Jason sits down with his mother, Elizabeth Townsend—a Honduran immigrant and veteran hairdresser with 47 years behind the chair—to share the real, unfiltered truth about building a long-term career in the beauty industry.

Elizabeth recounts immigrating from Honduras to California as a teenager, starting her hairdressing career in the late 1960s, and building a loyal clientele without social media, influencers, or modern marketing. She shares how consistent work ethic, saving money, and smart decisions allowed her to turn hairdressing into long-term financial stability and real estate wealth.

The conversation also exposes the hidden health risks of hairdressing, including long-term exposure to hair color chemicals and the link to cancer—an issue rarely discussed openly in the salon industry. Elizabeth shares her personal experience battling cancer multiple times and why today’s stylists need to take chemical safety seriously.

From old-school salon culture and unforgettable client stories to lessons on resilience, money, and longevity, this episode is a must-listen for hairdressers, beauty professionals, immigrants, and anyone building a career from the ground up.

Give a follow on instagram https://www.instagram.com/shititoldmyhairdresser/

If you would like to be on the show or share a story with visit our website and leave us a voicemail or email https://shititoldmyhairdresser.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beauty school didn’t fail you by accident — it failed you by design.

In this episode of Sh!t I Told My Hairdresser, we break down the biggest lie sold to aspiring hairstylists: the promise that you’ll graduate “salon ready” and make six figures right out of school.

Spoiler alert: you won’t.

This honest, no-fluff conversation pulls back the curtain on what beauty school actually prepares you for (passing state board) — and what it completely ignores (real-world salon life, income reality, client management, and career longevity).

We talk about:

• Why most new stylists start as assistants making far less than expected

• How beauty schools oversell income potential to boost enrollment

• Why real education starts after graduation

• The emotional and financial shock new stylists aren’t warned about

• Why mentorship matters more than talent

• The gap between Instagram fantasy and salon reality

• What actually builds a sustainable, profitable hair career

This episode isn’t anti-education — it’s pro-truth.

If you’re a beauty student, new stylist, salon owner, or educator, this episode will either validate what you already know… or explain why the industry felt so hard so fast.

No motivation posters.

No fake numbers.

Just the truth about how hairstylist careers are really built.

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new hairstylist struggles

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Give a follow on instagram https://www.instagram.com/shititoldmyhairdresser/

If you would like to be on the show or share a story with visit our website and leave us a voicemail or email https://shititoldmyhairdresser.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hairdressers aren’t just cutting hair anymore — we’re absorbing everyone else’s trauma, one appointment at a time.

In this episode of Sh!t I Told My Hairdresser, Jason and Jack sit down with licensed therapist and salon consultant Tom Hintelmann, LCSW, to talk about the emotional side of salon life no one prepares you for: trauma dumping.

From clients unloading divorces, addiction, family chaos, and life disasters…

to stylists burning out because they don’t know how to set boundaries…

this episode breaks down why salons have quietly become the front line of mental health — without the training or support.

Tom Hintelmann brings real clinical insight to the conversation, drawing from his work with:

– hairstylists

– salon owners

– teams dealing with toxic culture, jealousy, and burnout

– individuals navigating stress, anxiety, and emotional overload

We cover:

• Why hairdressers are treated like “first-line therapists”

• How trauma dumping leads to emotional exhaustion and quitting the industry

• The difference between listening, empathizing, and over-involving yourself

• How to shut down trauma dumping without being rude

• Why baby stylists are hit the hardest

• How toxic salon culture starts — and how leadership can fix it

• When it’s time to refer a client to real mental-health care

• Why self-care isn’t selfish (and burnout is real)

Plus, the episode goes fully off the rails with:

– wild salon stories

– mean-girl culture

– ego, jealousy, money fights

– and a jaw-dropping New York barbershop story that absolutely did not end how you expect

Tom Hintelmann

Licensed Therapist | Salon & Team-Dynamics Consultant

Psychology Today Profile:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/tom-hintelmann-tinton-falls-nj/1211790

Instagram: @performnce_mental_health

Working with salons nationwide to improve leadership, communication, culture, and emotional sustainability.

📸 Instagram: @jazzmeupsalon

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stylist emotional exhaustion

mental health for hairstylists

Give a follow on instagram https://www.instagram.com/shititoldmyhairdresser/

If you would like to be on the show or share a story with visit our website and leave us a voicemail or email https://shititoldmyhairdresser.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.