One Day at a Time: Kati Whitledge on Change, Routine & Building MYA

Heather sits down with Kati Whitledge — entrepreneur, author, podcaster, and founder & CEO of MYA — for a conversation that moves from cold, hard business numbers straight into one of the most honest personal stories the show has featured. Kati spent 16 years as a salon owner before recently selling the business, and built MYA out of a problem she saw firsthand behind her own chair: getting the right client in front of the right stylist is the single biggest lever for retention, referrals, and revenue. MYA has since helped beauty professionals generate more than $38 million in revenue for its partner salons, spas, and med spas — Heather and Kati dig into the real mechanics of how it works, including live case-study numbers from real salons. Kati is also the author of From First Date to Forever and hosts Beyond the Technique, her own podcast with more than 700 episodes since 2016. Partway through, the conversation turns personal. Kati opens up about her recovery from addiction — including food addiction, which she calls "the friend that never let me down... until it wasn't a good friend to me" — and the daily, non-negotiable routine that keeps her grounded: faith, structure, and a philosophy of taking life one day at a time rather than trying to white-knuckle forever. This episode covers: •⁠ ⁠How MYA's matchmaking technology works — from lead magnet to booking to automated retention •⁠ ⁠Real numbers: cost-per-lead, conversion, and a case study of a salon that went from 15 leads a day to 35 in a single day •⁠ ⁠What it actually took to leave 16 years behind the chair and bet everything on a tech platform •⁠ ⁠Kati's recovery story, and the daily non-negotiables that keep her steady •⁠ ⁠Why "regimented" isn't the same as "rigid" — and how routine becomes freedom 🌐 MYA: www.joinmya.com 📸 MYA Instagram:   / join_mya   📸 Beyond the Technique Instagram:   / beyondthetechnique   Follow Kati: 📸 Instagram:   / katiwhitledge   Branding and consistency are everything. Let Spark do the work for you—from setup to weekly execution. 👉 Talk to Spark » Spark Pro Global – sparkprosalon.com Spark Links: 📸 Instagram: @sparkproglobal —   / sparkproglobal   🔗 LinkedIn: Spark Pro Global —   / spark-pro-global   Heather’s Instagram: 📸 @heather.tantrumsalon —   / heather.tantrumsalon