Episode 5: From Burnout to Booked Out – How Iris Rebuilt Her Salon & Stopped Doing It All

What happens when your socials are hacked, your ads flop, and your salon feels like it’s stuck on survival mode?

In this episode of Diary of the Search Queen, I sit down with salon owner and coach Iris Van Ikkelberg to unpack how she went from overwhelmed and reactive… to leading a self-sustaining, fully booked salon with 11 stylists and a brand-new premises on the way.

This conversation is a masterclass in trusting the process, investing in the right support, and learning to let go so you can scale up.

We Talk About:

The hacking incident that made Iris hit reset on her entire marketing approach

Why trying to do everything herself nearly burnt her out

What changed when she invested in Google Ads and a new website

How she went from 5 to 11 stylists (and outgrew her salon)

The shift from “I am the salon” to “the salon runs without me”

Her new mission as a coach helping salon owners go from Booked Out to Boss

About Iris:
Iris is the founder of The Hair Chapel in Cleveland, QLD, and host of the podcast Hair, Business and Wine. She’s also a business coach helping salon owners scale their teams, their turnover, and their time freedom—without the burnout.

Connect with Iris:

Salon: @thehairchapel

Coaching: @iris.yoursaloncoach

Podcast: Hair, Business and Wine

Want more?

Follow Sonja on Instagram: @sonjathesearchqueen
Book your free Salon Scaling Demo today
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Explore more at: sonjathesearchqueen.com

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Tag us @sonjathesearchqueen
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And if this inspired you to finally stop doing all the things alone—please leave a 5-star review. Your story doesn’t have to end in burnout.

Here’s to letting go so you can grow. 💛