I saw a girlfriend recently. She too is an owner of a hair salon.

“How’s the salon going babe?” She asked me.

“Great,” I answered quickly. “It’s pumping, our team are on point, everything is really wonderful.” I pondered for a second and wondered if either of us believed what I had said. Sure, our salon was busy, bloody busy in fact. We had just started a major renovation to put more chairs in as we were running out of spaces to put the gorgeous butts of our clients in. Great problem to have for a salon less than five years in business.

I changed my answer. “You know what, it’s been a lot of work this year.”

I decided to answer my friend honestly. We talk about all kinds of things but for some reason, when it came to discussing our salons to each other, we always turned on the happiness game.

Suddenly, a major wall came down between us and we freely began to discuss the issues and challenges we have faced as young entrepreneurs.

It felt amazing, to know that someone else who I thought had the most flawless business in Australia, had the same difficult tasks pop up and the same amount of angst to try to overcome them.

I read a study recently that one in six 45-55 year olds want to work for themselves. One in three 30 somethings want to be their own boss. As for Gen Y? One in two want the #businesslife. It dawned on me recently: What do people see from the outside?

Social media has had a helping hand in raising those stats over the past few years. Every second person is running a side hustle. I totally understand the appeal to join the lady boss crew, when every second picture on Instagram is of a macchiato in a hipster cafe, using the Mayfair filter, simple stating #beyourownboss. Wish it was that easy.

Truth is, it’s pretty damn tough. You miss out on a lot of living. Weddings, birthdays, gatherings, barbecues. You name it, Tess and I have missed it. That’s the sacrifice of being your own boss.

The biggest thing is, you never switch off. Ever. Some days, I’ve driven home after a 16 hour day and pulled over to jot down an idea. You’re always trying to be one step aHead (pun, pun, pun). Always trying to treat your clients even more.

Finances are a big one. Tess and I are not money driven people, which is probably not a great quality to have in a business. We had to learn how to prioritise money in business, which involved getting a business coach and learning the steps to budget. We made costly mistakes. Tens of thousands of them. Sometimes all at once. We spent many days holding our breath and hoping our cheque to the ATO would clear in time to pay our taxes. We would go without wages for weeks at a time. We would get a step ahead, then two giant steps behind when a basin would break down, or a huge bill would come in.

It can be bloody isolating, being an entrepreneur. Absolutely ghostly. Lonely. Intimidating. Terrifying. Doubtful. Rejecting.

But with everything we have been through in our near 5 years of business, I wouldn’t change a thing. Not the all nighters, the arguments, the stress, the money lost, the tears, the laugher, the triumphs, the life changing moments, the connectivity, the clients, oh the clients.

I love my job. I go to work, smash out a 12 hour day, sometimes up to 15 hours, come home and want to do it all over again. I work with amazing people. Passionate, funny, quirky people. I get to build something spectacular with my sister, possibly the most inspiring, positive human being of all time.

Every little piece of the last 5 years have been incredible.

And I wouldn’t change a damn thing.

Nicola

Co-Owner of aHead Hair & Beauty