Scott Buchanan led a company of 220 people. His explanation for why stylists leave fits in one line: "You don't manage people. That's when they leave."
The owners I've interviewed didn't lead with pay. They pointed to five other reasons: the work gets repetitive, the body wears out, going independent looks easier than it is, they're managed instead of led, and new stylists expect results faster than they come. And each one is something an owner can do something about. So here's what each looks like, in the words of the people who've dealt with it.
1. They are bored
Vivienne Mackinder, an educator for most of her career, is specific about what repetition does:
"there's a point where no one thrives in repetition, because it just becomes dull."
Vivienne Mackinder
Becky Dobbs of Elleven Salon treats boredom as a signal, not a character flaw. When a stylist says she's a little bored, that's the cue for new education:
"I think education is what keeps you going."
Becky Dobbs, Elleven Salon
So the fix is a steady supply of something new: a class every quarter, a new service to learn, a chance to teach. Shelly Malizola pays for her team's classes partly by hosting outside stylists, and Becky's salon pays for education outside the salon for stylists at the top of her levels.
2. Their body wears out
Hair is physical work, and burnout is often literal. Lensi White remembers that on a five-day week, by the fifth day her feet and back were hurting. Shelly Malizola builds this into training at Allure Designs, teaching proper body positioning because neck, back and wrist problems are so common in the industry:
"we work on body positioning. You know, we get the longevity and it's working smarter, not harder."
Shelly Malizola, Allure Designs
Wendy McCown went further and moved her whole team of 16 stylists to a three-day week, with prices raised step by step to match. Her stylists earned more working less. You don't have to go that far. But I think a schedule that protects people's bodies keeps them working longer, for you.
3. Going independent looks easy
Social media makes working alone look simple. Greg Chavez of Salon Kreed, who says there aren't many commission salons in Colorado Springs, has watched what happens next:
"a lot of them get out on their own. And then they find that it's not as easy. And so sometimes they end up coming back."
Greg Chavez, Salon Kreed
His explanation is the business side, and how much of it there is to learn. Lensi White, who did go independent after 16 years in Wendy's commission salon, is honest about what she gave up:
"So it's so comforting and comfortable To work in a commission salon and everything's done for you and then you do really well"
Lensi White
That comfort is your argument. So make it visible: the front desk, the booking, the marketing, the education, the people to learn from. And when someone does go, let them leave well. Greg's point is that some of them come back.
4. They are managed instead of led
Scott Buchanan grew from five people to 220, and his rule is the reason this article exists:
"You don't manage people. That's when they leave."
Scott Buchanan
His answer is to lead people and manage systems. There's a written way to answer the phone, greet a guest and do a shampoo, and when something goes wrong, the conversation is about the step, not the person. Stylists take correction personally, right? A system takes the personal out of it.
He also says the person doing the leading has to look after themselves first:
"You have to nurture the nurturer and you have to make sure that you feel good because you can't pass it on if you're not feeling good."
Scott Buchanan
5. New stylists expect it too fast
Some of the stylists you lose are new ones who give up before their book fills. Travis Parker, who teaches cutting through the Travis Parker Academy, says the problem is timing, not talent:
"patience is a massive thing. We tend to want a result faster than it's going to happen."
Travis Parker
He puts it even shorter: "You take anything out of the oven too soon, and it's not done." So an owner can help by showing new stylists the timeline ahead of time. Becky Dobbs ramps new people onto the floor one day, then two, then three, with goals at each step, and each of her levels spells out what it takes to move up. And a path you can see makes the slow early months bearable.
And sometimes, letting go is right
Not every departure is a failure. Becky Dobbs is clear that keeping someone who doesn't fit the culture is worse than the gap they leave:
"And if you have team players that are not your culture, it's okay. It's all right."
Becky Dobbs, Elleven Salon
The short version
- Boredom: something new to learn every quarter.
- Burnout: body positioning, sane schedules, double booking that lets people work fewer days.
- Going independent: make the support you give visible, and leave the door open.
- Being managed: correct the system, not the person.
- Impatience: show new stylists the timeline and the levels before they start.
For the whole picture of building a team that stays, read salon culture: what six owners do to keep a team. And there's one more retention tool owners miss. I think featuring your stylists' work on the salon's social media gives them a reason to stay that another salon can't match.