Salon Horror Stories No One Warns You About: Theft, Harassment, and Survival Behind the Chair
What really happens in salons?
Behind the blowouts, balayage, and Instagram-perfect hair is an industry filled with boundary violations, toxic coworkers, theft, and emotional labor most people never see.
In this episode of Shit I Told My Hairdresser, Paula, a longtime stylist and salon owner from Salt Lake City, shares firsthand stories that expose the darker side of salon culture—stories many hairdressers recognize instantly but few talk about publicly.
This episode isn’t gossip. It’s reality.
What Is the Biggest Problem Hairdressers Face at Work?
The biggest issue hairdressers face isn’t difficult hair—it’s people.
Stylists routinely deal with:
Coworkers stealing tools and supplies
Clients oversharing sexual or inappropriate information
Workplace harassment disguised as “harmless behavior”
Power imbalances in commission and booth-rent salons
Emotional exhaustion from constant boundary management
Paula’s stories highlight how normalized these issues have become—and why many stylists feel isolated or burned out.
Salon Theft: When Coworkers Steal Supplies
One of the most common yet unspoken salon problems is product theft between stylists.
In Paula’s case, a coworker repeatedly stole her developer without permission. Instead of confronting him directly after being gaslit and denied, she documented the behavior—and eventually let karma do the teaching.
The result?
The coworker unknowingly ruined his clients’ hair for months
He lost trust, credibility, and eventually his position
Paula locked down her supplies and protected her business
Lesson:
In booth-rent and commission salons, your tools and products are your livelihood. Theft isn’t petty—it’s professional sabotage.
Toxic Coworkers and Salon Politics
Salon environments often operate like high school with scissors.
Paula describes working alongside a stylist who:
Constantly sought attention
Overshared explicit sexual details with clients
Made coworkers and guests visibly uncomfortable
Created liability risks for the business
Despite repeated warnings, the behavior continued—until Paula made a non-negotiable decision: either he leaves, or the salon deal is off.
That boundary changed everything.
Creepy Clients and Shampoo Bowl Harassment
One of the most disturbing realities discussed in the episode is sexual misconduct by clients.
Paula explains how certain male clients:
Requested female stylists only
Avoided consultations to get straight to shampoo
Engaged in inappropriate behavior under salon capes
To protect staff, experienced stylists developed quiet systems to flag problem clients and shield newer employees.
Why this matters:
Many salons fail to train staff on how to identify, document, and remove predatory clients—leaving stylists to handle it alone.
Why Hairdressers Are Emotionally Exhausted
Hairdressers don’t just provide services—they perform emotional labor all day.
Stylists are expected to:
Shift personalities between clients
Navigate politics, religion, and personal trauma
Absorb inappropriate confessions without reacting
Stay professional while being disrespected
By the end of the day, most stylists are mentally depleted—not because of the work, but because of the people.
Setting Boundaries Is Not Optional in the Beauty Industry
A major takeaway from this episode is simple:
Boundaries protect careers.
Paula shares how enforcing boundaries:
Improved her work environment
Changed client behavior
Strengthened her authority as a salon owner
Prevented long-term burnout
Clients don’t automatically know what’s appropriate. It’s up to salons to define and enforce standards.
Why These Stories Matter
When hairdressers talk openly about what happens behind the chair:
Clients become more respectful
Stylists feel less isolated
Industry standards improve
Abuse loses its power
This episode isn’t about shock—it’s about honesty.
Listen to the Full Episode
If you’ve ever worked in a salon—or wondered what your stylist deals with daily—this episode explains it all.
🎧 Listen to the full episode of Shit I Told My Hairdresser
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms.
FAQ
Do hairdressers deal with harassment at work?
Yes. Many hairdressers experience verbal, emotional, and sexual harassment from clients and coworkers.
Is stealing supplies common in salons?
Unfortunately, yes—especially in booth-rent and shared-stock environments.
Why don’t salons talk about this publicly?
Fear of reputation damage, client backlash, and industry normalization keep many silent.
How can salons protect stylists?
Clear policies, boundary training, documentation, and owner support are essential.
Final Thought
Hairdressers aren’t dramatic.
They’re just finally telling the truth.
If this story hit close to home, you’re not alone—and that’s exactly why this podcast exists.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome to Shit I, to my hairdresser. With me, Jason, and my best friend Jack. How are you man?
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: Hi. Doing all right.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Good. We have another guest with us today. We have Paula from Salt Lake City. Uh, she and I, we found out that we used to work together years ago doing shows for Tony and Guy. We were talking on the phone and we had no idea that.
We actually did this stuff together. I think we were doing it when the photos you sent me was from Canada.
paula: Mm-hmm.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: And yeah, so she sends me a photo on over text message and I'm like, uh, that's me in the photo. And she had no idea. Well, I had hair back then. I only have three now. So I actually had a full head of hair, so I probably look a little different.
But When was that? Like 20 years ago? Paula?
paula: Yeah, probably about 20 years ago.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah.
paula: Is that, that was Vancouver. I think that was 2002. But you've gotta admit though, too, I [00:01:00] was a makeup artist. Yeah. I was a makeup artist. And the hairdressers felt like they were elitist and they would really wouldn't have anything to do with makeup artist.
So like, oh, you're just the makeup artist. So it was a little bit of a divide, you know, cast system. Within the Bedhead company on how the hairdressers were and the makeup artists were, so
That
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: is true. Yeah. It was, the makeup department was always kind of seen as a second class citizen because of the fact that makeup didn't sell that well, and the haircare did.
So we were the rock stars on stage, and then you guys were the afterthought because you had the big diamond looking makeup thing and they were trying to make a go of it and trying to sell all the makeup, but it just didn't, it didn't sell.
paula: It was too many excuses.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Way too many excuses. Yeah, it was massive.
And you had to buy the whole thing to go inside your salon, you know? And it never sold. It just sat there. You know?
paula: Mine did. Mine did because I knew how to sell it.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Right?
paula: Yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: But see, here's the thing. When we're doing the shows, you were kind of [00:02:00] afterthought. We didn't cover that too much. It was like, oh, everyone wants to hear about our product and our, and our hair.
paula: You
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: know, in the meantime, you know what I mean? If it wasn't for you guys, all of our girls would look ugly up on stage. You
paula: look like shit.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Right? We look like shit. So we needed you
paula: uhhuh.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: You know? So, but yeah, it, that is the way that the, the company did treat you guys. It was very unfair. You know, Nicole, what we call a piece of shitty, but, uh, it was a persecuting well,
paula: and I said, well, your day rate was higher than ours, even though we did the same hours and a lot of work and everything.
Like, uh, yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: It was very unfair. But not only that though, the hairdressers was a boys club.
paula: Yeah, it
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: was. It definitely was a boys club and we all got paid a lot more money and it was, it was very unfair. I do know that for a fact, they would not let any of the girls in at all, barely any of 'em, you know, but it was like that cocaine boys club, you know?
Mm-hmm. And then you were kinda like more of the afterthought of like at the party to go through and hit on you girls to see if you sleep with us.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: Mm-hmm. Yep. [00:03:00]
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: And that's kind of what it was.
paula: No. And that that's how it was. You want anything to do with this, but man, you wanna even fuck us.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yes.
paula: Yeah.
You look good at the end
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: of the night. It's true. And if I ever hit, I'm so sorry. I say right now, if I ever hit on you, I, I apologize. Uh, so
paula: I don't think you ever did
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: okay.
paula: But you know, you, you know how people are. Um, you're an asshole for hitting on me, but hey, you're not, you're an asshole for not hitting on me.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Ah, yeah. So then I apologize either way.
paula: I'm just kidding. No, I was married then, and that was,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: oh, if you were married, that was off limits for me. Then if I saw a wedding ring, I was like, oh, no, no, no, I can't do that. So anyhow,
paula: then you were one of the good ones.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah. Well, I don't know, but we, we had our moments, I think.
paula: Yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: But you emailed me a story and this is how we met and you were telling me about some of the people that you worked with, and here's the thing. It doesn't matter if you're in a hair salon, a nail [00:04:00] salon. If you're in a nail salon, we definitely want to hear from you as well, the two makeup artist. Uh, if you're in the beauty industry, I don't care what industry you're in, we definitely want to hear your stories.
So you guys have been doing a really amazing job of going through and following us on Instagram. Uh, we're at shit. I told my hairdresser or send us an email at info at shit. I chill my hairdresser.com. That's where I got hold of you, Paula. And uh, this kind of crap happens. With any, any, we have these coworkers that we work with.
Who are the, some of the biggest pieces of shit, like Jack and I, we did an episode about this one guy who would walk over and throw all your tools. So if he didn't like you, he'd like grab your trimmers and just throw 'em in the trash. Mm-hmm. Or Lorenzo
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: is his
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: name. Lorenzo is his name. Yeah. And he works at a big shop right now, even in, in Beverly Hills right now.
So he was just one of those kind of guys. And that's kind of who you reminded me of when you were when I was reading your email and that's why I reached out. [00:05:00] So let's talk about what happened with, uh, your lovely coworker.
paula: Okay, so this coworker, I worked with him off and on a couple of different salons for years.
And he had been doing hair the same amount of time as I, and he had been commissioned and both rent and everything like that. And with this rent, you know, the rules, you don't touch other people's stuff. And so, um, after a while when it came to work at my salon, I noticed my 10 volume developer was missing.
And he was also one of these kind of guys that would forget his wallet when he would go out to dinner with the group. He would, you know, change bank accounts and say, oh, they didn't transfer my money yet. I don't have the money to pay for this dinner. One of those guys. And it, it got to be where he wasn't invited out anymore.
And of course he would just say, well, I don't know why I'm not invited. Well then I started noticing my 10 volume disappearing and the Nelson area in the front and the hair areas in the back. But there's this big window between the two. And every now and again, I would look over and I would see I'm getting into my cupboard.
And, um, so one day, um. I looked at my apprentice and I said, is he using my [00:06:00] 10 volume? She says, oh yeah. He says, it's okay with you. I'm well. Okay. So I waited for that 10 volume to, uh, become empty, and at the end of the day, I refilled the 10 volume. With 40 volume?
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: Yeah.
paula: And I sat and I sat and waited, and he fucked up his client's hair for three months before he figured it out.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: Wow, what? So like multiple visits and everything. He messed it up every time and
paula: mm-hmm.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: And he
paula: couldn't
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: figure
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: it out. He didn't know.
paula: Three months. Three months. No. He didn't know.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: Wow.
paula: Yeah. So what
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: happens? So we don't do color. So if you're going through and you're for 10 volume, that's a deposit, right?
paula: Right.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: Hmm.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: So if you put in 40. You use 40 volume on some supposed to deposit. What happens to the color? What does it do to the client?
paula: It turns it muddy.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Really?
paula: Oh, yeah. Oh yeah. So it's, let's say you're putting in an auburn, right? Uhhuh. So you're doing an [00:07:00] auburn color and, oh man, if you're doing an Auburn and you do 10 vault where it's a deposit only and you put in 40 vol, it's gonna, it's gonna turn them a coppery red.
I mean, you're, you're turning into Ronald McDonald right there.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Oh yeah. 'cause such a high volume, so you're gonna be like, okay.
paula: Yeah. Right. Yeah. And so, um, yeah. And even with the darker colors though, if you're, if you're putting, let's say a natural color in a natural color, six, and you put, you want want it to, um, deposit just that natural color, six, it's gonna lift it actually two and a half levels up to a blonde.
But it's gonna turn it kind of muddy. If that makes sense. Whoa.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So was he asking for help though at all when this would happen? Or what would, what would he do? Just panic and like, or
paula: what's happening? I dunno what's happening. That's all he'd say, oh my gosh, let's get you back tomorrow.
Let's get you back another day. I don't know what's happening. That's all he'd say. So I dunno how he [00:08:00] figured it out. But he stopped using my 10 V so, and then I started locking my cabinet after that. Uh,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: so you never approached him ahead of time, you were just kind of like letting the whole thing
paula: happen? I didn't, I, I asked him, I said, are you using my 10 volume?
He, he said, no. And I said, it's disappearing. It's, it's becoming empty faster than what I'm using it. And the thing is, is that I also do contract work outside the salon with news and productions and weddings. So he had free reign to all of my color, my developers, everything, and I just took his liberty. So,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: and that shit is not cheap.
paula: No,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: that is not. No, I mean, especially now with the prices that are like tripling every single year, it seems like, oh
paula: yeah, yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: On color it's absolutely insane. You know? Yeah. So I know we've been having to go through and put a lockdown on a lot of the color inside the salon or any overuses or just like wasting it.
'cause uh, colors are really good at wasting hair color. You know, our hair stylists are so
paula: well, and that's why I think everybody should try [00:09:00] booster at least. A few years of their life and they have to provide their own stuff and they see what waste is happening because it's when they, when it's their own money, then they care.
So, and I've seen that at salons too. I worked at two other salons where they're just like, eh, whatever. Got the color done.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah. And they're not open for very long after that, though. They realized that all the money went down the drain. Yeah. So that's, that's exactly what happened. So, so what happened to this guy?
I mean, after all this
paula: shit? Oh, he ended up leaving. He ended up leaving. I had a big, huge talk with him because he wouldn't stop talking about his sex life. And then, um, and I would say, you know, that's not okay. And he was about, did he have a good
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: sex life? I,
paula: I don't, I don't, I don't wanna hear about it.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah.
paula: I don't care. I don't wanna, I don't wanna care.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Right,
paula: right, right. He was telling
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: us, Jason does he, he really is interested, so Yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: In his sex life. Yeah.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: Yeah, yeah,
paula: yeah. Well, and he had this girlfriend and he would, um, and she was a producer and she was in New York one time and she came back. She had this traumatic experience.
For months. [00:10:00] He told his clients about how she was roofied and raped by this child star. He was a child star in the nineties, eighties, nineties. And he would talk about this story of hers constantly and everybody's like, this will makes us uncomfortable. And his female clients would tell me, I don't wanna hear about this.
So I told him, I said, you can't talk about this. It's making them uncomfortable. And he is all, oh, I don't know what you're talking about. And then there was another time. And I did a lot of film shoots for 14 years. I did hair and makeup for Salt Lake Magazine and they had this new artistic director in, and he saw, Hey, do you know how to do a shade?
And I said, yeah, come on in. So he comes in and I'm doing his hair and this coworker standing behind me after he is talking to a client and he likes a lot of attention. He's the me guy, the me, me, me, me, me, me. Oh yeah. Owed to me, and yeah. He was standing behind me all. So, and I wasn't paying attention to all, so well.
I finally turned around, I'm all, what's [00:11:00] going on Zel? So I just found out my client and I are sleeping with the same girl,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: and he had announced this to everybody because
paula: Uhhuh. And I said, oh, I shouldn't have said his name. I said, you know what, I'll, and I said, here's the thing. Let me finish my client.
We'll talk about this later. I called him later that night and I said, you were talking inappropriately and nobody wants to hear about your sex life. Nobody wants to hear about your girlfriend being roofed and raped. This is a brand new art director with Salt Lake Magazine, and you just wanted to announce your sex life and how you're sleeping with the same girl as your client do.
Don't do that. It's embarrassing. It's inappropriate. He's like, I don't know what you're talking about. I said, you've gotta go. And this is a month. This is a month before I bought my salon from, from the previous owner. I said, you've gotta go. He said, you don't own the salon. I said, I don't care. Then he called my personal assistant, had her up until one o'clock in the morning [00:12:00] talking trash on me.
And I knew this is, I know. And then he called the owner first thing in the morning and told her, and then she comes into the salon. I said, I guess you heard? And she said, yeah, I don't know why you're asking him to leave. When I'm the owner of the salon, I said, you own the salon for another month. I cannot work next to him another day.
If he doesn't leave right now, I'm not buying your salon. Ah,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: ah, right. Yeah,
paula: yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: You, oh, so you were already in talk, you were already purchasing the salon and she had one more month left. That pretty much makes you the salon owner at that point. Come on.
paula: Exactly.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: Yeah. Yeah,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: it really does. You know what I mean?
Yeah, it does. So, yeah, there's, oh. Contract, I mean
paula: ran,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: so just as a transfer of keys in a month. That's it really?
paula: Yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: I
paula: contracts were already signed. I already gave her a deposit on the salon, everything like that. Yeah. So, but the thing was that I don't think, I don't know if he knew that I was buying the salon.
I think he kind of heard it through the grapevine and he was pretty angry about it because later on I heard he felt like he was supposed to have the [00:13:00] swan.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: They
paula: always do, but I can't imagine. I can't. But I can't imagine they always do. They always
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: think that, yeah, they're, they're
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: the ones you imagine if he did, I, I mean he would've run it.
paula: Oh, run into the ground. The ground,
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Oh my God. We all have one of those cancers inside the salon. You just having to cut yours out. You had the cancer cut out before you actually, you know, went through and had the transfer over of co. Oh, it was pretty easy. Yeah,
paula: it was pretty easy. Two days later he was missing.
He was gone. Didn't even finish out his full month and all. Ugh, good.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: It
paula: was easy.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: That's good. There you go. And Salt Lake's a small city, you know what I mean? It's like, it's kinda how Seattle is. So you kind of hear about everyone. Everyone knows. Everyone knows every other, each other's. Everyone knows every so, absolutely.
So yeah. Bye.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: And we are back to the show.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: All right, so one of the things we did mention earlier, Paula, was how [00:14:00] badly we would behave as art directors, the male art directors within the, uh, company we worked for Bedhead and Tony and Guy, and it was, we, I, I, again, I'm gonna have apologize again because I, you know, probably did try to hit on you.
But, um, or try to sleep with every makeup artist that we had. Um, so I, I apologize, but we were assholes, we were shits, you know, and we definitely showed it. Uh, but you have a story about men behaving badly inside the salon,
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Yes.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: right?
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: So I worked, I worked at this um, salon. I worked there eight and a half years, it was a very high-end, well-known salon in Salt Lake. Um, was there for 35 years. Amazing salon. And we would have, um. clients that would come in and we would give them the kids Cape and they would get the kids Cape for a reason because these men would come in and they would choose women only, and you could tell kind of what they, [00:15:00] what their demeanor was, because they didn't want a consultation. They just wanna go straight to the shampoo.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: So, hang on a second. So wait a minute. So so when they came in, do you go through, do you don't give 'em a gown, you put a cape around them before you shampooed them?
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: First we take him to the chair,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Uhhuh.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: cape him, and then shampoo ball.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Okay. I, I, I'm sorry. I'm trying to like, kinda get the gist of like how, 'cause like some places would give them gowns and some guys would change into a robe if they wanted to, you know, at some, a certain salon. So you guys just went straight with the cape and then went in in shampoo.
Okay. So they're covered up.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: They're covered up.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Uhhuh.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: And so take 'em to the shampoo bowl and they would sit there and fondle themselves under the cape. it was
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Ah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: ter. Yeah, it was pretty terrible because drying, the hair dryers were about five to six feet in front of the shampoo bowls. So all the women processing there could see what's going on. And we're behind them, above them seeing what's going on. So we can, we can see you asshole.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: And they're not, they're not trained to hide [00:16:00] it.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: No, but they think the cape is hiding it.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Oh my God.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: They think that since they have the cape on, nobody can see what they're doing,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Right.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: the up and down.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Oh my God. Uh, I don't, I, I can't, I could not, I don't have the balls do shit like that. There's no fucking way.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Well then, you know, we, they got a reputation in our salon, so we would give them the kids cape. our salon, you know, we, we did a lot of kids cut, so the kids would
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Uh.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: cape. So we'd give these men the kids cape. So we'd walk them over to our station, put the kids' cape on them, which only came down to about their waist, and then get them, them people, and then.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: It's like a tutu for their neck.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: Like a bib.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Exactly,
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: what it, yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: and they would like, and would look at us and I would have fun with it. They would look at us. my gosh, don't you have a bigger cape? No, no, I'm sorry. They're all, it's been a busy day. We don't have any bigger capes. [00:17:00] These are the only ones
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Yeah, and so just pat patronizing, of course. so they got that reputation and then they thought they would trump us and they would go for the newbies and they would say, I want that one. And, um,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Oh,
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: yeah. So they were keeping track of who
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: oh my God. I want like a brothel
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: 'em
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: like a broth? Yeah, yeah. Like, like a brothel.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: like
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: they would say, I want that one. Oh my gosh. So the newbies would
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: fuck.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: them and we'd look at them and say, one gets the kids. Don't. And
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: these guys, these pers figured out that we, we had their number, they would eventually stop coming to the salon.
So
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Wow.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: And then my, one of my good friends, um. She ran into this problem at the school she went to as well, and we were talking about this in front of our personal trainer, and she said, what do you think and about this guy that hit on you last night? And we use it as a metaphor [00:18:00] we go out and I, I, I looked at her and I said, well, he deserves the kids cape. then we know that that guy's a proof. So, so, yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah. And that's the thing with like, like our salon where I'm at now, we have these big windows and we have like these girls working in the windows and they're cute, but guys walk by just staring. And you can tell the guys that walk by like three or four times look in the window, especially in the summertime when it's a little warm out, you know?
And they're wearing smaller tops and they're just like perving out.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: like red light district. Don't you work in the red light
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: Yeah. Yeah, that's what I thought.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: They're here, they're working. They're not here for your entertainment. You know what I mean? And not only that though, they could wear whatever they want. Don't like walk by the window thinking that, you know, like, oh, hey, I'm gonna get like a free show, or some shit like that, you know?
But I do have, we, we actually, Jack and I have talked about it, we had one of the girls at the salon where I had a client come in. He came to me twice. Asking about this girl, And the first [00:19:00] time I, he misled me and told me that there was a blonde girl who was working in the window and he wanted to get her information because he wanted either his girlfriend, I think he was telling me his girlfriend, to get her hair color done by her because he saw her doing color and thought like, you know, Hey, I wanna get her information.
So he's misleading me. Right. And I'm trying to figure out what girl he's talking about. 'cause some of those chairs rotate, So I'm like trying to like, you know, rake my head and, and I finally give him a couple of business cards and you tell me what she looks like, you know? And I go, well maybe we look on their Instagrams or whatnot.
And because I'm just trying to help these girls get busy. 'cause a lot of 'em are brand new.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Mm-hmm.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: To doing hair. And he comes in the second time and he's a, now he's asking me about her, situation as far as like relationship situation came. And then I started figuring out exactly where he was, what he was trying to do on the second haircut.
And he, I'm like, listen, I'm like, she's got a boyfriend, like, don't [00:20:00] be pulling this shit, you know, but trying to like, Hey, have you slept with this one? Hey, have you, you know, been out with that one? And I'm like, uh, I'm married. Number one and number two, these are, these girls are like 20 years younger than me.
I'm like, we, the only thing we have in common is we talk about haircuts. That's it. 'cause when they're in the back room and they're talking, I'm like, I have really nothing in common with you guys. In fact, you're kind of annoying me now ' cause you're like 20 years old and we have like, you know, zero in common.
But these guys that come in, they think like, Hey, well did you do this girl? And have you done this? And do you know her situation? Can you introduce me to her? And I'm like, uh, no. In fact, I'm like, I'm like their big bro. I'm like their annoying big brother inside the salon. That's all I am. You know what I mean?
I'm like the big brother. They don't want.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: well, it's like that client that I had, that I was telling you about earlier, and I would do his manicures did for years and years probably. Oh, such a long time. I didn't do his hair, but I did his nails He, after his second divorce, he kept on looking at this one hairstylist, the newbie, and he really, really wanted me to set [00:21:00] him up with her. he was about 45, international lawyer, and he's all, I want you to tell her about me. Will you please go talk to her for me? I really want you to,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: God.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: to her and, and I'm out. Look, she's 19, you're 45. he
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: but I really like her butt. Yeah, I just like her butt. And he would, and in months this went on. And so after a while, I'm all, you know what I, I, don't think she's your type. And me knowing that both of his ex-wives left him for women, looked at him finally and I said, look, you're not his, her type, she likes women.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Oh, straight.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: it was a zinger. It was a zinger. And after that, I didn't hear another thing.
He's all, oh, okay,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: You turn women gay. You turn women gay, you lose her.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: Yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: What do you want me to do? Go up and give her your profile and tell her about you and, say, Hey, take a look at this client of mine. Do you wanna swipe right? I mean, I'm not.[00:22:00]
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Just, no, don't put me in that position ever. And it would be nice if
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Wow.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: that's not our, yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: It happens all the time. I have guys that come in and it's just like we even talked. We had one guy who was a swinger and he, we'd bring his girlfriend in to go through and try to recruit some of the hair sales at the salon for their swing parties.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: My, my first husband was a hairdresser and there was a couple that came in trying to recruit us
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Really?
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: hair and he was the hairstylist. And there was a couple that nick even all the time trying to recruit us and they would go up to my ex-husband's tie the man when he is all this is great. Why don't you guys come over for dinner and uh, we'll make a night of it. My ex-husband's all, oh,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah, no, thank you. Yeah. Yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: that was, that was so strange.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah. Salt Lake City, it's always like, like where I lived at Newport Beach, you know Irvine. Irvine had like the largest swing population for a long time. Seattle's now known for it.[00:23:00]
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: It's huge.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah. And Salt Lake, I'm sure it's like, you know, a bunch of just repressed, sexually repressed people out there, you know?
So
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: It's real.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: it is. I've been to Salt Lake quite a few times. We loved it. We had a good time. So.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: But you know, you guys were great. We, we, I always had a blast coming out there and doing work. It's a beautiful place that's for sure. A little cold, but really, really pretty.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Oh, it's really cold right now.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Paula, thanks for coming onto the show.
We really, really do appreciate it. I think he just takes a hairdresser to know a hairdresser and I'm glad we got to work before, in the past and now do the podcast.
Absolutely.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: I've been telling, um, sharing this podcast with a lot of my clients and I was, as I was telling you earlier, sorry, I start talking really fast when I get really excited about what, what I'm talking about. So I will slow down so I. What I, well, I've been telling all of my clients, speaking of which, come on. I've been telling my clients about the podcast and having them listen to it, I've, what I've been noticing over the last [00:24:00] couple of months is they realize what we're going through and they look at me and they, they say, this is real. You actually go through all of this. You guys hear these stories, you experience this. And I, I think I've subtly noticed that their behavior has gotten better. When they come into the salon, they're a little bit more respectful, a little bit more reserved, a little bit more, you know, kind of think about what they say rather than it just getting in their head and coming out their mouth their behavior has definitely changed a bit, which is kind of nice.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: That's very nice. Yeah, we,
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: you guys, because
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: have a, I have a, a lot of clients that they just can't believe some of the things that happened, or sometimes I'll tell 'em about it and the next thing you know, a client will come in right next to me and they start watching happening and unfold right in front of them.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: I'm like, you realize this is like an everyday thing, especially when it's in a big shop, you know, as we have at least like 16 chairs in the shop and you see it happens on a, on a daily basis where someone's like flipping out about something or, [00:25:00] or someone fucked up someone's hair or you know, whatever happens, or you just being treated like shit.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Exactly, and clients don't understand how malleable we have to be. I mean, you have to switch from one topic or one attitude, or one political view, or one social view, or one religious view to another, to another per client. And you have to really adjust of how you approach each person, and by the end of the day, you're just exhausted. Does that make
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah,
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: you guys?
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: it's like having multiple personalities.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: You know, it really is, you know, so, I mean, I'm pretty upfront about who I am, you know what I mean? But I do have to tone it down, a lot when it's with certain clients, you know what I mean? I can't curse in certain ones or other ones are, you know, just like laying it all out there.
They don't give a fuck, you know? But then I also have the ones that are telling you about a threesome that they have with their fucking cousin, you know, and, and talking about that inside, inside the salon to where even the people next to you are hearing the conversation and you're like. You're looking over [00:26:00] going like, holy shit, that's coming outta your mouth right now.
And by the way, everyone can hear you absolutely everyone.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: if you can't keep it in your pants, keep it in the family, whatever.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: she did. And she did, yeah. Yeah. Her fir her first cousin. So it was pretty gross, you know? Yeah. And she's still a client.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: Guessing cousins is,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah, that's like the titles, kissing, cussing. Yeah.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: Yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: And she's still a client. I still do her hair to this day. She actually just came in about maybe like about a month ago or so, and I'll tell people about it and I go like, yeah, that lead that just left. They go, yeah. I'm like, that was her and, and she's not it.
It's not the type of person you're like, she's not even good looking. You know what I mean? You're like, how did that happen with you? Like why? which is like gross people just, yeah. I'm gonna give you a visual gross. People just having sex, like three of 'em. Like three gross people having sex and they're cousins,
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: for them,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: so, right.
Yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Too much.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: For [00:27:00] over. Have you really got rid of people for oversharing?
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Oh yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Really? Like what?
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: 1. Manicuring license kept on or not license. One. Manicuring. Um, client kept on telling me how her husband, likes to be scratched with her nails, and I was doing her nails during nails time and time again,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Uh
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: she tells me she's all, yeah, she really likes it when I scratch his balls. Emma.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: oh.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Go wash your hands. And then she's telling me after she washed her hands, she's telling me that he bought her a gold dildo and she loves it, that he does her every night with a gold dildo. And I finally said, you know what? I don't wanna hear this. You need to find some best friends. You need to find some best friends.
This isn't for me to hear. If you can't tell your best friends
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: bring this up in the salon, then I can't do your nails anymore. Please. I, I don't wanna hear it.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah, I know.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: coming. That was nice. So,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Start adding a lot of bleach to all your stuff afterwards. Right. I mean, after she's coming in, you [00:28:00] know, if she scratches ball, you know, she know she shov a butt too, you know?
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: oh, we just.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: you know about that next time except you fired her, so
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Right. Yeah. You didn't get the good stuff.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: it divorcing of, yeah. Fire, divorce, whatever. Same
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah. Yeah. I, you do hear the story sometimes. I mean, I had, oh God. One guy was just come in and tell me like the role playing that he would do with his wife, and they were, what was it? He had like a gladiator uniform and they were kind of done with it. So you wanted to know if I wanted it. I'm like,
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Oh my
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: no.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: g the.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: No.
Yeah, I was like, are you really? No. Or the guys that would come in and tell you about the, uh, I had one guy would tell me about a massage parlor and how he would get his happy. Yeah. He's, oh, you gotta go to [00:29:00] this one. You gotta go to that one. And I'm like, what the fuck makes you think I want to go there?
I'm like, I'm happily married. Why do I need to go to, I don't need to go to Massage Parlor. I got, I got everything I need at home. Fuck off. but they get pissed if you don't wanna like, share, like they think like, you know, they're not, they don't, they don't wanna be the only asshole. They don't wanna be the only one that has to go down and have, because they have, they're the ones that have to pay for it.
Yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Well, it's a, it's, it's one of those things that they, they feel like they're validated. If you believe in practice and what they believe in practice, then they're validated in what they're doing. So, and I have clients like that too, that especially in, we're in the second red state in the US no, not second, we're the, we're the reddest state in the US and I get clients all the time and now we've got the religion, we've got the politics. And if I don't believe that they believe, they just think I'm such an evil person. Well, you know what? There are a lot of different philosophies out there, and I really respect what you believe. I would like for you to respect what I believe, and I've had clients that I'm, I'm all, you know what? I don't wanna hear about it anymore. I [00:30:00] mean, yeah, I had to ask one, please don't bring up this particular person, and. If you can't, I can't do your services anymore. So, and I'm polite about it as much as I possibly can be.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: I turn around bathroom,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: decompress for a,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: In the, in the meantime, your state is the one keeping Grindr alive. You know what I mean? Making so much money, so.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: I know,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah. And no wonder how that happens,
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: geez.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: well, thank you for being on. Thank you for just going through and being, you know, that person who understands of their hairdressers. We get you. You get us. You know, I think it's really important that we have a place to kind of decompress and tell everyone exactly what we're going through.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Yeah. Well, I really appreciate you guys for creating this format. When I started listening, I thought, oh my gosh, I'm not alone in this world. For, for a while. You think, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go crazy, and I [00:31:00] have the two hairdresser friends that I can call and talk to. Yet you guys are really getting it out there so that people, people understand that.
It makes me feel like, okay. I'm not crazy.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: I go home and I think about, I process my clients and I think about what they've gone through. I give that a good 15, 20 minutes and then let it go, and then that 15, 20 minutes, I think, I feel pretty normal.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: But you, my wife's a school teacher. She talks to kids all day long. She needs time to come home and decompress. I, we talk to people all day long and we need time, that time to decompress, you know, and hearing other people tell us their stories, it kinda like, we're like, okay. Yeah. We're not alone doing this shit.
We're going through the exact same thing we do that, you know, that everyone's going through and people are kind of coming onto the show and telling us how they deal with it. You know? I think that's probably one of the most important things, you know, because even though my wife has to have a decompression time, hairdressers get [00:32:00] other hairdressers.
We're the only ones. Our partners, they don't get it. They don't understand it. You know, I remember my wife asking me one time, you know, like, so what's your base salary? Base salary. I'm like, I don't work. We don't eat.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: They don't
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: the.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: that. They don't understand that well, and, and this industry, I, I've been in a couple of relationships where this industry has ruined those relationships they don't understand. Okay. And, and I think it's a different dynamic too with, with men because We can get all that into the whole thing of the roles of women, especially here in Utah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: It is off balance. We know it. It's, it, it, I know we know.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: You're supposed to be home at a certain time. I'm like, no, I don't dunno if I'm gonna be home. This client wa might want this extra service. I and I, even my stepson one day called me, he says, I'm home from school. Can you come home early? No, I can't come home early. Well, can you talk to your boss and ask if you can come home early?
I said, sweetheart. I don't have that kind of [00:33:00] schedule. I don't, I'm my boss. My clients are my boss. And then the ex was mad that I didn't come home early for his son and I'm, and he would get mad that I'd come home and have decompress and get on the brides. And he wanted a playmate. Yeah. And that totally ruined that relationship.
Poor guy. Yeah.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: He,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Exactly.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: home and, yeah. Yeah. it's just like he would've stood out however late. I bet. So,
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: no. He wanted a nine to five woman come home, cook dinner and yeah.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: that's not us.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: that's not,
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: That's not us. Sometimes shit's gonna happen.
jack_2_01-27-2026_132521: you know.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Oh my gosh. Yeah. And even one time I was supposed to go over to another ex-boyfriend's place and I had some plumbing issues. And when you own your own salon, guess who the plumber is?
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yep.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Yeah, and I'm all okay. This is really quick. I can take the sink apart and get our, get the clog done. All this hair out of here and people putting color in the sink drives me crazy[00:34:00]
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: clogs up, sinks, put it in the garbage. And so I had to stay two hours late and I got the plumbing done myself, and it saved me $300 on a plumber. And he's all, why didn't you, why are you late? Well, I told you I had plumbing issues and I had to stay late. If you wanted really me to get to your place sooner, come help me. And that started that.
Yeah, whatever.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: Yeah, they, they just don't get it, you know, because they have never ran a business before. And when you're running it, you're on 24 7. That's what you do. You answer the emails on a Sunday, you answer the phone calls from the clients, the text messages, you know what I mean? I mean, it's, I'm pretty excited about this.
I have to admit though, I'm getting text messages right now about the Super Bowl because I'm in Seattle, so Seahawks made haircuts, so
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: I my.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: I'm, I'm getting phone calls right now about that actually right now. So,
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: Awesome.
jason-_2_01-27-2026_122521: so, but thanks for coming on the show, Paula. We really appreciate it. And uh, thanks for the pictures that you sent me about me with actual hair.
It was kind nice to [00:35:00] show my wife that I actually had hair, so. All right guys. I'll attach, uh, Paula, if you, if you wanna look up Paula or anything done, I'll go through and have her Instagram attached to our, in our show notes. Thank you so much for coming on too.
squadcaster-j85e_2_01-27-2026_132521: you. You guys have a lovely day.