Passing your state boards and finally getting your license is a great feeling, and it should be! After all, for about the past year the majority of your focus, most likely, was on that moment. So now what? Some new stylists will already have a salon to start their apprenticeship or begin working; others will begin pounding the pavement and applying at different salons. This is an exciting time. I remember it well.

For my 14 years as a stylist I worked in a total of three different salons. The first salon I worked in had great earning potential and was beautiful, but I didn't fit in. I had to buy new clothes (style-wise) and felt forced to come up with topics to discuss with my clients, because my interests were different from those of the clientele. Quickly I dreaded going to work. So I moved to another salon, where I enjoyed the laid-back environment, the funky clientele, and the (few) people who worked there (it had only two chairs and no receptionist). I thought the hair they did was quite impressive, but the salon was a bit too small. How could I ever get a clientele? So I moved again. The salon was bigger but not better (for me), so back to the small, two-chair salon I went. Even though it took two tries, I learned it was the perfect match for me. Working at different salons, I realized right away that I not only needed to find a salon that would have me, but one that fit with me. In order for me to build a clientele and still enjoy going to work everyday, I had to like the type of hair I was doing and be able to relate to my clients. I soon realized that lesson was just the beginning.

power of a mentor

Once I found the perfect salon fit, I still had no clientele and no money. Thankfully, the owner took me under her wing and taught me that to make money and build a clientele I must be patient. So patiently I began to build my repeat business, all the time keeping her two "rules" in mind. Her first rule was a big one, with subgroups: Always be professional. The first subgroup: Never be late, dress appropriately, have my hair done, etc. The second subgroup seems obvious but can sometimes be forgotten: Treat everyone with respect, genuine respect (or I was in the wrong business). The third subgroup: Leave my baggage at the door; even if the clients wanted to know, we didn't tell them anything too private or personal. The fourth: Always (really) listen to the client (this meant on the phone, at the shampoo bowl, etc.). She would always tell us, "Get to know each client as an individual." Her second rule was simple: Sell product, but sell it as a service.

Learning real ways of building my business, the importance of being professional and how to genuinely sell retail products are lessons that I believe made me a successful stylist, and I'm thankful I learned them early on, because it was the most challenging part of my professional life. I find even now that I'm no longer behind the chair, they still benefit me. For the past seven years I have worked for American Crew as the Educational development Manager. So I thought seeking out feedback from successful stylists who are working behind the chair everyday would be the most beneficial, and who better to ask than American Crew's two Menswork Academy lead instructors? The three questions I asked them: What are some real ways to build your business? How do you see the importance of being professional? How important is selling retail? To read their responses, go to Patrick Butler: Don't Be Shy! and Greg Myers: Relationships Are Everything