• Salon/spa leadership


• Financial and cash-flow management


• How to inspire and drive team productivity


• How to get rid of the commission pay that was sucking the financial life out of her company.

Hey Y'all!! I haven't posted in a while and I wanted to send out a big bunch of love and encouragement to those of you who may be struggling and thinking about giving up. Nothing I write is ever going to be short so stay with me.

Our company was the official poster child for the "financial fiery pits of hell." IRS Debt, State Tax Commission, $80,000 in credit card debt, bank loans, NSF checks, COD with vendors, cash-only with the utility company because we had bounced so many checks. It was hell ... pure hell. We were told to close, go home and file bankruptcy ... but I couldn't.

My purpose became greater than my pain. Trust me, I had pain, a complete nervous breakdown in 2005, was hospitalized and put on 30 days of bed rest.

While in the hospital I organized the linen closet and did a Dewey Decimal System to organize the hospital library and I thought, "I am not crazy ... I am tired." Tired of this debt, tired of this misery and I need HELP.

Help came in the form of Strategies' Incubator Seminar. Incubator was the "Truth that set me free." At first it made me miserable because I realized how deep of a hole I was in. Now, here we are eight years later with up to three weeks paid vacation, six weeks maternity leave, IRA with company match - and a very strong and healthy team-based company.

Here's what I was reminded of last week...

We have had a young man from Cambodia in our salon for three months. He was led into prostitution at sixteen because he had no education to support himself. Now, after he completes school, his dream is to open a salon back in Cambodia. He now fights human trafficking and wants to provide opportunity to those being rescued. Because we are a strong business, well respected in our community and state, the US Embassy accepted our letter of support and allowed him to come to Mississippi on a temporary visa to learn American Business Culture in a salon. Now back in Cambodia, this young man will have his first interview to enroll in beauty school this week.

Our salon will pay his way, our staff will do payroll deductions to help support him and his family while he is in school.

Our business has changed, our culture has and will continue to change. But I had to change first. WHAT IF I WOULD HAVE QUIT?!?! My encouragement to you is KEEP GOING and make your Purpose Greater Than Your Pain.

I will be attending my third Strategies Incubator in Austin later this month. I hope to see some of you there.

I forgot to mention that we got hit by Hurricane Katrina, lost our roof and had closed for six weeks. What a journey.

Much Love to all of you!!

Lisa Cochran
The Studio
Hattiesburg, MS

Here is Lisa sharing more details on her story a few years ago.