The Contentment Crisis: Why The Next Level Won't Fix You

AI for Salon Owners & Stylists

Technology is changing the beauty industry fast and for a lot of stylists and salon owners, it feels overwhelming. In this episode, Abigail Lacey joins us to have an honest conversation about AI, leadership, and what it really means to adapt without losing the heart behind your brand. We talk about the fears so many people have around technology replacing authenticity, and why AI is actually becoming one of the most powerful tools for creating more freedom, efficiency, organization, and impact inside your business. From content creation and onboarding systems to leadership support, data analysis, SOPs, and education, Abigail shares real ways she is integrating tools like Claude and Otter AI into everyday salon operations to save time and reduce overwhelm while still keeping the human connection at the center. This conversation is not about replacing people. It’s about equipping leaders. It’s about working smarter. And it’s about helping the industry evolve without burning out the people inside of it. If you’ve ever said “I’m not a tech person,” this episode is for you. Because the future of the beauty industry won’t belong to the people who avoid change. It will belong to the people willing to learn, adapt, and lead well through it.

Your Perception Is Your Reality

The beauty industry will teach you how to do hair. It will not teach you how to think. So many stylists, salon owners, and beauty professionals are doing everything right on paper and still feeling stuck. The skill is there. The work ethic is there. But something underneath keeps holding them back, and most of the time, it’s not what they’re doing. It’s what they’re believing about themselves. In this episode, Ashlee talks about one of the most overlooked parts of building a career in this industry, which is mindset. The quiet thoughts behind the chair that shape your pricing, your leadership, your growth, and the way you show up every single day. Ashlee shares her own testimony of what mindset work has done in her life and business, and why it became a core pillar inside Heal The Industry rather than an afterthought. She talks about her role as the mindset mentor inside the program and what she has watched shift in the women who have been willing to do this work. At the end of the episode, Ashlee opens the doors to something brand new. A free community book club for anyone in the beauty industry who is ready to start doing the inner work. Together we will be reading Winning the War in Your Mind by Craig Groeschel, a book that has shaped Ashlee personally and one she believes is the right starting place for this industry. If you have ever felt like your thoughts have been running your career instead of you running them, this episode is your invitation to begin again. Because healing the beauty industry starts with healing the way we think CLICK HERE FREE Book Club Enter Code: Book at Check Out [https://heal-the-industry.circle.so/checkout/free-book-club]

The Contentment Crisis: Why The Next Level Won't Fix You

If you've ever hit a goal and immediately felt behind again, this episode is for you. Ashlee opens up about the contentment crisis quietly running our industry — and shares the P.E.A.C.E. framework she uses to stay grounded while building across multiple brands. This is a conversation about gratitude, ambition, faith, and the lie that the next level will finally be enough. In this episode: * Why contentment isn't complacency * The industry's comparison problem * The faith root underneath the business struggle * The P.E.A.C.E. framework: Pause, Evaluate, Acknowledge, Choose, Engage * The both/and of being content and hungry Reflection question of the week: Where in your life are you confusing discontent with drive? DM your answer to @heal.the.industry — Ashlee reads every one.

Mindful Rest & A Costa Rica Retreat

Most retreats for beauty pros are about technique. This one isn't.In this episode, I sit down with Misty Jane — 20+ year hair industry veteran, host of the Starting Messy podcast, and a community builder who's spent the last few years rethinking what success looks like behind the chair. Together, we unpack why so many high-achieving stylists are quietly stuck in survival mode, and why rest, mental clarity, and self-trust have become the most underrated tools in this industry.We also talk about the retreat Misty is launching: a week-long, semi-disconnected experience in Costa Rica designed for established beauty professionals who are ready to step away from the noise. No woo woo. No technical workshops. Just presence, intentional living, and space to reconnect with your own curiosity.We get into:– Why peace can feel like boredom when you're wired for chaos– The scarcity mindset quietly running the beauty industry– What it actually means to disconnect (and why you can't skip it)– Who this retreat is for — and who it isn'tIf you're tired of operating in survival mode and ready to trust yourself again, this one's for you.Connect with Misty on Instagram or tune into her podcast, Starting Messy.@_mistyjayne_@starting.messy.podcast

What Growth Actually Looks Like

Growth isn’t random—and it doesn’t happen overnight. In this episode, Abigail Lacey, owner of Elle Society, sits down with her salon manager, Ellie, to walk through her full journey—from assistant, to booth renter, to commission stylist, and into leadership. This conversation opens up what growth actually looks like inside of a team structure. Not just the highlight moments, but the decisions, alignment, and commitment it takes to evolve. If you’ve ever questioned what’s possible for you within a salon, this episode will expand your perspective on what freedom, stability, and opportunity can truly look like when you choose to grow within something bigger than yourself. Follow Ellie and her journey @ellie.ellesociety and Abigail @abigail.ellesociety To get connected with this community who is committed to rising connect with us @heal.the.industry