What does it take to go from a small seaside town in England to working alongside fashion legends, celebrity icons, and some of the biggest names in beauty?

In this episode, Jason Townsend and Paula Dahlberg sit down with hair historian, session stylist, educator, and former Vidal Sassoon and Toni & Guy-trained hairdresser Adam Garland. Adam shares his remarkable journey through the worlds of high fashion, celebrity hairstyling, addiction, recovery, and reinvention.

From assisting at Chanel and working alongside industry legends to styling celebrity clients, navigating the pressures of Fashion Week, and rebuilding his life after addiction, Adam delivers one of the most honest conversations we've ever had on the podcast.

We also dive into why hair history matters, how fashion trends actually evolve, the influence of Vidal Sassoon on modern hairdressing, and why understanding the past can make you a better stylist today.

• Vidal Sassoon vs. Toni & Guy education

• The reality of Fashion Week and session styling

• Working with celebrities and supermodels

• Hair history, beauty culture, and trend forecasting

• Addiction, recovery, and rebuilding a career

• The toxic side of the beauty industry

• Mentoring the next generation of artists

• Why most hairdressers overlook the importance of history

Whether you're a hairstylist, salon owner, beauty student, fashion enthusiast, or someone rebuilding their life after adversity, this episode is packed with hard-earned wisdom, industry insight, and unforgettable stories.

Guest: Adam Garland Follow on instagram @adamgarland_

Host: Jason Townsend & Paula Dahlberg

Podcast: Sh!t I Told My Hairdresser – Real Hairdressers Saying the Quiet Parts Out Loud

Hairdresser Podcast, Hairstylist Podcast, Vidal Sassoon, Toni & Guy, Fashion Week, Session Stylist, Celebrity Hairstylist, Hair History, Beauty Industry, Salon Life, Hair Education, Hairdresser Stories, Addiction Recovery, Fashion Industry, Editorial Hair, Adam Garland, Jason Townsend, Paula Dahlberg, Hair Trends, Beauty Culture

Jason Townsend and Paula Dahlberg pull back the curtain on the beauty industry with unfiltered conversations about salon culture, hairstylist life, toxic work environments, nightmare clients, celebrity encounters, relationships, burnout, and the chaos that happens behind the chair.

From hilarious salon horror stories to serious conversations about identity, mental health, beauty standards, and industry politics, Sh!t I Told My Hairdresser says the quiet parts out loud with raw honesty, dark humor, and zero filter.

New episodes weekly featuring hairstylists, salon owners, beauty insiders, celebrities, and real stories the industry usually keeps behind closed doors.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most hairstylists leave beauty school knowing how to pass a state board exam—but not how to build a successful career.

In this episode, Jason Townsend and Paula Dahlberg sit down with educator, salon owner, author, and entrepreneur Amber Hopson to discuss the business skills, marketing strategies, and mindset shifts that separate struggling stylists from thriving salon professionals.

Amber shares the lessons she learned from building a successful salon, creating educational programs for beauty schools, developing her own product line, and helping hairstylists transition from employees to business owners. From guerrilla marketing and social media growth to pricing strategies and client acquisition, this conversation delivers practical advice that beauty schools often overlook.

Topics include:

• What beauty schools aren't teaching future hairstylists

• How to build a loyal clientele from scratch

• Guerrilla marketing tactics that still work today

• The importance of social media, content creation, and personal branding

• Pricing strategies that can dramatically increase income

• How salon owners develop future leaders

• Why business education matters more than ever in the beauty industry

• The mindset required to become a successful salon owner

If you're a hairstylist, barber, cosmetology student, salon owner, beauty educator, or anyone looking to grow a career in the beauty industry, this episode is packed with actionable insights from professionals who have built successful businesses behind the chair and beyond.

Guest: Amber Hopson, Author of Boss Moves: What They Didn't Teach You in Beauty School, Founder of Build A Boss Academy, Educator, Salon Owner, and Entrepreneur.

For more Amber and her book Boss Moves, classes and social media click the links Hair Escapades TikTok Instagram

Hairdresser Podcast, Hairstylist Business, Salon Owner, Beauty School, Cosmetology School, Hair Industry, Salon Marketing, Hairstylist Education, Hair Business, Salon Success, Hair Career, Beauty Industry Podcast, Hairdresser Life, Client Building, Social Media for Hairstylists, Salon Management, Beauty Entrepreneur, Hairstylist Coach, Hair Education, Six Figure Stylist

Jason Townsend and Paula Dahlberg pull back the curtain on the beauty industry with unfiltered conversations about salon culture, hairstylist life, toxic work environments, nightmare clients, celebrity encounters, relationships, burnout, and the chaos that happens behind the chair.

From hilarious salon horror stories to serious conversations about identity, mental health, beauty standards, and industry politics, Sh!t I Told My Hairdresser says the quiet parts out loud with raw honesty, dark humor, and zero filter.

New episodes weekly featuring hairstylists, salon owners, beauty insiders, celebrities, and real stories the industry usually keeps behind closed doors.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 students to over 200 and is now helping shape legislation that could change cosmetology education forever.

Heather pulls back the curtain on what many schools are getting wrong: students graduating with little client experience, weak color education, poor business training, and unrealistic expectations about success behind the chair. She explains why curriculum reform, stronger clinic floor requirements, real-world client experience, and financial education may matter far more than simply increasing required school hours.

Topics include:

• The truth about the 1,500-hour cosmetology requirement

• Why some beauty schools struggle to prepare students for the workforce

• How Heather's school grew from 12 students to over 200 students

• The role of client experience in cosmetology education

• Financial literacy and business skills for hairstylists

• Salon readiness vs. state board readiness

• Beauty school reform and legislative change

• Student success, workforce development, and career longevity

• The future of cosmetology licensing and education

Whether you're a hairstylist, salon owner, beauty school student, educator, or industry leader, this conversation challenges long-held assumptions about cosmetology education and explores what it actually takes to prepare the next generation of hairdressers for long-term success.

If we're serious about improving the beauty industry, we have to start by improving how we educate the people entering it.

Beauty School

Cosmetology School

Hairdresser Podcast

Salon Education

Beauty Industry

Hair Stylist Career

Cosmetology Licensing

Beauty School Reform

Salon Owner

Hairdresser Success

Beauty Industry News

Hairstylist Business

Salon Life

Cosmetology Student

Shit I Told My Hairdresser

Jason Townsend and Paula Dahlberg pull back the curtain on the beauty industry with unfiltered conversations about salon culture, hairstylist life, toxic work environments, nightmare clients, celebrity encounters, relationships, burnout, and the chaos that happens behind the chair.

From hilarious salon horror stories to serious conversations about identity, mental health, beauty standards, and industry politics, Sh!t I Told My Hairdresser says the quiet parts out loud with raw honesty, dark humor, and zero filter.

New episodes weekly featuring hairstylists, salon owners, beauty insiders, celebrities, and real stories the industry usually keeps behind closed doors.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.