Level Up with Lacey

My friends, what if the biggest thing holding your salon back isn't your team, your clients, or your schedule… but the beliefs you've been holding onto?! In this episode, we're talking about how your mindset impacts your salon, your income, and your ability to grow! We're diving into those limiting beliefs that keep you stuck behind the chair, why your team borrows confidence from...

Are you constantly BUSY but feel like you're never getting ahead?! Between clients, your team, running your salon, and everything happening at home, it can feel like there are NEVER enough hours in the day! Well, friends, what if I told you the problem isn't always a lack of time… it's a lack of FOCUS?! In this episode, I'm sharing how I got 28 HOURS back in just ONE week by changi...

A stylist messes up a client's color. The client wants it fixed, but REFUSES to go back to the original stylist. Now what?! 👀 Who gets paid? Do you take away the original stylist's commission? Split it between both stylists? Or does the salon eat the cost?! Salon owners, if you have a team, this WILL happen to you (if it hasn't already!), and how you handle it matters! In today's...

Salon owners, I have a question for you… are you building a team of A players, or are you settling for GOOD ENOUGH?! Because here's the thing, my friends… YOU GET WHAT YOU TOLERATE! And sometimes the biggest thing holding our salons back isn't our goals, our revenue, or even our team… it's the standards we're allowing! After 13 years of owning Salon Lace and leading over 100 team m...

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 o...

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 con...

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...

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...

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 kn...

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 actua...

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...

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 i...

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...

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...

If you've ever told yourself, "I'll start Monday," "I just need more motivation," or "I can't seem to stay consistent," this episode is for you. This week on The Level Up with Lacey Podcast, I'm joined by the very first repeat guest in podcast history, Jess from White Fox Styling! 🎉 We're diving into the daily rituals, habits, and routines that ha...

If your salon team has been showing up a little too casual lately, you’re not imagining it… and you’re definitely not alone! In this episode, we're getting real about that moment every salon owner dreads: when your once-polished, on-brand team starts looking more “Sunday Target run” than “$100/hour luxury service.” But don’t worry… we’re not here to shame anyone or stir up drama. We’re here to...

Let's have a real conversation today... If you've ever felt stuck, second-guessed yourself, worried about what other people might think, or hesitated to make a big move in your business because it felt scary AF... this episode is for you. I'm sharing some personal stories, lessons I've learned through building my business, and the reality of what it takes to grow. Because the truth...

We are doing something a little new and exciting this summer!! This episode is part of our Summer Replay Series. ☀️ Where we’re bringing back some of the most downloaded, most shared, and most impactful episodes in The Level Up with Lacey Podcast history. These are the conversations that sparked huge breakthroughs, major mindset shifts, and BIG lightbulb moments for salon owners everywhere… and th...

Let’s talk about one of the BIGGEST fears salon owners have when growing a team… “How do I put a brand-new stylist on the floor without clients freaking out?” Because the truth is… most salon owners are terrified that the second a guest hears the word “new”, they’ll immediately assume inexperienced, low quality, or risky. But here’s the reality: Your fully booked senior stylist was once the stylis...

This one might hit a nerve… but we’re saying it anyway. Assistants are SLOW in the beginning. That’s normal. That’s expected. That’s part of the process. But here’s where things start to go sideways…They stay slow—and you start getting frustrated—without ever giving them a clear target to work toward. In this episode, I’m breaking down the difference between normal beginner slowness and a full-blo...

If I had to rebuild my salon from the ground up… I wouldn’t do ten things differently. I’d do THREE. That’s it. Because when I look back, most of the struggles I went through weren’t random… they were the result of what I wasn’t doing yet. In this episode, I’m breaking down the three things that would have changed everything for me sooner—and will for you too. We’re talking about: Why hiring from...

Let’s be real for a second… How many decisions are you NOT making right now because of what someone might think? Raising your prices. Changing your schedule. Having that hard conversation. Starting something new. Instead… you overthink it. Sit on it. Push it off. I’m calling this out because I’ve caught myself doing the SAME thing lately. And I know I’m not the only one. So today, we’re talking ab...

The one-hour weekly habit that changed everything in my business. Alright… we made it to the FINAL Money Monday 😭 And I’m not letting you leave this series without something you can actually implement immediately. I’m giving you my exact monthly profit margin spreadsheet — the same one I use in my business… every single month. And here’s the best part… I only track THREE numbers. Simplicity Wins....

Credit cards are either one of the most powerful tools in your business… or the fastest way to completely wreck your finances. And the truth is… most salon owners fall into one of two categories. They either avoid credit cards completely… or they use them with absolutely no system at all. Inside today’s Money Monday, I’m pulling back the curtain on exactly how I use credit cards inside my business...

Welcome back to Money Monday — the series where we talk about the numbers, habits, and financial systems that most salon owners avoid… but desperately need to understand. In this episode, I’m walking you through exactly what I do with every single dollar that hits my business bank account — the weekly system that completely changed the way I run my salon. Quick disclaimer before we dive in: I’m no...