#28 How to Step Away from the Chair Without Losing Your Mind (or Your Money)

If the thought of stepping away from the chair makes your chest tighten, you’re not alone.

You built this business with your hands, your hustle, and a metric ton of faith. Letting someone else touch it? Terrifying.

Because what if it all falls apart?
What if they don’t care as much as you do?
What if your guests notice—and not in a good way?

Here’s the thing no one tells you when you open a salon:
If you don’t learn to trust your team, your business will trap you.

So let’s talk about how to let go without losing your mind—or your revenue.

Lesson 1: Hire for character, not just skills.

Skill can be taught. Integrity can’t.

If you’re banking all your trust on someone’s ability to precision cut, but ignoring how they handle pressure, you’re setting yourself up for sleepless nights.

Look for stylists who show up on time, care about their work, own their mistakes, and genuinely want to grow. Skills can be sharpened. Mindsets are harder to rewire.

👉 Pro tip: Start interviewing for values, not just technical ability.

Lesson 2: Systems > Gut Feelings.

Your gut might be amazing (especially if you trust it after years behind the chair), but systems keep your team consistent.

Think checklists for service steps. Training on guest communication. A clear process for guest issues.
The more clarity you give your team, the less you have to hover.

👉 Pro tip: Document how you want things done before you need to step away, not after the chaos.

Lesson 3: Stop “rescuing” your team.

It’s painful to watch someone stumble through a mistake you could’ve prevented. I get it.
But if you swoop in every time, they’ll never learn.

If you want a team who thinks critically, fixes problems, and owns their role—you have to let them screw up sometimes.

👉 Pro tip: Instead of solving it for them, ask, “What do you think the next best step is?”

Lesson 4: Leadership isn’t control.

Leadership is about setting the vision, building the structure, and trusting the people you choose to walk it out.
It’s not about micro-watching every foiling placement or over-correcting every consultation.

Your job is to create the environment, not micromanage every moment inside it.

👉 Pro tip: If you’re exhausted from “holding it all together,” it’s not because your team can’t—it’s because you won’t let them.

Lesson 5: Trust is built with communication.

Trust doesn’t magically appear because you want it to.
It’s built, one honest conversation at a time.

Ask your stylists how they’re feeling. What they’re struggling with. What they need from you. Share the same from your side.
The more you communicate, the safer you’ll feel stepping back.

👉 Pro tip: Regular one-on-ones beat “performance reviews” every time.

You don’t build a team you can trust by crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.

You build it by being intentional—from how you hire, to how you train, to how you lead.

Salt & Light,

Heather