Issue link: https://www.ahpindiestylist.com/i/1511260
N ot a m e m b e r ? J o i n at a s so c iate d h a i rp rofe s sio n a ls .c o m 43 It's OK to like what I like and do what I do. If I stay in my own lane and excel there, that's important. " " Put Yourself on the Map—Literally Hair Has No Gender's service finder gives clients seeking gender-free pricing a way to find salons and providers. You can list your business on the directory by filling out the contact form and signing Hair Has No Gender's Professional Pledge to Inclusivity. Get started at hairhasnogender.com/service-finder. "At the end of the day, I don't really care what somebody's hair looks like. I care how they feel about it and how they feel in it." —Abrean SophiaMarie comfortable, they're open, and they want to share with me, so we can find the perfect look for them," DiGrazia says. Then, it's up to you to continue that feeling of ease. For SophiaMarie, it comes down to two questions for new clients: "I love to ask people how they found out about me and why they chose to book. Some people's answer is, 'I Googled haircuts and I need a haircut.' But oftentimes, with just those two questions, people will start to open up and vocalize their experiences about being misheard and misrepresented. They'll vocalize what they've struggled with in the past." As soon as the guest opens up, you can start assessing their needs and wants. It's always going to come back to the hair—you're not their therapist—but even small clarifications can make a huge difference. SophiaMarie recommends discussing what you don't understand. If a guest says they want to "feel feminine," ask them what femininity means to them. We all have unique interpretations and definitions of what that word means. Their interpretation is the only thing that matters in that moment—so they can leave with the look they want. "At the end of the day, I don't really care what somebody's hair looks like. I care how they feel about it and how they feel in it," SophiaMarie says. THE FUTURE OF HAIR IS GENDER-FREE Changing the way the hair industry works is a hard feat. It requires unlearning and relearning on a large scale, so it might be easier to make small actions that trigger larger changes. lenny gilmore