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You Don’t Have a Time Problem. You Have a Priority Problem.

• Lindsay Lowe & Jen Booth

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We reframe the “not enough time” story and show how leaders create momentum with fewer, sharper priorities. Weekly focus calms the noise, turns time into a tool, and helps teams move forward without burnout.

• shifting from time scarcity to priority clarity
• emotional loyalty as a root of overwhelm
• hard work without direction versus true progress
• the one-person show ceiling on growth
• weekly planning to set the rhythm
• fewer goals for stronger team momentum
• using a calendar to reduce decision fatigue
• handling resignations with calm, clear steps

Take a look at the salon success success calendar and see if supports the way you want to lead this year. It’s www.salon successcalendar.com


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SPEAKER_01:

Let's start with the sentence that we hear from salon owners all the time. Um, I just don't have enough time. Or I don't have enough time to train, there's not enough time to plan, there's not enough time to lead, there's not enough time to even breathe. And if that's ever come out of your mouth, I know it's definitely come out of mine. We want you to know you are not wrong, but you are misdiagnosing the problem because this isn't actually a time issue, it's a priority issue. And once you see the difference, everything changes.

SPEAKER_00:

Man, it's so true, Jane. Because most salon owners wake up already behind, if we're being totally honest. You know, before the day even starts, their mind is already racing. There's, you know, staffing questions, client issues, numbers they should be checking, conversations they're avoiding, fires they hope don't ignite. You know, just even this morning, we had somebody on our team who put in her resignation. And yes, we knew probably eventually she was going to be moving, but it caught us off guard. And, you know, a strong leader in that situation doesn't get caught up in that story and doesn't then let that turn into a gossip or rumor mill, or, you know, you just handle it and move on because things like that happen. Um, but you know, somebody who's not as well versed in that will create stories and let that, you know, be something in their life for one day or seven days or however many days they allow it to go on. You know, and when stuff like that happens, the day feels like it can begin in reaction mode if you're not aware, you know. And really, that's not happening because someone's disorganized. And it's not because somebody doesn't care, but it's because no one ever taught them how to decide what matters first. So everything feels urgent, and when everything is urgent, nothing is prioritized.

SPEAKER_01:

I love that you said that. What did you say? When everything is urgent, nothing is prioritized. Yeah, so good. Um, because truly, like, here's something that most people don't say out loud. You know, salon owners don't struggle because they're bad at time management, they struggle because they're emotionally loyal to everything. You can probably see yourself in that situation. I know I've seen been there before too. You know, they don't want to disappoint their team, uh, they don't want to drop the ball with guests, they don't want to feel like they're neglecting any area of business, they want to have it all together. So instead of choosing priorities, they try to carry everything. I mean, I just imagine like a ton of 10,000 pounds of bricks in a book bag on your back. Like if you've ever felt like that as a salon, I don't know, you know exactly what I'm talking about. And you know, when you try to carry everything, that's truly when the overwhelm creeps in.

SPEAKER_00:

So true, Jen. I think we can all relate to that 10,000 bricks in a backpack for sure, you know. But here's the shift that changes everything because time doesn't create success. You guys, time doesn't create success, priorities do and if you you could add five extra hours to your day, but you probably still feel behind, you know. And if you're especially if you're working on the wrong things, you know, meanwhile, some salon owners seem calm, they seem grounded, you know, they're ahead of the curve, if you will, not because they have more time, but because they have fewer priorities and they protect them fiercely.

SPEAKER_01:

So let's gently challenge the belief underneath the stress. This is a good one. If I just work harder, I'll catch up. If I just work more, I'll catch up. If I just do more of this, I'll catch up. But when you really think about it, like working harder inside chaos doesn't create progress, it actually creates fatigue. We think of progress, pro means forward, grass means step. So when you're making progress, you're actually moving forward. Like so, working hard harder inside chaos doesn't move you forward. It actually creates fatigue. You know, I remember being in the industry for um many years. I actually watched my grandmother probably work harder than me. I don't even know if that was possible, but maybe. As then I remember working like 60 hours behind the chair. She might have worked 63, okay? 60 plus hours, right? Um, working more. And, you know, like I'm like, oh my gosh, if I just do more clients, if I, oh yeah, no problem. Already got a 12 hour hour day. It's okay. Just yeah, put Susie Q in there. It's okay. What's another hour? Right. And so, like, we would work these 60 plus hours a week, five to six, seven days a week. And then I would look at ourselves and I would think, wow, well, I put in those extra hours. You would think, you know, we would see a lot of growth, but truly, we weren't growing. Because what I had to discover and learn is that it can never be a one-person show. And, you know, I think I love my grandmother. She taught me so many incredible things. She was a salon owner and a hairstylist. And I think that was the one thing that kept her stuck, is she could never get past like three, four, or five employees, is because she truly viewed what she was doing as a one-person show. She would do it all. Because when you think about that, like hard work without direction doesn't compound, like it just repeats itself. I saw my grandmother doing it, I repeated it. I thought that was the way to do it. And when you think about that, reputation without intention becomes burnout. And what actually moves the salon forward isn't effort, it's deciding what deserves effort right now.

SPEAKER_00:

Jen, I love that story. I mean, obviously, I can relate to thinking, hey, if you just work harder, that things will get easier and you know, it'll eventually grow. And, you know, I think it it actually reminds me, you know, we've been doing a lot of yearly growth sessions with uh team members right now, this time of year. And back in the day, I used to have them set, you know, like 10 goals. I don't even remember it felt like 52, you know. Um, but what what we learned was their eye was on the wrong prize. Like we know what can help them move the needle forward and what can help them get the lifestyle that they desire. And so, man, just doing that, like everyone leaves feeling refreshed. And, you know, you guys, this is truly where the shift happens. You know, it's when you stop being someone who reacts to the day, or or you stop teaching people to be someone who reacts to the day and start being someone who sets the rhythm. You know, you don't ask, what do I need to do today? You ask what matters most this week because weekly priorities do something powerful, they quiet the noise, they remove guilt, they create momentum without force. And suddenly leadership feels lighter, it's an amazing place to be at.

SPEAKER_01:

It just reminds me of that story you just told, Lindsay, about um someone that just left today. You got the message, right? Yep. Is like in that moment, like some people would be like, Um, oh my gosh, what do I need to do with this? Oh my gosh, we just had this one-hour conversation with her. I thought she was good to go. Oh my gosh, what are we gonna do now with you know, so-and-so that she's working with? Like, that would be so easy to get stuck in that instead of just saying, Hey, what matters most this week? What matters most is that um she's moved on, and what matters most is that we're gonna move on too. And so, like, it is so really incredible. I love what you said that you stop being someone who reacts to the day and start being someone who actually sets the rhythm. Um, and you know, I when I think about that, this is exactly why weekly planning matters so much. You know, not planning your entire year, not mapping out every minute, you know, just deciding like what deserves focus this week, what can actually wait, what doesn't matter right now. And that's the purpose of um the Saline Success Calendar. You know, it truly doesn't add more task, it actually removes decision fatigue. It tells you, hey, this is what matters now. So instead of spending energy wondering what to prioritize, you spend energy actually leading.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, you know, so if you've been saying, I just don't have enough time, take a breath. You're not broken, your salon isn't failing, you're not behind, you just haven't been given a clear framework for priorities yet. And once you have that, time stops feeling like the enemy and starts feeling like a tool. You know, next week we're going even deeper because priorities don't just affect you, they affect your team. And that's where everything compounds.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

So if weekly clarity sounds like what you've been craving, take a look at the salon success success calendar and see if supports um the way you want to lead this year. It's www.salon successcalendar.com. And just remember no matter what, stay with us, you guys, because clarity is coming.