July 16, 2025 • 22 mins
Ready to trade your mannequin head for real clients? That transition can be terrifying—but there's a proven bridge that can help you cross with confidence.
After spending thousands on beauty school and hundreds of hours practicing on mannequin heads, many new stylists feel underprepared for the realities of salon work. The truth? Cosmetology school primarily teaches you to pass state boards, not how to navigate real-world client interactions. Mannequins don't talk back, reschedule appointments, or require thoughtful consultations about face shapes and lifestyle needs.
Looking to accelerate your hair career? Find a salon that aligns with your values and has a structured education program. Remember, you're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you. Download my guide "It's All About the Little Things" from danisekeilitz.com and discover how small actions can lead to major career success.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Use my Gloss Genius link to start using today!
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Train With Confidence. Lead With Impact.
Running a salon is hard enough—training new stylists shouldn’t feel like a second full-time job.
If you're constantly pulled in a dozen directions, struggling to teach while juggling clients, and wishing your new hires would just get it faster—you’re not alone. And more importantly, you don’t have to keep doing it the hard way.
Download The Ultimate In-Salon Training Toolkit today and start onboarding your stylists with clarity, confidence, and zero guesswork.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know, going from mannequin heads to real clients
with real expectations.
Yeah, that is a leap and it canbe terrifying, but there's one
proven way to bridge the gapwith confidence becoming a salon
assistant.
Today, we're going to talkabout that.
(00:20):
Welcome to All About Hair,where we talk, shop, share
stories and spill the secretsbehind great hair and a great
career.
I'm your host, denise Kylitz, aformer salon owner, educator
and a lifelong hair crusader.
Whether you're a new stylist,building your book or just
(00:41):
someone who loves learning aboutall things hair, you're in the
right place.
I don't know if I've shared thisstory with you before, but I
started my career 30 years agobeing an assistant.
I actually grew up never, ever,ever, going to a salon.
(01:05):
I grew up in a small town inKansas and, to tell you the
truth, we didn't have the moneyto be going to any salon.
My mom used to cut our hair atthe kitchen table.
I don't know how many of youcan remember, but we used to get
perms at the kitchen table, getour haircuts at the kitchen
table, and really I had noexperience in a salon.
I just knew that I loved tableand really I had no experience
in a salon.
I just knew that I loved hairand I knew that someday I wanted
(01:28):
to be a hairstylist.
I just didn't know how I wasgoing to do it, because the
hairstylists I knew in my smalltown weren't really successful,
if you can kind of imagine that.
So I was kind of afraid to evensay that I wanted to do hair.
That was until I moved toCalifornia and I actually saw
(01:49):
that people were making a livingdoing hair and I wanted to be
part of that.
So I actually went to school.
It was a community college inOceanside, california $600 to go
to beauty school.
I think it was a nine monthprogram.
I think it took me a littleover a year to do it.
However, when I graduated, Ireally didn't know where I was
going to go and, luckily,someone I graduated with said
(02:12):
hey, this salon that I'm goingto needs another assistant and
they're looking for someone ifyou wanted to apply there.
So that's what I did applythere.
So that's what I did, and itwas in San Diego.
I got the job $4 and 25 centsan hour.
(02:35):
Yes, it was a wonderful salon.
What it was it was I assisted,did a lot of rinsing, perms and
shampoos and conditioners andsweeping hair and cutting foils
and getting coffee and evenbabysitting every once in a
while.
However, on Mondays was oureducation days, and that's when
we were expected to bring in amodel and we were taught my
mentor, karen Angel.
She would teach us foundationalhaircutting skills,
(02:57):
consultation skills, perm skills, coloring skills, everything,
and she expected a lot out of usand that was the most fabulous
experience ever.
I didn't know it at the time,of course not.
We don't know it at the timebecause we're going through the
season of life and we'relearning.
However, I wouldn't be theperson I am without going
(03:21):
through that.
So I want to talk about whatdoes it look like to be an
assistant, and why should youseriously?
If you're graduating frombeauty school, why should you
seriously consider being a salonassistant?
Because, in my personal opinion, it is the one thing that you
need to do when you get out ofschool Because, first of all,
(03:44):
you are actually earning moneywhile you're learning.
Back in my day, it was minimumwage of $4.25.
Nowadays, depending on whereyou are, of course, it's going
to be more than that.
It's still going to be minimumwage, probably.
However, you're still gettingpaid and you do get some tips,
too, on top of that.
So it's kind of like payingyour dues.
(04:06):
But if you can get over thatmindset of like, wow, I went to
school, I probably paid $20,000to go to school and I'm still
not making money, let me tellyou it is probably the fastest
route to become successful.
Even though you think it's not,let's talk about what the
problem really is.
Okay, First of all, when yougraduate from beauty school,
(04:29):
you're feeling overwhelmed andunderprepared, aren't you?
Because, really, cosmetologyschool just provides a
foundation.
They're really just there toteach you how to pass the state
boards and anymore.
The hours have gone down anddown.
I think it's where I'm at.
I think it's only a thousandhours now.
(04:50):
When I went to school, I thinkit was 1600, 1800 in California,
I can't remember exactly.
But a thousand hours is not alot of time to learn what you
need to learn.
And cosmetology school is notreal world rhythm, if you know
what I mean.
Being in the salon is a lotdifferent than being at school.
(05:10):
It's a faster pace, it has realpeople.
You know, mannequin heads don'ttalk, they don't move, they
don't complain or they don'trequire any consultation skills.
So when you're in beauty school, you're not really learning
those things You're not learningtime management, efficiency,
consultation skills like how toread face shapes, or body
(05:35):
language, for that matter.
That's a huge one, because yourguest might be telling you one
thing, but their body is showingyou something completely
different and, as an effectivecommunicator, you need to know
how to read that.
What happens is a lot of newstylists.
They come out of cosmetologyschool and they hit the floor
(05:55):
too early and they either oneburnout because they're hustling
like they're going to afranchise and they're getting
haircuts after haircuts and alot of these franchises.
It's all about how fast you cando it and that's fine.
If you want to go that course,that's fine.
Talk about jumping into thefire.
You got to learn how to dohaircuts and learn how to do
(06:16):
them like every 20 minutes, andsome of my best hair cutters in
my salons came from some ofthese franchises.
So I'm not definitely notputting them down or anything
like that, but it's fast pacedat those franchises and you
either burn out or, worse, youdamage your reputation by going
into a salon that does not havean assistant program and you're
(06:37):
sitting there getting walk-insand you don't really know what
you're doing.
So you're experimenting onevery single person's head and
tell you the truth.
That feels terrible, not onlyto the customer, not only to the
salon, but to you and yourself-worth and your confidence.
It is really, really hard tofeel good about what you're
doing If you don't even knowwhat you're doing.
(06:58):
Trust me, I've been there manytimes.
I remember standing behindsomebody cutting their hair and
having no idea what I was doingno plan of action, no map.
I didn't know how it was goingto turn out.
I just prayed to the hair godsand I'm shocked.
I can't even remember if thosepeople came back to me because I
didn't know what I was doing.
(07:18):
I just think it's imperativethat you give assistantship at
least a thought.
Let me tell you this straightout of the chute being an
assistant is not glamorous.
It is not.
You're not going to feel like,ooh, I've made it to the big
time.
No, but it's so crucial to yourdevelopment as a successful
(07:40):
hairstylist.
Your day is going to look likeripping foils, folding towels
and more towels and towels andmore towels.
Yeah, it's a thing.
You might have to go grabcoffee for your fellow stylist.
It's all part of it.
Sweeping hair and you'rerinsing perms and you're rinsing
color and your back hurtsbecause you're leaning over the
(08:04):
shampoo bowl all the time.
I know I was there, I did it,and sometimes it feels like you
are working for pennies andnobody sees how hard you're
working.
But you have to keep this inperspective.
You're not just assisting,you're training for your future.
This is your future.
(08:25):
You're setting yourself up forsuccess.
You got to have that mindset.
You got to really be on thefloor.
You got to be asking all thequestions and watching the
seasoned stylists and askingthem do all your work, but also
asking can I watch, can I askquestions as long as I'm staying
out of your way?
And if you're in the right salon, they have a program that is
(08:47):
set up to help you succeed.
They're going to get your handsin there.
They're going to give youblowouts.
They're going to give you maybeeven some tent touch-ups after
you've proven that you can do itefficiently.
They're going to let you havemany, many touch points for the
client experience, because theywant to get you up and running
too.
(09:07):
And I'm going to just shortlittle plug here If your salon
does not have a program set up,please let your salon owner know
that I have a program that theycan go to my website and
download.
It's less than a hundred bucksand they can download it and it
is a map for a three monthprogram to get you from
(09:29):
graduating beauty school to onthe salon floor in no time.
So at least your salon ownercan have the confidence that you
can have the confidence and youcan start taking those
foundational walk-in clients.
Let's talk about what thedifference between a so-so
assistant and the reallystandout ones, because I've had
some really awesome assistants Ican think of a few, and if
(09:58):
they're listening right now theyknow that they're one of them.
And then I've had just someso-so ones who wanted really to
just be there for the paycheckand they really didn't want to
be an assistant.
They wanted to be behind thechair and they just thought they
didn't need to go through thehassle of being an assistant.
Well, that's not how it works.
A standout assistant is everpresent.
They're engaged with what'sgoing on in the salon.
(10:19):
They're prepared.
They show up early, they comeprepared.
They can almost expect what'shappening next.
They're sweeping up, they'reprepping the station for the
next guest, all these things up.
They're prepping the stationfor the next guest, all these
things and they're curious.
They ask questions, they wonderwhat they can do next.
They're practicing on theirmannequin heads, they are
showing up for classes, they gothe extra mile because that's
(10:43):
what it takes.
With the right mindset and theright strategy, you can approach
being an assistant and knowthat there's a light at the end
of the tunnel.
So here's some of the keybehaviors that you should be
showing to be a great assistant.
You arrive early and you set upthe station and set up for the
day without being asked.
(11:05):
You should not be promptedsaying hey, I've you know, if
the stylist you're assisting hasa client coming in at nine
o'clock, you should be there atleast a quarter till nine
already, making sure her stationor his station looks perfect,
presentable.
Read the appointment, get thetools out, just be ready for the
(11:27):
day.
Make it so your stylist thatyou're assisting has a very
smooth day, because it'll bemuch better for your stylist
you're assisting and for you,and it's a lot of fun.
I mean you can almost make it agame.
Make sure that you're watchingeverything, you're listening to
conversations, especially theconsultation, so that way you
(11:48):
can practice that and make sureyou're asking questions even
while clients are in the chair.
Now make sure it's okay withthe stylist, your assistant.
You don't want to butt in on aconversation, but when we had
our assistants, we would expectthem to ask questions and we
would let our clients know that,hey, this is how we operate.
We're training them so they canbe stylists in our salon.
(12:10):
And it is actually a magical,magical thing.
Our clients loved it that wehad so much education going on
in the salon, because theylearned things too, and it
really makes you, as a stylistif you're a seasoned stylist
listening to this it makes you,as a stylist, be a better
stylist, because you have to beon your game.
You can't be lazy if you'retrying to teach somebody how to
(12:31):
do things right, right.
A great assistant also treatsevery task, no matter how small,
as an opportunity to grow.
Say, ripping foils oh my gosh.
Nobody likes to do that.
Hate it, but it needs to bedone.
Nobody likes to fold towels,but it needs to be done.
Nobody likes to take out thetrash, but it needs to be done.
I mean all these things.
(12:52):
It's for the success of thesalon.
Just treat every single thingthat you're doing as an
opportunity to grow, even ifthat means that maybe one of
these days you have the ideathat you want to own a salon.
Great, you are learning what ittakes to do that at every
(13:13):
opportunity, because everysingle touch point is something
that you'll need to learn how todo.
You also want to buildrelationships with the clients
that you're serving, becauseguess what, if the salon is
doing it right, some of thoseclients that you're serving,
that you're shampooing, thatyou're building relationships
with if the stylist theytypically see is busy and they
(13:36):
can't get in, who do they knowin the salon that they trust and
they've built a relationshipwith you?
So what happens is you aresuddenly getting clients from
the stylist that you'reassisting and it's things that
you can do touch-ups, blowouts,maybe, eyebrow waxes,
(13:57):
conditioning treatments,smoothing treatments, perms,
whatever.
But these clients trust youbecause you've built rapport
with them.
And also you want to buildrelationships with the stylist,
not just the stylist you'reassisting the other stylist,
because every stylist in thebuilding has something that you
can learn.
They have a differentperspective of things.
(14:19):
They have a different way ofverbalizing things, talking.
They have a different style,different way they cut hair.
Nobody's the same.
That's what makes our industryso wonderful is that everybody
has a different approach to itand you can learn from every
single stylist in the building.
And you also want to understandthe salon culture and the team
dynamics from the inside of thesalon.
(14:41):
You really want to adapt to theculture and you want to be a
good representation of the salonthat you're working.
So a strong assistantship itactually builds your confidence
and it gives you a foundation tobuild a long-term career.
(15:03):
Because when you have a strongfoundation it's just like
building a house.
If you don't have a strongfoundation, the house you might
be able to build it, but it'sgoing to crumble.
First earthquake, it's going togo right.
But if you have a strongfoundation you can actually
build that house and it'll takea lot for it to come down.
When you're being an assistant,you're going to walk in onto the
(15:26):
floor when you get a chair andyou're going to know how to
consult with confidence.
You're going to learn how toformulate.
You're going to know all ofthat and you're going to know
how to finish the service strong, and by finishing the service
actually mean pre-booking forthe next appointment selling
retail.
I'm not just saying finish theservice like a nice blow dry and
(15:48):
curling iron work.
I'm saying follow throughbecause you want that client to
come back.
You have to learn all that.
They don't teach that in beautyschool.
You might have one chapter thatyou read, if you read it, about
how to do back.
You have to learn all that.
They don't teach that in beautyschool.
You might have one chapter thatyou read, if you read it, about
how to do that.
It's actually being in the salonand experiencing all this that
you get to learn and build yourconfidence.
(16:09):
Hopefully, your salon gives youscripts on what to say, how to
say it.
You can practice in the mirroruntil it becomes yours, or you
listen to somebody else sayingit and adapt their words to say
it.
You can practice in the mirroruntil it becomes yours, or you
listen to somebody else sayingit and adapt their words to your
words.
But you'll also haveconnections.
You're going to have a mentorand you're going to have a deep
understanding of the salonculture that you're working on.
(16:31):
But, most importantly, you'regoing to be respected because
you put in the work.
You're going to be respectedbecause you put in the work.
I want to say that again whenyou put in the work and pay your
dues, you're going to berespected by not only the salon
owner, the other stylists, yourclients, but also yourself.
(16:51):
You're going to feel really,really good about that.
So let me just sayassistantships are your fast
track to real world confidenceand success and hopefully, what
we've discussed today you'vegotten that message loud and
clear.
I strongly believe inassistantships.
I love it.
(17:11):
I love to take people under mywing and show them the ropes and
bring out their confidence andteach them the little things
that it takes to be sosuccessful.
It's not just about cuttinghair, it's all the people skills
.
But how do you make this happen?
You need to find a salon thataligns with your values and your
(17:34):
educational goals.
Not every salon has an educationprogram.
That's why we were sosuccessful when we had our two
salons.
We actually had an academywithin the salon to teach brand
new hairstylists, licensedhairstylists, how to become
successful.
We had it all laid out andagain I have a program that has
(17:57):
it all laid out for you.
I mean, it's my same template.
You just put your brand onthere and you can do it.
Tell your salon owner or go tomy website.
It's under a hundred bucks.
You can get this.
Okay, it's a very simple formatto follow.
It's not easy to do I'm notsaying it's easy to do, but it's
(18:20):
a simple format and it'salready done for you.
Again, you want to find a salonthat aligns with your values and
has some kind of education.
Don't go in there and theypromise you education and they
don't have any kind of path orclear, clear outline of what
they're doing, cause a lot ofsalons promise education and
they don't have anything set upto do it for you.
(18:40):
It might be hit and miss.
You might go to a few salonsuntil you find one that really
works for you.
That's okay Because, like Isaid, not every salon has
education.
You really need to do yourhomework and when you go out to
interview salons, you have toremember that you're
interviewing them too.
They're you have to rememberthat you're interviewing them
too.
They're not just interviewingyou, you're interviewing them
(19:04):
and it has to meet yourstandards and your values and
your goals.
Now, if you want moreinformation on how to become a
successful stylist, really kindof quickly, make sure you
download my list.
It's not about the littlethings, it's not about the
little things, it's all aboutthe little things.
The link is in my show notes.
(19:24):
You can also go over to mywebsite, denisekeilitzcom, and
get it there, but always, always, remember, when you know better
, you do better.
Thanks for tuning in to AllAbout Hair.
If you loved this episode, hit,subscribe, leave us a review
and share it with a fellowstylist or hair-loving friend.
(19:45):
You want more tips, tools andbehind-the-scenes goodness?
Follow me on YouTube or head tomy website at denisekeilitzcom.
Yes, I know it's hard to spell,so don't worry, the link is in
the show notes.
Until next time, keep learning,keep creating and keep loving
(20:06):
what you do.
You know, going from mannequin heads to real clients
with real expectations.
Yeah, that is a leap and it canbe terrifying, but there's one
proven way to bridge the gapwith confidence becoming a salon
assistant.
Today, we're going to talkabout that.
(00:20):
Welcome to All About Hair,where we talk, shop, share
stories and spill the secretsbehind great hair and a great
career.
I'm your host, denise Kylitz, aformer salon owner, educator
and a lifelong hair crusader.
Whether you're a new stylist,building your book or just
(00:41):
someone who loves learning aboutall things hair, you're in the
right place.
I don't know if I've shared thisstory with you before, but I
started my career 30 years agobeing an assistant.
I actually grew up never, ever,ever, going to a salon.
(01:05):
I grew up in a small town inKansas and, to tell you the
truth, we didn't have the moneyto be going to any salon.
My mom used to cut our hair atthe kitchen table.
I don't know how many of youcan remember, but we used to get
perms at the kitchen table, getour haircuts at the kitchen
table, and really I had noexperience in a salon.
I just knew that I loved tableand really I had no experience
in a salon.
I just knew that I loved hairand I knew that someday I wanted
(01:28):
to be a hairstylist.
I just didn't know how I wasgoing to do it, because the
hairstylists I knew in my smalltown weren't really successful,
if you can kind of imagine that.
So I was kind of afraid to evensay that I wanted to do hair.
That was until I moved toCalifornia and I actually saw
(01:49):
that people were making a livingdoing hair and I wanted to be
part of that.
So I actually went to school.
It was a community college inOceanside, california $600 to go
to beauty school.
I think it was a nine monthprogram.
I think it took me a littleover a year to do it.
However, when I graduated, Ireally didn't know where I was
going to go and, luckily,someone I graduated with said
(02:12):
hey, this salon that I'm goingto needs another assistant and
they're looking for someone ifyou wanted to apply there.
So that's what I did applythere.
So that's what I did, and itwas in San Diego.
I got the job $4 and 25 centsan hour.
(02:35):
Yes, it was a wonderful salon.
What it was it was I assisted,did a lot of rinsing, perms and
shampoos and conditioners andsweeping hair and cutting foils
and getting coffee and evenbabysitting every once in a
while.
However, on Mondays was oureducation days, and that's when
we were expected to bring in amodel and we were taught my
mentor, karen Angel.
She would teach us foundationalhaircutting skills,
(02:57):
consultation skills, perm skills, coloring skills, everything,
and she expected a lot out of usand that was the most fabulous
experience ever.
I didn't know it at the time,of course not.
We don't know it at the timebecause we're going through the
season of life and we'relearning.
However, I wouldn't be theperson I am without going
(03:21):
through that.
So I want to talk about whatdoes it look like to be an
assistant, and why should youseriously?
If you're graduating frombeauty school, why should you
seriously consider being a salonassistant?
Because, in my personal opinion, it is the one thing that you
need to do when you get out ofschool Because, first of all,
(03:44):
you are actually earning moneywhile you're learning.
Back in my day, it was minimumwage of $4.25.
Nowadays, depending on whereyou are, of course, it's going
to be more than that.
It's still going to be minimumwage, probably.
However, you're still gettingpaid and you do get some tips,
too, on top of that.
So it's kind of like payingyour dues.
(04:06):
But if you can get over thatmindset of like, wow, I went to
school, I probably paid $20,000to go to school and I'm still
not making money, let me tellyou it is probably the fastest
route to become successful.
Even though you think it's not,let's talk about what the
problem really is.
Okay, First of all, when yougraduate from beauty school,
(04:29):
you're feeling overwhelmed andunderprepared, aren't you?
Because, really, cosmetologyschool just provides a
foundation.
They're really just there toteach you how to pass the state
boards and anymore.
The hours have gone down anddown.
I think it's where I'm at.
I think it's only a thousandhours now.
(04:50):
When I went to school, I thinkit was 1600, 1800 in California,
I can't remember exactly.
But a thousand hours is not alot of time to learn what you
need to learn.
And cosmetology school is notreal world rhythm, if you know
what I mean.
Being in the salon is a lotdifferent than being at school.
(05:10):
It's a faster pace, it has realpeople.
You know, mannequin heads don'ttalk, they don't move, they
don't complain or they don'trequire any consultation skills.
So when you're in beauty school, you're not really learning
those things You're not learningtime management, efficiency,
consultation skills like how toread face shapes, or body
(05:35):
language, for that matter.
That's a huge one, because yourguest might be telling you one
thing, but their body is showingyou something completely
different and, as an effectivecommunicator, you need to know
how to read that.
What happens is a lot of newstylists.
They come out of cosmetologyschool and they hit the floor
(05:55):
too early and they either oneburnout because they're hustling
like they're going to afranchise and they're getting
haircuts after haircuts and alot of these franchises.
It's all about how fast you cando it and that's fine.
If you want to go that course,that's fine.
Talk about jumping into thefire.
You got to learn how to dohaircuts and learn how to do
(06:16):
them like every 20 minutes, andsome of my best hair cutters in
my salons came from some ofthese franchises.
So I'm not definitely notputting them down or anything
like that, but it's fast pacedat those franchises and you
either burn out or, worse, youdamage your reputation by going
into a salon that does not havean assistant program and you're
(06:37):
sitting there getting walk-insand you don't really know what
you're doing.
So you're experimenting onevery single person's head and
tell you the truth.
That feels terrible, not onlyto the customer, not only to the
salon, but to you and yourself-worth and your confidence.
It is really, really hard tofeel good about what you're
doing If you don't even knowwhat you're doing.
(06:58):
Trust me, I've been there manytimes.
I remember standing behindsomebody cutting their hair and
having no idea what I was doingno plan of action, no map.
I didn't know how it was goingto turn out.
I just prayed to the hair godsand I'm shocked.
I can't even remember if thosepeople came back to me because I
didn't know what I was doing.
(07:18):
I just think it's imperativethat you give assistantship at
least a thought.
Let me tell you this straightout of the chute being an
assistant is not glamorous.
It is not.
You're not going to feel like,ooh, I've made it to the big
time.
No, but it's so crucial to yourdevelopment as a successful
(07:40):
hairstylist.
Your day is going to look likeripping foils, folding towels
and more towels and towels andmore towels.
Yeah, it's a thing.
You might have to go grabcoffee for your fellow stylist.
It's all part of it.
Sweeping hair and you'rerinsing perms and you're rinsing
color and your back hurtsbecause you're leaning over the
(08:04):
shampoo bowl all the time.
I know I was there, I did it,and sometimes it feels like you
are working for pennies andnobody sees how hard you're
working.
But you have to keep this inperspective.
You're not just assisting,you're training for your future.
This is your future.
(08:25):
You're setting yourself up forsuccess.
You got to have that mindset.
You got to really be on thefloor.
You got to be asking all thequestions and watching the
seasoned stylists and askingthem do all your work, but also
asking can I watch, can I askquestions as long as I'm staying
out of your way?
And if you're in the right salon, they have a program that is
(08:47):
set up to help you succeed.
They're going to get your handsin there.
They're going to give youblowouts.
They're going to give you maybeeven some tent touch-ups after
you've proven that you can do itefficiently.
They're going to let you havemany, many touch points for the
client experience, because theywant to get you up and running
too.
(09:07):
And I'm going to just shortlittle plug here If your salon
does not have a program set up,please let your salon owner know
that I have a program that theycan go to my website and
download.
It's less than a hundred bucksand they can download it and it
is a map for a three monthprogram to get you from
(09:29):
graduating beauty school to onthe salon floor in no time.
So at least your salon ownercan have the confidence that you
can have the confidence and youcan start taking those
foundational walk-in clients.
Let's talk about what thedifference between a so-so
assistant and the reallystandout ones, because I've had
some really awesome assistants Ican think of a few, and if
(09:58):
they're listening right now theyknow that they're one of them.
And then I've had just someso-so ones who wanted really to
just be there for the paycheckand they really didn't want to
be an assistant.
They wanted to be behind thechair and they just thought they
didn't need to go through thehassle of being an assistant.
Well, that's not how it works.
A standout assistant is everpresent.
They're engaged with what'sgoing on in the salon.
(10:19):
They're prepared.
They show up early, they comeprepared.
They can almost expect what'shappening next.
They're sweeping up, they'reprepping the station for the
next guest, all these things up.
They're prepping the stationfor the next guest, all these
things and they're curious.
They ask questions, they wonderwhat they can do next.
They're practicing on theirmannequin heads, they are
showing up for classes, they gothe extra mile because that's
(10:43):
what it takes.
With the right mindset and theright strategy, you can approach
being an assistant and knowthat there's a light at the end
of the tunnel.
So here's some of the keybehaviors that you should be
showing to be a great assistant.
You arrive early and you set upthe station and set up for the
day without being asked.
(11:05):
You should not be promptedsaying hey, I've you know, if
the stylist you're assisting hasa client coming in at nine
o'clock, you should be there atleast a quarter till nine
already, making sure her stationor his station looks perfect,
presentable.
Read the appointment, get thetools out, just be ready for the
(11:27):
day.
Make it so your stylist thatyou're assisting has a very
smooth day, because it'll bemuch better for your stylist
you're assisting and for you,and it's a lot of fun.
I mean you can almost make it agame.
Make sure that you're watchingeverything, you're listening to
conversations, especially theconsultation, so that way you
(11:48):
can practice that and make sureyou're asking questions even
while clients are in the chair.
Now make sure it's okay withthe stylist, your assistant.
You don't want to butt in on aconversation, but when we had
our assistants, we would expectthem to ask questions and we
would let our clients know that,hey, this is how we operate.
We're training them so they canbe stylists in our salon.
(12:10):
And it is actually a magical,magical thing.
Our clients loved it that wehad so much education going on
in the salon, because theylearned things too, and it
really makes you, as a stylistif you're a seasoned stylist
listening to this it makes you,as a stylist, be a better
stylist, because you have to beon your game.
You can't be lazy if you'retrying to teach somebody how to
(12:31):
do things right, right.
A great assistant also treatsevery task, no matter how small,
as an opportunity to grow.
Say, ripping foils oh my gosh.
Nobody likes to do that.
Hate it, but it needs to bedone.
Nobody likes to fold towels,but it needs to be done.
Nobody likes to take out thetrash, but it needs to be done.
I mean all these things.
(12:52):
It's for the success of thesalon.
Just treat every single thingthat you're doing as an
opportunity to grow, even ifthat means that maybe one of
these days you have the ideathat you want to own a salon.
Great, you are learning what ittakes to do that at every
(13:13):
opportunity, because everysingle touch point is something
that you'll need to learn how todo.
You also want to buildrelationships with the clients
that you're serving, becauseguess what, if the salon is
doing it right, some of thoseclients that you're serving,
that you're shampooing, thatyou're building relationships
with if the stylist theytypically see is busy and they
(13:36):
can't get in, who do they knowin the salon that they trust and
they've built a relationshipwith you?
So what happens is you aresuddenly getting clients from
the stylist that you'reassisting and it's things that
you can do touch-ups, blowouts,maybe, eyebrow waxes,
(13:57):
conditioning treatments,smoothing treatments, perms,
whatever.
But these clients trust youbecause you've built rapport
with them.
And also you want to buildrelationships with the stylist,
not just the stylist you'reassisting the other stylist,
because every stylist in thebuilding has something that you
can learn.
They have a differentperspective of things.
(14:19):
They have a different way ofverbalizing things, talking.
They have a different style,different way they cut hair.
Nobody's the same.
That's what makes our industryso wonderful is that everybody
has a different approach to itand you can learn from every
single stylist in the building.
And you also want to understandthe salon culture and the team
dynamics from the inside of thesalon.
(14:41):
You really want to adapt to theculture and you want to be a
good representation of the salonthat you're working.
So a strong assistantship itactually builds your confidence
and it gives you a foundation tobuild a long-term career.
(15:03):
Because when you have a strongfoundation it's just like
building a house.
If you don't have a strongfoundation, the house you might
be able to build it, but it'sgoing to crumble.
First earthquake, it's going togo right.
But if you have a strongfoundation you can actually
build that house and it'll takea lot for it to come down.
When you're being an assistant,you're going to walk in onto the
(15:26):
floor when you get a chair andyou're going to know how to
consult with confidence.
You're going to learn how toformulate.
You're going to know all ofthat and you're going to know
how to finish the service strong, and by finishing the service
actually mean pre-booking forthe next appointment selling
retail.
I'm not just saying finish theservice like a nice blow dry and
(15:48):
curling iron work.
I'm saying follow throughbecause you want that client to
come back.
You have to learn all that.
They don't teach that in beautyschool.
You might have one chapter thatyou read, if you read it, about
how to do back.
You have to learn all that.
They don't teach that in beautyschool.
You might have one chapter thatyou read, if you read it, about
how to do that.
It's actually being in the salonand experiencing all this that
you get to learn and build yourconfidence.
(16:09):
Hopefully, your salon gives youscripts on what to say, how to
say it.
You can practice in the mirroruntil it becomes yours, or you
listen to somebody else sayingit and adapt their words to say
it.
You can practice in the mirroruntil it becomes yours, or you
listen to somebody else sayingit and adapt their words to your
words.
But you'll also haveconnections.
You're going to have a mentorand you're going to have a deep
understanding of the salonculture that you're working on.
(16:31):
But, most importantly, you'regoing to be respected because
you put in the work.
You're going to be respectedbecause you put in the work.
I want to say that again whenyou put in the work and pay your
dues, you're going to berespected by not only the salon
owner, the other stylists, yourclients, but also yourself.
(16:51):
You're going to feel really,really good about that.
So let me just sayassistantships are your fast
track to real world confidenceand success and hopefully, what
we've discussed today you'vegotten that message loud and
clear.
I strongly believe inassistantships.
I love it.
(17:11):
I love to take people under mywing and show them the ropes and
bring out their confidence andteach them the little things
that it takes to be sosuccessful.
It's not just about cuttinghair, it's all the people skills
.
But how do you make this happen?
You need to find a salon thataligns with your values and your
(17:34):
educational goals.
Not every salon has an educationprogram.
That's why we were sosuccessful when we had our two
salons.
We actually had an academywithin the salon to teach brand
new hairstylists, licensedhairstylists, how to become
successful.
We had it all laid out andagain I have a program that has
(17:57):
it all laid out for you.
I mean, it's my same template.
You just put your brand onthere and you can do it.
Tell your salon owner or go tomy website.
It's under a hundred bucks.
You can get this.
Okay, it's a very simple formatto follow.
It's not easy to do I'm notsaying it's easy to do, but it's
(18:20):
a simple format and it'salready done for you.
Again, you want to find a salonthat aligns with your values and
has some kind of education.
Don't go in there and theypromise you education and they
don't have any kind of path orclear, clear outline of what
they're doing, cause a lot ofsalons promise education and
they don't have anything set upto do it for you.
(18:40):
It might be hit and miss.
You might go to a few salonsuntil you find one that really
works for you.
That's okay Because, like Isaid, not every salon has
education.
You really need to do yourhomework and when you go out to
interview salons, you have toremember that you're
interviewing them too.
They're you have to rememberthat you're interviewing them
too.
They're not just interviewingyou, you're interviewing them
(19:04):
and it has to meet yourstandards and your values and
your goals.
Now, if you want moreinformation on how to become a
successful stylist, really kindof quickly, make sure you
download my list.
It's not about the littlethings, it's not about the
little things, it's all aboutthe little things.
The link is in my show notes.
(19:24):
You can also go over to mywebsite, denisekeilitzcom, and
get it there, but always, always, remember, when you know better
, you do better.
Thanks for tuning in to AllAbout Hair.
If you loved this episode, hit,subscribe, leave us a review
and share it with a fellowstylist or hair-loving friend.
(19:45):
You want more tips, tools andbehind-the-scenes goodness?
Follow me on YouTube or head tomy website at denisekeilitzcom.
Yes, I know it's hard to spell,so don't worry, the link is in
the show notes.
Until next time, keep learning,keep creating and keep loving
(20:06):
what you do.
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