Commission Salons Are Becoming A "Dying Breed" And I am Ready To Talk About It ...

Somewhere along the way, the industry convinced stylists that independence meant more money, more freedom, more respect.

But that’s not the whole story.

And it’s time someone said it.

Open a suite.

Rent a chair.

Start your boutique salon.

You’re excited to be your own boss, keep your money, finally do your own thing 🙌🏻

And listen—I get it.

I’ve been a commissioned stylist.

I’ve been an independent contractor.

I’m now a salon owner, an educator, and someone who’s seen this industry from every angle.

I’ve met incredible stylists, great owners, and I’ve also seen the parts of this industry that make you want to walk away from it all.

There are so many amazing opportunities in this industry—

but also a whole lot of false perceptions about what those opportunities really look like.

Here’s the one that gets me the most:

GOING INDEPENDENT DOESN'T MEAN MORE MONEY ...

IT MEANS MORE JOBS.

We don’t talk about the two-hour weekly inventory.

The 2 a.m. floor scrubbing.

The midnight booking messages.

Figuring out your state sales tax, calculating what you owe for quarterly income taxes, and sitting through accountant meetings you’re barely following.

Marketing, Canva, content creation, stocking your own retail, building your own systems from scratch.

All of the day-to-day must have BS it takes to run any business.

Yes, you can make money as an independent stylist—but only if you like doing all of that.

90% behind the scenes. 10% behind the chair.

And what most stylists forget is that in order to make that money, you’re now carrying the entire business.

Alone.

The beautiful thing about being in a salon—especially the right salon—is that 100% of your time can go to your clients and your craft.

You don’t have to worry about tax season or how to fix a broken salon chair.

You get to focus on you—on growing, on learning, on building your income through performance, not burnout.

But here’s the truth…

COMMISSION SALONS CAN HAVE A BAD REP.

And a lot of it is earned.

Some are toxic.

Some are built around control.

Some owners take more than they give and call it structure.

Some burn their team out and pretend it’s “culture.”

Some stylists flee those places and never look back.

I don’t blame them.

But the part nobody talks about?

NOT ALL COMMISSION SALONS ARE BUILT THE SAME.

We’re not one-size-fits-all.

We’re not all outdated or toxic.

And we’re not all collecting half your paycheck while sipping martinis in the backroom.

Some of us are doing it differently.

Quietly.

Purposefully.

We coach.

We educate.

We support.

We don’t micromanage—we partner.

We don’t “pay you”—we pour into you.

We’re building something real.

And we’re not shouting about it on Instagram while flexing in a rented suite.

We’re behind the scenes making sure our team has everything they need to actually succeed.

Commission salons are the underdogs right now. But they shouldn’t be.

They’re the original growth model of our industry.

And when done right?

They’re some of the most powerful environments a stylist can work in.

I’ve seen it firsthand.

The community I had through High Performance Salon Academy was the best experiences I had as a salon owner.

Some of the most badass, generous, powerful salon owners I’ve ever met. They coach hard. They lead with heart. They give a shit.

And they’ve built real companies that elevate people.

They showed me that this industry doesn’t have to be messy.

That there are salons doing it the right way—and they’re not trying to manipulate or control anyone.They’re trying to build a culture where everyone wins.

SO HERE'S WHAT I WANT STYLISTS TO HEAR:

If you love running a business—really love it—go independent 👏🏻

If you love spending your nights reviewing service and retail sales, planning out your expenses, and double-checking your inventory every other day—go be the boss.

Seriously. There’s nothing wrong with that.

I’m someone who genuinely loves that shit.

So this isn’t a slam.

But if you want to make great money, do great hair, and go home at night to hug your kids?

DON'T WRITE OFF COMMISSION.

Some of the highest-earning stylists I know are in commission salons.

Six and seven figures.

No retail restocking.

No backend accounting.

They just show up, slay hair, and leave with a full book and full heart.

But you have to find the right commission salon.

One that aligns with what you want.One that asks you what success looks like, and then helps you build it.

That’s what we do at my company.

We built a co-stylist coaching program that’s education-first—led by an actual educator.

Nobody’s folding towels and playing “salon bitch”.

They’re learning. Growing. Earning.

Our pay structure is performance-based.

You hit it—you get it.

You don’t have to wait three months or hit five metrics to unlock your worth.

You earn more when you do more. Period.

We don’t do automated monthly meetings where we say,

“You’re $100 off goal, try harder next month.

”We ask, What do you want out of life?

What does success look like for you?

And how can we help you get there?

That’s the kind of commission culture we’re building. And we’re not the only ones.

We’re just not the loudest.

So if you’re a stylist trying to figure out where you belong—don’t base your decision on bad experiences or someone else’s assumptions.

Don’t lump us all into the same category.

You can make money as an independent.

You can make money in commission.

BUT ...That all depends on your WORK ETHIC, your GOALS, your ENVIRONMENT—and whether you’re actually in the RIGHT SEAT.

The truth is, a lot of stylists go independent because they’re trying to escape something toxic.

And that’s fair.

But not every commission salon is toxic.

And not every independent journey leads to more income.

Sometimes, it just leads to more jobs.

If you love running a business, go do it.

But if what you really need is a stronger commission structure, a better coach, or a healthier salon culture—don’t walk away from commission altogether.

You might just need the right one.

I’ve been a commissioned stylist.

I’ve been an independent stylist.

I’ve worked in toxic salon cultures, and I’ve worked in amazing salon cultures.

And I’m building a company that’s living proof of what healthy commission salons can look like.T

his isn’t about ego.

This is about awareness.

This is about helping you level up for real—not based on a false promise of more money, but on a full understanding of what that money actually costs.

So if you’re trying to find the right fit for you—

We’re out here.

You just have to know where to look.

Let's have a real conversation about the salon industry ....