I started forcing myself to work from a coffee shop every Thursday. Met my last two clients just by being a regular face there. Showing up is half the battle.

Ever had a tool quit on you right in the middle of a project? I once blamed the brand for my drill dying, but turns out I just forgot to charge the battery. My weekend was shot, and my pride took a hit too. Like @wendyd26 said, when your time gets wasted like that, it makes you rethink if the brand's worth the hassle, especially when borrowing tools feels like you're always owing someone a favor.

See, that visual would get me too, but honestly some salons just run different. At my old spot, we kept combs in barbicide jars at every station, so a quick dip felt plenty clean between clients. Never had a single complaint in three years. Sometimes it's less about seeing gross stuff and more about what cleaning steps are already built into the routine.

Getting the owner on the phone that fast is pretty rare. Most times you'll talk to a team member, but they can still get things done quickly. Just don't expect it every time.

My weird belief is that squirrels are planning something.