Sophie Built Two $1M Salons – How to Let Go Without Losing Control.

If you’ve ever tried to let go in your business, you’ll know it’s one of the hardest things to do.

You start with the dream: building a team so you can finally step back, work less behind the chair, and have a business that runs without you.

But then… reality is messy.

You hire a manager or think about hiring one and suddenly, you’re stuck between “I don’t want to micromanage” and “I can’t trust them to do it right.”

Sound familiar?

If you’ve ever found yourself saying things like:

1. “No one does it like I do.”

2. “I’ve tried giving people responsibility, but it always falls back on me.”

3. “I want a manager, but I’m not sure what that even looks like…

 

You’re not alone.

 

This is exactly where Sophie started and now she runs two $1Million salons and coaches other owners inside Salon Mastery on how to build teams and leadership that actually work.

But it didn’t happen overnight.

From Garage Salon to Two $1M Businesses

 

When Sophie joined Salon Mastery, she had just moved out of her small garage salon, doing everything herself, just like most owners start out.

She was talented, busy, and ready to grow… but she was also the bottleneck.

Like many owners, Sophie’s first instinct was to hire help and spread the load.

So she did, but instead of delegating leadership, she delegated tasks.

“I gave everyone little jobs, but I didn’t give anyone full control. I didn’t trust that anyone could do it the way I would.”

The result?

Everyone had “bits” of responsibility: ordering stock, managing the calendar, running team huddles… but no one owned the outcome.

Everything still circled back to Sophie.

 

The Turning Point: Systems, Standards, and Trust

 

It wasn’t until Sophie realised that her systems were the key to freedom that things started to shift.

She began documenting everything, how to close the salon, how to rebook clients, how to run huddles, how to handle stock.

She built a structure and trained her team to follow it.

And that’s when the culture started to change.

 

“Everyone in the team knew how I liked things done. New people would say, ‘This is how Sophie does it.’ I didn’t need to be there for it to run right.”

 

Her systems created consistency, and consistency built confidence.

She no longer had to supervise every detail, because the way things are done here became part of the culture.

Evolving Leadership: From Many Hands to One Leader

 

With strong systems in place, Sophie started developing leaders within her team.

She gave ownership to specific people:

1. Front of House: Managed stock, rosters, and leave.

2. Team Lead: Handled marketing, new treatments, pricing, and training.

3. Team Member 1: Took charge of huddles, targets, and one-on-ones.

4. Team Member 2: Took over data, wages, and team KPI reports.

 

But she still found herself in a leadership grey zone.

No one was the leader – just several “mini managers.”

That’s when Sophie realised what was missing: a Second Sophie.

Someone she could fully trust to lead, make decisions, and drive the business, so she could focus on growth.

Today, that structure has allowed her not just to grow one, but two $1Million salons, both running with strong culture, clear systems, and empowered leadership.

 

And now, as a coach inside Salon Mastery, Sophie helps other salon owners do exactly the same.

 

The Lessons Sophie Learned (So You Don’t Have To)

 

1. Delegation Isn’t Leadership

• Handing out tasks doesn’t make you a leader.
• Leadership is about handing over ownership, trusting someone to make decisions and drive outcomes.

2. Systems First, Freedom Later

• If it’s not documented, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
• Your systems are what protect your standards when you’re not there.

3. Culture Is the Real Boss

• When your team knows what “right” looks like, they’ll self-correct.
• That’s when you’ve built a culture, not just a crew.

4. Clarity Creates Confidence

• If five people are “kind of managing” something, no one’s leading.
• Give one person clear authority and hold them accountable for the result.

5. Your Leadership Structure Has to Evolve

• What worked when you were a $300k salon won’t work at $800k and definitely not at $1M.
• Your business will only grow to the level your leadership structure can handle.

 

Final Thought: You Don’t Need to Clone Yourself. You Need to Multiply Yourself

 

Building a $1M salon isn’t about finding a magical manager who can do everything you do.

It’s about building the structure that allows someone else to step up and lead with confidence backed by systems, culture, and clarity.

That’s how Sophie built two thriving, high-performing salons.

And it’s how she now helps other salon owners finally step out of the chaos and into true CEO freedom.

 

Want to Build Your Own Second-in-Command?

If you’re ready to stop being the bottleneck in your business and start growing a team that runs with you, not just for you…

👉 Click here to Book a Salon Mastery Strategy Call

We’ll help you create your leadership structure, strengthen your systems, and set your salon up to scale to $1M without burning out.