“I am 29 years old and have bought myself two cars, traveled to South Africa, been to almost 20 U.S. states, and have so much financial freedom,” says salon manager and stylist Hannah. “I’m exactly where I want to be.” 

At the age of 18, Hannah began her career as a stylist for a franchisee who owns and operates 86 Great Clips® salons across Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana. “I started as a stylist, was promoted to assistant manager, and now I’m the salon manager at the same site!” Hannah says. “Early on, I left to try a full-service salon where I lost more than half my pay and was watching TV on my phone during the day. It was silly and I needed consistency. I was doing nails to add cash flow and a friend from my previous Great Clips salon came to see me. She said, ‘Girl, we’re making so much money. You’d better come back.’ It was good advice; that was eight years ago!”  

Dipping her toe in the water 

Hannah says that once she turned 21, she started joining a group of Great Clips salon stylists for three-day trips to Florida. “We would go to Clearwater, and it was fun!  But after a few times, I decided that I didn’t like the beach that much. So, when my sister’s friend said she was going to Colorado, I joined her. That was it! I got the travel bug.” 

Hannah’s passion for adventure took off. “I’ve been back to Colorado twice, I’ve visited Las Vegas, and last summer my boyfriend and I took a road trip through Utah and Montana—where he proposed!” 

Passport to the world 

In January, Hannah took her love for adventure travel to new heights with an 11-day trip to South Africa. “I went with a woman I used to babysit for—she’s known me since I was a teenager!” Hannah says. “It was her idea and her planning, but it involved my money and my trust!” 

Hannah says her experience in South Africa was amazing and humbling. “We went to a game lodge and saw lions, rhinos, hippos, elephants, giraffes, and warthogs. A monkey stole a muffin off my plate at breakfast time, and I saw penguins and seals, just chilling on the beach. In Zimbabwe, I took a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls, one of the world’s largest waterfalls. I wasn’t sure if I should do it, but a woman encouraged me to, and I’m so glad I did! There’s no way to truly see the falls and gain perspective without a bird’s eye view. It was unreal!” 

Funding the fun 

“My tips pay for the fun in my life,” Hannah says. “I keep them separate. As long as you’re responsible, it works. I have basically no debt.” 

Hannah says scheduling flexibility is also helpful as salon team members plan their time off. “Right now, I have 13 employees at the salon,” Hannah reports. “We serve over 700 customers each week, and we work as a true team. People jump in and take shifts for each other. I tell our employees, ‘Live your life!’ I believe if you give stylists the time, and invest in their growth, they invest right back in the salon.” 

The future is bright 

“Next month, my sister and I are headed to Ecuador for five days,” Hannah says. “After that, I’m getting married in Bryce Canyon, Utah, and we are buying a house, so I won’t be traveling for a while.” 

She laughs, “My longest adult relationship is with my Great Clips salon. If you work hard and love what you do, you’ll end up where you need to be.” 

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ALL GREAT CLIPS® SALONS ARE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED BY THIRD PARTY FRANCHISEES. FRANCHISEES, NOT GREAT CLIPS, INC., ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL HIRING AND PERSONNEL MATTERS AT THEIR INDIVIDUAL SALON.