This week Sarah chats with Amanda Craig, a successful hairstylist and salon owner, who shares her journey from a small town in Tennessee to becoming a celebrity hairstylist and business owner in Nashville. Amanda discusses the challenges of balancing motherhood and a demanding career, the importance of hard work and building relationships, and her philosophy on mentorship and team culture. The conversation also touches on the significance of guest experience in the beauty industry, the evolution of her salon, and the necessity of reinvention to stay relevant. Amanda emphasizes the value of learning from younger generations and the importance of maintaining a positive mindset in both personal and professional life.

Leigh Edwards & Co https://www.leighedwards.co/

Follow Amanda on Instagram: @amandacraiglec

welcome to the lessons from your hairstylist podcast. I'm your host and hairstylist friend, Sarah Crews. I'm so glad you're here today. I get to talk to a friend of mine. can't wait to introduce you to her. Amanda Craig is here with us today

and she's done some pretty interesting stuff and I think you're gonna find this conversation just really fun. We're gonna sit down like two old friends and Amanda and I used to work together at Studio Gavin here in Nashville so we were stylists side by side here and got to know each other that way but...

You

Yep.

gone on to do great things. She was always doing great things but she is founder and owner of Lee Edwards and Company which is a salon, very successful salon here in the Nashville area. Amanda has quite the interesting background.

her celebrity work, her work on the voice, but she's so much more than that. She is a wonderful mom. She's an incredible friend. She is so fun to talk to, just a really easy and wonderful person to be around. I love her so much. She's a mentor to so many. She's a speaker. So Girl, how are you doing? I am so glad to see you.

I'm

doing great and you are so kind. I was actually telling my husband how proud I am of you and how interesting your story has been and how inspiring your life has been. mean, look at all you've accomplished. I mean, you came to Nashville and you had a plan and you I think have done gone above and beyond on everything you had probably anticipated for yourself. So

Congratulations to you. I haven't been this excited to speak on a podcast in a while and thank you for having me.

Well, that is a huge honor knowing that I'm a newbie over here in the podcasting space and you have a lot of experience in things like this within the entertainment world, So I was excited to get to chat with you today. And I thank you for that because that means a lot coming from you. I've always admired you.

Thank

You have been such an inspiration to me always so kind always so kind to everyone So I just want people to get to know a little bit about you So I thought this would be such a fun podcast So tell us just a little bit about you Yeah, tell us a little bit about you your background and kind of what inspired you to get into the beauty industry

Well, thank you.

So, I'm from West Tennessee. I'm from a small town called Henderson, Tennessee. I call it Footloose. It's still a dry county. I'm not kidding. Really? It's just wild.

I came from a dry county too before I moved here. I didn't know there was any such thing before

I was there. I was like, really? I never met anybody else.

It's wild. But you

know, even coming from a small town, there was so, I was very fortunate to be in a graduating class with so many interesting people and so many supportive people. And I know I hear the stories from other others that come from small towns that they didn't have that experience. But even though I was always very creative.

and I wanted to do something bigger, I still fell into, me do what's safe. And I was going to school to do nursing and I realized very quickly, I love people and I wanna help people, but I wanna do it in a more creative way. And that's when I went to hair school. My dad was not happy because

And this is something that we can dive into more, that mentality of hairstylist. You know, they just had this idea of what a hairstylist is. You won't make any money, you're wild, you're party-er, crazy, you know, all the things, which again, we can dive into, which has been part of my mission since coming off of The Voice, being, you know, diving.

completely into my business, which is let's change that mindset and how do we change that mindset? But long story short, went to hair school and then moved to Nashville and I had an idea, a plan. I just wanted to work on a music video. Working on a music video then took me into meeting lots of different people and I went on tour with Leanne Womack and Reba and George Strait.

Exactly. Exactly.

which then opened up more doors. And then I started just working with males, which I had not really done before. I'd always worked with women, but I had a good reputation around working with men. The wives always liked me, the managers liked me, and they knew I was not a threat. And then I got the call to come and try out and work with Blake Shelton.

And I still was going back and forth doing the voice. But I opened that up with a former business partner. And then, yeah. And here we are today. Here we are today.

I I remember.

part of that journey I wasn't there for the beginning but you you and I do have that small town thing in common where we started in such a small place that for me I know I always had that dream of wanting to be somewhere where there was possibility and there was opportunity and there was even more diversity amongst people and there was creativity in artistry and I feel that you had that same

as well. So coming to Nashville was kind of like a big dream and for you, my goodness, you have certainly realized a dream that so many people, especially those in the beauty industry would just absolutely love to be able to say that they had in their portfolio and the journey is absolutely

Fascinating because it's and nobody more deserving of it than you. I tell you you are you are someone who No wonder no wonder you shot straight up into

Aww.

having those relationships because people Truly love being around you they trust you your skill is amazing your professionalism and you you're really the whole package and so That's why I think that you're such an inspiration to so many other people because you model what it is to be someone in the beauty industry someone who's relatable somebody who's super successful and somebody who has all of the things and and you're very approachable

And and all of the cool stuff that you've gotten to do for that use you are a very You're a you're a very humble type of a person. You're a very down-to-earth very relatable type of person. You're a great friend so I I just again I just think that that is so fascinating that someone can have the type of experiences that you've had who have come through all of that and now You know, I know you you kind of decide

to step away from the voice and traveling and things like that when you were gonna be a mom, you know, you wanted to have a family and and that that's a huge decision I think you probably really have to do a lot of soul-searching I would imagine because that's a pretty big gig that a lot of people would love

Yeah.

So can you tell me a little bit about what that was like when you were in that height that like working on the voice and then you were like, hey, I wanna be a family. I wanna have a family.

Mm-hmm.

you know, I, something you said too about the package and I appreciate that being the whole package. appreciate that. however, I have to say this. I don't feel like I'm the most creative in the room or the, most talented by any means, but one thing, and I learned this from Reba. She actually said this to me. She said, be the hardest person, be the hardest working person in the room.

And I took that advice and I feel like that is what helped me to get in the doors and have the relationships I had that, that just created such a dream land for me, which was be the hardest working person in the room. And, and I appreciate her for telling me that I think as far as making the choices, as far as Calvin,

my son and wanting to be home with him at the time, my husband still worked in the music industry as well. And that requires a lot of travel on both ends. And I was 35 when we got pregnant. So I don't consider it an old mom, but some do. was a geriatric pregnancy, but I do feel like.

One of the many things I learned from being on The Voice was seeing how many women gave up having a family because they just, you do get so caught up in the hustle and what's next. Where am I going next? What TV show am I going to do next? And I learned very quickly that was not the life for me. And when I started working with Blake, I did not mind that a lot of my branding

And because I knew once that journey was finished, I was going to focus on being home and focus on being a mom and being a wife, but also focus on the salon company and how I wanted that to turn out and who was working for the salon and

you know, what kind of branding did we want? But I have to say it was, I was burnt out on doing the voice. I was burnt out on flying back and forth, coming back, doing hair. It was a lot. So I was ready and getting pregnant with Calvin created that freedom to say, Hey, it's time for me to move on. Now I still flew back and forth. I was, until I was eight months pregnant.

remember

those times when you were coming, but you'd take the red eye and you'd be back in there. be in that morning and you'd be doing hair in that afternoon. And I was like, I mean, I know just traveling with Karastase every weekend, I was like, that was enough for me. I could not imagine what your schedule was like.

It was-

I think that's why I look so old all the time. was tired. But, but you know, I think mixed with having a child and the hormones, I, you know, I kind of got a little down. It was because there is something in, you know, this, there is something very freeing about jumping on a plane and leaving. and.

No, you don't. Not true.

I kind of, think I mourned that life a little bit, even though I was so happy, I'm still very happy, but being home, it's almost hard for anyone to even get me on a plane, which I am going to work with Blake at the end of the month on a new TV show he's doing. But, you know, it's just a different, it's a different feeling now. It's, yeah, reunited. I'm like, we're back.

Reunited? You're reunited.

Yeah, but I won't be doing it full time, but I just, it'll be, it's fun to go do little one-offs here and there. And I think it's, it kind of keeps my creative juices going too. but, but yeah, I did. I, it was a hard, harder emotionally than I thought it would be letting go of that. And, because I think with that, you know, lot of things you've said will validate what I'm saying now.

Yeah.

So much of who I was or I felt who I was, was Amanda busy, Amanda doing the voice, Amanda rushing around. You know, that was my identity, which is not true. But at the time I felt like so much of my brand, my personal brand was that and was linked to that.

I know you're not going out

permanently or going out long term with Blake but yes reunited back together again and I just have to say this just interesting little tidbit to those who are listening who came to your wedding? Who was at your wedding? can't help it because I know everybody will think that's so interesting so tell us about it.

Well Blake was in our wedding.

was in it and then Gwen was there. Reva was there. Kelly Clarkson was there. Carson was there. Yeah.

you

like can Amanda just have her own day without like I mean it was like what was that like just having them there because I mean did you feel like you got to have your own day or did you feel like it was overshadowed by press and by people who were interested in that?

You know

You know, I honestly did, to this day, you know how a lot of people will talk about their wedding and say, oh, if I could go back, would have done this and done that. There's still not anything I would change. It was, we had a blast, we had so much fun, and they're all such wonderful people. The fact that, I mean, they wanted to even travel in to be a part of Joel and I's day is huge. But I mean,

I can have fun with anybody. It doesn't matter to me, but it was funny that you brought that up because there was a guy out of New York that wrote an article about my wedding. And he discussed how was a bride to feel dancing next to Gwen Stefani and how that takes away from her moment. And I thought that's...

people did.

I never felt that way. But I'm also, I'm not a center of attention kind of gal, believe it or, mean, with all the things that I'm just not. it didn't, I had a ball and we had fun. We danced together. I mean, they're friends. I mean, and they wanted to be there to be supportive. And it was, it was magical. The fact that they even wanted to support Joel and I.

I know that about you. know that you know everything just rolls right off your back. Just like water off a duck's back. You're just very chill. You're not the person that's like look at me, look at me. And you know I could guess that you would say that none of that really rattled you or bothered you and I know that about you, but I know that that...

You know to people and somebody might ask like how did you feel with all of that attention? You know, I wanted to ask you if you felt like you were able to truly have your day

Well, I think too, around everything you were just saying, I guess there would be one thing I would give advice on. We sent out save the dates, like our wedding planner said, you only half will come. can send out your save the dates. We sent out like, I guess about eight months prior to the actual date. Thinking half would come.

And if I could give advice to anyone on that, send the save the dates to the people that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt, they are gonna be in your life and they are your people. Or they travel a lot, they need to know, they need to plan. Wait on the other half to see if those people are still in your life at that point. Because we, it was so sad to me because,

Well, not sad, I just had built so many new relationships and so did Joel in that year time who are still really close friends and we couldn't invite them because we were at capacity. So we sent out 400 invitations thinking only 200 would come. 364 people came. And so where we had the event, they said, listen, you cannot have one more person.

Yeah.

they'll shut this wedding down. So it was kind of, that was my only regret. And I tell that, I say, give that advice to people all the time. Don't send out all of them because, and I was so, I guess this is the naive part of me. We had it on January 9th thinking a lot of people aren't gonna come because Christmas just happened, New Year's Eve just happened. But the naive part of me didn't realize that

A lot of people are going to want to come because they knew celebrities would be there. So it wasn't really about us on that for a lot of people, you know, but that was me being naive too.

Well, you don't think that way you just

that's just not how your brain operates which is just another thing about you that just endures people to you so much because You're just not that person. You don't fit that's just not in your wheelhouse to think like that That's great advice though because I've never heard anyone give that type of advice and that'll be a good little soundbite for my wedding company be For the bride it's like Where can you?

Yes!

Avoid having little regrets. I know you don't have a lot of regrets for yours, but that's a good That's a good piece of advice. I have not actually had anybody Say or that I've even heard so I think that's great because you're right

Well,

and it's when Joel and I decided, because I said, you know, do you want to go off and get married? What do you want to do? And he was like, I want to get married here. And that's when we both discussed the fact that this wedding is not about us. If you're going to have a big wedding, it's not about you. It's about the party. And if you want to have a wedding that's all about you, then you need to do a very intimate

Yeah.

Yeah.

very small, 50 to 100 people, basically family and the closest, closest friends in your life and that's it. But we had a big party girl, like we went all out on the band.

Well,

and you think about your guests. I mean, not that I knew we were gonna go off on like a whole wedding theme, but this is so good because I think it's really helpful. You're someone who thinks about your guests. I mean, whether it's in the salon, it's your wedding, it's your staff at your salon, right? You're thinking about the other person and the experience that they're gonna have, and that's something that...

thanks.

See and I know you probably see too because your team also does hair and makeup for weddings and events and things like that and I see where The thought isn't really put into what is the guest experience gonna be like it's really about like what do I want and? And coming from the perspective of the bride. So yes, I

Mm-hmm.

think that it's really important that you think about your guests and what's the experience going to be for them because you're right, if you want just kind of like look at me, I mean that could be done with pictures and videos and all that stuff but you know, people are not going to enjoy themselves if you're not making sure they're fed or making sure they're sheltered or making sure they're comfortable or you know, like things like that.

Right.

Well, and I think too,

we knew that we did know there was absolutely no phones, no cameras at our wedding. I suggest people do that all the time. Like make it a no phone zone because when you don't have phones, everyone, I think people were truly involved, like in the moment. And it's way more intimate that way. They're having a blast and

We had the photo booth and we had a photographer and we did the whole thing so people could get their photos and see. it also, doing it that way is the reason that the celebrities, which is so funny to say, I think that's why they stayed the whole time, because they had fun.

Yeah,

yeah. Well, for your wedding, I can definitely see why you would have people not bringing their phones, you know? I your guests don't want to have their pictures snapped and self-eating all night.

No, no. But yeah, it was,

we had a blast. We really did. And I think if more, I think if you are going to have a big wedding, then you need to understand it's not about you. It just isn't. Yes, you are getting married and you are starting your life with the love of your life. And all of those things are really beautiful. But if you're gonna have a big wedding,

Yeah.

big ask for people to either get on a plane or travel or get a hotel or carve out the time in their schedule to celebrate you. You have to make sure that they're having a decent experience. Yes.

Mm-hmm.

Yes,

and I think too, if you're a bride and you have a vision of what you want hair and makeup to look like, then you just need to pay for it.

Yes, absolutely.

You just need to be the one that

needs to be your gift to your bridesmaids and then just pay for it. Go ahead and carve that into your budget and then that way it's perfect.

I

People

underestimate hair and makeup for a wedding. I'll tell you, I don't know why they think that, I mean, and I don't know why hair and makeup vendors are the stepchild of the whole operation, but we are left until the very last, and I'm sure that you all have that experience as well, where people are calling last minute, and they need your team, and it's like, I'm sorry, you should.

First of all, they don't have any budget left for it because they're completely broke by the time they get to hair and makeup. Yeah, what is your experience like in your salon with your team? When you guys go out on location, I know you have your salon location. You have two of them, right? And then you also have a team that goes out for events and things like that. So tell us a little bit about that.

yeah.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Well, here's my thing. When I first started on the Lee Edwards & Company journey, I thought that was gonna be a huge part of what we did. Sending people on tour, sending people to do weddings, red carpet events. And what I realized really quickly is that...

If you give people, just hand people like that opportunities and they didn't work hard for it, you can create little monsters and you know, you've been there. But what I learned from that is people need to have that creative outlet. So for us, we get weddings, we do a lot of red carpet events.

I remember some...

And when we send people out to do that, depending on what the budget looks like, sometimes I just let them go and just do that away from Lee Edwards and company. If it doesn't make sense. But it's also really hard because Nashville has changed so much and there are a lot of really amazing, like yourself. I mean, you have your own company, your own bridal company.

Right.

in certain events because I don't have enough people to go out and do these weddings, I will suggest you guys, you I will suggest other people or I will suggest people who once worked on the team who are now totally freelance. I have a really great relationship with several people who once worked at the salon who now just freelance.

And we have a beautiful working relationship. mean, I have one in particular. I I think in the last two months she's went on like four different, you know, jobs for me. And I think that's really nice to have. It's nice for her. You're also helping someone else. But we don't focus too much outside of the salon anymore.

Mm-hmm.

We now have, you know, different things we're working on such as we have our own extension line, our own hair, and we just now created our own extension method and we are about to open up that door for people to come and get certified in that method and for an affordable price point, you know, like things have just gotten so out of hand and I'm even thinking, my gosh, how much?

for that certification. And I think sometimes with the certifications, things have gotten to kind of like even weddings, the same thing, to Pinterest or Instagram worthy. So therefore they got to have the champagne and the balloons and the arches and all the things. Well, then it's the stylist is spending the money for all the balloons and the champagne. So when we...

start this and when we launch this officially launch this it's not it's going to be come in you get certified and this is the price point but we aren't doing all the champagne and everything like that it's yeah yeah it's it's

all the bells and whistles that cost so much. Let's even

pass along to the customer.

I would, yeah,

I'd much rather have an affordable price point for them. But that being said, sometimes it's more expensive on the salon to send a big group of people out to do weddings. Now I have several stylists that love doing weddings and they are amazing at it. And we did a few this past year and they were great. And then some...

Yeah.

Some of my stylists, go off on their own and do weddings. Like I don't have a problem with that if that's their creative outlet. Just as I don't have a problem if someone has a relationship with an artist and they're doing the red carpet work. If that's something that a relationship you built, go enjoy yourself. Like please go out there. I'm very supportive of it.

It has been so interesting to watch your Evolution since you started Lee Edwards You started it. Like you said thinking that you were going to be sending people out to be doing

celebrity work, red carpet, production, weddings, things like that. And it has really evolved over time. You've got a really strong salon team. I get to see you at some of the summit meetings, which is our salon sort of business model.

Yeah.

meetings that we have with the salon leaders and sometimes I get to see you there so I get to see some of your your team who are amazing wonderful very warm group and Anytime I've been into the salon. I've just it has felt so warm

Thank you.

And it feels like a very cohesive culture, which is of course a testament to you and what you've created with Lee Edwards. Absolutely amazing. So now you're really kind of in that behind the chair space within the salon.

Thank you.

In in your company now now creating the hair extensions line and I think that the reinvention part is a really key component of what has kept you so relevant and new and fresh and what it is that you do and so interesting because I think one of the things and certainly one of the things that I was interested in having this podcast was helping people to sort of find an

themselves and discover in themselves what is new and different or fresh or unique from everybody else and learning how to kind of leverage that particular thing and not trying to be anyone else. How to leverage that to live a better and fulfilled and a happier life and a lot of that.

to do with your ability to be creative and it reinvent yourself and I've just watched you reinvent yourself over and over and over again and every single time it's been something different it's been something satisfying and I can see it in you as a person just your entire persona you seem like you live a very fulfilled and and joyful life we all have our problems right but the thing is is like

You go into something not worried about what anybody else is doing you are just full-on Amanda and that is one of those things that I think people just admire so much about you and and I think reinvention is very very important. Can you talk about that and sort of what your perspective is on that and is that an intentional thing that you do in your life or is that just kind of a part of who you are?

love that question. So in 2021, talking about reinventing or I like to say pivoting is called the pivot. In 2021, I wanted to rebrand the salon to build a team so strong no one knows who the boss is.

I that. I need you to say that again because I've heard you say that before and I feel like that's an Amanda tagline and I just to say it again I love it.

Okay.

Build a team so strong, no one knows who the boss is.

So good.

And

the reason why I wanted to do that is because everybody wants to feel seen and heard. And if you're trying to build a company that's much bigger than yourself,

If they don't feel, your team doesn't feel seen or heard, they don't feel like that they are part of the growth and part of the building the next generation, then you're just a business. You know, it's, that's my personal opinion. And I think shifting that mindset and also being very transparent with my team.

changed everything. I'm very honest with them now. This is what's going on. Now, do I tell them that I might have not slept for 48 hours because I've been concerned about certain things? No, that's not for them to worry about. But I am very honest with them and I wish that more people would do that in their businesses. Be honest, let them feel like they're a part of it. Let them feel like they are part of the solution.

and that they are appreciated.

Transparency is so important with your team and also allowing them to use their creativity and their unique qualities that they have in order to contribute and feel like they're a part of it and that they're helping contribute to the success of it. You're very good with that encouraging people to.

100%.

Well, and I think,

you

I don't have a problem with looking at myself and saying I was the problem. Okay? I think a lot of people have a hard time saying if they did wrong or if they should have handled that in a different way. Now it's easy for me to do that with my team, but ask my husband if that's easy for me to do. But,

People love always get the best of us, don't they?

I mean, we try and we try. But

We try. We try.

I think that if anybody that's wanting to start a business or is in the business, understand those first four to five years is true growth as a business owner and learning to listen, learning to not take things personal. And that's a really hard thing to do, but.

Yes.

Yes.

And I think that changed everything

I love that you feel that.

that changed the way we recruited that changed the OGs that had been there for a while. They were immediately excited. They felt seen. And I mean, we're very tight knit group. I mean, and I think that that's that's kind of unheard of. I think also being a

And when I say unheard of, it's not unheard of, but it's not typical in a salon company or probably any business to all be there because you did say something we have as far as an all inclusive. We have a very diverse group and for us to be also very, there's a few of us that are similar, know, there is what we all have in common.

That's exactly right.

is we are very respectful of each other. And I don't have a problem anymore because prior to 2021, I would be so terrified to maybe let someone go that wasn't building the team up like they should, even if they were a very profitable stylist. I'm okay with that.

because I know that there are three people on the team that are very supportive of the brand and are very kind and we'll figure it out. We always do. It's not about being afraid anymore, but also something that if anyone's listening to this, I think one of the biggest things that I had to get used to or get comfortable with.

Absolutely.

which was very hard for me and now I accept that, is being the villain in someone's story. That, yeah. And I still don't like it, but I have accepted that as an owner and as a leader in the company, that I will be the villain in someone's story, no matter.

Cool.

how good I was to them, no matter how supportive I was of them, no matter how much I built up their clientele or what heavy hitters I put in their chair, sent them on work trips, all the things. But I don't used to, and this is where I think growth comes into play as being a leader, is I would have walls up.

Well, they gotta prove to me who they are before I will do these things for them. Now, there's a little bit of that, but not much. I'm not gonna, you get to show me who you are, whether you're loyal or not or appreciative or not. And if you don't wanna appreciate the things that this company does for you, then that's on you. But I think accepting the fact

What is...

that you will be the villain in someone's story is a really hard one to swallow. But it has helped me to be more vulnerable with my team.

Right there

That is gold accepting that you will be the villain in someone's story is can apply to so many different situations and not just ownership, but I think that it goes back to really operating within what is in alignment with your mission and your purpose and what it is that you're trying to do and you're not going to be able to live in alignment with that or

if you cannot accept the fact that at some point you will be the villain in somebody's story. And that is such a poignant point to make because that is something that just kind of resonated with me right there. I feel like I just need to start a coaching session with you and just hire you out as my, be my coach. I'm over here taking notes.

Well, hold on, let me put that down and what time stamp did we say that? But no, mean, you've had some amazing nuggets already in this episode that...

have just kind of spoken to me, so I'm just having to take a second here. all of this, what you're saying with building the culture and allowing people to show you who they are and being okay with being the villain and not taking things personally, I mean, I'm taking all that stuff in that you're saying and I'm thinking, you know, a lot of this has to do with your mindset and your attitude and how that aligns truly with your purpose and your mission in life. Can you tell me how you got to be so

You

Mm-hmm.

good at being so wise about that stuff. Now how do you A, identify or how have you identified what your true mission, your purpose is in your life? How have you gotten so clear on that? And then how have you been able to really get your mindset around the intentionality of executing the purpose on that?

Well, I think in my personal life, I only surround myself with successful people. Now that doesn't mean money. That means if you're a stay at home mom, you're the best stay at home mom ever. You're not raising your kid with an iPad. But surrounding myself with successful people has been a game changer. don't have time to figure out someone else's

back story and why they're this way. If they are not, yes, does some people in my life, are they going through hard times? Yes, someone getting cancer, that's a hard time. But if you are one of these that is constantly something, you you're constantly complaining about your spouse or you're constantly, you know, you're in money trouble or you don't know what you want to be when you grow up and you're 45 years old. Those kind of things.

can really bring you down. And also for me, mean, finding my faith has been a really big one too. I think that keeps me in a really great mindset and it also keeps the right people around me. You know, the right people are cheering for me. The right people are praying for me and vice versa. But I do think what happens in your personal life does bleed into

you know, what you do in your own business, your career. There's no way. You can only have, I tell everyone at the salon, you gotta check it at the door. And I'm very black and white about that. Check it at the door. Because it's about their experience. Now, if personal life continues to be this negative, like whirlwind, that's gonna blur into your career, right? So, and there's no way that can't happen.

You know, you've got politics, you got religion, you got death and death or sickness. Those are all hard things and hard conversations, right? But it shouldn't define who you are. And having the right people in your life to say, hey, listen, we got you. Or hey, listen, you seem a little stressed. Or just, you know, I was very anxious, to be honest.

in the month of January. Hadn't had a break, hadn't had a breather. And my sweet husband said, go to the beach, just go. I went on for two and a half days. The most magical thing I could have done for myself, it's having those people in your life that don't want to bring you down, they wanna lift you up. And if you don't have those types of people in your life, then I think it's okay to be alone.

And it's okay to be lonely. And it's okay to sit at home by yourself if you're 25 years old. That's okay. Sit at home by yourself. Regroup and make sure you are surrounding yourself with successful people. I think that's the biggest part.

is so good you

are preaching today I you're right you're right and if somebody is out there listening thinking like but where do I find these people how do I how do I do this I have people a lot of times ask how how how do I how do I

I if something's important to you, you figure out the how on a lot of things. Instead of asking someone else, because you can't take somebody else's path all the time in order to get to wherever your destination is. And so you can help somebody, but you can't help them.

Well, and I think too to add to that,

everybody needs a few mentors in their life. People they look up to. They need to be put in rooms where they feel uncomfortable, right? So if you only feel comfortable being around certain kinds of people, that's not healthy. You need to be put in situations and feel uncomfortable.

So if that means that you are in a room with very successful people, people that live a very good life, and you feel a little uncomfortable, that's a good thing. And you also need to look in the mirror and say, okay, I need to spend more time with these people because I want to be better and I want to have more intelligent conversations. It's okay.

You know, I had a stylist that she still works on the team. And early on I had put a very, I call them heavy hitter clients. All the clients are heavy hitters in my book. But this is, yeah, she's a very high profile client. And my stylist was like, I'm very nervous to do this. I think you should put her with someone else. And I said, no, you can do this. You are.

High profile, maybe.

Talented and she goes what are we gonna talk about? I said just listen Sometimes you just if you don't know what to talk, do you know how many people at times? I've been in a room and I'm thinking how did I even get in here? Did they not check my ID before I showed up?

Yes, I know.

You guys really know who I am because, you guys, I probably wouldn't be here.

Yeah, but you know what?

You know, fake it till you make it. And if you don't, if you don't, it's okay to not have anything to say, but you can learn a lot by just being quiet and listening.

Yeah.

Yeah, being curious.

Yeah,

like tell me about you, you know, like I have lots of people in my life that have built, they started out as maybe a client and we have built really strong relationships and I, they are, I love picking their brains about business and where should I invest and all those things. I used to work with a makeup artist named Darcy and she worked on Shark Tank.

and she would tell me, I feel like I got a master's in money management, you know, basically, because she would sit back, it wasn't just her doing a job, she was listening. And me blending in with the wall, and I say this a lot, people who wanna do freelance, well, why do you wanna do freelance? Well, I wanna work with celebrities, why? Why? And...

A lot of times they can't answer it, but sometimes they more than, you can, I mean, I'm sure you've heard this too. Well, I wanna be around celebrities. I wanna say I did this and I did that. Well, that's gonna hurt you in the long run because you're not looking at it as a job. You're looking at it as probably, I'm gonna post this on my Instagram. We're gonna get in a story, you know, all the things.

The smartest thing you can do as a freelancer until you build those relationships strong is to blend in with the wall. They don't wanna see you. They want you speak when you need to speak. Blend in with the wall. And then when you blend in with the wall, you can hear a lot and you can also learn a lot and you learn what they need. And once you learn what someone needs,

So smart.

then you probably will be with them to the end of time. Okay, I can tell when they walk in and their expression is like this, they're thinking, they're being a creative, they don't wanna talk. Do your job and do it really fast and get out, you know? In this new world of everybody wants to post everything, everybody wants, you know, they're every second, how funny.

I wanna encourage people take breaks from that kind of stuff. Take breaks from social media, take breaks from posting your every moment. Let people be curious. Wonder what she's been doing. I actually, I've been taking such a break. I actually had people reach out like, hey, are you doing okay? I don't see you on the ground. But some things never change. There are things that will never change and

I don't see you on Instagram! I feel like I'm living my life.

People enjoy their privacy. So when you work in that, especially in that celebrity world, but I also talk about this behind the chair. People want to feel seen and heard. They're gonna ask you a few questions about yourself, but then you need to turn it back around and ask them questions because the whole part of being a successful stylist behind the chair is learning what your client's needs are.

Yes.

And when you learn their needs and who they are, and it's never the Amanda show or the Sarah show, it's that client show. And too many people, they don't realize if you go into this industry, you have to have a servant's heart. And if you don't have a servant's heart, you're in the wrong industry. And that's okay, you know?

Yes.

Yes, absolutely and I Love what you said at the beginning you can you don't have to be the most talented the most skilled person in the room but you do need to be the person who is curious the person who is Interested in the other person the person who knows how to read the room and the person who knows how to

learn what their clients need and the person who isn't always thinking about themselves. It's the person that is working hard. Just like Reba said, you know, be the hardest worker, but work on those relationships because relationships and connection I've always found are the thing that will drive your business the most more so than whether you're the best Bolleyager.

100%.

hairstylist, wedding stylist, whether you're the best hair cutter, whether you do the trendiest extensions. If you know how to connect and truly be authentic with your clients, they don't come back to you every time because they don't know the difference between good and exceptional work.

And two, in a salon company or any business, if you are uplifting your team, such as build a team so strong no one knows who the boss is, they're gonna carry that energy in the salon. So clients can feel that. Clients can feel the closeness, they can feel the fun, they can feel the like...

the confidence and the professionalism. I think that more businesses, you would, like, don't, are is people in your company gonna leave? Yes. And are you gonna have some of your, you know, very profitable stylists leave? Yeah, it's gonna happen. But that doesn't mean that you cannot continue to build them up and you can't put people on their books and

And you have to be supportive. mean, I have two people that used to work for me and their names are Randy and Ian. And Randy, they're married. Love them very much. We're still very close. Ian went on to open up a barber shop. And then Randy is in the process of opening up a salon in Hendersonville.

You know, yes, that could possibly happen. But because of that, I mean, I just went and was helping Randy out on some things. I was on the phone with Ian last week talking about a stylist that had started with us that I think would be better in the barbering world. And my husband still goes to him to get his hair cut, you know? So things don't have to be nasty. And if you create that...

create that model within your business, and you're true to that, you're actually true to it, it doesn't have to be nasty. But now are there gonna be people that want it to be nasty because they're so, I call it, you know, they're just immature. I guess would might be the right word, but they could still be a little immature and they just don't understand how to handle confrontation. Although I don't look at that as confrontation, I look at that as having an intelligent conversation.

Yeah, you're still going to have that no matter what, but not much. If you create that energy and create that as the mindset in your business, then you're going to have more honesty that comes with that. And I think as a business owner too, you have to understand that you've got to be involved. And if you're not involved, again, you've built up these other people to be involved.

You know, I have a stylist that she's magical and I can just tell she's burnt out and she has forgotten what it's like to enjoy a luxury experience, but yet she's giving luxury experiences. I just told her, said, I got you a room for two nights at the Omni Hotel, go. So I think those are things to understand that as a leader,

It's without them, you're nothing. And when you have one, somebody on the team that's struggling, then you've got to be able to step in and help them. Now, if it continues, and those are bigger conversations, clearly, you know, but.

Yeah, it's

about whether something's a pattern and it's always going on or if it's a one-off thing that happens and you definitely know the difference.

Yeah.

Yeah, but

I think that's why I'm, you know, at this point, right now, it feels really good as a business owner. mean, are there hard days? Is it a real bummer when color continues to go up in cost and retail continues to go up in cost? Yeah, it is. But I signed up for it and I'm here for it and I'm very passionate about

taking this company, continuing to take this company to the next level. And with that, you've got to be able to pivot and you got to be able to grow. One of the big things now, this younger generation I'm seeing, they want to get married young. know, they want to, this group I'm, you know, around, they want to get married young. They want to have more time. And I have accepted that. And now I'm coaching

some of my others on the team who were like, what do you mean they're only working, like they only wanna work three days. What do you mean? I'm like, this is who they are. And I use this all the time. It works until it doesn't work anymore.

That's so true. Everything is that way. Everything is that way. Something works until it doesn't work anymore.

It works until it doesn't work. Do what? Yeah, it works until it doesn't work. And if

in their three days, they have a great attitude, they are hitting their retail, they're hitting, you know, they're just a really great part of the team, then who cares? That's their journey if they're 26 and they only wanna work. Now, am I gonna coach them and tell them that they're gonna regret it? Yes.

You know, because your 20s are for, especially in our industry, hit it and hit it hard. You know, and, but at the same time, I'm done with trying to make people see what I see. I'm just there to help them grow. And if they want to listen, you know, and I have a lot of, you know, experience, they want to listen and...

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Definitely.

they wanna take my mentorship and run with it, then great. But if they don't, that's okay too.

Yeah, well you're you are an amazing mentor. I'll tell you anyone would be so lucky to be mentored by you to work for you to work with you I've been amazingly lucky to just get to know you and to call you and I you know, I I am always so inspired by you every time we talk

Well, I adore you, so.

to end on this note this has been I could go on forever but I want to end on this note how are you balancing all of this stuff and I know maybe balance is impossible but you've got Cal I know we talked about like a couple weeks ago I mean we were we were scheduled to do this I was like it's too nice out I know you're going to a ballgame like goodbye but I

You were so sweet to do that.

You know and it's like but you've got not only the business not only the this team that you're mentoring but you're a wife and you're a mom and I know you're as Magical a wife and as magical a mom as you are a mentor and a business owner. So How you doing all that?

I'm still working on that, to be honest with you. don't, whoever says that there's always a great balance, that there, I don't know what they're doing, but I know for me in my life, again, it goes back to having that, surround yourself with successful people. I have a really great husband. I really do. The best. Everybody that's slown loves him.

Everybody's supportive. I mean, there's so many times I'll be finished. what I have done for myself is instead of just blocking myself, I write what it's for. That way everybody knows what it's for. I wrote Calvin on Valentine's Day. So everyone will say to me, what are you doing here? Get out of here. Like, go. What can I do for you? What do you need help with? And...

Yeah.

When hearing those kinds of things from my team, it almost gets me emotional because it's everything I always dreamt of it being. And I knew we could get there, but the hard work and the sacrifices really paid off on that part. But if it wasn't for my amazing husband who has supported my dreams since the day I met him, well, I met him.

And then we dated two and a half years later, but since the day we started dating. Right. Yeah, you are. But I don't know how those would go down, but you know, Calvin also is at a great age. He's seven and it's a really fun age. And this is a much easier time.

some of that journey too.

Yeah.

This is everything I've been working so hard for because I have often said out loud, by the time he's eight and nine, I want to make sure that I am more available than not. You know, I want to, I still work three days behind the chair because I love it. And I love training the next generation of Lee Edwards and Company. Love that. I mean, our education program has skyrocketed.

so much over the past couple years. But I know in about another year I'm dropping down to two, two days, because I want more flexibility with my child and my husband. I've also gotten a lot better at just blocking days. I'm still around if you need me on the business part, but you know how it is. You have more flexibility when you're behind the chair and you've got clients like what we have.

something happens you can't cancel your day. I mean has that happened? I I got super sick and I had to call out first time I've called out to work in seven years.

Because I hate moving clients around. And honestly, that's one of my pet peeves throughout the company. Do not move clients around.

it.

Yes.

No, no, they've set time and they're, I mean, they've planned. They've planned.

their day to be there. And

it's like if someone cancels on me, everything changes on my calendar. I'm like, what happened? So I want us to always be respectful of the client. But you know, I'm still learning the balance. And as I coach to the, you know, young stylist who say, yeah, I need a balance. There's no balance. mean, you gotta set time out.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

I'm like, what?

so that you can have a normal life, you know? And I know people that hear this will probably disagree. Yes, there is a balance. Well, I would love.

Yes. Yes.

We're starting

to realize that it isn't really that realistic anymore I think I think a lot of times things I think things are always kind of imbalanced maybe an overall picture, you know, it might be a season of Health it might be a season of work. It might be a season of family and and it's it's imbalanced at that time so long as at some point we get Everything kind of covered, but I don't know if you can day to day have about

what

you just said, it might be a season of health. It might be a season, you know, right now I'm in that season of, I really want to get like super healthy, super in shape. Not because I want to look good in a swimsuit, but because I want to be healthy in down the road so that I can roll around with my grandchildren. You know, I'm, I'm thinking ahead. I, right now I'm in a season where

I came home from the beach and I looked at my husband and said, okay, what's our seven year plan? Yes, are we always planning? We have been planning for our future for a long time, but how can we do A, B, and C? And how can we do that quickly? So I...

Efficiency is always, I'm like, now

I'm just like so, I'm so like wired into efficiency. Look, I'm getting older. I mean, I'm seeing the years tick by. We got a lot of time now. We got it, you know, let's go, let's go.

Mm-hmm.

Well,

I said that at the beginning of the year in our big salon meeting, I always have a word that we're using. And this year it's urgency. So the word urgency for me is the urgency to pre-book, the urgency to look professional, the urgency to hustle upfront when your client is waiting.

Thanks.

Urgency

is our word at the salon this year. And like you just said, a season. I felt that's what we needed this year, a sense of urgency. Because Nashville's changing. It's a lot of growth. And I think any business needs to understand this. You might have been the on top. And I hope and pray you stay on top.

But if you aren't pivoting and you aren't shifting with the change, you're gonna get left behind because right now there are lots of beautiful salons out there and lots of great employers out there. And I feel like sometimes a business can take, know, once being like the top dog, I guess is the right word, I don't know, but the top salon and they can take that for granted and they don't pivot.

And they don't change and they don't understand what this new generation needs.

And

you can get on that train a little bit too late too and then you've got a lot of ground You know, you've got to make up a lot of ground if you don't stay on top of it and I think that It's easy as individuals to especially when you're in a city that's quickly growing like this whether you're a professional You're working outside of the home or you

Yes you can.

Mm-hmm.

Someone who is raising a family or you're working from home Whatever it is, whatever it is you have for your mission your purpose whatever you're doing It can feel very overwhelming to keep up with staying at the top of your game no matter who you are or what you're trying to do and I think that's a really great note to kind of end on I want to get your opinion on

Can somebody fight this overwhelm and this it's kind it can feel a little bit crushing as to like How am I gonna continue to stay relevant how am I gonna continue to stay on top? How can I do all of these things? There's so much how can I continue to stay ahead of the curve so that I'm

reaching my goals and so that I continue to be relevant and so that I can continue to have the security of what it is that I've built up until this point.

This is gonna sound kind of cheesy, but I feel like learning from the youth. You know, take time to learn from that 20-something year old stylist that is working in the salon. And be open to hearing their suggestions.

and at the same time continue to mentor them without them realizing you are mentoring them. I think that's a very important factor in being able to continue to grow. Basically you've got to check your ego at the door.

Yeah.

Yeah.

listen, I had

speaking of that, her name is Bailey and she came to Calvin's baseball game and one of the moms there because I am an older mom. She goes, is this your daughter?

You're like, no?

But I was so taken back, I didn't know what to say. It's different than before. And even Bailey called it. And I go, oh, no. I said, mean, I'd be happy to have her as my daughter, but I thought I'm there now because in my mind, I'm still cool.

In my mind, I'm still 20 something year old, a 20 something year old that can decide I need to lose 10 pounds for an event and lose it in a week. I'm still that person. But no, I had to look in the mirror and I'm like, you're good enough.

Yes. Yeah, I know, I hear you.

You don't look

like what I expected again today, but okay.

but it's okay, let's do all the photos,

this, yeah. But going back to that on a serious note, I think you gotta swallow your pride and swallow that ego and understand that you need to hear what the 20 something and early 30 something is telling you in the salon. You need to hear them. You need to hear what their wants are. Now, sometimes it kind of comical.

I know.

Yes, because it is. But you can't let them know that you're laughing and thinking. But you've got to hear them. since I've taken that mindset, I think that that's helped grow the salon company a lot. And I no longer have that mindset that, you've got to earn the right. Well, yes, there are some things you've got to earn.

We can talk about it.

But if you are 26 years old and you are 100 % saying, cannot work on Saturday, then it works until it doesn't work, right? Or if you are an associate and you tell me, hey, I really wanna do spray tans. Is there any way we can do that? Let's do it. Why not? You know,

great.

Yeah?

Because they wanna feel, can't have, for me, I can't have the branding, build a team so strong no one knows who the boss is if I don't stand by it. know? Now, are there sometimes things that you're like, this is not gonna work right now, but let's revisit this in eight months.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Well, and it all has to do with the way you know how to position your communication, the way it is necessary as a leader to say no, but learning how to say no in a way that doesn't make the other person feel irrelevant or unheard. You have to have a back for that.

And rarely does

anyone ever hear the word no come from me, come from the manager, rarely. I ask for them to be respectful and certain things, but be respectful of this is how we do it. But it's rarely that you will hear the word no.

I'm a true believer we can find solutions. So yeah, know, okay, yes, I know that you just got this great opportunity to go to Hawaii and you weren't expecting for your boyfriend to take you to Hawaii and we have too many people off that day. It's not a no. Let's find a solution. Who can work in your place? You know, and I think with this younger generation,

Mm-hmm.

They don't understand the word no.

Well, and I like as a younger...

And it's okay to say no

sometimes, but they take it very negatively.

Yeah, well, I like this younger generation for their ability to Not eliminate no but instead to find creative solutions like you said because no they don't like no but I think they equate no with limitation and they don't want limit and and when you're putting limitations on someone that

That's it. That's a perfect way to put it. Yes.

Can feel stifling and I think when you're saying to someone maybe not right now. Let's look at it Let's find a solution that isn't actually no that's a possibility. So I think instead of having Impossibility and having limitations you open the door to having possibility and opportunity

I am a

true believer as a owner, a leader, know, mentor that mostly everything lives in the grays.

There's very few things that are black and white. And I'm very transparent of what black and white is. Check it out the door. Dress professional. Represent our industry in a professional way. Be respectful to our industry. If you are a huge partier, then make your page private because I don't want clients seeing that. You know what I mean?

not saying that that happens, but I am very black and white on just only a few things. Everything else is in the grays.

Yeah, political politics on social media behind the no.

And I think that it do what? yeah. I'm very black. We don't talk it. I don't want

you talking about it. Don't bring it up. And you know, and I think too, as, as stylist in the industry and you know, you're a leader in your salon company and in your business.

Election year is always exhausting, you know, because from August until the election day, we are doing this like balance situation, you know, and trying to keep everyone from talking about it. So I'm very black and white on that. And we have a script on that is, you know, we don't talk politics in the salon because we don't want to alienate anyone, you know.

Everyone's invited to our dinner table because we don't bring in personal issues like that.

to launch with

me a safe space why do people go if not for

Yeah, and

I've been seeing where like these new age businesses are like, you should have to say your beliefs so that you can know if you align with those people or not before you give them money. And I'm like, that is the grossest thing I've ever heard of. I just feel like that's not normal. I think everyone deserves to be loved. Tell everyone, everyone's invited to my dinner table as long as they're not mean to children and kick animals.

You are invited to my dinner table. Yeah, and the reason I feel that way is because... Do what?

Yeah, absolutely.

Why can't we get along as adults that way? We want children to get along. We want children to get along and be respectful. And yet you see, I agree. don't feel it has a place in...

Exactly. Yeah.

Yeah, so I guess going back to

the things I feel strongly about, there's only a handful of things that is very black and white. Everything else is pretty much in the grays and, you know, and I'm just looking forward to continuing to grow. I'm excited about, did a lot last year from moving my One Bellevue location over to a new place. it was a year that my Bellevue location shifted over to the One Bellevue.

Yeah.

area. It was a year in October that that happened and all in a year spanned and then I renovated my White Bridge location. So this year has just been let's enjoy this. Let's take this in.

Yeah, sometimes

you have to celebrate. Sometimes you have to stop and celebrate before you go on to what's the next thing.

Well, and I think it's also important, like, that doesn't need to be your thing that you're always doing that, because then you lose sight. This year has been, my true focus has been mentoring and growing that, you know, someone that's at a level two, let's get them to a four. How do we get them in a leadership role? You know, that's my goal this year. So you gotta take breaks from those kinds of, you gotta take a break from

I guess the constant growth to then make sure that you're all, everyone's zeroed in on the right mission.

But.

Well.

I have absolutely loved having this conversation seeing your growth from where you where I first Saw you met you and up until this point. I've loved listening to all of your wisdom. I have taken so many questions, but We're gonna have some amazing sound bites in this thing. I know I just I've enjoyed so much listening to you and you're such an inspiration It's it's been fascinating. I would love

I can't wait.

for you to come back on at some point.

Are you taking a picture?

I got you.

Hey, real quick, Sarah, can

is

to see what this looks like. Can I

Yes, come in!

Can you say hi? Good.

Hey Calvin!

How's it going?

It's so good to see you. Hey, you're on the podcast right now. Can you say hi to the listener?

You're on it. What? Yeah.

Can say hi? Hey, can you tell her how old you are? Seven.

Hahaha

is seven. I cannot believe you're seven. I know you don't want to hear this, but I remember when you were born. I know it seems like a lifetime ago, but I'm so glad to see you. I'm so glad that you made an appearance here on the podcast. Yeah,

no.

Say thank you. Thank you.

you're welcome.

All right. You can go.

great. Thank you so much for thinking of me to be on your podcast and I really appreciate you. I'm, I'm proud of you. You're just.

Yeah, so, I mean, we can edit that.

You are constantly evolving. I mean, you are a woman that everyone should look up to and I mean, you're a true mentor. And I just want you to

how proud I am of you and the fact that you even thought of me. I just appreciate that too.

my goodness girl, of course I thought of you because you are the same and I look up to you tremendously and I think that's why we have such a good time when we get together and we get to chat as rare as that is I always love spending time with you. I hope you'll come back on again.

Absolutely,

absolutely I will, I for sure will. Yeah, you know what would be fun is to have some of the team on it. Some of the ones that have been there like the longest and talk about their growth and starting with a company. as it, yeah, I've got a, that would be probably really, it'd be interesting I think for different stylists to hear like how evolving in a company.

Thank you. Thanks, somebody.

yeah!

like with your team? Yeah.

has been for them. You can do that with your own team.

Yeah, definitely.

I would love to. I would love to. I definitely want to have you back on and I think we should do one like that. I think that would be very interesting to those who are out there listening, who may be in the beauty industry, who would like to see kind of what that experience is like for

other people that have already been in it for a little while and sort of what their path looked like. It gives you a little inside glimpse into what to expect. Or if you are an everyday beauty enthusiast or a salon goer, you're gonna get an inside window, which I would, I mean, I think that's interesting probably. I would want to see into my hairstylists.

a little bit I think that would be kind of fun so I think that would be something interesting for people to see as well so let's do it we'll have to make date that. Alright thanks Amanda

Absolutely. Well, have the best day, okay? All right,