You Became A Solo Stylist For Freedom. More Time With Your Kids. Real Vacations. A Schedule That Doesn't Own You.
So Why Are You Working Harder Than Ever And Still Not Getting Paid What You're Worth?
Brooke here...
Four years ago, I was working 6 days a week, saying yes to clients who drained me, and still wondering if I could pay all my bills that month. Now? I have a 3-day weekend every single week. I get paid what I'm actually worth. And I wake up excited to get behind the chair instead of exhausted before my day even starts.
If other stylists are using this exact framework to stop trading their lives for discounts and finally charge what their talent deserves... why couldn't you do it too?
This calculator shows you the exact number that changes everything — your Freedom Rate. The one rate that lets you work less, earn more, and stop feeling guilty every time you think about raising your prices.
What's the total amount you collect in a typical month?
I mean everything. Every full head of balayage. Every toner. Retail. Tips. All of it. The complete number before booth rent hits, before you set anything aside for taxes, before product orders eat into it.
Most of us are so busy doing hair we never actually stop to look at this number. We just know we're "getting by." But here's the truth — if you don't know exactly what's coming in, you'll never understand why there's nothing left over at the end of the month. (If you don't track it, just estimate. Close enough is perfect.)
Reality check: If you're already bringing in $12K+ every month, you're killing it and might not need this. But if you're anywhere between $3K and $9K and you keep wondering "why can't I get ahead?"... stay with me. You're about to discover why.
What does it actually cost you to keep your chair every month?
This is the number we all avoid. Booth rent. Professional insurance. That $600 color order that shows up every two weeks. The tax money you're supposed to be tucking away. Or at least thinking about. No judgment here.
If you're not 100% sure, don't worry — I've estimated it for you based on what most stylists actually spend. About half of everything you make goes right back into just keeping your chair. If that number just made your stomach drop a little? You're not alone. Most stylists have no idea how much just staying in business actually costs them.
How much do you want to actually pay yourself every month?
This is your money. After your booth rent is paid, after taxes are handled, after product is ordered. What do you want left over to actually live on?
I'm talking about the money that goes toward your mortgage payment. The grocery runs where you don't calculate in your head the whole time. That week-long beach trip with your husband and kids that you've been "planning to plan." Maybe even putting something away for your daughter's college fund instead of just hoping it works out.
For most stylists who want real freedom without burning out? That magic number lives somewhere around $5K to $7K a month. That's where you stop being one bad week away from panic. That's where you start actually enjoying being your own boss instead of resenting it.
If you typed $20K because it sounds amazing, I get it. But let's be real with each other. If you're dreaming bigger than $15K+ take-home as a solo artist working your own chair, you might need a team-based model. This is built for the independent stylist who wants freedom, not an empire.
How many days a week do you actually want to be behind the chair?
Let me guess... right now you're working 5 or 6 days because "that's just what you have to do to make it work"?
Here's what nobody tells you: The stylists who are actually living the life you want? The ones posting beach photos on a Tuesday? They're working 3 or 4 days a week. Not because they're more talented than you. Not because they got lucky. Because their pricing actually supports the schedule they want.
When you're grinding 6 days a week just to keep the lights on, you don't have a work ethic problem. You have a pricing problem. You didn't leave a salon job to work more. You did it for freedom. Four days is where most stylists find their sweet spot — enough to build something you're proud of, enough left over to actually have a life worth living.
How many weeks a year do you want to fully close your books and disappear?
When you're solo, there's no PTO. No sick days. No paid time off. If you're not in that chair, you're not making money. Period.
So if you actually want to take your family to the beach for a week without checking your bank account every morning... if you want to be able to catch the flu without it turning into a full-blown financial panic attack... you have to build that breathing room into your pricing right from the start.
Three weeks is what most stylists need to stay sane. One week for that real vacation you keep promising yourself. One week for when life happens and your kid gets sick or you catch whatever's going around. One week for the random things that come up when you're human. If you're planning less than that? You're basically volunteering to be owned by your station instead of owning it.
One more thing... Do you feel like you're actually getting paid what you're worth right now?
This is the question that separates the stylists who stay stuck from the ones who finally break free.
Because when you're sitting there feeling guilty every single time you think about raising your prices... when you're more terrified of a client leaving than you are of never building the life you actually want... when you keep saying "maybe next year" because raising prices feels too scary...
You're not charging based on your value. You're charging based on your fear. And every single time you undercharge, you're training people that your 10 years of experience, your artistic eye, your ability to fix someone else's disaster — none of that is actually worth paying for.
The only question left is: Are you ready to finally get paid what you're worth?
You're 30 Seconds Away From Seeing Your Number
Drop your info below and I'll show you your exact Freedom Rate — the one number that changes everything. You'll also see your "Annual Gap" (how much you're leaving on the table right now) and exactly how to close it.