This is a guest blog post written by the amazing Lexi Lomax
You must take your business seriously. Right now.
You are the only person who can do it. You are the only person who is in charge of you, and your business, and can make your dreams come true.
I promise you that you are a grown woman who can and needs to step into ownership of her life, and business.
I didn’t always know this. I had just turned 25, already owned my salon, was in the process of becoming a licensed stylist, and my Dad DIED. Unexpectedly, without warning, and quickly. Aneurysms suck.- The carpet was ripped right out from underneath my whole family. We never know what is going to happen in our lives.
I was already a salon owner who was doing big things, and in other people’s opinions would be considered successful, I wasn’t utilizing my full potential, because I was all about that safety net.
My Mom and Dad were, and Mom still is my biggest cheerleader and would support me in anything,
I told my Dad that I wanted to open and salon and he said “show me a P and L. Let’s run the numbers…” not… “Hh you are 19 and insane.” They helped me get my loan secured, did my build out etc etc….and I’m eternally grateful.
You might be reading this and think… “Oh, sob story you got a salon…” and that’s fine, I lived a wonderful childhood with two loving parents. I grew up in my parent’s office where I was a business sponge.
As an only child, I rode the wave of my parent’s business success and failures with them, and learned all the things that I could. I was consulted on multi-million-dollar deals… at age 10. I grew up coloring at the end of the board room table, because I did, and I am SO thankful and aware for my life and childhood.
I know I had opportunities that others have not. And I also realize that you may have had different experiences that I didn’t.
We all have whatever we have.
But at the end of the day, you must take care of your business. Step into the woman of business that you are as a hairstylist, esthetician, makeup artist, because it’s YOUR responsibility alone to determine what your life is like.
No one else has that power. You alone determine your everything. The sooner you recognize that the faster you can get on with living your best life.
I always had the giant feather bed of security if I fell…. until I didn’t.
My parents were real property developers, and when my Dad died, the recession was full blown and my parents had seen better days financially. And then you take away the key person who makes the deals, and had the ideas and now you have zero.
I remember driving and crying and thinking “What the EFF are we gonna do?! How is this going to work?”
And then it hit me like a bolt of lightning.
“I am the new Dad. I can have ideas, and make decisions, and step into this role. I have power and have to do this” and I knew I would make it happen from my salon.
And that’s when I fully stepped into who I am as a business woman.
I’m still growing and evolving, but I owned the leadership role in business and for my family at this point. I took a hard look at how I was going to help my mom, how I could grow my salon business, and how I could continue to help the others in my salon continue to grow so that I could guarantee the stability of the salon.
It was my Mom (who is an amazing business woman in her own right, and is so inspiring, but that’s another story) and myself. My mother was stricken by grief, having to deal with the sky falling down on her family drama,herself, and then dealing with the love of her life, poof, gone. I wanted to be the safety net now.
So what does my story mean for you?
It’s now or never. You don’t have to wait for something catastrophic to step up, and be in charge of your destiny. You have everything in you to do what you need to do to take your business and life to the next level.
We know what we need to do. We know that doing hard stuff is how we make change. We just need to do it.
I am so thankful that I had the salon, my salon family, and that I had a vessel to take care of myself and my mom. We never know what will happen in life, and we can’t always rely on others to support us. My now husband was there and amazing as a support, but not once did I want us to be his burden.
We need our partners, but also we need to be self-sufficient and able to support ourselves, and our families. Because we just don’t know. And we need to have seriously good life insurance.
Entrepreneurship is so empowering, and on the flip side can be so damn hard, and discouraging. But when you decide and commit it’s incredibly powerful.
Literally keep your eyes on your own paper, have an attitude of abundance and go full speed. Always be a student. Be a student of life. Deepen your knowledge of your craft. Study people, read books, invest in yourself and your business through education.
The world is your oyster… seriously.
Here’s 3 tips on how to take your business a little more seriously today, and to step into the bad-asseery you have inside you. How to come into your spot, and have your business flourish without having to endure hardship, or heartache to move you to action.
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Have clear goals, expectations and boundaries in your business. With yourself, clients, and co-workers or employees. Know what you’re here for, your purpose and your why. Don’t violate your own agreement.
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Get your money situation straight, if your biz makes plenty of money and you spend it all- that’s not straight. Be ready for a rainy day.
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Be consistent. Set up daily routines that set you in the direction of your goals. Be diligent in your routine and let nothing stop you from achieving your dream life and biz. You deserve it.
I’m not going to lie, this isn’t always easy. And it’s definitely easier to coast, and not take a hard look at what’s going on in your business and life too. But it’s SO crucial to do so. You really are shorting yourself and your family, or your “why” by not stepping up and into who you should be as a leader in this beautiful industry.
We all have different stories, and backgrounds and we needed all of those things to come full circle and be a part of our lives to be who we are today. Use what experiences and your life as history and proof that you can do hard things, and they will benefit you, and your business. Pretend your safety net wasn’t there… what would you do?
We are blessed to be entrepreneurs in this time of endless possibility.
We work in the best industry possible with the most wonderful humans, with the biggest hearts.
We have creativity running through our veins and this is your push to step into your business. Step into your business as a leader, as the businesswoman you are. Make your dreams your reality. You are in charge.
ABOUT LEXI
Lexi Lomax is a salon owner of over 11 years, lover of all things beauty, an industry educator, business coach and strategies expert; and a licensed cosmetologist who works behind the chair, just like you!
You can follow her on Instagram here.
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