The Suite Life of a Hair Stylist 

I LOVED watching shear genius so much! Im a stylist now and never forgot that show

I rent a suite right now. Have for 2 years. I came from a background of chain walk -in type places and I prefer a suite to anything else. Yes, all the suite owners talk to each other lol. The salon I work in only has 3 rooms so we can talk as we're doing our clients and hear each other just fine. It's different than being around a room of stylists but it's a good kind of different. Every client gets that personal experience. It's great for clients who have small children who get over stimulated or who are on the spectrum. I also got a call from a woman who wears a hijab and can't have other men see her hair, so that's another benefit of having a door to close. I set my own schedule, do the services I actually like to do, have no boss, feel more fulfilled in my career, and so much more! The energy of a room of stylists is great but I found more often than not I was overhearing things I'd rather not and stylists would want to push me into conversations I don't want to have while servicing a client. Not to mention that one stylist that talks so loud you can't even hear your client who's soft-spoken. Anyway, sorry for the novel, but I wanted to chime in. Like you all said, I think it's best to choose what fits your personality and your client base.

The salon I work at still uses a paper appointment book. I still use a planner for my schedule and appointments.

#1- I use a paper book, I only have myself and one employee without a receptionist. #2- Salon suites are better for those who have built a foundation and clientele. #3 I read on social media: 'help, I just graduated and jumped int a suite - I don't know how to handle an upset client, why did my color go wrong?" The continued inexperience of people 'owning' their own salon in a suite I fear may cause a shift in client trust in our industry.

Software does most of the work. All my clients book through their. And if not they usually just text. The software has the schedule so I always know. It has my website and mobile website. And my pos system. It’s simple because my mind is at peace. The hardest this is taxes for me. The software does that for me. My clients feel at peace inside my suite. I usually don’t have music we just talk. I have plants, and oils going all the time. And music is optional. I love it. I don’t have to take any anxiety medication anymore. I still talk to other stylists. And I can choose people I aline with. There is a break room! Washers and dryers. I have never had a salon owner that hasn’t taken advantage of me. And that seems to be a theme. I want to be helpful and then they completely use me. And I didn’t have good enough boundaries.

Nice bro

Hi Matt