
5 Things Every New Stylist Should Learn Early
Developing strong work habits early in one's career supports long-term success in the salon industry. Jesse Linares offers new stylists his top five tips.
Christina Kirkey, owner of Pinup Studio, develops The Stylist Playbook, and it's working. For the first time, every one of her team members is on track to hit their annual goals.


As salon leaders, we all want the same thing: team members who are motivated, responsible, and empowered to grow both personally and professionally. But, as any owner knows, providing your stylists with the tools to track, measure, and actually see their progress can feel overwhelming and time-consuming.
That’s where the TheStylist Playbook came in.
I originally created this tool for my own team at Pinup Studio in Raleigh, North Carolina. I wanted something simple, editable, and consistent that would help my stylists take ownership of their numbers, goals, and habits.
And, it worked! For the first time since I became an employer, every stylist on my team is on track to hit their annual goals — and while the playbook can’t take all the credit, it has been one of the biggest coaching tools we’ve ever used.
The playbook works as much as you work it. It isn’t a strict rulebook but a guide that brings clarity and accountability to the stylist’s hands. It covers yearly, quarterly, and monthly goals, along with space for tracking daily/weekly numbers, content ideas, and more. And because it’s editable, salon owners and solo stylists can customize it to fit their own brand and needs.
The most powerful part is how it’s impacted my team. Here’s what they had to say:
“I love how organized you can be while setting goals for the rest of the year! Having it be customizable for you!”
“I love the daily/weekly numbers. It’s a great way to track your progress (or relapse) each month. It’s easy to see your struggles and weaknesses, not just service numbers, but retail, rebooking, and average ticket. I use the calendar to write down posting ideas, whether I use them that month or spread them out within the next few months.”
“I love having everything I need in one place instead of searching for numbers online or going back through notes on my phone for goals and such.”
At the end of the day, the Stylist Playbook is about giving stylists responsibility for their own growth and freeing salon leaders from having to reinvent the wheel. It’s simple. It’s effective. And most importantly, it works.
If you’re a salon owner or independent stylist looking for a plug-and-play tool to track numbers, set goals, and stay accountable without spending hours building systems from scratch, you can learn more and grab the Stylist Playbook here: https://stylistplaybook.myflodesk.com/stylistplaybook

Developing strong work habits early in one's career supports long-term success in the salon industry. Jesse Linares offers new stylists his top five tips.

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