In this episode of The Life of KG, I’m joined by my incredible friend and client Ellie Edwards, owner of Beauty by Ellie Solihull, a lash, brow and now hair salon, plus a successful training academy.

Ellie shares the powerful (and emotional) story of how a family emergency changed her entire career path, leading her from a planned future in the police force to becoming one of Solihull’s most in-demand beauty entrepreneurs.

We dive deep into what it really takes to grow a beauty business today, from mobile appointments until midnight, to managing staff, introducing new services, building a strong team culture, learning boundaries, and scaling while becoming a mum.

This episode is real, raw and full of golden nuggets for any salon owner, educator, or mum in business who wants more freedom, more income and less burnout.

• How a sudden life event pushed Ellie into the beauty industry

• From retail job + mobile nights to running a packed home salon

• Why saying “yes” to everything in the beginning builds long-term success

• The reality of burnout, 14-hour days and losing your identity in your business

• Learning boundaries and why clients aren’t your friends

• The truth about hiring, managing and losing staff

• Why pregnancy became her biggest business blessing

• How Ellie created a business that makes money without her being on the tools

• The rise of threading: the overlooked, high-profit skill salon owners need

• Creating online courses and building passive income

• Face-to-camera confidence, social media consistency and building trust

Instagram: @beautybyellie

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Welcome back to my client success stories. Today I interview Polly over on Instagram.

In this live, we talk about:

• What it’s really like being inside a mastermind when your friends and family don’t quite “get” business

• Why support and community matter even when things are going well

• Stepping back from treatments without guilt and becoming a better leader because of it

• Creating more time, more freedom, and more headspace without burning everything down

• How mindset, structure, and clarity quietly change how you run your business and your life

She shares what’s shifted for her over the last year, both personally and professionally, and why she chose to commit to a second year inside Scale. It’s such an open, refreshing conversation, and I know a lot of you will see yourselves in it.

Polly also offers PMU training and digital products, so go and check out her page!

If you would like to apply for mastermind for when the doors open again, you can apply here: https://katiegodfrey.biz/application

In this powerful and unfiltered episode, Katie sits down with Holly, known online as Rio Hair , who has taken the hairdressing world and social media by storm in just 18 months.

Holly opens up about:
- Her difficult childhood and the journey of breaking generational cycles
- The court case that changed everything
- How one wrong viral TikTok nearly destroyed her confidence
- Growing a huge online following while staying authentic
- Balancing motherhood, business, burnout and boundaries
- Giving up Saturdays as a hairdresser and putting her family first
- Monetising TikTok, brand deals and the realities behind it
- What’s next for her, including stepping into coaching & speaking

This conversation is raw, real and hugely inspiring for anyone in the hair, beauty and creative industries… especially if you’ve ever doubted yourself, battled confidence, or felt behind on social media.

What We Cover:

• Turning trauma into purpose

• Showing up online when you’re scared of judgement

• Going viral for the wrong reasons

• How to grow on TikTok and Instagram authentically

• Building confidence and finding your voice

• Why personal brand matters more than ever

• Juggling kids and business

• The truth about client boundaries and giving up weekends

• Life as a creator behind the chair

• The future of the industry & where Holly is heading next

  
  

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