242: Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Franchising with Sit Still Salon

Call Me CEO: Moms Building Businesses, a Woman's guide to Balancing it All

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Amy Leclerc's journey from the glossy world of New York fashion publishing to franchise co-owner of Sit Still, a revolutionary children's hair salon concept, is a masterclass in career reinvention and entrepreneurial vision.
"I joke that every year it was a different apartment, a different job, a different boyfriend," Amy laughs, painting a vivid picture of her early New York career—a real-life "Devil Wears Prada" experience that taught her invaluable lessons about taking big swings in business. When motherhood brought her back to the Pacific Northwest, she spotted untapped potential during her son's first haircut at a local children's salon called Sit Still. The experience was unlike the primary-colored, cartoon-filled environments typically aimed at children: "Unlike the doctor's office or daycare, it was so cool... there was a retail shop selling Moroccan oil, irreverent t-shirts, temporary tattoos." That moment of discovery planted the seed for her next entrepreneurial chapter.
Drawing from her experience scaling Bar 3 fitness studios from a small operation to over 150 locations nationwide, Amy approached Sit Still's founder with a vision for national expansion. She shares candid insights about what makes franchising work: "Franchising at its best should feel like paint by numbers." This means creating detailed playbooks covering everything from training protocols to bathroom amenities—all the elements that create a consistent brand experience while allowing for local market adaptation.
Perhaps most compelling is Amy's philosophy on reimagining success as a working mother. Describing herself as "unemployable," she's designed a career that allows her to "play around with the Legos that are my schedule" to be present during her children's pivotal moments. "When your kids embark on middle school, high school... that's the time to be present. That is when the stakes are higher." Her story proves that entrepreneurship can create the freedom to align business success with personal values—a powerful reminder that we can design careers that serve our lives rather than the other way around.
Ready to reimagine what success looks like on your own terms? Amy's journey will inspire you to take those big swings while staying true to what matters most.

Resources:

Sit Still Kids: https://sitstillkids.com/

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5-Minute Meditations for Kids Podcast

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Chapters

1. 242: Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Franchising with Sit Still Salon (00:00:00)

2. Amy's Journey from NYC to Sit Still (00:00:12)

3. New York Beginnings and Baptism by Fire (00:05:45)

4. Building Business While Raising Children (00:09:05)

5. The Art of Authentic Sales (00:12:42)

6. Learning from Business Partnership Failures (00:18:05)

7. Creating the Sit Still Experience (00:21:32)

8. Franchising a Business: The Playbook (00:26:37)

9. Reimagining Success as a Working Mother (00:32:20)

10. When Kindness Defines Success (00:40:35)