Episodes

Is beauty school preparing students for real careers—or setting them up to fail? In this episode of Sh!t I Told My Hairdresser , Jason Townsend and Paula Dahlberg sit down with cosmetology school director Heather Laws , a 20+ year industry veteran who transformed a struggling beauty school from 12 s...

In this explosive episode of Sh!t I Told My Hairdresser, veteran salon owner and hairstylist Nicole “Super Hairo" Nikki Cestaro joins Jason Townsend and Paula J Dahlberg for a brutally honest conversation about what really happens inside the beauty industry.  From toxic salon culture and s...

The  Do No Harm Bill  is forcing a long-overdue conversation in the beauty industry—and most people still don’t fully understand what’s at stake. In this episode of  Sh!t I Told My Hairdresser , we break down the real impact of the bill on  beauty schools, student debt, and caree...

What do hairstylists  really  think about their clients? In this brutally honest episode, Jason sits down with Rocki Mara to expose the unfiltered truth about life behind the chair—from nightmare clients and bad hygiene to awkward salon moments no one talks about out loud. We’re talking: C...

Burnout isn’t a badge of honor—it’s a warning sign. In this episode of  Sh!t I Told My Hairdresser , we sit down with a veteran stylist and author to break down the  real causes of burnout in the beauty industry —and why so many hairdressers are trapped in a cycle of overwork, low boundari...

This episode pulls back the curtain on the  hair industry’s biggest lie —that working for a major brand, doing Fashion Week, and chasing influencer fame is the ultimate dream. It’s not. We sit down with a veteran stylist who left behind the corporate beauty world after years of  travel, bu...

What happens when two of the most respected names in beauty—Ted Gibson and Jason Backe—pull back the curtain on an industry built on ego, burnout, and outdated rules? In this raw, unfiltered episode of  Sh!t I Told My Hairdresser , we dive into the real future of the beauty industry—w...

Think you understand  1099 vs W2 in the salon industry? Think again. In this episode of  Sh!t I Told My Hairdresser , we break down a shocking real-life story from a stylist trapped in a  toxic salon environment —where illegal 1099 practices, manipulation, and straight-up exploitation...

The debate is back—and it’s louder than ever. After a viral episode on trauma dumping in the salon, we dive into  Part 2  with therapist insights, real client comments, and the backlash that shook the industry. Some hairdressers say it’s part of the job. Others say it’s emotional burnout d...