You May Be a Professional Hair Stylist

Hi,

Creating value is at the core of every profession and every business—even at the core of every person. How fortunate stylists are to have the opportunity to create value on at least two levels. On a practical level, it is through their mastery each of us have access to better looking hair. On a deeper level, they have the potential to make us feel better about ourselves, improve our confidence and self-esteem, and even help us be more effective personally and professionally.

We believe hairdressing is a profession. We also believe that through ignorance, lack of role models, and inertia many stylists approach hairdressing as a trade rather than a profession. In this post we are talking to professionals and those who aspire to become professionals.

Let’s take a quick look at some characteristics stylists have in common with other professionals. Like teachers, business people, and pharmacists; stylists need specialized knowledge. Like lawyers and doctors; stylists must commit to lifelong continuing education. Like authors, playwrights, and artists; stylists need imagination. And, like counselors, entrepreneurs, and bankers; stylists must exercise judgment. Compared with tradesmen, who may well have rich and satisfying jobs, stylists enjoy the upside potential of creating extremely satisfying careers, lifelong learning, and a high degree of autonomy.

One of the wonderful consequences of being a professional is the relative degree of control you have over your work. Professionals tend to be mobile—they can earn their living almost anywhere they want to live. Professionals enjoy a certain regard from people in their communities and social circles. Professionals also have some say about their work environment. For example, authors, lawyers, and dentists have a high degree of control over whether they work within organizations or whether they work in solitude. Either is an effective way for them to do their jobs and the choice simply reflects who they are as people or the degree of socialization they require in their work environment.

Stylists have the same freedom of choice. In an earlier posting called, “What’s In It for Me?” stylists who prefer to work alone can see how they might prefer to open a little studio, or work in a Warehouse Model salon. Stylists who have relatively low needs for social interaction, or who simply want to focus on their individual practice, can thrive in those environments. For those stylists who enjoy being part of a team, who have a collaborative work style, who seek a balance between the collective interest and the individual interest, and who want to be part of something larger than themselves the Branded Model salon is a better choice. We’ll stop far short of saying one of these models is better than the other—but we admit that we not only prefer, but advocate, the Branded Model and actually seek out those stylists who prefer that kind of work environment.

If you have questions, or want to discuss the personal and professional benefits that stylists can enjoy by working in Branded Model salons, please contact me.

Jim

Lucavia

(925) 980-7871
gojimlucas@lucavia.com


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