How To Become Impossible Not To Rebook
Why Clients Stop Booking You (And What Reducing Uncertainty Really Means)
If you've ever been ghosted by a client you thought you had a solid relationship with, this episode is for you.
I sat down with UK session hairstylist Adam Garland for episode 116 of The Insider Diary. Adam spent five years as the face of Authentic Beauty Concept, has worked fashion weeks across London, Milan, New York and Paris, and now mentors other artists on building a sustainable career. A listener from Australia sent in a question about brand loyalty, and it turned into one of the most useful conversations we've had.
The listener question
One of you wrote in about a client who took a whole team interstate for a shoot and didn't bring the makeup artist. She felt cut by it, and honestly, that's a fair reaction. But Adam's take was blunt: it's almost never personal, and if it is personal, you shouldn't be working with that client anyway.
A first option is not a confirmation
Adam's biggest piece of advice going into fashion week: a first option is only a first option. If you're travelling to London, New York, Milan or Paris on first options, go in expecting you might not get any work at all. Building that resilience from day one saves you from spiralling every time a booking doesn't confirm.
Clients book certainty, not "the best"
This was the standout idea from the episode. Adam explained that clients aren't booking the best creative in the room, they're booking reduced uncertainty. They know when they book you, the job gets done, there's no drama, and there are no surprises. That's it. That's the whole game.
He used Guido, the veteran hairstylist at Art Partner, as the example. Brands like Prada don't book him because he's "the best." They book him because the second hair is ticked off, they don't have to think about it again. That's certainty.
The flip side: sometimes you won't get rebooked for reasons that have nothing to do with your work. Budgets change. A producer might be too embarrassed to tell you they can't afford your assistant this time, so they quietly go with someone easier. It's not always about you.
My own story with this
I told Adam about a brand I worked with early in my career. I even did the brand owner's hair and makeup for her wedding. When a model no-showed on a shoot because of an agency mix-up, I didn't charge for the reshoot out of loyalty. I did another shoot after that, and then she just stopped booking me. It cut me for years. I had to mute her on social media because I couldn't keep watching her shoots pop up.
What that taught me: you can't rely on one client. You have to keep meeting new people, keep networking, keep creating your own work.
Building from your own essence
We talked about the shift in editorial work, how a lot of it has become safer and less creative compared to fifteen years ago. Adam's advice isn't to wait for a photographer or a brand to hand you permission to be creative. Pick up your phone, learn to use the light you've already got, and start creating from what you actually love, not what you think will get you booked.
He pointed to artists doing exactly that: Mustafa Yanas, Joey George, Benjamin Mueller and Anataka Hashi, all building their own image worlds instead of waiting to be picked.
Adam's own version of this is happening right now. He's teaching himself photography, shooting his own models at Workroom Studios in Limehouse, London, alongside his mentee Zoran. Not because he's trying to be a photographer, but because he wants to create moments that mean something to him, regardless of who sees them.
Products we talked about
TG Bedhead Queen For A Day (Mousse) Adam brought this one up first. It's used at fashion week by session stylists but works just as well for salon clients. Creates texture and volume without weighing the hair down or leaving your hands messy. Currently discontinued in Australia, and we want it back.
Iles Formula Created by Wendy Iles, an Australian session stylist who worked with Heidi Klum and Keira Knightley. Wendy grew up around her family's poppy fields in Australia, learning about formulas from a young age, before taking a six-week boat trip to London to work at Vidal Sassoon. She built her own salon back in Australia, then took off doing photo shoots in New York. Adam was sent her root rinse and hasn't used it yet, but loves the story and the heritage behind it. [ADD LINK]
Keune A heritage brand, 104 years old, still family owned. Adam uses the gel, which he says is rock hard once set but doesn't leave sticky residue on your fingers, unlike a lot of other gels. He's used it in a Julien Dys-inspired look on his YouTube channel.
Gisou Founded by Negin, based in the Netherlands. Gisou is built around honey from the founder's family's own honey farms. Adam uses the repair mask, calling it a genuine heritage story rather than a manufactured one.
Listen to the full episode
This one's full of practical advice if you've ever felt cut by a client who moved on. Listen to the full episode of The Insider Diary, episode 116, wherever you get your podcasts.