Hit 15 years behind the chair yesterday and it caught me off guard

I was going through my appointment book and realized I started at the Paul Mitchell school in Phoenix back in February of 2010, which makes 15 years exactly. Never thought I would stick with it this long, especially after that first year when I could barely cover my booth rent. For the other stylists who have been doing this a while, what kept you going through the slow periods early on?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese5507d agoTop Commenter

caught me off guard" - yeah I know that feeling, I blinked and suddenly my beard has more gray than brown in it. What kept me going through those slow months was honestly just stubbornness and the realization that I was already broke so quitting wouldn't fix that. Plus my clients started bringing me coffee and that's basically a love language when you're running on fumes and cheap energy drinks.

skylergrant6d ago

The coffee thing is real. I had one client who brought me a thermos of black coffee every Tuesday for like two years straight during my slowest stretch, and I still think about that sometimes. That kind of stuff is what kept me going too - just little signs that people actually wanted me around even when my books were half empty and I was questioning everything. Stubbornness and caffeine really do carry you through the rough patches.