Sasha Banks worked as a hairdresser and salon owner before joining WWE

Before Sasha Banks became one of WWE's most recognizable wrestlers, she worked in the beauty industry. She was a hairdresser and eventually owned her own salon in Boston, Massachusetts. This work gave her the financial stability and flexibility she needed while she trained for professional wrestling on the side.

Her salon experience shaped who she became outside the ring as well. Banks has spoken about how running a business taught her discipline, customer service, and how to manage people — skills that transferred directly into her wrestling career and her later work as a performer and entertainer. Unlike wrestlers who train from childhood, Banks built her career as a working adult with real business responsibilities.

Key Takeaways

  • Sasha Banks worked as a hairdresser in Boston and owned her own salon before pursuing professional wrestling full-time.
  • She maintained her salon job while training at wrestling schools and taking independent bookings at smaller shows.
  • Her salon income allowed her to afford wrestling training, travel to shows, and build her career without going into debt.
  • Many professional wrestlers work other jobs during their early careers, and Banks' salon work was her bridge into the sport.
  • Her background in the beauty industry influenced both her work ethic and her attention to visual presentation as a wrestler.

How she balanced salon work with wrestling training

Banks trained in professional wrestling while maintaining her salon job, a common path for wrestlers who are building their careers. She attended wrestling schools and took independent bookings at smaller shows while keeping her salon as her primary income source. This dual career was not something she did briefly — it was the foundation of her early wrestling years.

This balance gave her the financial cushion many wrestlers need in their early years. Independent wrestling shows pay far less than major promotions, and most wrestlers cannot survive on that income alone. Her salon work meant she could afford to travel to shows, pay for training, and cover the costs of building a wrestling career without going into debt or relying on family support.

The schedule required real discipline. She would work at the salon during the day, then travel to wrestling training or shows in the evenings and on weekends. This kind of schedule is exhausting, but it is also common among wrestlers who are serious about the sport but do not yet have the income to make it their only job.

Her path from salon owner to WWE performer

Banks eventually transitioned from her salon work to wrestling full-time once she began working for developmental wrestling promotions and then WWE. Her early wrestling career included time in smaller promotions and independent circuits before she was signed to WWE's developmental program, which is where WWE trains wrestlers before they appear on television.

By the time she joined WWE's main roster, she had already built years of experience both in the ring and as a business owner. This background made her a more mature and disciplined performer than many wrestlers who come into the sport younger or without prior work experience. She understood how to run a business, manage employees, and handle the financial side of being self-employed — all lessons that applied to managing her wrestling career.

Why her pre-wrestling work matters to her story

Banks' salon background is part of what makes her story relatable to people outside the wrestling world. She was not a child star or someone who trained exclusively for wrestling from a young age. Instead, she was a working adult who pursued her passion while maintaining a real job and a business. This is the path most wrestlers actually take, even if it is not the story that gets told as often.

This path is more common in professional wrestling than many people realize. Many wrestlers work as personal trainers, bartenders, construction workers, or in other trades while they build their wrestling careers. Banks' salon work is straightforward one example of how wrestlers fund their training and early career expenses. The difference between a wrestler who makes it and one who does not often comes down to whether they can afford to keep training while earning almost nothing from wrestling itself.

The beauty industry and her personal brand

Her experience in the beauty industry also influenced how Banks presented herself as a wrestler. She has always paid close attention to her appearance, styling, and presentation — elements that matter in professional wrestling as much as in-ring performance does. Professional wrestling is a visual medium, and how a wrestler looks, moves, and carries themselves is part of their character.

Banks' background in helping people feel confident about their appearance may have shaped how she approaches her own image and character work. In the salon, she learned how appearance affects confidence and how presentation matters. That understanding translated into her wrestling career, where she became known for her polished look and attention to detail in her character presentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Sasha Banks work in her salon while wrestling for WWE?

No. Once she joined WWE, she transitioned to wrestling full-time. Her salon work was part of her pre-WWE career, when she needed other income to support her wrestling training and early independent bookings.

How long did Sasha Banks work as a hairdresser?

Banks worked in the beauty industry for several years before wrestling became her full-time career. The exact timeline of when she left the salon to focus entirely on wrestling is not widely documented in public interviews, but it occurred before her WWE signing.

Did owning a salon help her become a better wrestler?

While owning a salon did not teach her wrestling moves, it taught her business skills, discipline, and how to manage people — all of which are useful in professional wrestling. It also gave her the financial independence to pursue wrestling without desperation or pressure to take the first opportunity that came along.

Are there other wrestlers who worked regular jobs before going pro?

Yes. Many professional wrestlers work other jobs while training and taking independent bookings. This is a standard part of building a wrestling career, especially before signing with a major promotion like WWE. Some wrestlers work these jobs for years before they reach a level where wrestling alone pays enough to live on.