The Conscious Salon
Welcome to The Conscious Salon.
Here for the real talk salon owners actually need.
The Conscious Salon Podcast is where salon owners get clear guidance without the fluff. Hosted by Nic & Tess, we break down leadership, team culture, money, client journey, systems and numbers into simple moves you can use this week. Expect straight talk, real stories, lots of laughs and practical frameworks that help you lead well, grow profit, and have a life outside the salon.
You will hear from salon owners, industry leaders and working mums who have done the hard yards. We cover mindset that holds under pressure, meetings that improve your team culture, and the habits that build a self led team.
Follow the show and start with leadership posture, client journey design, and money mindset.
Listen in, implement, and stay conscious.
The Conscious Salon
Selling the Salon and Choosing Health with Maxi Dotorri
What if the business you built to prove your worth is the very thing draining it? In this honest conversation, hairstylist and coach Maxi Dotorri shares why she sold a thriving family-run salon and chose health, clarity, and self-respect instead.
In this episode, we talk about:
• The warning signs of burnout Maxi ignored for years
• How lockdown exposed migraines, panic, and an identity tied to being “the owner”
• The moment a team resignation became the catalyst for change
• Selling a salon fast and rebuilding life around energy, not optics
• Why resilience is not pushing harder but building systems that protect you
• The industry myth that 12-hour days equal success
• Simple health and leadership frameworks that actually work in busy seasons
• How better boundaries create stronger teams, calmer leaders, and healthier families
Maxi now runs two businesses on her own terms and is fully booked into 2026, helping women reclaim their health and leadership. This episode is a powerful reminder that you are allowed to move the goalposts, sell the thing you built, and redefine success in a way that supports your life.
Share this with a salon owner or creative who needs it. If it resonates, follow the show and leave a review so more leaders can find their way back to themselves.
To follow our journey:
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@the_conscious_salon
Welcome back to the Conscious Talon podcast. We have someone very special here today, Tess.
SPEAKER_03:Taylor was locked in the bathroom. Taylor was locked in the bathroom. But that's good. But that's not the special guest we're talking about.
SPEAKER_01:It's such a chaotic day. I can't even begin. But we're very excited because the chaos finishes now.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01:We have some hairdressing royalty in the room. And someone who I've watched online for a very, very, very long time. I've written you a little a little spiel. Put me up. Put me up.
unknown:Go home.
SPEAKER_04:She walked.
SPEAKER_01:It's okay, I can handle it.
SPEAKER_00:I'm a middle child.
SPEAKER_01:She walked into a salon at 14 years old. Wow. And felt sharper on the floor than she ever did in a classroom. By 18, her apprenticeship was finished, and her dream of owning a salon was clear. She spent years learning inside very two two very well-known salons before backing herself to go freelance and then going on to open her own space. Very quickly, she discovered that being a boss comes with its challenges. Boundaries got tested, pressure mounted, and the weight of carrying a team alone was heavy. So she hired her mum, Michelle, to run front of house and the business side of things so that she could stay in her creative lane, and then wrangled her sister Tay in. And what started as a simple dream became a full-blown family salon. Can relate. From the outside, it looked amazing. However, on the inside of it all, our guest today realized how much she had ignored her health, how tightly her worth was wrapped around being a salon owner, and how repeated team losses were eroding her confidence, her love of hair, and even her closest relationships. In May last year, she did the thing that most salon owners are too scared to do. She sold the salon and chose her own happiness first. Now she runs two businesses on her own terms. She is fully booked with hair until March 2026. And now she also supports women with their health and fitness online through the very things that she has walked through herself. I just got goosebumps. Burnout, self-neglect, binge eating, leaky boundaries, low confidence, and taking back full ownership of their health. It's such a privilege to welcome to the conscious salon, Maxi De Tori. Thank you.
SPEAKER_00:How does that feel? Thanks for having me. I'm like, that was like even hearing you say that. I'm like, holy shit. Have you lived nine lives? I always feel like I have lived like nine lives. I'm like, holy, you're you should write a book. You're a really good, really good writer. Um, but yeah, that was even just hearing that as like a zoomed out, almost third person. I'm like, shit, wait, that's me.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, thanks for having me. Fucking amazing. Like, truly what you've done. And like, I'm so glad that we're having a conversation today about because I feel like this comes up a lot, and especially in the last, I would say, six months, with people saying that they are burning out, exhausted, wanting to get rid of their businesses, like wanting to sell, all of these things that are popping up. So I'm so excited that we get to have like a different perspective today, and someone that's like experienced this and really like you've experienced a few of these things, which is really exciting. So welcome. I'm so excited to have you on here. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_01:Yay, Max. What comes up for you when when you hear that intro?
SPEAKER_00:Just like how much I have really had nine lives within the one night life, and I'm 31, which is crazy. Um, and just how proud I am that like I firstly saw the salon, something that I dreamt of from I reckon even before 14, because I obviously went into hairdressing at 14. I think that was like the legal age back then. But before that, even at school, I was like, I want to have a salon. And back then I was like gonna have a salon that turns into a nightclub at night.
SPEAKER_03:I would have, I would have worked.
SPEAKER_00:You know, and I was like, the chairs would go in and it would be like a disco floor. Like suddenly the details, but also it was like overlooking the beach, and there was like you know, like you had all these big dreams, and then suddenly you change. And I was lucky, I suppose, in like when I sold the salon, I had already moved past the morning stage, you know. Like everyone when I sold the salon and came out that okay, the salon was settling, I had already gone through the the stages of grief, I suppose. And I did that in private. I think three people knew, and that also helped. And it's crazy to even think back at like when I was going through the grief, I didn't let anything slip. I went to gym, I looked after myself. Wow, I didn't play victim, and I think if I had opened a business as who I am now, it would be so different. Wow, you know, and so I guess playing devil's advocate, as much as I am so glad that I saw the sell on and I do not have any regrets, if I was to do it tomorrow, it would be a different call game because I am more emotionally aware, right? Regulated. I didn't even know what regulation meant. Uh I look after myself. Like I worked 62 hours last week. Wow. And I'm like, I'm good, you know? Um, so what came up for me was just like the amount of growth that I've had in I guess in a short time, but not really. Yeah, I've seen it, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I've I've seen it online, and I've been, I guess what you'd call a silent follower of yours for a really long time. And I remember, I can remember you going live on Instagram when the lockdown got lifted. And you were obviously so excited, it was like such an emotional thing. And I remember you like screaming, getting teary, saying to the clients, like, the salon phone's ringing so much. Stop calling, stop calling. Like it was so exciting. Yeah. And watching your evolution from where you were as a salon owner, and even just where you were as a human, like you can physically see it. And I'm not talking about fitness and I'm not talking about how you look differently.
SPEAKER_04:Right.
SPEAKER_01:You can physically see the energetic shift that you've had definitely in the last few years, which has been incredible. Before we get into the sale of the business, I would love to take us back to how you actually started the business because obviously you're a really young business owner.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. I've always had a family that has been around business, and my dad has always had his own businesses. My mum, you know, very business orientated. And so I guess that was always in my future when you sit with people that are around business, like that's going to be what you're going to be most of the time. Um and I don't know, I think I just got really I loved working in salons. And to be honest, if things didn't change in the salons that I was at, I I probably wouldn't have moved because it was just like I love that dynamic. But for a lot of time, it was stock levels low, pay late, answering to someone, you know, it wasn't even like it wasn't even, you know, don't do that. It was more like you're working too much. Settle down, stop working so much. I was like, I'm working so hard. Like most people would be so happy with that. So for me, what got me into opening a business at 23 in 2017 was I was just done with I guess answering to someone. And at that time now, even again, like zoomed out, he was probably looking after my uh burnout. You know, what looked like him being unappreciative was actually him being like, I've I've walked you walk before you're working too much. So I guess I was just sick and tired of answering to people, why are you going through so much silk lift? Which was lightener, by the way.
SPEAKER_03:Um, and so I was like, Well, how do I not know? Yeah, um the high liquid. Yeah, we had the all the time. Yeah, we used to have high lift. Do you remember high lift?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, yeah. So silk lift was this lightener and it was really expensive, and all my clients were like hair down to here, so I would go through, you know, a whole tub per client, and someone might only have a tint and foil kind of clientele. Um, and so I was just a little bit sick and tired of answering to that kind of stuff. And then salon dynamics changed. There was a couple of like mean girls, and I just I've always felt like that person was a little bit left out and I I'm so driven, which is very intimidating to a lot of people. I'm very, very driven. And still to this day, as a 31-year-old, one as a 31-year-old, I do struggle with sometimes having that drive and then that you know, people being like whatever. Um, so I think that's what I just wanted to open my own space and have everything for me. Create it for yourself.
SPEAKER_01:Did you start with that huge space that you ended up leaving from?
SPEAKER_00:I started off with I think six chairs, and then I moved to 12. And I think, God, it's like I can't even remember. And I had a beauty room and a spray tan room, and then I ended up getting rid of one of the beauty rooms and then making the salon bigger. Wow. Um, but I did start with two apprentices. I was booked and busy, and I'd back then I used to do eight to ten to twelve clients per day. Wow. Doing wheels, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:We're just too old to do that.
SPEAKER_03:That's a thing. Too old to die. I'm too undone. I'm way too old for that.
SPEAKER_01:Like, whoa, whoa, whoa. So, Max, there's so much to cover here because of you've had such a huge evolution, like in the middle of the year.
SPEAKER_03:I don't mean it's like an eight-part like episode for each segment of your life.
SPEAKER_01:But I really want to talk about obviously after lockdowns, you were pretty vocal online about how debilitating and exhausting and taxing that had been for you. And you made the decision just over 12 months ago, 18 months ago, to sell the salon. Can you talk us through what actually led to that decision? Was there a pivotal moment where you were like, oh my god, I think I need to make this decision?
SPEAKER_00:Um well, I guess like COVID taught me a lot, and I think it taught everyone a lot. I didn't realize how much I was really neglecting my body until you're stuck in a house on a couch with nothing else to do and nothing else to think about, and you're like, without hairdressing, I actually have nothing. That's pretty concerning. And then I also realized that my migraines and my debilitating shoulder pain started to go away. And I was like, oh, maybe it's not me, maybe it is my job. Um, and so I started making a change. Obviously, I I was well, not obviously, I was gaining a lot of weight, and I was blaming my job, and I was trying to find a reason, a diagnosis. It's easier to blame a diagnosis than it is to look in the mirror. Um, and that's something that I still say to this day. Um, and so I guess my health was just declining so much, and COVID really made me look at that, and then it also made me look at like, okay, you actually don't enjoy anything else in life, you have nothing, which is the case for a lot of people. You either have your entire job or you're potentially a mum, and that's your entire life too. So this could be anyone and however you want to place it, but for me, COVID just really highlighted how I really had nothing and my body was really breaking down and how miserable I actually was. COVID is when I started therapy again, which is bloody great, and I think just even that in itself, my therapist really just highlighted so many things that I guess everyone was too afraid to say. It's like well, maybe it's your work and maybe it's this, and it was a lot of stuff, and I my therapist, I feel like was very different to a lot of people because I feel like sometimes therapy is good, but sometimes it's bad because it's kind of like the same kind of talk therapy. Um, so I guess that um going back, I even before that, uh it's funny because you you said that you're a silent watcher, and I was always very loud on social media, but I feel like I actually stopped being allowed on social media because behind the scenes people were so mean to me. Wow, so mean. And to this day, actually not even now, maybe like three years ago, when I was starting to get into like I'm gonna be an online coach too. Heaps of my clients would say, Yeah, you can tell that you don't like hairdressing, you can tell that you are definitely more into fitness. And then I've been like, Well, actually, no, I just stopped speaking because everyone was taking from me. Yeah, and you guys were so unappreciative. Where on my other account, it's like my private account. I I think of it like my own little photo album. I'm I'm inspiring people, but that's not my goal. My goal is just to speak whatever the hell was on my mind, and I actually don't really care what that looks like or what it if it offends someone else, it's like I've grown aware of that. But on the other account, people were taking how what products do I use? Would I do this? Quoting, quoting, quoting, no thank yous, no highs, no nothing. People on that account became really toxic. So I started to not shop on hair by maxi because I was over it. Um, and my sister always said, Imagine how Karachian feels, like you want this, imagine how that feels. So I feel like that actually the hate online that no one saw is the thing that kind of byproduct all of this. But the pivotal moment in what made me sell and like choose to sell, like one of my girls resigned, and she was my ride or die, and love her so much. And I think I needed that. Like I always said, 'Mike you helped me' because I wanted to sell probably for three years before I did it. Um and when she resigned, which she she just resigned because she lived, you know, far away. It was no no drama. Um, and she felt so bad that I was, and at the time I was like, Oh my god. Yeah, this is the sign I needed.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. And isn't it interesting? I feel like that happens so much where people will be like, I had to wait until this point. And it's like there's nothing else left. This is where it almost gives you permission to be like, now you can do the thing that you really want to do. Yeah. And you can run this and like take your life. I feel like COVID gave a lot of people that opportunity to like really take stock of what's important, how you want to show up, how you want to live, how you want to move, how you want to literally like have your day-to-day. Yeah. And what it sounds like is you realize that one side was not fulfilling you, the other side really was. And then you got like almost the permission. Yeah, 100% that team member reports.
SPEAKER_00:I was really holding on for we when we sold the salon, we had such a great team, and getting a good team is so hard. And the salons had waves of really good team, and through COVID, we lost so many of our staff, and just even that in itself, when you come back from COVID and you're out of lockdown, and then one week prior, you've got three of the regulations, and you're like, Why couldn't you have said this to me before the book like everything opened back up? Um, but then you know, someone resigned, and I was like, you know what, I've been holding on for you guys because we had a good team again. But yeah, and I and I remember even looking at M, like Em was so sad. It was M, by the way, and Em knows this. Um and she was like, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. And I was like, no, like you've saved me. Yeah. Like you have saved me. I love you, and I'm not mad. And I still remember when I got the phone call, I was outside, and my partner came outside. He's like, Are you okay? Like, why on the phone? I don't like phone calls, by the way. Um so me being on the phone, he's like, something's happened. Yeah, and he's like, Are you okay? I'm like, I'm just resigned. And he's like, Oh shit, are you okay? And I'm like, I'm okay. He's like, I knew the minute that your reaction, because you know, I've been with Matt for nine or ten years, and he has seen every single one. And he said, like, the minute that my reaction was like, Yeah, good, I'm gonna be alright, like I am sad, I cried, you know, but uh in the past I remember where there was one resignation that I just crippled on my bed and was just like howling, you know. So the fact of that, I was like, yeah, cool. And then that afternoon I held a meeting with my mum and my sister, and I was driving to that meeting going, I'm so fucking scared. Like, I've got the whole thing.
SPEAKER_03:It's funny because people had you decided were you already like I'm going into this meeting to say Yeah, it's funny because people are always like people that film their reactions when they're crying, like you're such losers.
SPEAKER_00:But it's like, unless you take vlogs, you don't get it. Yeah, like you don't plan. Totally. You just have the camera set up and you don't know, like you're talking yourself through situations, and like I was talking myself through situations, and something that I learned in therapy is talk it out. So all the time I'm talking it out to myself. I'm like, you know what? I'm just gonna put the camera there, and whatever happens, whatever happens. And the whole way there, I'm like, you can sell I can see me like I'm self-regulating, I'm talking myself through it. I'm going to tell the girls that I'm gonna sell the salon and I'm gonna do this in eight weeks, and I'm driving there and I get in there and I'm all nervous because I'm not really sure what's gonna go on.
SPEAKER_01:And then so your mom and Ty were employed by you.
SPEAKER_00:Well they're it's kind of we didn't it's kind of one of those things where it's we don't it kind of got we say less, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:It kind of say less just in case there's any. It kind of just got a bit messy.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it kind of just got a little bit, yeah, you don't know, like I started by myself, then the put the circles together. It just happened. It's family, you know? And so we're gonna be. Mum's never been paid, but um, she does a lot.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, much.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so it's kind of like family things. You just it kind of just happened. I can't really explain that, but unless you know, you know. Um, and yeah, I was sitting there, I was a bit nervous. Um, because I feel like in a three, there's always someone who's a black sheep, and I can put my hand up to I'm the black sheep, but I'm also like the golden sheep at the same time. Um, and I was sitting there, I was nervous, not sure how it's gonna go down. Because you know, in previous fights or whatever, I had been like I'm selling this album off totally. I'm walking out, like I'm out of here.
SPEAKER_01:All family things. Yes, again, it's like siblings. Yeah, it's really good. Like it's like, fuck you, I'm out. Yeah, see you on Tuesday. Yeah, you're in an hour.
SPEAKER_00:Like unless you have siblings or a family, you won't really get it. And that's the thing, like there's no drama, everything's good, but that's just how it was in in business, in life as a sister with a brother, all the things. So I was sitting there and I was so nervous, and I was like, this is either gonna go one or two ways. I'm gonna walk away and give them the salon, have it, or they're all gonna agree. And honestly, all of us kind of had said at the same time.
SPEAKER_01:Wow. We all kind of sat down.
SPEAKER_00:So where were you? Were you like, did they have any idea? Were they like my um my mum and my sister? Well, they knew that Emma had resigned, they knew that how I was feeling, they were feeling the same. Taylor was pregnant, Taylor had a one-year-old, you know, it was already there was already so many cracks in the system. Um and, you know, we obviously all have partners, we obviously all have lives, we're obviously all talking about it. Um, and honestly, there was probably more pros than cons.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um, and the smart move was to do that as much as it hurts. Um, but yeah, we kind of all sat down, we actually all agreed. Like we kind of all said it at the same time, like we're kind of there, and then it just came out. We're gonna sell talent. And I was like, yeah, perfect. I How did you feel? That would have been such a massive moment. Great. Yeah. The fact that we all agreed. Um I was, I think, in from memory, I had an eight-week, I am out in eight weeks. Wow. I am not waiting, I'm not doing this Limbo land. You were like eight weeks. Otherwise, um it's gone. Like, I'm out. You can have it for however long it takes to unlimited. And they were like, Okay, yep, cool, awesome, all right, no worries. I was a little bit skeptical about like if it would sell in eight weeks and what would happen, but I was walking away either way in eight weeks. Wow, it sold in two. It sold in two weeks. How how how did you even sell it? We just put it on on the business selling thing. Mum did a lot of that kind of stuff. Yeah, um, and it sold in yeah, like two weeks. Someone inquired. We had a we had like two or three people come through and interested, and it was just I think we just got on the right time. Wow, yeah, and we also weren't fussed either. Like I said, I was happy to walk away. Zero. Yeah. I was like, you know what? Lessons. Yeah. Lots of lessons. Take it out of the win. Lessons, blessing, hit. Lessons. Thank you. Thank you. Like, you know, whatever. Um, so the fact that we sold it, I was like, okay, wow. Sick.
SPEAKER_01:So how did you tell the team, the rest of the team?
SPEAKER_00:Uh, yeah, that was really hard.
SPEAKER_03:Um, they they didn't have any idea. No, you can't with these and rap, rap, rap.
SPEAKER_00:We told them part of settlement was the new person could come in and I could mentor them with colours and stuff like that. So they could completely because I I was going freelance, and she knew that I was going freelance. My sister was gonna go into freelance. Um, so there's gonna be so much overflow. And then the girls were staying, they were happy to stay. Um, and again, they were fully booked out with clients, and we had massive clientele lists. So part of the settlement was that she could come in and she could be mentored by me and get all my colour. Um great, wow, yeah, and so she we kind of had to sell t tell them. Um and who's the plus one today? This is just this random random stranger off the experienced person. Um honestly, of course, emotions were high, but they understood, you know. Of course, and I they understood that of course, like we did it from my health, um my mental health, my passion, but also being a family, it was starting to tear our family apart, you know. And so I think those the girls saw that, I saw it. You know, the clients would have seen it as much as you can hide it and put on a mask. There was cracks in the family. And honestly, like I've always bought been brought up with a really close family. Like, kind of think of my mom like Chris, and you know how like the Kardashians are always like Chris, and like family stuff, like that was always us, yeah. But the last I reckon, well, three years or four years, there was just like I didn't really want to spend time with you guys, it was strictly business. You became Courtney, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, I'm kinda here. Like you can't do it with us. Um, yeah, so it was really putting cracks in our in our family, in our sisterhood. Um, and even with my sister, like my sister growing up was always my best friend, and there was a time where I was like, I actually hate you, like can't stand you right now, and you know, vice versa, um, which is so cool because I just had my mum's birthday and um I I planned like a dinner for her and stuff, which even itself I was excited to go to, um, which I haven't had that for since before the salon. And on the on the weekend, I was like, Taylor, like sit here. Like it just reminds me of what we've always been like. Like, I want her to sit next to me because I can't wait to talk to her. Um, so it's the best thing that we ever did just for that, you know. Like now I get to be a part of Banks and Sloan's life because if I had had the salon, I wouldn't have wanted to be around Taylor because it would be you're annoying me, we don't agree, it's work, but now it's like you're my sister again, and like that is just priceless.
SPEAKER_01:Wow, that's beautiful. Do you know? Do we need to sell our businesses? No. Um, it's really hard, those boundaries, like the boundaries. And that is something we're working on constantly with our relationship. Not that this is our therapy appointment, but we're working on it constantly in terms of being mates outside of our businesses because we've got three businesses together. It's like it can get so overlapping and it's so hard, especially when you're going to, you know, you've just had a blue at the salon and you know you're you're disagreeing about something, tension's really high, and then you're at you know, Nan's birthday and happy birthday, and you just think, fuck you.
SPEAKER_03:No one will understand unless like I get it completely. And it is one of those things, I think, because even when we would be like, All right, we're not talking about work, and we'd be like comes up weather's pretty good, isn't it? I know it's nothing. Because that's a thing. What are you talking about? Because you're passionate about that.
SPEAKER_00:That's a thing, same as us, like we would be the same, or so and so cancelled, or I don't know how to do this, and as much as you want to do that, but I just came from um breakfast with my sister, and it was so like we don't even talk about any of it. And it's funny, it's a full circle moment because I now coach my sister through her health, and she's looking amazing, and you know, she she hasn't. I wouldn't say she wasn't always like my biggest supporter, but when your your sister is was so passionate about hairdressing and then is kind of really passionate about getting healthy, sometimes it can be easy to be like, fuck you, fitness, like whatever. So it's really cool now that I have just continued to be like keep my chin high, keep my chin high, trust that it's gonna work out, and then I've been able to remodel them what it is. Like my sister's looking the best she ever has, she's the happiest she ever has, you know, like so many things. And my mom says all the time, like you guys are looking so good. Now my mom does her steps every day, she's eating healthy, she's having protein, she's drinking water, like it is the best thing ever. And I just know that I had to deal with the fitness, like yeah, there's more to life. I just knew that I had to deal with that because I knew in myself that yeah, it's actually I didn't do any of this to for the way that I looked, I did it to feel better because no one actually saw the panic attacks in the laundry like pretty much every morning. Wow, you know?
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, that's yeah, it's incredible, and I really want to delve into your fitness journey. I want to read you something that you posted on Instagram when you announced that you were selling the salon. And I don't know if you would have read this again. Probably you would have read it when you just sold, but you may not have read it for a little while. And I was diving through the archives when we were prepping for this podcast, and I can remember reading it. Like I can remember reading that you announced that your business was sold. So you wrote, as you can imagine, this has been one of the hardest things to decide to do. This salon was all I had dreamt of as a little girl, and coming to terms with the fact that plans change has been a little confronting, confusing, and weird to navigate. I honestly feel like a part of me is dying. But as humans, we evolve, and so do our desires, and sometimes that requires making really hard choices for our own happiness and vision. How do you feel hearing that?
SPEAKER_00:I literally remember writing it again. I was vlogging, I vlogged this whole process, like not and I haven't shared any of it. I vlogged it for myself, and I remember sitting on my I remember what I was wearing, and I remember going like this is literally a part of me dying, but what comes after death is reborn. Um, so it makes me happy because I'm like on the other side of that, everyone is always so like I'm so scared, I'm so scared, and I'm like, Well, I sold a salon and I did this and I'm fucking happy. Yeah, so this is what it can look like. This is what it can look like, yeah, you know, so that just makes me happy, and I still to this day 100% vouch for every word of that, and yeah, I think that's great, and I think that's what you need to remember. So many people when I sold the salon were like, I'm so sorry. And at the end of the day, you have to think of it like You're like condolences. I'm like sis, I sold a fucking business. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_03:Is that not the yeah, is that not the goal? I think for a lot of people would think, oh, it must be because it's not working or you're failing. And you're like, no, no, this is like me doing evolving.
SPEAKER_00:On my spikes or whatever, like people sell all the time. Is that not the like that's the goal for a lot of people? Small business typically isn't, but I sold and I sold it for a good amount of money. Um in two weeks.
SPEAKER_01:And I think our industry, it's like the identity of being a salon owner or the identity of being a hairstylist, and the the also the fact that our industry is so fucking performative. Oh my god. So it's like you know, you you don't walk into your favorite restaurant and go, like, where's Adam today? Like the Sioux chef out the back. You've got no idea what's going on behind the scenes. But because hairdressing is so performative, the social media side of things, people walk in and see a team member's gone, they're like, Where's so-on so like it's always so performative? So it nothing can happen quietly, and I think that that can be probably a really scary thing for salon owners. But the fact that you chose yourself and your happiness and you stepped forward, leaving behind that chapter is so fucking powerful because there would be so many people who are out there right now that this episode of this podcast will help.
SPEAKER_00:Well, even yeah, I 100% agree. Um, but even selling my salon and writing that post, I've had three or four people message me and they've done the exact same. They pretty much followed in my footsteps and they were like you not inspired because it was obviously on their mind, but they sh I showed them that it's actually not a bad thing, it's actually incredible. Um, so absolutely I that's what I hope from this episode is one, someone leaves this going, you can work really busy hours and you can still prioritize yourself because yes, you fucking can. And if you're around people that tell you that you can't get out of that echo chamber, get new people. Secondly, if you have decided what you wanted at 14 is no longer what you want, you're allowed to change your mind. 100%. And that is life in all areas. I don't want kids, and you know what? If I decide at 50 that I want to have a kid, that's okay. It's okay, things can change.
SPEAKER_03:The goalposts move. Yeah. And I think you know, it's just there's a statistic that was going around when we were opening the salon. It was suggests at the time of our generation. We're, you know, old. What are we? Elder millennial millennials. Yeah, we're older girls.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I think we're the same age. I'm a millennial. Yeah. Are you 30? 31. 30.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, 31. Okay, no, we're not the same age. I'm I'm the dinosaur here then. I'm 36. But even with that, that I think I'm the elder mill, I'm like the cutoff. Anyway, it doesn't matter where we are. Five different things. She's a boomer. Yeah. A hundred years ago when I was born. But we have five different career paths. So not like I'm gonna go from apprentice to qualified to manager. Do you know like it's 12 now? Would not surprise me. So our girls in the salon, I'm like, you guys have got 12 careers ahead of you.
SPEAKER_01:Which means you were gonna like not you, Taya, you've only got one. That's right.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Well, well, that's it. You stay where you are. But even with that, there's this assumption that even since I've um I have my son nearly when how when was he born? I finished up working this time last year on the floor with clients. Straight away, how long are you having off? When are you coming back? What's your plan? I know. It's like this thing of like, this will be the only thing that you do forever. It's so fucking weird, isn't it? But it is.
SPEAKER_00:It's like this expectation that you you've got the why would you want to get rid of it? You've got it, why don't you just keep it? Why that's and that's why I think I went through it privately. Totally. Because I, you know, we were settling, and then I finally was like, oh, just letting you guys know. I would be like next week, you know, extended family and stuff. I didn't want to tell anyone because I didn't want their advice because I wasn't asking for it. People love to give advice when it's not asked for. And the definite standout thing was, why would you do that? Your business is so good. Exactly. And I'm like because I'm not happy. Because I want to kill myself. Yeah. And that was the truth. Yeah. Like, that's not me just being asked. I'm gonna panic attacks every day. I actually was so suicidal, so depressed. And my clients now, they're like, I know that you were not okay because you are okay now. And every time I saw you, you were wearing such a mask because your energy was so dark. And I was like, I know. And in you're in front of mirrors, so you kind of have to put a mask on. 100%. Um, but yeah, my my dog Bobby, um, most mornings like would sit on me and being like, You're okay. I'll be like, like, it was not good.
SPEAKER_03:It's so good that you have like followed that because so many people ignore it and keep pushing and pushing, and that's when you can get into really awful, dangerous, like life-altering, life-changing, life-ending situations.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, well, I think I've spiraled through that and just kept removing. I'm very resilient. Um, so I thought it was just gonna be how long can you take this for? And I think that until I did therapy and more mindset work and hired a coach and and all that kind of stuff, that was like, oh, you're the problem, but you're also the solution. Yeah, I love that saying.
SPEAKER_03:That's such a good one. Well, thank you for sharing that. That's so good. Thank you, Maxie.
SPEAKER_01:Max, our industry is known for burnout, and it's almost become like a badge of honor. It's become like a fucking badge.
SPEAKER_03:Badge of honor.
SPEAKER_00:Like, when I'm not sure. Especially in December. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I'm like mute, mute, mute, mute.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, not on this account anymore. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And the normality that we've shaped around being burnt out and being chained to our salons, being exhausted, you know, being a therapist, being all these different things for our clients has become completely normal. And obviously, you recognize those signs of burnout in in yourself, like physically and mentally, when you decided to come into fitness. And I really want to talk about this because as someone who's recently gone to fitness as well, I know, so proud of you. Um you didn't wear weapons, we were freaking happy to see it. Yeah. Um, but it's it has been, I I wasn't ready for it. You know, when someone like tells you to quit smoking, you're like, I'll dart away. Like I love dart. You have to be ready for you. Yeah. 100%. And I never really understood that piece, and I've never enjoyed fitness when it wasn't a form of punishment for myself. And this has been the key that has unlocked everything for me as a business owner, and it has become my highest priority and made me more focused, disciplined, consistent. Like the the opportunities, even that have come for me energetically from being in a different state have been phenomenal. But I really want to speak to the piece of uh burnout and what you see in our industry and what you see to be like normalized in our industry. Because there will be so many women listening to this who need your help from a fitness point of view. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Well, this is probably another reason why I am pretty disconnected by hair by maxi. Um because I just really disagree with everybody on that account and in the industry. I actually, you guys are probably gonna hate me for this, but I think a lot of people are losers because of what they preach and their social media accounts and the way that they hold themselves. I actually think that's loser mentality, and that is from a previous loser. Okay. A reform loser, I love it. I was a previous loser and it takes one to no one. And that exactly shout out to all the losers.
SPEAKER_01:Listen, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:It takes one to no one is like my favorite thing. I love that. When I see someone posting a 12-hour day, like a 12-hour day, so happy. I know what's behind that, unless you're me. Because I'm posting a 12-hour day, but it's like I'm at the gym and I'm this and I'm that, and you can actually see my energy is happy. I can see it in people's eyes. So I don't really follow many people or watch many people on Hair by Maxi. Um, because I don't agree with it, and I I also hope that they follow me in some way, and that's why I've kind of been sharing a bit more around Hair by Maxi and It's Maxi. I did have a little bit of fear, to be honest, posting and combining both, because like I said, yeah, Hair by Maxi was like mean girl bullies. I have to-something that's a really toxic space for this toxic space, but now I'm like Maxi, you are so regulated, and you know that if someone comes in you and comments, that is not a reflection of you. It's like everything they hate in you is missing in them. So just keep runmodelling, keep remodeling. So I have been, which you probably have seen, like I've been kind of sharing and mingling purely to help people like yourself that has been like, I need to actually do this to become a weapon. Um but yeah, I I definitely think Christmas time is when it starts to become a bit of a flex. How busy can we get? I saw something the other day on TikTok, she's a freelancer, and she was saying, Oh, why do we do this to ourselves? You know, like I it's Christmas and I hate Christmas. Anyone else hate Christmas because I'm working a 12-hour day and I've got 12 clients back to back? And I'm just thinking to myself, you did this though, like you're in control of your book. So for me, I'm like, okay, well, you're obviously wanting validation or you're putting money and wealth well above your own health. So what's the secondary gain that you're getting from that? And I think that's the biggest thing. If you can remember every single thing that you do in life, there's a secondary gain to. And for me, coming on this podcast, I when you asked me, I was like, okay, I want to do a podcast for sure. I think what I have to speak about is going to be life-changing. But what's a secondary gain for me? Well, I want more voices, I want more people to be able to not be burnt out. So that's why I did it, you know. There's a secondary gain, and sometimes that's bad for me. I used to love um using my mental health as um a way to get away with being pretty much.
SPEAKER_03:We talk about that with um own when we would I would always own my anxiety, being like, Oh, I'm an anxious person.
SPEAKER_00:Because people tiptoe around it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:So like it was like a get out of jail card before.
SPEAKER_00:So I definitely looking back, I I used my anxiety and depression to be pretty nasty, I would say, and and binge eat, and because no one's gonna say, You're being awful to me, like you pull your head in because they're like, oh my god, that could make her spiral into worse. So the secondary gain of everything is really important, but definitely this time of the year is disgusting in terms of hairdressers living off coffee and and um chocolate. And I can again, it takes one to know one that was me. And usually I would come home and leave, you know, feeling really sad and depressed and probably binge on the way home. I just worked a 12-hour day on Thursday um in both my businesses, so multi-business owner. I clocked on at eight o'clock and I got home at 8 30, which was a win because I thought I was gonna get home at nine. Um, and the whole day I hit all my macros. I had no chocolate. No, I think I actually had chocolate on the way home because that's actually included in my life. Yeah. Um, and all my food was eaten, and I was looking back at the vlog and being like, you had high protein, whole foods, you felt good. And I came to that door being like, I'm not even ready for bed. And I got up at 5 a.m. that morning to go to the gym and do all the things, and I and I almost have to force myself to go to sleep because I have so much energy. So I want you to know, like the people listening, and for you guys, that you can, you just have to prioritize it, and maybe initially you're probably gonna feel a bit tired. But trust that it's gonna happen, that's gonna be all right, and stop just living off coffee and and cocaine. Do you know? I'm gonna write that down actually.
SPEAKER_01:Um, do you know what, Max? I want to share with you what you've taught me because I love watching you on YouTube. I love that longer form content. Same, I'm a long form girl. I'm a long form content girl. And I love watching you and Matt prep your food. And something so so so simple. You might feel like this is so simple that you shared your breakfast recipe of your apple crumble, high protein apple crumble. Staple. Had it this morning on the way to the studio. Same. But you have taught me to prepare my food and to bring it with me when I'm like days like today. Previously, I was always the person who a week ago I'd be thinking about, oh, I'm going to Richmond. What am I gonna order?
SPEAKER_03:I'm gonna get what are we gonna Uber eat?
SPEAKER_01:What are we gonna Uber Eat to the studio? Oh my god, yes, we can do this, and then we'll do this, and then we'll do this, and then we'll have four coffees and blah blah blah. And what you have taught me today, I brought my breakfast, my apple crumble breakfast, I brought my My Marcel Chef lunch, I brought my protein powder in a Ziploc bag, and I haven't even thought about the food thing and that and that um you know the voice, the food voice. Yeah, and I truly you taught me to prepare food and bring it with me. Good. So I think that your impact on our industry in terms of burnout, fitness, how people are glorifying the we run on sugar and coffee at Christmas time, like we need to do things a different way. We do, yeah, yeah, and and and this is. Really important for salon owners to hear this. We have something in our business that we've done for the last few years where we do really beautiful platters for our team, healthy, high-protein platters every single day of Christmas week. We do protein bars, we do like even this year, we're doing the um high-ro sachets, like you know, hydrating, whatever it's called, electrolytes. That's so important. Those sort of things for the team so that they are fueled at their best. We don't do chocolates, we don't do you know, fish and chips for lunch, we don't do stuff that's gonna make them feel shit. And this really does come down to the decisions that we make as stylists.
SPEAKER_00:Definitely, and even for me, I used to do chocolates, croisants, blah blah blah. And then as I started to realize the effects that food has on our brain, on our energy, on our mental state, it started to be fruits and it's funny because me role modeling, I didn't ever say to the girls, chuck your food. Meal, I never said that. I've never said that to my partner, I've never said that to anyone around me. I've just role modeled it. Liv, which was one of my girls that worked for us, she was an apprentice at the time. She came into um our space a little bit overweight. She left, looking the best she'd ever have. M started going, like, was at the gym, prepping her food. My sister, again, she saw me doing it. She saw the repercussions, I suppose, of me doing it. She did it. And it was cool because like I was able to run all of that. And then the same thing, like snacks were more fruits and and stuff like that. And the effect that had on the team was massive. So I agree, because you can start to see in this time of the year teams getting that chocolate and like those quick and that's yeah, it is, it's everyone doing their those things.
SPEAKER_03:The ripple effect, though, like you will start like feeling better, realizing that it changes.
SPEAKER_00:I always say to my coaching clients, prepare for worst case scenario. And I had an instant like that yesterday. I planned for worst-case scenario. I went to a track day and bought my partner for Christmas, and I in my head was envisioning inside chairs, canteen. I that's what I envisioned in my head. And when I got there, no canteen, nothing, but I planned for worst case scenario, had my cut-up watermelon, which I wasn't gonna eat from the canteen anyway, but that's what I was envisioning in my head. Cut up watermelon, um, bought some snacks, some my lunch, cutlery, drinks, bought everything for worst-case scenario. And well, worst case scenario happened. And so, what would I have eaten? Yeah, been so hungry that whole day, drove home to Maca's on the way home, felt sick, probably got food, who knows. Um, so always plan for worst case scenario is the best thing. And you do that for business. You do that in business, right? You plan for worst case scenario, you're not gonna buy six powder lighteners, you're gonna buy 12. Because what if we get extra? Yeah, and so why do we not do that for ourselves? And that was the biggest thing that changed for me. I am such a business brain, I love business. I still to this day, I'm like, sometimes I'm like, I get the itch, and I'm like, shit, I no girl, you already got two and a half businesses or three or four. How many businesses do you have? Um, and you just have to, you whatever you put into business or motherhood or whatever that will be, can you do that to yourself? Because we are like for me, I'm I was so resilient. Having a panic attack at 7 a.m. on the floor by 8:30. No one knows. Yeah. Wipe my eye. Yeah. Fask, ready to go. Looking good. Yeah. Meeting a team. You know? So when I started to go, I just can't do this. I don't know how to do it. I I can't go to the gym. I'm not consistent enough. I started to look and was like, but where are you consistent? Oh, I'm pretty freaking consistent, booked out, I'm this, that, and I started to do that in my own life. And then it's not even a doubt now, you know, even today. I went to the gym at I went to the gym this morning at 5 30. I arrived. I woke up at 4 a.m. with a migraine. I've had a migraine all day. Would you know it?
SPEAKER_01:So sorry about the bridal.
SPEAKER_00:You're fine. You're fine. Would you know it? Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:No.
SPEAKER_00:And so at 5 25, my partner was in the bathroom. I was doing some mobility. I was doing my neck rehab. I was doing other things. I put makeup on. I put the outfit on because these things help you. And I went to the gym and I did my neck rehab again and I just sneezed into it. I treat the gym like I would this appointment. Because I'm not gonna bail on you. No. Imagine if I canceled today. Hey, sorry guys, gonna migraine. It's happened before. But I wouldn't do that.
SPEAKER_03:So why would I skip the gym? Totally. It's like that weaponry stuff of prioritizing it and keeping it is non-negotiable. No negotiable. I fucking love this. I feel like you need to be like hairdressers that are burning out. Anyway, actually, any feel like this, like fucking shit.
SPEAKER_00:Honestly, I think my my goal is to be able to go into salons and teach this in person. Yeah. Because it's needed. It's it's more than just a one-on-one have a phone call. Like it is rewiring of the brain. Like what I just said just then, why I wouldn't cancel on you. I already knew that I had to leave my house area at 11, uh, sorry, 10 20 to get here at this time and be 20 minutes early because I don't want to like stress out. Yeah. If I wouldn't do that to you guys, why do I keep doing that to myself? Yeah. And making it a non-negotiable. I had the worst session, but do you know what? I gave my 100% for what my 100% was. So great session.
SPEAKER_01:So Maxi's gonna do workshops in Salon.
SPEAKER_00:I really want to do that. Like, I don't know.
SPEAKER_01:And even for people to invest in having you in there for a workshop, the return on investment for getting their team to understand this. Like, imagine having a high-performing team that are able to prioritize protein. We had a couple of years ago, we had. And like, do people even know what protein is?
SPEAKER_00:Totally. Because my mum the other day, I made a cake. Well, I pretended I made a cake, I didn't make a cake. She's like, is there protein in this? I'm like, that's so random to say.
SPEAKER_01:Like, what isn't it funny? And we like we a few years ago, we had one of our team development days. We had a nutritionist and a trainer come in, do a session with the girls. I hated the session, but like it was so hard because I didn't train at the time. That's our training now.
SPEAKER_03:So, like, Kate, thank you. We love the session actually.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we love the session, that's great. But you the nutrition side, I sucked at it and I was the shit. And I was like, this is shit. Yeah, exactly. Okay, that's a shit session, Kate. That was amazing. And then she did a nutrition piece, and basically what she did was talk about you know, this is the like the hand plan. This is how much protein love it. And for these girls, they'd never heard anyone talk about this before. I think it would be so incredible for someone that's like that needs to go on sale before this episode goes out. I know. Maxie's available for these workshops, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:But do your Instagram, where can people find you?
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yeah. How are they gonna reach?
SPEAKER_00:Um I'm here by Maxi underscore. Or it's Maxi on Instagram, which is more my, I guess, my personal private account. And that's where they can hit you up for fitness both, whatever. Amazing. Um, and yeah, I think that's my goal is to I want to just help more people. The whole reason why I became a coach was never because I want to work from a laptop. Fucking hate that. Um, it was to make an impact because I wish that I had someone like me when I was dying. Yeah, you know? Um, because that's honestly what it was. I say dying because I was, I felt like brick by brick I was dying. My spark for life was completely going. So yeah, I think that's so important. And I in our salon, freelance salon, we have girls there. And again, like I've never told any of them, like, do this, do this. And I bring my own meals in. I use Papa Macros, maxi555 discount. Oh, stop it. All right, I've never heard of Papa Macross. Um, Papa Macros, it's just like Taya's nodding. She's saying, Papa Macro is so good. It's just if you look at the back of muscle meals, which don't, it's fine. No, I don't make it a shreds. But if you look at the back of it, it's just there's a couple of interesting ingredients, which is you know what, that's a win still. Um, but for me, Papa Macros is just whole foods, right? Yeah, no weird things.
SPEAKER_01:It's no like the weird um, my muscle chef is dead to me now.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, no weird things, but you know what? I use muscle meals until like I don't reckon May. Yeah. So again, pick your wins, pick your losses. But Papa Macros is really good. I love the food. Um, there's like Nando's Piola, which is my favorite. But I've never said to the girls at HQ, you should be eating protein. I've just again led by example. I eat Yopros, I have fruit and watermelon, and um sometime at that time I was having muscle meals and they would be like, Oh, where'd you get that from? And I didn't even really know that that existed. Um, and just by doing that, like they're better. One of the girls messaged me this morning and she was like, and she um she's great. Like she messaged me this morning and she was like, 20-minute run, 30-minute push-ups, clean house, healthy breakfast, client at 9 45. I'm just sending you this to keep me accountable. Thank you so much for being my motivation. Again, never said that to her. Yeah, you know, and I'm like, that is freaking cool.
SPEAKER_01:It's so that's the the effect. Wow, Maxi, thank you so much for sharing your incredible brain. It's so amazing the impact that you've had and the transformation that you've had. And I think you've shown what's possible when you rewrite things according to what actually fulfills you. And it's okay to leave things behind if they don't align with you and don't fulfill you anymore. And that importance of putting yourself and your happiness first above anything, even when it's fucking hard to do so. So congratulations. We are so unbelievably proud of you and thank you for being here. My pleasure. Thanks for having me, guys.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, what a gift. Thank you guys. What a what a great podcast! It's gonna be life changing. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you guys for listening to another episode of the Conscious Silent Podcast. Love you guys, stay conscious.
