𝗚𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗕𝗘𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗥: 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗚𝗢𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗢𝗢 𝗙𝗔𝗥

There was a time when we believed success in this industry was earned through sacrifice.

We skipped meals, skipped sleep, skipped birthdays and dinners and bedtimes. We booked ourselves six days a week, double- and triple-stacked, working 12 to 14 hours, back to back. We said yes to every request, every color correction, every last-minute “can you squeeze me in?”—because we thought that’s what it took to build something real.

And in some ways, it did. We built loyal clienteles, gained trust, became go-to names in our communities. We earned our way up.

But here’s what no one tells you when you’re building your book at all costs:

𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗪𝗢𝗡'𝗧 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥.

If you put yourself last every day for years, eventually there’s nothing left to give.

⸻

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗘 𝗪𝗘 𝗧𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗩𝗘𝗦

We didn’t ignore our health because we didn’t care.

We ignored it because we thought we had time.

“I’ll slow down after I build my book.”

“I’ll start working out once the salon is more stable.”

“I’ll take care of me when things calm down.”

𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗬 𝗗𝗢𝗡'𝗧?

What if you keep chasing “later” until your body makes the decision for you?

Because that’s the truth no one wants to say out loud:

𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗖𝗔𝗡'𝗧 𝗢𝗨𝗧-𝗛𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗢𝗗𝗬 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥.

At some point, the damage is done. And when that moment comes, all the money, all the loyal clients, all the praise in the world can’t fix it.

⸻

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗪𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗡'𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧

Stylists are caretakers. We just happen to focus on hair.

We want to make people feel seen, loved, important.

But too often, we forget that we’re people too.

We convince ourselves that pushing through is noble.

That staying late is loyalty.

That saying yes is the mark of professionalism.

And we condition ourselves—literally and emotionally—to put ourselves last.

But here’s what it really cost:

• 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗛 𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗨𝗘𝗦 𝗪𝗘'𝗥𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗖𝗞 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗚.

Chronic conditions caused by dehydration, skipped meals, never taking a break to pee.

Pain we ignored until it became permanent.

• 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞.

Missed dinners. Missed tuck-ins. Missed life.

And for what?

Many of those clients aren’t even in our chair anymore.

Someone once told me, “Ten years from now, the only people who will remember you stayed late are your kids.”

And I’m living that now.

⸻

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗝𝗢𝗞𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜𝗦𝗡'𝗧 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗡𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗬𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘

In my salon company, there’s a running joke with new co-stylists:

“You can’t keep up with her. She’s not human.”

And for a long time, I took pride in that.

I worked harder. I gave more. I stayed longer.

But now? That joke isn’t funny anymore.

Because now, 𝗜 can’t keep up with me.

Even though my head’s still in the game, my body keeps tapping out.

And I’m the one paying the price.

⸻

𝗟𝗘𝗧'𝗦 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗫𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗘

Now, before anyone thinks this is a call to abandon discipline—let’s be real.

There’s a dangerous flip side to burnout culture.

There’s a growing idea that stylists should work two days a week, post a reel, and be booked out for six months.

That you don’t have to do the work—you just have to brand well.

𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧'𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗜𝗧 𝗘𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥.

Because success—true, sustainable, soul-satisfying success—takes effort.

You do need to earn your way up.

You do need to put in the time.

But you don’t need to kill yourself to prove yourself.

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗔 𝗠𝗜𝗗𝗗𝗟𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗.

There is a version of this career where you get to be great at what you do and still take care of your body, your mind, and your life.

But you can’t get there if you keep waiting for “later.”

⸻

𝗚𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗕𝗘𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗥

This post isn’t for pity.

This post is for the stylists who are 𝗪𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗨𝗣.

Waking up to the truth that success without self-respect is empty.

That your worth isn’t defined by your booking link.

That your legacy isn’t how many heads you’ve touched—it’s what kind of life you lived while doing it.

You’re allowed to love this industry and still want time for your kids.

You’re allowed to be wildly talented and still set boundaries.

You’re allowed to rest, to say no, to go home early and not feel guilty about it.

You’re allowed to be human.

Because if your chair is always full but you are always empty, that’s not success.

That’s a warning sign.

𝗦𝗢 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘'𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘 -

To every stylist who’s been telling themselves that pushing through—even when your head, heart, and body are begging you to stop—

𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝗠𝗘 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗜 𝗦𝗔𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦:

You are allowed to listen to you.

You are allowed to stop when you need to stop.

You are allowed to slow down when your body says slow down.

And you are absolutely allowed to take a fucking breath when you need to breathe.

You don’t owe anyone anything.

The only person you truly owe something to—is yourself.

To every artist running on empty but still feeling like you can’t pause:

𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗧𝗬, 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧?

And to every leader, owner, mentor, and educator who feels like you have to hold it together for everyone else, every single day:

Here’s what I have to say to that—

𝗙𝗨𝗖𝗞 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧.

You earned the right to be human on day one.

Not after you proved yourself. Not after you built the business.

You’ve carried that right with you all along—and you keep it until the end.

⸻

𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗧.

Your health.

Your peace.

Your time.

These are not luxuries.

They are your first non-negotiables.

This lesson?

It’s mine.

And it’s one I keep learning over and over.

I thought I had learned it.

I hope I’m learning it now.

But if I’m being honest, I’ll probably be learning this one for the rest of my life.

I wish I’d understood sooner that my worth wasn’t built by burning myself out.

That I didn’t need to keep going when everything inside me said to stop.

That I didn’t need to “earn” the right to rest.

That balancing me the entire way through wasn’t optional—it was everything.

Because that balance? That’s how you stay in love with this career.

That’s how you stay healthy.

That’s how you stay you.

So let’s stop glorifying burnout.

Let’s start glorifying boundaries.

Let’s start remembering you are the asset in your business.

It doesn’t exist without you.

Let’s make these standards the norm—not the exception.

Let’s take work ethic and meet it with balance.

Let’s take professionalism and pair it with real passion.

Not an unnecessary willingness to push forward even when you need to pause.

Let’s take all of that—and go beyond the chair.

𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘.