From barber school to celebrity clients to shop owner and educator, Phillip Dawson shares how he built his career from the ground up—and gives real talk on what students need to succeed after graduation.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

🔅Phillip Dawson’s journey from barber school to celebrity barber showcases the power of persistence, networking, and following your calling.

🔅He built his career by showing up, putting himself in the right rooms, and creating opportunities—rather than waiting for them to appear.

🔅Building clientele is a numbers game—consistency in handing out flyers and word-of-mouth still works, even in a digital age.

🔅Phil took a two-year break from barbering but found his way back through a chance opportunity and rebranded himself with a focus on service and professionalism.

🔅Opening a barbershop during the pandemic, Phil used available resources and community support to build the PND Grooming Lounge.

🔅As an educator, Phil sees a shift: more students are now open to working in salons or commission-based shops to build stability before going independent.

🔅He emphasizes financial responsibility, marketing beyond social media, and building a client base while still in school.

🔅Salon/shop owners looking to hire new talent must offer more than just a chair—they need to provide mentorship, growth opportunities, and benefits to attract and retain new professionals.

👉Follow Phil on Instagram

The Hairdresser Strong Show is all about Salon Owners, Rising Stylists, and Seasoned Stylists sharing their experiences, successes, failures, and advice to inform, educate, and empower their Fellow Hairdresser. We won’t stop until we are all: Hairdresser Strong.

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The views and opinions of our guests are theirs and important to hear. Each guest's views and opinions are their own and we aim to bring you diverse perspectives, career paths and thoughts about the craft and industry so you can become Hairdresser Strong! They do not necessarily reflect the positions of HairdresserStrong.com.