Level Up with Lacey

Have you ever looked at another salon owner and thought, “What in the HELL is she doing differently than me?!” 🤯

She's growing her team, making more money, taking vacations, and somehow running a salon that doesn't require her to be there 24/7.

Meanwhile, you're over here wondering how you're going to make payroll next week.

WHAT DOES SHE KNOW THAT YOU DON'T?!

After 13 years of salon ownership, leading over 100 team members, and coaching salon owners across the country, I've noticed FIVE things successful salon owners consistently do differently.

And in today's episode, I'm breaking them ALL down. 👏🏼

We're talking about hiring, making decisions without needing everyone's approval, investing in yourself, getting into your numbers, and why FAILURE might actually be one of your greatest advantages.

But here's the catch… I'm not just giving you five things to think about. I'm challenging you to RATE YOURSELF and identify exactly what's holding your salon back.

Because listening to another podcast isn't going to change your business.

TAKING ACTION WILL. 🔥

🎯 READY TO GROW YOUR TEAM?

Join me for my FREE, LIVE Co-Stylist Confidence Workshop! We're talking about confidently recruiting, hiring, and training assistants so you can build a team that helps your salon grow WITHOUT everything depending on you.

🚨 It's LIVE, it's FREE, and there is NO REPLAY!

👉🏻 SAVE YOUR SEAT HERE!

LFG!!!! 💪🏻

I thought I was prepared to sell my salon.

I prepared the documents. I negotiated the agreement. I transferred the accounts. I made the lists. I handled ALL the things.

But I never prepared my heart for what it would feel like when Salon Lace was officially no longer mine.

In Part 4 and the FINAL episode of The Truth About Selling My Salon, I’m taking you into the part of this process that no contract, checklist, or Letter of Intent could have prepared me for.

I’m sharing what closing day actually looked like, what happened when I sat alone in the bank parking lot holding the check from the sale of the business I spent 13 years building, and why I completely fell apart.

We’re also talking about transitioning the team, clients, accounts, and responsibilities, creating boundaries after the sale, and one of the biggest questions I had to face:

Who am I if I’m no longer a salon owner?

This episode is raw, emotional, and probably one of the most personal I’ve ever shared.

Because you can KNOW you made the right decision and still grieve what you’re leaving behind.

Grief does not automatically mean regret. Sometimes grief simply means it mattered. 🤍

And as this chapter closes, I’m realizing something BIG:

Salon Lace may no longer belong to me, but the mission it gave me is still very much alive.

🎧 CATCH UP ON THE TRUTH ABOUT SELLING MY SALON SERIES!

Missed an episode? You're going to want to hear the WHOLE story! From making the decision to sell Salon Lace to finding the right buyer, I'm sharing the good, the hard, and everything nobody talks about when selling a salon.

🤍 Part 1: The Truth About Selling My Salon

🤍 Part 2: The Truth About Selling My Salon

🤍 Part 3: Finding the Right Buyer

Whether you're thinking about selling your salon someday or you're just here for the behind-the-scenes tea, trust me, you don't want to miss a single part! 👏🏼

Download my How to Sell Your Salon Guide for the checklists, templates, questions, and lessons I wish I had when I started this process.

👉🏼 Download the How To Sell Your Salon Guide Here!!

Thank you for being here through all four parts of this story. Now it’s time for the next chapter. ❤️

Nine months.

That’s how long it took me to finally get brave enough to publicly say that Salon Lace was FOR SALE.

And wouldn’t you freaking know it… the Facebook post I was TERRIFIED to publish is ultimately what sold my salon. 🤯

In Part 3 of The Truth About Selling My Salon, I’m taking you behind the scenes of actually finding the right buyer.

We’re talking about why I chose not to use a broker, the fear that kept me from publicly listing the salon, why I turned down THREE offers, how I screened potential buyers, and how freaking Facebook Marketplace connected me with the woman who ultimately bought Salon Lace.

I’m also breaking down the Letter of Intent, earnest money, due diligence, addendums, and one of the BIGGEST lessons I learned through this entire process:

PUT. IT. IN. WRITING. 👏🏼

This episode is about so much more than selling a salon. It’s about trusting your gut, letting go of what other people might think, and having enough courage to wait for the right YES.

Sometimes the opportunity you’ve been praying for is sitting on the other side of the thing you’re most afraid to do. ❤️

Haven’t listened to the first two parts of the series yet? Catch up here:

🎧 Part 1: The Truth About Selling My Salon

🎧 Part 2: The Truth About Selling My Salon

Thinking about selling your salon someday?

Download my FREE How to Sell Your Salon Guide below.

It includes the SDE formula I used, financial + asset checklists, questions to ask potential buyers, my exact Salon Interest Form template, a Business Account Transition Guide, and MORE!

👉🏼 Download the How to Sell Your Salon Guide

And make sure you’re subscribed because next week we’re wrapping up this series with Part 4: What Nobody Tells You About Closing Day and Letting Go.

When you think about selling a salon, you probably think about the obvious things… chairs, mirrors, shampoo bowls, equipment, and inventory.

But after 13 years of building Salon Lace, I quickly realized the REAL value of my business went way beyond the things you could physically see.

In Part 2 of The Truth About Selling My Salon, I’m taking you behind the scenes of exactly how I prepared, valued, and positioned Salon Lace to sell.

We’re talking about:

✨ How I determined if my salon was actually ready to sell
✨ The difference between a business being valuable vs. transferable
✨ The SDE formula I used to determine my asking price
✨ Why my sale was structured as an asset sale
✨ What was—and WASN’T—included in the sale
✨ The digital assets you probably aren’t thinking about
✨ Why EVERYTHING needs to be put in writing
✨ The professionals I leaned on throughout the process

And let me tell you… there were SO many things I didn’t know before going through this myself!!!

If selling your salon is something you’re considering now, five years from now, or maybe NEVER... this episode will help you look at your business completely differently.

🎧 Haven’t listened to Part 1 yet? Start there first!
In Part 1, I share the emotional side of this decision and WHY, after almost five years of thinking about it, I knew I was ready to sell Salon Lace.

Listen to Part 1: The Truth About Selling My Salon

FREE HOW TO SELL YOUR SALON GUIDE!!!

I created a FREE step-by-step guide to go along with this entire series... including the Is Your Salon Ready to Sell? scorecard, SDE formula, financial + asset checklists, questions to ask potential buyers, my exact Salon Interest Form template, Business Account Transition Guide, and some of the biggest lessons I learned along the way.

Whether you ever sell or not, building a salon that can operate without you gives you OPTIONS… and we LOVEEEEE options!!!! 🙌🏼

Download the FREE How to Sell Your Salon Guide

And make sure you’re following the podcast because Part 3: How Facebook Sold My Salon + How I Chose the Right Buyer is NEXT… and you do NOT want to miss this one!!! 👀

Four years before I sold my salon, I sat at my kitchen counter and said the words out loud for the very first time…

“I think I’m ready to sell the salon.”

And here’s the part most people don’t know: Salon Lace wasn’t failing. It was THRIVING.

Back in January, I released an episode called “I’m Selling My Salon” when I first told you guys I was officially in the process of selling. At the time, I knew WHY I was ready... but I had no idea how the story would end.

🎧 Haven’t listened to that episode yet? Go back and listen here

It will give you the full backstory and let you hear exactly where my head and heart were at before I knew who would buy the salon, what the sale would look like, or everything that was about to happen.

And now… the papers are signed, the salon has a new owner and a new name, and I can FINALLY tell you the entire story!!!

In Part 1 of The Truth About Selling My Salon, I’m taking you behind the scenes of WHY I made the decision to sell the business I spent 13 years building.

We’re talking about stepping away from behind the chair, realizing I had become a bottleneck in my own business, separating my identity from being a salon owner, navigating everyone else’s opinions, and the question that ultimately changed everything for me:

“Could I rebuild Salon Lace?” Absolutely.
But did I WANT to?

This decision wasn’t made overnight. It took FOUR YEARS.

And if you’ve ever wondered whether you’re ready for your next chapter... or felt guilty for wanting something different even when what you have is GOOD—this episode is for you.

🎧 Hit play for Part 1 of The Truth About Selling My Salon.

FREE GUIDE: How to Sell Your Salon
The step-by-step process, documents, decisions, checklists, and lessons to help you prepare your business and understand the selling process.

👉🏼 Download it here: https://lg-education.kit.com/ec87eb1264

And make sure you’re following the podcast because Part 2: How I Prepared, Valued & Positioned My Salon to Sell is coming next!!!

I’M BACK!!!! 🎙️ And you guys… I have SO much to tell you.

This summer, I did something I never expected to do... I took 146 days off from my normal work schedule. What started with a childcare situation completely changing turned into one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I spent the summer with my kids, stepped away from constantly creating something new, and learned A LOT about what it actually looks like to build a business that supports your life—not a life that revolves around your business.

In this episode, I’m sharing how LG Education continued running while I stepped back, why repurposing content was a GAME CHANGER, what this summer taught me about motherhood and business, and why I’ve officially decided I’ll never work another summer the way I used to.

And maybe the craziest part? Stepping away didn’t make me lose momentum. I came back more rested, creative, inspired, and excited about what’s next than I have felt in a LONG time.

If you’re a salon owner, business owner, or working mom who feels like everything depends on YOU, this episode is for you. ❤️

✨ Join my weekly newsletter for a little behind-the-scenes peek into my real life every Friday:

https://lg-education.kit.com/newsletter

And if you know another salon owner or working mom who needs this reminder, send her this episode. Sometimes stepping back isn’t falling behind—it’s making room for what matters most.

Running a salon while still taking clients? Whew… it's A LOT. Between answering DMs, managing your team, placing color orders, handling client schedules, folding towels, and somehow remembering to eat lunch… it's no wonder your brain feels like it has 462 tabs open.

In this episode, I'm sharing the exact time management systems, habits, and boundaries that completely changed the way I run my business… and honestly, my life. These are the strategies that helped me stop feeling reactive, protect my time, and create more freedom without stepping away from the chair.

In this episode, we'll cover:

✨ Why your time management is directly connected to your salon's success

✨ The mindset shift that changed everything for me (and my family)

✨ The 3 non-negotiables I live by every single day

✨ How to build your Ideal Week without chasing perfection

✨ Why the Daily Big 3 will help you stop feeling overwhelmed

✨ My Workday Startup & Shutdown Rituals for more focus and less stress

✨ Simple productivity hacks that save hours every single week

Resources Mentioned:

📚 Full Focus Planner

📖 Atomic Habits

📱 ClickUp

⏳Hour Glass Timer

⏲️ Digital Timer

Suggest Topics Here

Remember... how you use your hours determines the success of your business. The salon owners who learn to manage their time aren't just building profitable businesses… they're building lives they actually get to enjoy.

It's time to stop surviving your schedule and start creating one that works for YOU. 💛

Let me tell you something... your salon culture is EVERYTHING when it comes to growing a strong, loyal, and high-performing team. It's what keeps your stylists engaged, motivated, and OBSESSED with being a part of your business. And guess what? YOU get to decide what your culture looks and feels like!

In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on: 

✅ What culture REALLY means and why it's the backbone of your business 

✅ How my own culture was a MESS in 2018/2019 and the hard lessons I learned

✅ Proven strategies to make work FUN, engaging, and a place your team LOVES to be 

✅ The biggest mistakes salon owners make with culture (and how to fix them!)

Culture doesn't happen by accident—it happens by DESIGN!

Listen in now, and let's design a culture that fuels your success!

Suggest podcast topics ⤵️

https://forms.gle/AzRucZytSzStYy1aA

What's your biggest fear about hiring an assistant?

For most salon owners, it isn't finding someone... it's investing time, money, and energy into training them only to have them leave.

In this episode, I'm sharing the mindset shift that completely changed the way I look at hiring and growing a team. We talk about why fear keeps so many salon owners stuck, why courage comes before confidence, and how to stop letting the "what ifs" hold you back from building the business you actually want.

If hiring has been on your mind, this episode is one you don't want to miss.

✨ The biggest hiring fear salon owners face

✨ Why fear is keeping you stuck

✨ How to stop taking turnover personally

✨ Why growing a team creates more freedom and opportunity

✨ The mindset shift that changed everything for me

If this episode encouraged you, be sure to share it with another salon owner who needs to hear it!!

Grab your FREE LG Education Tracker here ⤵️

https://lg-education.kit.com/79e22eb54f

One of the questions I get asked all the time is…

"Should I pay for my assistant's education and certifications?"

In this episode, we're diving into one of the biggest debates in the salon industry. Should salon owners cover the cost of extension certifications, education, and training? Or should assistants be responsible for investing in their own careers?

I'm sharing exactly how we've approached this in our salon, why I believe ownership matters, and how you can support your assistants without taking on the entire financial responsibility.

✨ Should You Pay for Extension Certifications? Why my answer is usually no—and why learning to invest in themselves is one of the greatest lessons you can teach an assistant.

✨ The 90-Day Reimbursement Strategy A simple system that rewards commitment while protecting your business and encouraging long-term growth.

✨ Your Apprenticeship Is Already an Education Your assistants are learning behind the chair every single day. Hands-on experience, mentorship, and monthly education are already a huge investment in their future.

✨ Using Retail Commission to Fund Education Offering retail commission toward classes can be a great incentive—but make sure you have clear expectations if someone leaves your team.

✨ People Value What They Invest In When assistants contribute to their own education, they're more committed, more engaged, and more likely to take their growth seriously.

✨ Skills Matter More Than Certificates A certification doesn't automatically make someone a great stylist. Consistent practice, coaching, and experience are what truly build confidence and mastery.

✨ Lead with Generosity—But Be Wise Supporting your team doesn't always mean paying for everything. Learn how to create a culture of generosity while also setting healthy business boundaries.

If you've ever struggled with deciding what you should (or shouldn't) pay for when it comes to assistant education, this episode is for you.

Have a podcast topic you'd love us to cover? ⤵️ https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfAiPd5bzNmF8f2WyxCWX9s_AGUMvbVrYLs-2ArE1XxsY7lKA/viewform?usp=header⁠