Can we just be honest for a minute? Leadership isn’t always what it looks like from the outside. People see the title—salon owner, entrepreneur, leader—and assume it’s freedom and flexibility. But what they don’t always see is the weight. The invisible pressure. The lonely moments no one posts about on Instagram.
I know this because I’ve lived it. Before I ever opened Hustle & Heart Salon, before team huddles and KPIs, I was just a stylist renting a chair. I used to watch my boss vent and wonder if she even liked her job. It felt discouraging at the time. But now, years later, I understand what I couldn’t then: she wasn’t bitter—she was overwhelmed.
I see it now because I’ve carried it too. Leadership is beautiful and rewarding, but it can also be isolating. And if we don’t build support into the way we lead, we burn out fast. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the side of leadership that doesn’t get shared on highlight reels—the part that’s real, raw, and necessary to talk about.
Key Themes + Takeaways
Pull Quotes
“You can be the strong one and still need support.”
“There’s a difference between being transparent and being untethered.”
“When you lead from a full cup, not one that’s cracked and leaking, you lead better.”
“Support, community, truth tellers, safe spaces—that’s what helps us last in leadership.”
“She wasn’t bitter. She was carrying a weight I didn’t know yet. And one day, I would.”
Chapter Markers
00:00 – The truth about leadership no one talks about
02:00 – What I misunderstood as a young stylist
03:20 – The invisible weight leaders carry
05:20 – Why we can’t lead alone
07:00 – The line between authenticity and oversharing
09:40 – Building a culture of transparency
11:15 – Protecting myself so I can lead well
13:00 – Collaboration vs. carrying it all alone
14:30 – Finding safe spaces outside the salon
15:45 – The power of “me too” moments
16:45 – Stop pretending you don’t need support
17:40 – A question that changed how I lead
Your Turn (Reflective CTA)
Leadership will always carry weight, but it was never meant to be carried alone. So here’s a question I want you to sit with this week:
What would it look like to lead from a place of being supported—not just strong?
Journal it, voice-note it, or just let it simmer in your heart. Because the version of you who leads from overflow, not depletion—that’s the leader your people need. And that’s the leader you deserve to be.
💛 Let’s Stay Connected
I really do mean it when I say: my DMs are always open.
✨ Got a story to share? A moment that hit home? Slide in anytime.
Here’s where to find me and go deeper:
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/jessica_hustleandheartsalon/
Podcast blog → https://hustleandheartsalon.com/blog/
Salon home → https://hustleandheartsalon.com/
