Rooted + Rising: Through the Beauty Industry

About Rooted + Rising: Through the Beauty Industry

Rooted + Rising is a podcast for hairstylists where experience meets ambition. Through open conversations and shared journeys, the hosts Quinn Mattingly and Josie Aldrich, explore the evolution of being a hairstylist: growing our skills, mindset, and opportunities behind and beyond the chair. Whether you're a longtime stylist or just starting out, join us as we learn, inspire, and rise together.

Publisher

Rooted + Rising

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Feb 2025

Latest episode

18 May 2026

Latest episodes

28 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   18 May 2026

   Building a Brand That Feels Like You: Community, Authenticity & the Happy Hair Company with Melanie Roberts

   In this episode of Rooted & Rising, we're joined by Melanie of The Happy Hair Company, an independent hairstylist, community builder, and someone who might just change the way you think about the stylist-client relationship, based in Michigan. If you've ever followed along from the outside and thought her brand just feels different, this episode is for you. We cover: How The Happy Hair Company got its name and became an LLC (and why available domain names matter) Why authenticity isn't just a buzzword. It's a daily practice, especially for stylists coming out of branded salon environments The difference between building a clientele and building a community, and why Melanie's hiking group is a masterclass in both Her seasonal Canva newsletter strategy and why it outperforms generic email blasts Setting clear boundaries with clients while still holding space, without crossing into therapist territory How specializing in cuts at a high-end salon shaped her craft, and why she eventually expanded to full-service The exciting mini-documentary dropping in June for The Happy Hair Company's 5-year anniversary, created by her filmmaker husband Melanie's key takeaway: "I wish I had been more myself from the beginning. As soon as I started showing up authentically, I had those clients for life." Connect with Melanie on Instagram: @melaniedoesmyhair (https://www.instagram.com/melaniedoesmyhair/) If you loved this episode, share it with a stylist friend who's trying to build their brand, or tag us on Instagram @RootedandRisingBeauty. We'd love to hear what resonated with you.

2. 

   4 May 2026

   Valley of Despair & Victory Laps: The Truth About Moving Salons No One Talks About

   Here are the updated show notes: Show Notes: Three months ago, Quinn and Josie made major career moves: new salons, new environments, new everything. Now they're back with the update they promised: the real one, not the highlight reel. In this episode, Quinn and Josie get candid about what switching salons actually feels like, the identity crisis, the ego checks, the slow Januaries, and the moments they wondered if they made the right call. Spoiler: they did. But it wasn't always pretty getting there. In this episode: What they each expected vs. what actually happened How many clients followed them (and why losing even 10% stings) The confidence dip that hits when you're in a new environment Firing a client for the first time and surviving it The honest money talk: pay cuts, slow starts, and finally feeling stable Why moving salons makes you a better stylist, full stop Quinn's practical tips for making the move smoother for you and your clients Quinn's practical tips if you're thinking of switching: Shadow the salon first and meet with the owner Communicate your move clearly and professionally to clients Make the transition as easy as possible for them, think parking, pricing, formulas, all of it Set up a way to contact clients outside your current salon (Google Voice is free!) Show up with open arms and acknowledge that following you was an active choice they made Whether you're mid-move, thinking about it, or just made the leap, this one's for you. Connect with us:📲 Instagram: @rootedandrisingbeauty (instagram.com/rootedandrisingbeauty) If this episode resonated, leave us a rating and review, it genuinely helps more than you know. 🖤 Sonnet 4.6

3. 

   20 Apr 2026

   Curl Specialist, Suite Life & Bridging the Gap in Curly Hair Education | Kia Rogers

   This week on Rooted in Rising, we're sitting down with Kia Rogers: curl specialist, Evo Salon Educator, and the stylist Sacramento's curly-haired community has been buzzing about. Kia keeps it completely real about every chapter of her career: starting at a five-star commission salon with zero clients and a dream, navigating COVID and a newborn, going solo in a suite with seven grand and six clients, and finally landing at Junie Hair Salon where she's found her people. What makes this conversation so special is Kia's honesty about building systems from scratch, being the only Black stylist in the room (again and again), and choosing to bridge the gap in curly hair education rather than gatekeep what she's learned. In this episode we cover: Her journey from commission stylist → suite life → rental chair at Juni Hair Salon Starting her suite with $7K, no retail, and 6 clients and how word-of-mouth (and one Reddit thread) changed everything Why she made the switch from Davines to Evo and what led to becoming an Evo Educator Being the only Black stylist in the room: in salons, in classes, and at brand certifications, and why she's committed to creating safer spaces in education The importance of transparency with clients (even when you're still figuring it out) Her vision for building her own curly hair curriculum Why she'd rather you ask the "dumb question" than leave her class without what you came for Connect with Kia:Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/koloredtextures_/)Website (https://www.koloredtextureshairstudio.com/) Connect with Rooted + Rising: Rooted + Rising (https://www.instagram.com/rootedandrisingbeauty/) Josie Aldrich (https://www.instagram.com/lighten.with.josie/) Quinn Mattingly (https://www.instagram.com/quinn_does_hair/) Keywords: curly hair specialist Sacramento, curl education for stylists, Evo educator, natural hair stylist, salon suite vs commission, curly hair cutting techniques, salon educator, bridging the gap in hair education, Rooted in Rising podcast, hairstylist career transitions

Who has been a guest on Rooted + Rising: Through the Beauty Industry

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Sam Vimbela
• Lily Xiong
• Gisell Mada
• Krista Storm
• Carly Gurinskas

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

20 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

49

Social presence

94

YouTube

0

Engagement

51