The Bridal Hair Club Podcast
The Bridal Hair Club Podcast is a weekly show for bridal hairstylists hosted by Kira McClenaghan, known as @parla.hair. Episodes cover hair techniques, pricing, boundaries, client experience, and the business lessons stylists often do not learn in beauty school. The podcast aims to help stylists raise their rates, attract dream brides, and build their bridal business with confidence. It offers practical advice and real talk for growing a bridal hair career.
Episodes
22. Before You Panic About Your 2027 Bookings, Do This
It’s that time of year when everyone starts posting how many weddings they already have booked for next year… and suddenly you’re counting yours wondering, “Wait… am I behind?”But here’s the thing: the number of weddings someone else has booked tells you absolutely nothing about how your business is doing.In this episode, we’re figuring out how many weddings you actually need based on YOUR busines
21. Turning Inquiries Into Bookings
Getting ghosted sucks — but not because they hurt your feelings. Because you just wasted precious admin time on an inquiry that may have never been a realistic booking in the first place 😅In this episode of The Bridal Hair Club Podcast, I’m breaking down exactly how I’ve built my bridal inquiry process to help me turn more of the right inquiries into booked weddings — and why my conversion rate is
20. Beyond the Wedding Day: Education, Community & Continuing to Grow with Jillian Susten | Part 2
In Part 2 of my conversation with Jillian Susten, co-owner of Glossed, we’re talking about what happens when you start thinking beyond just taking more weddings.We get into building online education and memberships, creating communities people actually want to be part of, finding the balance between client work and growing something new, and the pressure to constantly create more for your members.
19. Building a Bridal Team Without Burning Out with Jillian Susten | Part 1
In Part 1 of my conversation with Jillian Susten, co-owner of Glossed and founder of The Gloss Society, we’re talking about what it actually looks like to build and manage a team in the bridal industry.Jillian has built a team of 14 hair and makeup artists while personally taking on close to 100 weddings a year — so she knows a thing or two about managing a LOT of moving parts.We chat about:How Ji
18. The Numbers You Should Be Tracking As a Bridal Hairstylist
You can be fully booked, have thousands of dollars coming into your bank account…and still have no idea how your business is actually doing. 😅In this episode, we’re going on a Money Date — something we’ve recently introduced inside The Bridal Hair Club to help you get to know the financial health of your business without needing to become an accountant.I’m breaking down the numbers I think every b
17. Wedding Prep Email
If you've ever spent the week before a wedding answering the same questions over and over again, showing up to a dark hotel room with no outlet, or finding yourself hunched over styling hair on a dining room chair... this episode is for you.In this episode, I'm sharing one of the biggest time-saving systems in my bridal business: my Wedding Prep Email Template.This simple email goes out be
16. 10 Things I'd Tell My Younger Self as a Bridal Hairstylist
If I could go back and give my younger self one piece of advice as a brand-new bridal hairstylist… okay, maybe ten 😅In this episode, I'm sharing the biggest lessons I've learned after years in the bridal industry—from the mistakes that cost me money, to the decisions that completely changed my business.We'll talk about why learning the admin side of your business is just as important a
15. Stop Doing the Hardest Weddings for the Same Price
Have you ever looked at a booking and thought…"I'm giving up my entire long weekend for the exact same amount of money?"Or found yourself setting an alarm for 3:00am because a bride wanted an extra-early start… only to earn exactly what you would have made for a regular 7:30am booking?If so, this episode is for you.Today I'm sharing the three pricing add-ons that have made the bi
14. Hair Extension Rentals: How to Add Value (and Revenue) to Your Business
After a four-month break, Kira is back with a deep dive into extension rentals — one of the most profitable, client-loved add-ons a bridal stylist can offer. In this episode, she covers why rentals elevate a bride's look (fuller, longer-lasting styles with more versatility), how to start small and build inventory gradually, which suppliers to trust, how to price rentals for real profit, and th
13. Imposter Syndrome
Sorry for keeping you hanging the last couple weeks 😅 — but this one’s worth the wait.In this episode, we’re talking about imposter syndrome. The kind that shows up right before a wedding morning. The kind that whispers you’re not good enough… that you’re doing something wrong… that everyone else has it figured out except you. Because the goal isn’t to never feel it again.The goal is to recognize
12. Every System That Keeps My Bridal + Education Brands Running
Everyone sees the wedding mornings, the reels, and the finished styles… but none of that works without what’s happening behind the scenes. And spoiler alert: NO ONE HAS IT ALL FIGURED OUT! In this episode, I’m opening up the full operations side of my business — both my bridal hairstyling company and my education platform — and walking you through the exact systems, programs, and support that keep
11. My Styling Flow
This week I’m doing something a little different.I’m walking you through my styling flow — the mental roadmap I run every single time someone sits in my chair. Not the hairstyle itself… the decisions behind it.Because honestly? Most stylists don’t struggle with ability.They struggle with order of operations.In this episode I’m breaking down:how I assess the hair before I even plug in a hot toolhow
10. Inclusive Beauty & Bookings
In this episode of The Bridal Hair Club Podcast, I’m chatting with Cate (@catehairmakeup on IG), a Colorado-based bridal hair and makeup artist who’s traveling for weddings, building trust with her clients, and leading with inclusivity.We dive into:Serving the LGBTQIA+ community with intention and careCreating a signature style that attracts the right bridesConsultation strategies that build insta
9. Stop Letting Other Artists Decide Your Prices
Pricing is back on the table — because honestly, it never really leaves 😅In this episode, I’m revisiting pricing after a reel unexpectedly popped off and opened up a lot of opinions. I’m sharing a transparent look at my 2027 pricing, how I arrived there, and the actual factors that went into those numbers — not vibes, not comparison, not internet noise.We’re also talking about one of the biggest t
8. The One Where I Share My Best Advice
In this episode, I’m sharing my best pieces of advice for fellow bridal hair and makeup artists — the stuff you only learn after years of wedding mornings.From hiding the AC remote in the bridal suite, to figuring out the best place to park, I’m dishing the dirt I wish I could’ve told my younger self… so now I’m telling you.If you want smoother mornings, fewer headaches, and more confidence walkin
7. The One Where I Share My Biggest Blunders
In this episode, I’m getting very real and pulling back the curtain on a few moments I’d honestly love to forget… but learned the most from:The worst negative review I’ve ever received from a bride The time I showed up with the wrong hair extensions and had to problem-solve FASTAnd my ongoing struggle with budgeting… because apparently I like to learn things the hard wayNo perfectly curated highli
6. New Year, New Goals… Same Comparison Spiral?
January always sounds inspiring. New year. New goals. New energy.But let’s be real—this time of year can feel heavy, especially when everyone’s posting their 2025 highlight reels and you’re… in your slow season.In this episode, I’m chatting about how to:Keep moving toward your goals without burning yourself outProtect your peace when comparison creeps inStay productive during a slower booking seas
5. Second Artists + Small Bookings — Let’s Talk Solutions
This week, we’re following up exactly where we left off in Episode 4. Last week was very “let’s complain and commiserate” — today is all about what we can actually do when a bride asks to add a second artist on a small booking.Because yes… the “your paycheck being cut in half” analogy is real — and I’m breaking down what I meant by that, why it happens, and how to prevent it moving forward.Inside
4. Bridal Red Flags, Early Start Time Fees & Wedding Day Chaos
Business bestie Rebecca Rose Beauty is on the pod—and fair warning, we laugh a lot in this one.We’re breaking down some of our biggest bridal red flags, sharing our unfiltered takes on early start time fees, getting ready in hotel rooms, and swapping a few of our funniest + most unhinged wedding day stories from behind the scenes.If you’re a bridal hairstylist or makeup artist who’s ever thought:“
3. Brides Have Changed… Your Workflow Should Too
Brides aren’t checking email the way they used to… but they are checking Instagram 24/7. Let’s talk about the new era of brides, how they want to communicate, and how to tweak your booking flow so you stop losing inquiries in junk mail. I’m giving you my exact pre-booking workflow + the secret weapon inside the Club that writes it all for you.Psssst if you want access to the club, all you gotta do
1. Starting Before You’re Ready (Even Without a Car)
In this episode, we talk about the early days of lugging kit bags, figuring out rides to weddings, saying yes before I had a system, and building confidence one messy trial at a time. If you’re out here trying to make this bridal biz work without everything perfectly set up, you’re not alone. There are always solutions, and they usually start with asking for help, getting creative, and refusing to
2. How to Know What to Charge
We’re getting real about pricing today — the numbers and the nerves behind them. I’m sharing how I went from guessing my prices based on what everyone else was charging… to confidently owning my rates, knowing my expenses, and building pricing that feels good long-term. We’ll talk about market research, why you can raise your prices literally any time, and the difference between a la carte and pac
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