Hairdresser Strong: Whoever Told You, “This is the way.” Is Wrong
The world we live in has a major exposure issue, or lack thereof, to be more precise. Lack of exposure to other ideas, ways of life, and experiences is a major factor in maintaining echo chambers. While this can be traced to many of our social and political issues, it can also be traced back to our industry. Fear of opening a business, fear of going solo, fear of changing salons, and the historic, lack of variation in the way we do business. Technology and social media have helped give us all exposure, except the algorithms they run on create echo chambers whether we like it or not. We must constantly expose ourselves to new ideas, ways of life, technology, and business to perform at the top of our game.
As I mentioned in my first blog post, I want to build a place where all beauty professionals can thrive as individuals but have the support of a community. Exposure to new ideas, new ways of doing business, and the infinite number of different ways people have achieved their goals and experienced success are at the crux of The Hairdresser Strong Show.
I look back on my career and can identify times when I thought I understood the craft entirely. I also remember times when I thought I knew what every hairdresser wanted…within a margin of error, of course! Well, the more interviews I do, the more guest speaker engagements I facilitate, and the more conferences I attend, the more I realize just how diverse and dynamic our industry is!
I believe that: if you want to consume the news and be up-to-date on what’s happening in the world, you must seek out opposite and varying opinions from your own. If you are liberal, you must watch Fox! If you are conservative, you must watch CNN! This is just an example, but, as business owners, which you all are, you must make data-driven decisions. That’s right; even the salon employee is a business owner. Maybe you do not have the paperwork to prove it, but you have a clientele, and your success is based on your efforts, not the salons.
This point I just made is up for hot debate, but a salon owner or manager cannot guarantee you will be able to make money doing hair. It is up to you. You, alone, will determine your success in this industry. The most misinformed idea is that: as an employee of a salon, you have security and a guaranteed income. This is so far from reality that it’s not even funny. The idea of guaranteed income from a salon is merely a payment to prove yourself. If you cannot build a clientele and provide a good guest experience, you will not be able to keep this “secure” job.
Getting your information from your echo chamber is the least intelligent thing you can do. Open your world to ideas, strategies, and thoughts you may not agree with or like. This way, you can get an accurate picture of what it takes to achieve your goals.
Success is subjective, but I challenge you to find it sustainably, in an echo chamber. Get out in the world. Look up the opposite side to every argument you agree with!
“Tipping is bad!”; “Don’t sell retail in the salon!”; “All stylists deserve health care!”; “Salon owners are selfish and not to be trusted!”; “Product companies are your friends!”.... These statements have arguments for AND against!
Be smart, make data-driven decisions, step outside your echo chamber, and expose yourself to the world and industry you live in and love! Never forget, when it comes to that data: “Figures Lie, and Liars Figure!” This should help you remember that there is another way to achieve a goal, another way to achieve success, another way to look at something, and another way to live!
Robert, a 20-year veteran, has worked passionately, for the bulk of his career to empower stylists, democratize the industry, and shift the power dynamic to be more equitable for the hairdresser.
