A 17-year-old with salon keys and no driver’s licence. Two decades later, Karla Daddo steps into a new season, trading a bustling team-based salon for DOYENNE., a luxury rental-chair space built to give freelancers real freedom, community, and profit. 

We dive deep into the moments that shaped her: early sabotage and isolation, the kitchen-table bookkeeping with her nan, the rebrand to BRONDE., and the powerful shift that happened when numbers finally told the truth. It’s raw, honest, and full of practical wisdom for anyone who’s ever wondered if a “successful” business can still be the wrong fit.

We unpack how Karla recognised that good doesn’t always mean right, why identity can tangle with work, and what it takes to detach self-worth from daily salon outcomes. Then we go inside DOYENNE.: why a rental-chair model can be more than a chair, how a resource library and smart pricing tools change the first years of business, and the myth-busting behind “there’s no money in hairdressing.” If you’re a stylist craving autonomy without loneliness, or an owner flirting with a pivot, this conversation offers a blueprint that blends numbers, boundaries, and heart.

You’ll hear frank talk about money, mentorship, and designing work that serves your life. You’ll also hear the invitation to pause, strip back the people-pleasing, and ask the only question that matters: what do you want?

Subscribe for more grounded conversations on salon leadership, freelance success, and building a creative business that actually supports you. If the episode resonates, share it with a stylist who’s ready for their next brave step and leave us a review to help more owners find this conversation.

To follow our journey:
Instagram @aheadhair_
@the_conscious_salon