What Exactly is Freedom for a Service Provider?

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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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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey friends, welcome back to Salon Success Secrets,
the podcast for salon owners whoare ready to build big dreams,
bank big dollars and do it allwithout burning out.
Today's episode is one that'sgoing to break some mental
chains, because we are tacklingthis juicy question what exactly

(00:23):
is freedom for a serviceprovider?
And we're going to lovinglychallenge everything you or your
team might think you know aboutwhat it means to be free.
Let's go.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
All right, so let's start here.
You know you've probably heardthis before, maybe you've even
said it.
It's like a lot of people saythey got into this industry for
freedom.
You know you've probably heardthis before, maybe you've even
said it.
It's like a lot of people saythey got into this industry for
freedom.
You know, they didn't want toclock in and out, or they didn't
want a boss breathing downtheir neck, or they didn't want
rules or dress codes or limits,and you know what.
That's an okay spirit, buthere's where the confusion

(01:02):
starts.
Like, freedom is not the absenceof structure Let me say that
again because it's so powerful.
Freedom is not the absence ofstructure.
It's having the right structurethat sets you free.
You know, in a team-based salon, true freedom comes when you're

(01:23):
supported.
And so you know, as a serviceprovider, if you have people on
your team like, they're notanswering DMs on their day off,
they're not squeezing in latenight 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

(01:43):
yes.
Freedom Isn't being able to sayyes.
Freedom isn't being able to sayyes at any time.
It's knowing you don't have to.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
That is so good, it's not being able to say yes at
any time.
It's knowing that you don'thave to.
I love that, Jen.
You know.
I think it's important to talkabout a word that gets a bad
reputation in our industry, andthat word is schedule.
And so let me define it reallyquickly, because a schedule is a
list of times of departures andarrivals, a timetable, you know

(02:18):
.
So what I think is important topoint out here is that it is
not a jail sentence.
Here is that it is not a jailsentence.
You know, it is a system formovement, momentum and mastery,
and yet so many serviceproviders resist it.
They'll say I want more freedom, but then they'll create

(02:41):
confusion.
You know, whether it's for theirteam or their clients, but most
of all it's for themselves thatthey're creating this confusion
, you know.
And so they'll come and go whenthey feel like it, or they'll
cancel or they'll rearrange, butthat energy becomes scattered.
You know they're disconnected,they're weak, and when your

(03:05):
schedule is inconsistent, youbecome invisible.
You know people don't know whenyou're available, they forget
you even exist, and what's trulyhappening is you're not
building momentum, You'reburning it down.
You know, because here's thetruth Power is the ability to do

(03:28):
or act.
Really simple powers, just theability to do or act.
And if your schedule isconstantly shifting, you're not
in power.
You're reacting instead ofruling team instead of ruling.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
So, salon owners, if you've ever had someone on your
team that's wanting to changetheir schedule every other month
, that this is the.
This is another greatopportunity to kind of have this
conversation with them, thatlike, if you can continue to
change your schedule, likeyou're not in power, use that.
You lose that power in thatmoment to really build something
great.
So I love that you said that,lindsay.
So that brings us to a story.

(04:16):
We've worked with a salon ownerwho came to us totally burnt
out so maybe you've been therebefore, felt it as well.
She had a great team on paper,but they were all doing their
own thing.
You know, no one followed areal schedule.
I remember her saying if theydidn't have clients on the
schedule, they didn't come in.
You know people were coming inlate.

(04:37):
They were leaving early.
You know, opening in theirbooks randomly, taking clients
on their day off just to makeends meet, and she was doing
literally everything.
You probably remember this too,lindsay.
Like everything, like guestcommunication, product orders,
damage control, filling thebooks, marketing, like you name

(04:58):
it.
She was doing it, and so youknow, the result of that is what
we could see, because numbersdo tell us a story is that their
guest experience was actuallydropping.
You know the team was exhaustedand confused and no one was
making the kind of money theywanted to.
So we went in there, got to workand that's where we came in and
created that structure.

(05:18):
You know we set those hours.
We had a front desk team whocould actually handle
communication.
You know there were systems putin for rebooking, retail and
referrals and there was also,you know, weekly coaching,
monthly coaching, to keep theteam focused and supported.
And I remember us getting backtogether and checking those

(05:41):
numbers within 90 days and herpre-booking had went up to 62%
the take-home pay for theirstylist I think they had a team
of about 10.
Their take-home pay had jumpedby thousands.
And then clients their theirgoogle reviews had actually
improved too.
So their rating on google hadactually improved and their

(06:03):
clients were saying things aboutlike the consistency and the
professionalism you know.
And at the end of the day, themost important part to that is
that her team felt free.
You know they were no longertrying to juggle all the all
behind the scenes tasks on theirown.
They had systems, they hadclarity, they had that flow and
they had the energy to focus onwhat they do best their craft.

Speaker 1 (06:28):
Yeah, that was incredible.
You know it really was awesometo see the freedom that was
created just in those 90 days.
You know it really was awesometo see the freedom that was
created just in those 90 days.
You know it was some amazingresults.
And you know, jen, when youpointed out that the take home
pay for their stylist jumped bythousands, like their numbers

(06:49):
jumped so much but the take homepay for those service providers
, man, that was like reallyincredible to see.
And so you know, I think, as asalon owner, here is how to
speak directly to beauty prossearching for more freedom.
You know, ask them like are youconstantly checking your phone?

(07:10):
Are you rearranging your weekbased on late texts, or are you
trying to do it all to avoiddisappointing people?
Because you're not free, you'reover-functioning.
You know, because what we knowis in a team-based salon that
works, your freedom is protected, you have boundaries, you have
structure, you have a leadershipteam who advocates for your

(07:33):
time, your energy and, mostimportantly, your growth.
You know, and so you're nolonger guessing what your week
looks like.
You own it.
You know, and you're notwondering if you're doing enough
.
You have metrics to show you'rewinning, and that's real
freedom.
You know that's the kind thatallows you to take weekends off
with guilt.
You know, to take a vacationwith your family to focus on

(07:57):
your art, on your mindset, onyour money.
You know it really makes youfeel confident, supported, and
you're fully booked with dreamclients.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yeah, so good.
So here's the reframe we wantto leave you with today.
If your team's version of, ortheir current version of,
freedom means hustle, it meansburnout, it means overextension,
that is designed to support you, you're in power, you're

(08:36):
actually visible and you'remagnetic to the right people and
opportunities, because powerisn't about being everywhere,
it's about holding a position sowell.
People feel your presence evenwhen you're not there.
So if you're a salon ownerwho's ready for real freedom,
it's time to start to stopfloating and start anchoring.

(08:57):
You know, it's time to build ateam that makes success
inevitable.

Speaker 1 (09:03):
Ah, I love that you know.
That's it for today's episodeof salon success secrets.
If this hit home for you, shareit with another salon owner
that you know.
This hit home for you, share itwith another salon owner that
you know.
And if you're a salon ownerready to build this kind of team
, or a beauty pro looking for aplace like this, join us for the
next salon success secretschallenge, because what we know

(09:23):
is the right structure changeseverything.
So until next time, serve big,shine bright and stay powerful.