One of the biggest compliments I receive from delegates after training with me is not just about what they learned on the course itself, but about the mentoring afterwards. Over the years, I’ve realised that training somebody to become a stylist is not just about teaching colour analysis, body shapes, wardrobe styling, or personal shopping. Those things matter, of course, but what really changes someone’s confidence is knowing they are not being left alone afterwards to figure it all out by themselves. That’s why the ongoing mentoring element of my longer courses has become such an important part of the Style ME Training experience.
When people first leave the academy, they are excited. Really excited. They are full of ideas, inspiration, energy, and ambition. They suddenly see all these possibilities ahead of them and naturally want to do everything at once. They want to launch immediately, create a website overnight, book expensive branding shoots, offer ten services at once, start posting endlessly on social media, and feel like they need to become an overnight success immediately. And honestly, I completely understand it because I was exactly the same.
When you first discover something you genuinely love, especially something creative, it’s very easy to become overwhelmed with excitement and possibility. You suddenly start imagining the freedom, the flexibility, the confidence, the clients, the transformation stories, and the lifestyle that could come from building a business around something you’re naturally good at. But this is where mentoring matters. A mentor is someone who has already been there, made the mistakes, wasted the money, tried the wrong ideas, panicked over quiet periods, doubted themselves, and eventually figured out what actually works.
And sometimes, the best mentoring is not endlessly saying yes to somebody. Sometimes it’s saying, “No, don’t spend money on that yet.” Or, “You’re overthinking it.” Or, “Focus on your confidence first.” Or simply, “Trust me, I’ve been there.” In many ways, it’s actually very similar to the role of a big sister. A good big sister guides you, protects you from unnecessary mistakes, reassures you when your confidence drops, tells you honestly when you’re overreacting, and gently pushes you forward when fear kicks in.
One thing I notice all the time with delegates is that they naturally start watching and learning. Not because they are trying to become me, but because that’s how human beings learn. We observe people we trust. They watch how I speak to clients, how I explain body shapes, how I build confidence in women, how I communicate professionally, and how I calm nervous clients down. Slowly, they start developing their own confidence too. That’s the beautiful thing about mentorship when it’s done properly. It’s not about creating clones. It’s about helping somebody trust their own instincts.
And honestly, most people who come into styling already do have natural instincts. Somewhere deep down, they already know they have an eye for people. They understand confidence, transformation, image, communication, and energy. Often they’ve been styling friends and family for years without even realising they could turn it into a career. What they need is structure, guidance, technique, and reassurance. Not control.
And that brings me onto something else I’ve been thinking about recently, which is the difference between “big sister” mentoring and “big brother” business models. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with franchise-style businesses. In fact, for some people they can initially feel very reassuring. Everything is mapped out. The branding is done. The systems are there. The structure is there. And for somebody who feels nervous starting alone, that can feel comforting at first.
It’s a bit like record artists when they first sign to a label. In the beginning, the label gives them support, exposure, marketing, guidance, and direction. They help shape the artist and get them seen. But eventually, most artists reach a point where they want their own identity and freedom. They don’t want every move monitored forever and they don’t want somebody controlling their creativity forever. I think the same thing happens within styling and creative industries too. Structure can help you initially, but at some point people naturally want the freedom to become fully themselves.
And franchises can be expensive. Very often there are huge upfront costs, ongoing monthly payments, percentages taken from sales, restrictions on where you can work, restrictions on how you brand yourself, and pressure to constantly hit targets. Sometimes it can start feeling less like mentorship and more like somebody constantly watching over your shoulder. That’s why I always say, think of me as the big sister, not Big Brother, because my role is not to own your business. My role is to help you build one.
When somebody trains with Style ME Training, yes, we absolutely support them properly. We help with business plans, direction, confidence, positioning, branding ideas, and photoshoots. Delegates can have their profile placed onto our stylist database so potential clients can see they have trained with an accredited academy and are part of the wider Style ME network. But the purpose of that support is not dependency. It’s credibility. It’s confidence. It’s giving somebody a stepping stone so clients can look through profiles and think, “I resonate with her.” “I like her energy.” “She feels relatable to me.” Because different clients connect with different stylists, and that’s exactly how it should be.
I never want stylists to feel like they have to become a version of me in order to succeed. I want them to become more of themselves. That’s probably the biggest difference in how I see mentoring. I’m not interested in creating stylists who are permanently reliant on me for validation, permission, or income. I’m interested in creating brilliant, confident stylists who eventually stand confidently on their own two feet.
The way I grow my business is actually very simple. I train people well. They go out into the world and do brilliantly. Their clients love them. They speak positively about where they trained. Their confidence grows. Their business grows. Naturally, more recommendations come in. That’s always been my business model. Not pressure. Not sales targets. Not making money every time somebody books a client. I’m not relying on people selling branded makeup underneath me or taking percentages from every sale they make. I’m relying on creating genuinely good stylists who go out there and represent the industry properly.
And honestly, I think people feel that difference. Mentorship should feel supportive, not suffocating. It should feel like somebody experienced is beside you saying, “You’ve got this.” “I’ve been there.” “You’ll figure it out.” “Keep going.” Creative careers need space to breathe, and I think that’s especially important within styling because styling is personal. Every stylist eventually develops their own personality, aesthetic, communication style, ideal client, and strengths. One stylist might become incredible with corporate women, another may specialise in post-baby confidence, another may love editorial styling, and another may thrive in colour analysis or confidence coaching through style. That individuality is important.
Watching delegates slowly step into their confidence over time is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do. At the beginning of the course, many people arrive nervous, unsure of themselves, scared to speak up, scared to style somebody incorrectly, and scared they won’t be good enough. Then slowly, you watch them transform. You see them standing taller, trusting themselves more, speaking differently, and owning rooms differently. Eventually they stop needing constant reassurance because they finally realise, “I can actually do this.”
That moment is everything to me because a good mentor doesn’t create dependency forever. A good mentor creates confidence. So no, I’m definitely not Big Brother. I’m the big sister who guides you, supports you, tells you honestly when you’re making mistakes, helps you avoid wasting time and money, and quietly pushes you towards becoming the best version of yourself. And then eventually, I want you to fly on your own.
Love Nisha x