ASK ME ANYTHING: We're Talking About The History of Henna, Identifying Your Ideal Henna Client, and What to do When a Client Wants "Instant" Henna

Ask Me Anything!

You’ve got questions, I’ve got answers!

In today’s Ask Me Anything!, we’re tackling the following questions submitted from hennapreneurs like you:

[01:34] How do you choose events to offer henna services at?
[07:22] How do I find clients who are interested in henna?
[13:51] If I create content that only speaks to my ideal client, what about everyone else? Will I be missing out on clients?
[15:04] How many ideal clients can you have?
[19:30] What resources are there to talk about the history of henna?
[23:35] What resources are there to talk about design elements of different ethnic expressions of henna so that I'm not getting all my ideas from Pinterest?
[26:19] Should I charge my henna clients based on time or the size of the henna motif?
[28:40] How do I deal with clients that want "instant henna"?
[31:21] Should I wrap all my clients' henna designs or only bridal clients?

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+ Read the transcript here

Hey, hennapreneurs! Ah! Okay. So we're live! We're going to do our first live Ask Me Anything for December 2020, which is exciting. So first let me go ahead and share this feed over into the Hennapreneur Community because y'all already know how I do. I like to take care of my people! And then I'll pull up some of these questions because you guys had a lot of questions this week and I'm pretty hype about that. I love when you come with— I love when you come with the things; it makes me so excited. So, I got this shared over and let's pop o- let me pull my questions up. And we're going to do the things. If it's your first time tuning in for one of these — hello! Hi, my name is Chelsea Stevenson. I am a professional henna artist and business strategist in Baltimore, Maryland, and I'm the founder of Hennapreneur. So I help henna artists all over the world to start their henna businesses and to grow them to five figures. And so.I get so excited because twice a month, I come live here on Facebook and I answer anything that you guys want to know about running a henna business and how to do that and how to be a phenomenal henna artiss such as yourselves. So let's see, I've got our questions here. So there's quite a few. And so I'm excited to jump right in. Some of these feed into one another. So we just gonna roll with it. And if you guys have questions, as we're here live, go ahead and drop them. Go ahead and drop them and I'll be happy to answer them if time allows. So, first things first, we had a question from hennapreneur Libby. Ah, Libby! I love her. Okay. Libby said,"If you don't mind sharing how to choose events, if it's not too big of a question to ask for you." So there is a science to choosing events. There is a science to choosing events, to knowing which events to service. First and foremost, I never care how big the event planner says that the event is going to be because that's their job to hype them and [inaudible]. Please understand-. You guys, please understand, when you're dealing with event planners, just like you are marketing a business, they're marketing a business. So I don't care how many people they tell me are going to be there. I don't care what their market, like, I don't care what they have to say about how awesome it's going to be. That does not mean that you are going to find your people there. So the very first question that I want every single one of you asking yourself before you sign up to any event is, is my ideal client going to be interested in attending this event? Now I know this time we all gonna be like, "Dang Chelsea, could you really give us a little bit more of a detailed answer?" No. Let me tell you why. I can give you the rest of the equation and it's not going to matter if we're not filtering everything through this lens. And I'm going to be really honest with y'all hennapreneurs. Some of y'all are looking for, like, me to give you some magic pill to make your business operate properly. That's not how this works. Okay? Running a business is a testifier and it is going to require you doing things that are work. And it's not- Like, I'm not going to breathe hennapreneur dust over you and then suddenly you're generating income. That's not how it works. I wish that I could. And if that were possible, believe, believe I would do it because I want to see you winning, but like, that's not how it works. So when you're choosing your events, I want you focused on your ideal client. Would my ideal client show up to this event? Does my ideal client follow this event company on social media? Probably not. So what is this event company doing, this event organizer doing in order to get this event in front of my ideal client's eyes? Those are the questions that you're asking; not how many people do you expect will be in attendance, but where are those people coming from? Tell me about the type of people who you expect to be at this event. You need to know your ideal client like the back of your hand. If you don't, you will sign up for events where they will happily take your vendor fee and watch you sit at an empty booth from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM in the afternoon, I promise. And they will not feel bad about it. But you will. And that's the part that sucks. So that's the very first question that I want you to ask. I want you to be asking about your ideal client. I want you to know who your ideal client is, and I want you to be asking about what type of people are going to be attending these events, because if they're not the right people, it's not worth you going, alright? There are other things that you definitely want to take into consideration. So you certainly are going to want to look at where, you know, where are the things being marketed? What other sorts of vendors are going to be there? Will you have exclusivity if you're there or are they going to let some other henna artists in to service clients while they're there also? Like, if that's the case, bail! You don't want to be at events like those. If you are, you're also going to ask questions. Of course you care about the venue; where is it located? You do ca- Like, you do care. There are other logistical pieces that you want to take into consideration, but the biggest question that you could be asking is that one, okay? Will my ideal client be there? And if they're not, then I want you to stop wasting your time. Now, there are two different things that I—and I'm going to, I'm going to add this on because I feel like it's important—there's two different reasons why you might choose to go service a festival, a public event. One of them is the long game. One of them is the short term. Okay? The long game is you're looking for events where your ideal client is hanging out. You're looking for event's where people are going to be booking henna, or maybe they're not booking henna right there, maybe they're not seeing, and this is especially prevalent right now because we're in the winter and that's why I bring it up. You may be booking events where people aren't necessarily getting henna with you, but you're there for the long game. You're there to make the connection. You're there to get them on your social media. You want them following you on Instagram. You want to find out what other sorts of things they've got their eyes on this season. You're there basically for market research and to put yourself out there. That is a long game strategy. That is totally okay. Then there are also those events that you're going to attend, which is the short term, the short game. These are short-sighted where you're just there to make money. Okay? I'm just there because I want to make an extra thousand dollars, an extra $2,000 this weekend. If that's your goal, then you can also attend festivals and public events like that. And there, the conversations is a little bit different. There, you might not be so- it might not be so important to you that these are your ideal clients, specifically. You definitely are going to still want to do some research on who those people are that this event is targeting, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you care if there's someone who's going to come and see you later. So another event like this, this might be something like the Ren Festival, right? Something like these, these themed events — a music festival. Your ideal client might not listen to that type of music, but the people who are there may still be a good fit. They may be on the fringe, if you will. They still may be interested in having, so this is something for you to consider, right? But know your plan going in, please. Don't just pick an event, pick a festival, pick a thing like "ah, I'm just going to go to that 'cause it sounds good, and it looks fun, and the booth fee is 20 bucks". That is a setup for failure and you will waste your time and I don't want to see you waste your time or your money. So there you have it. Okay? Alright. So, next question. We had a couple. This was-. There were multiple questions in this one. So we've got, uh, this hennapeneur said, "I have a few questions. The first, how do you find clients who are interested in henna? My own circles don't seem to be that interested and I'm not sure how to find clients." Do you guys know what's coming. Do you guys know what's coming? I'm about to talk to you all about your ideal client again. Are you ready? Listen okay, this is not me being petty. This is not me being petty, I promise. I promise. But listen, not everyone who you contact cares about henna. Not everyone who you contact wants henna. Definitely, not everyone in your circle wants to have henna done. This is why it's important for us to do the foundational work, okay? Our art is our art and we can be excellent at it and that's great. It doesn't change the fact that you are running a business. And the first thing that you need to do as a business owner is know who your ideal client is. I promise you guys I'm harping on this because they're like, if you don't take this away, I promise you, you will get nowhere. I promise you. I promise you. So you, you need to know who your ideal client is. So how do you find those people? Okay. Listen, join us. Join us. She's like, are we about to talk about itemize again? Yes. Yes we are. I'm tired of repeating myself, but listen, y'all I want to see your way and you're asking questions and they're different questions, but they have the same answer and I swear to God, it's not me being funny. I'm like, it's me wanting you to win. Okay. So, all right, bring it back and we'll bring it back. I'm behaving. I promise I'll behave. Okay. So, yeah. When—. In terms of finding those people that you do, you have to know who your ideal client is. How are you going to find clients? You have to put yourself where they are, right? It's all about visibility. If you're not visible to them, they can't purchase from you, right? They don't know that you exist, so they can't make a purchase. So how do you get in front of them so that they know you exist? Well, who are you trying to get in front of? You need to know who that person is. Where do they shop? Where do they live? Where do they work? Where do they play? Where are they? Are they attending, like, fundraisers or are they attending certain religious events? Where are they? And the only way that you're going to know that is if you know who they are. So this is the thing, I feel like a lot of times we—. If you're not aware of the ideal client thing, then maybe this is brand new. If you are aware of the ideal client thing, but you're not properly applying it, it's because we're not prioritizing it; and it has to be your priority. So a lot of times though, when you're exposed to this ideal of ideal client, it's like, this seems really, like, it seems very abstract. Like, it's just something that Chelsea's just talking about. You know, it's very abstract. And in some ways it is. When you first get started, you might be— you're having like this ideation of who this ideal client is, and you've never met them before. And it's going to feel like Chelsea told you to come up with an imaginary friend and sell to them. And you know what? That's basically what it is. I want you to come up with— I want you to sit down. Literally sit down. This is an exercise that I have my students do. You're going to sit down and you're going to itemize everything about this person. So we're not just talking about—. We can talk a general level because you need to know first where you're starting, right? Are you working individual appointments? Are you working specialty appointments? If so, what are those? Right? So are you doing bridal work? Are you doing prenatal work? Are you doing boudoir work? Because these people hang out in different places, right? Odds are the same person getting a prenatal piece is not the same person getting the henna crown. Odds are the person doing the bridal work is not also getting their prenatal piece at the same time. You know, like it's possible. Not probable. Maybe it is, but probably not. Right? So you need to know what work you're doing first. Start there. This is the work that I aim to do. Great. Who do I want to do it for? So there's two things you need to know: your demographics [and] psychographics. A lot of people get to demographics and stop. You have to do psychographics also. So your demographics, that's the next level. And [for] your demographics you're going to be asking yourself, who is this person? What is their gender? Right? Is this a male or female? Maybe they're nonbinary. If that's the thing, you need to know that because your messaging and your marketing to a female versus someone who identifies as nonbinary is different. You're using different language, right? Who are they around? What age are they? What race are they? What faith are they? Basically those questions that you would see on like an intake form somewhere. Those questions you need to have answered for yourself. Then you're going to go even further. Where do they live? What brands do they shop with? Where do they hang out? If they're going to pick a restaurant in this city, where would they go to eat? Right? And so you're going to start itemizing all of these little things. Then you're going to go even further. And this is where the gold is, my friends — psychographics. This is where you're going to ask yourself why are they doing those things? Why are they going to this business versus that business. Why do they feel X over Z? Why do they have a particular political affiliation? Why is it that dah, dah, dah? And once you start answering these sorts of questions, once you start getting into the mindset of your ideal client, then you can talk to them literally all day long about just about anything under the sun. And they are going to hang on to every word that you're saying because you're speaking their language and when you speak their language and they connect with you, they will want to do business with you. So I hear the question, well, where do I start? Where do I even start? It's a solid question, but the question that you're asking isn't where do I find them? The question that you're asking is who are they? Anyway, once you know who they are, then you know where they hanging out, then you put yourself into those places and those places are going to produce you the connections that you're looking for, okay? So does that make sense? If that makes sense, like, give me a like, give me a heart. Let me know if we're following along because we don' talked about it, but we can keep talking about it. Y'all know this is my jam. This is the thing that's pivotal. Like, this is literally a pivotal piece for your business. Once you have this down, things start to change. Um... Oh! Joy, I love this. She said, "A hundred percent, this was me this time last year, '...but if I just speak to this person, what about all the other people?' I'm gonna just throw my stuff on the wall until it sticks and someone books me." That is a real thing. That is a real thing. I think a lot of times we're hesitant. If I speak to one person, will I cut everyone else out? Well, that's kind of the point. You want to attract the right people, repel the wrong people, and trust that there are going to be people on the fringe who aren't necessarily exactly a replica of your ideal client, but they are going to be right there, like on the cusp, and so they're enough they're in there enough that they still want to engage you. They still want to book you. So yeah. She said, "a year on in, I'm strategically choosing markets and opportunities to promote myself in spaces where I know my ideal customer is going to be. Thanks, Chelsea, for lighting a fire under my butt about ideal clients at the start. I'm telling y'all! Y'all think I'm just out here spitting trash. I'm like, listen, you want to see a change in your business, this is how you do it. This is—. I'm telling you, this is the game changer. So, Joy, thank you for sharing your experience as well. I remember this. I remember you, like, last year like, "Uh, I don't know about that." And I'm like, "Go for it, Joy!" And now look at you booking markets and stuff. I love it. I love it. Okay. So, um, let's see. Uh, I saw the question, "How many ideal clients can you have? Like I roughly have about three different types of clients with three different styles — bridal, more party-like henna, and tattoo styles." Okay. That's cool. Your ideal client until you—listen—until you have consistent revenue coming in, you focus on one ideal client. I don't want to see you focused on three different types of people. That's not to say that you're not offering three different types of services. You can offer three different types of services, that's fine, but you cannot effectively market yourself to three different audiences well if you're not in it. And so what I like—. And to answer your question, I do believe you can have three ideal clients. Absolutely. Absolutely. And I do. I do. If you—. I talk about this a little bit inside with my students, um, that there are three different ideal client profiles, if you will, that I focus on. Um, but my primary ideal client, she is at the center of all of my marketing as it relates to anything external, anything forward public facing, I'm always talking to Stacy, period. Right? Tessa is cool. Kelly is cool, but if I want Facebook or I'm on Instagram or I'm on wherever, I'm out at the event, I care about Stacy. And I'll talk to Tessa and I'll talk to Kelly when the time and place that like—. But Stacy is my ideal client. And so, you'll findthey'll book different things. They'll book different services, and you can have different ways to offer those,you know, to offer your services to them. But you're going to be specific about who that person is. Um, and I want you to focus on developing one first. Once you've got that down, that one person down, and you're getting them, you're generating revenue, right? You start to see — okay, I have now enough data that I can see this works, this doesn't work, and you've got the ball rolling. Then you can expand and say, okay, I'm going to take on the second ideal client. This is how I'm going to implement them. This is how I'm going to bring them into my business. I think a lot of times we fool ourselves into thinking that we must have multiple ideal clients. In this case, actually, the three that you outlined, I don't see that they have to be different. The biggest two—. The biggest differentiator, I think, would be the bridal and the tattoo styles. But let's be real, you could have a bride who wants tattoo style work, and you can have someone who wants tattoo style work for their— like, it could be the same. That could be the same person, and certainly with the party piece, party style designs, that could be both of them, too. So, I want to challenge you even to think about, do you really have these different ideal client avatars? I don't think so. I think that it's likely that you need to start with one and then you're going to see how you can serve that one in multiple ways. And you'll find that you don't have to— you don't have to stress yourself with different marketing techniques to these different, uh, these different pools. So, okay. I saw something real quick. Alyssa said, "I'm fighting the urge to go back to that game of mine, but I'm sticking with the long game, even though I'm struggling." Stick with the long game, Alyssa. Stick with the long game. Go long game. You can work—. Having that short term vision, like, there's nothing wrong with doing a short term thing to get money in the door. I'm never going to knock somebody for doing something to get money in the door fast, right? If that's the thing that you have to do, but you're strategic about it, okay, great. But that's not sustainable longterm. Longterm, long game. So, definitely having your ideal client at the forefront is going to be the most important thing. And Alyssa, look, you inside of PRO, girl. You inside of PRO. Go live in the group. Tell me what's going on. Like, let's talk about it. Let's talk about it because I don't want to see you wasting time and money on the side when you can be very focusedand getting better results in one lane. You know what I mean? Okay. So I—. I'm a little—. My whole, uh, chat thing is being weird on here. So I don't know. I hope that I answered everything related to that question. Let's jump to the next one. So, um, question number two was, "What kinds of questions should I ask people who are hosting craft fairs and vendor events to make sure it'd be successful for me?" So we covered that a little bit already in the first question. So I'm not going to go into that in depth. Um, Yeah. In the replay, if you missed it, I already kind of covered this. So for number three, "What resources are there to talk about the history of henna and specifically to talk about design elements of different ethnic expressions of henna so that I'm not getting all my ideas from Pinterest?" Love. I love this. So, there are—. There are few solid resources for this available in the henna industry. And I say that with a really bitter taste in my mouth, because I find it— I find it disgusting. I'm going to be honest. I'm just going to keep it—. Y'all, I'm just going to keep it real. I'm not going to filter this. I find it kind of disgusting. When we're working in an ancestral art—an ethnic ancestral art— there is no reason for there be for there to be so few resources available regarding the art itself. Like—. And this is something that I find particularly challenging and frustrating because I think as the art grows and as people outside of henna using cultures come in and begin using henna—which I have zero issue with, for the record— I do, however, feel like it is certainly upon you as someone who's opting to work with henna to educate yourself about the history of henna. And so the fact that there's so few resources out there, um, a bit like professional resources available, I find really upsetting. There are a couple of blogs that you can access. Noam Sienna has a really good blog that talks about the history of henna specifically also through the lens of Jewish culture, which is very under documented as well. So I love seeing that resource out there. There is work by past artists as well. The Henna Page is one. The Henna Page is a very solid resource, both in terms of like the chemistry of henna, the cultural piece. There, like, there's a lot of information there. It's not maintained. It's not maintained in the way that it used to be. And so it's something that like, it's a great jumping spot and I think that, um, she's done a really good job of curating as much as she can. And I think that that's a resource that every henna artist should have in their back pocket. There's also the artist Nic Tharpa Cartier. Jim Pop, if you know him, who has put together a lot of resources specific to—because I know this question is related specifically to Fessi style work—um, has put together a lot of information. There is a book that, um, that they co-wrote, it's called Moor—"M" "O" "O" "R"—that documents some of the history of henna in Morocco and Fessi style works, specifically. Also, there is, um, like a piece— a portion of their work that is related to that where they've created a henna cafe that's in Morocco that like, supports local Moroccan artists and is like, bringing back, if you will, the use of natural henna there. Um, and so like, that project still exists. There's a retreat that was meant to happen, actually, this year. A conference, that was meant to happen this year in Morocco where we would be there doing that, um, in Morrocco, as well. But that's not—. Obviously, with COVID that didn't become a thing. Um... Yeah, Joy, I'll put the— I'll put—. Oh, Moor? "M" "O" "O" "R" is the book title. So, yeah, there's not a ton of resources out there. And this is why it's so important for us as artists to do as much as we can to immerse ourselves in the cultural communities that are using henna. If you're—. And understanding also that it's likely that you're going to hear very, uh, interesting and sometimes contradictory things. That's why as the professional, that's why as the professional, you're going to fact check everything you hear. But like, as it relates specifically like to, um, to elements, to design elements, to motifs, to application, to symbology even, those are times and spaces where you want to have conversations with those people whose art you are utilizing. If that's not—. If it's a regional style, for example, that's not something that you're familiar with and it's not from your own culture and understand also that, um, there are different regions where the same element might mean something—when we talk about symbolism—might mean something and somewhere else does not, right? Or there may be instances, for example, even with around the times and place where henna is used, where the application of henna, right? The use of henna might be used in one instance and is not in another. For example, bridal henna, right? Like South Asian culture. We totally expect that you're going to have a Desi bride and she's going to have henna on. And we know that in many Arab cultures also. In Sudan, you're getting married, you're going to have henna on. Did you know that in Syria, henna is not included in the wedding tradition? Like. For engagements, sure. For the wedding itself? Nah. Like, these are—. So there's little nuances that you also will come to learn and know. But that's why it's so important for you not to be inside of the bubble. And why it's so important for you to make sure that you're making contact with those communities as well, so that you can start to collect that information, even if anecdotal initially. Um, and if so, then fine. Um, but like, I would prefer for you to be out there. I would prefer for you to be out there in the trenches and gathering that info, and then coming back to the community and saying, Hey, this is something I learned. And then having, you know, being able to ping that back and forth with other artists rather than trying to Google search it, because you're just not going to find much. It's going to take legwork. That's —. I guess that's the short answer. It's gonna take legwork and I wish that were not the case. I really do. I wish that were not the case, but it just is. Inside of Mixology and Basic Design, I include a module about the history of henna, and where it's been used around the world, and the different ways that it's been used, and some of the traditions around it. But even inside of that, like, it's not possible, obviously, for me to cover all of the things inside of that sort of coursework. And so, um, you know, if you've got nothing, like if you're looking for a baseline and whatever, then that could perhaps be a resource for you. But, um, to say like, "Oh yeah, there's this great 'thing' here." I'm sorry to say that it doesn't exist right now in the henna community though I wish that it did. Um, okay. So, what's the next step. Okay. So, this person asks, "How do I rate the henna, the size, and the time?" I am expecting and I hope that I'm understanding the question properly. I'm hoping—. What I'm understanding from this question is, how do I charge? What do I charge for the henna based on size or time? And so my answer is a solid "time". Okay. So there's—. I say this and we're, uh, I'll give you both sides, okay? So there's a time and place for everything inside of your business, right? And when you are working with henna, if you're booking appointments, then I strongly encourage you to book based on time because people are going to treat you differently when they're locked into a certain timeframe than they are when they're just paying for a piece. They're going to show up on time. They're going to be mindful of not wasting your time while they're there, right? Like, the experience is different when you're based on time. Also, when you book with time, it's easier for you to start to make projections around your earnings versus with size [where] things can get a little bit weird. Now you've left things up to speculation. Is this really that size? Is it as intricate as this piece? I feel like you should be charging me this versus that, whatever. And in a sustainable business, right? Which is, that's what I teach. I teach sustainability. I would prefer to see you charging based off of time. Now there is a place also where you will charge per piece. That is in public events, right? Obviously, we haven't had much conversation about this this year, just because festivals didn't happen this year. This is something that you can be aware of as well. When you're working public events, when you're working festivals, those are the spaces in which you would charge by piece, by design. And there, yes, you're looking by size. You're looking by how large is this? How detailed is it? But still you're thinking about that and the real question you're asking yourself is how many minutes is this going to take me to do when I'm working at a festival? Is that a two minute design or is that a seven minute design? Because the price point between the two is very different, okay? And so you're still looking at it through the lens of time that was presented to your clients in a little bit of a different way. Does that make sense? So, you guys let me know. Um, if so, give me a like, give me a heart. Let me know that we're like, good. Um, but I would pre—. I would much rather see you guys charging based on time when it comes to your regular appointments. Um, and yeah. "How do I deal with the clients who want instant henna?" You're going to educate them. So it is your job to be—. Oh God, I feel a soapbox coming. I'm going to try to keep it—. I'm going to try to behave myself. It is your job as the professional to be well-educated about natural henna. If you do not know how to answer the questions about instant henna versus natural henna, chemical henna versus natural henna, black henna versus natural henna, whatever, we have a problem. And the problem is you. And I say "we" meaning the rest of us in the industry, okay? And your client base. You need to know the differences between alternative paste and natural henna. You need to know the chemistry behind natural henna. What ingredients are you putting in and why. You need to know those things before you ever put henna on another person because there are contraindications. There are even times, my friends, when natural henna based on many recipes that you will find on the internet today are not safe for use on certain people. I'm going to say that again, because I feel like some of y'all thought you heard it, but didn't. Yes, there are instances where the ingredients in some natural henna is not safe for some people. And you need to know when those incidences are. It is your job if you're going to be applying henna to any other living body that you are aware of the differences between the two. You need to be an expert in your craft. I teach this up and down. You have to be an expert in your craft. So how do you respond to someone who wants instant henna when they ask you for it? You're going to tell them absolutely not. And you're not going to waver and you're going to tell them why. You're going to explain to them the risks of working with alternative paste. You're going to explain to them the risks and what happens inside of their bodies when these products are applied to their skin. And then you're also going to tell them about the difference between that experience and the experience that they'll have with natural henna and why natural henna is worth investing in, and why natural henna is the only road to go, and how, if they like henna done, natural henna is the only choice really for them, period. And if they are pushy and if they, you know, they suggest bringing their own cones and whatever, you are going to walk away from that money, because not all money is good money, okay? And you cannot afford as a professional to waver on this point, period. So there's my soap box. I'm gonna get down and see the next question. Okay. "Should I put a medical patch on all the work or only on bridal services?" So, I don't wrap my clients at all. I just don't. Um, some people do. If you choose to include wrapping for your clients, great. That's fine. I don't. It's—. To me, first of all, there's added costs. Second of all, there's added issues of people having reactions. A lot of the medical tapes that are on the market have different ingredients in them. Latex sometimes is one, but also, and less common than latex, is actually the adhesive that's inside of— the adhesive inside of the tape that some people have reactions to. And so, yeah, I'd prefer to just—. I'm like, no, that's a whole lot more than I'm adding to my plate when I could just not. Um, and if you have a paste that's sticky enough, this is, you guys. Y'all see it, y'all see it coming, right? This is why you need to be an expert at your craft, because if you, once you've nailed your recipe, like, okay, this is how I get a solid stain. Then you start playing with your recipe so you can make it. Um, you can craft it in such a way that it sticks well, so that you don't require sealant, nor do you require the tape. And also it adds time. Remember, in order to put the tape on first you must let the henna dry. So now you've got a situation where you've completed the work and you have to wait for the henna to dry, and then you have to apply the tape, which takes time to do. You're cutting all the little pieces and whatnot. This is time. Time is money. Get your money! Okay? And do it in a way that's going to be respectful of your time. So, um, for me, I don't tape my clients. I don't find it necessary. My paste is sticky enough. Um, and if you want to for bridal, more power to you. If you want to for other things, more power to you. Look, this is the thing, too. Let me, let me just pause right here, because I feel like I really need to reiterate this, so I am. I am here to tell you what I do in my business, okay. I run a very successful henna business. I'm here to tell you what I've done to get there. I want to see you guys also be very successful in your businesses, but this is the thing, I am never going to be like, "Hey! So... Hi! My name's Chelsea and I do X, Y, Z. And this is the only way that you can do it, or else." Not words that you're going to hear across my lips. I might push back on you and I might question some of the things that you're doing, but I believe in empowering my students and mentees. So like, if you, as the boss, as the CEO of your business, decide that you want to tape every single client if they came for a tiny little thing or a full blown bridal package, more power to you. I'm telling you why I don't and how you can get around it and the reasons why, right? But if you decide that you want to, more power to you. Just know that those other variables, the time, the liabi— or potential for expanded liability with issues related to the adhesive, um, and even just, even just the— I'm just, we'll call it money. It is money on both fronts. Those are all three things that you need to be aware of. So factor them in. You want to tape all of your clients great! Add it as an extra service. You want to tape your clients? Great! Add it into your service costs. You want to tape your clients? Great! You're going to have to expand your time spent with them so I hope that you're raising your rates, right? Like, I'm just putting the things out there for you to make informed decisions for yourself. That's it. I want you to be empowered as the business owner to make the choice that feels best to you, but do I? No. So there's my answer. Um, and I—. Here we go. It's the should. It's the should. Should I do this? You told me, should you? I don't, but should you maybe?