top of page

I’m Ayla, the heart behind It’s More Than a Haircut and the founder of Transcending Trims—an invite-only salon rooted in ritual, beauty, and radical authenticity. After nearly two decades behind the chair, I created this podcast as a space to share the unfiltered truth about life in the beauty industry—the healing, the heartbreak, the power we hold, and the pieces we sometimes lose. This is where we talk about what’s underneath the surface... because hair is never just about hair.

  • Instagram

Season 2

Becoming the Main Character

Radical boundaries, raw truths, and reclaiming your identity behind the chair.

Season 2 Episode 14

My Most Empowering Client Moment

(And Why It Changed Everything)

​

One client. One quiet cry in my chair. A moment of truth, healing, and why this work is so much more than hair.

​

Trigger Warning: pregnancy loss, emotional vulnerability, mental health

39.png

COMING SOON

Season 2 Episode 12

Speaking My Truth:

Why My Beliefs Belong in My Business

​

Hair holds energy. Let’s talk about beauty rituals, moon phases & sacred space.

Spirituality, peace, and not giving in to fear—what I share and why I speak up.

​

Trigger Warning: polarizing beliefs, spiritual deconstruction, emotional boundaries

37.png

COMING SOON

Season 2 Episode 10

Yes, There’s a Stripper Pole in My Salon—

And Here’s Why

​

Let’s name the guilt, shame, and secrets that hide in beauty spaces.

Art, movement, and unapologetic self-expression all belong in my sacred space.

​

Trigger Warning: body image, stigma, sexual expression

35.png

COMING SOON

Season 2 Episode 8

I’m More Than a Hairstylist:

Owning Every Layer of My Identity

​

You’re allowed to evolve. Here’s how I embraced being more than a stylist.

Wife, mom, creator, healer, artist—how I stopped shrinking to fit one title.


33.png

COMING SOON

Season 2 Episode 6

From Hair to Heels:

Why I Started Creating Sexy Content

​

The real reason I leaned into content creation and fully embraced my sensual side.

​

Trigger Warning: sexual empowerment, societal judgment of sex work/adult content

31.png

COMING SOON

Season 2 Episode 4

Why I Left Social Media

(and Nearly My Marriage)

​

The year I unplugged, hit rock bottom, and rebuilt everything—from the inside out. The behind-the-scenes reality of being an online creator.

​

Trigger Warning: relationship conflict, mental health, emotional breakdown, body image struggles

29.png

COMING SOON

Season 2 Episode 2

Back in My Illegal Home Salon:

Building a Business on My Terms

​

Why I’m done with hustle culture and built a sacred, invite-only space at home.

27.png

COMING SOON

Season 2 Episode 13

The Health Crisis That Forced Me to

Slow Down (and Wake Up)

​

How long COVID symptoms and burnout helped me rediscover balance and healing.

​

Trigger Warning: chronic illness, long COVID, depression, health anxiety

38.png

COMING SOON

Season 3 Episode 11

Why I Won’t Lower My Prices—

Even When People Leave

​

If your heart’s in it, you still deserve to be paid. Let’s unlearn the guilt.

Luxury isn’t about money—it’s about boundaries. Here’s why I raised my rates.

​

Trigger Warning: rejection, scarcity mindset, financial pressure

36.png

COMING SOON

Season 2 Episode 9

How I Fired My Most Toxic Client

(and Reclaimed My Peace)

​

Not every client is your forever person. How to know when it’s time to let go.

Firing a client changed my life. Here’s the story—and the exact words I used.

​

Trigger Warning: gaslighting, emotional manipulation, anxiety

34.png

COMING SOON

Season 2 Episode 7

Coming Out—Again: My Journey Through

Bisexuality, ENM, and Queer Identity

​

My story as a bisexual woman in a straight-presenting marriage, and why visibility matters.

​

Trigger Warning: biphobia, queer identity, internalized shame, fear of rejection

32.png

COMING SOON

Season 2 Episode 5

Why I Took My Kids Off the Internet:

Privacy, Protection & Permission

​

Why I stopped sharing my kids online—and why I don’t owe the world their story.

​

Trigger Warning: privacy concerns, social media anxiety, parent guilt

30.png

COMING SOON

Season 2 Episode 3

No More Babysitting Clients:

Boundaries, Self-Respect, and Moving On

​

Why urgent hair requests don’t vibe with my wellness-first business model. I’m not your mom. How I stopped overgiving and started attracting aligned clients.

​

Trigger Warning: discussion of anxiety, emotional exhaustion, boundary setting

28.png

COMING SOON

Season 2 Episode 1

Why I Quit the Suite:

Surgery, Hustle Culture & Letting Go of Fear

​

Let’s talk burnout, surrender, and starting over after a season that nearly broke me.

What I learned when I left something good to find something better for my soul.

​

Trigger Warning: medical procedure, mental health burnout

26.png

COMING SOON

Season 1

Where It All Began

Loss, legacy, and the stories that shaped my path behind the chair.

Season 1 Episode 17

Haircolor formulas and intellectual property, should a client have access to this information?

21.png

Season 1 Episode 15

The power of the mirror and recognition for an underrated tool

19.png

Season 1 Episode 13

My words of advice to anyone considering a career in the personal service industry

17.png

Season 1 Episode 11

My opinions about how capitalism and popular brands are ruining the beauty industry

15.png

Season 1 Episode 9

My mental breakdown after losing 47 reels drafts and the pressures of social media

13.png

Season 1 Episode 7

My first experience witnessing hairstylist burnout

11.png

Season 1 Episode 5

Holistic hairstyling, Reiki and energy healing in the salon experience

9.png

Season 1 Episode 3

How I ran an illegal salon out of my home

7.png

Season 1 Episode 1

Why I started the It’s More Than a Haircut podcast and my business Transcending Trims

5.png

Season 1 Episode 16

Chemical damaage and why box color is really so bad for your hair

20.png

Season 1 Episode 14

Trigger Warning:

Salon stroke and my experience of having a client have a medical emergency during a service

18.png

Season 1 Episode 12

Women supporting women in the beauty industry and why men still excel in a primarily female career

16.png

Season 1 Episode 10

The story of how I dated and married a client

14.png

Season 1 Episode 8

My experience growing up and hearing that beauty school is for stupid girls

12.png

Season 1 Episode 6

Trigger Warning: my first experiences with hairstylists and how it shaped my career, mentions drug abuse and death

10.png

Season 1 Episode 4

The difficulty of moving to a new city and rebuilding a clientele

8.png

Season 1 Episode 2

Trigger Warning: this episode is about the experience of having a client pass away and mentions death

6.png

Be the first to get exclusive updates.

bottom of page