Now Available in Paperback
Legacy Over Likes
The Art of Building a Career That Matters in a World Obsessed with Followers
You didn’t fall out of love with hairdressing. You fell out of love with what the industry asked you to become.
By Anthony Presotto
Buy Now on Amazon Learn MoreThere’s a difference. And it matters.
Because the stylist who is burnt out, overstretched, and quietly wondering if they made the right choice didn’t lose their passion. They lost the version of their work that felt like them. The version that was about people, not performance. About craft, not content. About building something that lasts, not chasing something that trends.
That stylist is who this book was written for.
The truth the industry won’t say out loud
We built a culture that rewards performance over presence. Stylists are being told to be content creators first, artisans second. Visibility has become the measure of value. Follower counts have replaced client trust as the benchmark of success.
And an entire generation of talented, devoted, deeply skilled people are standing behind the chair feeling somehow… not enough.
Not because they aren’t good at what they do.
Because they’ve been measuring themselves against the wrong thing.
This book exists to change that.
Why Anthony wrote this book
My name is Anthony Presotto. I have been in this industry for over four decades. I have cut, coloured, mentored, taught, built businesses, trained stylists, and sat with clients through some of the most important moments of their lives.
I am not a social media consultant. I am not a business coach who happened to find the beauty industry. I am a hairdresser. Someone who has lived this craft, loved this craft, and at times been broken by this craft, from the inside.
In August, I had a heart attack. It stopped everything, including the final months of finishing this manuscript. And in the quiet that followed, one truth became impossible to ignore:
Some things cannot wait. Some things are worth finishing. Some truths are worth saying.
This book is one of those truths.
The moment that shaped this book
One day, a regular client arrived thirty minutes late. I was frustrated. My schedule was full. Every minute mattered.
Then she told me she had been trying to book an emergency flight. Her mother was critically ill.
Halfway through her appointment, her phone rang. Her mother had just passed away.
She was in my chair when she heard the news. Not at home. Not with family. With me.
“The way we react to something trivial can shape how safe a person feels to receive news that changes their life.”
That is the weight of what we do. Not glamour. Not content. Not aesthetics.
Human moments. Sacred ground.
This is not a marketing guide
Legacy Over Likes is not a social media strategy dressed up in industry language.
It is not a productivity system, a content calendar, or a personal branding playbook.
It is a return.
A return to the reason most of us came into this industry in the first place. Before the algorithm. Before the burnout. Before the comparison became daily and the performance became constant.
Part memoir. Part mentorship. Part manifesto.
This is the book I wish someone had handed me at the start.
What you’ll find inside
Part One
The Awakening
Reclaim what hairdressing truly is, confront burnout honestly, and reconnect with the roots of why you began.
Part Two
The Artisan
Learn why mastery is clarity, not complexity, why craft matters more than visibility, and how Bruce Lee’s philosophy applies behind the chair.
Part Three
The Aligned Professional
Build soulful structure with Wabi Sabi, Kaizen, and Ikigai. Protect your energy with boundaries and replace perfectionism with purpose.
Part Four
The Guide
Step into quiet leadership, build a legacy brand rooted in alignment, and help shape the future of the industry with depth and dignity.
This book will help you
• Simplify your craft without losing your artistry
• Set boundaries that protect your energy and elevate your service
• Redefine success beyond visibility and burnout
• Lead with clarity, integrity, and emotional intelligence
• Build a career and reputation that truly lasts
• Return to the deeper reason you started
Who this book is for
It is for the stylist who still believes hairdressing is a craft, not a content category.
It is for the salon owner who wants to lead with clarity instead of control.
It is for the educator who is tired of teaching performance and wants to transmit something that actually lasts.
It is for the apprentice who came into this industry full of love for the work and is quietly noticing that the culture around them rewards the wrong things.
It is for the veteran who has watched the industry change and wonders if there is still room for someone who simply wants to do beautiful, honest, careful work.
“Your value is not in how many people follow you. It’s in how many people feel more whole because of your presence.”
— Anthony Presotto
Buy Legacy Over Likes today
This is not a how-to guide. It is a remember-who-you-are. If you’re ready to come back to your craft, your values, and a career that actually means something, this book is for you.
Buy Now on AmazonPaperback available now
About Anthony Presotto
Anthony Presotto is a hairdresser, educator, and mentor with over four decades in the beauty industry. He writes and speaks about craft, leadership, and sustainable careers. Legacy Over Likes is his first book.