The VIP Suite at IMAGE Studios with Matthew Landis

Building Her Empire: Dr. Trayce Madre On Success Through Systems And Niching Down

• IMAGE Studios • Season 4 • Episode 37

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 In this episode of The VIP Suite, host Matthew Landis interviews Dr. Trayce Madre, psychologist, entrepreneur, and luxury hair brand founder. Trayce candidly shares her journey from struggle to seven-figure success, revealing how mindset, specialization, and business systems transformed her career. Discover her strategies for identifying your ideal client, perfecting client experience, and building a brand that thrives, even through setbacks. Hear about her latest projects, mentorship, upcoming classes, and her role on the entrepreneurial reality show "The Blox." This conversation is a masterclass in resilience, intentional growth, and redefining success in the beauty industry.

The VIP Suite is the official podcast of IMAGE Studios, created for independent beauty, health, and wellness professionals who want to grow their businesses and thrive in salon suite life. Hosted by Director of Education, Matthew Landis, each episode shares real success stories, marketing tips, and business strategies from top beauty entrepreneurs and wellness leaders.

This episode is sponsored by GlossGenius, the all-in-one salon software designed to help independent professionals book appointments, accept payments, manage schedules, and build strong beauty brands. Learn more at glossgenius.com.

Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Connect with us on Instagram @imagestudios360 and visit imagestudios360.com for more information about IMAGE Studios luxury salon suites. New episodes drop every two week. Subscribe to hear how beauty and wellness professionals like you are building powerful, independent careers.

Matthew Landis:

Welcome to The VIP Suite, the podcast for Salon Suite professionals who are building bold, brilliant businesses. I'm your host. Matthew Landis, former salon owner, business coach and lifelong advocate for entrepreneurs in the beauty and wellness industry. Each week we spotlight industry MVPs, from hairstylists, estheticians, nail and lash artists and a wide array of solo entrepreneurs who are creating success on their own terms, you'll hear strategies for marketing, client, growth mindset and overall Salon Suite success, plus honest conversations about what it really takes to thrive. This season, we're going even deeper into growth, grit, community and all the messy magic that comes with carving your own path. So hit subscribe, turn up the volume and welcome to The VIP Suite where independent beauty and wellness pros come to shine. Welcome to The VIP Suite at IMAGE Studios today, I'm joined by someone who embodies brains, beauty and business brilliance, Dr Trayce Madre. She has a degree in psychology, a PhD in philosophy, and has created a seven figure luxury hair brand serving C-suite executives and celebrities like Michelle Williams, Beverly Johnson, Angela Simmons and Paris Hilton. She's been featured in major publications. She's on TV. She was a finalist for the entrepreneur impact awards, and soon you'll see her on the entrepreneurial reality show the blocks. Trayce runs two thriving salon locations in Chicago's River North and Naperville, and she's redefining what a luxury beauty business can look like. We're diving into how she's built her empire through systems, specialization and self mastery. Welcome to the podcast, Trayce.

Trayce Madre:

I am so happy to have you here now. You've got this incredible mix of psychology, sales and marketing running through everything that you do. So let's start with that, because it's not every day we meet a salon owner with a PhD in philosophy. How does your background in psychology and philosophy shape the way that you run your business. Well, it's actually the driving force. I always laugh at people and tell them that. Well, laugh with people and I tell them I really am a business professional term, hairstylist, the way that that helps me even to build what I have today, which is 25 years later. So I want everybody to hear that too, 25 years later, right? Was that I truly understood it's not the business that you do, it's the business that you're in. And the business that I was in was people, and majority of my clientele was women. So I needed to understand why she was getting her hair done when she makes a person purchasing decision, what is her What are her factors? What's around there, and even the business that I wanted to build, what was the type of client? Why does she come in? What time does she come in? What type of amenities did I need to have? So for me, it's been easier understanding that first, I always say, know what your end result and your end goal is supposed to be. So therefore you can work backwards and then put everything together to hit that so me understanding that, you know, the thing that I hear all the time, my assistants say, like to my assistant, like it's like she knows me, and I go, I do, which people will come back, especially in our business for how you making them feel? So if they're always feeling like I get them, what's the likelihood that they're going to come back to a place that somebody you know who truly, truly gets it? So I will say it. Everything that I do, it plays a major role. You've made yourself completely indispensable to these women. I have no in my marketing courses, this is so great, because this is what I teach in my marketing courses, is that you have to understand who your ideal customer is that is first and foremost above everything. And it sounds like you have really done a deep dive, and you're doing really well at that. So please tell us a little bit more about your business first off, and then we'll get into the nuts and bolts of it. So my business is comprised of a few different things. Number one, the first house is we do extensions and only extensions. That's it. And do it well. Then there is the education sectors that teach people how to do extensions, how to also to master the business of luxury extensions, because there's a totally different way to come at it. Then we have the hair extension line, if a person comes into our business, then they use our extensions that we actually sell to the public, and then also to the client gets to have. And then the last sector is retail, like the products that they get to use. So I knew one of the factors was her health. Like this woman, she is a woman that I am on her care team. We have vitamins for her. We have her night wraps, like we are totally in her stuff, and she loves it. All she has to do is sit down. That's it. Well, you understand who she is, and that is so important.

Matthew Landis:

And that is so clear. I, you know, I went to your Instagram, I looked at what you're you're doing, and who you're working with, and incredible women and incredible results. I mean, beautiful hair, beautiful women. It's, it's really something to see. Can you tell the listeners what your Instagram is?

Trayce Madre:

I have to. So my, my main Instagram is@traycemadre, and then the second is where our clientele comes in through, which is@getmadre. So our they always love to say, I got my DRE or I get madre. I'll tell you, my clients actually created getting The Madre. They be like, I got Madre.

Matthew Landis:

You know, I have a whole script here of questions for you, but I have to go off script, because I'm just so interested in, how did you begin? And when did things really take off for you? Okay, good question. So, and I like that, because I like the real right? I am a real brand. But what we realize is sometimes we look, especially social media, as you look at the end result, and then you try to emulate that, but you don't know how they got there. And I'm gonna tell you, for the first six years of my business, I was b-r-o-k-e. I was making $14,400

Trayce Madre:

I was on food stamps. I had three small babies, and I was trying to do what, when, after I got out of school, what they told me you're supposed to do, go be great, like, go do hair, cut the hair. So I got, I have 89 certifications. I went through cutting, coloring, I'm look, I'm going to be a master. But yet I was still freaking broke, and it wasn't until actually a conversation with my family, had to move back home. I've been with my husband for 30 years. We had to move back to my parents home, which was a very humbling but necessary experience. And what that was, Is my father said. Then she said, he'll talk to you, baby girl, did I want to No. He said, What I realized that you're doing is, baby you out here just doing hair. You're not doing what you learned, which was to run a business. And I was like, I am running. I was very defensive. I ain't running a business. He said, No, you run no business. You just curling hair. I didn't want to hear him, but I sat down and I thought about it. I'm telling you, it took me probably a week be honest. And then I realized, oh my God, I don't have no card like previous on what I was doing in business, like I don't have the proper car, I don't have a system. I don't have anything. When I first, when I got an apartment, my father gave me an amazing gift. I don't know I'm dating myself right now, but the Apple computers, where it was just a green, black screen, and I moved into a 900 square foot apartment, and he gave me that old computer. I bought a microwave cart, and I went to work on the foundation, and when I tell you that was it right there, pull my service and why? Why the heck am I doing this? Just really had to take that deep dive into what I wanted to build, because all the building blocks. Like I said, it sounds good to hear this. That's not how I started. I started with, what in the world am I doing that I don't want to do? And I started exit, like, going through and checking out the I don't want to do this. I don't like doing this. I don't want to do this. And I remember even I called them the OGS back there were, like, I got rid of relaxers, which was, I don't know if you that was, I was telling people, and it was like, Look here, sweetheart, you gonna, you gonna mess up your chair? And I was like, Yeah, but I don't like it. But then my business brain was kicking off. Then I was like, but I don't like it. And so I know that whatever I don't have passion for, I can't do at that level. And then I remember one of the girls, her name was Korea. She said, Well, what are you gonna do? Because I had three kids to come out. Oh yeah, I had three I was 25 or 26 so she said, What are you gonna do? And I said, I'm gonna do at that time. Now, it's extensions. But I was like, I'm gonna do weeds. And she was like, sweetheart, you're gonna go. Do you need to list to pay attention to us? And I said, Yeah, but I saw something because I had decided that my client was going to be an executive woman from where I came from, because I knew her. I was actually getting made for fun of in the salons, because all I owned was professional clothes. So that's what I was wearing. So they I was like, Well, every woman that comes in who actually treats me, she was more mothering to me. Was that woman. That's where it started. The more that I kept questioning her and I moved on. I kept the building blocks so then came the other legs. It was never starting with I'm going to have my own extension line do the this. That was never it. It was just narrowing down what I wanted to do, and I was doing it well, then I build it on. Like the cutting in the coloring, because I love those two then I wanted the extensions. Then I caught the attention of magazines and TV and celebrities. Then came the education. I say this to every student I talked to in order to get six figures just go be great at one thing. One choose a lane, go, be great at that. And then it all starts to happen. It doesn't happen with every when you are so overstretched everywhere, you know you can't make this type of success happen, because what it is is chaos. So that's really, really my story. But I actually feel like, especially in these days, people need to hear more of the beginning to how it happened, because I love my accolades, but let me tell you what you're doing, and I don't want to say wrong so, so don't hear me wrong. Now you're wrong, but what you're doing that isn't the step, that is the steps that you need to take to catapult you next. If you knew those you sit back, you erase the board, right? You erase the board, and you'd be like, Oh my God, it's been staring at my face all along, and I just never pulled the trigger. That is such an inspiring story. I mean, to get that wake up call from your dad, he's an entrepreneur and a hard one,

Matthew Landis:

Wow. I mean, that's so lucky to have someone like that in your life, and then to take the time to well, first of all, to open yourself up to that critique and to accept that, and then to sit down with yourself and recalibrate, and then do the work to get to where you wanted to be and understanding where it is you wanted to go, who you wanted to serve. I love that you said I had a list of things that I didn't want to do, because sometimes that's the best place to start. You know, even with a client, I have clients come in and say, do whatever you want with my hair. And I'm like, I'm like, Well, let's start with what you don't want me to do with your hair, and then we can go from there. But what a gift. And I think that that's so great, because it's also inspiring to know that, for those of you that may be down right now, that you are not out.

Trayce Madre:

Not out, it's just, it's what's in my head right now is getting out, down seven, get up eight, keep getting up. It doesn't matter how long it takes you in between. Yes, the faster you do it, the faster you're going to get a result. So I'm never going to go away from that, but to think that that success line looks like start here and go up, is usually what I find that tanks people when that's not what success is. It's really sitting back after you've been knocked down and reassessing when you got knocked down. How if you now know what you know now? We always love to say that you're older, right? So as being older, if I do, then would I know now? So when you get knocked down, now that you know it, what would you do different? And those mistakes and failures are, can be gifts. They are gifts. I'm telling I feel like they are gifts. There's God, there are God's gifts to us. It's her, his little nudge the same? Not there? Yeah, that's not what I say. Yeah. Is that one in the wrong direction?

Matthew Landis:

When you figure out you're going in the wrong direction, it can help point you in the right direction. But you do have to keep moving. You have to keep moving forward, and you have to keep learning, and you have to keep progressing. And eventually the path gets clearer.

Trayce Madre:

It does, as long as you stay in the game. I actually retired 2018 $1.2 million and was out there, and I keep telling everybody I feel like my life is remind you, because to come back here and build again, and I'm excited about it. I'm like, excited about and I wasn't, I was like, yeah. I was like, my money, I'm gonna go over here. I'm gonna do this. And then he was like, Okay, well, girl, guess what we gonna do. We gonna teach some new lessons. Because exit, you retired, and then you went back. I did. I retired in 2018 and came back in 2020,

Matthew Landis:

During the pandemic.

Trayce Madre:

I was like, Okay, God, you got jokes like this, funny, yeah. And when I tell you this, though, because I came back, I still took the same principles. What are you? Who are you serving now? Are you still serving the same woman? What do you want? And when I came back in, the micro links were taken over. And what I did was study, well, why is everybody excited about micro links? And then I was like, Y'all just want to put your hair to book too. Okay, bet I did everything around showing the woman how to pull her hair into a ponytail. I came back in January. No, I came back slightly in October, November. Wouldn't tell anybody. People kept going, Tracy, is that you? And I was like, Girl, be quiet. And then in January, I signed the lease. By March, I was booked to July, when we went down for the I didn't know it was about to be what would it was, but we wouldn't have the pandemic. I was like, Oh, good, because I gotta get some systems in place around this. I did not know, had not built prior to that, with what's easier. Now I'm gonna tell you with social media, with with like booking systems. I had that. I had a different system, but it was one that I made. So when I came back in and I just took the system and plugged it into what is happening now, I was booked by July, and I was like, Okay, wait, wait, wait, wait, and then when we got the break, I was like, Okay, so when we were at home, I built another system. I was like, oh my god, I could clearly see Tech was going to go crazy, because zoom, remember back in when nobody used it on Zoom, you know? So I was like, oh goodness. I started doing consultations via zoom. I literally rebuilt another system and added in tech. And now I'm not going to tell you it's easy. I'm saying it's easier because there are so many tools that you can use, and I know it could be overwhelming if you don't know them, but I went into the tool system, and now, what you see now isn't the model I had before. It's just grown. When you think about systems in your business, what are the non negotiables that you think every Salon Suite owner needs in place? You must have clear communication of onboarding of clients and post care of client, right? Because it's not just about acquiring these people. It's also too about retaining them. So that is absolutely a non negotiable. You also, too, must have a booking system, because people are busy, you know, especially if you are like me, and you want to be in the Lux market and you're like, I don't want to do that. You gotta have it. And the higher you go, you need a I like I have the booking system, plus the concierge coordinator that goes into that's just another level, right? But it doesn't mean you, you at least have to have your booking system in play, like those are. And you need to be very clear. I actually just made a video right now on your admin day and your finances. Like every Monday, every Monday, I literally sit down and figure out everybody's services. But there are, what what money am I bringing in? Then every Monday, I sit and figure out, what can I add? She been talking about colors, she's been talking about this, and I put the number next to it, then I add up what is an anticipated revenue that I could potentially do every month. This is a non negotiable. Do you know I always surpass that number every week? Because I'm walking in with the level of intention from the business side that says, Yeah, I'm here to see you get what you want when you serve properly. So I don't go into the saying, I want this number, but I it's on my brain. So the way that it's on my brain is saying, You know what she's been talking about. I'm working right now on an additional $2,500 for this week because I'm texting, Hey, you said, You know what? You're always on point. I sure am, aren't I? So I'm already working on the color. I'm already working on the extra removal. I'm already working on the extra bundle every single week. These are three things that you cannot get around. I'm in a suite on two suites. You know your top the bowl is where you get your person. I tell you something. When you're a suite owner, you are the front door.

Matthew Landis:

You're everything. You're everything.

Trayce Madre:

So your onboarding is, how do they walk in? What is the smell? What is the company Protocol, or how you greet your client? Because you are setting that tone. The way social and the way we intake information now is so much faster that you don't have the time. They can be pissed off at you already before you get to the ball. And it could be something as simple as you can say, pick your head around because you're good morning, a simple disarm. So what is your client onboarding process? What's the after? Do you just do them? I want especially people have been doing this for over 10 years. Let me. Let me put you up. What's up? If you have an after process, you missing so much money. If you're thinking, Well, what they wanted their hair to be done, they would call me, you are dated in your thought process, that you are the first person they got. Kids, their bosses, everybody is in their brain. So if you don't have it built in. So in two days, we check and see, how did you like that red? Does that still work? I noticed you hadn't pre booked. Do you need something else? Oh, my God. Thank you so much. Is what you what we are accustomed to hearing. Thank you so much, because I forgot is what we're No, I train my people to say, and that's why we're here. So what are those two things, those three things I find, and I hate to share this, but it is. I'm a stat girl, 90% of the people I talk to don't have that two thing together. 90 so I'm telling you, got so much money on the table, just by cleaning that portion up.

Matthew Landis:

I love hearing this, and I love that you have a pre game strategy and you have a post game strategy, because I think that most of us have an appointment strategy. So yes, you know your appointment is a 10. I am yours from 10 to 12, if it's a two hour appointment, and I don't think about you before, and I don't think about you after,

Trayce Madre:

Yes, and I'm telling you people now, remember I said how the psychology was so important, right? People now are inundated with TV so you wake up in the morning. Have you ever checked your social feed and see how people wake up in the morning? Already mad? Like, baby girl, you just said good morning. They're addicted to being mad. Yes, it's like, right? And we've heard the stats on we are people's care professionals. So what could you be doing? I want you to really hear the questions I'm asking you. What could you be doing to enhance their life in those two moments, and then tell me how much money you make after it, because at that point, you know, how many people, if you ask, how many people do you really think care is low, right? So just caring, and I'm not doing it, I'll tell you, I'm not getting a client, right, like, but I, I do care. I'm a Care Bear. I'm literally the yellow and the pink carrier in my business, right? Like I say it all the time, I come in, I have a primary routine for myself. In the morning I don't show up until I can show up. So what I hear the most is you're consistent, and people will right now stop thinking if you have your top three friends that are constantly telling you that the economy is bad. You need to not talk to them. The economy is not bad. Mindset, the economy is different. So being that the economy is different, how are you going to function in the new economy? Because people are still going to spend money today. That man, and I'm saying this is a real time. Did not blink telling me my oil change was $500 - my oil change! While he was bringing me my coffee. Do you see what I'm saying? So at the end of the day, there's money out here, but people are choosing where they're going to spend it. Your job is to make sure they're choosing to spend it with you.

Matthew Landis:

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Trayce Madre:

Systems. So, like, I didn't even know you weren't asking it, but I was like systems number one. Here's another thing that people do the wrong way. They use they hear the word scale often. In order to get to seven, you have to have something that is working profitably to take to seven. So if you don't have a system, you can't work on seven until you get to a consistent six, consistent, not every now and then, right? So you got to figure out what you're doing and what you do better than anybody else. Somebody said, Do you think I do a sew in? And they're like, Well, do you really think you're so in is any different than him? It absolutely is. My sewing is different than everybody. You wanna know why? Cuz I'm doing it. There isn't a personal lives that could be me and all the little nuances that I do, and I actually am bold enough to sit with every client and tell them, My job today is to make sure that any person you ever go to to do this after me, that you're going to compare them. Like, wouldn't every woman I know, I know you're a man, but like, Wouldn't you love it? If everybody say, Hey, I'm going to love you so well that if you leave me, you're going to compare people to me when you think twice. And that's actually my mission. I love that. Even as a guy, it's like, I wish I had those experiences. I think sometimes guys, we get this, we get, you know, short shrifted. We get sort of like you do, like, Oh, he'll be fine. He won't It'll grow back in two weeks. Or I would love for somebody to really make me feel that way. Opportunity is what I hear for a male salon to treat men properly too, because they need it too. Yeah, that being said. You know, to my barbers out there. I have, I have experienced that, but I've also experienced more often the the opposite. I think that's true of anybody. And told them about, when I told them about up leveling their system, they was like, Girl, where did you get that from? I'm just a care person, so I'm like, there are things that a guy wants and he would pay for. I know a barber right now that charges $300 for a haircut. Oh, yeah. You know, men will pay for it if they think that it's if they think it's worth it. You just got to figure out what, what would make them pay 300 for the haircut, instead of you saying, style has got to get out of there either. Okay, silence. Spent too much time going but I use the best, and I have my shares of $1,500 girl, they don't know nothing about it.

Matthew Landis:

They really don't.

Trayce Madre:

I want you to know that that's only artist to artist. But when it comes to correlating over to clientele, you got to figure out what's making them do it. Do a quick one of the things I used to do long time ago, was a paper survey. And I would ask them questions all the time. Now it's digital, but I remember just when they were under the dryer, just giving Can you check this off? I'll give you 10% off of such and such, and give an incentive, because people don't like doing stuff for free. Give something, even if you don't want to give a percentage off, because maybe you're financially not there. Maybe you just want to add on the service, add a value, you know, piece, but give them a reason, and then study that. You know what? Dang, I've been thinking they wanted to have the time at this frame, and they really want this I was able to get rid of I have it in years. Work Saturday because I realized, I asked them, what was their most important days? And it was in the middle of the week because I had executives. So I closed off Saturday. I was like, here I am. And I was like, Well, why did why were y'all taking Saturday? It was because you had it available. I was like, Okay, I'm fix that next week, and now it works the weekends. You know, I think this is a good lesson too, because I follow a lot of these industry forums and communities, and there's all these common myths and people going, clients want this. And, you know, there's this sort of story that gets told about how stupid clients are and how they take advantage of you. And I just have never, never bought into any of that, never believed any of it. And I think that we need to get out of our heads and stop telling ourselves stories about our clients and just look, talk to them, hear them, see them, and ask them. So let me tell you this every time. Let me tell you what I heard every time you say they're this and they don't want this from us, you're telling money to not, not come, not come sleep with you girl, or like you telling me you don't want it because that's the person. See, we don't we have multiple bosses. So every single time a person sits in your space and you think that they are the enemy, your feelings are going to take you out. And there's a book I don't know who the author is, that's called Emotional intelligence that I strongly suggest that stylist get into, get into a level of personal development in that space, because you don't know you had a bad let me tell you what's happening. You had a bad experience somewhere, and you magnified it into every new situation. So every time you saw something that looks like it, you you before you even could play itself out, you were like, Oh, I know exactly what she's going to do, and it's in your head. It's not it didn't happen. You. You actually stopped. What could happen that would give you the data that would say, Well, that was just that person who was having a bad day, I say all the time to stylist is check your emotions, because your emotions are going to scream, they're going to screw you in your pocket, and they'll they could potentially screw you out of your next level, because you're not emotionally sound in that area your brain will never make you wrong. So if you say it sucks, you're going to constantly look for evidence that it sucks. If you say the clients suck, you're going to find the evidence that the clients suck like, and then you're like, See, I told you, but that's because it's what you're enchanting to you.

Matthew Landis:

Yeah, so for those people listening that want to take it to the next level, that want to niche down and and are afraid to move forward and to scale and to do what they like. What would you say to them? Where do they begin?

Trayce Madre:

Mm, hmm. I'm telling you this because this is a true Trayce statement. So buckle up and I love you. Stop being a punk. Like stop it. This is your life. You can't it. No one I love this statement and hate it. Sometimes it's the same place, but I need you to hear it. No one's going to give you a raise. No one's coming to save you. So if you don't first get out of that space where you're like, I'm scared, I'm scared, you gotta jump. That's why I say and I'm I would only say that if you know what me, people will go, that's her. Because I talk to myself that way, I would never say anything to you that I hadn't said to me, get up, keep moving, keep going. I understand what the news is saying, but this is what I feel the answer pre putting your systems together is to get your mind together, you gotta have a made up mind. So you gotta sit with you and really figure out, what do I want to do? What don't I want to do? I don't care if you want if you're like, I just saw one of my mentees after our conversation. She was like, Guys, I just want to let you know. And it was after the conversation, she was like, I'm gonna let you know in 2025 she's an esthetician. In 2026 I'm no longer doing skin I'm going to focus on makeup. You want to know why? Because for her, she felt, but they need good the client needs good skin care for makeup. And I was like, but they don't need you for skincare because you don't like it and your energy transfer in it isn't what they need. But what you can do in this new space is collab with someone who loves it while you do makeup. So let's talk about that system that we're going to build around it, so you're going to partner with this person over here, so they can go get prepped, and then when they come to you, you and your beautiful brushes are just brushing. I get it all the time, Tracy, I'm thinking about taking out my extensions. Okay, great, like I leave my spirit open for people to come in and go out. Right? I created three different ways in which they can get in and have access to Tracy, but I don't do anything else. I'm not feeling pressure to now do no so presses, guys, trends are just that. Do not build a business on a trend. You can incorporate trends that fit your principle, but never build a Trinity business because they're gone. They're gonna be out of here. What is it that makes you tick in this business, if it's just haircuts, cut hair, if it's extensions, do extensions, because the level of passion that is going to come out of you is going to be something that is going to reinvigorate your Life. And in this season, if you're waiting on 2020 to come back free, that it's I got 2026 it's not happening. So you gotta reinvent yourself. You've got to. So my first step is personal development. What are you reading? What are you talking to? Who's poured into your vessels, your eyes, your ears, your mouth. That's how we receive. Are you doing more things like this? Are you on podcast where you listen to people who are successful, who are telling you the truth? Because I ain't the person that's gonna tell you. Let me show you the fast way to get through here. I'm a marathon. I'm not coming. I now know without a shadow of a doubt I'm going to retire in the beauty industry. It's just going to have different facets of it. So I can show you how to be here a long time. I don't know what it's like to Hey, you want to make a quick buck, I am not your girl. Like, I'm very clear on that. I'm not your girl. But if you're ready to rebuild a foundation and you want to take it to the next level, I got clear on that's who I was, and that was my DNA. That's what I'm making up. And I love to get underneath people and tell them I like I am a powerful woman. I will never skip a beat and telling you that, but my biggest asset to people is getting underneath them and letting them see them all their own selves. That's what I do in that chair of you, and that's bringing up full circle. And I think that is the most important thing that you can do, and that is what I'm taking away from this today is you really understand who that person is, and you have built these incredible systems around what you want to do and creating your own niche so you you're helping other people and helping yourself. And it's all the sort of big holistic universe that you have created everything that I was given. Like, I want you to know that, like it may sound preachy at this moment, but I'm saying God isn't God is giving you pieces all for a reason. You may think it's for this. I even went into the MLM business when I retired. And guess what he did? He taught me how to run systems. Around sales, and then I took my product line to Forbes. I was in times squared, and here I am. He's like, No, I just got a tricker a little bit. But you know what happens with people? Sometimes we don't want to be quiet enough, because there's pain in there, right? I even kind of can feel it as I'm talking. Just I remember that time frame. It wasn't all roses, the way that I can explain it now, but you don't want to sit with yourself long enough to truly be honest with you, and then you're like, but I'm there's a I'm too old. What is that? You're still here. You got, you got more time, like we got more things to do, so you got to get into the game differently with all the things he's been showing you along the way, right? Those are the things that makes you you. Every time you keep something that's not for you, you don't leave room for the thing that s.

Matthew Landis:

Do you teach classes on systems? Are you? How are you sharing this knowledge? I know you have staff. I know you have done a lot of mentoring.

Trayce Madre:

So the beautiful thing that's coming, you heard about the blocks, right? And I've been doing these amazing is that this year, I have been building, I have been coaching and teaching with the Trayce majority certified program for over a decade. Well, this year I I've now for 2026 there will be a class that's actually coming in the beginning of December, because it's going to be putting yourself together for the year of 2026 like the things that you need to pay attention to. Because I, I am already in q1 I was my q1 starts October 1, and then by the time I get to January, I'm in q2 so I'm usually ahead. You know, after everybody stop spending you got to have a plan for that. I realized 15 years ago I had to develop a strategy for that. I teach my technique and the business class the starter get you ready is coming in December, so you will see information for that shortly after I come back from this show like I have a whole rollout, and then here comes December, and then I will start taking more business classes in 2026 and they can sign up for your class through your Instagram profile. By the time you hear this, click in the link in my bio, @TrayceMadre. I deliver truth, but in a fun manner, and I and I think people listen to me so much because they know I care. Yeah, I do know that what I built can be built by another person. We're going after multi settings.

Matthew Landis:

Now that's so exciting. Well, I hope listeners that you look into this, take these courses, and you have so much incredible knowledge and wisdom to share. Trayce and you're going to be on now, tell us a little bit more about this reality TV show.

Trayce Madre:

It's an entrepreneurial reality TV show called the blocks. I remember I said about that new thing. I said, I want to be known for my business brain, because I know that if you don't have that church as a business, right, everything is a business guys, right? So I was like, Oh, my God, what people are missing is we used to tell people, go be again. Go be great. Go be great. That missed the tool that said, Learn. So I was in this competition with Damon John. It's called the entrepreneur of impact, and literally ran a campaign online of what I had learned from using it going live and getting people to vote for me. And then I was the next entrepreneur of impact, and I made it to the finals. Well, producers were looking at me on this, do this, and they were like, who is doing your marketing? Who is doing this? And I was like, Yo me, are you kidding me? Where did you get that from? And I was like, I am the person that believes in pulling the trigger. So I knew I was underneath the title, I am an entrepreneur of impact. And so they told me about this show, and I was immediately like, No, I actually was a cast it never made it to, which was housewives of Chicago. Oh, Lord, I'm so glad that never made it. I didn't know. I didn't know. I didn't know. But I was like, I would never do anything that really had this stigma or like that wasn't for me, right? So when they told me it was about, it's like Big Brother meets Celebrity Apprentice, right? 100 contestants, the panel is multi millionaires, and they're going to give us tasks to do in business that we have to figure out real time. We recorded $13 a day. It's a six day pretty much game show of business. And I love Wes. Bergman is the producer of the show. He was on multiple reality shows, and his heart is about business. And he was like, I truly want people to understand what it really looks like to be in business. I was like, oh. My God, and the produce, one of the producers, she was like, it's almost like we made this show for you, because I was sharing how I feel, like people need to know what it's really like behind the scenes, and what they're loving about me is I was like, even when I do something wrong, I'm not trying to don't that out. I said they was like, How do you feel? Or some don't exit out. Because it's a part I what I would love for people to see of me is how, when I don't answer the question, right? How? What does she do? My pivoting skills are my biggest thing. It's not like, oh, so we're going to do this today, and this is how we're going to shift this. Because the faster you can get it pivoting through things and learn to trust your own thought process and gut. Money isn't energetic. The more that you can close that gap, the faster you're going to make it. So I was like, it was like, Are you in? Like, I went through all the processes, and I was like, Yes, but I want you to know I do want to win. Like, I'm not going for second and third. That's not my personality. It's not my personality. But what I am so excited about is that with all the new initiatives, I have a lot of initiatives coming next year that are just by the grace of God even, I am even doing a big project with the ACE list celebrity in business, okay, like not styling. I was like, Oh, my God, my list is happening. So I was like, I really, I want people to they, the people who watch it because of me, because I'm going to put it out there everywhere. Will learn some business strategies. You're going to see how I do them. You're going to hear a lot of new things that are happening for me. It's coming in the summer of 2026 so I'm about to leave and go film and have an amazing, you know, backstory for myself, but y'all get to hear the questions and play them through too. So when I do share that, I'm like, please listen, take the test with us. You know, learn the marketing, learn the this I showed somebody today, the trailer, and they person was like, It's the scariest thing I've ever done. Remember? I told you about them emotions. I can't wait to hear somebody like, how, how are you not scared? Because what they gonna do beat you up. Like, I cannot wait for this. Like, if you can see it in me, I'm like, and I cannot wait.

Matthew Landis:

You Are a brilliant mind, a brilliant business mind, and you have star quality, there is no question. Whatever this is, is a stepping stone to whatever is meant to be for you next. So I just everybody follow Trayce on Instagram @traycemadre. Thank you so much for this amazing conversation.

Trayce Madre:

I am so grateful for you. I look forward to working with you more in the future. I received that and I will be back.

Matthew Landis:

Thanks. Trayce.

Trayce Madre:

Thanks.

Matthew Landis:

Thank you for tuning into The VIP Suite. If you love this episode, don't forget to subscribe and follow us on Instagram @imagestudios360 for more inspiration from our community of independent beauty and wellness pros interested in renting your own luxury studio or becoming a franchise owner, visit imagestudios360.com to learn more and take the next step toward building Your dream business until next time, here's to beauty, health and wellness and building the life that you want you.