She had staff, now she's solo and it's the best thing ever – with Sharelle from Miss Lash
Sharelle is back in the Inner Sanctum for the third time, and she is almost unrecognisable. Last time she was here she had staff, an education arm, a big space on the Gold Coast Highway and a to do list that never ended. This time she walks in and Sam asks her who she is, and she cannot answer straight away.
Because the woman who built that salon at 21 is gone. Sharelle says it plainly. That girl is dead. She wanted the team and the education and the big version of it all because she wanted to feel good about herself, and somewhere in there she stopped being able to sit still with her own clients. Now it is just her, she is on the floor full time, she is booked out months ahead without posting, and she says it is the best thing that has happened to her business.
This one gets honest fast. Sharelle did not want to talk about her tax debt again, and then decided it would be worse not to, because there are women listening who are sitting in exactly the same spot and think they are the only one. So they talk about it properly. The payment plan, the cycle, the ego of pretending you are not on one, and what Sam actually does about it.
What we cover
- Going from a full team back to solo, and why it felt like relief rather than failure
- The ego trap of headcount, and who you are really trying to look successful for
- Why hiring to work less usually means working more
- Sam's numbers a year on from seven staff, and how little the revenue actually moved
- Tax debt, payment plans and the one habit that gets you out of the cycle
- Why your future tax matters more than the debt you already have
- Being present with clients again, and what changed for both of them on the floor
- Staying booked out without living on social media
- Flexibility over income, and what owning a business is actually for
The dream you built at 21 is allowed to die, and the woman who replaces her usually knows better.
Should I hire staff for my salon?
Only if you have checked why you want them, because most owners hire hoping to work less and end up working more. Sam's honest test is whether the decision is about the business or about how the number of staff makes you feel.
What should I do if I owe tax debt in my salon business?
Keep the payment plan as low as you can manage and pay it off slowly, but start putting your future tax aside from this week. Paying the old debt fast while ignoring the new bill is what keeps Australian salon owners stuck in the cycle for years.
Can you actually make good money as a solo salon owner?
Yes, and often more of it lands in your pocket. Sam compared her numbers with seven staff to her numbers with a team of two and a bit, and the difference across the year was about three thousand dollars, with retail up sharply.
Mentioned in this episode:
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Transcript
What are we doing this all for?" Yeah. Mm. What is this actually filling other than me being exhausted?
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[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:I'm Sharelle. I am... Wow, I haven't been asked that in a really long time. That's so interesting. Because so- it's so interesting because I have changed so much from the last time I was on here.
[: [:Mm. I am, like, feeling really good about myself. I have come into, I guess, lowering my standards with being that perfect person and being, like, that high-achieving person. I've gotta do this, and I've gotta do that, and I've gotta do all these things. And it's like, for what?
[: [: [: [:And it's like, for, for what?
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:So I was doing, yeah, education. I was teaching people how to do lash lifts. I was teaching my staff how to do everything, and, like, going through that cycle and that's just, like, no more, and I'm so glad. So I'm at peace. I'm now solo operating, and I love it.
[:not.
[: [: [: [:And I also understand, completely understand this season- Mm ... 'cause I have reduced massive, from 14 to-
[: [:run with lower numbers, successful. It makes you appear successful. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And who are you trying to appear successful to? But also, what's
[: [: [: [:Mm. Like, it used to, like, make me feel successful when I said it.
[: [: [: [:At which point-
It's putting pressure on the business in different ways. Whereas now I'm assuming that you're back on the floor- Yeah ... 38 hours.
Yeah. And you just don't feel worn out at all.
[: [:Yeah.
[: [: [: [:Whereas now you're on the floor full time. Exactly. You're not,
[: [: [:You actually cannot do it all.
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:and you think, "Oh, I'll get a team member 'cause then I can work less."
[: [: [: [:the three are so incredible- Yeah ... that I don't, it's not like running a team. And I think the other unlock to that is, um, I always felt like a boss, whereas with this little team, I'm just their-
[: [: [: [: [:Like, there's obviously always evolving and whatever, but there's no sort of like hands-on training. Like- Yep ... it's just takes it out of you.
[:And everyone says like, "Will you build?" I'm like, "No way." Mm-mm. And doesn't mean, like if you look back, I think you've had a season of it being quite rocky since- Mm ... Holly left-
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:And he's like, "Why are you putting this big pressure on something that is not able to be sustained?" Mm. Like, you're so right. That's right.
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:I need to focus on the important things ...
[: [: [:Like, I feel like La Sorella gets everything of me now. Mm-hmm. In a way that it's not necessarily, I feel like La Sorella gets everything of me. My clients get everything of me. Mm-hmm. I feel like I've never been more- 'Cause you care so much ... in with my clients. I've never felt- Yeah ... more connected to my business.
I've never felt more in love with what I do. Mm. But it's because the 10% isn't going into every other bucket. Everything else. Mm. And I'm here, and I'm full, and I'm present, and I'm purposeful, and then I'm gone, and I'm at home.
[:I hate everything, hate everyone," and then you'll go through a next stage and you're like, "I love this so much." I love it. "Oh my God, this is my dream. I'm obsessed with everything that I do." And it's just wild how you go in these like, yeah, mini moments.
[: [: [:And mat leave payments these days are actually really, really good as well. Yeah. Like, it's not too low that you can't survive on it. But is it something like that? Or is it, are you getting a second person 'cause you are so busy, at which point do you need to put your prices up instead? Yeah. Like, and if you really do want a team member, I get it.
I love working with my team, but I just really think people need to make sure that it, it's checking in with that ego side of not going, "Well, I will look successful if I have team." Mm. Mm. What were you gonna say?
[:and what it actually takes to do that until you do it.
[: [: [: [: [:And then I'm like, "Hey, I'll get back to you all. No, I won't." Like, I just like- So much admin ... and even the other day I met with someone for the first time, and still I'm like- No ... and everybody says like, oh, you know... I just go, "But, like, what if they come in and mess up my Amigos?" Like, what, what if this- Yeah.
Mm. Like, I just am so hesitant, and I also feel like, and anyone can say anything else, but I think one of the biggest things for me was when I don't, I don't have to be on social media-
[: [:We did zero content. Because we're just in it with our clients all day that we actually don't... If we have a gap here or there, it's- Mm ... no such a big deal.
[: [: [: [: [:because you're putting your business- Yeah ... out there and you're marketing. I
[: [: [: [:Happy birthday. So I think that- That's so weird ... it comes with that. And also, also just like, um- obviously reduced, so ca- kept a really, like, core clientele. Yeah. Another thing I can say, and I don't know if, I th- oh, actually I know you're feeling this, Sharelle, so you're gonna relate with this so much, is I remember when LaSorella started, and I remember just feeling so loved and so spoilt all the time.
Um, and I remember Christmases being just, like, loaded. Like, we just got gifts. Mm. Like, just real thoughtful things. I'm not, my, my love language is not gifts, but when someone thinks of, thinks of me in a s- like, and goes out- The thought ... of the way, like, for me, it's just like, "Oh." And we used to get so spoiled.
And then over the years, less spoiled, less spoiled. And then I remember when we had a really big team at Christmastime, it was just, like, nothing. Yeah. You know? Like, it was just... And I thought, "Oh, everyone must have changed." Mm. And since we've reduced down, I've never been so spoiled in all our lives.
[: [:Mm. And I'm like, "Oh, it's because it got too big and became a business."
[: [: [: [: [:And it's like, it's really not about that. Mm. Especially when you are someone that loves, and I'm the same, I want someone to make me feel so good with a word. Mm. Like, don't buy me any gifts . Literally, just write me a word on how you feel about me. I'll be like, "Oh my God, I love that."
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:'Cause I'm not gonna be Apple. Like, I'm not building this business- No ... to be a billionaire. Like, it's never gonna get to that context. So, like, and also when we look at numbers, I looked at my numbers last year compared to this year, I had seven staff last year. I have 2.2- ... 'cause Tony only works a day. And my numbers this year were only $3,000 less.
That's insane. Insane. Three grand less, and my retail- And, like, look
[: [: [: [:Mm. Mm. It's really, like, hands-on. Like, the amount of, like, insane stories that have been pouring in this place of people with cancer and their fa- family members with cancer or, you know, breakups and, like, again, just became that really safe space- Mm ... that everybody's just unloading again. Mm. But I don't feel weighted by any of it- Yeah
because nothing else is going on in the background for me. It's just that. Yeah.
[:Mm. Like, how's this person going? Does she need help? Does this happen? Oh, what about this? What... And I wasn't sitting there with my client.
[: [: [:and I don't have to think about it.
[: [:You know, it comes to that part of being like, I love this. I love what I do. I love going to work. I love the hours that we do, 'cause I've realized, like, Tuesdays we're like, ah, done by the afternoon. Yeah. Wednesdays we're like, long day, but once Wednesday's over, only one more long day, and then, oh look, we're finished.
Like it just feels so easy.
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:I just have to worry about me and I'm just there. Mm. And I'm present and I'm- Mm ... like, "Ha."
[: [: [: [: [: [:I don't wanna say anything just yet because I really want this to work and I don't want any else- anything else to hinder it. Okay.
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:Mm. You can't have- Chaffing ... your space is huge.
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:What do we do then? What do we... Okay, well, then I need to leave and blah blah blah." And you just go, "Okay, hold on. No. It'll come to me like everything else- Yeah ... has. I need to not spend my-" Just hold
[: [: [: [: [:I'm like, "Oh, and we can do this and this and this and this." It's like, again, it's like, come back, be present, be in the moment. What is actually gonna happen if you go do that without thinking about it?
[: [: [:We don't talk about Bruno
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:super restricted. I'm going all in. I'm doing all of this.
[: [: [: [: [:Mm. Whereas she's really teaching me and she's teaching me it because she went through the same season of like the really strict and then she had to like almost coach herself out of it because it messed up her mind-
[: [:It is like a routine, not restriction. Yeah. So at, at same time, while you're doing the routine of, of paying your tax off-
[: [:Because I think the hard thing is, is if you get to that point and you're nearly done- Mm ... it feels like it's done. You're like, "Oh, it's done." Yeah. Mm. But it's a part of, the most important, important part of the marathon is- It's like the last part of the race ... getting to the end. Yes. Mm. And then continuing to do the same thing over- Mm
and over again because if you drop any of those habits-
[: [:Just go back to the start. The habit's pack- backed in there. Yeah. But anyway, it's-
[:and perhaps that's, we've fallen into that- Mm ... pattern of, like, tax debt again. Mm. It's not like we think that the leaves are never coming back again.
[: [: [: [:And we just keep moving to the next season. Mm. And it's not, there is no end. We don't get to this and just, like, drop off.
[: [: [: [: [: [:Full stop. It's the biggest thing you told me. It sucks. We have to pay it. Yeah. Doesn't matter. But if you've got tax debt, it means you've spent the money that's not yours. Mm. So just be grateful for the money you did spend. Yeah. And just think of it as a loan instead of tax debt.
[: [:Like, if you think about- It's a
[: [: [: [: [: [: [:You
[: [: [:Mm. And now I just have to pay it off. Yeah. True. Because it was, I did pay- Good mindset ... you know, I did spend the money that's not mine. And did you make it? Yes. Can you fight it? No.
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:And then I'm just still each week putting away my future because that's- Good ... that's the biggest one you've told me about. Yes. And I'm like, I'm just gonna keep being in this cycle if I don't do this. I
[: [: [:Like I would say that to anyone. Mm. I'm like if they're on a payment plan and the payment plan's too big and you can only just cover the payment plan- Mm ... it's probably the worst thing you can do. Yeah. You have to just pay it off slowly and still put your future tax away- Mm-hmm. Yeah ... so that any new bill comes in automatically gets paid and then you're- Mm
still chipping away at this. Otherwise, what I found for me for years when I was first in this, was I would pay the payment plan off and then that tax bill would come. And then, and then have another one. And then, yeah. Whereas if you can keep those payments really low and pay them for a longer period of time- Mm
and still put your future tax away- Yeah ... you will get out of it.
[: [: [:Mm. We are literally not taught this in school growing up. If we have parents lucky enough to t- teach us about it in the way that we understand, like- We're gonna make these mistakes, and it's just about learning the lessons as well Mm. That's my biggest, like,
[: [:That's it. I don't know how big her books are, but five- She has five clients? ... that don't have payment plans.
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:but in August. Okay, I feel like this is a really big one for anyone, and something I wanna do a post on. Anyone that's a brand-new business in this industry- Mm-hmm ... you know, we've all done it, we've all been there. That first year feels like the year that you are a baller. Yeah. You feel rich, richer the first year.
You took staff on pretty fast, so it kind of was a bit different. But generally, the first year in business you feel like a baller. You've come off wa- And you also worked for yourself for a bit for, so it might be a little different. You come off wages, you b- you just make the money that you're making. Mm.
So you're like, "I am so rich. I'm making three and a half grand a week." You know- Mm ... whatever it may be. You know, I was- Which you think always is ... I was only taking home 1,200, now I'm making three. And so you feel like a baller. The reason why business gets so hard, and if anyone is a new business, anyone is self-employed, gonna do it for themselves, anyone's a freelancer, they need to learn all of this first.
Yes. And you will change your life dramatically. But if you started the new business and said, "I'm gonna take on a, I'm gonna do a finance course, I'm gonna know how to do this," you would be putting your future tax away. You'd quickly hit GST status- Mm. Yeah ... so you'd be putting GST away. And then you'd also know how to put a little bit of tax away for the end of the year with whatever wage you take.
[: [: [: [: [: [: [:and then it just never rebuilt. Mm, yeah. So like it was... And we just have not been able to get on top of it since then. Mm. Mm. So I had like, when my tenant moved out of her room with, and the air conditioning broke, and it was like a three and a half thousand dollar bill that I had set aside for that last quarter- Mm
we've just never, like when I say we, I mean me. I've just, the bank account has just not recovered from it. Yeah. So everything has felt behind- Yeah ... ever since.
[: [:Mm.
[: [: [: [: [: [:Rob Peter to pay Paul. You've gotta
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:of the salon and stuff. Yeah, yeah. Like, I felt a little bit more restricted, whereas it's funny, I'm always here with the girls now, and they, it's really beautiful, 'cause they are really conscious of how hard I work as well. Mm. And, um, on Satur- on Thursday night, I finished early, and everything was done.
Everything's clean. I said, "Delora-" "
[: [:And, Neil. She's such a wombat. And I realized it's because the kids feed her, and there's two types of cups that they use it from, and they've been using the large cup, so she's having double twice a day.
[: [:Um, but yeah, I just feel like because now we only just do 38 hours in the salon- Mm ... it is actually less noise, less- Mm ... all of the things, less drama, less... So you've opened up all of this space to be like, I thought that having a bigger team was gonna give me flexibility- Mm ... as much as I thought a bigger team would give me- Mm
more financial abundance.
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:from that one course. Mm. So yes, you have to invest in yourself, but when you invest yourself in something that works right for you-
[: [: [:none of the number stuff ...
[: [:Mm. Yeah. And that's wages- It really doesn't take that much ... payments, like that's everything. But I do that in my personal life as well because again, like I said, like, I don't know how people otherwise... I just bought a house. I, I, I'm so excited. I'm gonna talk about it on another episode. But financially, if I didn't know where I was at with the business and the house.
Yeah. And I also, guys, have just spent a quarter of a million dollars on legal bills. Yeah. Again, if I didn't have a business that could support that- C-
[: [:and raise my three kids, and then it was a legal battle, and now it is buying a house. Financial, like that financial stability is not, you know, like we've spoken about, it's not about the penthouse or the expensive car or the Gucci. Mm. It's not the ego.
[: [:in order to build my life, I need to... I wanna buy a home. Why do I wanna buy a home? The feeling. Because I want my s- kids on land. Yeah. Yeah. I wanna come home to my partner and my children and, you know, play the Practical Magic music in the background while I fossil for my tomatoes in my garden- ... which I'll never do, but Lee will.
And it's about that, but if I didn't have this side right, I wouldn't be able to get that side right. Yeah.
[:I'm like, it's not about the, what it looks like, it's about how it feels. Mm. And now I'm at a, the point where I'm like, "Oh, this feels so good."
[: [: [: [:I built the salon when I was 21.
[: [:Like, I wanna walk into work and just go, "La,
[: [: [:And I don't, I don't wanna do it 'cause I don't wanna offend my past team members, but put a photo up of everyone that worked for me and say, "Yes." Mm. And then, or no, the three of us, me, Indi, and Laura, and say, "Yes, but," and then my big team. Yeah. And then put up like, "Yes," like I was like my old big house, and then my tiny little rental.
Yeah. Well, my rental first, and then my huge house Because I think the thing is, is sometimes with those things it's like glamorizing. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yes, I'm now at 14 staff, but at one point I was at two.
[: [: [: [:Yeah. And I was so overwhelmed and fried. Mm. Doesn't mean that I love anyone less. You work for me and you're one of my best friends.
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:such a
[: [: [: [:Like, that can be... That's why I was like, "I need to do it the other way around," because- And the dream will always change ... yes, at one point I had- Yes, exactly right.
[: [:I don't know if I had a dream of that. I think it was- No? I don't think I ever had the dream of owning a big salon. I think- I think it was yes, next ... my ego... Yeah, yes, next. Mm. Yeah. Nothing was like- Yes, chill
[: [:'Cause we said we were gonna pause.
[: [: [: [: [:in this moment, present.
[: [:Yeah.
[:What are we doing this all for?" Yeah. Mm. What is this actually filling other than me being exhausted? Mm.
[: [:Mm-hmm. Um, even one of the photos I was gonna put up, I was gonna put like, yes, and put a photo of me just sitting on the couch, but, and then put e- me educating down the bottom. Yeah. Because I thought that that's what I wanted- Mm ... but I think it was just to fill some part of ego so I could fill that.
[: [: [: [: [: [:in that space, rather than other people looking from the external- Yeah ... and going, "Oh, but she looks like she's got her shit together." Mm. I wanna look like I... I wanna know that my shit's together- Mm ... here, not out there.
[: [: [: [: [: [:But you know what it's done? And this morning I was so intentional. I got so much done.
[:and I've kind of like maintained it. But now it's about the a- appointment and, like, how you're treating that person- Mm ... in the appointment for them to come back. It's not about social media. Mm. Yes. It's not about how you look on social media. Mm. It's about how ... People are spending mon- lots of money with us- Mm
and if they feel like they wanna do that again, shit, they're gonna get the best appointment they've ever had- Mm ... because they, I don't know, I want them to feel loved and connected and like- Mm ... I'm just here. And then that brings them in for the next one. Mm. And then the next one, I'm like, "All right. Let's do your next one."
And it's like I've created this nice- And then they
[: [: [: [:It's
[: [: [: [:Because a lot of people now will understand how good the little things are, but sometimes they don't cost like a bazillion dollars to do.
[:Mm-hmm. "Oh, so good to have you here." Mm-hmm. Like, "Have you been here before?" And we were like, "Nope." And she was like, "Excellent, anything you need?" And then when we ordered off her, she was like, "These are my favorites," so we just ordered them, even though it's not something I would normally order. Mm. That's probably the only touch point she had with us in the entire s- service.
But it had impact. I didn't need her again. Yeah. Mm. We went to Siblings the other night, the service was horrific. Really? Such a
[: [:Someone came over and was like, "Here's your menus. Do you want ta- tap or sparkling?" I was like, "Oh, sparkling would be great." Never saw... It's like we had dishes sitting there, and I reckon we watched nine, 10 people walk past and look at them, and then just keep walking. And then I wanted dessert, but I said to Lee, "I'm done.
Let's go." Mm.
[: [: [: [: [: [:Yeah. Mm. Whereas the smallest little thing of her just being really present- Mm ... at the beginning of our service, at the beginning of dinner, was all I needed.
[: [: [:Yep. And when, I think now the biggest thing that I've realized with being by myself is I can cater anything-
[: [:Yeah. And that feeling that they get there, they want more of.
[: [: [: [:Yeah.
[: [: [:Mm. But where have you lost how much you love people? Yeah, that's
[: [: [: [: [: [:Mm. Yeah. Do I love going to work? If I don't-
[: [: [:Yeah. And if anyone is feeling like that, like now or when- in their journey, that is so normal.
[:Mm. Yeah. It's not you. And I think the thing that is amazing about you saying, "I still have tax debt," is Sharelle's like, "Yeah, I'm still, am- I'm me now, but I'm just gonna still pay it off slowly." Yes. And we're good. We'll get rid of it.
[:Yeah. I think this pressure of this perfection and doing the most, what is that for? It's only affecting me. Yeah.
[: [: [: [:Mm. Yeah. Because there is, like, sometimes when, you know, when you see that little, just this little bit that you're working on and it's, like, kind of going up but kinda not, but then when you zoom out, you see this-
[: [: [:or yes, and thing. You know what I mean? That
[: [: [: [: [: [: [:Like, it's- And everyone has their own journey ... the reverse. It's still like- Yeah ... yes, I have tax debt. Yeah. Mm. But I had lots of tax debt- Mm ... now I have less, you know? And I just think it's really, like yeah, that real heart posture of checking back in with yourself and thinking, "What I actually want for myself?"
Yeah. "What do I want for this life? What do I want for you and Owen?" Mm. "What do you want that life to look like?" And now it's peaceful. Mm. It's easy. It's exactly what you wanted. Mm. So you're like, "Why would you live life any differently?" Exactly.
[: [: [:Yes. Like, you're not on anyone else's path. It may be similar, you may be doing some of the same things, but you will always be on your own path and in your own lane. Mm. No one has the same path.
[: [: [: [: [: [: [:I love
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:Love you.
[: [: [: [: [: