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This week, we weren’t planning on recording an episode about leadership.

We were dealing with a flooded salon, a burst pipe, a snowstorm, a displaced team, and the reality that our entire space would be shut down for weeks. And in the middle of it all, we were reminded of something we talk about often: leadership isn’t tested when things are easy. It’s tested when everything goes wrong.

In this episode, we walk you through exactly what happened when our salon flooded, how we handled the first few hours, how we communicated with our team and our clients, and how our systems, relationships, and culture allowed us to keep serving people even when our building was unusable.

We also discuss stress, decision-making under pressure, dividing roles as leaders, why honesty and calm matter more than perfect answers, and how strong culture isn’t something you say; it shows up when your business is under real strain.

Your business should serve you, so that you can serve others.
 And when a crisis hits, your leadership becomes the structure your people lean on.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership isn’t proven when things are calm; it’s proven in crisis.
• There is no “business side” and “creative side.” Leadership, culture, and systems touch everything.
• The first job in any crisis is safety and clarity, not blame.
• Dividing leadership roles enables problems to be solved more quickly.
• Strong systems make your business portable.
• Calm, honest communication builds trust even when answers aren’t available yet.
• Over-promising creates future damage.
• Relationships with vendors and partners matter long before you need them.
• Culture shows up when your team is uncomfortable, scared, and stretched.
• Your people don’t need certainty — they need steady leadership.

Time Stamps

00:00 — Welcome + why this episode exists
01:00 — Todd’s opening take: the “business side” myth
02:30 — Jen’s opening take: being given more than you think you can handle
04:00 — Problems never disappear — they just change
05:00 — The flood: arriving to a flooded salon
07:00 — Immediate priorities: safety, power, water, and source
09:00 — Leadership under stress + divide and conquer
11:00 — Waiting on shutoffs, frustration, and responsibility
14:00 — Why owners can’t freeze in crisis
16:00 — Reality sets in: this isn’t a quick fix
17:30 — Finding temporary chairs and a space to work
19:30 — How we told the team (and why we stayed vague early)
21:30 — Showing up for staff during uncertainty
23:00 — Systems moving with us into another salon
25:00 — Relationships with vendors, plumbers, and contractors
27:00 — Crisis creates clarity
29:00 — Stress, denial, and sitting in the moment
31:00 — Being honest with your team without over-promising
33:00 — Why confidence matters more than perfect answers
35:00 — Clients: how we communicated and why it worked
37:00 — Not reaching out too early and avoiding confusion
39:00 — What surprised us about our team
41:00 — Trust, culture, and emotional leadership
43:00 — Final though

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