From cutting hair in his basement to building barbershops, colleges, and launching a credit union, Larry E. Roberts Jr. shares how grit, vision, and community-first leadership transformed his career—and how barbers and stylists can build sustainable wealth and impact too.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

🔅Start Early & Learn by Doing: Larry began cutting hair at age 13 and emphasizes the value of practical experience—even if it starts in your basement with $20 clippers.

🔅Licensing Is About Safety, Not Just Skill: Roberts highlights the importance of theory and licensing, not just for credibility, but to ensure health and safety in the profession.

🔅Build Before You Own: He warns new barbers and stylists not to rush into ownership. Without a strong client base and clear systems, you risk burnout and instability.

🔅Commission Over Booth for Beginners: Larry recommends commission-based setups for new professionals to guarantee income and learn operations before jumping into booth rental.

🔅Financial Literacy = Longevity: From paying taxes to planning retirement, barbers and stylists need financial systems to build wealth and security.

🔅Create Ecosystems, Not Just Businesses: Larry has built an integrated empire—including barbershops, schools, housing, transportation, a clothing line, and a credit union—to support beauty professionals from all angles.

🔅Think Long-Term: Whether launching a product, barbershop, or school, every move Larry made was part of a 10+ year vision.

🔅Pay It Forward: Larry uses his nonprofit to provide free services, open schools in jails and high schools, and offer housing and mentorship to those in need.

👉Follow Larry on Instagram

👉Follow Larry's Barber College on Instagram

The Hairdresser Strong Show is all about Salon Owners, Rising Stylists, and Seasoned Stylists sharing their experiences, successes, failures, and advice to inform, educate, and empower their Fellow Hairdresser. We won’t stop until we are all: Hairdresser Strong.

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The views and opinions of our guests are theirs and important to hear. Each guest's views and opinions are their own and we aim to bring you diverse perspectives, career paths and thoughts about the craft and industry so you can become Hairdresser Strong! They do not necessarily reflect the positions of HairdresserStrong.com.

From barber school to celebrity clients to shop owner and educator, Phillip Dawson shares how he built his career from the ground up—and gives real talk on what students need to succeed after graduation.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

🔅Phillip Dawson’s journey from barber school to celebrity barber showcases the power of persistence, networking, and following your calling.

🔅He built his career by showing up, putting himself in the right rooms, and creating opportunities—rather than waiting for them to appear.

🔅Building clientele is a numbers game—consistency in handing out flyers and word-of-mouth still works, even in a digital age.

🔅Phil took a two-year break from barbering but found his way back through a chance opportunity and rebranded himself with a focus on service and professionalism.

🔅Opening a barbershop during the pandemic, Phil used available resources and community support to build the PND Grooming Lounge.

🔅As an educator, Phil sees a shift: more students are now open to working in salons or commission-based shops to build stability before going independent.

🔅He emphasizes financial responsibility, marketing beyond social media, and building a client base while still in school.

🔅Salon/shop owners looking to hire new talent must offer more than just a chair—they need to provide mentorship, growth opportunities, and benefits to attract and retain new professionals.

👉Follow Phil on Instagram

The Hairdresser Strong Show is all about Salon Owners, Rising Stylists, and Seasoned Stylists sharing their experiences, successes, failures, and advice to inform, educate, and empower their Fellow Hairdresser. We won’t stop until we are all: Hairdresser Strong.

CONNECT WITH US

📬 Subscribe to our free newsletter

📸 Connect on Instagram

🎵 Connect on TikTok

📺 Watch on YouTube

📝 Check out our Blog

The views and opinions of our guests are theirs and important to hear. Each guest's views and opinions are their own and we aim to bring you diverse perspectives, career paths and thoughts about the craft and industry so you can become Hairdresser Strong! They do not necessarily reflect the positions of HairdresserStrong.com.

From salon assistant to She-E-O of 7 salon concepts, a bridal agency, and an event space, Dana Fountain shares the scrappy, strategic moves that helped her build a beauty empire from the ground up.

In this episode, she breaks down how to calculate your financial needs, grow without debt, choose the right business partners, and turn relationships into real opportunities—all while staying true to your vision

Follow/subscribe to be the first to know when new episodes are released. Like what you hear? Leave us a review!

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

🔅Start Small, Grow Smart: Dana began by renting a tiny space with four chairs and scaled slowly, ensuring each move was financially viable before expanding.

🔅Understand Your Break-Even Point: Dana emphasizes learning how to calculate your true financial needs, using tools like her Your Beauty Blueprint workbook to plan realistically.

🔅Partnerships Require Clarity: She advises establishing aligned goals and mutual benefit before entering any business partnership—and always recommends formal agreements.

🔅Diversify Revenue Streams: Dana’s empire includes salons, bridal services, and venue rentals—demonstrating how to blend passion with profitable business models.

🔅Relationships Are Everything: From clients to collaborators, Dana stresses that relationship-building has been key to every venture she’s launched.

🔅Utilize What You Have: She maximized her network and client base to build capital, including personal loans and non-traditional funding approaches to start owning property.

🔅Get Business Literate: Her success is grounded in learning to run the numbers—she advises stylists to treat their careers like businesses, not just a craft.

👉Follow Dana on Instagram

💡Check out all of Dana's platforms from Your Beauty BluePrint and her salon concepts, to her bridal agency and event space HERE

The Hairdresser Strong Show is all about Salon Owners, Rising Stylists, and Seasoned Stylists sharing their experiences, successes, failures, and advice to inform, educate, and empower their Fellow Hairdresser. We won’t stop until we are all: Hairdresser Strong.

CONNECT WITH US

📬 Subscribe to our free newsletter

📸 Connect on Instagram

🎵 Connect on TikTok

📺 Watch on YouTube

📝 Check out our Blog

The views and opinions of our guests are theirs and important to hear. Each guest's views and opinions are their own and we aim to bring you diverse perspectives, career paths and thoughts about the craft and industry so you can become Hairdresser Strong! They do not necessarily reflect the positions of...