Read This When It Feels Like You’ve Lost Your Passion For Doing Hair
How To Rekindle Your Passion For Doing Hair
One stylist reached out to us in need of advice because despite making great money and loving her clientele, doing hair felt more like a job than the passion it once was. Sound familiar? You’re not alone if you’ve been feeling burnt out, so we reached out to the BTC community to get their advice on how to rekindle that lost passion. Ready to get re-inspired? Keep scrolling to see what they had to say!
“I’ve been a hairstylist for 6 years and I’m losing my passion. I make great money and have a great clientele, but I feel like hair is becoming more of a job than a passion. I feel drained from my clientele’s needs. From the constant messaging about what I think we should do for their next appointment to when they are in my chair and we catch up on life. I failed to make boundaries outside the work place because I thought having open communication with clients about their appointments would be beneficial to me and the clientele but now I feel like I’m constantly working because of having to respond back to clients outside work hours. I used to love what I do. My clientele has changed from 20-year-olds to older women. Being 27, I feel more inspired with the younger generation. My social media is not growing and I feel like as a stylist I’m not growing. I want to fall in love with my career again but I’m lost on how to do that. Any ideas?”
It’s Time To Set Boundaries
“Find balance. Create a healthy boundary and ask all clients to discuss hair options during their appointment or ask them to start texting your assistant for any hair related questions. Find something else in life that makes you happy, that you have a passion for. Focus on your hobbies for a minute. Change up your salon or start freelancing. Take a vacation….A long one. Start looking into becoming an educator. Don’t give up, the fire will come back.” – @buddywporter
“To me, it doesn’t sound like you’re burnt out on the artistry or creative aspect, but mostly you’re burnt out on clients not respecting personal boundaries because you’ve been too nice or too available and have failed to establish them. I was in the exact same situation as you, at right about the 6- or 7-year mark. The fact that you’ve made it past 5 years says a lot! Not many make it beyond that point. I would gently let them know that you’ll only respond to texts/calls say 9am-8pm. I had a stylist friend do that and she put that on her website and Instagram stories for clients. Honestly, by adding another day off to your schedule, raising prices and setting boundaries (protect your energy and sanity), it sounds like you’ll be OK! Hang in there. Give it at least one more year, like @lisalovesbalayage did. She turned her life around when she was fed up.” – Ashley Neff
“If a client texts me on a day off and I am not in the mood to respond I reply, ‘Hi there! I am off today but I will get back to you ASAP tomorrow :)’ No one can argue with that and it’s the modern day equivalent to getting an answering machine when a business is closed lol. Also, make sure you are not overbooking or working too many days. Raise your prices if you need to. I try to make time for other interests as well so that hair is not my whole life.” – Marissa Buttner
“Reset your boundaries. Your clients who care about you will respect that and any that don’t, you ignore. Just be honest. Clients will understand. I’m sure they wouldn’t want to be bothered by their jobs outside of work hours. Get a planner. Use it to set aside time in your week to do what you feel is what you need to do for your life and career. Remember to set aside time just to do nothing and for fun. You deserve to have a great career AND have a life outside of work.” – @studio_trio_naomi
“It’s easy to get burnt out these days. Boundaries. Set aside time each day to answer your clientele’s questions but once time is up, time is up. Loyal clientele will stay. It’s easy to get into this business full steam ahead, full of enthusiasm. I promise, the spark will come back.” – Bailey Bevan
“Unfortunately you failed to set boundaries. We are a business and should be treated as such. What other business is open 24/7 that’s a one man show? Set those boundaries and respond only during the hours you work. You’ve let yourself become available all of the time and now you’re getting blown up all of the time, no time for yourself. No one else knows what it’s like unless you work behind the chair. Just starting there is good and go up on your prices. Think of all that ‘unpaid free counseling’ you’re doing on the side that’s eating up your personal hours that you’re not in the salon. Any other person in any other line of work would consider that overtime and are getting paid for it. You’re literally working 24/7 and not getting paid. Good luck!” – Jess Muraro
Maybe Try Something New, Whether That’s A Location Or Career Change
“I feel like most of us go through this at the 6-year mark! I went through this until I changed salons AND I’ve become a little more picky about who I take on as clients. I think you should sit down with yourself and think about what you LIKE AND LOVE to do and what you want as a hairdresser, then make that magic happen even if it means starting fresh.” – @teasehairgirl
“I did it for 20 years. My passion gradually faded until it was nothing but a chore. I grew to genuinely hate people, and the salons I worked at didn’t help. Maybe a change of scenery would help you. I ended up switching careers altogether and couldn’t be happier.” – Jeanie Gray
“If you’re done at 27, you should consider something else. I’m 64 and have been doing it since I was 27. I still can’t wait to get to work everyday, but I have handpicked my clientele and omitted the nerve eaters. That’s the secret.” – Scott Parker
“Lots of good suggestions for gaining inspiration again! You could also try doing some volunteer work to show you how important your work is to others. Maybe do a styling class for single fathers or go style some hair in a nursing home/assisted living home. I personally love my job because I get to make people feel beautiful and better about themselves.” – Katelin Spray
“I would say get continued education in other areas under the ‘cosmetology umbrella.’ For example, I have been doing hair for 16 years. I started in 2003 when I was 18 and now I’ll be 34 this year. I was having the same feeling, so I got in to waxing. I’ve been doing facial waxing for about 3 years now….I love both jobs and it gives me a break from doing hair.” – @charmingbeautybar
Get Inspired With Fresh Education
“Take a new class, learn a new technique, get a new tool, make boundaries with the clients you can. If you need to cut ties with some for your own good, then do that. Get business cards and go to clubs or bars or whereever to hand out those cards and get a new clientele with new boundaries with clients you will want to work on.” – @annasaurus2
“See if there are any hair shows coming up in your area. [Ed. Note: BTC is taking education “On Tour” this year! Click here to see where we’re headed!] Hair shows will provide some new ideas and inspiration for you and I think seeing all the beautiful work will reignite your passion. Plus, it’s always good to get away sometimes—even for a few days! As someone else mentioned, I would let your clients know you will be communicating in between appointments through email and during business hours only (or times that you are comfortable with). Let them know honestly that you do have a life outside of doing hair and if they don’t respect that, it’s time for them to go! I really hope you get your passion back because this really is a great industry. We help people in so many ways—it is very rewarding!” – Michelle Newlin
“Is there a reason why they’re older women? Perhaps you need to take a course or two on up-to-date techniques. If you’re not retaining the clientele age bracket you want, you need to ask why. It could be just bad luck, but I normally go with the motto, ‘You get the clients you deserve.’ Perhaps a course or two will help get your passion back as well!” – @hairby.harley
“Going to shows and continuing education classes always leaves me feeling inspired when I’m in a rut. It’s so good to take breaks and leave time for self care as well. Also, set boundaries! Don’t check messages outside of work hours or encourage guests to call the salon for booking inquiries!” – @styled.by.emily
“GO TAKE A CLASS AND RE-INSPIRE YOUR CAREER! Reignite your passion!” – DeLayne Boutte
“Here is what I think you should do. I think you need to take a class whether it be coloring or cutting to get re-inspired. I think something as small and simple as that will spark your passion again. I think you can also market yourself, whether on social media or local flyers, with pictures of your awesome work to reach out to your wanted generation of clients. As far as open communication, are your clients texting you at all hours? Definite boundaries need to be set. When someone texts you during an ungodly hour, have an automated message sent as a response saying something like, ‘Hello my beloved clients, for hair questions or appointment requests please text me during normal booking hours between 9am and 5pm Monday through Friday so I will be sure to see your messages and get back to you in a timely manner.’ I think this will remind people that you are human and you have a life outside of your job because it’s very stressful and very draining, and if every waking moment is spent thinking about your work and your clients, it’s going to definitely transition into negative thoughts and feelings. Your work is art and soul, you need to conserve yourself or else you will be burnt out. Best of luck fellow hair bestie!” – @bhrimo
Take A Much-Deserved Break
“Maybe first take a vacation (to refresh) and then offer your services to a woman’s shelter or hold a free haircut event for people in need in your community. Then, after you are reminded of the power your skills have on benefiting someone’s life, do something creative with your craft. Enter a pro contest or create a hair show…Have some fun with it. (And tell clients your hours of availability and resist responding outside of those hours.) Good luck!” – @makeupbyrlt
“I’ve felt like this. I know where you are. Don’t give up. Just take a break. It sounds like you need a holiday then rearrange things with boundaries. Write or draw what you want to keep it clear in your vision.” – @jasper_benjy
“Take a little vacation to think about things and see how you feel. I did hair for 20 years and I just don’t think it was the right career for me. I do office work now and feel much happier and my income is stable. You may just need a break and to learn to set better boundaries.” – Christina Park Chavez
“Energy work! Many stylists are unaware of their energy fields. Take time out for yourself to release other people’s energy that we as stylists pick up on throughout our work day.” – Stevi M Ling
“I’ve been in the biz for 25 years. You’re burnt out after 6? Set boundaries and take classes for inspiration. You must be an excellent stylist though seeing as you said you are that busy. Doing 20-year-olds hair is great but it’s the older clientele that will continue to pay your bills. Take that into consideration. Take one Saturday off a month! Have a weekend! Do good things for yourself too!” – Jen Skladanek
For more advice, see what others had to say on Instagram and Facebook!
