Confidence as a salon owner is a funny thing. You can be incredible in the chair, calm with clients, talented as hell… and still feel completely rattled by team stuff, quiet weeks, money pressure, reviews, or the fear of being judged.

In this episode, Sam and Jen unpack the invisible weight salon owners carry and why confidence doesn’t mean “nothing goes wrong”, it means you keep leading even when things do.

We talk about the difference between winging it as a stylist (with foundations underneath) versus winging it as a business owner (and accidentally winging the outcome). This is your reminder that confidence is built through clarity, numbers, boundaries, brave conversations, and keeping promises to yourself. Not through pretending you’re smashing it when you’re secretly drowning.

What we cover

1. Why confidence gets shaken by team issues, quiet weeks, reviews and judgement
2. The difference between “faking it” and leading with real foundations
3. Why business owners lose confidence when they don’t know their numbers
4. How systems, boundaries and clarity create calm leadership
5. Why brave conversations (and owning your mistakes) build trust fast

In short: confidence isn’t something you magically have. It’s something you build, one clear decision, one hard conversation, and one honest look at your numbers at a time.

Timestamps:

00:00 Episode Summary

02:50 Confidence and Team Dynamics

06:58 Handling Judgement and Self Worth

11:07 Continuous Learning and Adaptation

23:33 External Validation and Self Worth

28:02 Living the Day Twice

28:29 Financial Planning and Sacrifices

29:11 Support Systems and Confidence

30:55 Boundaries and Business Decisions

36:28 Systems and Procedures

37:31 Knowing Your Numbers

39:41 Leading with Clarity

43:58 Brave Conversations

51:02 Building Confidence

53:18 Homework for Confidence

Mentioned in this episode:

First Align, then Redesign — Live Masterclass

If you’ve been moving from one season to the next without really stopping, this is for you. First Align, then Redesign is a live $99 masterclass for salon owners who want to pause, step out of autopilot, and create a clear, grounded vision for their life and business in 2026. You’ll get the live session, full replay access, and the RE-ALIGN Workbook to guide you through the process. ✨ $99 refunded if you upgrade into a Salon Rising course. Learn more and join here 👇

Align Masterclass

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🎧 Event Spotlight: THIS GENERATION

THIS GENERATION, presented by Monique McMahon, is a one-day, industry-led education experience bringing together three hair