Salon Success Secrets

What Exactly is Freedom for a Service Provider?

• Lindsay Lowe & Jen Booth

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Ever notice how "freedom" becomes a trap for so many salon professionals? That quest to escape the 9-to-5 grind often leads straight into a 24/7 hustle that's anything but liberating.

We're breaking mental chains in this episode by challenging everything you think you know about freedom in the salon industry. The truth? Freedom isn't the absence of structure—it's having the right structure that sets you free. When service providers resist schedules and boundaries, they don't gain independence—they lose power. Without consistent presence, they become invisible to clients, burn momentum instead of building it, and end up reacting instead of ruling their business.

Through a powerful case study, we reveal how one burnt-out salon owner transformed her business in just 90 days by implementing proper structure. The results speak volumes: pre-booking rates soared to 62%, stylists increased their take-home pay by thousands, and client reviews improved dramatically. The most surprising outcome? The team felt MORE free, not less, because they no longer juggled administrative chaos alongside their craft.

For salon owners, this episode provides language to help your team understand true freedom. For beauty professionals, it offers a liberating perspective: power isn't about being everywhere all the time—it's about holding a position so well that people feel your presence even when you're not there. Ready to stop floating and start anchoring? Listen now to discover how the right structure changes everything.

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Speaker 1:

Hey friends, welcome back to Salon Success Secrets, the podcast for salon owners who are ready to build big dreams, bank big dollars and do it all without burning out. Today's episode is one that's going to break some mental chains, because we are tackling this juicy question what exactly is freedom for a service provider? And we're going to lovingly challenge everything you or your team might think you know about what it means to be free. Let's go.

Speaker 2:

All right, so let's start here. You know you've probably heard this before, maybe you've even said it. It's like a lot of people say they got into this industry for freedom. You know you've probably heard this before, maybe you've even said it. It's like a lot of people say they got into this industry for freedom. You know, they didn't want to clock in and out, or they didn't want a boss breathing down their neck, or they didn't want rules or dress codes or limits, and you know what. That's an okay spirit, but here's where the confusion starts.

Speaker 2:

Like, freedom is not the absence of structure Let me say that again because it's so powerful. Freedom is not the absence of structure. It's having the right structure that sets you free. You know, in a team-based salon, true freedom comes when you're supported. And so you know, as a service provider, if you have people on your team like, they're not answering DMs on their day off, they're not squeezing in late night appointments, they're not having to handle bookings, rebooks, reordering, retail or even emotional labor alone. And that's the difference is, freedom isn't being able to say yes. Freedom Isn't being able to say yes. Freedom isn't being able to say yes at any time. It's knowing you don't have to.

Speaker 1:

That is so good, it's not being able to say yes at any time. It's knowing that you don't have to. I love that, Jen. You know.

Speaker 1:

I think it's important to talk about a word that gets a bad reputation in our industry, and that word is schedule. And so let me define it really quickly, because a schedule is a list of times of departures and arrivals, a timetable, you know. So what I think is important to point out here is that it is not a jail sentence. Here is that it is not a jail sentence. You know, it is a system for movement, momentum and mastery, and yet so many service providers resist it. They'll say I want more freedom, but then they'll create confusion.

Speaker 1:

You know, whether it's for their team or their clients, but most of all it's for themselves that they're creating this confusion, you know. And so they'll come and go when they feel like it, or they'll cancel or they'll rearrange, but that energy becomes scattered. You know they're disconnected, they're weak, and when your schedule is inconsistent, you become invisible. You know people don't know when you're available, they forget you even exist, and what's truly happening is you're not building momentum, You're burning it down. You know, because here's the truth Power is the ability to do or act. Really simple powers, just the ability to do or act. And if your schedule is constantly shifting, you're not in power. You're reacting instead of ruling team instead of ruling.

Speaker 2:

So, salon owners, if you've ever had someone on your team that's wanting to change their schedule every other month, that this is the. This is another great opportunity to kind of have this conversation with them, that like, if you can continue to change your schedule, like you're not in power, use that. You lose that power in that moment to really build something great. So I love that you said that, lindsay. So that brings us to a story. We've worked with a salon owner who came to us totally burnt out so maybe you've been there before, felt it as well. She had a great team on paper, but they were all doing their own thing. You know, no one followed a real schedule. I remember her saying if they didn't have clients on the schedule, they didn't come in. You know people were coming in late. They were leaving early. You know, opening in their books randomly, taking clients on their day off just to make ends meet, and she was doing literally everything. You probably remember this too, lindsay. Like everything, like guest communication, product orders, damage control, filling the books, marketing, like you name it. She was doing it, and so you know, the result of that is what we could see, because numbers do tell us a story is that their guest experience was actually dropping. You know the team was exhausted and confused and no one was making the kind of money they wanted to.

Speaker 2:

So we went in there, got to work and that's where we came in and created that structure. You know we set those hours. We had a front desk team who could actually handle communication. You know there were systems put in for rebooking, retail and referrals and there was also, you know, weekly coaching, monthly coaching, to keep the team focused and supported.

Speaker 2:

And I remember us getting back together and checking those numbers within 90 days and her pre-booking had went up to 62% the take-home pay for their stylist I think they had a team of about 10. Their take-home pay had jumped by thousands. And then clients their their google reviews had actually improved too. So their rating on google had actually improved and their clients were saying things about like the consistency and the professionalism you know. And at the end of the day, the most important part to that is that her team felt free. You know they were no longer trying to juggle all the all behind the scenes tasks on their own. They had systems, they had clarity, they had that flow and they had the energy to focus on what they do best their craft.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that was incredible. You know it really was awesome to see the freedom that was created just in those 90 days. You know it really was awesome to see the freedom that was created just in those 90 days. You know it was some amazing results. And you know, jen, when you pointed out that the take home pay for their stylist jumped by thousands, like their numbers jumped so much but the take home pay for those service providers, man, that was like really incredible to see.

Speaker 1:

And so you know, I think, as a salon owner, here is how to speak directly to beauty pros searching for more freedom. You know, ask them like are you constantly checking your phone? Are you rearranging your week based on late texts, or are you trying to do it all to avoid disappointing people? Because you're not free, you're over-functioning. You know, because what we know is in a team-based salon that works, your freedom is protected, you have boundaries, you have structure, you have a leadership team who advocates for your time, your energy and, most importantly, your growth. You know, and so you're no longer guessing what your week looks like. You own it. You know, and you're not wondering if you're doing enough. You have metrics to show you're winning, and that's real freedom. You know that's the kind that allows you to take weekends off with guilt. You know, to take a vacation with your family to focus on your art, on your mindset, on your money. You know it really makes you feel confident, supported, and you're fully booked with dream clients.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so good. So here's the reframe we want to leave you with today. If your team's version of, or their current version of, freedom means hustle, it means burnout, it means overextension, that is designed to support you, you're in power, you're actually visible and you're magnetic to the right people and opportunities, because power isn't about being everywhere, it's about holding a position so well. People feel your presence even when you're not there. So if you're a salon owner who's ready for real freedom, it's time to start to stop floating and start anchoring. You know, it's time to build a team that makes success inevitable.

Speaker 1:

Ah, I love that you know. That's it for today's episode of salon success secrets. If this hit home for you, share it with another salon owner that you know. This hit home for you, share it with another salon owner that you know. And if you're a salon owner ready to build this kind of team, or a beauty pro looking for a place like this, join us for the next salon success secrets challenge, because what we know is the right structure changes everything. So until next time, serve big, shine bright and stay powerful.