Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Annie Fisher. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Annie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I hope my legacy reflects a spirit of generosity and that I inspired others. It is important to me that I share my knowledge with those seeking education. I will forever be grateful for the personal and professional mentors I’ve had.

I believe strongly in the idea that we are not in competition with others but with ourselves to do better hair than I did the day before. As a hairstylist, I believe there is more than enough hair to cut and the people who appreciate how I work will find their way to my chair.

In the end, I hope my impact extends beyond the beauty industry and includes my community. I have a passion for my craft and consistently push myself to be a better human than I am today. I want to be remembered as someone who volunteered my time and talent, sharing my almost 30 years in beauty freely with others.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My love for playing with hair and beauty started with my “Barbies”. It was my entry into glam and as a tomboy it was a fun escape. I had to grow up fast, leaving home at 17 with a baby, needing to finish high school and find work to provide for us. “Glamour Shots” at the local mall was hiring, for those who don’t know, this was a studio offering makeup applications/hairstyling and a photography session with clothing. I had done this once with my mom and they made me feel so beautiful. I was excited for a chance to provide that for others. I got the job and my journey of healing, self-acceptance, and glam was on!
I received training on hair styling and makeup, plus I got to work closely with photographers in styling the shoots. I worked hard and I was good at it. The feeling was such a high, I didn’t know this was possible. The confidence I got as I helped others define their beauty and play dress up was a surprise to me. For a little while, I helped people escape into this magical place of glamour, highlighting all their best features. The confidence I saw in women of every size, age and race helped me see beauty everywhere.
After graduating high school, I attended community college working towards a degree in education. I was doing freelance weddings, prom, and editorial hair and makeup. I made the decision to bet on myself and my love of the beauty industry, so I enrolled in Beauty School. I learned quickly that being published in a magazine or styling beautiful hair for a photoshoot didn’t mean I knew what I was doing. I felt like I had entered nursing school, learning the circulatory system, how to recognize diseases and disorders. We spent so much time learning how to do basic chemistry and all about the PH scale. So much science and safety. Let’s just say I was humbled very quickly and had to study way more than simply style hair.
My beauty schoolteachers taught me how to listen for what is unsaid, to ask questions, to manage expectations, and how important it is to have good communication. I was taught basic haircuts and chemical applications. I left with the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree. It was time to go get my masters by joining an apprenticeship.
After 1.5 years of beauty school, I committed another 1.5 years to my training. Now I was finally learning how to do the hair people want! Lots of classes and finding models to practice what I learned with brutal honest feedback. It is a vulnerable thing to create something you are proud of and have it graded. I figured a 3-year investment to be a career hairstylist was worth it. I was pleasantly surprised that this world, although at times very superficial, was also very kind. I gained mentors that changed my course by their example and how to dream bigger for myself. These people showed me how to give back to my community, how to enjoy travel, and make beautiful art. I am forever grateful to them.
I have won awards, been published in magazines, mentored others, created my art on a big stage, been a creative director of runway shows, I’ve cut hair in homeless shelters, styled wigs for people experiencing cancer and shed many tears and laughs while sharing life with people. It has always been more than “doing hair” for me.
I currently own a salon in Seattle WA and in 2019 I was able to purchase the commercial real estate my salon calls home. Almost 30 years later I am still grateful for the foundation I received and the career I’ve built.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I believe in a grassroots approach to growth as a hairstylist who has started over more than once. To me this means asking for help from the people who already love your work. Every happy client that sits in your chair is an opportunity, they all have networks of people you don’t know. Ask them to share you with their network or write a review to share what they love about their hair and you as an artist. You might be surprised how a humble ask for people to send you their friends, family, and/or co-workers can grow your books. Things to consider when asking for help, be specific, find people you click with. There’s a good chance that you will click with their friends as well. If there are services you want to do more of, post those photos and ask clients receiving that service to refer you and post on social. I do not offer new client discounts; my value doesn’t change based on whether they have seen me before. Even more important to me is my current loyal clientele shouldn’t pay more than someone trying me out. I do not give referral discounts either, I do believe in a genuine thank you and acknowledgement in other forms. (You might be noticing a pattern; I don’t do discounts.)

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

When applying for loans in 2013 to open my first salon, I learned I had no business credit. This was a shock since I had been operating as a sole proprietor for many years with a good credit score, good financial records, and good debt to income ratio. I was shocked this wasn’t enough. After spending 2 years preparing to be an owner, I was feeling defeated. I shared my situation with a handful of people, and I was shocked by the support. I received several offers for both partnerships and investors in the business. I did my research, met with a lawyer, and ultimately decided to go with investors for my first salon. A partnership wasn’t the right fit for me. Contracts were drawn up, and between the investors and my own contribution, we started with $100k. I opened a business credit card and financed some equipment to start building credit. Over the course of 5 years, I was able to pay back the investors.
By leveraging the jumpstart by people who believed in the business plan and establishing credit I was able to purchase commercial real estate. In 2019, I was able to buy a commercial condo that was formerly a salon. Now my small business operates out of a space I own, and my improvements contribute to my equity. My journey to get here was thought out and planned over many years. There were a few hiccups along the way, but I have a good network of people to help me stay positive, and I’m proud of the business I have created.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.afhsalon.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afhsalon
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieFisherHair
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/afh-salon-seattle

Image Credits
Shelly https://www.dakotaandco.com