The 4 Archetypes Every Salon Professional Needs to Know

 
 

Does it ever feel like you’re trying to work towards the wealthy life you dream of, but you feel like you’re just getting stuck? Or you have too many priorities and just can’t focus? Or—even worse—you’re doing everything’s right, but nothing’s working? 

You need to find your archetype. 

Every salon professional in the world falls into one of four archetypes: Struggling, Sinking, Sacrifice, and Scaling. 

Discovering your archetype gives you a clear-cut path to success, customized for the challenges you’re currently facing. Incredible, right? 

Let’s dig into each archetype and how it can help you create change in your business and elevate your career. 

The Struggling Stylist 

You’re a Struggling Stylist if you have plenty of free time but you’re barely getting by and the money you’re making just isn’t cutting it. You have time on your hands, but what you really need is clients in your chair. 

That’s not to say you don’t have a full social life, but when it comes to your work schedule, you have open hours behind the chair that you’d love to fill with target market clients. You’d love to be booked solid with dream clients, make a solid living, and still enjoy free time with friends and family. 

The Struggling Stylist is lacking direction.

Think about it: wouldn’t it be amazing to have a designated plan that helps you move the needle in the right direction? 

First, start with building a base clientele and using that incredible free time to execute a marketing strategy.

The Sinking Stylist 

You’ve got no time, a mile-long to-do list, and work really hard day in and out, yet you never seem to make progress and you want to see results now. 

Chances are, you’ve likely been in the industry for a while and you’ve built somewhat of a base clientele. You feel like you aren’t a rookie anymore and you want this bad, but you’re wondering how much more you can take. 

The Sinking Stylist is desperate. 

Let’s be honest: your time is limited, so stop wasting it by chasing random strategies and hashtags, hoping for lightning to strike. 

It’s time to embrace the idea of short-term strategy for long-term gain and go all-in on building your clientele. We know you’re busy, but make the time to focus on your marketing strategies. Need help getting started? Click here! 

The Sacrifice Stylist

This is you if you’re financially comfortable, but you don’t have the freedom lifestyle you dreamed of. You have a solid income level, but you might as well move into the salon because you’re working long, hard, and often painful days to make the income happen. 

But, real talk: somehow the industry convinced us that 12-hour days and being booked for weeks on end is working smarter, not harder. It isn’t. 

The emotional toll of seeing 8 - 20 guests a day and being booked out for weeks on end is hardly freedom. Sacrifice Stylists make great money but lack schedule flexibility and often develop repetitive motion injuries…and start to feel resentful of this beautiful industry.  

The Sacrifice Stylist is lacking structure. 

You’ve got to get a grip on this roller coaster before it falls off the rails. Focus on raising your prices (without just doing a “price increase”), cutting back your schedule, and maximizing each guest’s value. It might feel overwhelming for now, but we’ll be honest: it’s totally worth it. 

The Scaling Stylist

The Scaling Stylist is living the dream with plenty of free time and money. You likely work a dream schedule that you absolutely love, are debt-free or close, earn a great living, and have plenty of savings in place just in case life throws you a curveball…

…but you’re professionally starting to crave that next level. 

The Scaling Stylist needs their what’s next. 

Success is funny. Once you’ve achieved goals, it can feel empty if the next level isn’t clear. 

It’s time for you to put your business on autopilot and say goodbye to hashtags, discounts, and social media stress. You found success, now you need a system to make sure you’re not to lose it. When you’re ready to get started, check out Thrivers Society Prep School! 

If you feel lost in your career, you aren’t alone. All you need is a curated plan based on your Archetype to create the freedom lifestyle you’ve been dreaming of. If you aren’t sure which Archetype you are, head to www.thrivingstylist.com/archetype-quiz/ to discover yours! 


How To Sustain Growth as an Industry Educator

 
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Our industry is currently experiencing a tremendous period of growth for becoming an industry educator. Coming out of a global pandemic where the majority of our world went virtual provided an enticing entryway into the world of online education for many stylists and salon owners.  

But let us be the first to tell you that making the leap into being an industry educator is a BIG one! It’s important to determine what being a successful industry educator looks like and things to avoid altogether.    

So whether you are looking to be an educator yourself or just want to make a good investment in your next industry educator, these insights are just for you! 

It’s important to remember that we are currently experiencing a second wave of an industry educator boom. The first wave began in 2015-2016 due to the increased popularity of live streaming video. We were a part of that expansion. 

Then, we noticed a sad reality: SO many educators who started out then are not educating at all today. There are a couple of theories as to why this happened that I will break down later. 

What we are focused on now is the fact that I do not want that to happen again. Unfortunately, we are currently seeing the industry being on the trajectory for history to repeat itself. The best way to prevent this is to prepare, prepare, prepare!  

So, here are some important questions and things to think about before going all in on being an educator. 

What am I going to bring to market that is not being offered already?

Ask yourself: what is no one doing that I am GREAT at? What does everyone stay away from because they think it’s too hard? 

Then you say, I’m going to do that

Like so many other aspects of this industry, digital education success is found in the gaps, meaning you teach something that either no one else is or no one else is teaching it the way you are. 

A problem we are seeing is people thinking they can get into education by banking on trying out these ideas, tips & tricks, and concepts without any real strategy for long term success.  

What factors determine what topics I will teach on? 

You won’t find success as an educator if you are not 110% passionate about the topic you want to teach, or it is not a unique idea. When we start to find our topics based on outside sources instead of our true passions, we can start to play the “better” game. “Oh, they teach this? Pfft, I can just do that too, but I’ll do it better.” Good luck, friend. This is a very hard and challenging game to win.

However, you CAN find success by finding the gap where n-o-b-o-d-y is talking about your topic in the same way you do. This will help you capture the entire marketplace as a unique educator of this specific, nuanced idea that you could speak on for days.  

Where we sometimes get it wrong is looking externally for our unique perspective that can only be found internally. Look at what comes naturally to you and do that, instead of teaching something that is totally left field for you that someone else is probably already covering (&, guess what? They’re probably doing it better if it is their true passion).   

Aim for topics that have longevity and that you are truly passionate about. 

Am I in this for the long haul or am I looking to make a quick buck?

Before venturing into digital education, you must ask yourself this question. 

We’ll tell you right now, digital education is the farthest thing from a quick buck you can make. It will not reward gimmicks. It requires a TON of time, dedication, know-how, and backbone. 

Straight up: digital education is harder and more expensive than in-person education AND you're a small fish in a big ocean of online educators. 

We will never say “don’t do it”, but we are advising that you get strategic about sustaining it before going into it so that you can be successful in the long run.

If you’re craving a little more education on this topic, you’re in luck! This blog corresponds to The Thriving Stylist Podcast episode #178-My Advice for New Independent Educators. Tune in for more inspo.     







How to Build a Reopening Plan for Stylists

 
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Be honest: are you fully ready to reopen your salon space when your state gives the green light to throw open salon doors? 

The temptation to rush back into the salon with a face mask, some hand sanitizer, and a pack of alcohol wipes and just figure the rest out later is so tempting, especially since we know clients are dying to get back into the chair…

But doing so could mean having to close back down again and risking your business, not to mention your and your clients’ health. 

Instead, use this time to create your reopening plan. 

And if the idea of a reopening plan makes you feel like you’re staring up the side of Mount Everest, wondering how you’ll ever make it to the top, we totally get it, babe. 

That’s why today we’re taking you through the top five steps to create your perfect salon space reopening plan (even if you’re already back in the salon!) to help you overcome the overwhelm, resist the temptation to rush in headfirst, and fully jump start your business.

Check your area’s guidelines 

You’ve probably seen chatter on industry message boards or Thrivers Society Facebook groups about what different states are requiring salons to have on hand to reopen, right? That info can be super helpful, but always check out your own state’s requirements. 

Knowing exactly what your state requires from salons and stylists in your area is key, especially because each state is setting its own guidelines. So what might have worked in Georgia may not fly in your home state of Nevada. Most state boards are openly and frequently sharing this info online, but if you have trouble finding it, head to your state board’s website. 

Once you find the official guidelines, take notes. Print the page out and make notes in the margins or pull out your phone’s notes app. Highlight, circle, mark, whatever you need to so you know and remember what exactly is required of you to stay safe when you reopen. 

Gather your supplies

After you have read through the guidelines, you should have a pretty good idea of what supplies you need to purchase or stock up on. (Need a starting place? Download the free Return to the Salon Supplies Checklist!

Some of these things - like hand sanitizer and face masks - are a little hard to find right now, so give yourself plenty of time to purchase what you need. 

Thinking about doing a welcome back gift for your clients? Now’s the time to plan out, buy, and assemble those gifts. (Just make sure they meet your state’s - and general - health and safety guidelines!)

Plan your schedule

Chances are, at least one client (or two, or five, or ten) has reached out over the past weeks and demanded to be the first person on your books when you reopen. 

Safe to say, planning out how you’re going to fit in clients from the past weeks is complicated. 

Do you take the clients who have been waiting since March for their appointments? Or do you just open up your schedule and do it first come, first serve style? 

There’s no right or wrong way to set up your schedule. Pick the best method for your business. 

We dig a little deeper into optimizing your perfect schedule right here

Be flexible

Let’s be real: reopening your chair might not go perfect.

One client will show up without a face mask and maybe another will bring along her kid or husband who just needs “a quick cut.” Maybe you and your fellow stylists won’t fully agree on whether everybody needs to wear a face shield in the salon or if a mask is enough...you get it. 

The point is, something is gonna go weird and you need to be prepared to go with it. 

How? Leave yourself some breathing room in between clients so you can get everything properly sanitized and also take some time for yourself. Don’t overbook yourself or take on more than you can handle in this place in space. 

This doesn’t mean you have to waver on your prices, give that client a discount, or charge less than your worth. It means knowing there might be some small bumps along the way and being okay with that. 

We are going through a huge transition, especially in our industry. Give yourself grace and permission to be flexible. 

Take care of yourself

Have you had days before where you left the salon and felt like you could just fall apart right in your car in the middle of the empty parking lot? 

It’s human, right? And taking care of yourself was important then...but it’s going to be even more important now. 

Because if you are fully drained, you have nothing left to give. If you serve from an empty cup, you can’t grow a business, help others, or be the best for your clients. 

Make sure to fill your own cup before you attempt to serve others. Keep a list in your phone of things that make you smile. Change your phone’s background to something that makes you happy. Take white space to fill up on inspiration and plan how you’ll use it in your business. Find time each week to do something that lights you up inside. 

Whatever it is, give yourself permission now as you create your reopening plan, to take care of yourself. 

Building a strong reopening plan is key to creating a stable, thriving business now and in the future. How you step back into the salon now shows the world what kind of business owner you are. So resist the urge to rush back in, take a deep breath to step out of overwhelm, and use this time to build your reopening plan. 


Want a head start? Click here to download the Return to the Salon Supplies Checklist to start gathering your supplies!