Become a Coach 
Remember when you were kid-free? When a team member resigned or called in sick, you’d come flying in like Superwoman and save the day. Same if the printer stopped working or a client ran late – you’d stay back late and sort it out.
But now you’re a parent, life’s different. Running a business is different. Now, who’s going to watch the kids while you stay back?
Every day, you wonder how you’re going to manage being there for your children as well as for your salon team and your clients.
Don’t despair. You just need to take control and understand you’re the CEO in your life and in your business.
Follow these steps and soon you’ll be embracing the parenting/ salon owner combo like the best CEO in the business.
STEP 1: GET RID OF THE GUILT
You know that guilty feeling? When you walk out of the salon and your team’s still working. Or, when you feel you’ve let a client down. Then there’s mummy guilt to add into the mix.
You need to break down what you’re feeling, apply a solution and move on.
Guilt comes in three categories, each with its own solution:
True guilt – when you feel you’ve done something wrong. The only solution is to confess or make things better.
False guilt – when you’re convinced everything’s bad and it’s your fault, even though it’s not. The solution is to take out the emotion and look at things rationally.
Misplaced guilt – when something that’s normally insignificant causes you to feel guilty. This usually happens when you’re worn out and not seeing things clearly. Apply self-care and rethink the situation once your head’s clear.
STEP 2: FIND YOUR MAGIC NUMBER
At Zing we often refer to around 20-25 hours on clients as a good balance for a salon owner, but really there’s no one-sizefits-all magic number.
Everyone’s situation is different. You have to find the right magic number for you.
Look at the things in your life that are important (nonnegotiable time) versus not important (negotiable time).
Schedule in your non-negotiable time first, then see where you have room for other things.
STEP 3: BLOCK OUT FAMILY TIME
Time spent with your partner and/or your children, parents or close family members is special.
Block it out in your schedule so you know you’ll get there for the things that matter like taking your kids to afterschool activities, guiding them through homework, tucking them in at night.
STEP 4: ASK FOR HELP
It’s hard asking for help. But busy families need help and a great way to get support is by buddying up with another family that also needs help. You get to give, and you get to receive!
Draw up a roster to share the pick-ups, drop-offs and afterschool care. You’ll find your kids build stronger relationships through sharing, get to enjoy a fun routine and learn heaps from spending time with other trusted adults.
STEP 5: MULTI-TASK LIKE MAD
How long does it take you to get to work? I only live 6 minutes from my salon so there’s not a lot of opportunity to wedge in extra tasks. But, if you have lengthy travel times, maybe you can use the time to listen to an audio book or podcast, or wedge in a phone call (hands-free only, of course).
If you’re on public transport, you can go over salon figures, review your marketing plan or prioritise your day’s to-do list.
Multi-tasking lets you leverage time in many different ways. I like to iron while I listen to my kids do their readers.
Or catch up on a phone call or sort through some ideas in my head while I watch them play sport. Of course, nothing beats being truly present when you’re with your kids, but sometimes a little wriggle room goes a long way with multi-tasking.
STEP 6: DELEGATE, DELEGATE, DELEGATE
To get started, write a list of all the things you do and label each with one of the following:
A – something only you can do
B – something someone else can do
Now, beside the ones marked with a ‘B’, add the name of theperson you can trust to do the task.
And there you have it – a plan for delegating tasks to your team, so you can focus on the things ONLY you can do.
STEP 7: ACCEPT THAT FAILING IS OK
It’s time to stop beating yourself up and understand that everything you do is either success, or a learning experience, or both.
Worrying about failing will paralyse your efforts and prevent you from accomplishing anything.
Not succeeding in something just means you haven’t succeeded yet. It’ doesn’t mean you’ve failed, just that you’re still learning.
STEP 8: THINK CRITICALLY
Critical thinking is the art of analysing and evaluating with a view to improvement.
For a salon owner, thinking critically means looking at your diary and scheduling in the time you need to get tasks done.
Not leaving everything to chance, but planning, delegating where you can and being realistic about what you can manage.
STEP 9: LOOK AFTER YOURSELF
Make time for your own health. You can’t pour from an emptycup. Set a great example for your team and for your children by prioritising your health and wellbeing.
Make time for regular gym sessions, yoga classes and massage appointments. Allow the time you need to prepare nutritious meals, and to rest.
Parenting is a tough gig. So is owning a salon. And both can offer huge rewards and joyful moments when you get the
balance and timing right.
You just need to get out of your head and make a plan for change. No one’s coming to your rescue – you are the CEO of your life and business.
Take a deep breath, make some notes, take charge and live the life you want … for you, for your salon and for your children.
Estelle is a salon coach at The ZING Project. To get in contact with Estelle reach out at estelle@zingcoach.com.au or join our private Facebook group: ‘ZING inspired salon collective’.