Because let’s be honest…

Every salon owner has one.

Had one.

Or is currently avoiding one. 👀

If you’ve ever had a team member who:

– Doesn’t listen

– Pushes back on feedback

– Skips meetings

– Gossips

– Drains your energy

– Is wildly talented but slightly (or very) toxic

This episode is for you.

When you first open a salon, you think leadership is:

- Hiring cool people

- Training your team

- Celebrating wins

- Posting team photos

And then reality hits.

Leadership is actually:

– Hard conversations

– Clear boundaries

– Documentation

– Emotional regulation

– Being okay with not being liked

– And holding it together when you low-key want to scream.

In this episode, I break down the 3 REAL reasons someone feels “challenging”:

• Lack of Clarity – No standards. No systems. No follow-through.

• Skill Deficiency – They were never trained properly.

• Character Issue – Gossip. Negativity. Entitlement. Misalignment.

And then I walk you through my 5-Step Framework for handling difficult team members with confidence (and without blowing up your culture):

1. Regulate yourself first (24-hour rule, always)

2. Document patterns — not emotions

3. Have a direct, face-to-face conversation

4. Create a measurable improvement plan

5.  Decide — growth or release

Sometimes leadership means coaching.Sometimes leadership means “bless and release.”

You are not a bad leader because someone challenges you.

You become a misaligned leader when you avoid the hard conversation and let it erode your culture.

This one is bold.

It’s honest.

And it might be exactly what you need to hear.

Hit play! 🎙️

You say…

• “Not having enough time to train well.”

• “The time it takes to train.”

• “Not enough time in the day.”

• “My time is valuable and it takes time to train.”

• “No time to train.”

Sound familiar? 👀

In this episode, I’m lovingly calling you out.

Because I get it. I lived it. I built my salon in the “I’ll train when things slow down” era… and guess what?

Things never slowed down.

We’re diving into the truth behind the “no time” excuse and what’s really going on underneath it:

• Why busy feels safe (even when it’s burning you out)

• The fear that keeps you doing everything yourself

• How short-term comfort is costing you long-term freedom

• The systems mistake that’s keeping everything running through you

• Why “time isn’t found… it’s chosen”

If you keep saying you don’t have the time to train…

What you’re really saying is that staying busy feels safer than slowing down.

And that’s the lie.

You don’t need more hours.

You need to operate with intention and SLOW DOWN… TO SPEED UP.

No one is coming to hand you more time.

No one is going to clear your schedule.

No one is going to build your systems.

No one is going to protect your future if you won’t.

At some point, you have to decide that your future matters more than today’s urgency and to-dos.

And that decision? Will change your entire life.

Hit play! 🎧

Ever caught yourself thinking (or saying 😬):

“My assistant is lazy.”

“They don’t take initiative.”

“I’ve told them a hundred times and nothing changes.”

Can we please have an honest conversation.

In this episode, I’m breaking down one of the biggest misconceptions in the salon industry and it might be the ONE THING that is keeping you exhausted, frustrated, and stuck doing everything yourself.

👉🏼 Most assistants are NOT lazy… they’re lost.

When there’s no clear structure, expectations, or path for growth, assistants are left guessing. And guessing looks like hesitation. It looks like waiting. It looks like what we label as “lazy.”

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why clarity creates confidence
• The real reason assistants “don’t care” and why it’s usually not personal
• How “winging it” in training is costing you time, energy, and money
• What assistants actually need to succeed, stay, and grow
• Why doing everything yourself feels easier… but keeps you burnt out

If you’re already stretched thin, your body is tired, and you are juggling all your clients and the business… This episode is for you!

I’ll also walk you through exactly why The Assistant University exists, who it’s for, and how it helps salon owners just like you:

• Stop guessing
• Stop micromanaging
• Stop burning through assistants
• And finally build a team that truly supports them

✨ Enrollment for The Assistant University is officially OPEN — but not for long.

Doors close Friday, February 6th at midnight.

If you’re ready to work smarter (not harder), build real structure, and take your time back !

👉🏼 Tap the link right here to join us: https://lg-education.mykajabi.com/au

I cannot WAIT to see you inside!!

…and this episode might be the most honest one I’ve ever recorded.

This was not an overnight decision. This has been four years in the making, and inside this episode I’m sharing the real story behind it.

In this episode, I walk you through:

• The one decision I made at 23 years old that created every ounce of freedom I have today
• Why stepping away from behind the chair was the hardest and best move I ever made
• How Salon Lace grew 118% after I removed myself as the bottleneck
• The huge identity shift that no one talks about when you outgrow a season
• And how hiring my very first assistant changed the trajectory of my entire life and career

I’m also sharing the emotional moment, sitting at my kitchen counter as a brand new mom, when I said out loud for the first time, “I think I want to sell the salon.”

In a moment that the salon was doing so damn well… so why did I feel the need and want to sell it? It didn’t make sense.

If you’ve ever:

• Felt stuck behind the chair
• Known you need help but don’t know where to start
• Wanted more time, freedom, and support

This episode is for you!!
Before you do anything else, I want to personally invite you into my FREE Co-Stylist Confidence Workshop!
This training lays the foundation for everything I talk about in this episode and exists for the salon owner who knows they need help but feels scared to take the very first step.

👉🏼 Save your seat right here: Click Here
This entire journey — the wins, the mistakes, and the hard lessons — is the reason The Assistant University exists today!!

If you’re ready to build a team, work smarter (not harder), and create a salon that doesn’t rely solely on you… this is your next step.

👉🏼 Tap the link right here to join us inside The Assistant University!

This episode is proof of what is possible when you stop waiting, stop playing it safe, and start building something bigger than yourself.

I didn’t get here by accident.
I got here by making bold decisions, getting uncomfortable, learning as I went, and choosing growth — even when it felt incredibly scary and overwhelming.

You can do this too!!!
I’m cheering you on every step of the way! 💛

Before we dive in, I want to personally invite you to my upcoming free live training — The Co-Stylist Confidence Workshop!! It is BACK and better than ever!!

If your goals this year include hiring stylists, working less behind the chair, making more money, and building real systems in your salon, this training is for you!

Inside the workshop, I’m teaching:

• A simple way to pay a Co-Stylist or assistant
• My 39-week assistant training outline
• How to create work-life balance as a salon owner

When you show up live, you’ll also get a copy-and-paste Google Sheet with my actual systems from Salon Lace — plus my social media batching training in the first few minutes.

👉🏼Save your seat here:
https://lg-education.mykajabi.com/costylistconfidenceworkshop1?utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Episode+163

Now let’s get into today’s episode.

I hear this fear from stylists and salon owners constantly:
“What if I train them and they leave?”
“What if I invest the time, money, color, foils, and education… and it doesn’t work out?”

Here’s the truth: Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.
So many of you are making decisions based on something that hasn’t even happened yet.

Ask yourself:

• Can you afford to be in the exact same place one year from now?
• Can you keep doing everything yourself?
• Can you keep trading time for money?

There comes a point where you have to use your brain 🧠 more than your hands. 👐🏼

And if they leave? Let them.
Just like Mel Robbins says — let them. This is a business decision. Stop taking things so personal.

Let your dreams be bigger than your fears.
Get uncomfortable. Take action. 💪🏼
Because nothing changes if nothing changes.

And if this episode is hitting you, I’ll see you inside The Co-Stylist Confidence Workshop.

Sign up here: https://lg-education.mykajabi.com/costylistconfidenceworkshop1?utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Episode+163

If you’re booked out, exhausted, drowning behind-the-chair and trying to keep the salon afloat… yet you keep telling yourself “I need help”… This episode is for you.

Most salon owners aren’t avoiding hiring because they don’t want the support.
They’re avoiding it because they’re scared as hell and unsure of the unknown.

In this episode, I’m getting real and personal about:

• One of my first assistants I ever hired… and how she literally never came back from her lunch break 😳
• The false stories that experience planted in my head (and how they kept me stuck)
• The TOP 5 fears I hear from salon owners all the time when it comes to hiring help and why those fears feel so real

We’re breaking down fears like:

• “I’m scared I won’t be able to afford an assistant.”
• “What if I train them and they leave?”
• “What if my clients hate it?”
• “I don’t have time to train someone.”
• “What if I hire the wrong person?”

And I’m not just calling you out — I’m walking you through:

• What’s actually underneath these fear
• Why staying comfortable is a dangerous place to be
• Simple, tangible steps to move forward

This episode is part mindset shift, part tough love, and part practical strategy!

✨ You can stay comfortable, or you can keep growing. You don’t get both.
✨ Courage > Confidence (confidence comes after the reps)
✨ The biggest risk isn’t hiring an assistant… It is staying exactly where you are one year from now.

If you’ve been feeling called out just reading this… Hit play right now!
This one might change the way you see hiring forever. 🎧

Color is one of the largest expenses in your salon… and yet most owners are still guessing. 😬

In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly how we track, upcharge, budget, and invoice color for booth renters at Salon Lace.

If you’re eyeballing color, “doing your best,” or avoiding the numbers altogether… this one’s for you.

Here’s what I’m walking you through:

• Why tracking every single drop of color is a non-negotiable in 2026
• The real reason we provide color for our booth renters (and why most salons don’t)
• How an all-inclusive color bar elevates creativity, consistency, and the guest experience
• The big mistake I made early on by not upcharging — and how I fixed it
• Exactly how we upcharge renters for color (and what that fee actually covers)
• How we invoice renters monthly — clean and simple
• Our weekly color budgeting method (this is GOLD)
• The step-by-step system we use to order, stock, and track inventory
• How to get your team fully on board with tracking color
• The hard truth about what happens when someone doesn’t follow the system

I’m also sharing real standards, real policies, and real lessons that I learned the hard way… so you don’t have to!

If you don’t track it, you can’t charge for it, and if you can’t charge for it, you’ll resent it.

🎧 Press play if you’re ready to protect your profit, clean up your systems, and finally stop bleeding money through your color bar.

Click here if you would like to see an example of one of our Rental Invoices 👉🏼 Sample Rental Invoices

✨ Final episode of The Level Up with Lacey Podcast for 2025 ✨

I’ll be honest, I’m really bad at celebrating how far I’ve come. I move the goalpost fast, judge myself even faster, and usually skip right past the “wow” moment straight into “what’s next?”

In this final episode of 2025, I’m sharing the mindset shift that completely changed my peace, confidence, and anxiety this year- learning how to live in the gain instead of the gap.

We’re talking about:

• Why high-achievers and salon owners constantly feel behind (even when they’re winning)
• The difference between measuring yourself against the future vs. honoring your growth
• How living in the gain doesn’t kill ambition — it actually makes it healthier
• The exact moment I realized I was standing in a life I once prayed for
• Powerful reflection questions to help you close out 2025 feeling proud instead of pressured

Plus… I’m sharing a heartfelt thank you and celebrating what WE built together this year — and the growth of this podcast honestly blew my mind 🤍

If you’ve been grinding, growing, building, and still feeling like it’s not enough — this episode is for you.

Let’s pause. Let’s reflect. Let’s finish 2025 in the gain.

I love you guys.
See you in 2026, SO many fun things ahead ✨🎉

If assistants feel frustrating, inconsistent, or exhausting… this episode is for you.
Because here’s the truth: that’s usually a leadership and systems issue, not a people issue… Mic drop. 🎤

In this episode, I’m breaking down the 6 standards I would absolutely be holding my assistants to in 2026 — not to be controlling, but to create clarity, structure, and confidence for everyone involved.

We’re talking about:

• Why your assistant must know and track their numbers (and yours)
• What “hands-on with every guest” should actually look like
• Owning the guest experience- every single time
• Daily + weekly debriefs and why silence kills culture
• Treating this career like a business, not a hobby
• Why assistants need to actively invest in themselves and their future

These aren’t random rules.
They’re standards that protect your time, your energy, and your business.

If something in this episode hits a nerve… good. That’s usually where the growth is.

✨ Free 3-Day Training Invite
At the end of December, I’m hosting a behind-the-scenes training inside my Instagram Close Friends called
Your 2026 Habit Reset: Because You Can’t Do 2026 with 2025’s Bullshit.

📅 December 28–30
📍 Inside the green circle (nothing live, no Zooms)
💬 DM me “Close” on Instagram @lacey_gebo to get in.

Want the systems to support these standards?
Grab the Ultimate Assistant Guide- the exact structure I use to train assistants behind the chair. → https://lg-education.mykajabi.com/ultimateassistantguide

Hit play, take notes, and let’s raise the standard going into 2026.

Before we dive in, don’t forget, I’m hosting a 3-day mini training on my Instagram Close Friends list called Your 2026 Habit Reset: Because You Can’t Do 2026 with 2025’s Bullshit. It’s happening Dec 28, 29, 30 and everything will live in that little green circle.
To join: DM me the word “Close” on Instagram → @lacey_gebo → https://www.instagram.com/lacey_gebo/

Now let’s get into the purchases that kept me alive, sane, and functioning this year. Every item mentioned is linked below!

Productivity + Home + Life Management

• Skylight Calendar → https://myskylight.com/products/skylight-calendar/
  Code: FRIEND-XV2MSH8
• Full Focus Planner → https://amzn.to/44X7Lhr
• Aro Box → https://goaro.com/products/aro-box
• Standing Desk (Flexispot) → https://www.flexispot.com/l-shaped-standing-desk-e1l
• Acrylic Cord Organizers → https://amzn.to/4rUSp6X
• TG90 Power Bank → https://amzn.to/4rTDTwn

Health + Wellness + Fitness

• MyFitnessPal → https://www.myfitnesspal.com/
• Nutrition Coach (Turner Hall)📱 Text: 918-232-8766IG → https://www.instagram.com/hall_l.i.f.t.nutrition?igsh=MWplZ243Zzg0bGxoNQ==
• Creatine Gummies → https://amzn.to/4rRUukf
• Viome Health Test → http://rwrd.io/k84wzjv?c
• ChatGPT (Chippy 😉) → https://chatgpt.com/
• Prompt- "Build a 4 meal macro friendly plan with high protein, low fat dinners for a family of four. Include make-ahead tips, freezer-friendly swaps, and a grocery list by aisle, and make sure that it’s not too spicy, because my kids don’t like spicy. I would like to incorporate some of the items we have left over from last week and some items we have in the pantry and fridge that we need to use. If I give you a list of the items we have, can you build our meals around using these items?" 

Mom Life + Family

• Tonie Box → https://amzn.to/3XUKLfc
• Atlantis Bahamas → https://www.atlantisbahamas.com/
• Bengal Cat Breeder → https://www.swaincattery.com/

Self-Care + Cozy Girl Era

• Big Ass Candle → https://bigassluxuries.com/collections/all-candles
• Alo Shoes → https://www.aloyoga.com/products/a0685u-alo-x-01-classic-natural-white-gum
• Sunday Citizen Bedding → https://sundaycitizen.co/products/snug-bamboo-duvet-cover?variant=39678118363234

Business + Personal Growth

• The Milly Club / Amy Porterfield
  Website → https://www.amyporterfield.com/
  Podcast → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-amy-porterfield-show/id594703545

Join the 3-Day Close Friends Training

Your 2026 Habit Reset: Because You Can’t Do 2026 with 2025’s Bullshit
Dec 28–30 • On Instagram Close Friends
→ DM me “Close” on IG to get added: @lacey_gebo →  https://www.instagram.com/lacey_gebo/