HOW TO BUILD CLIENTELE FAST SERIES
How to Price Yourself for Quick Growth Without Discounting or Fear Over Pricing
Some stylists are drowning while others are quietly making $200K–$400K as solopreneurs—the “secret” isn’t discounts…it’s strategy.
Britt Seva
You’re reading part of a series focused on what it actually takes to grow a clientele in the current economy—without burning out or relying on luck.
For stylists who want deeper support, the 10 New Clients Every Month Bootcamp starts February 9. During this week-long experience, you’ll learn the 8-step plan today’s busiest stylists are using, upgrade your marketing systems, refine your new-guest onboarding, and understand what makes clients choose one stylist over another.
Alongside five trainings from Britt, you’ll get daily coaching, networking sessions, and a 2-hour Marketing Masterclass designed to help you attract 10+ new clients every month.
There’s a popular story circulating in the beauty industry right now:
“IT’S HARD TO BUILD A CLIENTELE BECAUSE THE ECONOMY IS BAD.”
I strongly disagree.
Yes, the cost of living has gone up.
Yes, the cost of doing business has increased.
But that has been true every decade for generations.
The cost of living increases yearly due to inflation. In the United States this is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and what we call the COLA or “Cost Of Living Adjustment” scale.
Here’s what that’s looked like for the past 10 years:
Inflation has actually decreased in recent years. Consumer spending reports show an increase in consumer spending in 2025. Unemployment remains low.
2021-2024, when inflation was at its peak, were some of the easiest years to build a clientele our industry has ever seen.
What’s different now isn’t the economy—it’s the choices our industry made around pricing, positioning, and structure over the last few years. And unless you understand those choices, you’ll keep fighting the wrong enemy.
The Big Pricing Mistakes That Some Stylists Are Still Reeling From...
From 2021 to 2023, the beauty industry experienced a kind of artificial inflation:
- Demand was abnormally high
- Many stylists were making unusually strong income
- Studio suites and booth rentals exploded in popularity
- Stylists signed leases and made financial commitments based on this “boom” season
At the same time:
- Product costs rose
- Operating costs jumped
- The cost of living spiked
Many stylists had not taken regular price increases for years because they were scared of losing clients. So when everything suddenly got more expensive, they tried to “catch up” all at once.
That led to reactionary moves like:
- Eliminating gratuity and raising prices by 20% overnight
- Arbitrary price jumps like “color costs more now, so I raised everything by $5”
- The “charge your worth” pricing movement, which was then and is still now completely illogical and crippling
These changes seemed fine while demand was artificially high. But when the market reset in mid-2024, things broke:
- Demand dropped
- Clients became more discerning
- Stylists who had priced emotionally (not strategically) started feeling the pain
Now, many are left with:
- High overhead (suites, leases)
- Pricing methods that don’t match their market position
- Slower demand
- A million policies, complex booking processes, and overly
inflated pricing
But that’s not the full story.
The Era of 'The Great Divide' = A Season of Haves and Have-Nots
Right now, we’re deep in what I started forecasting in 2022 called
“The Great Divide.”
This era is defined by extremes.
I’ve been referring to it as ‘The Great Divide’ because it’s truly a split of the industry.
Some stylists right now are making more money than they ever dreamed possible, and some are struggling to pay their bills….that isn’t new. This industry, like most, has always been an industry of haves and have-nots.
The era of “the comfortable” stylist is ending
For decades, we saw hundreds of thousands of stylists who were making a good living, comfortably.
- They weren’t pouring into social media
- They relied heavily on local reputation and referrals
- They were experienced
- Some were even educators
They understood business enough to get by, they did good hair and life was….comfortable.
That’s over. And that’s the divide.
The stylists who were comfortable are falling hard and fast, and much of that is based around poor pricing decisions.
These are the voices you’re hearing the loudest right now, making Instagram videos and TikToks about how the economy is terrible and all stylists are struggling.
It’s not that simple and not even the full truth.
We are seeing thousands of stylists growing faster than ever before. Doubling and tripling their income in months, not years. Making $250k+ as solo stylists in small markets without assistants and without being influencers….so what’s the difference?
They’ve positioned themselves for growth, and that all starts with pricing.
🎧 Full Podcast Episode on The Great Divide – Sh*t Is Getting Real for Stylists & Owners
For more information on this topic, check out Thriving Stylist Podcast episode #373, where we talk about The Great Divide and what’s really happening in our industry, why charging your worth isn’t going to cut it in today’s economy, and
so much more.
🎧 Full Podcast Episode on The Pricing Crisis and How We Got Here
For more information on this topic, check out Thriving Stylist Podcast episode #331, where we talk about The Pricing Crisis, the Client Boom from 2020 and how it’s been completely flipped on its head, a look at confidence vs arrogance and how it will make or break your business.
🎧 Full Podcast Episode on My 2023 Predictions for the Industry
For more information on this topic, check out Thriving Stylist Podcast episode #263, where we talk about The Great Divide happening in this industry, why I predict that booth rental and commission salons will see an influx of applicants, and so much more.
Rather Than Facing the Reality, Many Stylists are Defaulting to Discounts
When demand starts to wane the immediate thought is:
“If I were cheaper or offered a discount, more people would be interested.”
In 2009, that was totally true.
‘The Great Recession’ was caused by a mortgage crisis and discounting was the way to keep clients coming in to the salon, that isn’t the same world we are living in right now.
Instead, when a stylist offers discounts:
- They are signaling to the world that times are tough
- It doesn’t land as “a favor to the client” it lands as “I am scared”
- They start attract desperate, discount seeking clients
- They reduce their profit margins
- They may get more clients but they’ll still lose revenue….busy and profitable aren’t the same thing.
Some coaches will even say, “stylists should offer discounts as an easy way to fill the chair, times are tough, meet clients where they are at.” Mainstream economic and consumer spending data doesn’t support this strategy, and I personally don’t know of any stylist who is financially growing who is offering discounts to guests.
Some stylists who raised prices in years past without a true plan, who know they are overpriced, are also left scrambling for ways to rectify past mistakes; a discount program can’t make that happen.
It’s not that simple and not even the full truth.
Pricing Yourself Properly is The First Step in Rapid Growth, Consistent, Strategic Growth
THERE’S THREE THINGS WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND IN YOUR PRICING: MARKET POSITION, PRICE POINT, AND PRICING METHOD
1. Market Position
There are four positions:
- Economy
- Premium economy
- Premium
- Luxury
At first glance, most stylists say, “I want to be premium or luxury,” but your position isn’t based on the kind of experience you want to provide… Market position is determined by:
- Your location
- Your target client
- Your service offerings
- Your demand
- Your pricing relative to your market
If you:
- Operate in a premium economy market, but try to offer a luxury experience at luxury prices → your demand drops.
- Charge luxury prices but run a premium-level experience → your demand drops.
Misalignment = slow growth.
There is a mathematical formula for determining your true position (not just how you “feel”). The formula always lives in Thriving Stylist Method, but we’ll be sharing it exclusively with non-Thrivers in our 10 New Clients Every Month Bootcamp: 5x Your Demand as a Hairstylist in
Today’s Economy
🎧 Full Podcast Episode: What Does It Mean To Be “Worth It” As A Stylist
For more information on this topic, check out Thriving Stylist Podcast episode #381, where we dive more into the different market positions and how they influence client expectations and perceived value, and 5 specific things you can lean into right now ot increase your perceived value.
2. Price Point: The 7 Factors That Actually Matter
Most stylists choose prices based on:
- What their salon told them
- What others in the area charge
- What they “feel” they’re worth
The problem?
You don’t know how those people chose their pricing—many are guessing too.
Instead, properly set prices should consider seven factors:
- Average annual income in your city or market
- How many hours you’re available each week
- How many guests you see each month
- How many weeks you’re booked out
- How many new guest/referral requests you receive monthly
- Product costs
- Timing & appointment structure
If your pricing is not based on these kinds of factors, there is a high probability you’re over- or underpriced for your market.
And when that’s true, you grow slowly—no matter how talented or skilled you are.
🎧 Full Podcast Episode: 7 Factors of Determining Your Price Point
For more information on this topic, check out Thriving Stylist Podcast episode #221, where we talk more about the 7 components of a solid price increase to help you take the guesswork out of this process and set you up with the right mindset and approach to charge more for your services.
3. Pricing Method: A La Carte, Hourly, Session, or Hybrid
There are four main pricing methods:
- A la carte
- Hourly
- Session-based
- Hybrid (a mix of session + a la carte)
A few key principles:
- Economy and premium economy markets generally do best with a la carte pricing.
- Hourly and session-based pricing tend to work best in higher market positions with a more specialized, streamlined
service menu. - In true luxury positioning, session-based pricing almost always makes the most sense.
Hybrid pricing has become incredibly powerful:
- New guests book clear, defined sessions (for color, cut + style, etc.)
- Once established, they transition to a la carte pricing
It simplifies booking, increases clarity for clients, and supports higher revenue when done correctly.
But—and this is important—your pricing method must match your market position.
You can’t just choose what sounds cool or is easiest on the back end.
🎧 Full Podcast Episode: Winning Pricing Strategies In 2025
For more information on this topic, check out Thriving Stylist Podcast episode #377, where we talk more about the true impact that rising costs are having on our industry and what is the most reckless business decision you can make at this time, as well as real stories of stylists who are thriving right now and what you can take from their experiences.
When To Raise Prices: The Most Misunderstood Piece of the Puzzle
A lot of stylists say:
“I’m booked out for weeks, time for a price increase, right?”
Not necessarily.
Have you ever heard horror stories of stylists raising prices and losing 15% of their income? It happens!
And it happens because the issue wasn’t just the pricing; it was the overall structure, and when the prices went up, the structure collapsed.
We only coach on price increases when we know for a fact that a stylist’s income will increase.
Healthy demand for a growing stylist looks like:
- 8-12 new guest requests per month, per stylist
- Being booked out with 80%+ utilization for 3 weeks
- Base clientele retention of 90%+
Demand > Capacity….Always.
- If you’re not making the money you want
- And the new guest demand is low
- But you’re still hearing “raise your prices because you’re full.
…a blind price increase can be incredibly damaging.
Before raising prices, you must:
- Fix structural issues
- Align your market position
- Ensure your messaging, experience, and onboarding are consumer-centric, not stylist-centric
Only then does a price increase support your growth instead of sabotaging it.
READY TO TURN WHAT YOU LEARNED TODAY INTO REAL DEMAND?
10 New Clients Every Month Bootcamp — Feb 9
If today’s article opened your eyes to how quickly client behavior has shifted, the Bootcamp is where you turn that awareness into action. For five days, we’ll walk you through exactly how modern clients discover, evaluate, and choose stylists—so you can cut through the noise, get found faster, and become the stylist clients trust on sight.
Inside, you’ll get five step-by-step trainings with Britt, daily Q&As, mini breakout rooms, a full marketing makeover, ChatGPT indexing strategies, and the exact system stylists use to attract 10+ new clients a month without relying on discounts or luck.