea furniture downstairs, or making pastries for our weddings, like so many things. And it's like in our little community that we built. So I absolutely love that.
[00:21:34] Aubrey: I do feel very blessed that like I walked in just to get my hair done, having no idea, and the influence that you guys have had on the way I can feel about myself physically, is technically obvious to the story, but still was a very powerful thing for me. I mean, I have these new bangs recently, and I feel like a whole new chapter of a person. So, truly, thank you for that. But yeah, I've gotten to become your friend. I've gotten to be a part of your life.
[00:22:00] Aubrey: And, I get to teach Aubrey's son how to bake and I get to be a part of both of your weddings. And I hope that I get to be a part of, your kids lives as you guys go on or whatever other special things happen. And to your point, Molly, I never really thought about this, but you were right about the touching thing. Like, I know that maybe sounds like creepy out of context, but I do think there's something really to be said about that in a very modern age. You know, we were joking about all this technology these days. And even just personal relationships are limited in the sense of touch and touch is a very powerful sense. And then you build off of that, and you guys have so many other senses triggered by what you do, which brings me, I guess, to the apothecary part, because there's so many beautiful aromas that happen in your salon, which most people wouldn't think. You walk into a salon and it's usually very chemically. I don't know if that's actually a word, but anyway, I walk into your salon and I feel so refreshed. everything is natural and I don't know, it's just like such a breath of fresh air quite literally when I walk in.
The Natural Approach and Apothecary
[00:23:00] Molly: I think that the apothecary started at COVID too, like we started with cleaning products and we just wanted a more natural approach. Aubrey gets headaches, if the scents are too strong, And as do a lot of people. So we wanted to incorporate the smell and how you can feel. We got into essential oils a little bit and realized that this plant juice could be used for, you know, your mind, body, and your spirit. So I feel like young living has been a great option for us.
[00:23:35] Aubs: Yeah, sometimes candles definitely make me feel nauseous. Um, smelling chemicals all day gives me a headache right away. I think that the essential oils as a big part of our business. We try to incorporate it into more than just diffusing it. We, like Molly said, we have it in our oil bar, we make our own hair and skin oils, which we have done the
[00:24:00] Aubs: research on what ingredients are going to work best for certain things. And people can come in and make their own if they want. We could even add like a drop of lavender to your shampoo if that's what you want to do. We do aromatherapy at the shampoo bowl as well. we really try to think of different ways that we could bring it into all the different parts of your experience. We even drop it in a cocktail sometimes, like a drop of lime in your cocktail, because the essential oils are that high quality that some of them you actually can ingest. So yeah, I think that's definitely a crucial part, even with the eco too, because like you said, you're not burning chemical candles or spraying Febreze and stuff like that into the air.
[00:24:43] Molly: It's like just having another tool in your tool belt, right? I had a guest come in and unfortunately, her husband had been diagnosed with something. Whereas we have this dictionary of essential oils, and we actually created a little blend for that
[00:25:00] Molly: person to use. If you believe that food can heal you and your skin is like the biggest organ, these essential oils, we truly believe, can help. Anticancerous, antibiotic, antibacterial.
[00:25:14] Aubrey: Unfortunately these days, a way to brand natural things is calling them like the woo woo. And I think that's ridiculous. And I love that your business is this like perfect blend I mean, I'm getting my hair colored. That is a very modern privileged thing to like, just deem that I'm a redhead from now on, to then incorporate and respect all these other very natural aspects, whether it be through the aromatherapy and essential oils, or it be through the way that you guys process your trash and make sure that it's intentional and sustainable. I think is a standard that needs to be set. And it's one of the reasons why I wanted to feature you guys on the show because you're a startup who is balancing these two
[00:26:00] Aubrey: worlds and doing it effectively and doing so in a way that creates an incredible customer experience. And I don't know, there's no excuses. It's if you want it, it's possible.
[00:26:10] Aubs: We still work with business coaches. We, we’re, we're working with someone to help us create a training manual for our next employee. We still contact our accountant and our lawyer all the time for advice, yeah.
Balancing Business and Personal Life
[00:26:23] Molly: If you don't want to work all the time, then don't open your own business because we're not just working when we're in the chair with people. Okay, we're spending hundreds of dollars and hundreds of hours trying to keep the business together. and have time for our family.
Music fades in…
[00:26:39] Aubrey: Maybe you've noticed, there's no commercials on this show, and that's because currently, we don't have sponsors. And while someday that's going to happen, for now, this show is totally funded by yours truly, and thankfully, the incredible support of you, the listener. So if you like the show and want to make sure it continues to exist
[00:27:00] Aubrey: and grow, we would super appreciate your support. Just go check out our merch link in the show notes. And, in case you didn't know, every person we interview gets to choose a cause of choice. We then create a custom episode merch piece and donate five dollars for every piece sold, and I would say that's a real win-win. So head to the show notes and check out all this season's custom merch. Thank you so much, we couldn't do this without you.
Music fades out…
[00:27:27] Aubrey: So in a previous episode, and this is something that's really stuck with me, we had a guest Amber Croom on the show. And I remember asking her this question of like, how do you find the energy to do all of this? And she was just like, well, if it wasn't for me, I wouldn't do it, but because I'm picking the things that I really feel like benefit me, benefit my life, build the world I'm trying to build. Like I can always find some energy for it, no matter how hard it is…
[00:27:53] Aubs: I think that a lot of times when I'm feeling overwhelmed, the question that I ask myself is, would I want to do anything else? Would I want to work for someone else
[00:28:00] Aubs: again? Is there another field that I would rather be in? That I would feel less burnt out in? And the answer is no, because I still love what I do. I still love that I can be creative and I can be a business mind at the same time. I can use both sides of my brain. I think that having a family at home definitely motivates me to keep pushing, but definitely feeling passionate and having people in the community that depend on us is a big motivator, for sure.
[00:28:36] Molly: It's definitely hard to find it. I think that we find it from each other. Molly here. I'm definitely a little more emotional than my partner, which our strengths and weaknesses complement each other really well. So sometimes I get strength from her. Sometimes I get strength from being alone at home. Right now, sometimes we just compartmentalize and push through because we know that
[00:29:00] Molly: it'll be slower later. Like Aubrey has just helped me move. I just moved my entire house and my bestie was there like on her off day we're loading a van up and taking it over here and in between doing an interview for a podcast and then getting right back to it so we can start the week. I think that exactly what she said about, we wouldn't want to do it for Anyone else so even though when times are hard and we're thinking like, I don't feel like doing this, we remind ourselves that we created this for ourselves and for our future. Like it's so awesome that we're in control of that
[00:29:38] Aubrey: What do you do?
[00:29:39] Aubs: now?
[00:29:40] Aubrey: No, thank you for actually being the first ones to ever turn it around. I appreciate you. Um, honestly, I still ask myself this question every day. Cause I'm feeling this very personally right now. I work a job. I work this job trying to build this thing. My house is an absolute mess. I have been meaning to do dishes for like three
[00:30:00] Aubrey: days and I would be embarrassed to invite someone into my house right now. But yet I still feel better than I did when I was working 60-plus hours a week in the restaurants, because, I feel so much more pride about the work that I'm doing and the influence that it has on the people around me, whether that be in my personal life or, extensions of my community or whatever it is. And it does, it feels more meaningful. And so it provides me perspective, I think. It allows me to check myself more often on what's really important and what really matters to me and what I'm willing to sacrifice for the things that I care about. And when I sit with those answers more often, it gives me, I don't know, refreshment.
[00:30:52] Aubs: Like you have the ability to pull on the reins a little bit and say, I need a couple days.
[00:30:58] Aubrey: Yeah, and I think that's important
[00:31:00] Aubrey: for all of us. I don't have children. I am currently not trying because I'm like, when would I fit those in? But like I know that Molly wants to start a family and Aubrey, you have a family. And so I think that's an interesting part of this conversation is that not only do all of us take the risk to build the lives that we want, but like the people around us have to be on board with that. And the sacrifice that we ask of them. So that way we can build our dreams I think that's not always something that's talked about or acknowledged as part of the conversation that like, it's not just my sacrifice. It's my family's sacrifice for me to have a podcast.
[00:31:40] Molly: And Dandelion sacrificed. Like when I have a child, you know Dandelion, I can't necessarily rely on Dandelion to support my salary while I'm out. That's something that we have to discuss, figure out how do we make that equal like
[00:32:00] Molly: we're equal in the business so you can't take You Certain draws on one person than the other person. And I love my best friend so much that she is just always willing and able to just be open to whatever we have to do to get past these times, we want to be able to give benefits to our future employees as well. It's not able to happen right this very second, but we definitely do have some incentives for it for that coming.
[00:32:30] Aubrey: Yeah, and I mean We can talk about this as much or as little as you want.
Community Building and Networking
[00:32:34] Aubs: Um, I think that we're just in the beginning stages. We have been instructed to always be hiring. Anytime somebody asks us, or wants to drop off a resume, we say, yes, we're hiring so that we can always have a backlog of people, that we can interview, cause you never know who's going to be the right person for the job. And we're also trying to just be out there, in the
[00:33:00] Aubs: cosmetology world, and put our best faces forward for these incoming students and already professionals. So we visited two schools. One of them, we taught a class that the other one, we actually went to a job fair and we basically were just, casting a fishing line out there and we have a hiring process so far. It's scary I think thinking about it with your best friend too because I'm always like we're married now and now we're thinking about having our first child and we have to be co-parents to this person and like still maintain our friendship in the best way possible. I think that's the scariest part for both of us is thinking about what could potentially happen to our relationship. If somebody could come between it, or if one of us feels like the good guy and one of us feels like the bad guy all the time. There's so many scenarios. So I think we're really just trying to prepare for the best ways to avoid that.
[00:33:58] Molly: I think if we keep our
[00:34:00] Molly: communication open, and make time to communicate like just the two of us. I think our leadership styles are going to be a little bit different, but I think that'll give whoever we choose to bring into our team the best of both worlds, right? Like they'll see something from you and something different from me.
[00:34:20] Aubrey: One of the overarching themes that I've taken away from not only this conversation, but you guys use the term carefully cultivated and that really like represents and sticks with me. And I'm not going to lie, it's probably going to be the title of your episode. So I think it's just interesting how it just keeps coming up in all these different ways. This is also so carefully cultivated that you're already thinking about, like, how do I come across? How do we interact together? How might a new personality come across and what could we provide them? And that you're really thinking through those options prior to taking the leap.
[00:34:55] Molly: I think we want to create a culture that people are comfortable in
[00:35:00] Molly: and that they can grow in. And I think that, like Aubrey said before, the nervousness of bringing someone on, I don't know about you guys in your 30s, but sometimes it's a little difficult to talk to them Gen Z ers, okay? And that might be the person that we hire. And sometimes it's hard, especially for me, like, I'm more direct, and I am learning how to communicate with people that are younger, and it makes me feel old sometimes. The difference of, maybe what I see as less motivated, might just be that they need directed in a certain way.
[00:35:41] Aubs: When we're thinking about hiring somebody that pushes us to then be like Okay, how can we make sure that everything is systematized and laid out so that the expectations are there so that we aren't fighting about what's right and wrong later and like I don't know if I was a single owner, if she
[00:36:00] Aubs: was a single owner, if we would really be thinking that much more in-depth about it, knowing that we don't have someone else to hold us accountable in the way that we do each other.
[00:36:09] Aubrey: I think these are all really good points. And all really interesting things to reflect on. The last thing I wanted to touch on, was community building. Like, it's not even just the relationship building that you do within your own nuclear system of your business, but the expansion of community projects that you work on. For example, when you did the block party as your celebration of opening, like, you're a part of a neighborhood, you acknowledge that you're part of a neighborhood, and you invited that neighborhood to come be a part of the experience and the community that you are building in your business. Another example is your winter wellness event or your Thanksgiving event for VIP clients. Boss Bitches Group. Like all of these are perfect examples of how you are building off your small nuclear community to the larger picture.
[00:36:55] Aubs: Knowing that a lot of our guests
[00:37:00] Aubs: become our really good friends like you mentioned our Boss Bitch dinners. I mean, that started out as four friends who own businesses and has branched out to clients who are friends who also own businesses. And the other events that we've done, I think that we just really have this desire to bring other people up with us. So if we have clients or friends who have something to showcase, we invite them to also be a part of our events
[00:37:29] Molly: Our boss bitch dinner you know, usually we pick a mom-and-pop restaurant place versus a chain, and we're able to just recharge with each other's things. And we never realize until we're there, how much we can help the other person, with little things that they're doing. We've shared payroll companies, just like sharing all these different systems that might be working for one that could work for the other.
[00:37:54] Aubrey: Yeah, I'm very grateful to be a part of it and have connected with so many amazing people
[00:38:00] Aubrey: And the influence that has had on as we were talking about, my energy level to keep going or my ability to keep this alive as a small business with no investors and just like personally financing this project. Is because of those groups, those small networking entrepreneur groups that I get to be a part of, whether it be inspirational or educational. So I'm very grateful for them.
[00:38:24] Molly: We're grateful for you.
Final Reflections and Rapid Fire Questions
[00:38:26] Aubrey: Thanks guys. So final things, if there's anything you feel like you wanted to share or something that you feel like wasn't touched on, now's your chance.
[00:38:36] Aubs: I would like to share that being in this industry has changed my life in so many ways, but I think one of the biggest ways is being able to come out of my shell a little bit. I describe myself as an introverted person, and I can count on both hands, probably the amount of
[00:39:00] Aubs: people that have sat in my chair that have now become like true friends. You being one of them, Aubrey, like it's such a blessing to me that, you know, there's so many, there's so many people of all these different walks of life that I can call my friends that if, if I was in a different position or a different job that I wouldn't, I might not be able to say the same thing, you know, like our bubble has become so big and so diverse and I'm so grateful for that.
[00:39:27] Aubrey: Yeah, I feel very grateful as well. How about you, Molly?
[00:39:32] Molly: Um, I'm just thankful and blessed for our community in general. I, you know, even though sometimes it's hard, I would not want to be anywhere besides working with my best friend. We complement each other so well. Like we joke it's like the yin to the yang, you know? And I would not be able to do it
[00:40:00] Molly: without her. And I don't think she would want to do it without me. Um, I am just happy that we're in control of our lives and we can use as many brushstrokes and paint colors as we like, right to paint our canvas.
[00:40:21] Aubrey: I like that metaphor. That's great. Thank you guys. I really love and adore you both so much. I just like, so very grateful. I know I say that every show, I'm just like fawning over people with gratitude, but like, Thank you just truly doesn't cover it that I have people in my corner Especially you guys. Oh my god, you have from day one never doubted this project and like I truly can't ever say thank you enough for what that has done for me and how much that has meant to me
[00:40:52] Molly: You're doing it right now. You're doing it. We love you. We know you can do it.
[00:40:57] Aubrey: There's so much love. It's
[00:41:00] Aubrey: beautiful.
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[00:41:02] Aubrey: Pardon one more quick selfless plug. Anyone who knows me knows I love books, so we are affiliate partners of bookshop.org, an organization dedicated to keeping local bookstores alive and thriving, because those big corporations, they just don't need any more of our money. So head to the show notes where we've linked our bookshelf and bonus, we'd love if you sent us suggestions to add, you can do so by DMing us on Instagram @goldenapproachpod, or join our email subscriptions on our website, goldenapproachpodcast.com. Okay, let's dive back in.
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[00:41:38] Aubrey: So the final thing before we go is, and I'm sure you know it if you've listened to any episodes, is the rapid fire questions. We have a bunch of questions and we pick three randomly every episode. So it always feels like a different mix. So your first…
[00:41:54] Aubs: You want us to answer separately or go together real quick?
[00:41:58] Aubrey: Um,
[00:42:00] Aubrey: selfishly, I would love for you guys to answer at the same time. I think it'll get lost in the audio. So, we'll alternate. We'll do Molly then Aubrey this time, And we'll just switch back and forth. So first question is when you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Molly, what did you want to be when you grew up?
[00:42:20] Molly: Um, I don't even know. Um, I think I wanted to be an entrepreneur, just in general, like a boss, like my mom. I didn't know what.
[00:42:34] Aubrey: That's okay. It didn't. And also for the record, it doesn't have to be a job. Go ahead, Aubrey.
[00:42:39] Aubs: I wanted to be a dolphin. That was my earliest memory of what I wanted to be. Yeah, I vividly remember that I thought I could be a dolphin when I grew up. And then when I realized I had to pick a job, the first thing I wanted to be was a figure skater. And then I wanted to be a fashion designer. I never
[00:43:00] Aubs: wanted to be a hairstylist. That's funny.
[00:43:02] Aubrey: Honestly, that's why I asked this question I don't think I've had a single person on the show who's gotten this question that actually wanted to be what they are currently, so that's why it's in the mix. Um, okay, second question: When you're feeling down and you got to get re-inspired, what do you do?
[00:43:18] Aubs: Educate. Like if I'm feeling down, for example, if when we did a wedding this past weekend, or if anytime that I feel like I just don't want to do it. Or whatever, then I try to educate myself, even if it's just going on to YouTube and doing like a quick updo tutorial, quick makeup tutorial. And that just gives you a little spark of like, Oh, I want to do that. I can't wait to try that little trick.
[00:43:45] Molly: Um, I think if I'm feeling that way, I like to go out into nature. I like to just like be outside in the fresh air with my thoughts. And I feel it helps clear
[00:44:00] Molly: the, like, clutter away.
[00:44:02] Aubrey: I do both of these things. I love both these answers. And my last one for… what'd you say?
[00:44:09] Molly: I almost said I was going to fly. I wanted to fly, but then I didn't think that that was like real, but then you said dolphin. So I wish I said I wanted to fly.
[00:44:18] Aubrey: Yeah, those are the kinds of dreams I want to hear about, like the wild kid ones that are just like completely unrealistic that you can only have those kinds of dreams as a child. Like that's the gold. Um, and my final question for you guys is: What is a moment with loved ones? What's a cherished memory that you carry with you.
[00:44:38] Molly: Me and my family used to take family vacations, and I feel like I remember that being just amazing because I'm an only child so I had all my cousins with me, and it just felt like such a like village that was like experiencing this beautiful place together.
[00:44:57] Aubrey: That's beautiful.
[00:45:00] Aubs: Yeah, I think that a memory that I cherish right now and I'm going to cherish in the future, it just happened recently. It was when my whole family, including James and all the boys, my dad, my grandfather, my aunts and uncles, cousins, like we all got together and went away for a weekend in Virginia. And it's just very, like, it just never happens anymore. Where everyone gets together. Like I have childhood memories of my family vacations, but it doesn't totally feel rounded out because James and the kids weren't there. So I think that more recent ones are going to be my most cherished one.
[00:45:39] Aubrey: Yeah. Oh, I have to answer the questions. Okay. So the first one was, what do I want to be when I grew up? Um, so I definitely wanted to be a ballerina. That was like first choice. Never got tall enough, never got fit enough, but that's okay. Or like on Broadway, but I couldn't sing well enough either so, um, anyway, all those things. And then
[00:46:00] Aubrey: how do I get re-inspired? Honestly, both of what you said, I go outside, I go sit by the pond in Patterson Park with my dogs and I read a book or I journal or something like that, um, which is a new thing. I didn't used to do that. I would get in my head and just go downstairs and be a lump. And I've started this thing where I've told myself, like, you don't have to finish something. But you can go outside, you can walk around the block and change your mind and come right back in your house and get in your pajamas if that's what you truly want to do, but like, also, if you step outside, you're probably going to want to be there. So just go try that. Um, or I take a master class a lot of times. Like, if I'm feeling down about something, um, I love my master class subscription. Highly, highly recommend it. Um, and what was the third question? A cherished memory with loved ones. Um, yeah, honestly, not to like be cheating off you guys, but I do feel similarly like all the times that my family was together, which I'm very
[00:47:00] Aubrey: lucky was a lot. I was in a very like tight-knit family with my parents and my sister and we did a lot of like camping and road trips as a family. All the way up until I was in community college. Um, yeah. And just like my, my parents are goobers. Thank God. Like they're just not embarrassed goobers and they do weird shit all the time. Um, and it's like very entertaining and gave me a lot of permission to just also be a weird goober. And I feel like I've been spending a lot of time recently reconnecting with that. So it's very cherished. Thanks for asking. Again, you guys are the only ones who have ever turned it around. So thanks guys. And from the bottom of my heart forever, adore you. If you guys ever need anything, You know how to get in touch with me. And everyone should go visit you.
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[00:47:49] Aubrey: Thank you for listening to the golden approach podcast, which wouldn't be possible without the support of associate producer and content manager, Emmalyn with audio technology and support [00:48:00]provided by barn swallow audio company. If you've liked this episode or any episode prior, be sure to follow so you never miss a new release. We greatly appreciate if you helped others find the show also by leaving a review wherever you're currently listening or directly sharing with friends and family. You can find resources, merch, and more in the show notes and website, GoldenApproachPodcast.com. And if you're looking for more content, join our Ko-fi community and follow on Insta @GoldenApproachPod. Until next time, let your hopeful romantic side shine always. Buh bye!
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