What Building a Salon Taught Me About Patience, Trust, Growth, and a Sustainable Career Behind the Chair

6 minute read~

When I opened my salon in 2018, it wasn’t because I’d always wanted to be a salon owner and knew exactly how to do it. It was because I couldn’t find a salon near me that I wanted to work in, so I decided to build one myself.

You don’t know what you don’t know is an understatement. I had no idea how much I didn’t know about owning a salon and leading a team of hairdressers. I just thought I could do it so I did, and it hasn’t been easy. Especially in the beginning when I didn’t yet have the confidence, but was committed to building it. 

My role as a salon owner has taught me so many lessons. While learning them was sometimes hard, I now have the perspective to be grateful for the challenge and what it taught me.

What I’ve learned through owning a salon has carried into my life and the way I view situations, people and new opportunities. These lessons also serve as helpful guidance for hairdressers who are building a clientele and working towards a sustainable career behind the chair. These are a few of the lessons I’ve learned along the way: 

Lesson 1: Everything takes longer than you think, and that’s normal. 

I thought I was going to open the salon, a bunch of hairdressers would start working there and it would be great. No. It took me almost two years to build a strong team. It also took a long time for us to grow a strong clientele as a salon. It took time to create the systems I have, then years to refine them so they truly worked for my team. My experience has been that nothing happens fast or easily, and trusting the process is essential. 

When you’re starting a hair career, or rebuilding a clientele from scratch, expect it to take time. Spend less energy focusing on what others have accomplished, and more time focusing on your own systems for growth. Social media makes this tough. When we constantly compare ourselves to peers online, it can seem like success came easily for them and is harder for us.  Like they know something we don’t. I don’t think that’s true. I think they worked hard, and we’re seeing the result of that work. Keeping this perspective allows us to stay engaged without getting buried in self-doubt. 

Lesson 2: There’s always another goal, growth is ongoing.

This has been one of my biggest lessons as a salon owner, and it’s helped me pace my work and view my business as an ever-evolving project. I used to think that “as soon as I _____” things would get easier. I quickly realized that as soon as I reached one goal, there were 10 others waiting for my attention. 

You’re never really done. As a hairdresser, once you learn a necessary skill, there is another one to learn. Once you have a full clientele, there’s another goal to work toward. Growth shouldn’t feel like dissatisfaction, it should feel like evolution. That is what keeps it exciting. 

Lesson 3: There are no silver bullets, growth is built through small systems

In his book The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Ben Horowitz says there are no silver bullets. I love this phrase and I think about it daily. In my salon, there isn’t one system, marketing strategy, or community event that magically brings success. It is the combined effect of many small systems working together that creates real change. 

This is important for hairdressers to remember when building a behind the chair business. It’s not just about posting on Instagram. You also need to rebook clients, build referrals, ask for reviews, practice on models, and open your books for last-minute appointments. When these systems work together sustainable growth follows. 

Lesson 4: I trust that I am capable of learning new skills.

Before opening my salon, I thought I’d know what to do. I’d worked in salons since I was 17, how hard could it be? It felt like being hit with a cold bucket of water when I realized I had no clue how to run a business. That realization scared me, but once I moved through the fear, I embraced learning one step at a time. I learned by starting, even when I didn’t feel ready. 

As hairdressers, if there is a skill you want to develop, don’t be afraid to begin. Confidence comes after action, not before. When we trust ourselves enough to start we build confidence along the way. 

Lesson 5: People are complicated, and patience is not optional.

As a new salon owner, I thought I could say what needed to be said and everything would work. I was wrong, it is not that simple. People interpret information differently and are motivated by different things. I’ve learned that I need to repeat information in different ways, offer reminders, and stay flexible. I’ve also had to train myself to view situations through perspectives other than my own. That’s where patience comes from. 

This perspective has changed how I approach all of my relationships. Understanding that everyone experiences the world differently helps me respond with more grace. As a hairdresser, this might look like having patience when onboarding a new assistant or extending understanding to co-workers and leaders whose viewpoints differ from yours. Humans are human, and leading with grace lowers stress and strengthens relationships. 

Lesson 6: Support is not optional, it is part of sustainability.

I’ve learned that  support in business isn’t a luxury, it’s an operational system. Owning a salon is like owning a home: things break, usually at inconvenient times. Having reliable people, from repair people to neighboring salons to a trustworthy salon manager, is essential. Add in the emotional support from friends and fellow salon owners, and that support system becomes invaluable. I didn’t know I’d need all of these people, but I do. 

Community is essential, not optional. As a hairdresser you hold space for others every day. You need people who help hold space for you. These relationships require care and attention, I don’t take mine for granted. 

Final Notes

These lessons have made me not only a better salon owner, but a more grounded, patient and confident person. I’m aware of my own shortcomings and comfortable with them. I no longer expect perfection from myself, and that flexibility has changed how I move through my business and my life. 

These lessons are available to anyone willing to stay in the work, trust themselves and keep learning. I hope that through them you find the same calm, freedom and self-trust that I have.

About Anny VanDriel

Anny is a salon owner and hairdresser educator who has been teaching pricing strategy and business confidence since 2021. She developed a strategic pricing framework that allowed her to steadily increase her income over 10 years while maintaining client loyalty and reducing her working hours. Through her Pricing Isn't Personal course, she helps hairdressers create sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in self-trust.

Connect with Anny on Instagram @annyvandriel