Things That Change Once You Hit 6 Figures Behind The Chair

Hello, my friend. Welcome back to the Modern Hairstylist podcast. I noticed when I hit the six-figure mark in my own beauty business, and I very much noticed this in all of my six-figure stylists who are in Mastermind with me, that the smallest things truly make the biggest difference. Once you hit that mark, at that point, a lot of the time, I think that what has gotten you there and what has excited you and what you focused on are, like, much larger, big-picture things and numbers that you're chasing.

When you hit this space, I think that the smallest little details actually start to matter a lot more in the results that you get, and we're gonna be talking about what those levers actually are and why that happens and what you should do to make sure that you don't get stuck at this level, or you don't start to regress, because I oftentimes will see that if you don't do something at this level to be able to continue growth, it, you will actually start to go backwards. Because at this level, you have lost all of the time that you had to once work on the business. So that is my first point here, which is we go to the 80/20 rule, where I believe, and it's a very common, you know, theory that's out in the world, in the atmosphere, I learned it from somewhere or somebody, that, that 20% of your work will make 80% of your results. And this is especially true for hairstylists, because we have two different types of work that we do.

We have working in the business, where you actually the laborer, where you're actually doing the service in exchange for dollars, but then of course, we also have working on the business. Two extremely different things, and one only maintains your revenue, the other one actually grows your revenue. Guess which one that is? Obviously, it's going to be working on the business.

And so a lot of the times, working on the business, making sure that you have at least 20% of your work hours in a week to be able to work on the business, I think becomes very important. Up until the 100K mark, oftentimes you naturally had that 20% built in, right? You didn't have clients all the time, right? And you were working a full-time schedule, and you were, you just had the time, right?

Because you weren't fully booked and busy. And what happens when you get fully booked and busy is you, you now have no time left in your work week to actually work on the business. And it's very important that we now do things and make shifts and changes that may feel a little bit scary to be able to actually claw back that 20%. You need to protect that 20% from the beginning and through the end of your career if you ever want to continuously actually grow and make sure that you don't regress, 'cause you will end up losing the time that you ended up having to, th- that, th- that got you where you are now, that got you to where you are now.

So if you no longer can do those same tasks, then obviously you will start to regress. So getting that 20% back is very important, and that literally just looks like, how can I raise my prices enough so I can take a whole day off of work, and that way I can take that day off of work to actually work, but just on the business, not doing, uh, hair instead. And I, I think, I, I've talked about this in a previous episode at some point, but I think it's so massively important that when you get that time back, you are as disciplined with that time as you are with a client sitting in your chair. If there's a client sitting in your chair, if you have an appointment, you have no choice but to do the fucking client, right?

S- when you, and you know, I've learned this myself, and I'm sure, Jodi, you've learned this yourself as well too, where going from a job where it's physical labor and you are there, you're held accountable by, by another person, to a job where, like, there's not, especially when you're the business owner, where there's nobody really holding you accountable, and you are just sitting at your desk at home maybe, and you're doing the work, it is a very different type of discipline, especially for my neurodivergent people out there. It is a very different type of discipline that we don't take seriously naturally, or that we're not used to taking seriously. But at this point, now that I've owned my work from home business for a long time now, I, uh, my scarcity of, of time with getting stuff done on the computer, even though it's not getting me dollars in exchange right in that moment, it's so important to me equivalently at this point to what was me doing the hair in the moment with the client. Am I making sense?

Am I drawing that conclusion clearly, Jodi? Yes, 100%. So basically, like, just to put it a different way, it's like you, like, when you are behind the chair and you have clients coming in, you are showing up for those appointments. If you don't show up, everything will come crashing down, right?

Like, there's a serious consequence. Whereas when you are working on the business, there's no one, you know, showing up for you in that moment. There's no one that is holding you accountable to make sure you are behind the chair. So finding that discipline and that inner, like, importance for why you are doing this work so that you can treat it just as seriously as when someone comes in, that is what's going to allow you to show up and be disciplined and actually move the business forward.

Yes. Thank you. And, like, you're showing up and doing that client whether you feel like it or not. You're showing up and doing that client whether you have a pile of laundry to fold or not.

Right? And I think that when people sit down to do the, the work on the business, those are the types of things that will stop them from actually doing the work becau- because it feels optional. It... You cannot treat it as optional.

If you set business hours for yourself to work, to work on the business, you need to work on the motherfucking business within those business hours, and respect yourself. I think that's really what it comes down to, is show yourself some damn respect when you sought out to block out this time to work on the business, and fucking work on the business. And of course, it's going to be hard. I'm not saying that it's easy, especially having ADHD.

It's a very difficult mindset to step yourself into. But y- it's your responsibility to set your environment up and understand your habits so that you can show up and do that well, right? I just, uh... I made a joke on a call and, you know, it was self-deprecating, yet also blanket statement-y.

It wasn't supposed to be taken seriously. But I, I got on a call and I forget, somebody was late to our call or something like that, and it was a group call. And I said, "Oh, we're hairdressers. Like, we're late.

It is what it is," or whatever may be. "We show up on time to our clients, but we're late to everything else." And my good friend and mastermind member Sam, she was like, "No." Like, "I hate that excuse."

I think that when people are like, "Oh, like I'm just always late to things," and they just like make it a joke, that, that it's, it's a poor, it's a poor excuse or it's a poor thing to just laugh off, because at the end of the day, like you could take responsibility to set up your environment ahead of time to make it so you aren't late. And I think that the same... And I, I know. I was like shook when she said that.

Sam always is fucking... She's, she's always fucking challenging me wherever I am whenever I'm working with her. She's a pain in my ass. But that was really cool, okay?

That was really cool. I loved it, and I think that the same thing goes here. Like, if you understand your patterns and if you know that it's difficult for you to show up and do that, you need to take responsibility for that and be a fucking adult, and understand, what do I need to do ahead of time, or what do I d- need to make sure of so that way, in these times that I have bl- in this time that I have blocked off to work, that it will be a productive work hours. So this just really brings up something that I saw that I really resonate with and love, and it's the results to effort continuum, right?

It's like, don't get mad about the results you didn't get from work you never actually did. I think Jereshia Hawk actually said that on one of her posts, and I was like, "That's so true." I love her. Yes.

I love her. Right? But that's exactly what it is. It's like, okay, like you, if you want this result and you're booking off this time, and you've made all these moves and sacrifices in your business to be able to get this time, that is not alone gonna get you the result.

It's what you do with that time. Yes. So if you want this result, this is what's required. Yes.

And a lot of the time we'll do things that feel productive that aren't actually moving the needle forward. Mm-hmm. And so like going back to like last, uh, last episode where we talked about the value of your time, you... I, I recommend you time audit yourself and you actually pay attention to what you're doing throughout the day, because a, a, a lot of the time you may, you may be completely...

You may feel like you were productive, but actually you got half as much done as you actually could have got done if you were more locked in. Anyways, so that 20% becomes so much more important, and you need to claw it back. And when you do claw it back, you need to take it very seriously. Right.

The other thing that changes at this, at this level is now you're at a space in which your prices are probably a little bit higher, or they do need to go higher in order to get you past this glass ceiling that you're at. And that may require a different type of client in your chair. The Suzy who has been seeing you for 10 years, who started to see you at the $30 haircut that you were offering, you know, is no longer the person that can afford your $100 haircut, right? And so whether that looks like, whether that looks like you actually changing your demographic who you're targeting, I don't think that's really what I'm getting at here.

I'm more so getting at like finding the ideal client and going deeper into figuring out, what are the advanced things or the extra-mile things that I need to do in order to create the perceived value to pay me a higher price? But then also being willing to sacrifice the clients that have gotten you there up until that point. This is your business, and you don't, and I don't pay my friends to be friends with me. And if you wanted to go out with Suzy after, you know, she can't afford you to get her hair done, you can always befriend Suzy and you can hang out with Suzy outside of work.

But this is work, it's here to make you money, and we have to be okay with getting rid of some people. Not even getting rid of some people, with allowing people to decide that you are no longer in their budget while you are doing what you need to do in order to grow, because you deserve to do so. You deserve that. You are worthy of that, and you need to believe that, and you need to believe that...

I mean, it's just the truth, that, that anything worth having is probably going to come with some sort of risk or some sort of loss and sacrifice. And so that could be the relationships that you have with these clients, and you have to get okay with that if you want to grow beyond this 100K mark. Yeah. I...

One of the most valuable lessons that I learned really early in my career was like you have to get out of your clients' wallets. Yeah. Like, that's not... It's their decision.

They are adults. They decide what's valuable to them, what's worth spending on. And I think it's like, once you have relationships, that can be so hard to do. Yeah.

But it's so important. I, it's really tough. I, I do, I think that the newer school hairstylists I think, I will, uh, what I would hope is that a lot of them are going into these careers with that secret boundary in the back of their head. It's, it's, it's one that I had to build, and I was, I feel like I'm on the cu- I was, uh, kind of on the cusp of, like, old school, new school- Yeah ...

like, with this, like, big new generation of how we approach, uh, hairdressing, right? Like, I really do feel like I was, like, right in the middle. Right. And I feel like I had to build a very strong wall between my business and the relationships with my clients and my personal life and what's important to me and, and me having to do just what I had to do.

And I would say that at this point I think I've done a very good job of that and having that discipline, but it's still, even then some, is still heartbreaking. You know? It, like, it, it still sucks. Like, I remember I had to...

I remember I w- I closed down my salon suite, and I also moved, like, two hours away. Everybody was like, "Damn," like, "Isn't it so sad that you're, like, leaving all these clients?" And I was like, "Yes, it's sad. I'm not devastated."

You know? I, I, I gave, I gave, I gave, I gave my favorite people a hug and teared up a little bit and, you know, it sucked in the moment, but at the end of the day, like, they're the people who gave me money and to, to make my life what it needs to be, and I gave them amazing service in exchange for that money. I took care of those people, and I made an impact in their life, right? Like, I did my job.

And I think that you need to give yourself a little bit more credit about the fact that, like, you have done everything, and you are offering an amazing service, and that's why you're able to raise your prices. And your service at this point is now worth even more, and if she wants to continue to get that service with you, okay, then she's just gonna have to pay- Yeah ... what it's worth at the end of the day, you know? Exactly.

So I don't know if I sound cold. I don't know if I'm an asshole. I don't fucking know. But I, it just, I really...

I think two things can be true. You can make an impact. You can create beautiful relationships, and at the end of the day, this is still a business. Yeah.

And I think that somewhere along the way, the, a lot of, a section of our industry has really confused the ideas between great client service, glate- great client relationship, and perceived affordability. Mm-hmm. I do not think those things are related- No ... in the way that, uh, sometimes hairdressers are led to believe that they are.

Right. I completely agree, and they can be a separate thing. I, I, and again, I would really just, I just really wanna drive that home to you guys. You are giving this person so...

Like, you have a gift that you are giving this person. Like, truly. Like, you have done your job, okay? And you are willing to do that job just at a higher price moving forward, because you deserve that money.

I mean, like, on paper, you fucking deserve it. You know? Like, there's no arguing about it if you understand the numbers and the data. Like- Right ...

it's just like you deserve it. It is what it is. Mm-hmm. And so therefore, like, they get to decide what happens next.

You know, you make your decision, they make their decision, and their decision is their own decision. So I like that you said stay out of their wallets. Priscilla Vargas in Mastermind says that and reminds us all of that all the time, and I love, I love that simple, that simple statement. So good.

Thank you for sharing that. The other thing too is, okay, we have to be willing to sacrifice or risk losing these people and lose, and r- and severing these relationships possibly, but we also have to even be a little bit more picky about who sits in our chair, and here's why. And this comes from a actual, like, client perspective, yes, even more so a service perspective. So again, your time now is very valuable.

It's very important. And when you look at your book, if you're 100% booked solid, you literally have no way that you can make more money, okay? Unless you make a change. Now, of course, price increases are a way that we can do that.

But you can't do a price increase all day every day. It just is what it is, right? So then you look and see, how am I spending my time each day, and what services am I doing, and how is that correlating to the money that I'm making in exchange for my time? Now, whenever I say, whenever I talk about this stuff, everybody's like, "Oh, add-ons and retail."

Yes, of course. That's like, yes, okay? Basic 101 in my opinion. Okay?

What we really wanna look at is how profitable are you in exchange for the services that you're doing... I'm sorry. How profitable are you in exchange for your time for the services that you're doing, and is there unevenness in that profit margin? So if you are spending each of your days doing half haircuts and half colors, and your haircuts are more profitable, you could make a lot more money even being 100% booked doing a lot more haircuts.

So you're spending the same amount of time, maybe doing more clients possibly. It depends on the situation. You could be, you could be making a lot more money just doing the haircuts and not doing any of these color services anymore without raising your prices. But you have to understand the numbers, and you have to understand and be okay with the fact that this is like...

You just have to be... You, with the numbers and the data, you need to know what those, that, that profit margin is in exchange for your time, price per hour, all that stuff. And then you wanna focus on, how can I get more of those things into my chair? How can I market that more?

But also, you wanna start being a little bit, at a certain point, you need to start to change your mindset from, "I need all the clients. I want all the clients," to, "It's now a privilege to sit in my chair." Okay? Especially when people have, like, when people have, like, crazy wait lists or they're getting a lot of new client requests a month.

Like, I, that's how my mindset had to change back in the day. Like, it went from scarcity to it is a privilege to sit in my chair. And so if you wanna be in my chair, you're gonna jump through my hoops. You're going to pay the deposit, you're going to be somebody who buys retail, you're gonna be somebody who's willing to come back on a consistent basis.

And there needs to be more upfront quality control and weeding out in order for you to make a decision of whether this person is actually worth taking on as a client. And one of the biggest reasons why is because every new client that you have in your chair, you need to think about you could be spending that same amount of time with that, that new client, with another client, or a new client, who is more likely to come back and see you multiple times, buy retail, and do everything that you want them to do. They're go- or refer you. There's going to...

There's always going to be an opportunity cost to that. And so what I really recommend is in people's onboarding process, when you're kind of vetting your client, a new potential client, making sure that you're getting a feel for, will this person get me a good ROI? Like, you are now starting to think about when this person sits in your chair, it's actu- this investment of your time to do their hair, it's not just about the money that you're gonna make on that appointment, it's also, how much money am I gonna make from this person in the long run? How likely am I to retain this person as well?

Because there could be another person in that chair, or servicing your chair even, that may just be a one-off, or may not buy as much, or may take up space that you don't fucking have. Right. Right? So this is really optimizing your revenue and your profit in exchange for the little amount of time that you have, and that's how we wanna kind of look at it all.

Right. So it's a s- it's a small lever kind of, right? It's like the type of service and the type of client that you're marketing to and you're accepting, and the stricter onboarding process and quality control, but it makes the mass- it, it makes a massive difference in your revenue. Well, absolutely, and I think that's, like, just a highlight of such a huge change in approach, right?

Because when you are building, before you hit that 100K mark, like, the strategy is gonna be completely different when it comes to that client attraction. You know, when you're in those, like, very beginning phases. And so I think it's, like, a really good example of how what got you here won't get you to that next level. And it requires almost, like, a completely...

not almost, a completely different approach to get to that next phase in your career. And mindset. Yeah. When you've built that slam demand, it genuinely switches from I'm...

Of course you're still grateful. I don't wanna sound like... I feel like I'm sounding like an asshole, but, like, low-key, like, this is the mindset you have to have. I mean, of course, again, I s- I love...

I l- my motto all the time at this point is, two things can be true. Yeah. Like, you can offer an amazing service, you can be so grateful to your clients who stick with you, who... You can be, uh, uh, you c- you, you can be appreciative, grateful, all the things, right?

And then simultaneously, you can also be very protective of your time, value your time, respect yourself, and give yourself credit for the amazing service that you're giving that's gotten you up here up until this point, and tap into the opportunity that is there for you. And that requires you being a little bit more relentless in your mindset, okay? It just is what it is. I mean, and I, and this is where I'm saying the two things can be true, and you can be grateful, you can be ethical, you can be moral, all the things, right?

You look at massive fucking successful, rich people, it's because they were fucking relentless in getting to where they, where, where they are, you know? And luckily, you and I get to do that. Who's listening to this, we get to do that in a way that feels good to us and is not, like, hurting other people, right? Yeah.

I'm sorry, my friend, but y- you know, somebody can go get their hair done anywhere, bitch. Like, somebody can go and get their fucki- i- get their hair done wherever. You are not fucking God, girl. Like, you are not the best hairstylist ever and are the only hairstylist who can ever take care of this person, okay?

There is somebody else out there. So we gotta get over ourselves, but also build up actually a little bit of an ego at the same time, and recognize you are at a space in which every single second of your time spent- Yeah ... doing hair behind the chair is very valuable and needs to be protected in one way or another. I think that, like, shift though, I think that, like, really extreme shift in mindset does require calling it out a little bit.

Like, that's what we need to hear, because I think as a lot of... as hairstylists, a lot of us were kind of socialized and raised to be, like, people pleasers in this industry. Right. And sometimes, you know, that can keep us really stuck.

So I think it's really important to have that almost really frank conversation with yourself to shift that mindset if you desire to get to that next phase. Yeah, and I must also just mention, I feel like also my male privilege. Obviously, I feel like because of male privilege and because of the experience of being a male, like, like, this stuff comes a little bit easier for me because I'm not made to, as women often are, I'm not made to believe that I'm supposed to just live to serve other people or that I'm not worthy of more, right? Like, or that I should feel, I should be made to feel guilty for wanting more for myself.

I think particularly women very much struggle with that- Right ... because of the way that the soc- society is set up and how it's been, how it is, right? And so, you know, I also just wanna acknowledge the fact that, like, I know I'm sitting here and I'm saying this to you, and I know it's not as easy as it may have come for me. But I would encourage you to try your best to tap into it, because we live in a day and age, especially if you own your fucking business and you've built beautiful demand for yourself- Yeah ...

that you do fucking deserve it. And I have real-life proof of people who are stepping into that mindset and doing beautiful, amazing things for themselves and their family. Powerful, amazing women that I'm so grateful and I'm so inspired by to be around every single day. So believe that you're worth it, right?

Yeah. That is all I'm saying it. A- and I'm just disclaiming that I understand that, that I think that my experience may be a little bit different, but I think it's still true and important. Yeah.

I think we're good with this episode. How do you feel, Jodi? I think that we really covered a lot of, like, what's different once you get to that level of success and kinda what needs to change. Yeah, absolutely.

Bet. Okay, my friends. Thank you so much for tuning into Modern Hairstylist Podcast. You're a badass.

Go kick some ass. Peace out, girl scout. Bye bye.

End of transcript. © 2026 Hunter Donia LLC.