The "only comeback lesson was buy his next course" part is way too real. I fell for two of those before I stopped. What actually worked for me was just keeping a boring doc where I write down one thing each time a post does well. Like what the hook was, what the thumbnail looked like, what time I posted it. Sounds dull but after a month I could see my own patterns instead of guessing. None of that cost me a dime. Turns out the people who stayed around weren't the ones with a secret trick, they just kept posting through the dry spells. Did you ask for a refund or just eat the $85?

The free stuff keeps coming, but people forget you eventually.

Did she tell you what type of products she uses at home? A buddy of mine did the exact same thing to a 3b client last year and it looked amazing when she left the salon. Two days later she called him up mad because it had gone totally straight and limp at the roots. Turns out she was using a heavy leave in conditioner plus a ton of oil right after, and that combo just pulled all the volume right out of the blowout. He started asking clients about their home routine before agreeing to brush out curls and that fixed most of his problems. Sometimes the service itself is fine and the aftercare is what kills it.