349 How AI Is Changing the Front Desk with Universe Walker

You know, in today's world, there's an avalanche of AI seeping into every area of how we live, work, and play, and hairdressing and the beauty industry in general is not immune to the changes that are happening. I'm Anthony Whittaker, and this is the Grow My Salon Business podcast. My guest today is Universe Walker, hairdresser, salon owner, and founder of Beauty Desk AI. Universe and her tech team have developed an amazing AI concierge specifically for the salon industry that will answer all your incoming phone calls and text messages, and book appointments, and so much more. In today's podcast, amongst other things, we're gonna discuss the problem that Eve, the salon concierge, solves, how AI is impacting the salon space, and how Eve is able to handle multiple incoming calls simultaneously, and lots more. So without further ado, welcome to the show Universe Walker, founder of beautydeskai.com.

Hi. Thank you, Anthony. I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for inviting me on the podcast and can't wait to get into it.

Yeah, me too. I'm, I'm-- You know, as I was just saying before I pushed the record button, I, I'm excited about what you and I are gonna talk about today. But before we dive into what we're gonna talk about today, I just have to ask you about your name. Okay?

Sure.

Uh, I've never met, I've never met anyone called Universe before, okay? And I'm sure I'm not the only one. [chuckles] So is that what's on your birth certificate? Is that what your mum called you?

It is. Yeah. My-

That's fantastic. I just had this vision, you know, when I heard your name of, like, you know, when you're a kid, you're outside playing on your bike or something, and your mum goes to the back door and screams out over the neighborhood, "Dinner's ready, Universe" [chuckles] You know? I just-

Yeah.

It just... That's fantastic. Have you ever met anyone else with the same name?

I have not. I have never met anybody with my name or, um, anybody that has met anybody else-

Right

... with my name.

Good, good.

Yeah.

Well, I'm sure it's often a topic of conversation, so, uh-

There's, there's quite a story behind it.

Oh, is there?

If you'd like to know. Yeah.

Okay. Can you, can you condense it into-

I can

... thirty seconds? [chuckles]

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So again, my name's Universe Walker. Uh, hippie parents. They were-- Uh, this is a little X-rated. Can I go there? [chuckles]

You can.

Okay. So they were, um, on the beach tripping. I'll just leave it at that. They were tripping.

[chuckles]

And they, you know, did their thing, and they were laying there looking up at the stars. And my mother knew. She knew that she, uh, was pregnant, like, instantly-

Wow

... and told, told my dad. And, uh, they decided right then and there if she was, they would name their child Universe. And of course-

Wow

... Walker's already there. And yeah. And she was, and she did. And luckily I love my name. It was quite a big name to live up to. Um-

Yeah

... but I think I've done a good job. [chuckles]

Yeah. That is a great story, and it is a big name to live up to. You don't get any bigger than, you know, Universe. So, uh, so that's the perfect segue then to get into what we are gonna talk about. So, um, I was thinking,