Sandy was a top student at her cosmetology school. But when she started her career behind the chair as a booth rental stylist, she didn’t feel confident.

“I didn’t feel supported, and honestly, I didn’t think I was very good,” she says. “I really thought, maybe this just isn’t for me.”

Unfortunately, this feeling is common among recent cosmetology school graduates. 

Like Sandy, Dee started her career with a goal of being a full-service, independent stylist. But she found her initial idea of a dream job unfulfilling. 

“I felt stuck,” she says. “I knew I could do more, and I missed learning from people around me.”

Better Together

Dee was looking for growth, creativity, and connection. Sandy wanted guidance, skills training, and support. Both found what they were looking for with Great Clips. 

When Sandy first joined a Great Clips salon in California, it was with one goal: to learn.

“I walked in thinking, Help! I just want someone to teach me how to cut hair,” she says. 

When Dee interviewed at a Great Clips salon in Ontario, she noticed the difference immediately.

“The manager was so bubbly and welcoming,” she says. “Right away, it felt like a team.” 

After she was hired, it didn’t take long for Dee to realize she had found a better fit. 

“I’m a ‘people’ person. The energy in the salon kept me moving forward—and the money potential honestly shocked me!”

Sandy also thrived in her busy salon location. 

 “I realized my energy comes from talking to different people all day,” she says. “That’s what fuels me.”

Growth Opportunities

As Sandy’s skills and confidence grew, she began advancing into leadership roles she never imagined for herself.

 “At my previous salon, six months earlier, I didn’t even want to do hair anymore,” she says. “But my Great Clips franchisee saw my potential and asked if I wanted to try management.”

She was even able to work out a flexible schedule that allowed her to run the salon while still showing up for important appointments for her two boys with autism. Her work-life balance positioned her for career success. She’s now the VP of Operations and Leadership Development for her franchise organization.

Tonee is another stylist who found herself frustrated and unmotivated with her early career behind the chair. 

“I like to stay busy, and full service just wasn’t it for me,” she says. “The downtime, the chemicals, the difficulty of getting a day off—I knew I needed something different.” 

After connecting with a local Great Clips manager in Pittsburgh, Tonee was intrigued and decided to do a trial run.

“I thought maybe I’d bail after a year, but here I am seven years later—it’s been opportunity after opportunity,” Tonee says.

When a salon manager role opened three years ago, Tonee moved into leadership with her franchise organization and hasn’t looked back.

“I stepped into management because I wanted to build the kind of environment I always wished I had,” she says. 

She focuses on inclusion, growth, and fun. “You shouldn’t hate where you work. We’re here to have fun and grow together.”

For Tonee, success comes from effort and belief. “If you put in the work, the opportunities really do show up.”

A Career with Purpose

While Great Clips salons offer a wide variety of career journeys, competitive compensation, team support, and opportunities to grow, they often discover something invaluable to many stylists—a sense of belonging.

Stylist Aaron struggled with direction early in life, moving out of his home as a teenager and feeling unsure of his path. A friend encouraged him to give cosmetology school a shot, and after he graduated, Great Clips became his first salon home.

“That first Great Clips salon gave me a real chance,” he says.

Aaron has been a stylist at his current Great Clips location in Minneapolis for six years and thrives with the sense of purpose he feels in his community.

“We’re a true neighborhood salon,” he says. “When customers trust you right away and you can help them feel like themselves, that’s just a genuinely great feeling.”

Even more meaningful to Aaron are the tight-knit friendships he’s built with his team behind the chair. 

“There’s trust, safety, and people who genuinely have your back,” he says. “When I walk into work, I know my day is going to be okay. I’m surrounded by people who support me.”

At each of their Great Clips salon locations, Aaron, Dee, Tonee and Sandy have found career fulfillment, community, flexibility and growth opportunities. They’ve also found a support system second to none.

“My franchisees and managers here want to see me succeed—not just in the salon, but in life,” Aaron says.

Dee adds, “My work-life balance is really good. I manage my time well and still get to enjoy my creative hobbies and my life.”

Great Clips salons have many ways for you to find your fit, from stylist to salon management and leadership paths. Click here to learn more about the opportunities at your locally-owned Great Clips salon. 

_{All Great Clips® salons are independently owned and operated by third party franchisees. Franchisees, not Great Clips, Inc., are responsible for all hiring, personnel, and employment-related matters at their respective salons.} 

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