Podcast
Almost Effortless
Stories of inspiration and impact in the realm of entrepreneurship Hosted by two beauty industry entrepreneurs.
Elijah is a Marine Corps veteran, salon owner, and entrepreneur who has built a philosophy driven personal brand rooted in discipline, growth, and creative leadership. He is the founder of Jasper in the Hollow, a beauty and personal evolution platform that reflects a broader vision for identity, purpose, and impact. With a proven record in the beauty industry, Elijah helps professionals scale their influence, gain clarity on what their future requires, and build lives that feel as powerful as they look.
Misty has been shaping the beauty industry since 2003. In 2013, she founded Wild Heart Beauty, creating an engaged, experience-driven salon rooted in artistry, community, and care. An artist turned owner, her work now extends beyond beauty. Misty mentors creatives and entrepreneurs across industries in building sustainable businesses, thoughtful brands, and spaces that connect people to how they feel. With a trained eye for curation, environment, and brand identity, Misty approaches business as both strategy and art.
- Episodes
- 12
- Releases
- Every two weeks
- Typical length
- 1 hr 5 min
- On air since
- 2026
- Latest episode
- 4 days ago
Episodes
12 episodes, newest first
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56 min
Jaye Edwards, The Aussie Empire: The good, the bad, and the mindset of salon owning at scale.
Season 1, Episode 12
Show notes
In this episode of Almost Effortless, we sit down with Jaye Edwards, an incredibly accomplished entrepreneur who has owned and operated 12 salons across Australia, generating millions of dollars in annual revenue.
Jaye brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, sharing the skill set, leadership, and, above all else, the mindset required to build and operate a business at that level of ambition.
From navigating the complexities of scaling a business to understanding what it truly takes to lead and succeed, this conversation is filled with invaluable insights.
Whether you aspire to own multiple salons or simply want to become a stronger business owner, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
You’ll walk away informed, inspired, and with an entirely new perspective on what’s possible.
Follow him on instagram
https://www.instagram.com/jaye_edwards?srtk=MWRkeGx3dm0xOHdwMg==
Follow his education platform
https://www.instagram.com/edwardsandcoeducation?exln=cjFjbGF0NTJpcWJn
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48 min
Michelle Zeller, The Mane Chick: Big Ideas. Great hair. Zero bull sh*t.
Season 1, Episode 11
Show notes
Michelle Zeller has spent nearly 30 years proving that beauty can be smart, sexy, practical, and unapologetically ambitious. From the salon floor to founding Mane Ivy, developing products, educating thousands of stylists, and building tools around what women and professionals actually need, Michelle has created a career on instinct, experience, and execution.
This episode is about trusting your ideas, building what’s missing, and having the confidence to do it your own way.
Follow Michelle on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/michellelzeller?obrf=MTVjd2Z0aXd3aG5jdw==
Checkout Mane Ivy
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1 hr 9 min
Eric Vaughn, The Reinventionist: You’re allowed to begin again.
Season 1, Episode 10
Show notes
What happens when the path you planned suddenly disappears?
In this episode, we sit down with Eric Vaughn to talk about reinvention, uncertainty, and the willingness to begin again. From an early career in ballet to eventually finding his place in the beauty industry, Eric’s story explores what it means to pivot when life takes you somewhere you didn’t expect.
We talk about the importance of individuality and authenticity in an industry where it can be easy to lose your own voice, as well as the realities of fatherhood and balancing family with a career in beauty.
This is a conversation about resetting without having all the answers, evolving through different seasons of life, and continuing to move forward even when you don’t know exactly what comes next.
Follow Eric on instagram
https://www.instagram.com/realericvaughn?stkn=MXcwYzliODgzMjhmcw==
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1 hr 11 min
Jack Howard, The Four Decade Force: A long career in the hair industry requires constant evolution.
Season 1, Episode 9
Show notes
You don’t last 44 years in the beauty industry by staying still. You create a long flourishing career by recognizing the importance of personal and professional evolution - and then doing it.
Follow him on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/jackhowardcolor?igsi=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
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1 hr 28 min
Daniel Mora, The Michoacán Artist: Humble beginnings. When you want something, you find a way.
Season 1, Episode 8
Show notes
On this episode we explore what early life looked like for Daniel, being the youngest of 7 children - he broke generational chains in the pursuit of his endeavors and eagerness to create a life full of success. He speaks on being willing to find a way despite adversity. If you really want it, it’s yours to have, one action at a time.
Follow him on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/danielmbeauty?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
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1 hr 5 min
Allison, The Unorthodox Stylist: An introverts advantage.
Season 1, Episode 7
Show notes
In this episode of Almost Effortless, we sit down with Allison, better known as The Unorthodox Stylist, for a conversation that goes far beyond hair.
We speak about authenticity, devastating loss, navigating life’s defining moments, the power of community, and what it’s like being an introvert in an industry that often rewards the loudest voices.
If you’ve ever questioned your path or wondered whether you have to fit the mold to succeed, this conversation is for you.
Follow her on instagram
https://www.instagram.com/theunorthodoxstylist?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Allison’s website
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1 hr 14 min
Taya Tkachuk, The Aesthetic Queen: Putting in your reps and the meaning of your relationships.
Season 1, Episode 6
Show notes
Today’s guest brings creativity and intention into every room she enters. Her mantra is simple: look good feel good — not just a phrase, but a lived expression of the work she brings into the world.
We are talking about the one and only Taya Tkachuck.
Taya has spent the past eleven years shaping the beauty industry from her home base in Kelowna in Canada. Before she was a stylist, she was an artist — a young creator drawing, painting, and learning how to make the world feel more vivid. Over time that artistic instinct found its way into beauty and fashion, and eventually into a deeper purpose: teaching stylists how to feel confident behind the chair.
Today, Taya is best known for her education. Her signature classes and signature looks have become what stylists seek her out for, not just to learn technique, but to understand the level of detail and intention behind her work. She has built a reputation around elevating craft through education, with a focus on clarity, precision, and execution.
Taya Tkachuck. Her work is instantly recognizable — effortless color, luminous blondes, and a moody, refined aesthetic that feels cinematic without ever feeling forced.
Her partnerships reflect the respect she’s earned across the industry. You’ll find her aligned with brands like K18 Hair, Mane Ivy, Dom Dom, Unite Hair, Modern Foil, and Molly Vie — collaborations rooted in shared standards of excellence and innovation.
What makes Taya exceptional is not just what she teaches, but how she inspires confidence through mastery.
Today, we get to sit with an educator, an artist, and a woman who has built her name through education, signature technique, and a distinct creative eye that continues to influence stylists around the world.
Follow her on instagram
https://www.instagram.com/taya.hair?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Taya’s education platform
tayahair.com/club-stylist
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1 hr 4 min
The Beauty Industry: Why the inability to do what’s right for our business is hurting us.
Season 1, Episode 5
Show notes
Elijah and Misty explore a hard topic - why there’s so much uncertainty in a seemingly abundant industry. And why the inability to make sound decisions, when it comes to our career path, is hurting us in the long run. Are we really exploring all that the beauty industry has to offer us? Are we fully taking advantage of its diverse pathways? Or are we blindly following someone else’s path? This episode will make you think about your journey in the beauty industry and inspire you to explore or double down in your endeavors.
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55 min
The Pivot. Why welcoming change is only the beginning.
Season 1, Episode 4
Show notes
On this episode of Almost Effortless, Elijah and Misty discuss the buzzword “Pivot” and what it means to embrace change.
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45 min
Imposter Syndrome: Why success still feels like you’re faking it and how to navigate it.
Episode 3
Show notes
Imposter Syndrome is something almost every entrepreneur, creative, and leader experiences, yet very few people talk about it honestly. In this episode, we unpack the quiet doubts that show up when you’re building something meaningful… The feeling that you are not qualified enough, not ready enough, or somehow “faking it” despite the work you’ve done. We talk about where imposter syndrome comes from, why it tends to surface during growth, and how learning to move through it is a part of the process of becoming who you are meant to be.
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1 hr 31 min
Exploring your origins and unearthing your purpose with Misty & Elijah
Episode 2
Show notes
On this episode of Almost Effortless, Elijah and Misty dive into their origin stories, tracing how the past informs the present, how reflection creates clarity for the road ahead, and how purpose emerges in the pursuit of a deeply fulfilling life.
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25 min
Too Much, Too Fast, and our WHY. Bonus
Episode 1
Show notes
This first episode is a candid conversation about why we started Almost Effortless. We share our perspectives on work, growth, and what it means to build something meaningful without burnout. No formulas, no hype, just an honest starting point for the conversations ahead.
Almost Effortless is a podcast for entrepreneurs having real conversations about work, creativity, and life — without the performance.
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