As artists in the hair industry, we are rarely taught about business—unless we take the initiative to hire a business coach. Beauty school focuses on learning our craft but never on how to run a sustainable business. In most salons, there is no structured training on scaling, pricing, leadership, or creating a work-life balance. Instead, we’re conditioned to work tirelessly behind the chair, serving as many clients as possible, without realizing that we are actually limiting growth. 

Why Most Stylists Burn Out Before They Grow

One of the biggest traps in the beauty industry is burnout.

Many stylists work 10–12-hour days, double-booking, skipping meals, and pushing through exhaustion just to keep up with demand. They feel guilty about raising their prices and are afraid to turn away clients, even when they’re overwhelmed. Then, when burnout inevitably happens, their business stalls because they are the business.

Here’s the truth: if your business depends 100% on you showing up and doing the work, you do not own a business—you own a job.

The solution? Learn how to scale your business by training others, delegating, and creating new income streams.

The Path to Sustainable Growth

1. Start With Delegation – Even If You’re a Solo Artist

Many stylists hesitate to hire help because they assume they can't afford it. But here’s what most don’t realize: delegation is an investment, not an expense.

Even if you work in a salon suite, you can start small by hiring a part-time assistant to handle:

• Shampooing & blow-drying
• Cleaning & organizing your space
• Booking appointments & client communication
• Social media & content creation

These tasks take up hours of your week—time that could be used to bring in more revenue. If hiring an assistant allows you to serve one extra client per day, they could pay for themselves in no time.

2. Train Another Stylist to Take Over Some of Your Clients

Once you have support with your daily workflow, the next step is to train this stylist to take on some of your services.

• Start by choosing your lower-ticket services (e.g., root touch-ups, blowouts, trims).
• Have them assist you first so they can learn your techniques and salon culture.
• Slowly start handing over clients you’ve built trust with.
• Charge slightly less for their services while they gain confidence under your guidance.

This allows you to free up time while still earning money from their work. Over time, they’ll gain independence, and you can start focusing on higher-ticket services or business growth.

3. Expand Your Services for Higher Profit Margins

One of the best ways to scale is to offer premium services that require specialized education—especially in hair loss solutions.

Hair loss and scalp health are some of the most profitable and in-demand services right now. By learning techniques that set you apart, you can:

• Charge premium prices for a specialized service
• Attract long-term, loyal clients
• Create recurring revenue with maintenance visits every 4-6 weeks
• Differentiate yourself from other stylists

Higher-profit services fund your ability to scale because they give you the income needed to invest in a team, business education, and more personal time.

4. Shift 40-50% of Your Time to Business Growth

The biggest turning point for me was learning that I didn’t need to be behind the chair 100% of the time to grow. Instead, I made a conscious decision to step away for 40-50% of my time to focus on business strategy.

That meant:

• Developing systems for my salon so everything didn’t depend on me
• Building relationships with industry experts and mentors
• Training my team to operate independently
• Creating content & education to attract high-end clients
• Investing in self-care to avoid burnout

At first, this can feel scary—especially if you’re a control freak like me. But letting go of control is how you truly step into leadership.

What’s Possible When You Take Control of Your Business?

Imagine this:

• Your team is thriving, and your business is growing without you working 10-hour days.
• You’re attracting high-end clients who value your expertise instead of just filling your schedule with endless appointments.
• You’re generating income even when you’re not behind the chair, allowing you to focus on bigger opportunities.
• You have the time, energy, and freedom to actually enjoy the business you’ve built.

That’s what working FOR your business looks like.

You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone

Most of us were never taught how to do this. We were taught to fear raising our prices, to overwork ourselves, and to accept the idea that we’re "just hairdressers." But this is a business, and when run correctly, it can be wildly profitable and fulfilling.

If you’re ready to take that next step but don’t know where to start, I encourage you to invest in business education. Whether that means hiring a coach, taking an online course, or surrounding yourself with mentors who have been where you want to go—learning from others is the fastest way to grow!

When you stop working just in your business and start working for it, you open the door to limitless potential.

  This is how I grew a business from $85,00 to 1.3 million in just 6 years. The tools are available—the only question is, are you ready to use them?