Blocks. We don’t like to talk about them but most of us have them.
And I am not talking about the wooden type.
I’m talking about the ones that sit deep rooted in your mind.
The ones that say
“Oh, you cant do that.”
Or
“What? You don’t deserve that! Get back in your place!”
Simply put, these thoughts can hold us back dramatically and I’m here to show you why.
I’ve been working with salon owners for over ten years – and I was one myself for ten years too.
Salon owners are totally different to any other businesses owning community and this both is your biggest asset and your biggest limitation all in wrapped into one!
Let me explain….
Many businesses are created to meet a functional need – a printing supplier, a supermarket, a clothes retailer.
But you meet an emotional need in your business because you make people feel better about themselves.
I mean that in itself is pretty powerful!
It’s an industry born from passion, a heartfelt desire to help others and a deep connection with nurturing, transformation and self worth.
BUT, and here is the big but…
Most salon owners do what they do, because they love it.
And because they love it, they think its not really a legitimate business – and charging for it feels, somehow, wrong.
So you shy away from doing your numbers, increasing your prices or asking for more.
You absorb costs in a cost of living crisis and figure that £20 is better than nothing.
And, you are so connected to your business emotionally, you don’t always see the potential it has to provide you a lovely life.
Because who can love what they do and make money from it?
Surely its one or the other, right?
Quite the contrary…..
In an industry that’s so dedicated to the welfare of others, pay days should be big and self worth should be HIGH!
But here are the blocks I see all the time.
I wonder how many you feel?
I’m not good enough!
I know, I know.
Our industry has some AMAZING leaders in it. This industry breeds skills and creativity. But its also deeply rooted in a ‘limited income’ mindset because, once upon a time, it was believed that the hair and beauty world was ‘what you did if you didn’t really know what you wanted to do’.
A place where people went to work to just paint nails.
But the tides are turning.
People now recognise how incredibly impactful our industry and you need to acknowledge yourself as part of that story.
I can’t delegate!
I get it….. You started small so you did it all.
But then you grew! And you kept doing it all….
That, my dear, is what causes overwhelm.
But we have this HUGE fear of delegation because we believe no one else will do it as well as we can.
But, the sad truth is, WE cant do it as well as we can, if we try to do it all.
Its impossible.
And I know we say nothing is impossible – but doing it all really well actually is impossible.
If you have kids in school – you delegate the education of your most precious cargo… so I know you can delegate your cleaning and book-keeping at the very least!
Picking the tasks that we both enjoy AND get results are where your focus should be.
Life is more overwhelming for me
Typically we see other salon owners on Instagram and Facebook, TikTok or in the local magazines and we think “it’s easier for them and harder for me because _______ . “
(Fill the blank with appropriate reasons).
The truth is, everyone has something going on. Everyone. And their business is really none of yours.
Changing your mindset around what others are doing and focusing on what you can do well, is a much better use of your precious time.
Life CAN be overwhelming.
With families, businesses, life and all the trappings, it can be hard to stay energised.
But read back to the previous block – delegation.
Try it!
I can’t have the best house or car
….or holidays or handbags or take time off or only work those hours or only work those days because so and so won’t like it.
Our worries of how we will be judged by others – usually clients and staff if you have them – can cripple your progress.
But these are the benefits of being a business owner you see.
You get to call the shots.
You also have to deal with the refunds, complaints, staff sickness, accounts, taxes and all the other stuff that comes with being a business owner.
If you wanna stay in the middle lane, go work for someone.
You wanna sparkle bright?
Know that a few will try to dim your sparkle – but you work hard, and deserve the rewards
I shouldn’t earn more than….
Husband?
Wife?
Siblings?
Friends?
Cousin’s cat?
Really, what you earn doesn’t need to be shared with anyone. Yore not an MLMer, after all (sorry but if you know, you know).
But the fear we have to earn more can trigger self-sabotage.
If you worked in a job for a long period of time, and you were given a pay rise, you’d accept it right?
You wouldn’t say “thanks very much but I don’t need one…”
Exactly.
Pay yourself your worth.
I can’t set boundaries
This is a BIG one.
Boundary setting sets us free!
But why do we struggle so much?
Well let’s put it like this…
There is a reason there is a boundary around the lion in the zoo. Because it keeps you safe from things that want to eat you.
When we create boundaries, we protect ourselves.
Our energy, our time, our money even.
But as passionate, caring souls, we so often open up that extra hour to help a client out or work on a Saturday when we should be at our child’s dance recital.
Its okay to make the occasional exception, but when we bend too easy, we teach others our time is invaluable and we are at their demand.
Remember why you became the BOSS.
Now these blocks can cause us to never truly believe we can have the balance, money, life we dream of – however that looks.
And sadly, whilst hopefully this blog may make you think a little differently it’s not going to delete years of stories that affirm these belief systems.
Luckily for you though, there is something we can do.
A little journey you and I can take that targets these thoughts, blasts them out and replaces them with new, positive ideas and systems.
And I created it JUST for salon owners.
As a hypnotherapist, salon coach and ex-salon owner, I’d say I’m pretty equipped to help you shift your mindset to having it all – and the hundreds that have gone through the process would hopefully agree too.
Interest piqued?
Find our more about our salon owner Dream Big Formula here;
