Our Team Glossary

You’ve heard the terms Senior Stylist, Educator, Apprentice, Teaching Salon...but what the heck does it all mean? What skills are required in moving up a level? Most importantly - how does it impact the services a stylist provides? We’re here to answer all of your questions.

Lead Stylist

Extremely talented and extremely in-demand by clients, Lead Stylists play a role in our leadership team shaping the future of Mirror Mirror. They are the representation for all stylists in a leadership setting and help in decision-making from a stylists point of view. 

Educator

Senior Stylists who are committed to training the next generation of superstars at Mirror Mirror, Educators work hand-in-hand with our Apprentices on a daily basis, preparing them to be ready to go on the floor as full time stylists. Their Apprentices assist them by doing certain portions of the services, so they can accommodate more guests than they would otherwise see alone! For clients, this means shorter wait list times and more availability options when booking. Beyond the hair - our educators are the epitome of our core values at Mirror Mirror. 

Senior Stylist

A Senior Stylist is (as you would guess) a Stylist who has been doing hair for a long time and have advanced skills. Many of our Senior Stylists are also Specialists. They have built demand for themselves and are doing incredible work.

Stylist

This title can mean two things: someone who has recently completed our coveted Apprentice program, or a more experienced Stylist who is simply new to Mirror Mirror or the Austin area. They offer the majority of services on our menu instead of specializing in one specific area. They are likely still building a clientele and therefore our guests get to take advantage of more competitive rate structures.

Specialist (Extension Specialist, Color Specialist, Cutting Specialist)

This is exactly what it sounds like – this artist has honed in and built demand for a specific skill. This is the primary service they offer at Mirror Mirror and likely have a signature way of doing things. They have committed to additional continuing education in this area and are highly sought-after for their specialty!

Apprentice/New Talent

A fully-licensed hair stylist, having completed over 1,000 hours of cosmetology school and passed all state board exams, both written and practical. In the beginning, Apprentices shadow an Educator and learn the “Mirror Mirror Way”. 

• Once we are confident with their skill level and results, we allow our Apprentices to partner with our Educators to perform certain tasks on their clients, such as applications of single process colors, shampooing, root shadows/toners, blow outs, and styling waves or curls.
• As Apprentices progress through advanced certification programs and showcase they have the skills to do so, we allow them to begin seeing their own clients behind the chair. We introduce their services at a much lower rate, which allows clients to get to know them and their style as they build demand. Once Apprentices have reached a certain amount of time behind the chair on their own, and most importantly, the approval of our leadership team, we promote them to full time stylist.

Teaching Salon

A teaching salon is one that focuses on transferring our knowledge to the newest members of our team. We believe in creating great impact for our community by helping as many people love what they see in the mirror. We know it’s not really about the hair. It’s about the person beneath the hair and we aim to be “day makers” for our guests. In order to do that and to accommodate as many guests that want to experience Mirror Mirror we need lots of hands to make it work!

• We believe in allowing our Apprentices to do what they do best which is to actually participate in the craft of creating beautiful hair - not just sweep it. The best way to learn is to do and we have had great success in our Apprentice program in the past decade. Do they spend a lot of time watching early on? Absolutely. But that is not our long term goal. We want to get them ready to serve you, our guests, as soon as possible.
• With growing lead times and a long wait list for many of our most in-demand team members, we want our Educators to focus on the most critical portion of your service. We don’t want them to feel rushed because they are trying to squeeze someone in.
• If you’re new to our salon, we think you will LOVE this program. We hire only the most exceptional new talent and often our guests opt to stick with these newbies as they go full time on the floor. Our educators are absolutely cheering them on and support that decision.
• We understand that as these most in demand educator’s rates increase, it may stretch your budget farther than your comfort level and giving our new talent a shot is a great option. We often see guests opt to see New Talent for more straightforward services such as single process color, and visit a senior team member for their highlights or haircut.

The bottom line is that you have the entire team at Mirror Mirror here to serve YOU! You should never feel obligated to stick with your same stylist each and every time - and you are always welcome back to our salon if you’ve been away. If your stylist changes levels out of your budget, or you simply want to try another stylist who specializes in a technique you’ve been wanting to try out, the choice is always yours.