5 Ways to Future Proof Your Career As a Stylist

Nina Tulio is an industry-leading salon business consultant, speaker, and educator helping salon owners and stylists around the world grow their business while growing themselves. Nina’s unique approach focuses on encouraging her clients to grow through personal development and self-care, all while offering the tools needed to build a thriving, sustainable salon business. 

As the last year has been so filled with "unprecedented" events, MODERN SALON asked Tulio to share some of her suggestions for how to strengthen your personal brand so you're ready for anything. She offers these tips to help you grow and sustain your business, come what may.

1. Revisit and check in with your brand and brand message. Your brand is your promise to your clients. It is a way to create connections with potential guests on social media. Your message, mission, brand promise, and brand voice is the foundation to creating a sustainable business. It will also change and evolve over time. I suggest reassessing and revisiting your brand overall every 3 years or so. Even a mini brand makeover or a visual refresh can ensure you are still in alignment with your brand values and mission and the way you are communicating it with potential guests.   

2. Always push yourself outside the box when it comes to education. Staying on top of new techniques and trends are a must in this industry. I totally understand how easy it is to stick to certain techniques behind the chair. But in order to create a long-lasting career, you have to constantly challenge yourself and even dive into areas and techniques that make you uncomfortable. Learning never stops and growth truly happens when you push yourself outside of your comfort zone. If you are technically the same stylist you were 5 years ago, your business is not growing.
3. Get comfortable with your numbers. Understanding and diving into the business side of your career is not only important, but it’s also necessary. Find a mentor or a coach that can help you understand your weekly and monthly target benchmarks and KPIs (key performance indicators). This will also allow you to see the blind spots in your business and give you the tools you need to operate your business from a space of confidence, not fear. In order to scale your business and create longevity, having a handle on your monthly revenue, expenses, and profit is key.

4. Create a solid financial plan. Start to plan ahead for your future by creating a plan of action to save money each month. I wish someone would have told me this early on in my career. First, I suggest creating a strategy to get out of debt. And then create a plan of action to put money aside in savings each month/week. I suggest actually having an education fund, a vacation fund, and a long term savings account. Having separate accounts will allow you to set goals for education that may seem unattainable or go on the vacation that you have been dreaming about for years. I suggest small amounts each week to each account. 5-10% of revenue is great. However, start contributing in ways that feel best for you right now. The key is to get started.   

5. Take risks and do the things that scare you. Apply for the educator position you want even though it makes you incredibly nervous. Push yourself to try new things in your career. Go after and do the things that people tell you are impossible. If your dream is to be a salon owner and the fear of failing keeps you from doing it, look fear in the face and say ‘I GOT THIS’. It is way better to try and fail than to never try at all. When opportunities knock, grab them. When you don't see opportunity, create it. With great risk comes great reward and you deserve to live the life you've always dreamed of. 

ABOUT NINA TULIO

Nina Tulio has 24 years in the industry and she has served in all facets of the business- 20 years as a hairstylist, 8 years as a chain salon executive, and 11 years as a successful salon owner. In 2016, Nina decided to sell her salon to fulfill her dream of creating her own consulting agency. This business was created simply to help owners and stylists not only grow their business but grow their confidence. Combining her deep passion and care for people and her love for the industry, Nina has made it her mission to uplift the beauty industry and empower anyone that is a part of it.