The Unsexy Side of Success: 5 Things That Actually Build a Beauty Career

I saw a quote the other day that stopped me in my tracks. It read: "If you show up every day, the results won't have a choice.” 

The person who posted it went on to say that life doesn't reward people who show up. It rewards the people who stay. That really hit me because it's exactly what I've experienced in this industry. 

My husband and I were talking the other day about our new salon build-out. We were excited because we had some products sponsored in exchange for creating content. We both stopped for a second and appreciated how incredible that was. But it didn't happen overnight.

I remember working behind the chair all day, then coming home and editing videos until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. I'd spend hours posting, replying to comments, answering DMs and engaging with people online. I was so wired from staring at my phone that I couldn't even fall asleep. I'm not saying that's healthy, and I'm definitely not saying that's the only way to build a business today. But there is a lot of invisible work behind success that people never see.

Here are five unglamorous things I believe every successful stylist has done at some point in their career.
 

1. Filming Content Long Before It Pays Off

Content isn't optional anymore. If you want people to know who you are, you have to show them. That means filming your work consistently, even when you're tired. It means learning how to edit videos, write captions and post regularly.

Sometimes it feels like you're doing two full-time jobs. You're doing hair all day and creating content all night, and it can absolutely burn you out. But content sitting on your phone doesn't build your business - it has to be edited and shared. 

And yes, sometimes posting feels uncomfortable. Some of my most successful posts were the ones I almost didn't publish because I felt vulnerable or worried about what people would think. You can't be afraid to lose followers - when you have a large audience, you'll lose followers every single day. If you obsess over those numbers, you'll drive yourself crazy. Focus on serving the people who are paying attention instead.
 

2. Taking Models Before You Have Paying Clients

3. Working Nights and Weekends

This one isn't glamorous, but it's true.

You don't get to have your dream schedule before you've built your dream clientele. When I was building my salon, my education company and my personal brand, I worked nights, weekends, holidays and plenty of 60-hour weeks.

It wasn't forever; it was for a season.

Too many people expect the schedule they've earned before they've actually earned it. Building a clientele requires availability. The more opportunities you say yes to early in your career, the faster you'll grow.
 

4. Being Willing to Inconvenience Yourself

This one might be the biggest lesson of all: growth is inconvenient. 

If your dream client can only come in on Thursday night, you say yes. If the certification you've been wanting requires leaving your house at 5:00 in the morning and driving three hours, you go. If you own a salon and you want a stronger team, you make time to train them even when your schedule is overflowing.

As a salon owner, training my team is one of the hardest things to prioritize because there are a hundred other responsibilities competing for my attention. But if I want a better team, I have to inconvenience myself. That's true for every stage of your career. Success usually asks you to do the thing that's least convenient.
 

5. Taking Clients Who Aren't Your Ideal Client

Specializing is great, but becoming too picky too early can slow your growth.I see stylists who only want to do extensions, lived-in blondes or vivid color turning away perfectly good haircut, blowout and color appointments. 

But you never know who is sitting in your chair - that haircut client might become your extension client six months from now. She might send you five referrals, she might be your biggest advocate. Every guest is an opportunity. When you're building, your job is to become known for excellent service first. Your dream clientele usually grows out of the clients you were willing to say yes to in the beginning.
 

Final Thoughts

If you're in the trenches right now, I hope this encourages you to keep going.

Maybe you're staying late to edit videos after a full day behind the chair. Maybe you're coming in on your day off to work on a model. Maybe you're working nights and weekends while everyone else seems to have their dream schedule already.

I've been there. A lot of successful stylists have.

The part you're in right now isn't glamorous, and honestly, it usually isn't the part people post about. They post the booked schedule, the beautiful salon, the brand deals and the sold out classes. They don't usually post the years it took to get there.

If you're putting in the work, don't get discouraged just because the results haven't caught up yet. Keep showing up. Keep learning. Keep creating. Keep saying yes to opportunities that move you closer to the career you want.

One day, someone will look at your success and think it happened overnight. You'll know it didn't.

And while you're building, make your life easier wherever you can. Whether you're stocking your salon, replacing your everyday essentials, or looking for ways to save on the products you already use, Marlo Beauty is a great partner to have in your corner. Growing a business is hard enough. Having a reliable supplier helps you spend less time worrying about the little things and more time focused on your clients and your craft.
 

Gina Sicard (@iamginabianca), Pro2Pro Editorial Contributor
Gina is a veteran salon owner with a proven track record of building strong salon cultures, delivering meaningful education and mentoring top performing stylists. Gina’s mission is to provide inspiration, resources and real world strategies for salon owners and stylists who want to grow.