We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Emily Young a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Emily, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success is such a relative term. While I maybe the definition of success to one person, I might be a small fish to others. How does one define the word success, and what does that even mean? Is it being the highest earner, is it being the hardest worker, is it being the best in your industry…. And who makes those rules? If someone asked me 5 years ago, I would have said then, that I thought I was successful. I was in my own right, and I could have told a whole story of what it took to get there, to that chapter. —I was working hard, renting my own salon space, I had a full clientele, and I was happy with my business! However today, my success has changed in that I still float a completely full book behind my chair, but I also co-own my own building that now provides a space for 9 amazing women owned businesses to thrive! But what has it taken me to get here, to this chapter of success? Well first it’s taken work and a lot of hours! Sooo many hours. I have had to sacrifice time away from my family, my husband and my children to work weekends and evenings for many years of my career. Put in 9/10+ hours a day, 5 days a week to make sure I see as many clients as possible. To prove to others that I had the recipe for success and not to be afraid to come with me. I have taken leaps of faith with hard earned money and hopes, that it would play out how we wanted it to. We have taken big risks and gotten lucky that our gambles have paid off. Success takes work, sacrifice, risk, and a dash of luck that’s what I know. It doesn’t come to you overnight or for no reason… I think we live in a world today that devalues good ol’ hard work and grit. I feel like we’re selling a lie that everything is supposed to be easy on us, and while some make it look so easy from behind a screen, or seeing people give us the highlight reels of their lives to make us believe no tears were shed in the making…. We should remember that nothing comes to us without give. We can’t always have our cake and eat it to, some want to be rich by doing very little to get there. Some want to be the best in their industry, but aren’t putting in the hours it takes to harness their crafts….. But again who makes the rule on success? I was happy 5 years ago with far less responsibly. I was successful in my eyes, and to those I cared about. Today I am successful in new ways, to my ride or dies and also to my new tribe. Who knows where I’ll be in 5 more years, the sky’s the limit… but [when] I’m still thriving I can promise you it’s because I’ve put in the work, heart, and dedication it takes to be “successful”.

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

Hi everyone! Im Emily Young, I am a wife, a mom of two, and I’m a hair stylist and salon owner with almost 15 years of experience in my craft. I specialize in woman’s color and hair extensions— I got into cosmetology school when I was just 16 years old, when it was offered though my high school as an official trade school. I studied for 2 years before leaving high school with a full cosmetology license, I will be forever grateful for that program because it came to me at no cost, beyond the supplies I needed to participate in the class! Being a hair stylist is something I thoroughly enjoy. I get to express my creative itch and meet and make new relationships with people from all over. My clients are more than just a pay check sitting in my chair, they are my people and they are my friends, I truly care for each one of them. Being a hair stylist is a funny thing, our clients are people we see about every month and a half— so we get to know them very well, we hear their personal stories, their highs and their lows, we know their families/friends by name even if we’ve never met… I know many people say stylist are also therapist and I often joke at just how true that is! People will tell you their darkest secrets because we don’t actually know any of the people they are telling us about, so they can unleash and get things off of their chest whether good or bad AND get to leave feeling more beautiful then when they came in, who wouldn’t love that?! The relationships I’ve built with my clients is one of the things I am most proud of! I know that my clients know that they are valued and loved when they sit in my chair and their loyalty to me and my salon is something I cherish!

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Many stylist like to use online platforms for booking their appointments and there is nothing wrong with that! but my clients have my personal number and book directly through me. Half of that comes from my need to be in control of my schedule, but the other half is that I know what my clients need even if they don’t… one client getting a full highlight might only take me 2 hours whereas another might take me 3, there is no one size fits all in my chair, every work of art is custom so I like that my girls book direct! When my clients need to move their appointment because their baby is sick or they can’t get out of work I like that they contact me directly and see that I will always try to do everything that I can to get them moved around to make it work! Being their point of contact just builds that relationship and shows them how I am constantly working for them, and that cultivates a loyalty between us!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Early in my career, what was most effective for my personal strategy for growing my business was lowballing every other salons pricing in my area while I was building my book! Let’s face it, when you’re fresh out of hair school— you don’t know anything…. And you definitely have to fake it ‘til you make it! Hair is something you need MANY hours of practical work in before you really get comfortable in your skills! Everyone’s base colors are different, their hair history’s are different, their textures, and their exceptions are all SO different— and it takes time to really understand the canvas you are working with— and how to explain your exceptions to your clients! so I didn’t come out early charging a grip to my customers when I wasn’t even confident in the work I was putting out. And not for lack of trying but purely for lack of experience! For those that got lucky that my formulas were spot on, got great hair and a great deal, and I got to guarantee my paycheck by rescheduling a loyal client— and for those who I missed the mark on the perfect shade, at least didn’t lose a paycheck to have there hair done, while I learned a great lesson and strived to be better next time! We were both leaning on eachother and as I got better I charged a little more… for those who couldn’t afford it— It freed up space on my books for new customers that I knew I could make happy, because I was now more confident in the work I was putting out! I have always been under the mind set that “something is better than nothing” so money flowing in, whether big or small was better than nothing at all, and naturally as I elevated so did my clientele!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @emilyyounghair

Image Credits
@ChasingChaneyphotography @Meglaymanphotography