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If you're a salon owner or beauty professional who is also a mom, you've likely asked yourself this question more times than you can count: Can I really do both without completely losing myself?

In this raw and inspiring conversation, Lisa sits down with Sarah Swift, a 33-year industry veteran, mother of three teenagers, and the creator of The Integrative Mother Experience (TIME). Sarah doesn't sugarcoat her journey. She shares the messy, behind-the-scenes reality of navigating chemical sensitivities, infertility, miscarriages, family tragedies, and the crushing burnout cycle that so many service professionals accept as "just part of the job."

But here's the twist: Sarah found a way out. She transformed her business from a burnout machine into a curated, aligned system that supports both her career and her family—allowing her to be more present and fulfilled than ever before. And now, she's on a mission to help other salon-owner moms do the same.

If you're tired of the hustle, exhausted from pleasing everyone, and craving a life that actually feels aligned, this episode is your permission slip to design something different.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why "balance" is a trap and what you should strive for instead (hint: it's integration)
• The power of "fast, messy action" and why waiting for perfection keeps you stuck
• How to recognize a "Big Magic" idea from the universe, and what to do when you feel the call
• Sarah's 5-step TIME framework for avoiding burnout, setting boundaries, and actually receiving joy
• How to build a business that can weather life's storms (including family tragedies) without falling apart
• Why you are not for everyone, and why that's a beautiful thing
• The simple morning ritual that changed everything for Sarah (and how you can start one too)

Resources & Links

• Sarah's Website: theintegrativemotherexperience.com
• Sarah's Instagram: @timewithsarahswift
• Join Sarah's Free Private Facebook Group: Apply via her website
• Book Mentioned: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

This summer I'm hosting the Summer Specialization Series: three live virtual panels on the specialties that are really taking off in the industry right now.

June 29 — Hair Loss, Extensions, and Enhancements
July 27 — Curly Hair
August 31 — Scalp Health and Head Spas

Grab your spot here: https://stylistsoultribe.mykajabi.com/2026-summer-series

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If you're a stylist or beauty professional who has ever felt confused, overwhelmed, or even frustrated when it comes to your business finances, this episode is your wake-up call.

Today, we are joined by the incredible Michelle Cook, a beauty school graduate turned licensed CPA and the founder of Carter Cook CPAs. Michelle and her team specialize in guiding beauty professionals to move beyond compliance and into forward-focused strategy. In other words, she doesn't just help you file your taxes; she helps you use your numbers to grow your business.

In this episode, Michelle pulls back the curtain on the recent tax law changes that every salon owner and independent stylist needs to know about right now. We break down the brand-new FICA Tip Credit (which could save you thousands permanently) and the temporary Tip Deduction (worth up to $5,000 in savings). We also tackle the confusing world of S-Corps (when to switch, what to pay yourself, and why the "general rule" might be costing you money), uncover the top hidden deductions you're probably missing, and have an honest conversation about why making six figures doesn't always mean you feel rich, and how to fix
that.

Whether you're a booth renter, a salon owner, or scaling a multi-seven-figure empire, this episode is your ultimate financial playbook.

Key Takeaways

1. Two New Tax Laws Are a Big Deal for Beauty Pros
   • The FICA Tip Credit is permanent and eliminates payroll taxes on tips—this alone can save you thousands.
   • The Tip Deduction is temporary (2025–2028) and allows a deduction of up to $25,000 in tips, saving you roughly $5,000 annually.
2. Don't Assume Your CPA Knows the Nuances
   • Not all CPAs specialize in the beauty industry. Ask your tax preparer directly: "Are we taking advantage of the new tip credit and tip deduction?"
   • If they missed it, they should amend your return for free. If they won't,
     run a cost-benefit analysis to see if hiring someone else to amend is
     worth it.
3. Maximize Your Write-Offs with These Hidden Deductions
   • Home Office: Must be exclusively used for business—deduct a portion of utilities, internet, and mortgage interest.
   • Vehicle: Track business miles (errands, trade shows, education), but not your daily commute.
   • Cell Phone: Allocate a percentage of your monthly bill if used for business.
   • All-Inclusive Retreats: 100% deductible as education—a better deal than paying for meals (only 50% deductible) separately.
4. The S-Corp "Rule of Thumb" Might Be Wrong for You
   • General CPAs often say you need $100K in profit for an S-Corp, but Michelle
     says start thinking about it at $50K in profit.
   • Your salary must be "reasonable" for your location and role—$30K may work in some areas but won't fly in San Francisco.
   • The only reason to form an S-Corp is to save on taxes. Make sure your CPA runs a personalized analysis first.
5. Wealth Isn't About a Number—It's About Behavior
   • Many high-earners feel broke because of lifestyle creep.
   • Smart business owners lock in a comfortable lifestyle and let the extra profit work for them (investing, saving, or scaling).

Disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or tax advice. Please consult your own qualified professional.

Connect with Michelle Cook:

https://www.cartercookcpas.com/

Course: Beauty Bookkeeping – Learn to organize your numbers, pay yourself correctly, and set aside taxes like a pro.

This summer I'm hosting the Summer Specialization Series: three live virtual panels on the specialties that are really taking off in the industry right now.

June 29 — Hair Loss, Extensions, and Enhancements
July 27 — Curly Hair
August 31 — Scalp Health and Head Spas

Each panel is $55, or grab all three for $111 and save.

Grab your spot here: https://stylistsoultribe.mykajabi.com/2026-summer-series

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Are you raising your prices based on strategy… or just repeating what you've always been told?

One of the biggest mistakes I see hairstylists make is increasing haircuts by $5 and color services by $10 without ever looking at whether their service menu is actually balanced.

In this video, I'm walking you through my Price-Per-Minute Clarity Check—a simple exercise that helps uncover hidden pricing imbalances inside your service menu.

You'll learn:

✔️ Why most salon pricing becomes unbalanced over time

✔️ How to calculate price per minute for every service

✔️ Why I don't believe all services should automatically increase equally

✔️ How to identify underpriced services without lowering prices elsewhere

✔️ How I combine this with my supply-and-demand pricing philosophy

This isn't about random price increases. It's about building an intentional service menu that supports your income, your schedule, and the long-term sustainability of your beauty business.

👇 Watch next:

How to Know When You've Earned a Price Increase (Supply & Demand Pricing)

If you're a hairstylist, salon suite owner, esthetician, nail tech, or beauty professional looking to create more profit without working more hours, you're in the right place.

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Are you raising your prices based on feelings… or on actual data?

One of the biggest mistakes I see beauty pros make is letting guilt, fear, or ego drive their pricing decisions, either charging more because they think they "deserve" it, or holding back because they're scared of what clients will think. But pricing isn't personal. It's supply and demand. It's math.

In this training, I'm walking you through my completely data-driven approach to price increases, so you can raise your rates with clarity, not drama.

You'll learn:

✔️ The difference between emotional discounting and strategic price increases

✔️ Why you have to get clear on your pricing structure before you raise anything

✔️ The 4 questions I ask every stylist to determine if they've actually earned an increase—and whether it should be 10%, 20%, or 30%

✔️ Exactly how to roll out your increase without the guilt or awkwardness: when to announce it, how to word the email to your clients, what to say at checkout, and how to handle the rare client who pushes back

✔️ Why you don't need a public Instagram announcement or over-explanation—just a calm, confident rollout

This isn't about charging more just because you want to. It's about reading what the market is already telling you and responding with confidence. When your demand is high and your books are full, leaving money on the table doesn't serve you or your clients. But when your prices match your demand, everything shifts—your schedule, your income, and the way you show up behind the chair.

👇 Want hands-on help working through your own price increase strategy?

If you're a hairstylist, salon suite owner, esthetician, nail tech, or beauty professional looking to build a business that actually pays you what you're worth, DM me "SST" on Instagram @lisahuffhair—and let's make it happen.

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You have clients who need hair loss solutions or volume enhancements. You want to help them. But you don't have the time, energy, or desire to master an entirely new specialty.

Enter Emilie Carpenter.

Emilie is a stylist who built a private studio in a converted office space during COVID. Along the way, she accidentally became an expert in custom-colored human hair toppers and then turned that expertise into a done-for-you business model called Stay Hair Solutions.

✨ In this episode, Emilie shares:

• Why coloring a topper is nothing like coloring biological hair (and the expensive mistake she made learning that)
• The 4 surprising use cases for hair toppers beyond just hair loss
• How she hit her annual sales goal by May, selling directly to other stylists
• And most importantly: how you can serve your own hair loss clients without doing any of the specialized work yourself

Plus, Lisa shares about her client, the $900 topper from a "trusted brand" that looked like a bright yellow hat, and how Emilie saved the day with a flawless custom piece.

💡Key Takeaways

• You don't need to become a specialist. Emilie does all the sourcing, custom coloring, and fulfillment. You simply connect her with your client, choose your markup, and look like the hero.
• Hair toppers aren't just for hair loss. Use them for growing out gray, protecting fragile hair from bleach damage, trying bangs without commitment, or adding volume that bio hair can't achieve.
• Color matching is completely different. A client's exact bio-hair formula will NOT work on a topper. Emilie speaks stylist language but uses a completely different color theory to get a perfect match.
• The client experience is stress-free.
• Proof is in the results. Emilie joined the Soul Tribe Marketplace in January and hit her entire annual sales goal by early May.

💬Connect with Emilie

Stay Hair Solutions: https://www.stayhairsolutions.com/

Emilie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stayhairsolutions

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What if becoming a salon owner didn’t mean starting from zero?

In this episode of Stylist Soul Tribe Conversations, I’m sitting down with Soul Tribe member Raschell to talk about a path to salon ownership that’s rarely discussed in our industry… buying an existing salon.

Raschell officially purchased her salon in August 2025, and her story is such a powerful example of what’s possible when you combine intuition, strategy, and the willingness to do things differently.

We walk through her entire journey—from the moment the idea was first planted, to navigating fear around leadership, to comparing options, negotiating the deal, securing financing, and stepping into ownership with an existing team.

If you’ve ever felt called to salon ownership but overwhelmed by the idea of building something from scratch, this episode will expand what you believe is possible.

✨ In This Episode, We Cover:

• The moment the opportunity was planted and why timing matters more than readiness
• The biggest fear most stylists have about ownership (hint: it’s not money)
• How to evaluate whether buying vs. building is the right move
• What to look for when reviewing P&Ls, pricing, and salon value
• A real breakdown of the negotiation process and how to approach it confidently
• Creative ways to finance a salon purchase, including SBA loan options
• How to navigate the transition with an existing team (without losing everyone)
• Why overcommunication is your biggest leadership advantage
• What it actually looks like to step into the role of salon owner

💡 Key Takeaway:

Salon ownership doesn’t have to follow the traditional path.

Building from scratch is one option—but buying an existing salon can fast-track your growth, give you immediate infrastructure, and open doors you may not have considered before.

The key is approaching it with both data and intuition, and being ready to step into leadership in a whole new way.

🔗 Resources + Mentions:

• SCORE – Free mentorship and support for business owners
• SBA Loans (Small Business Administration) – Financing options for purchasing a business

💬 Connect with Raschell:

Be sure to check out Raschell’s work and follow along with her journey:

https://www.instagram.com/houseofcabelo/

https://www.instagram.com/hairbyraschell/

💛 Loved This Episode?

If this conversation sparked something for you, share it with a stylist who’s been thinking about salon ownership.

And if you’re ready to grow your business with support, strategy, and community, come join us inside Stylist Soul Tribe.

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If you want help curating your clientele, tightening your boundaries, and building systems that support the kind of business you actually want to run, DM me “SST” on Instagram @lisahuffhair. That’s the work we do inside Stylist Soul Tribe.

If you’ve ever felt resentful in your own fully booked schedule, this video is for you. So many stylists were taught to say yes to everyone, and that mindset quietly builds a clientele that drains you instead of supports you. In this training, I walk you through how to stop taking every client and start intentionally attracting the ones who respect your time, trust your expertise, and make your days feel lighter.

We’re breaking down the Yes, No, Maybe audit, how to define what a dream client actually means for you, and how your messaging, services, pricing, and boundaries all work together to filter in the right people. I also talk about what to do with misaligned clients, how to set clear expectations without drama, and why raising your prices is not the first move if your foundation is off.

This is not about being exclusive or ego-driven. It’s about building a business that feels sustainable. When your books are full of people who drain you, no amount of money fixes that. But when your books are full of aligned clients, everything changes.

If you want help curating your clientele, tightening your boundaries, and building systems that support the kind of business you actually want to run, DM me “SST” on Instagram.

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Does your business feel like a rollercoaster? One week you’re slammed, the next it’s crickets? If your books feel unpredictable, busy, then slow, then busy again, it’s not because you’re doing anything wrong. It’s because no one ever taught you the actual structure of how a client finds you, trusts you, books, stays, and eventually refers others.

In this episode, we’re breaking down the five stages of the marketing funnel specifically for stylists. This is the foundation that separates chaotic, hustle-based businesses from sustainable, freedom-based ones. We’ll cover where to actually focus your energy in 2026 (hint: it’s Google), why your personality matters more than your portfolio, and how to turn one-time guests into lifelong advocates. If you want a business that feels steady and predictable instead of random, this is the most important lesson I can teach you.

In this episode, we cover:

• Chaos comes from a lack of structure, not a lack of talent. The stylists who grow quickly aren't always the most talented; they're the ones who understand the client journey.
• The 5 Stages of a Marketing Funnel:
  1. Awareness: Can people find you? In 2026, a fully optimized Google Business Profile is the highest ROI task for growth.
  2. Consideration: Do they trust you? People book because they've watched you long enough to feel understood—not because of one pretty post.
  3. Conversion: Can they easily book? If clients have to DM for pricing, you're losing them. Transparency and a friction-free booking process are non-negotiable.
  4. Nurture: Do they come back? The client experience (follow-ups, pre-booking, personal touches) is the difference between a transaction and a loyal client for life.
  5. Advocacy: Do they refer? Your best marketing team is already in your chair. Make it easy and obvious for them to send their friends.
• Don't try to fix everything at once. Audit your funnel, find your weakest link, and focus on that one stage for 30-60 days before moving to the next.
• Track your results. Ask every new client how they found you. Let data, not emotions, guide your next move.

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