The Messy Middle: What To Do When Your Hair Business Feels Hard
~ 4 minute read
We see the finished product everywhere. The stylist with a full book. The successful salon. The confident price increase. But nobody talks about the messy middle: the months or years between starting something and actually seeing results.
If you're in that space right now (building clientele, figuring out pricing, or trying to grow your business) you're not doing anything wrong. You're just in the messiest (and most important) part of the process.
What Is The Messy Middle
Think about taking a color client from box brown to blonde. We’re not showing the long hours of lightening sessions, the stress of formulating the perfect color, the uncomfortable pricing conversations or the self-doubt that we can actually deliver. This is the messy middle. We keep the process, and our struggles, private and show the finished product.
The finished product is inspiring because it tells the story of what is possible. The finished product is what I see when I scroll. But when I talk to hairdressers, have true personal interactions, what I’m seeing with my eyes doesn't match what I’m hearing with my ears.
I’m hearing about struggles with building a client base, choosing the right salon to grow in, second guessing service prices, feeling unsure and sometimes discouraged.
What I’m hearing is that a lot of hairdressers are in the messy middle. The messy middle is like the closet we shove all our junk in before company comes over. It’s there, but we’d prefer to keep it hidden from each other. It’s the feeling of this is harder than I thought it would be.
I spend a lot of time here, you probably do too.
Why Building A Hair Business Feels Harder Than It Looks
The messy middle is where we are exploring, learning what works, learning what doesn’t work, making mistakes, trying again…and again…and again. It feels like a mess. But it’s also the place where we grow.
In the messy middle I have thoughts of quitting, quickly followed by an unexpected win that pumps me up and keeps me in the game. I have a great idea that I try and then watch it fail. The messy middle is all about stamina and determination.
As hairdressers, this is where we are building our clientele and developing habits for sustainable growth. We're rebooking our clients, asking for reviews, following up consistently (I dive deeper into these strategies in my post about client growth). We're doing the work and putting in the reps, but we aren't yet seeing the stability or profit we're working towards. You might have a great week with three new clients who all rebook, followed by a slow Tuesday that makes you question everything. That's the messy middle.
When we’re scrolling and seeing everyone else’s finished product, it can easily make us feel like we’re struggling alone. But we’re not alone. All hairdressers with successful businesses will have a story about their messy middle. They may not share it openly, but it is there. Building a clientele and growing a profitable behind-the-chair business is hard work and it takes time and careful attention. If you are consistently putting in your reps, you are doing it right. If it feels hard, that’s ok. You are exactly where you are supposed to be.
How To Keep Going When You’re In The Messy Middle
Anytime we start something new we arrive yet again in the messy middle.
Learning is the key to enjoying the messy middle. When I reframe my thoughts and turn the messy middle into my own personal space for learning, it immediately becomes just as exciting as starting.
If you had a great idea for a client referral program and it’s not working as you’d hoped, that’s ok, simply let it go and try something else. If you committed to rebooking every client but have fallen away from the habit, that’s ok, simply start again tomorrow.
We are not perfect. Let the messy middle be your playground for asking questions, making mistakes, allowing yourself do-overs, recognizing wins and doubling down on what’s working.
The more comfortable you become here, the quicker you'll see that your success lies in your ability to try and keep going. When you build strong business habits and purposefully structure your behind-the-chair business for client and profit growth, it will happen. Not overnight. But it will happen.
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