32 Things I wish I would have known. 32nd Birthday Edition

Are you tired of self-limiting beliefs holding you back? What if you could overcome those obstacles, and find success and happiness in your life and career? Join me on this transformative journey as I share my personal story of finding Jesus and the incredible impact it had on my life. Learn how to listen to the Holy Spirit within you and avoid the pitfalls of credit card debt. Plus, you'll discover the benefits of waking up early and applying yourself fully to your passions.

But that's not all! This episode is also packed with self-improvement tips specifically for hairstylists, from counting your cash and paying your taxes to prioritizing self-care and moving your body daily. Uncover the secrets to visualizing your goals, being kind to others, and embracing empowerment in your life and career. By the end of this episode, you'll be equipped with the tools and insights you need to make your 32nd year (and beyond) the best it can be. So tune in, and get ready to become the smartest, wealthiest stylist you can be!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Welcome to the smart, wealthy stylist podcast. I'm your host, emily Cardin. Over here. We're dedicated to helping hairstylists manage their finances, stay organized, healthy and manage their time and mental well-being. We focus on staying healthy in all areas of life and maximizing productivity. If you're a hairstylist looking for these things, then this is the podcast for you. Together, we'll avoid burnout and step into being the smartest, wealthiest stylist that we can be. You, you I always used to view myself in a certain way.

Speaker 1: 2:15

I had self-limiting beliefs and I never really thought that I would do anything different than what I was doing. I always knew that we'd have to work until we were retired. I would always be a hairstylist and I would just do hair. There was no dreaming, there was no expansiveness, there was no what if? There was no dreaming period. But all of that boiled down to how I viewed myself. I didn't believe that I had anything else in me. Once I started viewing myself differently and looking at the possibilities, it was very eye-opening.

Speaker 1: 2:56

Number four be careful what you listen to and watch. There's so many times in my life where, looking back, i wish I would have listened to different music, perhaps, or watch different movies or whatever, because a lot of those had a huge impact on who I became as a person. When I was a teenager I loved Miranda Lambert. She was rough and tumble, took no prisoners, just kind of a BA, but still cute. I just loved everything. She was about. That really kind of molded who I was as a young adult. I was a smoke-and-drinkin', rootin', tootin' Cowgirl and I was out the life of the party. If you crossed me I'd kick your butt. I just wonder what would have happened had I been listening to other music or reading other things or finding my influence from a different crowd, like where I'd be today. I'm not mad. I have some really really great stories. That's some funny party stories, for sure, but I do think it's super important.

Speaker 1: 4:10

Number five give your life to Jesus sooner. I wasn't saved until I was like 21. I know a lot of people in today's day and age definitely don't go the Jesus route, but I'm gonna tell you it changed my life. It changed everything about how I viewed myself, how I perceived who I was to the core It. He helped me find value and there's so many things in my life that probably would have gone away had I not found Jesus Because, you know, i believe that he strengthens my marriage. I believe that he has influenced me and changed me for the better in every single aspect of my life. I lean on him every single day and he has just made me such a better person and he helps me with every single aspect of my life.

Speaker 1: 5:06

Number six listen to the Holy Spirit on the inside of you. So a lot of people like to call it intuition, or that little nudging on the inside of you. You know, when you hear it or you feel that like, ooh, i probably shouldn't do that. And then you do it anyway and then you're like, dang it, i shouldn't have done that. I should have listened to that intuition on the inside of me. That's the Holy Spirit and he's your friend and he's your helper and he's like, hey, girl, listen, you probably shouldn't do that. I really wish I would have listened to him more. I'm still working on that.

Speaker 1: 5:37

Number seven don't get into credit card debt. If there's anything that I could have done differently in my life would be not to have gotten into credit card debt. I wish I would have never even opened up a credit card. I know that sometimes it's important to have one in case of an emergency or whatever, but that's why you have, you know, cash reserve reservations and savings for such set emergencies. But I preach to my kids all the time do not get into credit card debt. There are other ways. It's totally pointless. Just don't do it and start investing as a child, a young, young person, starting a Roth IRA or a high yield savings account or a CD, anything, something, anything. Just do it. Yesterday was the best day to start investing and if you are not investing, do it now. Even if it's 10 bucks a month, something is better than nothing.

Speaker 1: 6:30

Number nine apply yourself in whatever you do. In high school, i really struggled and then in cosmetology school, i was just trying to like rush through and get out. And then, after cosmetology school, i started building my business and, like I always was a go getter, but I don't feel like I applied myself 110% in everything that I did. Um, but I've changed that narrative in my life and instead of like getting there quicker, it's like quality versus quantity. You know, like I'm sticking things out longer because I want to be sure that the quality of what I produce and the quality of what I'm doing is so much better than how quick I can get it. So apply yourself and everything that you do, and even if it takes a lot longer, that's okay, because the quality of your work is going to be fantastic.

Speaker 1: 7:18

Number 10 is wake up early. There were so many days where I would sleep until noon or one, but I would also stay out late. So waking up early has completely changed my life and it gives me time to myself. It gives me time to do my podcasts, it gives me time to work out, gives me time to just go out on the back porch and drink a cup of coffee and listen to the world. Wake up. It's peaceful, it's calming. It's one of the best things that I've ever done for myself And I really encourage you to just try it. The hardest part is getting your feet to hit the floor, but once you're up, it is worth it.

Speaker 1: 7:54

Number 11, eat whole rich foods. Processed foods are just full of junk and they make you feel terrible. And you know, when you start eating whole rich foods, if you can at least get fruits and veggies in with every meal and maybe not veggies with breakfast, but you could do sweet potatoes or something, but anyways, just eating whole rich foods. It gives your body so much energy and clarity and mental fog drops away and, like you, just feel so much better on every level. Number 12, just a little word of advice.

Speaker 1: 8:26

Being popular isn't important. Being known what you stand for is. I wish I would have known that a long time ago, because I always kind of chased after that popularity thing. I or not necessarily I didn't care to be popular, but I just wanted people to like me. You know, it was really important for me to want people to like me, and now I don't really care what people think at all, but what I do care about is that people know who I am and what I stand for and that I'm here with open arms, with no judgment, and that they're welcome here anytime. That's what I want to be known for.

Speaker 1: 9:05

Number 13 kind of goes in with don't get into credit card debt, but don't spend more than you make. By spending more than you make, you're shorting yourself more than just the money in your bank account. You're shorting yourself a future and so many other things. So by not making more, by not spending more than you make, you can truly live your life to the fullest. Number 14 wear the shorts. My legs are not perfect. I have varicose veins. I, you know I have cellulite. Nobody cares. If you want to wear the shorts, wear the shorts, do it for you. Number 15 this kind of goes in with number 14 too.

Speaker 1: 9:51

Nobody is looking at you, do what you want. I've told my daughter this several times. There's been times where she's been like, oh I don't, you know, they're all going to look at me and I said, honey, nobody's looking at you. There's not. No one is paying attention. I don't know why you think anyone's looking at you right now. Like and I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just one of those things that I think we all think that people are judging how we look, judging how we speak, how we, you know, look on social media, how our legs look in the shorts, how we eat, how we talk, how we look when we go out. You know, like all these things, nobody's looking. Just go and do what you want and live your life to the fullest, because it doesn't matter what they think anyway.

Speaker 1: 10:39

Number 16 marry wisely. The partner that you choose will either propel you forward and build you up or bring it all back to the ground. I'm so thankful that I married the spouse. That I did because he truly does support me and believe in me and push me to do better. And I know that the person that you choose to marry you know if they make bad financial decisions and you're making good financial decisions they could wreck your entire future. Or if you're positive and encouraging and they are not, they could really damage your children when it comes time to disciplining them whenever you know you do have kids and there's so many things that can be in limbo if you marry the wrong or the right person. So try to find someone who is going to build you up, encourage you, support you and push you towards being a better person.

Speaker 1: 11:40

Number 17 see a therapist If you need to work through something and you need a non-biased opinion or you know you're dealing with anxiety or depression. I don't know why there's such a negative stigma around seeing a therapist. It can be one of the most amazing freeing, liberating things that you can do for yourself, and you can truly find freedom by seeing a therapist Say you're sorry and forgive others who have hurt you. I know this can be really hard but you know, whenever I accepted Jesus, there were some things I was able to let go of because I realized that I don't have to hold on to that anymore. That is a burden that you do not have to bear, and by truly forgiving that person that's done you wrong and moving forward and say I forgive them, i don't hold, i don't have to hold on to this anymore, you can find true freedom in your life.

Speaker 1: 12:38

Number 19, do what you love. If you like kayaking, go do it. If you like riding horses, go do it. If you like painting or doing pottery, you just have to be intentional about your time, you know. Set it up to where you can do it, at least once a month, starting out, or whatever. Carve out the time to do what you love so that you can be a better person for those around you and for yourself.

Speaker 1: 13:02

Number 20, don't let your clients dictate your pricing or the services you offer. You are the one that should be figuring that out. On my website, whenever you subscribe, you get a cost per hour calculator sent right to your inbox. I'm getting ready to start a six-week class that goes over all the things. I'll be talking about that on my next podcast, but you can go check it out. It's just so important to make sure that your prices are set by you, not by emotions, not by what they want you to do. If you are wanting to move to extension only clients and you have all these clients that aren't extensions you have to do what's best for you. I understand you may want to keep a couple of them because you genuinely love them and care for them, but there's no need to make your living doing what you don't enjoy. So just make sure that your clients aren't dictating your pricing or the services you offer. Number 21, take the class. If you want to niche down and do what you love, take a class that will help get you closer to being able to do that. Only that service, only. Number 22, find your niche early and do the dream hair.

Speaker 1: 14:23

Number 23, count your cash and pay your taxes. This is a huge one, because when it comes to building money for your future or, you know, purchasing power or whatever, if you're not counting your cash in your checks, you're shorting yourself. If something happens to your spouse, you're not going to be able to buy something on your own. If you do need to finance something, by not counting your cash in your checks, you're doing nothing but shorting yourself. You're being dishonest. Once I started doing this, it totally changed my financial game. It made me look better to my bank. There was just so many positives. And you know, whenever you implement systems in your business, your business pays the taxes. So, yes, you're going to have to pay more in taxes if you count your cash in your checks, but that's okay, because as long as you're implementing systems in your business, your business pays for that for you and you don't even miss it anyway.

Speaker 1: 15:24

Number 24, allow others to help you. There was a lot of times where people asked to help me. You know, like when I had my babies, and there was various situations that occurred and I didn't want people to help me. I don't know why. I don't know if that made me feel, you know, stronger or whatever. All it did was make my life harder. So the second baby that I had, i was like, okay, i'll take all the help. And that goes into the next question. Number 25, ask for help if you need it. If there's something in your life that's causing you a great deal of stress, ask for help. Number 26, don't feel bad for saying no. If you don't want to do it, say no. There is nothing wrong with that.

Speaker 1: 16:11

Number 27, make sure you still take care of yourself, even if you have kids, prioritizing self-care and making sure that you're getting what you need will make you a better mom, a better husband, a better family member. Whoever you're serving. It'll make you better for yourself. Even So, make sure that you prioritize self-care. Number 28, move your body daily, whether it's a quick walk up and down the driveway, stretching if you're doing an exercise program, you know you're working out six days a week. Just move your body. You will thank yourself later.

Speaker 1: 16:50

29. Allow yourself to be proud of who you have become Every day. even if we're just 1% better, that's 1% Just moving towards being better for ourselves, being better for our spouses, being better, just in general. As long as you are working towards being better and you're allowing yourself that, give yourself a pat on the back. That's something to be proud of. Don't beat yourself up for saying, well, yeah, i'm better, but I'm still not where I want to be. That's okay, you are moving in the right direction. And allow yourself to be happy for you.

Speaker 1: 17:30

30. Whatever your goals are, act today as if they have already happened. Whenever I look at my goals, i visualize already being debt-free and being like yes, i am debt-free, i am putting money away for our future. I have all these things envisioned in my mind and by acting that they've already happened. It helps you stay motivated and keeps you moving towards your goal 31. The person you long to be is already there.

Speaker 1: 18:00

You just have to choose today to step into being that person. It kind of goes along with the last one. You know, if you want to be wealthy and you want to be living free, and you want to be kind and you want to be in physical health and you have this whole list of who you want to be as a person, well, today's a great day to choose to be that person and you just have to step into it. If you want to be a social media influencer, start posting, be that person. Pretend that you already have a million followers. I mean, you just have to say, okay, today is the day that I'm going to choose to be what I want to be and I'm going to be it. That's the difference between you and them, those people that you're watching that are being what they want to be. It's because, every day, they choose to be that person, even if you don't have a million followers. Guess what? Neither did they. You just have to start somewhere. Choose to be that person and step into it In number 32, be kind to others.

Speaker 1: 19:08

You never know what someone else is going through. We all have a lot on our plates. Not that I was never not kind to people, but I didn't think of it in that way. I always just assumed you know everyone has a lot going on and, like I'm pretty nice to most people, but there have been some times where I've been not so nice and so I just want us all to be intentional and if we truly envision kindness as a whole community and especially in the hair industry there are some really catty backstabby stuff that goes on in the hair industry and if we really focus on kindness and compassion and being kind to one another and choosing kindness, imagine what that could do in our industry. So I hope you guys enjoyed today. It was a little bit different than anything else I've ever done. I feel like turning 32 is going to be the best year yet I have.

Speaker 1: 20:05

I've finished writing my book.

Speaker 1: 20:08

It's in the finishing stages of editing.

Speaker 1: 20:10

It'll probably be coming out in August and then I'm going to do the audio book with it and so I'm going to record that and get that published. My six-week course is launching this fall and there's just so many things that are happening. And it's all happened because I chose to be this person and I chose to step into this role of helping other stylists become their very best selves also, and I just want you to know that whatever it is that you're wanting to do, you can do it. Just choose to be that person and then wash your face twice a day, more some sunscreen. It's all good. So I'll talk to you guys next week and I hope you all have a great day.

Speaker 1: 20:53

Bye, bye. Thank you for listening in today. If you have a burning question or a topic you want me to cover, leave a review and ask the question in the review. This is the best way to get your questions answered. Just remember you are a smart, wealthy stylist and you are capable of anything you set your mind to. I'll catch you later. Don't be a stranger.