GUEST EPISODE: A Conversation with Katie, The Walmart Hairstylist
BUILDING & BREAKING with Nina L. Kovner
Release Date: 01/11/2026
GUEST EPISODE: A Conversation with Katie, The Walmart Hairstylist
BUILDING & BREAKING with Nina L. Kovner
On this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, I sit down with Katie, the awesome hairstylist and content creator behind the TikTok account @walmarthairstylist, for a conversation I’ve been so excited to share with you! And an important note, I've shared before that I don't edit these podcasts, and that includes this one. We celebrate authenticity, realness and imperfection over here. Late last year, Katie showed up on my fyp and stopped me in my tracks. Not because of trends or transformations per se, but because of the level of care and consistency she showed in every piece of content I...
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The Internet: When Trust Was Traded for Attention
BUILDING & BREAKING with Nina L. Kovner
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BUILDING & BREAKING with Nina L. Kovner
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The Walmart Hairstylist: A Personal Brand Story of Care, Trust, and Value
BUILDING & BREAKING with Nina L. Kovner
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BUILDING & BREAKING with Nina L. Kovner
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BUILDING & BREAKING with Nina L. Kovner
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Apple: How Brand Clarity and Experience Design Built Trust and Reinvented An Industry
BUILDING & BREAKING with Nina L. Kovner
Apple didn’t just design products; they designed and consistently delivered an experience. In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, we look at how Apple used brand story clarity and experience design to build trust, reinvent retail, capture a significant share of the computer market, and reshape an entire industry, and what happens when that trust starts to erode. In This Episode How Apple’s brand story clarity and simplicity became its greatest competitive advantage Why experience design, not advertising, built Apple’s success The moment the rebel brand started to drift and...
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BUILDING & BREAKING with Nina L. Kovner
In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, we are doing something a little different. Instead of unpacking another company’s brand story, I’m sharing my own brand evolution, moving from Passion Squared (a business brand) to Nina L. Kovner (my personal brand), and why I created MENTORED. with Nina L. Kovner. This isn’t just a rebrand. It’s me stepping into what I’ve resisted the most: my personal brand, and the gift I’ve been given as a mentor. In This Episode · Why I resisted building a personal brand for so long · How content consumption has shifted since I...
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GAP: A Legacy Brand Finds Its Relevance Again by Reclaiming Its Soul
BUILDING & BREAKING with Nina L. Kovner
In the 90s and early 2000s, GAP wasn’t just a store; it was a cultural force. Then came overexpansion, distraction, and one of the most infamous logo fails in branding history. For years, GAP drifted in a sea of sameness, losing clarity and connection. But today, under the leadership of CEO Richard Dickson, GAP is staging a reclamation, not by chasing trends, but by staying true to its original brand promises and reclaiming who they are. Their latest campaign proves that legacy brands don’t need to reinvent, per se, to stay relevant; they need to evolve while protecting the soul of what...
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e.l.f. Cosmetics Revisited: The Broken Brand Promise We Didn’t Expect
BUILDING & BREAKING with Nina L. Kovner
In this short follow-up episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, we’re revisiting e.l.f. Cosmetics, a brand we recently celebrated for its clarity, consistency, and connection with its audience. But something shifted. After releasing their most recent ad campaign that contradicted their values-forward brand and staying silent when their audience called it out, e.l.f. showed us just how fragile brand trust can be. In this episode Why your brand promises aren't misson statements or marketing, they're a commitment What happens when brands veer from the values they’re known for Why silence can...
info_outlineOn this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, I sit down with Katie, the awesome hairstylist and content creator behind the TikTok account @walmarthairstylist, for a conversation I’ve been so excited to share with you! And an important note, I've shared before that I don't edit these podcasts, and that includes this one. We celebrate authenticity, realness and imperfection over here.
Late last year, Katie showed up on my fyp and stopped me in my tracks. Not because of trends or transformations per se, but because of the level of care and consistency she showed in every piece of content I watched. I remember thinking, omg, this can’t be real. Is this AI? Not because I was judging her or where she worked, but because this level of consistent client experience is so rarely represented online, especially in value-based salons.
After that episode aired, Katie and I connected online. Then on FaceTime. And now, we’re bringing our conversation to you!
In This Episode
- Why going to a salon is actually not a luxury and how confusing market position with worth is hurting our industry
- What Katie means by “luxury on a budget,” and why it’s really about care, consistency, and making people feel comfortable and seen at any price point
- How she thinks about showing up for her clients every day, taking pride in her work, and creating a space that feels calm and welcoming
- What success looks like when you’re focused on doing good work, taking care of people, and liking where you are, and not wasting time in the drama
Thank you, Katie, for being our guest. I’m so grateful for you. You can follow Katie on TikTok at @walmarthairstylist and now on Instagram @katelynxstylist
And thank you for listening and sharing with your business besties.
PS: If you have not listened to the episode I did on Katie before we met, you can listen to that episode here.