Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Drezden Palms. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Drezden, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

Most people look at a thriving salon and assume it’s a goldmine—fully booked, a buzzing team, and services in high demand. But behind the scenes? The reality can feel very different. The biggest challenge I’ve seen in the beauty industry is that many salon owners only take home what they personally earn in services. Their team might be busy, but with high commission rates, the “profit” from those services often disappears into rent, utilities, supplies, and everything else that keeps the salon running.

The gut reaction? Work harder. Stay late. Take on more clients. But more hours behind the chair isn’t the solution. The truth is, most salon owners don’t need more clients—they need to get clear on where their money is going. I had a client who was fully booked, exhausted, and barely keeping up, yet her bank account didn’t reflect all that effort. She thought more clients were the answer, but when we took a deep dive into her numbers, we uncovered over $500 in “lost” expenses—subscriptions she forgot about, unnecessary supply orders, and small charges that were quietly draining her profits. That extra money? It went straight to her paycheck.

It’s a common story. I’ve had salon owners tell me, “I made $10K this month, spent $9,997… I guess I’ll eat air for dinner.” Sound familiar? You’re bringing in money, working non-stop, yet somehow… there’s nothing left at the end of the month. It’s not that they aren’t making enough—it’s that their money doesn’t have a plan.

The root of the issue? They don’t know their cost per hour. There’s a pricing problem and a spending problem. Many salon owners believe they’re charging great prices, but when you do the math—factoring in all the costs—it turns out they’re barely breaking even or, worse, losing money. Imagine that your best-selling service is actually costing you money! It’s a cash-eating monster in disguise.

That’s where Profit First has been a game changer for my clients. It’s not just about making more money—it’s about making sure every dollar has a purpose. When salon owners implement Profit First, they build a system where profit becomes a habit, not an afterthought. Everything they do becomes connected to profitability. Suddenly, their business isn’t just busy—it’s thriving.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I never thought I’d be a business owner. I always assumed I’d follow in my mom’s footsteps—work my way up the corporate ladder, pour my heart into my career, and build a stable life that way. But then I had my first daughter, and everything changed.

I actually started out as a cosmetologist, working in my Aunt Lori’s salon. My husband was a concrete finisher, and his income was inconsistent, heavily dependent on the weather. At the same time, I was building my clientele, so my income wasn’t steady either. We were both working so hard, but the financial uncertainty weighed on us. That’s when I decided to go back to college to pursue a more stable career with benefits—a corporate job that would provide the security we needed.

I went on to work in public accounting at a couple of different CPA firms, and I was on the path I’d always imagined for myself. I thought I was doing exactly what I was supposed to do, just like my mom—working hard and giving my all to my career. But after I had my first daughter, something in my heart shifted. I longed for more time with her. Then, after my second daughter was born, that longing turned into something I couldn’t ignore.

I will *never* forget the day God told me to trust Him and start my own business. I was sitting in church, on maternity leave with my second daughter, and I heard His voice more clearly than I ever had before. I turned to my mom and laughed, saying, “You’ll never believe what God just told me.” But I knew. And as scary as it was, I followed His calling. A few months later, I launched my business.

Within nine months, I was able to leave my corporate job and pour myself fully into building a business that aligned with my heart and my faith. That season of growth—personally, spiritually, and as a business owner—was incredible. Looking back, I barely recognize the woman I was at the beginning of that journey.

Now, I’m on a *mission* to help other women in the beauty industry. I know what it feels like to work yourself to exhaustion and still feel like it’s never enough. Salon owners are some of the hardest-working people I know, but too many of them are running themselves ragged just to make ends meet. They have incredible gifts and a purpose that goes far beyond the chair, and I’m here to help them create thriving, profitable businesses that give them the breathing room to *actually enjoy* what they’ve built.

Through my bookkeeping and advisory services, I help salon owners get clear on their numbers, develop solid systems, and create a plan to reach their profit goals. I don’t just help them track their income and expenses—I act as an outsourced CFO, giving them the strategy and support they need to grow their business sustainably. I’m passionate about helping them build not just a busy salon, but a *profitable* one, so they can use their success to support the Kingdom and pursue their own missions.

When I see my clients go from feeling overwhelmed and underpaid to confidently paying themselves and making decisions that align with their goals, I know I’m doing exactly what I was called to do. This isn’t just about numbers for me. It’s about helping women in the beauty industry step into their power, build businesses that give them freedom, and create a life they love.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My husband and I were high school sweethearts. After graduating, he started working in concrete with my dad while I worked as a cosmetologist in my Aunt Lori’s salon. We were both making very little at the time. He was just learning the trade, and his work was completely weather-dependent. If it rained, he didn’t work. When the winter came with snow and ice, he was laid off until the weather cleared. Meanwhile, I was building up my clientele in a small town and struggling to market myself effectively. We were doing everything we could to make it work, but it wasn’t enough.

That’s when we realized something had to change. If we wanted to get married and build a life together, we needed more stability. I decided to go back to college to pursue a career that would provide consistent income and benefits. I thought I’d follow in my mom’s footsteps—she was a hardworking, successful businesswoman who climbed the corporate ladder and became an invaluable asset to her team. That was the path I envisioned for myself. We got married after my freshman year, which helped us qualify for better financial aid and made college more affordable.

Then, life threw us a curveball. During my senior year, we found out I was unexpectedly pregnant with our first daughter. I was tempted to take a break, especially since she was due in January—right at the start of my final semester. But God had other plans. One of my professors had a heart-to-heart conversation with me and encouraged me to finish strong. I will *never* forget that moment.

I had my daughter and, just one week later, I was back in class taking a major accounting exam. I was running on fumes—learning how to be a mom, struggling to get my daughter to nurse, getting barely any sleep, and somehow finding time to study. But by the grace of God, I aced that exam. My daughter even came with me to most of my classes, and one of my professors loved holding and snuggling her while giving lectures. Four weeks later, I returned to my internship at a CPA firm to get the credits I needed to graduate. It was one of the hardest, most exhausting seasons of my life, but with God’s strength, I graduated *on time.*

I spent the next few years working in public accounting, but after my first daughter was born, everything shifted in my heart. I wanted *more*—more time with her, more flexibility, and a life that wasn’t dictated by long hours at the office. By the time I had my second daughter, that desire grew even stronger.

And then came the moment that changed everything. I was sitting in church, on maternity leave after having my second daughter, when I heard God speak to me louder and clearer than ever before. He told me to *trust Him* and start my own business. I looked at my mom and laughed, saying, “You’re not going to believe what God just told me.” But deep down, I knew it was time to take the leap. A few months later, I followed His calling and launched my business.

Here’s the wild part—I wasn’t just starting a business. I was also getting ready to go back to my full-time job during tax season (working even *longer* hours than usual) *while* my husband and I were building our first home… ourselves. Looking back, I don’t think I’ve ever known how to take the easy road. Once again, I found myself in a whirlwind season—juggling motherhood, a corporate job, a new business, and building a house. I was sleeping maybe 4 interrupted hours a night, staying up late to work on my business, waking up early for my office job, and pouring every ounce of energy I had into my family.

But through it all, God gave me the strength to keep going. My family was an incredible support system, and I kept my eyes on the end goal. After 9 intense months, we moved into our new home *and* I finally left my corporate job to focus 100% on my business. It was one of the most challenging seasons of my life, but it taught me that resilience isn’t about having it all figured out—it’s about trusting God, staying determined, and pushing through even when it feels impossible.

Now, that same drive and determination fuel my mission to serve other women in the beauty industry. I *know* what it feels like to carry the weight of running a business, raising a family, and trying to keep everything afloat. I don’t want other moms to feel that same burden. I want to make their journey *easier.* I’m here to take some of that weight off their shoulders so they can focus on building the salon they’ve always dreamed of—a business that thrives, supports their family, and gives them the freedom they deserve. Resilience brought me to where I am today, and I’m passionate about helping other women find that same strength in their own journeys.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The hardest lesson I had to unlearn was how to let others in and allow them to *help.* I was so determined to hold everything together—serve others, neglect myself, and just keep pouring out. But you can’t pour from an empty cup. That mindset led me straight to exhaustion, burnout, and overwhelm.

Those difficult seasons I shared earlier? They’re what taught me this lesson. They humbled me and brought me to a *hard* stop. I was forced—sometimes unwillingly, I’ll admit—to learn that I couldn’t do it all on my own. I needed God’s strength to get through those seasons, *and* I needed to let my family in. It didn’t make me “less than” to accept help. It didn’t make me weak to let them serve and honor *me* for a change, instead of me always being the one to serve others.

You see, I grew up with two *incredible* role models—my mom and my grandma. They are the epitome of Proverbs 31 women. I have an indescribable amount of respect and admiration for them. They are strong, they lead with dignity and grace, they have hearts for God, and they serve others without hesitation. I’ve always aspired to be just like them. But somewhere along the way, I had the wrong vision of what that meant. I thought I had to be *strong enough* to do it all on my own. But it’s not about doing everything myself—it’s about letting God lead me, provide my strength, and knowing when to ask for help.

I’ve learned that I’m *not* at my best when I’m burnt out and running on empty. When I’m exhausted, I’m not serving anyone well—not my family, not my clients, and not God. Accepting help isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s an opportunity for others to show *God’s love* through their acts of service. That realization changed everything for me.

But here’s the thing—I didn’t just need to learn this in my personal life. I had to learn it *again* in my business. Even after making huge strides during those challenging seasons, I carried that same need for control into my business. I was *the* bottleneck. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was holding my team back. I would jump in and do things myself because it was “quicker” or because I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by correcting their mistakes. I thought I was helping. But I wasn’t serving my team—I was *hurting* them.

By taking everything on myself, I wasn’t giving them the space to troubleshoot, grow, and develop their own confidence. I wasn’t building a team that could take ownership, solve problems, and thrive independently. My need to control was keeping my business *stuck.*

It wasn’t until I worked with a mentor that I finally got out of my own way. She helped me see that my desire to protect and “fix” everything was actually hindering growth. Through her guidance, I learned to let go of control and *empower* my team to take charge, make decisions, and own their responsibilities. And when I did? Everything shifted.

Our processes became more streamlined and efficient. Our clients started getting their financial reports faster. And the best part? My team started *enjoying* their work more. They felt trusted, valued, and equipped to handle challenges. I wasn’t just delegating tasks—I was creating a space where they could grow, learn, and take initiative.

That shift freed up my time to focus on the things *only* I could do, and it transformed my business. I went from being the bottleneck to leading a team built on resilience, determination, and ownership. Now, I’m not just building a thriving business—I’m empowering others to thrive alongside me. And that’s a lesson I’ll carry with me forever.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://palmsprobooks.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drezden.palmsprobooks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drezden.palms/

Image Credits

Hadassah Morrison