What New Beauty Pros Are Craving (That Money Can’t Buy)

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We share why 50 new beauty pros chose education, community, and growth over money, and how that changes recruiting and retention. We walk through four modern learning styles, a hands-on education model, and a clear growth path anchored by the iron sharpens iron principle.

• Survey insight showing belonging, learning and growth as top priorities
• Four learning styles and how to teach to each
• Education as activation with hands-on practice
• Building community to convert connection into commitment
• Clear career ladders that remove confusion
• Iron sharpens iron as a coaching mindset
• Practical examples for mannequins, micro-reps and libraries
• Leadership shift from content delivery to comprehension

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:01):
We want to tell you something that might shock you.
We asked 50 new beautyprofessionals, all fresh out of
school, one question.
What's most important to youwhen choosing a salon?
And not a single one of themsaid money, not one.

(00:23):
And that caught our attentionbecause for years, most salon
owners have built theirrecruiting message around pay,
perks, and promotions.
But this new generation, theywant something completely
different.
And here's the part that'sreally interesting.
What they said actually revealswhy so many salons struggle to

(00:45):
keep talent and why serviceproviders are leaving within
their first year, and what thefuture of our industry is going
to look like in the next five.
So in today's episode, we'regoing to unpack exactly what
those 50 BeautyPros said thatthe three things are that
they're really searching for.

(01:08):
And the one leadership shiftthat's going to separate the
salons that thrive from the onesthat fade.
Because the truth is they're notlooking for jobs anymore.
They're looking for belonging,for growth, and for purpose.
And once we understand that,everything changes.

SPEAKER_00 (01:30):
So good.
So, you know, the way, if youthink about it, that new beauty
professionals learn and connecthas completely changed.
I mean, I'm sure a lot of youcan agree with agree with us.
You know, we're just not leadingthe service providers anymore.
Like we're truly leading thatgeneration that grew up learning
from, let's say, TikTok,YouTube, um, TikTok tutorials,

(01:53):
YouTube tutorials, and expectinginstant feedback like that.
You know, this next generation,like you guys are creative,
they're smart, they're hungry,but they also think and process
information differently than wedid.
Um, and if you're still teachinglike it's 2005, that's the year
I graduated hair school, youknow, we're gonna we could lose
them, and not because they don'tcare, but because they literally

(02:15):
can't absorb the way we'redelivering.
And so when you start trainingnew service providers, you
probably learned something isnot everyone learns the same
way.
And so, first of all, we'regonna break down the four
different types of learners thatshow up in our salons right now.
And if we don't adapt to allfour of these learning styles,
like we truly could lose threequarters, three-quarters of our

(02:38):
team's potential.
So let's walk through themtogether.
So uh the first one iskinesthetic learners, and so
they learn by doing.
Um, they need to move, they needto touch, they need to feel, and
they're the ones who cannot sitstill in class because their
body wants to learn throughmotions.
If you've ever been uh teachingor having a salon celebration

(03:01):
and they're wiggling in theirchair, they're probably
kinesthetic learners becausethey just want to do it.
Um, and then for them, if youhave a kinesthetic learner, you
want to slow down and give themspace for repetition and real
practice.
So the next type of learner isour visual learners and they

(03:21):
learn by seeing.
Get it visual learning byseeing.
They actually pictureinformation.
Um, they remember, they remembercolors, they remember patterns
and shapes.
They truly need like thestorybooks, the diagrams and the
examples.
And if you've ever um workedwith a visual learner, they
actually talk pretty fast andthey paint pictures with words.

(03:44):
And so when you think aboutteaching a visual learner, like
they truly need thosestoryboards, they need those
diagrams and examples.
And an opportunity is to talkfaster to them and paint
pictures with words.
Another type of learner we haveis the auditory learners, and
this is where they learn byhearing, and so they absorb a

(04:04):
tone, rhythm, and repetition.
And so when you're working withthe auditory learner, you want
to make sure that you keep yourphrasing consistent.
Repetition is truly what buildsthat mastery for them.
And there's one more learningstyle that actually I don't feel
like is talked about a lot.
I think a lot of people know thekinesthetic, visual, and

(04:24):
auditory, but there is anotherkind of learner too.
And I feel like it's more commonthese days as well.
It's called the digital learner.
Like I truly feel like this isone of the newer ones.
And a digital learner learnsthrough access.
So they want to rewatch, rewind,and revisit content.
And they learn best when theycan press play at midnight and

(04:44):
get the, ah, that's great.
Let me write that down.
The aha moment on their owntime.
So when you think about that,when we're teaching inside of
our salons, we have to trainlike modern leaders.
You know, we have to kind ofblend all four because the goal
isn't to deliver more content,it's actually to deliver more
comprehension.

SPEAKER_01 (05:05):
So good.
So love what you just said.
It's not to deliver morecontent, it's to deliver more
comprehension.
That's so good, Jen.
You know, so let's go back tothat survey where we asked 50
new beauty professionals what'smost important to you when
finding a salon.
And their answer can truly besummed up in three powerful

words (05:27):
education, community, and growth.
So let's break each one down.
Let's start with the first one,which is education.
You know, I don't want you tothink just any kind where they
can just stand around and watch.
You know, what they told us waswe want to do it.
We want someone beside us, notin front of us.

(05:48):
You know, see, they don't wantto just observe, they want to
participate, you know, and thisis where many owners miss it.
Um, you know, because educationisn't about standing behind
someone and nodding, you know,education is truly about
activation.
Because if they can't touch it,try it, and make a few mistakes

(06:11):
while someone supports them,then they don't feel like
they're learning.
So when you're designingtraining, it's great to ask
yourself am I creating anenvironment where they can
practice and not just watch?
Because mastery doesn't comefrom observation, it comes from

(06:33):
application.

SPEAKER_00 (06:35):
That's so good, Lindsay.
You know, it makes me thinkabout sometimes when we have new
educators, and for some reasonat the last minute, maybe they
got three haircuts back to backon their schedule and they're
working with a co-stylist,they'll come like, oh man, what
should we do with theco-stylist?
Or like, are they just gonnastand there and watch and like,
hey, I have a great idea.
Why don't they grab a mannequinas well, a mannequin too, and

(06:55):
follow along as you do thathaircut?
And they are going to learn somuch by you doing a part,
teaching it, clients love ittoo, guests love it too, and
then letting them do it on amannequin.
So I love what you said is Ithink you said we want someone
beside us, not in front of us.
So that's a great example ofthat.
I love it.

(07:16):
And so the next thing when wesurveyed these 50 uh new beauty
pros that they were trulylooking for was community.
Um, and like I almost gotemotional thinking about this
when we got the surveys backbecause so many said, I just
want to feel like I belongsomewhere.
I was like, wow, this is socool.
Like it hit me.
This generation has truly grownup in this online world and they

(07:38):
don't feel connected a lot oftimes.
They feel lonely because thegreatest thing they do is scroll
through social media.
You know, they don't always wantto be the best service providers
in the salon, they just want tobe part of the best salon team.
You know, what they're cravingtruly is that mentorship, that
collaboration and a place togrow without judgment.
And when we create that, wecreate that kind of loyalty that

(08:00):
we're seeking because connectioncreates commitment.
And community isn't a nice tohave anymore, it's a
non-negotiable for salon owners.

SPEAKER_01 (08:10):
Yeah, that is such a missing component right now.
I love that one.
And uh, when we move on to theto the third one, which is a
path to grow, not just a job.
You know, this one came up inthe feedback from almost every
single person.
They said, I want to know whatsuccess looks like before I

(08:31):
start.
And the truth is, thisgeneration wants clarity, they
want to see the next step, levelone, level two, level three, and
not to rush it, but to just knowthat it exists.
And, you know, I truly thinkthis is where leadership evolves
because when people can seetheir future, they stay.
But confusion kills motivation.

(08:55):
But clarity, you know, itclarity creates uh movement.
And there's truly a timeless uhprinciple that ties all of this
together.
And it's one of my favorites.
It's it comes from Proverbs,Proverbs 27, verse 17, where it
says, as iron sharpens iron, soone person sharpens another.

(09:22):
So beautiful, you know.
When two pieces of iron rubtogether, both are changed.
There's friction, there's heat,and sometimes, you know, there's
sparks, but the process is whatcreates an edge.
So, in other words, sharpeningdoesn't happen in silence, it

(09:43):
happens in relationship, youknow?
And that's what this newgeneration of beauty pros is
craving.
They don't just want to workaround people, they want to grow
with them.
And that's why communitymatters, that's why coaching
matters, that's why yourleadership matters, real
leadership.
It isn't about being the expertin the room, it's about creating

(10:05):
an environment where everyonegets sharper together, you know.
And I want to pause here just asecond to just go a little
deeper because think about it.
If iron sharpens iron, thatmeans friction isn't failure.
It means progress.

(10:26):
You know, so when a new serviceprovider asks a question, when
they struggle with confidence,when they get feedback, that's
the sharpening process.
You know, and so our job asleaders is to guide that
friction so it forges growthinstead of resentment.

(10:47):
Because when your team learnshow to work with each other,
their edge becomes unstoppable.
And in that kind of environment,you don't just build stylists or
service providers, you're trulybuilding beauty professionals.

SPEAKER_00 (11:05):
So good.
So um, you know, if you thinkabout it, everything that we
talked about today, the learningstyles, the desire for
community, the need for a clearpath, and this iron sharpens
iron principle.
That's exactly actually whatLindsay and I have been building
behind the scenes at SalonBusiness School.
It's something designed for thisnext generation, and we're so

(11:25):
excited about it.
Um, it's to help beautyprofessionals grow their
mindset, method, and map forsuccess.
It's actually called MillionDollar Beauty Pro.
And now, this isn't a coursethat teaches skills.
It's truly a movement, you guys,that transforms the way beauty
pros think, learn, and lead.
And it's for the ones, it's forthe salons who want to be part

(11:46):
of a community that sharpensthem, you know, who wants that
hands-on education that sticksand who truly want a clear
roadmap to six-figure successthat's built on service and not
sales.
So if you're truly feeling thatspark and that sense of, hey,
this is what I've been waitingfor in my salon.
I'm a salon owner.
I don't have time to train myteam.

(12:07):
This is exactly what I've beenseeking.
You can get um early accessright now.
So just text the word pro PRO to469-283-5590.
Again, that's pro PRO to469-283-5590.

(12:27):
Because truly the future of thisindustry doesn't belong to the
loudest salon on social media.
It belongs to the ones whosharpen others, who build
together, and who believe thatwhen one rises, we all rise.

SPEAKER_01 (12:42):
Thanks for tuning in.
We'll see you next time.