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Career, Professionalism & Success in the Beauty Industry

Career, Professionalism & Success in the Beauty Industry

If you’re going to do something with your life and career ... do it to the best of your ability.

And if your ability comes up short, study and practice harder until you get it right. Work at it until you master it.

You get one shot at life. I don't know about you, but I set out to make a difference in the world around me...

I wanted to succeed in business.

I wanted to be the leader of my own company.

I wanted to teach and coach.

I wanted to write a great business book ... and have written three books so far.

I achieved these wants by working my butt off. I did it by learning what I didn't know. I did it by pushing myself to become a recognized expert on business and leadership.

My career and my success were not handed to me.

Establishing your reputation as a salon/spa business owner or service provider has everything to do with your approach, and commitment, to professionalism.

That being said, I am deeply troubled by how casually the term "professionalism" is used in our industry.

Professionalism isn't a name you just slap on something.

Professionalism is about...

  • One's behavioral conduct

  • Integrity

  • Trust

  • Respect for others.


Professionalism is about how you project who you are to others ... the genuine you.

Here are my ten No-Compromise Leadership "must do's" for creating the career and success story of your dreams:

  1. Earn your success every day: Career, professionalism and success are built one day at a time by showing up and playing as hard as you can play every day. Showing up means showing up early. Showing up means being prepared for the day's work and challenges. Playing hard mirrors your level of seriousness about your career and earning your success.
    FACT: You can't fake seriousness and playing hard. It's there or it's not.

  2. Test your limits: Some days will test your limits to deal with real life business and career challenges. That's okay because testing your limits builds character. Testing your limits forces you to adapt and overcome.
    FACT: Testing your limits is about breaking a sweat on the tough stuff and proving to yourself that you can not only handle it ... but excel at it. Easy work doesn't force you to adapt and grow. Doing easy work is a lifetime pass to the comfort zone.

  3. The "entitlement" curse: I've never bought into entitlement thinking. When it comes to building a career, professionalism and success, no one is entitled to anything. A career is earned and built ... not given as a gift. Professionalism is a chosen behavioral conduct ... not a title earned simply by showing up. Success is an outcome ... tenacity, commitment and hard work are the drivers.
    FACT: Anyone that feels entitled to a career, to be called a professional, or have success handed to them ... will go through life blaming everything and everyone for their failures ... except themselves.

  4. Image and reputation: Chasing a career, professionalism and success means living under a public microscope. Fairly or unfairly, your actions, words and deeds are there for the world to experience, evaluate, judge and criticize. This is especially so in this era of social media where anything and everything, true or not, can go public in a nanosecond.
    FACT: One misstep can cause an impeccable image and reputation to go poof and take years to recover. Protect your image and reputation through good judgment and by avoiding questionable situations.

  5. Be first to step up: Being first to step up is the simple process of putting yourself out there. It may be to simply give a helping hand, volunteer for a project or to take on new responsibility.
    FACT: People that step up first get noticed. People that step up first are committed to getting things done. People that step up first do so because it's the right thing to do. They are team players and reflect the best of a company's culture. People that don't step up are the comfort zone crowd that always wants more without doing the work.

  6. Mentor with the best: When you mentor with those that are where you want to be, it's like getting on the fast track of knowledge and experience. Successful people know the value of mentoring because that's how they create and surround themselves with dynamic teams.
    FACT: Successful people can quickly identify the fire in someone's eyes that is hungry to learn and grow. They are willing to share their knowledge and experience with others and often take select individuals under their wing. Just ask. You'll be surprised how many are willing to share and mentor.

  7. Beware your own ego and hype: If you don't keep your ego in check, it can easily over-inflate. There's nothing wrong with being a little boisterous, but going over the top can and will make you look like a jerk. It's also dangerous when you start believing in your own hype. I've seen people act like they're royalty and expect extreme special treatment. They are quickly identified as "difficult" and "high maintenance."
    FACT: Success earns respect for the accomplishment ... but it's the same respect everyone deserves. Don't act like a jerk. Done.

  8. Measurements tell the truth: When the success behind the curtain is the same as the success the world sees in front of the curtain ... there's truth. When the story in front of the curtain is masking an ugly mess behind the curtain ... that story is a fabrication.
    FACT: There are financial and operational measurements that support impressive careers and success. Profit, manageable debt and cash reserves tell the truth about the leader and salon/spa's fiscal controls. First-time and existing client retention rates, pre-book rates, productivity rates, staff turnover rates tell the truth about operational success. What story do your measurements tell about your career and success?

  9. Embody “professionalism”: Professionalism doesn’t automatically come with a license or being able to buy and use “professional” products. Professionalism is directly proportional to how you choose to master and embody your chosen career. It is the level of commitment to your work, the clients you serve, the business that employees you, the teammates you mentor, your attitude, your work ethic ... and the industry you represent.
    FACT: Professionalism embodies your personal pride and respect that you are an integral part of a profession that is greater than you. Anything less is not professional.

  10. Reach out your hand to others: You didn’t get where you are without help, guidance and mentoring from others. When you reach that extraordinary place where your career, professionalism and success become one, you have a responsibility to those coming up behind you. Show them the career and success pathways that you discovered. Be their benchmark for what authentic professionalism truly is.
    FACT: You will encounter many that don’t want to do the work. In the end, if you want success more than an individual is willing to fight for ... learn from your experience and move. Likewise, you will encounter the few with that passion in their heart and fire in their gut. Cherish those amazing mentoring experiences.


Here’s my challenge to you: Take a hard look at your business model. If the ten “must do’s” detailed above are not vividly evident ... it’s time to change your leadership approach and business model.

Salon/spa owners are stuck between old and deficient business practices and what it truly takes to lead and grow a dynamic, team-based business model. Proof of this is how service providers are revolting against the commission “I/me/mine” structure and opting for booth rental and suites.

Creating amazing careers, authentic professionalism and extraordinary success takes a hell of a lot more leadership know-how and systemization than paying a commission on what a pair of hands can generate.

If some chooses to work alone over working for your salon/spa ... the mindset change for career, professionalism and success needs to begin with you...the owner. 

[thrive_2step id='4449']Team-Based Pay White Paper[/thrive_2step]

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