In this episode of License & Unsupervised, we talk about everything from Diet Coke addiction to what it really means to grow up.

We start with Beckee’s legendary Diet Coke habit and Naomi bringing Mountain Dew to Guatemala before diving into what it was like growing up feral in the 90s — no cell phones, no internet, and very little supervision.

From there, the conversation moves into parenting teenagers, the reality of raising boys, and how watching our kids become adults forces us to grow alongside them.

We talk about:

• Growing up without the internet
• Parenting teenagers and letting go of control
• Naomi’s son is pursuing a future as a firefighter
• Beckee’s son is playing football safely
• Why men seem to form friendships so easily
• Boys bonding through video games
• The strange moment when you finally feel like an adult
• Mentoring others in business and leadership
• Being over 40 and becoming more confident in who you are
• Naomi facing the business partner who left
• Beckee growing up as the oldest of four and leading by example
• Faith, belonging, and moments when church didn’t feel like home

This episode is honest, funny, reflective, and a little chaotic — just like life.

Licensed? Yes. Supervised? Not since the 90s.

In this episode of License & Unsupervised, we finally get our sound together — and then immediately start talking about why stylists are rock stars.

We dive into the legacy of Vidal Sassoon and how he revolutionized modern hairdressing, branding, and the idea that the stylist is an artist. Why did stylists traditionally wear black? Because the guest is the rock star — not us.

We talk about:

• What stylists should actually wear today
• Dress codes then vs now
• “Work casual” culture and being okay with mediocre
• Dressing for success behind the chair
• The old BA dress codes
• Working in heels (and what that did to our feet)
• Retail inside the salon and why it matters
• Exclusive product access back in the day
• Paul Mitchell packaging nostalgia
• Kevin Murphy, Salon Centric & Michigan distribution culture
• Naomi smoking for 13 years and quitting
• Beckee’s cigarette experience
• And the Diet Coke addiction cliffhanger

This episode is for hairstylists, salon owners, beauty professionals, and anyone navigating personal evolution inside a creative industry.

Licensed? Yes. Supervised? Depends on the caffeine level.

In this episode of License & Unsupervised, we open up about motherhood, cancer, friendship, and what happens when your children grow into adults.

Both of our sons are seniors in high school, and we talk honestly about what it feels like to watch them step into their future. From tux fittings and milestone moments to the quiet emotional shifts that come with parenting teenagers, this season of life hits differently.

Naomi shares what it was like being a mom of a child with cancer — the emotional drain, the fear, the strength you didn’t know you had, and how that season changed her forever.

Beckee opens up about her three children and how different each of their personalities and paths has been, along with her journey walking alongside her mom’s cancer diagnosis.

We talk about:

• Gilda’s Club and support communities
• The emotional weight of pediatric cancer
• Friendships formed through trauma
• How Naomi and Beckee really became friends
• Life after leukemia
• Parenting adult children
• The unexpected lessons podcasting has taught us
• And the question: “Is the back of the head your business?”

This episode is for moms, parents, cancer families, hairstylists, and anyone navigating life’s big transitions.

Licensed? Yes. Life-supervised? Not always.

In this episode of License & Unsupervised, we’re talking about DIY hair, color theory, and the very different types of salon guests we meet behind the chair.

We kick things off with Chromadaddy and how creative color education and product innovation are changing the way stylists approach vivid and corrective color. From there, we dive into the wild world of at-home hair experiments — the DIY box-color moments, the “I saw it on TikTok” trims, and the guests who treat their bathrooms like chemistry labs.

We break down:

• Why some guests love experimenting on themselves
• Why others won’t touch their own bangs
• The truth about using Pantene and drugstore shampoo
• Whether you should wash your hair before your salon appointment
• The importance of color theory and always doing a test strand
• A throwback to the best class party at Paul Mitchell
• What education really taught us (and what it didn’t)

This episode is for hairstylists, salon professionals, beauty students, and anyone who has ever tried to color their own hair and hoped for the best.

This episode starts with hydration — or more accurately, Naomi’s complicated relationship with water.

What begins as a casual conversation about drinking enough water quickly spirals into college memories, short-lived academic ambitions, and how neither of us exactly followed a traditional path before ending up behind the chair.

Then we take a turn to Hawaii.

Beckee shares the story of the moment she fully believed she was Moana in the ocean — connected, powerful, main character energy — until reality reminded her otherwise. Naomi follows with her own story about having zero fear on land… but perhaps a little too much confidence near water. The episode ends with a moment that is both hilarious and humbling — and yes, Alayna saving Naomi’s life.

This one is lighter, story-driven, and wildly honest. It’s about overconfidence, self-awareness, ADHD brain tangents, and the kind of storytelling that only happens when two hairstylists over 40 sit down without supervision.

Behind the chair, we carry people’s stories all day. In this episode, we share a few of ours. If you’ve ever felt unseen, emotionally exhausted, or quietly questioning what’s next while still loving this industry, this conversation is for you.

Our Instagrams: https://www.instagram.com/beckeeharris/ & https://www.instagram.com/naomitrotto_hairartist/, and Naomi's Avante Garde page can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/nays_muchness/

Learn more about us, our work, and our philosophy at https://basalonmi.com

Explore our services and book an appointment: https://basalonmi.com

For bridal inquiries and alternative bridal hair experiences: https://basalonmi.com

In this first episode, we pull the curtain back on why this podcast needed to exist.

We talk about what it really means to start something new after 40—especially in an industry where you’re expected to always be “on,” always giving, and rarely supervised. Being a hairstylist means working independently while holding space for everyone else’s emotions, stories, milestones, and trauma. Over time, that emotional labor adds up.

In this conversation, we explore how deeply emotional this career can be, how making a real impact on clients’ lives can take a toll on your nervous system, and why burnout in the beauty industry isn’t about weakness—it’s about caring deeply for a long time. We also talk about the freedom that comes with being over 40: caring less about outside noise, people-pleasing, and expectations that no longer serve us, and caring more about honesty, boundaries, and sustainability.

This episode is for hairstylists, salon professionals, and creatives who have been behind the chair long enough to feel the weight of the work—but still love it. It’s about evolution, perspective, and choosing to show up differently as we age, grow, and redefine success on our own terms.

If you’ve ever felt unseen, emotionally exhausted, or quietly questioning what’s next while still loving this industry, this conversation is for you.

Our Instagrams: https://www.instagram.com/beckeeharris/ & https://www.instagram.com/naomitrotto_hairartist/, and Naomi's Avante Garde page can be found here : https://www.instagram.com/nays_muchness/

Learn more about us, our work, and our philosophy at https://basalonmi.com

Explore our services and book an appointment: https://basalonmi.com

For bridal inquiries and alternative bridal hair experiences: https://basalonmi.com