She Is A Leader - The Podcast

Yvonne Heimann [00:00:06]:
And in today's episode, I am really excited to introduce you to Danielle Keasling. Yes, that's a German last name even though spelled in the American way. Now she is a globally recognized celebrity hairstylist, a beauty industry leader and award winning entrepreneur. As the global artist director for artistic director. See, the tongue twister is already happening. You guys know that means it's gonna be a freaking amazing episode when I have tongue twisters within the first five seconds. As the global artistic director. There we go.
Of Matrix and the first pro US ambassador for Dyson. Girl, I hear you. She has shaped her trends in some of the world's biggest stages including high profile events like the super bowl with Lady Gaga. Known for innovative techniques and mentorship, Danielle is also a sought after consultant for salong and spa businesses, empowering beauty professionals to grow their brands. Her passion for education extends to online courses and one on one coaching where she continues to inspire the next generation of beauty professionals worldwide. Girl, that's all I have right now.

Danielle Keasling [00:01:25]:
Girl. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited. I'm so passionate about entrepreneurship and like just empowering, empowering people, empowering women and like mindset as everything.

Yvonne Heimann [00:01:40]:
And as, as all my listeners know, we'll definitely dive deep into the mindset. Now question, you already talked about empowering, helping women. Have you, have you always been that way? Have you always been the one stepping up, making things more beautiful, helping people be more beautiful? Or was little Danielle just completely off somewhere else and then something happened that got you into that direction? What did little Danielle think when she was little? What she's going to be growing up?

Danielle Keasling [00:02:17]:
Yeah, I didn't really think. I grew up in a really privileged family. Not like privileged in the fact that they had money from their, like their parents. They just worked really hard and made a really nice life. So like I didn't struggle, I didn't, I, I really didn't have to think too much. Like I just was a kid, I played, I went to school. So thankfully I got to a point in high school where I think my parents had different expectations. My dad had an expectation of me being a struggling college student not by thought, but by habit.
Right. Like that's how he did his life. So that was what was taught to him. And you know, if you don't go to college, you don't struggle and you don't become a doctor, lawyer, professor, like you're not gonna make it. Which obviously we all know is not the case. And my mom was like a hippie, a groomed hippie. That was beautiful. She was a flight attendant.
She, like, knew how to work a room, but really had. God, I hope she doesn't listen to this podcast. Like, no business mindset. Like, you know, she just, like, knew how to, like, make.

Yvonne Heimann [00:03:57]:
I don't think we. I don't think we all really need to have a business mindset. There's something to be said about when somebody knows, you know What? I'm a 9 to 5. Even if 9 to 5 as. As a flight attendant is a different 9 to 5. Where it's like, I don't want to take.

Danielle Keasling [00:04:16]:
9 to 5 was a lot of fun. Let me just put it that way, right?

Yvonne Heimann [00:04:18]:
It's like I. My head off. My head is off to everybody that knows exactly, you know, what everybody now talks about the hustle mentality. And you. Somebody, if you're an entrepreneur. And I'm like, no, you don't have people that just don't. It's not their personality. They don't want to do it.
And that's a strength to me where it's like, hell, yeah. You know? Yeah, that's not yours, and you found yours.

Danielle Keasling [00:04:46]:
So I'm like, yeah, 100%. And I think that, like, the. The. The where I came from or the why I got to where I am at is because, you know, my dad had been married, and I grew up with, like, half siblings that we didn't really. None of us connected. And so I was my parents. And, like, we all have a childhood trauma that some of us, like, actually, like, deal with, and some of us don't even know we have it, right? And, like, I look back on my childhood, and I'm like, nothing happened. Like, they were great parents.
Everything was great. Like, but you do have things that, like, make you who you are as a human being. No matter if you think it's negative or positive, like, it is what it is, right? And a lot of what I've unraveled in my adulthood now is the fact that I never felt good enough. So oddly, that was my coping mechanism of, like, making my success was just to keep succeeding, to make sure that I, like, didn't fail to make sure that I was perfect at everything I did. And, I mean, to, like, what end games, right? Because now at 45 or almost 45, I'm like, okay, I'm just learning how to be a human being, you know, because before, it was like, I had to be good. I'm only five foot two. I was on the varsity volleyball. I always think I, like I'm like.
I always equate it to that. I'm like, how the hell was I on varsity volleyball when I was a sophomore? You know, I just didn't fail at anything. Like. And that. That is one of the things has been really great for when you get into business. But I have that mindset, and I think that that's the mindset. Do I think. Did I.
Do I. Do I look back at, like, when I was 13 and being all, like, cute and bougie in front of a camera and posing like, did I think I was going to be doing what I do now? No. I knew I was going to be whatever I wanted to be. I just didn't know what that was.

Yvonne Heimann [00:07:02]:
Yeah. And it's like, I'm in there with you. It's like, that's. And that's the. That's the beauty of the question. Because you never know which story is gonna come out.
And some. Some of the most amazing stories have come out where. Where some of my guests were like, oh, I've never shared that story. Which is one of the reasons why I love it so much.
And I'm. I'm curious. You. You called yourself. You tend to overachieve, to really push to get. How is it for you? Because now. Now I'm reflecting over here, right? Over overachiever myself here too. Similar age range.
And there's. There's been some lessons recently where my view has a little bit changed on the overachiever, because on my personal level, I saw how that impacted. I'm curious about you, having accomplished so much. So, yes, on one hand, it's. It's been an amazing personality trait that got you where you are today.
How are you looking at that piece of overachieving nowadays? Because sometimes that also can lead to burnout or just not feeling enough because we feel like we constantly have to one up ourselves.

Danielle Keasling [00:08:27]:
Yo. 100%. Yeah. My whole mindset has changed, I would say, in the last, softly, two years. I. It was probably. I think Covid opened up a lot of eyes to a lot of people. I really cannot tell you.
I can't even put it into perspective. The amount of travel and work and. And no balance that I used to do to just try to prove that I could do it. And what I mean by that is like, working. I mean, like, traveling internationally, working 20, 18 to 20 hours a day, not sleeping, getting up because I had to work out even though I didn't sleep. Like, what a waste of time. Right? Like, your body is just like I don't even know what I'm doing right now. So, like, I'm not gonna do anything for you.
But, like, I didn't realize any of that. Everything was just very much, like, mechanical, robotic. Just like, grind, grind, grind, grind. And the whole, like, Covid set. Like, I had the worst time at the beginning. Like, I was like. I was, like, coming unglued. I didn't know what to do with myself.
I never had a moment. I mean. Yes. Did I get married? Huh? Did I go through all the motions of life? Yes. Did I have any type of, like, sustainability? Absolutely not. I mean, like, I look back on it now and I'm like, no wonder. I had no, like. I mean, like, really, like, like, raw and vulnerable and honest.
I didn't have a life. I had no life outside of work. Like, I skipped holidays because with an excuse of, like, this is my only time I can be alone. And, like, who wants to be alone on the holidays? But, like, I, like, literally would, like, skip holidays with family because I was just like, I cannot even wrap my head around going and being social right now. This is the only time that I have downtime. So there's so many things that I look back on, and I'm like, gosh, I wish I would have known what I know now, because my life would probably. And I don't think I'm. I care if it's different.
I think that it's. It's just a reflection. Like, you have to, like, look at all the inventory and go, you know what? I made choices.

Danielle Keasling [00:11:11]:
And, like, this is what happened from that. And would I change it? I don't know. I don't know if I would. I'm. I'm really in a really good place right now and really content and happy. But it's very. It's interesting. It's like, you just have to, like, put your big girl panties on and, like, own up to it and go, you know what? Like, this is what it is, and this is the hand of cards that I'm dealt with now.
And, like, what do I want the rest of my life to be like? And, you know, balance for me now is everything. Like, I still work like a dog, but, man, I am the first person to, like, juggle the hours of the day and go to the beach at 2 o'clock and take a walk.

Yvonne Heimann [00:12:00]:
How so? I know a lot of my. A lot of women in my community often struggle when that shift happens where it's like, okay, I'm. I'm not living to work. I'm supposed to be working to live when that shift happens. When we realize that for whatever external reason, we suddenly became overachievers and it's like, okay, I actually want to live life now. I know a lot. Me included. We often have that little.
That little one sitting on the shoulder. But you are supposed to be working.

Danielle Keasling [00:12:37]:
Yeah. You almost have guilt when you don't. Right.

Yvonne Heimann [00:12:40]:
How are you. How are you working with that? I'm like, it's a. It's an ongoing process for me. I'm getting better at it. But it's still where the voice is like, but you are supposed to be working 24/7.
What are your tricks to. What do you do to. To work with that, to work around it, to reframe it, to just approach differently now.

Danielle Keasling [00:13:02]:
I. I had to develop a strong routine because I have the same thing. I still have it like, but I have such a strong routine that those little voices will still pop up. But I'm like, it. It's just not in the routine

Yvonne Heimann [00:13:28]:
It's like, this is the plan. It's on the calendar.

Danielle Keasling [00:13:31]:
And I actually have to. Okay, so this is a great example. And this is so silly. I was actually thinking about this yesterday because my business partner was. She's all into this, like, she called it time blocking now. And I'm getting it. I'm like, I understand. Okay.
But coming from like a creative background, I'm like, time blocking. Oh, my God. Like, I don't. I can't do like meetings all like. But okay, so I go to yoga every. When I am in town. I go to a 9 o'clock yoga class pretty much Monday through. Pretty much every day of the week.
And I know personally that I'm going, but if I don't, now, it has to be on my calendar. And I am such a perfectionist that if I don't really want to go to that particular, like, I. You would just say, like, most people would just put reoccurring yoga session 9 to 10:15. Right. I cannot do that. I have to do it as I book it. Like, I book it, I put on my calendar. I book it, I put on my calendar because I like, Because I'm like, sometimes I have to like, go do an errand at that time or I have to do a call.
So I'm not going to yoga. So I'm not going to put it on a reoccurring pattern. So I. I think, like, the sanity for those little voices for me has been to just make sure everything literally is on my calendar. And you know, like, I'm not perfect. I take my, I call my to do list now a today list. And I just, I keep moving over the to do list to today. And whatever doesn't get on the today list just goes back to the to do list.
And I just, it's like this big now. Like, it's like a freaking bible. But like you, you're human. We can only do there's 24 hours in every day. Unfortunately, no one has figured out how to make 26 hours out of 24. And for us like overachievers and entrepreneurs and like all of the things that we are, like, you just have to like get to the point where you're like, I am a human being. Like I, I, I'm okay. Like the fact that like I've looked at my couch for two years before I laid on it, like, and like the day I laid on it was like, I'm like, I can't believe I'm sitting on my couch.
This is really weird. It's very uncomfortable. And my friend was like, what are you talking about? It's your couch. Yeah, but I don't use it. Like, I don't sit in my living room. Like I'm either like in my office or I'm in bed. Wrong. Don't live like that.
Life is too short. It's so short. And like I think too the fact that I've lost, I lost my father when he was 61 years old and he worked his entire life to like work, like retire. And he was given a year or two.

Yvonne Heimann [00:16:46]:
Was he was here. Was he the kind where it's like, I'm gonna work really hard so I can enjoy my retirement? Yes.

Danielle Keasling [00:16:55]:
It was all like, I heard that over and over and over. My childhood was just like all about retiring, all about working hard to retire, to buy the boat, to live on the golf course, to like, you know, go vacation and go wherever you want. It was all about what I was going to do after I retired, you know, and then I watched him retire and then he moved down here in South Carolina. That's why I'm here. It's like a random place for me to be. And he lived. He got bit by a poisonous spider. So some random tragic frickin act and he was, he got a staph infection and passed away in a year and a half and otherwise completely help.

Yvonne Heimann [00:17:48]:
Never really got to actually enjoy the retirement he had been working for his whole life.

Danielle Keasling [00:17:55]:
No. So like that's where I, Yes, I work hard. Yes, I like Travel, I do all of these crazy things, but I live. Like, I drive the car I want, I buy what I want, I go where I want, I eat what I want. Like, I don't, I don't live paycheck to paycheck. I'm very grateful, I'm very blessed. I've like, worked really hard to make sure that I am financially completely stable. But like, if I could give one piece of advice to somebody, it would be like, live every day like it's your last.
Like, you don't have to be extreme, you don't have to go jumping from planes, you don't have to go. But like, just be happy, live.

Yvonne Heimann [00:18:39]:
And I think, I think that's a really good reminder for many, for all of us passionate entrepreneurs, because it's like, I at least came into this being passionate about it, wanting to make a change. I, I love doing my business. It's like, I really don't have a problem working morning tonight when I'm building something, when I'm creating something, when I'm creating impact and all the things correct. And I, my partner literally is regularly. Have you actually left the house today? Have you actually, I'm like, I'm comfortable here and I'm working on a project that fuels me. But then I get into, into the circle of I love what I do, but I don't feel up my fill up my cup with all the other things that I love doing. And I get into the circle of suddenly I don't like anymore what I'm doing.
So I love that reminder of just live today. Even if it's something small where it's like, go out and meet a girlfriend for drinks. I'm that introverted extrovert. I'm happy on my couch, I'm happy to have a drink by myself, but it's also refueling, going out, having new experience, doing new things.

Danielle Keasling [00:19:54]:
Yeah, you have to push yourself out of the box or you're going to burn out. Because I'm the same, I'm crazy passionate about what I do. I love what I do. I love, I love new projects, I love being challenged. I love growing businesses, I love doing marketing and working in the hair business. But like, when I got to a point of burnout, I hated it. And I didn't hate it. I didn't hate what I was doing.
I just hated the demand that I was putting myself in and this like, terrible mindset that I was putting myself in. And it's like when you're a perfectionist, it's a really dangerous area because it's like you're, you're your worst enemy. Like at that point when you hit that brink, there's no going back. Like, no one can tell you to chill out. No one can talk you off the ledge. Basically, you're just like off like at that point. Like, you know, and like, you just can't like it. And you just have to like, realize that in order to sustain the level of like what you want to do, like what you physically, naturally are attracted to and what you want to accomplish, you have to have some, some kind of self care and like fill your cup back up or it's just going to not work.
It just, it just physically is impossible.

Yvonne Heimann [00:21:33]:
And I think it's also, it, it is an advantage for us and our business too, because when we do the same thing over and over again and we are not going out and we are not doing different things and new things, we become stagnant. Yeah, I'm like, where creativity happens in the new, in the different. Where suddenly you make connections you haven't made before. Where it's like, oh my God, never thought about it this way, never looked at it this way. How does that happen by us changing a perspective? How do we change a perspective? Get out of the goddamn house.

Danielle Keasling [00:22:09]:
Yeah, 110%. Like, 110%. And that's actually very, very much the reason that I started like even podcasting and doing things outside of my industry and started speaking on stages outside of like, you know, I'm, I'm known in the hair industry. I'm, you know, like, I've already done what I, what I can probably accomplish in the hair industry. So I was like, I gotta, I, I gotta do something else. Because like, not that I, like, not that I don't love my industry, but it's just like, you know, when you've, when you've won the, when you've won the Oscar for a movie, like, how many more movies do you really want to do because you won an Oscar for it? So it's like, don't go, don't go down on a sinking ship. Just like, take the Oscar and run.

Yvonne Heimann [00:23:08]:
And I think, think I'm like, when I look at, at my industries where it's like the coaching, the consulting, the social media marketing, if I don't step out of those industries, it's like I see the same thing over and over again where now suddenly I'm like, I'm, I end up being an imposter Syndowm. Like, yeah, but everybody would know that. And the Moment I actually see step out of my general closest niche. I'm like, no, I was just expert blind. It's like, it's to me like, yeah, how can somebody not know that? And I just brush it off and I step into another industry that is not that much everyday exposed to it where it's like, you're what?You do what? How?
And it's just so much fun to just. I love, I love chatting about perception. Right. Because that. What's happened and I'm in it. I see the same stories, news and education over and over again in that specific niche.
And suddenly I step out and it's like, gary who? Jeff who? Which woman? Who. Who is she? Who is he? Where it's now suddenly it's like, oh yeah. Because I'm in it. They. They have no clue. And it's just the adjustment of perception. And as well as this where I look at certain people as mentors and VIPs where I'm like, oh my God, I wish I wouldn't get to meet them.
And suddenly they get taken off of that pedestal and like they're also just human.
You might feel like everybody knows them, but not everybody knows them. And it just. Complaints completely changes the perspective.

Danielle Keasling [00:25:54]:
It's interesting. Yeah. Like, you're right. I like the way you just said. How did you phrase that expert? You get extra blindness. Blindness. That's a good like analogy because I, I feel that a lot and I've never actually been able to put my thumb on it. But I like that the way you say that because that is very true.
Like, we get so comfortable in our industries that we, we don't even realize sometimes like what we've actually done and what other impact we could have on other people. And you know, I think I, I get, I get challenged with that a lot with my business partner because we're branching outside of the beauty industry and she starts listening to my stories and like we're redoing all our websites and she's like. And you, you know, and then you can just like hit this person up and do this and do that. And I'm like, who do you think I am? But like at the end of the day I could, you know, and, but like I'm just like, I just like stay in my like lane where she is coming into it like completely like not an expert in my field. And she's been able to push me outside of like my comfort zone even to like be like. She's like, why can't you. And I'm like,

Yvonne Heimann [00:26:30]:
Love that. Why can't you? Why can't you? And that's where when we are so passionate about something, it just becomes second nature. Where it's like again, expert blindness to me is, is the best phrase kind of to explain it. Where the knowledge we have, the, the creativity we have, the, the capabilities we have might feel like nothing special till you get pulled out of that expert blindness and somebody is like, but why don't you.

Danielle Keasling [00:27:06]:
Yeah, exactly. And I'm like, and now I'm starting to go, you know, like we're, we're doing all these different websites because we have so many different brands. And I'm like, but that's not. And she's like, yeah, it is like, it is like you are, you are that you're just, just because you don't have like, you haven't worked for like Coca Cola yet or actually and I have. So I shouldn't even say that. That was a bad analogy. But like, you know, she's just like throwing. And I'm like, okay.
And she's like, you're probably more like credit credible than like most people out there doing this. She's like, you know, you like look at these people that are branding people, marketing people, coaching people, mentoring people. And she's like, you actually have done all the hard work. You just aren't giving yourself the credit.

Yvonne Heimann [00:28:00]:
Here's, here's the checklist, here's the receipts. Girl, you have done it sounds like you have found yourself the perfect yin to your yang. It sounds like it's a perfect partnership in business. And with that where can my audience find you? Where can people go look up all the things you are doing and building right now.

Danielle Keasling [00:28:24]:
Yeah. So my social media handles are my name. So Danielle Keasling, we are launching our new website which is going to be daniellekeasling.com it looks so good. I just like reviewed it today. Very high end luxury. Super excited. That should be launching next week. And then I have my own coaching and mentoring program for.
It's really like on the surface it looks for just like beauty professionals but it's really for anyone in business. It's hair biz and beyond and that's why we named it beyond because I've done chiropractic companies, I've worked with med spas. It's all coaching and consulting for business. And then we just started another million miles which is our, it's our blog lifestyle community and that all developed because I just wanted to, you know, there's so many people out there with no credibility that is giving major advice to people. And I was like, you know, I, I, I need to do something outside my box, but that, like, actually matters. So we started another million miles because I'm like, why not like, we, I talk beauty, hair, health, wellness, like, lifestyle. All of this all day long, every day. Why do we not have a brand behind this? So, yeah, we have.
We have a lot of different channels, a lot of different projects and. But it's so good. Life is. Life is.

Yvonne Heimann [00:30:00]:
We're gonna make it. We're gonna make it really easy. My audience already knows all of the links and everything is right in the description, wherever they're housed, wherever you found the episode. So, guys, as always, make sure you have hit that follow button so you don't miss out on the next episode. And Danielle, thanks so much for joining me today. As always, so much fun hanging out with other female leaders and get to get to know you better, get to look behind the curtain and just how you do business. Thank you so much.

Danielle Keasling [00:30:34]:
Thank you for having me.