From Empty Chair to Fully Booked: My Complete Story
From Empty Chair to Fully Booked: My Complete Story
I sat in an empty booth for years.
Not weeks. Not months. Years.
I thought something was wrong with me.
I had done everything they told me to do. I went to a great hair school. I got really good at balayage and lived-in blonde. I rented a booth in my small town.
And I sat there.
In an empty chair. Wondering if I had made a huge mistake.
If you're a booth renter or suite owner staring at gaps in your calendar right now, I see you. I was you. For a really long time.
This is my complete story. The real one. Not the polished Instagram version.
Why Was I Sitting in an Empty Chair?
Let me take you back.
After graduation from Paul Mitchell, I was full of dreams. I had written down three goals in an old journal:
- Establish myself in a salon
- Open my own salon suite
- One day, open a full salon to help other stylists
I rented a booth. Set up my station perfectly. Tools cleaned and ready.
And I waited.
I waited for walk-ins that never came. For a phone that never rang.
The first couple of years were brutal. There were days I made barely any money at all.
I did what they taught me. I offered discounts. I posted constantly on social media.
All I heard were crickets.
I started to question everything. The dream that had felt so certain now seemed naive.
I thought, "Maybe this is too good to be true. Maybe this is not meant for me. Maybe it's different for me."
The thought of giving up grew louder every day.
What Does Rock Bottom Look Like for a Booth Renter?
I'll never forget the lowest point.
It was a Saturday night. 8pm.
I was sitting alone in my suite. The smell of stale hairspray hanging in the air.
I had just finished with a client who showed up 45 minutes late, complained about the price, and didn't even tip.
I was exhausted. Burnt out. Resentful of my own business.
I looked around at my empty dream and thought, "Is this really what I signed up for?"
I started updating my resume. I was done.
I figured maybe I wasn't cut out for this. Maybe I should just get a regular job and stop torturing myself.
Have you ever felt that way? Like you're this close to giving up on the whole thing?
That was me. I was one bad week away from quitting.
How Did I Meet My Husband Justin?
Just as I was about to give up, I met Justin.
He had been running a marketing agency for years, helping local businesses grow. As we got closer, he saw my struggle. He saw my talent. And he saw the broken system I was trapped in.
One day, he said something that stopped me in my tracks:
"You don't have a hair problem. You have a business problem."
I just stared at him.
It was a revelation.
Hair school taught me how to do a perfect balayage. How to mix color. How to cut.
But it never taught me how to actually get clients in my chair. How to charge what I'm worth without feeling guilty. How to build a business that didn't control my life.
Being technically good at hair wasn't enough.
And that's the dirty secret they don't tell you in cosmetology school.
What Changed When I Realized It Was a Business Problem?
I made a choice.
I wasn't going to quit. I was going to do things differently.
I stopped focusing on just getting clients through the door. I started focusing on the person sitting in my chair.
My consultations got longer. I asked better questions.
I listened. Not just to what my clients were saying, but to what they weren't.
I made my chair a safe space. A place where women could relax, be themselves, and feel genuinely cared for.
I stopped treating them like transactions. I started treating them like humans.
I stopped offering discounts to anyone who asked. I started standing firm in my worth.
I stopped posting desperately on Instagram every day. I started being intentional with my content.
And then, things started to change.
How Long Did It Take to Get Fully Booked?
It didn't happen overnight.
This wasn't some magic formula where I woke up the next day fully booked.
It took time. Trial and error. A lot of mistakes.
But slowly, the referrals started coming. My chair started filling up.
I wasn't just getting clients. I was getting dream clients.
Women who respected my time. Who valued my artistry. Who felt like family.
Women who showed up on time, tipped well, and rebooked before they left.
The kind of clients I actually enjoyed being around for hours at a time.
That's when I knew something had shifted.
What Does My Business Look Like Today?
Today, I'm living the dream I wrote in that old journal. But it looks even better than I imagined.
I have my own salon suite. The Holland Hair Studio.
I have over 200 five-star reviews. Not a single negative one.
I have a waitlist of clients. Some who drive 2-3 hours to see me.
I charge premium prices. And my clients happily pay.
I work less than I ever have. I take vacations with my husband and our daughter, Chloe, without stressing about money.
I actually enjoy my life again.
I built a business that supports the life I want, instead of a business that controlled me.
And here's the kicker.
What Happened When I Finally Raised My Prices?
I was terrified.
What if everyone leaves? What if they think I'm ripping them off?
I had been undercharging for years because I was scared. Scared they'd all walk out the door over $20.
But you know what they said when I finally raised my prices?
"It's about time."
"You deserve it."
They were excited for me.
The ones who left over $20? They were never my people anyway.
They were never going to be loyal. They were never going to respect my time.
The ones who stayed? They're the ones who VALUE me.
And guess what. When you raise your prices, you attract better clients. Clients who don't even blink at your rate.
That's the filter working.
What's the Biggest Mistake Booth Renters Make?
They think it's a hair problem.
They think if they just get better at balayage, if they just take one more class, if they just perfect their technique, then clients will come flooding in.
But that's not how it works.
You can be the best stylist in your town. You can do color corrections that would make other stylists weep.
But if you don't know how to attract clients, how to charge what you're worth, how to build systems that keep them coming back, you'll still be sitting in an empty chair.
Because it's not a hair problem. It's a business problem.
And the hair industry is broken. It teaches you how to do a perfect foil, but not how to get a client to book it.
It tells you to hustle harder, post more, say yes to everyone.
And it leaves you exhausted and underpaid.
How Can You Go From Empty Chair to Fully Booked?
Here's what I learned after 10+ years behind the chair and finally building a business that gives me both freedom and fulfillment.
1. Stop treating clients like transactions.
The person in your chair is a human being. Not a ticket to be punched. Not a dollar sign.
When you genuinely care about them, when you listen to them, when you make your chair a safe space, they feel it.
And they come back. And they tell their friends.
2. Get clear on who your dream client is.
You can't attract everyone. And you shouldn't try.
Get specific. What kind of clients light you up? What kind make you dread Monday mornings?
Build your business around the ones who feel like family.
3. Stand firm in your worth.
Stop offering discounts. Stop apologizing for your prices.
You're not a vending machine. You're a highly skilled artist.
Your prices aren't a menu. They're a filter.
4. Build systems, not hustle.
You don't need to post on Instagram 24/7. You don't need to be everywhere all the time.
You need a rebooking system. A consultation process. A way to qualify clients before they sit in your chair.
Systems free you. Hustle burns you out.
5. Focus on the experience, not just the hair.
Anyone can do a good balayage these days. But not everyone can make a client feel beautiful on the inside.
True beauty can't be styled. It's felt.
When your client leaves your chair, they should feel beautiful on the inside even more than the out.
Why Am I Sharing This Story?
Because I can't keep what I learned to myself.
I see talented stylists sitting in empty chairs. I see the ones who are this close to giving up.
I see the ones who are burnt out, resentful, wondering if they made a huge mistake going to hair school.
You shouldn't have to struggle like I did.
You deserve to be fully booked with dream clients. To charge what you're worth. To have a life outside the salon.
That's why my husband and I created the Solo Stylist Society.
It's the complete system I wish I had when I was sitting in that empty booth. The business and marketing strategies that actually work for independent stylists.
Not theory. Not guru BS. The real stuff that took me a decade to figure out.
Because your dream of being a successful stylist isn't naive. It's not too good to be true.
You just need the right system.
What Happens Next?
If you're reading this and thinking, "That's me. I'm sitting in an empty chair right now," I want you to know something.
It doesn't have to be this way.
You're not broken. You're not failing. You're just missing the business piece.
And that's fixable.
I share more strategies, behind-the-scenes stories, and real systems that work in The Insider. It's where I send my best stuff that doesn't make it to the blog.
No fluff. No posting and praying. Just real strategies from someone who's still behind the chair.
Because you didn't go to hair school to sit in an empty chair.
You went to change lives. Starting with your own.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to go from empty chair to fully booked?
It varies for everyone, but with the right systems in place, most stylists start seeing a shift within 3-6 months. The key is not hustle but strategy. Focus on building a rebooking system, improving your consultation process, and attracting the right clients instead of any clients.
What if I've tried everything and nothing works?
If you've tried "everything" and you're still not booked, chances are you've been focusing on tactics (posting more, offering discounts) instead of strategy (business systems, client experience, positioning). The problem isn't you or your skills. It's that you're solving the wrong problem. It's not a hair problem. It's a business problem.
How do I raise my prices without losing all my clients?
Start by raising prices only for new clients first. This tests the market without risking your current base. Then, communicate the change to existing clients with confidence and give them notice. The clients who value you will stay. The ones who leave over $20 were never going to be loyal anyway. And raising prices actually attracts better clients who respect your expertise.
What's the difference between a price shopper and a dream client?
A price shopper leads with "How much do you charge?" and ghosts after you tell them. They show up late, complain, and rarely tip. A dream client asks about your process, shows up on time, trusts your expertise, and rebooks before they leave. They're looking for an experience, not just a cheap service. You attract dream clients by positioning yourself as an expert, not a discount option.
Can I really get fully booked in a small town?
Yes. I'm in Mount Holly, North Carolina. Small town. And I have clients who drive 2-3 hours to see me. In a small town, you actually have an advantage because there's less competition for high-quality, relationship-focused stylists. Don't compete on price. Compete on experience and care.
What if I'm brand new and don't have any clients yet?
If you're brand new, focus on building relationships, not just filling your chair. Do consultations that wow people. Ask for referrals. Build a rebooking system from day one. Don't start by offering discounts or you'll attract price shoppers. Stand firm in your worth from the beginning, and you'll build a business on the right foundation.
How do I stop attracting the wrong clients?
Stop saying yes to everyone. Get clear on who your dream client is and build your messaging, pricing, and process around them. Use your consultation process as a filter. If someone shows red flags before they even sit in your chair (price shopping, demanding, disrespectful), don't book them. It's okay to say no. Your time is valuable.
Is it too late for me to turn my business around?
I was sitting in an empty chair for years before I figured this out. I was on the verge of quitting. If I could turn it around after that much struggle, you can too. It's never too late to build the business you want. You just need the right system.
About the Author: Brooke Holland is a solo stylist, business coach, and founder of Holland Hair Co. With over 10 years behind the chair, 200+ five-star reviews, and a waitlist of dream clients, she helps independent stylists build profitable businesses without the burnout.
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