Beyond the Chair

08/09/2026

I had the pleasure and opportunity to be a guest on the S**t I Told My Hairdresser Podcast—a hairdresser podcast that is unfiltered, hilarious, chaotic, and brutally honest about what really happens behind the salon chair.

My own path out of the salon—and into advocacy and policy—started with a simple realization: many of the problems we treat as individual failures are actually structural ones.

In this episode, we talked about:

• Why commission stylists can be misclassified and left without basic employment protections
• What the data actually tells us about student debt and outcomes in cosmetology education
• How federally recognized apprenticeships can provide a different pathway into the industry—allowing people to earn while they learn
• Why worker classification can determine whether beauty professionals have access to collective bargaining
• How worker-owned cooperatives can create an alternative salon business model
• What we can learn from Mayday Salon in Nashville and its worker-owned cooperative model
• Where beauty professionals can go to better understand their labor rights and available resources

One of the things I appreciate most about conversations like this is the opportunity to connect the lived experience of working behind the chair with the systems that shape the industry: education, labor law, occupational licensing, business structures, and workforce policy.

If you work in a commission salon, rent a booth or suite, own a salon, or are simply interested in where the beauty industry goes from here, I hope you’ll give the episode a listen.

And thank you to the S**t I Told My Hairdresser team for making space for this conversation.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6jTHvFJ9Hm7xGp7j9yKKbi?si=E0yPfFiiQdae6l62S1kDpA&utm_source=copy-link

S**t I told my Hairdresser · Episode

08/07/2026

The industry is changing, and we are excited to see high school cosmetology programs being reintroduced in communities. Programs like these can create pathways into the profession, allowing future beauty professionals to enter the industry with less student debt.

One important point raised by some who have shared this post is that students should learn to work with all hair textures, including straight, wavy, curly, and coily. Comprehensive education benefits both future professionals and the communities they will serve.

If these elements are not already included in the curriculum, Beyond the Chair would be happy to support the Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center in identifying resources and best practices to help ensure students graduate prepared to work confidently with all hair textures.

08/07/2026

The industry is changing, and we are excited by these types of high school programs being reintroduced within communities that will allow people to enter the industry unburdened by debt!!

07/31/2026

If you’re curious about being Beyond the Chair or have wanted to get involved, attend our Town Hall this weekend. From 7 to 8:30 PM Eastern time, we will be hosting a free virtual event to help you learn more about Beyond the Chair and meet other like-minded individuals who believe the beauty industry can be equitable, sustainable, and worker-centered—an event about building community and solidarity.

We hope to see you there.

07/30/2026

Beauty School Accountability Update

07/24/2026

A New Beauty Standard is here.

Whether you’ve been following Beyond the Chair for a while or you’re just discovering our work, we’d love to have you join us for our very first Virtual Town Hall.

This won’t be a polished sales pitch. It’s a conversation.

We’ll share who we are, why we started this work, what we’re seeing across the beauty and grooming industry, and where we believe we can go together. Most importantly, we want to hear from you.

Because this is our first virtual town hall, we’re learning as we go. We appreciate your patience, grace, and feedback as we build this space alongside our community.

If you’ve ever wondered:
• What is Beyond the Chair?
• Why does this work matter?
• How can I get involved?
• What’s next for the beauty and grooming industry?

This is the place to start.

🗓 Sunday, August 2
🕖 7:00–8:30 PM ET
📍 Zoom
🪧Register Here: https://www.beyondthechairco.org/event-details/a-new-beauty-standard-2026-08-02-19-00?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

Bring your questions, your ideas, and your curiosity. We’re looking forward to meeting you.

07/21/2026

Part 10: Who are the organizations fighting against the Gainful Employment rule?

07/21/2026

Part 9: Who are the organizations fighting against the Gainful Employment rule?

07/21/2026

Part 8: Who are the organizations fighting against the Gainful Employment rule?

07/21/2026

Part 7: Who are the organizations fighting against the Gainful Employment rule?