How One Salon Owner Walked Away From “Success” to Find Real Happiness – Ashlin's Powerful Story

Transcript

Your business is not your identity. It's what you do. It's not who you are. I've needed to burn out and have that wake up call over. Hang on. You've built this salon to have. Flexibility and a bit more freedom and balance, and you're doing the opposite every time that you guys don't love your businesses, it's a reflection of where you are at your life.

Reality was, yes, I was making more money, but I was making my mental health worse. I have gotta keep getting back to my why, and I've gotta make decisions from. My why. That's been the most powerful thing I've done in my business is delegate. Think the scariest thing when it comes to staff is people hire not based on numbers they hire.

Yeah. Based on emotion and ego, and it's the worst thing you can possibly do. My girls at work all said to me, Ash, this is our favorite version of you. Because for the first time ever, you're actually putting yourself first. The goal isn't more, more, more, more. It's to get to a point where your business should feel like joy.

Before we dive in, just a quick little love note from us. If this podcast has ever made you laugh, cry, think, or feel seen, please hit that subscribe button. It's the easiest way to keep the magic going and it helps us land more incredible guests for you.

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  📍 Welcome back to the Inner Sanctum Salon Rising. The podcast is not normally my voice that is heard at that beginning point, but you just have me today. Our girl, Jen, is hands deep in some basin work after coming home from Hair Festival, which we will catch up on in another pod 'cause I'd love to debrief that.

But I am joined by a extremely dear friend. We are zooming this up today because she's in Victoria, but I'm joined by my very dear friend, Ashlin from the Elk Collective.

Yep. That's

Yes. Ooh. Formerly known as Aspire Boutique. So has been in business a very long time, and we have worked together for a very long time.

But welcome.

Thank you so much for having me.

Welcome. I'm so excited to have you on the pod. And it was, you know, when Richard said to me, who do you want on? I was like, I was driving home and I was like, I was thinking about the day we met in the salon because I had a Thursday the other day where three of my staff were off, and it was hectic. And all I kept thinking about was that day that you came in and shadowed me a million years ago, and three of my staff were off and I was just like, I'm sorry.

You just have to deal with the craziest salon ever.

Yeah, but that's good to actually see the reality of someone else's salon and that it doesn't just happen to your own. So it made the experience even better.

All right. I wanna go into your journey first because I obviously know it. And I think your story is so powerful. Because I think a lot of people are sitting in transition at the moment of where they wanna go in their business or what they want it to feel like. And I would love to know your journey.

So let's start at the beginning and then we can kind of talk into the different areas and how you've gotten to where you are now and how you're feeling and all of those things. So tell us a little bit about you.

Okay, so, once I obviously qualified for my apprenticeship, I actually started working from this tiny little space that my parents built at their house. And it was just me. I was crazy and would work like 72 hour weeks to build myself up. And I built the most like amazing loyal clientele. So I was working full time on my own and I mean, like, it was a shoebox.

It was so tiny. But it obviously built an amazing clientele. And I was there for probably two and a half years. I grew that much. I ended up putting on an apprentice and I think mom and dad were getting over the amount of cars coming in and all these random people rocking up to their house and decided they wanted to purchase an investment property in town.

So I went through it with them one day and I was like, oh my God, this will make the best salon. I think that was their idea they always had was to get me out of the home and put me in a business.

Were you still living at home then as well?

yeah, I was, but I think they just needed me to walk in and like get this, you know, my creative juices flowing and design something in my head before they'd even said, yep, you can go in there.

So I opened up a salon. It was called a Aspire boutique, and it was just myself. And then I hired two other girls, another apprentice and a qualified. So the four of us worked for quite a few years. It was extremely busy. I was still at that stage working like six days a week, 12, 14 hour days, just to build it up.

And I obviously was very burnt out and got to the point where I thought, I can't keep doing this. I need to hire more people. It got to the point where I had 10 staff and I, I used to always look at salons and be like, oh, the biggest is always the best. And oh, it would be amazing. And for three years I had these, these massive teams and I thought, oh yeah, this is, this is what you, you've always dreamed of.

Like, you know, don't complain. Just keep going. And one day I just completely, I had like a staff member that left and was very, very, very nasty about it. And it kind of like, I felt like I just got stabbed in the back and

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I was like, what am I doing? Like, I'm not actually enjoying this. The biggest isn't always the best.

I can't, I'm either at the point where I wanna completely give up hairdressing or I've gotta completely change my whole direction. So I guess I really, I actually reached out to you again and I started coaching with you and I was like, I don't know what to do. I'm absolutely hating work now. Honestly,

2

work felt like it was a production line and I feel like clients felt that as well.

It was like I was foiling, someone else was toning and blow waving and it was just like, in, out, in, out. 'cause we had this huge clientele and I felt like I really lost what the purpose was. Like I, the clients weren't even getting this experience. They were just. Rocking up and they were still coming back.

Obviously we lost a few clients for it. And, but I was like, what am I doing? Like this is not my purpose, this is not the experience I want clients to get. So I really had to sit down. By this stage I already had two kids and I knew I wanted a third. And when I fell pregnant with my third, they're all really close, like 19 months apart.

I said to my mom and dad, I can't do this anymore. I wanna go back to home. And I honestly, I knew my team that I had left were amazing. But I was like, I don't want them to feel like they have to come home with me. And

3 - reel

I sat them down. I said, guys, the directions completely changed in my business.

Like I now have three babies that need me. I feel like I'm not giving to them. I'm not being able to give the clients the experience they deserve. And I felt like their experience wasn't showing the price they were paying sort of thing. So I said, I need to change this. I wanna build a salon from home.

I want it to just be special. I want it to feel calm. I wanna be able to give that client that experience that I began, I began with. So I wanted to rebrand. I felt like for me, I needed it to be like a fresh start. So my husband built the most like beautiful space at home. And we opened in October last year and I rebranded it to Elk Collective after my daughter Elkie

And honestly I was like on cloud nine, I got this like, fire in my belly. I got this whole new passion again for hair, and I was like loving it. It was amazing. I honestly though hit rock bottom again this year because I was loving it so much. Again, I had one of my special friends that worked for me, Alicia, that moved up to Queensland.

And 'cause she was so amazing, she had a huge clientele and I had to take over her clientele as well as mine. So I was back to doing like six days a week and then missing out on so much with my kids again. So

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I kind of needed to burn out and have that wake up call of, hang on. You've built this salon to have flexibility and a bit more freedom and balance, and you're doing the opposite.

Mm-hmm.

So

5-reel

I actually I haven't, I coached with you at the start of the year, but I haven't done it for a few months now. And I actually a month ago sat down and I went back through everything you'd taught me again and just kind of like, you know, revisited my prices, revisited my break even, and I was like, right, I'm dropping my hours, you know, this is what I can still make, this is what I can do and this is my purpose.

Like my babies need me, my business needs me, but I'm gonna spread myself between both.

mm-hmm.

And yeah, it's the best thing I've done like this last month. I feel the best I ever have in my position that I'm in.

Wow. Ash so much. Like if anyone's listening right now, they're like, whoa. And I think it's so powerful 'cause you did go from having. Such a big team, you know, you're running all the different hats while having two fresh babies. You and I met before you had the kids and that was as your building.

And Ashton decided to do like this road trip with her husband and like, try and educate as much as she could possibly could, which I think is powerful in itself. Like, she was like, I'm all in. I wanna know all of the things. I wanna be the best I can be. So when she's saying that she felt like she had lost herself in her business and what that actually looked like and why she got into it in the first place, I, it's because your passion for it in the beginning was so strong.

But even to catch yourself and go, hold on. I built this business from home. I think this is really important.

6

Just because you change the location doesn't necessarily mean you're going to change how you feel. Unless you actually change you

Absolutely, and I think that's what I needed to revisit again.

Yeah, because you change location. It felt amazing. It felt so connected.

Everything felt so purposeful. But because you are used to that go, go, go, go, go mentality, which we all are, all you ended up doing is taking on more and more and more. And you went, hold on. It wasn't necessarily the location, even though the location was the right idea, it's not the location.

7

I have gotta keep getting back to my why, and I've gotta make decisions from my why because

absolutely.

it's very easy to say, I can make all of the money and you could work seven days a week, 12 hours a day and make all the money you wanted to make.

But how purpose is that when you have three children to raise? And the whole idea of bringing it home, I remember talking about it for so long. I. The whole idea of bringing it home was, you know, you being able to head back over to home, pop some dinner on, you know, hang out with the kids for half an hour after school, and then have that disconnection be able to go back to the salon as well.

Yeah, which the first month was amazing and I got to do that so much. And I feel like it gave me a lot of false hope in a way. I was like, oh, this is great. This is what life's gonna be like. And then when leash left, it was so hard. Obviously I was so happy for her. I pushed her and said, go, you're so young, you need to do it.

But on the other end I was like, oh my God. This is so hard. Now I'm taking on two people's work. And it wasn't until like two months ago, I broke down to Brett one night and I was like, crying. I said, I can't keep doing this. Like, I'm so exhausted. I feel like I'm giving everything to my business and I feel like I'm drowning and I, I can't give to you, I can't give to the kids.

I feel like I couldn't even give it to my family and my friends.

Mm

he said I thought coming home was gonna be easier. And I said it was at the start, but I've gone back to my old habits and it,

mm

sitting down and reassessing everything again.

mm And oh, being okay with saying no as well. I'm okay saying I can't take care of you, and I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to go somewhere else.

And it was so funny, like

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my girls at work all said to me last week, Ash, this is our favorite version of you. Because for the first time ever, you're actually putting yourself first.

Hmm,

like, I walked away and I thought, oh my God, that makes me so proud

hmm,

actually seeing how hard this is.

For me to actually put myself first for once and say no to clients, like I, I would literally say no and have a panic attack out in the back room. My heart would be palpitating and I'd be an anxious mess, and

9

now when I say no, I'm like, fuck yeah. Like, I'm so proud of you for putting yourself first.

And not just going, oh, I guess I can do an extra haircut, or, I guess I can push that a little bit further. Or, your boundaries are strong and I think that's something that we forget. Yeah. So

absolutely.

talk me through, so you built to 10 and would you still have photos? I'd love, like your photos are so great of your old space.

It was like a heritage type building, wasn't it?

Yeah. Oh my God. We renovated it like three times.

Yeah,

Yeah. I do have photos with,

And it had all different rooms and it was a beautiful space. And

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I think the thing is too, at that point, we keep renovating because we want to give the experience, not realizing the experience comes from us. It doesn't necessarily come from what it looks like.

It's it, those things are important, but it doesn't necessarily come from what it looks like or how it presents. It also has to be from how we are giving the experience.

Oh absolutely. And it was funny

11 - reel

when I first said to my mom and dad, like, I think I wanna go back from home. It was such a huge thing. I, I literally cried and cried and I said to them, I feel like I'm failing though if I do that. And they're like, why? And I said, I feel like people judge me and be like, oh, why You're going backwards going from home?

And mom and dad said, stop, stop thinking about what other people are gonna think and think about yourself. And I did. And I was like, you're so true. And do you know what, like the bus, like we have been the busiest that we have ever been since coming from home. And clients like the messages I get from clients about like how proud they am of me for doing it and how beautiful the space feels and like this time of the year is meant to be quiet and we're like solid booked for a good eight weeks.

So

Hmm.

it just makes me proud that it's not only me that it's actually impacted, it's. My team are happier. My clients are happier. Like it's so, it's so nice.

So when I think it a perspective for everybody with the new space, it's not just a room in your home, like you, you live on, you live on property. So Brett builds you an actual proper, full sized salon on your property. So I think that's important too. It's not, you know, Ashlin was still so desired to give the experience.

It didn't go home as in, you know, you're in your back room and everybody's on top of each other. He literally built you, uh, entire building on your property that people now come to.

Yeah. We had a shed there and we just thought, let's renovate it. Like we're not, we have like a massive shed down the back. So this one was like in our backyard. I thought at least. You know, I can still run inside to see the kids or, but it's still separate that they know their boundaries.

Sometimes Bowie likes to push 'em and come out, but they know that that's mom's workspace. And when I'm working, when there's clients there, you can't come out. But it's nice that it's still separate. It's not like attached to my house.

mm

I

how many team

that

you have now?

as well. So there's three, I've got two that are part-time.

They both work three days a week. That's all they want. One's a mom and one is Ezra, who I've had for five and a half years now. And then I've got an apprentice who's full time.

Yep.

she, she kind of does like 32 hours, but obviously I still have to pay her for 38. But I said to her when she come, if you're an amazing worker and you work hard while you are here, I am more than happy to still pay you for the, the full-time hours.

Because I, I wanted the help and I wanted to grow her a clientele, but I still wanted that balance. I

Yeah. Amazing. And that's how many hours you are doing?

I've actually just dropped a Tuesday now, so I'm kind of three days, one week for the next so alternating my Saturdays. And it's, this is only, I'm only second week in this week and it just feels so weird, like so nice.

Like last Tuesday I sat down and I revisited all of the stuff from the pro, the last program I did with you, and I was like, oh my God, this feels so nice. I feel like in the past when I've done coaching with you, I've still been on the floor working like, you know, six days a week and then you would give me homework to do and I would like get it done, but I feel like it was never done properly.

And I, in my head I was like, yep, I've implemented that. And I'd always be telling the girls like, oh, this is what like Samara's helped me with, but I actually wasn't implementing it properly and now I've revisited it and I'm like, oh my God. Like I always know you're amazing. I recommend you to everyone.

But it wasn't until I've like got to sit down again and go through it properly and have the time. I was like, oh my God, this is so powerful. And now that I actually have the time,

Yeah. I think what's important is, is generally no matter what type of education you do, I'm doing a course at the moment myself. No matter what type of course you do or education you do, you are taking a tiny percentage of what you can actually take in that capacity, right? So when you coach with someone, when you do a class, anything, you think about doing a color class or a up, like you take the smallest portion of what you've learned.

So going back and re-looking at it and going, oh, that feels like that kind of resonates for me. I go back and redo my own coaching over and over again of the stuff that I've learned. Because the thing is, is putting it in and being disciplined and doing it over and over again, and if you get lost coming back and doing it again.

'cause we know it works. We know it makes us feel amazing when it works. Like you know why you came home, you know what that looked like. You know why you wanted that? You kept. Making these decisions based off those things. It's just we forget and we get in the rat race of like, how do I keep coming back to this?

Like, am I rooted in actually what I want for my life? Because I think that people fail to realize that, like we said in the last pod, like

12 - reel

your business is not your identity. It's, you know, it's what you do, it's not who you are. And we get so wrapped up in it, it us being, it that exactly what you said you thought when it got big and I'd exactly the same.

I had 14 at one stage and I assumed when it got big like that, that's what success was. You know, when I have that many people, I'll look, successful people will it, and it, you know, you look at it and you go, it was a complete ego thing. And you go, I'll look. Successful people will wanna, you know, people will look up to me and you just go and then you reassess it and go, why the fuck did I care?

I know. And that, that was exactly me. And I was always like oh, I see other salons with big teams and they look so successful. And it wasn't until I went from 10 to six and we were making the same money as what, like a week with six of us as what we were 10. And obviously I was paying four less staff, so I was like, oh my God, what was I doing for so long?

Like,

I remember doing that with

now. Yeah.

I remember the day we did that together.

yeah. And I obviously had like my best friend Ashley worked for me before she had her babies and she was my manager. And I was like, how the hell did we have 10? I felt like. We, and now I look back at that too, and she was on the floor full time, but also managing, and I'm like, why the hell did I not take her off the floor?

Like I feel like the business would be so much different if she was off the floor. But at the time I was like, I need her on. Like, you kind of look back now and go, wow, I would've changed so many things.

mm And I think people forget that, that people just,

13

I think the scariest thing when it comes to staff is people hire not based on numbers. They hire based on emotion and ego, and it's the worst thing you can possibly do for your

Yeah. Yep.

Someone leaves,

I can't.

quick, I need to hire again. Someone like they think, oh, we've gotten a little bit busy, it's time to hire.

And they don't hire based off what their financials can show. And then I see businesses that are so top heavy with wages that I'm like, all of your money's just gone in wages and tax and super.

Yeah, well, I think at one stage that was me when I had 10. I, I reckon my accountant, and you also said it to me too, I think my wages were like taking up 70% or something of what we were making a week. And so then I was left with like nothing to pay everything else. And then obviously when we lost the four and went back to the six staff members and I had less overheads with wages and were making the same amount of money, I was like, oh my God, my percentage went down for like, my balance, like wages to everything else.

Mm,

is what it's meant to be like.

mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

So yeah, it was very eyeopening.

and then you look at your expenses overall and you go, oh, okay. That's my wages now, that's my tax, now that's my stock and everything. Whoa, this. That's stuff left over every week.

Yeah.

And that is a scary, and we've all been there. You've been there. I've been there.

14 - reel

The scariest place to be in business is living week to week.

Yeah. Rich, I've been there.

mm-hmm. So have I. Yep. It's the scariest place you can be. And a place that, that is the time where you wake up at 2:00 AM and you think that supply is coming for me for money, and I need to pay the next super installment and tax is gonna end up in my inbox at any point. And how do I actually get out of this and survive this?

And now I'm gonna have to work more. I need more clients. Like I know the head noise. And so do you, that comes with what that life looks like.

Yeah. And I feel like I just started financially getting ahead again. And then obviously we decided for my mental health that we were doing the salon from home. So that obviously set me back quite a lot. And so I think

15

that's why I went back to old ways of working so much again. 'cause I was like, the more I work, the more I'm gonna make.

But reality was, yes, I was making more money, but I, I was making my mental health worse and I had no time for anything else. So since like stepping back, I'm happier and I can give more to my clients, I'm actually still kind of nearly making similar money to what I was doing. More hours.

Yes, yes, yes, yes. Because

16

the goal isn't more, the goal isn't More, more, more, more, more. It's to get to a point where it, you know, your business should feel like joy. It shouldn't feel like constant burden and constant stress. And if it is, what do you need to change?

Yeah. And that was like literally January till March. I was like, and that, this is only this year, I was at rock bottom and I said to Brett, I feel like I'm drowning. I can't keep doing this. I'm so physically and mentally exhausted. Like this was meant to be easier and I feel like it's harder. And he was like, it's gonna take time.

And it like, only yesterday I spoke to my accountant on the phone. I was like, I feel like I'm getting nowhere. And he is like, Ash, you I getting somewhere? You are doing amazing. And I just like needed that reassurance

Mm-hmm.

I've stepped back more. And he's like, you had a fantastic financial year last year.

You've got a. Keep reminding yourself that you're actually doing great.

Mm-hmm. And what you need to remember is when you build a new salon, it's going to take years to pay off.

Yes.

It would've taken, at least I've been in, uh, I've been in LaSorella the new one now for four years. So I reckon it, it's taken at least two to two and a half before the money that I spent on the business.

'cause I paid it in full before that was back where I needed it to be. Like, it's not instant. And

17 - reel

I think this is the biggest learning that I can give to people is nothing is changing overnight.

Yep,

takes time and dedication and consistency and determination. You know, nothing is changing overnight.

And I always, always relate it back to weight. If you wanna lose weight, nothing's changing overnight. It is small. Micro habits, it's things, doing things every day the same that bring you to where you wanna be. And I think. As creatives, what we do is like when you were saying, you know, you weren't implementing, what we do is go, I want this to feel good now, so I'm gonna do this one thing now, and that's what I'm gonna do.

And then, and I am, I can put my hand up and say, I still do it, not with finances, but even with my team, I'll be like, oh, this is I've created this new bingo spreadsheet. Let's do it this month. I did it last month and we didn't use it once. And the girls are all like, mm-hmm. And then I'm like, I'm not teaching consistency in that.

So it's like, how do I go back to the drawing board and create consistency in an area that I want to move and change and that I continuously move over and over again? Because it is not about all the small little things that you change every other week to make somebody inspired. It's about the big things that need the consistency and the work and the dedication that goes with them.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And it's, yeah, like a, a big wake up call to keep on going back and telling myself that as well.

And I think that's the thing is if anyone is listening to this 150 times back and forth, Ash and I have probably told each other that we're done in business and that we're gonna go live in our caravans and gonna, you know, we're, we are gonna move on. But our business pulls us back in because A, we're both extremely passionate about what we do.

Absolutely.

And B, our businesses, even though they are not our identity, are a big part of what we love. But the on the thing that needs to change constantly and be reminded is you, every single time that it goes hectic, it's generally like

18 -reel

every time that you guys don't love your businesses, it's a reflection of where you are at your life.

Yeah,

have left finances feel awkward. You are not having any time with your family. It's, these are all you problems. There is all things that you can do in this space to change. We just don't want to admit that it's us.

yeah. Absolutely. But I knew that's the worst thing. I actually knew it was me, but I was just so stuck in where I was at and not looking at at like my why and like, you know why I was doing the salon in the first place. So I literally had to sit down one night and write down like. You know what the salon means to me, and you know what my purpose is for me at work

Your why. You have to come back to your why. Mm-hmm.

like, right, okay. I'm the only one that can change this. No one else.

And it is the biggest question and the most important question that you can, can keep asking yourself in your business is why, why do I get outta bed in the mornings? Why do I run this business? Why? Like, what's my purpose in it? You know? Because at the end of the day, our businesses do give us the life that we wanna live with our kids, and they do fill a, this like beautiful part in us that like needs it as well.

And we are creatives and we love it. Like there's all of these things that all we do when we're sitting in a fear-based space of I'm exhausted. The finances are hard, team are hard, is

19

all we end up doing is going, no, we are just out, out is gonna be easier, jump out, done, sell it, move on, burn it down, whatever it is.

But if we reflect, it's generally all the internal stuff that's going wrong.

Oh, absolutely. I've wanted to burn it down and run away in our caravan so many times, but I'm like, no, you can't because I, I wouldn't be me without my salon and without my team, and like that is my purpose. So I am like, don't be ridiculous. You're not running away like you are changing what you need to

take us through the transition of like salon space to home. And as I said, it's not a normal home space, it's a proper salon. But take us through the transition. So we were talking obviously when you were first kind of thinking about it. Take us through kind of the transition.

How long did it take? You know, how much did you have to spend, like where were you at? You know, how did you go with transitioning your clients, your team? How did all that go?

so it we started it in march. And 'cause Brett and I did, well, Brett, I should say I helped as much as I could, but Brett did a lot of it himself. So obviously it really only gave us weekends to do it. I was like in my head, yeah, we're gonna get it done in 12 weeks. Like I was seriously dreaming.

I had no idea what,

I think I remember you saying that you were like, 12 weeks, we'll be done. We'll be in, and I was like, amazing.

Yeah, I think I was dreaming and every month I was like, oh yeah, next month. Next month. And then Brett said to me one day like, Ash, this is like, you're pretty much building a house. Like this is gonna take six months. So I was like, oh, okay. Cool. So it ended up pretty much being six months. We moved in at the start of October.

The last week was honestly, well the last two weeks was like, touch and go. We ended up having to be out so much quicker out of the old space because of the council. Like they'd changed the zoning. It was zoned commercial, residential when my parents first brought it. And when they went to sell it, 'cause they were selling the building the account, like it literally was meant to settle on like the Friday and the Thursday afternoon.

They got a call from the solicitor saying, oh, the zoning was changed like two years ago to residential. And I was like, what the hell? I've paid commercial rates for two years, which the council won't refund me. But anyway so it was a shit show. The council then said to mom and dad like, okay, well you've gotta kick your tenants out because they're commercial and they're not allowed to be in there.

Like, mind you, this is like two years that they'd changed it. And we only knew because it was meant to settle the next day as a commercial building. So obviously that sale then fell through. But I still had to be out. Yeah, it was, it was so shit. I felt really I felt horrible and

they've ended, they had to sell it as a residential building, not a commercial.

But the c the council tried to tell them they had to put, because I'd knocked down all the walls in the end, so it was like one big open space. It was stunning. But the council tried to then say we had to put all the walls back up, a bathroom in and a laundry. And we were like, what the fuck?

Like, you can't just rezone something and not tell us and we find out like literally 24 hours before it's meant to settle. So it literally only settled in May this year and someone else brought it from October last year. Oh, sorry. It was meant to settle June last year and that I was gonna rent it back off those people until October when the salon was done.

And so for, it went 11 months. They had to like fight fighting with council and then getting to the agreement that they just had to put a bathroom in and a laundry trough and the walls didn't have to go back up. But yeah, just settled in May. And so

So is it, so it's definitely residential now.

it's residential. Someone's living in

Wow.

salon. Yeah. So it was a shit show and I just felt so guilty because I was like, if I didn't knock down the walls, they would've been able to turn around straight away and sell at residential.

Yeah. But you weren't to know that.

I know, and like mom and dad obviously let me do it as well. So in the end it sold finally like, you know, one thing, one bit of weight off their shoulders.

So yeah, we started the new salon in March and finished it in October. And like in the end, yeah, it was a bit of a rush. And I just closed the salon on like, we are closed Thursday, so I closed that Friday and the following Monday, and the girls just helped move everything. Or actually no, our first day open was the Monday, so we literally had Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday to have that old salon emptied and cleaned out.

And then the new one set up, which my family were so amazing, they obviously, my sisters were like stocking my product shelves and putting tint tubes away and cleaning my best friend come around and was cleaning the night before until like midnight with me.

Anyone that thinks this is gonna be like a luxury, like move over, get everything sorted exactly the same. We finished

Oh

1.0 on the Friday afternoon. I think I gave the girls a couple of hours off for them to like pull everything down and we opened at last Ella 2.0 on the Tuesday.

yeah. So we were like Friday till we opened Monday. And it, but it was amazing. Like the first few weeks was just. We like, I, I feel like now we're still all just loving it, but we were just on cloud nine, like clients were walking in and they were like, wow, this is beautiful. Like, I was expecting something like where I first started from home, which was,

mm.

you know, 10 years before and this tiny little space.

And so I, I feel like it, it was so powerful for me to be like, wow, this is my purpose. Like, I'm back to giving the clients that experience and that beautiful, like I, I had a stunning space, but I created this. I thought about my clients and what, you know, would make their experience better when I was building this. So, but also my staff, like, I wanted them to feel like they're at home. And you know, I wanted them to feel like it was as part of theirs as it is mine. And so it's been really nice watching the girls. I feel like since when I come from home, I said to the girls, I'm doing this for me and my family, but I'm also doing this for you.

I want you to all sit down and tell me like what hours you wanna work, what days you wanna work. And I said, nothing is off limits. Like all I want is a happy team. I want everyone to feel like they've got balance. So I guess that's why it's been so amazing as well, is that they're all happy, they're all working.

Like, you know, I've got Meg who has two little boys and she works three days, nine till three.

Mm-hmm.

comes, does her job, goes home. She's kind of like, she's actually the best thing I've ever done. She's kind of part-time receptionist, runs the show, you know, rebook clients messages. Does all my Instagram.

Everything. But then she's also a qualified hairdresser, so she's on the floor you know, does toners and blow waves or foils or, you know, if someone rings up last minute, we can normally get them in with her because she's never fully booked on purpose. And then Ezra just does three days, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

That's all she wants. And Ashley May be coming back, she's just had her second baby and she's like, was renting a chair for herself over in Mo, which is like half an hour away. But she is the same. Like, she just knows that she'll have the balance. She can come and do the hours she wants, the clients will be booked for her.

It'll be

Mm.

easy for her to like walk in and do her clients and walk out. And she's amazing. Like she's, she's like always, I, I love her. It's like having. Two of me, but she thinks differently to me. It was actually funny as

I did a

No, you go. You go.

It was so funny.

She said to me oh, I, I can see Ashley coming back. And I was like, oh, really? And she said, yeah, Ashley's amazing for your business. And she's like, another, another brain for your business. She comes up with great ideas and really like, balances you out a lot. I'm like, yeah, she does. And she said sometimes though she thinks of things and she wants to like implement it or do it, but she said, you are so like stuck in your ways that she like bites her tongue and she just wants to say, oh, shut up Ashlin, and just let me, let me do my thing.

And when I told Ash she laughed and she's like. Yeah, she laughed and said, if I come back, I wanna come back in like that kind of manager's position because I know that I've got so much potential for your business.

Yep.

it like, felt so good for me to have that conversation with her and be like, girl, you can come back in and you can bloody take more pressure off me and run this show.

Yeah.

so I'm, I'm really hoping that we can make it work and she can come back as well because it will be great to like both balance each other out again.

And

20 - reel

that's the thing is not everybody, like, I think we get in our head that everybody wants to own their own business. Not everybody wants to own their own business, you know? And I think when you do it, you go, oh, I didn't realize how much behind the scenes this person's doing, how much pressure, you know, my team walk in, do their job, walk out.

They don't see it's quiet this week. So we've gotta make sure that we are doing that. We've gotta make sure this is in, I've gotta make sure that's covered. I've gotta make it's end of year. I've gotta make sure you know, the amount of noise that happens in the background is so extreme that we get to the point as owners and go.

I don't know if we can handle this anymore.

Yeah. Well I think like, and I agree you, I think as a business owner you have so much more appreciation for other business owners

Mm-hmm.

I feel you. I know what you deal with. But like, it's funny you say that because Meg used to actually work for herself from home and she's like, I'll never go back to working for myself.

Like she goes, I can come. I'm working my hours. Like you, I feel like you go and work for yourself to get that freedom. And to get more money. Like that's why we all do it. Right? And then I think for Meg, she was like, this is shit. I'm working like 12 hour days. I, you know, I have to make sure my appointments are filled.

Like, you know, you've gotta do everything, whereas you come to someone else and it doesn't matter if you've got no one booked in, you get paid. Like, that's on the business owner, that's not on you. So I think like Ash, Ash was saying to me, I, I don't know how you run a business with three kids. She, and I'll never forget it.

She's like, I appreciate you so much more now then, and she's always appreciated me, but when she had her first baby, she said, I appreciate you so much more, because I never knew how hard it was to have one child and run her own business when she was renting a chair. So she ended up coming back when she fell pregnant with her second.

'cause she's like, it's easy. I don't have to build a clientele, I don't have to worry whether I'm busy or not. I'm coming to work, I'm getting paid and I've got that stable income. So I think like I, like as long as you as a business owner are looking after your staff, like I think they then go, I don't wanna work for myself.

I've got, this is good.

I obviously work alongside so many solo artists and I know how much it costs for them to open their doors to make a, I've got a artist that I've worked with and she needs to make at like four and a half thousand a week just to be able to pay herself $70,000 a year.

You know? And yes, you know, potentially working for somebody that is less, but what it, but the pressure that it puts on her to do that and to run a salon and to run all the stock and to make all the appointments and to make sure she's making that much money a week. Is so extreme that there's so many people that also just don't wanna juggle that head noise and want to live that life.

They want more of the balance of personal life.

Yeah, and I used to try and do everything myself because I felt like I'm the business owner. This is all my responsibility. I. But these last like six months, I've actually learned to delegate and I'm

Mm.

can't be everyone for everything. So now that like I've hired Meg and Meg's doing all my Instagram messages, like greeting clients, setting them up, checking them out, maintaining the towels, keeping stock levels at bay, I feel like my life is easier.

And for the first time ever, I can actually give so much more to my clients because I'm not

Mm.

my brain is like a DHD on steroids. When I'm trying to do it all, I'm like trying to talk to my client. I'm like, oh fuck, I've gotta do an order. I've gotta call that client. I've gotta do this and

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

can just go, Hey Meg, can you do this?

And it's done. And I can give a hundred percent to my clients now. It feels so good. Like so good. So I know like, and also I think it's so good for the staff members to actually have like a little bit of a role or responsibility other than just doing hair as well. Like it makes them feel more important too, and more value that you trust them to do something within your business.

So

21

I guess that's probably been the most powerful thing I've done in my business is delegate. And that was, you actually said to me, Ash, you've gotta delegate. You're one person. You can't do everything and stop trying to do everything.

And I think the important part of this is to reframe back to what we were talking about before is this is my staff meeting tomorrow is on delegating because. If you don't continue to reassess and to look all over your business, you'll realize slowly over time that you consume it and you kind of take it all back.

And literally yesterday I was like, what am I doing? I've got this phenomenal team that can help me in so many areas. Why am I not reating again? Because I feel like I've gotta hold it all, but I don't. 'cause we've got these great teams that can help.

Yeah. We just feel guilty, like, oh no, this is our salon so we have to do it. But I, like the girls could tell I was struggling and they all said to me, Ash, stop trying to do it yourself. Like, give us jobs, we will do it. And I thought, you know what? They actually want the responsibility. Like, what am I doing?

Trying to be, do, be everything.

Mm. So good.

Yeah.

22 - reel?

What is one of the biggest financial lessons you've learned?

that tax is always gonna be there and. This is your saying, you can't rob Peter to pay Paul. Because I would, I would put my money in my tax account and then I'd be like, oh, cool, that looks like a cool education. Or, oh, that bill's due. And I would take the money straight out and I'd put it like, pay for something and then my tax bill comes and I'm like, oh my God, I have no money in my tax account.

So I'd be like an anxious mess for a week and have to set up a payment plan again. And I actually, I've like set up direct debits for everything now.

Mm-hmm.

I like, instead of this is a DHD as well, I'm so comp like compulsive, like if I want something I'll just buy it. And I don't think about the consequences.

So I was like, right, if the money isn't there, I can't spend it. So I literally have like direct debit set up. It goes straight to the a TO every week now. So then when I get my bill, it's already like prepaid. Or like I would have a very small amount left going, so I'm like, oh my God, I don't feel like I'm dying now.

Getting like instead of a 15 grand BAS, it might be like three grand. it's so much. So yeah, I just, and even like annual leave, I have I now set up an account that money that I was paying for rent is now going into an annual leave account. 'cause in my head I was like, well I haven't had that money for years.

Like it's gone to rent, so now it's going into an annual leave account. And I just went on four weeks holidays and I could pay myself four weeks annual leave and not have to be, I wasn't like away going, oh my God, the team's not gonna make as much money. And what happens if they have all these cancellations?

Like they were full when I went away and they had one week of like every single client was sick and nearly had to reschedule and. I was like on holidays and thought, you know what, who cares? I've planned for this. I've got money in my annual leave account. Whereas normally I would, like, last year when I went on holidays, I was like, fuck, like I'm not gonna be able to pay myself this week and transferring my wage back to be able to pay for other things 'cause the girls were quiet or whatever.

So I think that's probably been the biggest financial lesson is like I, in my break even now weekly, it's got everything direct debited out, like down to, I pay like weekly for my water bill, my electricity, my phone bill. Like everything to do with my business is paid weekly. My super everything now so that I'm not like, you know, at the end of the quarter.

Oh cool. I've got a massive lump of super due or.

Yeah,

been, yeah,

good.

most valuable

I'm so proud of you because that weekly putting away weekly has been, even for me and I've been doing this work for so long, is such a game changer. And for you to say, I know that I can't keep it, you know, I talk all the time about a holding account, but you are like, I know, I can't see it.

Like, I actually need the money to be gone, otherwise I will spend it because I will see it as money that can be spent. And I think, you know, even the other, I think we really forget and, and as business owners and, and like, you know, young women getting into business and stuff like that. We really forget that we are living in a debt based society where everyone's like, get credit cards and go on payment plans and you know, Afterpay and zip pay and nobody has to save to buy anymore.

And it's so dangerous. It's so dangerous with business because we have debt that's coming and then, you know, you can buy all your stock and don't have to pay that for, you

Yep,

30 days. When, when there comes a point where suppliers are done with that and they end up going, no, you have to pay as you go. I think we'll actually bring business owners back into a little bit more alignment because people are placing like $5,000 orders and then going, oh my gosh, I don't know how to pay for it.

Like they're not thinking, oh, I'll actually just put that aside now they are, everything is in the future. So, they go spend $5,000 on a supplier's bill, and then they're like, the following week they're like, oh, I've had a great week.

And by the time the supplier bill comes in, everyone's like, I don't know how to afford it. What do I do?

Well I've even set up, well, like I'm, I've gotta set that up now. I've just swapped over yesterday from a sole trader to a company. So I've obviously gotta set up all new bank accounts and I had rang Aus there and worked out what I spent with them for the financial year so that I can set up di a direct debit to them weekly.

So that same thing, 'cause that that was happening to me, I would do like an order and then it sits on your account for 30 days and then I'm like, ah, shit, I've gotta pay for that as well. Whereas if that's done weekly as well, it's just one less stress I'm gonna have to

Hmm.

And it's actually, so it's made me feel so good because I'm getting so many bills now and I'm actually in credit.

Like, you know, I've got a couple of hundred dollars credit sitting there. I mean, I can't wait till the day that I, that can be my tax bill and I can be like, I'm in credit with the a TO. But it's so nice when you're seeing credit, you're like, wow. Because, you know, one day I might decide to go and go in the caravan with my family for 10 or 12 weeks and then all that credit is built up with everything

And people that are in debt, and you've been in debt before, we've done this together.

I've been in debt, people that are in debt, uh, and when they're in it, they're like, how can I possibly get out of this? And I would say, you just have to be super stretchy and you have to be uncomfortable and you have to just knuckle down because the most important thing like you have done now is you're like, oh, I still have this tax bill, but I have to put all the future stuff away because it's coming for me no matter what.

Yeah. Yeah, definitely.

  📍 No, it's, it's,

Yeah, because then the same thing is, is when

that I've done and now that I'm, like, I, every business owner needs to do it. Like we, we've always done it personally for like all of our bills at home.

always have.

So,

Yeah.

Yeah. So I was like, why am I not doing

this for the business as

I think that then any money that sits in your business, you know, is your

profit, you know, and we've just finished out guys like we're July 2nd when we're recording this. So we have just finished out end of financial year.

And for me, I was like, I want everything paid within an inch of its life. So I currently don't owe a single bill on anything because I wanted it all paid in the financial year. And when I look at my account, I'm like, that's just the money that's in the account. Nothing has to be paid. Everything is already paid.

And it is.

That is

it is. the most amazing feeling in the world. You know, and again, weeks like we've had a quiet week this week,

and even though I still get anxious because I'm like, I've been in business 16 years, I can promise you that on a quiet week, I still feel like the sky is falling. I haven't learned not to do that yet.

But at the end of the day, if we didn't make a dollar, we'd still be okay. 'cause there's a buffer in that amount and that account that would get us through. And that's what financial freedom looks like. Like that's what peace in your business looks like, is. I can pay myself a wage, I can pay my staff well, I can, you know, do the things I wanna do.

I have spent, I can have spent 20 grand in the past week. You know, I bought new trolleys and I bought a new, um, smoothing range and I paid all my suppliers out completely. I would've spent at least 20 and. Knowing that you can do that, and it's okay to have a quiet week, or knowing that there's money sitting there and knowing that there's money in different pots I think is really important. Just don't put all your money in one pot, put it in different places so that it's all not just sitting in one account and then you get to see these like great little amounts in all different accounts and you know how you're tracking.

yeah. And that's why I'm like doing my super weekly and paying tax weekly and everything, so I don't have, I've got an annual leave account sitting there, and I do have a savings account for work as well, so if I do have a really good week, I'll be like, I'll just put a bit across to that. So at least, you know, if education does pop up, I have money sitting there or like, you know, building it for like the Christmas party and things like that.

I'm making sure like that's like a buffer on my normal

account.

And I just, I just forget that that account and my annual leave account actually there and I just focus on the one account. 'Cause they're all direct debited out. I don't, I'm not having to transfer the money across and knowing how much is in there.

So it's been nice. Like I've got for July, I've got Ezra's away all of next week. And then she's doing some training in Sydney and then Meg's away

for like three weeks. And I don't even have to stress that they're not there. Like, I

literally have money

Hmm. I

love that.

to pay them.

Yep.

So it's so, it's so nice.

Yeah,

everything else feels calm

When your finances are handled, when your finances are good, when you feel on top

of it, everything else feels okay.

Personally, professionally, relationship wise, money, if it is controlling you financially, and it is feeling sticky is the the worst thing that can happen to our businesses,

Yeah.

but not only our businesses, our life. I've watched times, I've done it, but I've watched times where you've gone through it and just everything else feels

awful. Being a mom is hard. Being a partner is hard. Being a friend is hard because ev, because money is this like poison that's sitting in your life because every feels, everything feels like it's on top of

you.

Yep. That it's so true. Like it com it completely consumes you. And I would, I used to come inside when I was really struggling financially and I'd be like, to Brett, I can't do this. And I feel like I was, I was never like horrible, but in my head I felt like I was just a horrible person. Like I was just negative to be around and he always just knows where to bring me

back.

And he actually said to me the other day, I wanna take over your books. Because then I know like he wouldn't do it completely, but I would still do it. But he then he knows where like I'm at and where he can like help and go, oh, why don't we look at like, you know, he just wants to be

the second eyes on it.

And I'm like, it's so good. We sat down together the other day and there was things that he picked up and I'm like,

mm.

never

even thought of that. I.

I've never noticed it.

So, and, and he said, I think sometimes like you consume it, like consumes you so much of like, you know, I do an order and I'm like, oh my God, I just spent $4,000 with Oden.

He's like, Ash,

Yeah.

for four weeks.

Like, and he'll like sit there and project, project what I'm gonna make for the next month. And he is like, this is what you're gonna make for the next month and this is what you've got to pay. Like, you're gonna be

fine. And I'm like, oh. Whereas I would sit there myself and do it and I'd be like, uh, like, you know, oh my God, I'm

I remember, that

with you when you used to be like, I've got an Aus Air bill. I'm like, babe, you're gonna have supplies,

bills coming for you for the rest of your life, otherwise you can't

do hair.

Yeah,

ab

think too, like there is, I think everyone needs to remember that if it's not fair specialty to find somebody, it is. You know, like I think we think we should do it and know it and have it all together 'cause we're business owners. But I couldn't do a perm to save my life if I had to do a perm.

Pretty much I'm going in the ground. But my friend Bridget, my friend Bridget, who

I'm the same.

religiously, we always talk about. If she, she would, if perms came back

in, babe, she's making millions, she can roll a perm like a magician. Me on the other hand,

no, never.

So I think we're, we've gotta see, we've gotta remember just like in business, just like in here we're, we are great at some things,

not so good at the others. It's the same in business.

23

So if finances is not your thing, find the person, do the course, learn off the people, because my partner's the same way. He is hopeless when it comes to his finances. And he had a business, he does, he's got, he works for someone now. But he kind of was like, okay, teach me, tell me what to do.

Teach me, guide me. And he's thriving because he's like, all right, teach me. And now he's making these amazing decisions himself, but. There are gonna be people that are better at it. So find those people and get those people to help and get those people to touch. Just like you were saying with Brett, like there is going to be people that can see eyes on your business differently and they'll be able to help give you support as

well.

24

Yeah, and I actually like when when I last did coaching with you, you were like, lean into your accountant so much more. And I actually have. So I've really taken the time to like really deep dive in and get to know my

numbers, and I think that's so powerful as well, is like knowing every cent that comes in and out.

and yeah, like getting to know that with my accountant as well, so Hmm. can also reassure me as well. Uh, I'm not, you know, like he, he obviously sees everything, so it's kind of been nice to have

him and now Brett, to like be helping me get, get, ahead further again.

And I would say to anybody, you think spending feels good, wait until you've got

savings.

Like you think that spending feels good and it does wait until you have savings. Because when you see that money in

your account, you just don't wanna spend it. You know? You just wanna keep building it. And I, you know, you

I agree.

you're building it for personally and business wise, but it's a, it's a, I talk

all the time about financial freedom.

It's financial security,

That's so true.

It's just like making you feel secure.

Yeah. You feel better when you look at your bank account and there's more money rather than like spending and it's like going lower and lower.

Yeah. Like that's, you are like

oh, that's my purpose.

I can see that building. But in the early days, I know I spent like an absolute

mofo in the early days, and that's where I got to being broke and then building it back, and then teaching from Salon Rising. So it has a purpose. But you know,

25

I think if anyone is listening to this and they haven't, their finances still feel sticky and yuck.

It doesn't have to feel that way.

No. No. And I remember like, that's when I

first come to you, I was at a really bad stage and I think you just think, oh, this

Hmm.

Like this is what every other business is going through. And I mean, a lot of businesses, like I have a lot of business owner clients and they're all like, I'm struggling.

I'm at rock bottom. Like I, I actually seen a post on that Hairdressing Hair Squad by Jess Lewis page the other day and someone was saying, we're so quiet. I don't know what to do. I think I'm gonna have to close down. And there was like 70 comments on it of all these businesses saying, we are the same.

I've tried everything. I think we're gonna have to close. And that's when I was like, I, I was

really grateful that I was obviously busy. But it also made you kind of appreciate

how hard

you've worked, like say,

doing your course and

stuff and like

preparing yourself. Because reality is,

there's always gonna be quiet patches, but if you're not prepared

mm

you're

gonna set

yourself backwards

It's How prepared are you for exactly what you

Annual leave, sick leave, quiet patches, Christmas off. How prepared are you at

these times? Because it's all good and well to be like, you know, is I'm killing it. It's Christmas time, but then people take two weeks off and then they come into the new year and they're at Struggle Street again.

It's how do you set yourself up financially, securely now so that those patches don't

matter?

and that's, I guess I'm working really hard on that at the moment now because. I wanna have the whole of January off, so I'm like, I've got two kids that will be starting kinder. Bowie will, like, he started school this year, so I'm like, I just wanna spend that whole month like being a mom and like fulfilling my purpose in that.

And 'cause December's always mental, absolutely mental, and I'm exhausted. We always take two weeks off and I've said to myself, no, January's always weird. Like it can be fully booked and then you have all these people that can't afford it and reschedule. And I'm like, I'm taking the whole month off. So right now I'm like, how can I be prepared for that?

How can I make sure that I've got like, money there for my annual leave money there for any bills that need to come in? So

yeah, I'm, I'm

planning now for six months time, so

that I hopefully am like in the most like financial

free.

Yes.

Like

time of my

Future planning. It's everything. Yes. And I think, again, people forget

that if you wanna go on a seven week trip to Europe, cool, bro, but how set up are you to go? Because I think holidays are so important, but like, how are you setting yourself up to do that? And if it's in 12 months time or six months time, just like you've said in six months time, I'm taking a month off.

How are you setting yourself up for that so that it doesn't, you don't struggle

then? Because people are like, I'm just gonna take time off and then don't think about it. And then they come back and they're absolutely screwed.

and a few years ago, that would be me and I would say to myself, oh, it's

Mm

could

just work

more hours and

make up, like I would work more, I would work more in December and I'd work more in Feb. And I'd say like

to myself, oh, it'll balance out. But I'm like, no, because I don't wanna have to work more

before and after to make

mm

it.

I wanna be

able to have that time off And

be like, this

feels so good,

Good girl. so good. And you have something to look forward to.

Yeah. Yeah.

Oh, Ash, many people have taken so many golden nuggets from this conversation. , And I, I would highly recommend anybody that I. Is in this transition stage or isn't loving their business, or it is, you know, felt like how you were feeling to get in touch.

'cause Ash is like the kindest, most loving person and she loves conversations about everything industry. So she would be perfect if you needed to reach out and be like, okay, how did you do it? 'cause I'm exhausted because I see a lot of people wanting to go different methods. But I think the important thing is here is going home.

Is it going to make your problems go

away?

I've had heaps of salons reach out and ask questions like that already. And it's, it makes me feel better about my decision of doing it too, because I'm like, okay, it's not only me that wanted to do it, other people are in my

same

position. But, and it's not to say, like I've always said, I might in five years time when my kids are all in school and I might decide, okay, it, I wanna open up a

shop in town again.

That might feel right.

If you are sitting on the fence

right now. We had a, , a girl come up to Jenna Expo actually, that we did a course within Melbourne who was so upset and so overwhelmed and was like, I'm gonna sell my business.

And we were like, you need to do, like, you have to support yourself. You don't think about the ego, don't think about what other people think. Just do what you need to do. And she did it. And she's like, I've never been happier. She's like, I'm so happy. I think what we need to get out of our heads, this industry is such a.

Visual industry we're so, it's can feel so ego based because we're so on social media and everybody's watching and our clients are watching and, you know, other hairdressers are watching and business owners and people in this industry that we feel almost frozen in fear by what we want to do because of what people will think.

26

It's your life. You've got one precious life.

Choose what's most important for you and who cares what anyone else thinks, because no matter what you do, people are still thinking

things.

And it's so funny because that was me. I would look and like I would say, yep, I'm gonna do it. And then I would sit there on Instagram till two o'clock in the morning looking at all these like big successful salons. And then I would spiral and like be questioning and doubting my own decision. And now, like I, I'm actually so proud of myself.

I went through and

I muted every single

business that makes me feel like overwhelmed or it doesn't mean I don't wanna ever

see them be successful, but I was, it wasn't doing my own

yeah, I say this all the time, I'm like, any, any, you don't have to unfollow. If that feels wrong for you, just mute. Simply mute. Because at the end of the day, anything that's causing you to question your who you are because you're feeling not good

enough, and it

doesn't have to be a reflection on them.

Yeah. It's not a reflection on them. You're doing amazing, but my mental health is not good right now, so

un just mute everything that doesn't feel like it is good for your

mental health.  

yeah, Absolutely. And like, I love, I'm, there's nothing more than I love seeing other businesses survive, like thrive and, you know, like do amazing things and bringing new products or services or whatever. I love it. I'm like, that's so amazing. But I'm so in my own lane and I like got out of my head of like comparing myself to others.

And since being in my own lane and not

comparing, like it's been the best thing ever for my business. Like my business. is more successful now than what it

was because I was always How do I get I was gonna do

that and now, yeah,

I look after so many businesses that I know what those

businesses are feeling and it's, we think that they are living their best life and everything's amazing. They're just as

stressed and just as freaked out and just as

Oh, and I know,

But I think you, like, you put yourself down like, oh, I should be doing that. I should be doing better. So by muting them now, I don't even look, I

literally, like, I mean, I haven't posted on my own business for like four weeks. It has just been a lot going on, but I'm getting back into that now.

And, but I'm not even worried. I'm not looking at that going, oh, everyone else is posting, or everyone, like

s for the first time ever, I'm actually just focusing on my own, like my own team and my

own space.

love, love. Oh, thank you.

This has been

such a

good

No, Thank you

Thank you

Um, I'm, I'm, I'm sure Jen's gonna love listening back to it. She gets to enjoy this today. Thank you for everyone to listening. Just hear in mine and Ash's

voice. But really, truly, I think the important thing is, is you can feel secure and excited and on top of finances and life, no matter what size your business where you're working from, it's just get back to your why.

Really know why you're doing this business And make choices from that space., And always get on top of your finances.

yeah. Absolutely.

Thanks, Ash. You're being an absolute babe. Thank you

for coming on, and we'll talk to you soon.

Bye

guys.