You Are The Most Important Person
It’s undeniable: as the owner of your Salon, you are the most important person in the business.
Now, I don’t mean this in a conceited way! We all love our teams and would absolutely be nowhere without them. But, when it comes down to it, you are the Queen or King of your business!
In an Empire, everyone rallies around to protect the Queen or King. Why? Because they are the most important person! And so are you when it comes to your business, so you need to start acting like it!
And no, I'm not saying you need to walk around like Billy Big Boots, with your nose in the air like you’re better than everyone! You just need to realise that you’re different to the others in your business... it’s a fact.
And because you are the Queen or King of your business, you need to start giving yourself the full protection that a monarch would get. This is your business, and you make all the big decisions... so if your life isn’t in check, then everything else will start to crumble!
So I want to share with you my top tips when it comes to protecting yourself as a Salon Owner, and tell you why this is so important!
Protecting Myself From What?
You might be asking— What exactly am I protecting myself from?
Because you are an entrepreneur you are different because you are in leadership, you are different and because the buck stops with you… you are different. You have a different role from everyone else in the business, this makes you different.
In your wider world, there will be people around you who won’t understand you. They won’t understand your needs, wants, desires and motives. Why you would work 60 hours a week, just so you don’t have to work 40 hours a week for someone else! The way you see the world is simply different from theirs’! And because of this, there may be people in your life that want to bring you down. Either to protect you from failure or hurt or because it shows up their own inadequacies. When you understand this, you can protect yourself from those around you.
As the business owner you are the Queen/King, the CEO, you are like a high performance athlete! Just like an athlete there are certain things you have to do to keep your position in the race, practices you have to uphold and routines that other people just don’t have to do.
If you want to hold your title, gain success as the CEO , then you need to make sure you’re fully protected from distraction, disruption and those around you who want different things from you. You have the right protection around you. Here’s what I would recommend...
Fill Your Cup First
To make sure you’re fully protected, you need to fill your own cup first. This is an analogy, of course, for prioritising yourself.
And, don’t be mistaken, this doesn’t mean being ‘selfish’!
When you’re a business owner who’s trying to grow a business, it becomes increasingly hard to make space for yourself. I’ve seen so many business owners sacrifice their own sleep, lunch breaks, days off, just so that they can do that extra bit of work they think needs doing.
Prioritising yourself means you can not only be the best person you can be for yourself, but you can also be the best person for your family and ‘boss’ for your team. When you prioritise yourself, you can show up for other people.
Because, I'm sorry to break it to you, if you’re tired, hungry, overwhelmed and/or stressed all the time... there’s no way you’re going to be able to successfully look after your team, your family or your business!
That’s why you need to look after yourself first. Sleep well, eat well, go to the gym, make time when you don’t have time… Fill your cup first, and as often as possible.
No Distractions!
There’s more power in what you say no to, than what you say yes to... A big part of protecting yourself is protecting yourself from distractions!
Trust me, I’m a recovering “say yes to everything” kinda gal! As a creative entrepreneur, it’s so tempting to take on new and exciting opportunities when they come your way, whatever they may be, and when you’re in the zone, there are sooo maaaany! But in reality, you need to be saying no to more things than you’re saying yes to.
And it’s not about squashing your creativity, it’s just about being smart, and making smart decisions.
Too many shiny objects will distract you from where you are going and take you on all sorts of crazy rides to all sorts of places… but not the one that you really want, and need to get to!
I don’t only mean this in a work sense. In your everyday life, you need to be decisive about who you’re spending time with and whether they are really affecting your life in a positive way, or are taking you further away from your goals and life objectives.
Be assertive in your decisions about what you do, what you say yes and no to, and who you’re spending time with. Warning… every time you make a decision, you will be tested on your resilience surrounding that decision, so you need to make sure you stay strong with it and don’t back down... no matter how shiny the object. Don’t let those tests distract you if you truly want success (from the mouth of a recovering Shiny Object-o-holic)
You Need a 'Someone'
As much as I cherish independence, I truly believe that this journey can’t be done alone. You need a ‘someone’ who balances you out, or someone who motivates you, maybe someone who pushes you hard, or someone who simply supports you no matter what.
No matter whom that person is: a buddy, husband, wife, life partner, business coach, employee, friend... you need that someone tucked by your side who can help you along the way and bring you back down to earth when you need it. That someone special comes in all forms for different people! And if you don’t think you have one... look a little harder, it may not be obvious at first!
In my Salon, I had a Kerri, and now in my Coaching business, I have a Nic and then a Suzy. All of these people helped me stay in my zone of ‘genius’ and helped me to channel my creative inspiration into real life achievable goals and processes. They have saved me from the weeds at the most important times and have made things happen that for me were often just a thought!
And, most importantly, don’t forget to be kind to yourself. Being a business owner and wearing multiple hats is hard, let alone juggling that with a family or an attempt at a social life. Give yourself credit where credit is due, find the mini-wins and make sure that you’re looking after #1.
Get rid of the guilt that can often surround caring for and prioritising yourself. It’s not selfish or conceited, it’s essential. If you’d like to chat more to me about this topic, come over and join the Salon Owners Collective Facebook Group. I’d love to hear from you!
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About the author, Larissa
Business Coach helping Salons reach $1 Million+: After 20 years as a Salon Owner, I worked in online marketing & technology development, Business Development Manager at Timely Salon Software and co-founded HAIRshare app for Stylists.
I realised that I love helping Salon’s with their marketing, implementing the latest technology and developing strategies that have been proven to help Owner who smarter, not harder in their Salon business.
I founded Salon Owners Collective nearly 10 years ago as an online community with the mission of inspiring and empowering Salon Owners across the globe, to build a business of Freedom & Profit without stress and overwhelm. We have already helped 10+ Owners reach $1 Million+ success.