Behind The Mirror Podcast

We were privileged to meet Anne and Taylor Ferguson. You may have heard of these pair as the iconic couple who owned Taylor Ferguson’s based in Glasgow. Having done many celebrities hair and won so many awards, Taylor and Anne have set the standards extremely high for the hairdressing industry, especially in Scotland. Still behind the chair, the pair offer top tips and advice on how to be the best.

Would you hire someone just to stand at the door of your salon? Piers Morgan wasn’t happy with this business decision made by Stephanie Stevenson, but she tells us how Michael was an asset to her business. Meet the female who has done celebrities hair, royal family hair, QVC presenting and now has formed an AI company to help salons “salon intelligence”. How do you hire staff to serve clients who are not from the same background? A tricky one that Stephanie discusses. Stephanie breaks some seriously worrying news for the industry on this episode. Have Wella and L’Oreal taken it too far?

Brian finally joins us! Despite being an international man of mystery and possibly the hardest man in hairdressing to pin down, he manages to make time for Behind The Mirror. And what follows? Lots of innuendos. Lots of laughs. And probably several things that should never have made it past the edit. We hear about a slightly dodgy extensionist recommending TikTok hair advice, which particularly triggers Lisa thanks to a spectacular lack of professionalism. Sponsored by Goldwell, Brian tells all about Gloss Tones, how they work, why they’re worth talking about and, importantly, how salons can use them to create more revenue opportunities. Then Gary casually announces that he was born in Germany, which sends Brian down an entirely different rabbit hole. He puts out a public appeal for information about his biological dad, while simultaneously bursting a few Americans’ bubbles along the way. And Laura comes armed with a game: Red Flag, Green Flag. Late clients? Questionable behaviour? Clients you secretly dread seeing in the diary? The big question: what would make you sack a client? Expect hair, hilarity, revelations and enough innuendo to keep us firmly behind the mirror.

Emma Fowler comes on to discuss some controversial topics in the hair industry just now. Should you pay “blonde tax” in the formation of your hair falling out? As an educator, Emma explains what she feels is expected of educators in the industry and what’s unacceptable. Laura, Lisa and Gary discuss what it’s like having a junior stylist and whether it’s worth it as a business. Emma talks about her take on “grey blending” with “blonding” instead and explains the difference.

From the classroom to the lash studio, this episode follows an inspiring career change as our guest Laura (owner of Blackout and Belladonna) shares how she left teaching behind to build a successful business as a self employed lash technician and educator. We explore what really goes into creating the perfect set of lashes, from the importance of patch testing and thorough eye consultations to bespoke lash mapping that complements every client’s unique features. The conversation also dives into the realities of the beauty industry, including the importance of lash hygiene, the surprising truth about lash mite infestations, and the controversy surrounding adhesives manufactured in China. Whether you’re a beauty professional, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply curious about the world behind lash extensions, this episode offers an honest, informative, and eye opening look at the artistry, science, and business of lashes.

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, we sit down with Stephanie Heaney to explore the woman behind the headlines. Best known as an international Playboy Bunny and the oldest woman ever to achieve the title, Stephanie shares the realities of balancing glamour with motherhood, proving that confidence and ambition have no age limit. Our conversation delves into the importance of image and identity, including the devastating salon experience that caused her hair to fall out, leaving her reliant on wigs while rebuilding both her confidence and her hair. Stephanie also speaks candidly about living with health issues that have resulted in bowel incontinence, sharing the challenges of experiencing public incidents and why she’s determined to break the stigma so others know there’s nothing to be ashamed of. We also discuss the shocking experience of having her identity cloned on dating websites, leading unsuspecting people to believe they had arranged dates with her, and the emotional toll that came with it. Finally, Stephanie opens up about the heartbreaking loss of her sister, the grief that followed, and the strength it took to keep moving forward while holding her family together. This is an honest, inspiring conversation about resilience, reinvention, and finding the courage to embrace every chapter of life no matter what it throws at you.

Emma joins Gary and Lisa in the height of her salon re launch. Making a bold move to close her successful salon of 15 years to change it up and fit with the times of modern day hairdressing. We talk about back in the day getting the salons first ever straighteners (even if people thought they fried head lice…) and how the Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z are treating their careers differently. The question is, who’s got the right idea?

In this deeply moving episode, we're joined by Wendy, co founder of the Little Princess Trust, to hear the heartbreaking story behind one of the UK's most cherished children's charities. Wendy shares how the charity was born from unimaginable loss after her five year old daughter passed away following a brave battle with cancer. Determined to create something positive from tragedy, she and her family established the Little Princess Trust to ensure that other children facing cancer and hair loss could receive beautiful, real hair wigs free of charge, helping them regain confidence during the most difficult time of their lives. We also explore the two pillars of the charity's work: Hope; raising vital funds to support childhood cancer research and Hair; providing high quality wigs to children and young people who have lost their hair through cancer treatment and other medical conditions. This is a powerful conversation about love, legacy and resilience, and how one little girl's memory continues to bring hope, confidence and comfort to thousands of families around the world.

This week, Laura, Lisa and Gary are joined by Kat, better known as The Anti Hairdresser, for a powerful and honest conversation. Kat opens up about becoming a whistleblower, being dismissed from her job and signing an NDA. Together, they discuss racism in the salon chair and why discrimination should never be tolerated, the realities of running a business, the many hats salon owners and self-employed professionals wear, and the challenges of balancing work with motherhood and mum guilt. Expect real stories, honest opinions and an episode that challenges the status quo.

This week on Behind the Mirror, Laura, Lisa and Gary are joined by the incredible Conor James Doyle, dialing in all the way from Ibiza for an honest, insightful and entertaining conversation. From building a successful career as a celebrity hairstylist to navigating life with ADHD, Conor opens up about the realities behind the glamour. Together, they discuss social media pressures, networking, travelling for work, managing client expectations, and what it’s really like building a personal brand in the hair industry. Expect plenty of laughs, real talk, behind the scenes stories, and valuable insights for stylists, salon owners and anyone fascinated by the world behind the chair. Whether you’re in the industry or simply love hearing the stories behind successful careers, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

We talk to the owner of the No. 1 hair pin to talk about her innovative design that changed the whole hair up industry. She’s the first ever designer to use architecture in hairdressing and we were left in awe! Can you believe she has a hair pin that retails for more than a house? Alongside a budget friendly one that we can all wear proudly. She’s adored by celebrities and even the royals! Come be inspired by this wonderful woman who pioneered something never done before.

This week, Laura and Gary are back with another round of salon stories, industry insights, and a few laughs along the way. They chat about some of the wildest client situations they’ve encountered recently, including a boyfriend who wasn’t happy with his girlfriend’s new hair colour and thought he deserved a refund! The conversation also dives into why strand testing is so important before any major colour service, helping both stylists and clients avoid costly surprises. Laura and Gary compare different types of foils, discuss the huge variations in quality and price, and share their thoughts on whether paying more always means getting a better product. To round things off, they tackle a hot topic: AI and ChatGPT. Is our growing reliance on artificial intelligence making life easier, or is it coming with a bigger environmental cost than most people realise? Expect plenty of honest opinions, practical advice, and behind-the-chair stories from the world of hairdressing.

In this episode we meet Rae the founder of “We love Purple Hearts”. Think of this as a Michelin star but for hairdressers. Covering scary topics in the industry like the lack of regulation, people selling courses from watching a YouTube video and hairdressers who are skipping out on having insurance! Rae Palmer is not only a stylist herself, she’s regarded as one of the top 1% colourists for L’Oreal and she’s even been on Dragons Den for her salon invention!!! She’s won more awards than we can mention and we love supporting her cause.

Cash flow saviour or just another fad cost to the salon? We meet Danny from Vish who tells us what the company do. If your salon is struggling with profits, you don’t want another price increase but you want to earn more, then you might want to give this a watch! Did you know that it takes two litres of water just to flush colour down the drain! We investigate the problems of the environment caused by salons in this episode too.

We meet co owners Paula and Karen of the stunning alchemy clinic to discuss myths behind their clinic mirrors! Ever fancied some touch ups or aesthetics but were scared of coming out looking like Jackie Stalone? You’re not alone and we speak to these leasing experts to tell us how it Works and how to best find the “tweakment” that’s right for you. We could have talked for hours it was amazing to know more! Eye bags… be gone!!

We welcome Dale, the owner of Beardy Beardy multiple time SHABA winners to the studio. Dale tells us his pet hates in the salon and how his OCD means it took him two years to design the most flawless and perfect barbers! Dale took the bold move at 27 to change career and beforehand had dabbled in more careers than some folk have hot dinners! It paid off though and he found the winner showing it’s never too late to change it up and boss it! Laughs, tips and even salon scents from valentte! It’s another winner episode!

Join Lisa, Laura and Gary for an episode discussing all the myths surrounding “no haircut cream”. If it sounds too good to be true, that’s usually because it is! Gary saves all his clients numbers in his phone and even messages them on their birthdays. He was surprised to learn that his own mum had called him “Gary son” in her phone… Laughs as always, lies denounced and top tips from three pro stylists!

In this episode, we sit down with Kirstie, a highly experienced and well established makeup artist, who brings plenty of stories from behind the scenes of the beauty world. From sharing her thoughts on a surprisingly unusual skin moisturiser to spilling the details on a memorable run in with a well known celebrity, let’s just say not all that glitters is gracious. We also dive into some truly entertaining dating stories, including one that takes an unexpected turn when a message comes straight from prison. Plus, we touch on a curious fun fact floating around about UK lash serums. Is there any truth behind the rumours? We are not entirely convinced but it definitely sparks a conversation. It is candid, a little chaotic, and full of laughs, just the way we like it.

Come join us on an episode with Karla Osbourne where she explains how she has become an expert in grey blending. If you're sick of the roots and stressed about having your hair done, you might want to tune in! It's more expensive and commitment than you might think...

We are delighted to be joined by the wonderful Eden Sassoon! We asked her on to talk about her dad Vidal Sassoon and the amazing legend that he is in the hairdressing world. Come join us for laughter, tears, Edens thoughts on what Vidal would think of today’s students and her search on finding herself as she follows the footsteps of the celebrity stylist. But she did admit… don’t open a salon when you’re not a hairdresser!