What I’m Most Grateful For as a Hairdresser
4 minute read
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. I love the simplicity of it. No pressure, just good food and time with people you care about. And like most of us, this season always pulls me toward reflection and gratitude.
When I think about what I’m most grateful for in my career, one thing stands out above the rest: the salon environment that shaped my confidence as a young hairdresser.
How My First Salon Taught Me to Trust Myself as a Stylist
I started working at my first salon at 17, truly a baby. I was inexperienced, unsure of myself, and fresh out of beauty school. At Cloud 9, I was surrounded by a small group of seasoned stylists who took me under their wing.
They didn’t just teach me hair. They taught me how to trust myself as a hairdresser.
Those first years could have easily gone another way. Without mentorship, support, or guidance, many new stylists burn out quickly or leave the industry altogether.
But that wasn’t my story.
I was encouraged, coached, and uplifted by women who believed in me long before I believed in myself. Their support helped me build self-trust and confidence behind the chair. These qualities became the foundation of my entire career.
And decades later, those lessons are still the core of the work I do today.
Why a Supportive Salon Environment Matters
Not every hairdresser gets the kind of start I did. I hear so many stories from stylists who began their careers in toxic, discouraging, or unsupportive salon environments. I’ve experienced those settings too, but because I knew what a healthy salon culture felt like, I never accepted anything less as my norm.
That early experience taught me what true support looks like, and it pushed me to keep seeking it throughout my career.
A healthy salon environment does more than make work enjoyable. It:
builds confidence behind the chair
strengthens communication skills
helps stylists trust their decisions
creates long-term career sustainability
supports mental and emotional wellbeing
These are the things many hairdressers crave but don’t know how to ask for.
Why I Teach Hairdressers Today
My gratitude for those early years is one of the biggest reasons I began educating. I want every stylist (whether you’re in an employment or commission salon, a rental space, or working alone in a suite) to have access to the support, education, and clarity they deserve.
If you didn’t get a strong foundation at the beginning of your career, you can still build one now.
My goal is to create a space where you feel:
supported
understood
empowered
capable
confident in your pricing, communication, and boundaries
Most of all, I want you to feel like you can trust yourself, because that’s where everything changes.
Gratitude for Where It All Began
I’m endlessly grateful for my beginnings back in 1997. Without that foundation of support and trust, I wouldn’t be doing the work I’m doing today: helping stylists grow careers they feel confident in.
And I’m incredibly grateful that you’re here. Thank you for trusting me to be a part of your growth, your clarity, and your confidence behind the chair.
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