How Passion Built a Thriving Beauty Business

Summary

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Living Your Legacy – Episode Summary

Podcast Title: Living Your Legacy
Episode Title: How Passion Built a Thriving Beauty Business
Host: Rudy Mawer (guest interviewer: Rio Gutierrez)
Guest: Bethany Catalfamo, owner of Lotus Den Hair Studio & Gentleman's Den Barbershop
Release Date: July 6, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the journey of Bethany Catalfamo—a passionate hairstylist and entrepreneur—as she shares how her love for hair and empowering others built a successful, community-rooted business. Bethany delves into the realities of entrepreneurship, her studio’s unique culture, and the importance of leading with passion instead of chasing profits. The conversation offers both inspiration and practical insight for aspiring entrepreneurs, beauty professionals, and anyone seeking to leave their own legacy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Passion as the Foundation of Success

Bethany’s driving force is her deep passion for hairstyling and people.

• Staying Hands-On:

  • Unlike many salon owners, Bethany chooses to remain actively behind the chair, working directly with clients and mentoring new stylists.
  • “I'm behind the chair a lot. A lot of owners aren't necessarily behind the chair like I am, but that's what really started this whole thing: loving working with people and transforming them.” (02:12, Bethany)

• Mentorship & Training:

  • Finds fulfillment in teaching new stylists and helping them avoid the “mistakes I had to learn the hard way” (02:40, Bethany).
  • “It’s been cool to train people from the ground up. And them not have to make the same mistakes I had to make…” (02:40, Bethany)

2. Creating Culture and Welcoming Spaces

Bethany attributes her business’s appeal to a vibrant, inclusive culture.

• Warm Environment:

  • “Our entire shop...has a really, really great culture. People always comment on our reviews...feeling very welcomed...the energy and the vibe and feeling accepted as they are, not having to change in order to come into our establishment.” (04:56, Bethany)
  • Even amidst “hustle and bustle...it can be loud and chaotic...all our clients really enjoy the experience.” (04:56, Bethany)

• Empowering Clients:

  • Enjoys helping clients “embrace their natural beauty,” especially those who have struggled with their hair for years.
  • “It’s really fun to be able to show them how to embrace their natural beauty...and then coming to life right there in our chair.” (03:58 & 04:21, Bethany)

3. Beauty Advice, Tips, and Authenticity

Bethany keeps her advice real and rooted in experience.

• Curly Hair Wisdom:

  • “Product, product, product. You can’t do curly without product.” (05:40, Bethany)
  • Navigating climate challenges—from Miami humidity to the West Coast—requires adapting routines and being practical about haircare.

• Serving a Diverse Clientele:

  • Lotus Den attracts a range of clients—regulars, newcomers, and especially “a lot of curly hair that comes in; a lot of texture.” (07:49, Bethany)
  • Many customers are “new transplants” from different regions, appreciating the salon’s expertise for various hair types.

4. The Reality of Entrepreneurship

Bethany is candid about the ups and downs of starting and sustaining a business.

• Risk and Resilience:

  • “A lot of salons in my area and over the years...have gone away. They haven't survived, so it's not always glamorous, not always profitable. There's a lot of investment, there's a lot of sacrifice...and there’s no guarantees.” (08:21, Bethany)
  • “Everything's a little bit of a risk. But I feel very passionate about having a passion behind your drive—that's what drives me every day, whether it’s doing amazing or struggling.” (08:21, Bethany)

• Money vs. Passion:

  • “Chasing money is not going to be successful...when you’re passionate and driven and do it full heartedly, I feel like the money comes.” (10:03, Bethany)

5. The Source of Drive and Motivation

Bethany reflects on her personal drive and encourages self-discovery.

• Innate Drive:
  • "I have found that I've been driven since I was very young. People don’t wake up one day and have a drive; you’re usually kind of wired that way. Sometimes I'm like too driven.” (09:09 & 09:33, Bethany)
• Advice to the Hesitant:
  • “You have to have the passion behind the drive...I don't see too much of a drive without some kind of passion.” (09:57, Bethany)

6. Personal Background and Energy

The episode closes with lighter banter about heritage and household energy.

• Cultural Blend & Household:
  • Bethany: “My husband is full Sicilian.” Bethany’s own roots are a mix of “English, Irish, German, Scottish, Welsh, Swedish, Spanish.” (10:35 & 10:44, Bethany)
  • The household is “very energetic...It’s loud...We have a lot of passion in our home.” (11:02, Bethany)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On passion and success:
  “I feel like having a passion behind your drive...that’s what drives me every day to just keep going, whether it’s doing amazing or struggling.” (08:21, Bethany)

• On passion vs. profit:
  “Chasing money is not going to be successful...when you’re passionate and driven and do it full heartedly, I feel like the money comes.” (10:03, Bethany)

• On transformation:
  “It’s really fun to be able to take somebody that...has spent their whole life dealing with hair they hate...and then coming to life right there in our chair.” (04:15–04:21, Bethany)

• On drive:
  “People don’t wake up one day and have a drive; you’re usually wired that way.” (09:33, Bethany)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Passion for Hairstyling & Mentoring: 02:12–02:52
• Creating a Welcoming Culture: 04:56–05:27
• Advice for Curly Hair & Product Talk: 05:40–06:31
• Diverse Clientele & Online Presence: 06:33–07:49
• Entrepreneurship, Risks, and Sacrifice: 08:21–09:09
• Drive, Background, and Family Energy: 09:09–11:17
• Social Links & Final Thoughts: 11:52–12:12

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Find Bethany Catalfamo

• Salon Instagram: @lotusdenhair
• Personal Instagram: @stylist.bethany

Bethany: “I'm always happy to...direct or guide the best that I know. But it's just what I've learned over the years.” (11:56, Bethany)

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For listeners and dreamers:
Bethany’s story reminds us that building a legacy means leaning into your passions, creating an authentic and welcoming space, and embracing the messy, unpredictable journey of entrepreneurship. Let “passion behind your drive” be your North Star.

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Transcript

[Bethany Catalfamo]

I'm super passionate about, like, what I do. I love doing hair. I'm behind the chair a lot. A lot of owners aren't necessarily behind the chair like I am, but.

[Narrator]

Bethany Catalfamo is a hairstylist, entrepreneur and the owner of Lotus Den Hair Studio and the Gentleman's Den Barbershop. Through her work, she helps clients embrace their unique style while creating welcoming spaces built on creativity, confidence, and connection.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Our entire shop has like a really, really great culture. It's really fun to be able to take somebody that spent their whole life dealing with ha. Hate chasing money is not going to be successful. A lot of salons in my area and over the years that I've been in business have gone away. It's not always like glamorous, not always profitable, and there's no guarantees either. But I feel like having

[Interviewer Assistant]

it spans the globe like a super high cold Internet Elvis Pres. Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone. It's not over until I win. The Living your Legacy podcast for those who live to leave a legacy that's extraordinary. The impossible has happened. Oh, that is sensational. Jordan Open Chicago was the lead. You said Paul is the fastest man on the planet. You can live your dream.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Welcome back to another episode of the Living youg Legacy podcast. For Inside Success. I am Rio Gutierrez. Joining me today is Bethany Bethany Catalfamo. How do you pronounce that last name?

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Honey again? Catalphema.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Welcome to Miami and welcome. We're about to film your episode for Women in Power. What are we going to learn about you, Beth Ani.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

I feel like my, like what brought me to this point in business and life and kind of the ups and downs and challenges and wins and whatnot that brought me to the place I am today.

[Rio Gutierrez]

I want to call it a hair salon hairdresser, but almost feel like this is your domain, your. Your, your palace. What is your current day to day hustle? What's getting you out of bed? What's your North Star?

[Bethany Catalfamo]

I'm super passionate about, like, what I do. I love doing hair. Awesome. I'm behind the chair a lot. A lot of owners aren't necessarily behind the chair like I am, but that's what really started this whole thing is loving, you know, working with people and transforming them and then taking on new stylists that would like to achieve, you know, being able to do the same.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Sure.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

And teaching them everything I've learned the hard way. Mistakes. Oh, yeah. All the things. It's been cool to like, train people from ground up. And them not have to make the same mistakes I had to make to learn the hard way.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Right on. It's funny you mentioned the hair salon, because when Rudy and I developed the whole Q system, the whole operations that we have here at Inside Success, I say we have to run out of hair salon. You got to have a waiting room, you got to have a queue system. While someone's getting their hair washed over here or taking photos, someone's doing a podcast over there. And we just basically streamline this process. We have our morning shifts or afternoon shifts. We have our operators. So I rerun, like, a hair salon or a tattoo shop. So welcome to the magic of Inside Success. Tell me about sitting behind the chair. Like, it's. It's a little bit of artistry, a lot of therapy. Like, what. What are some amazing stories that you can share that really inspire you and kind of give you the affirmation that you're on the right path?

[Bethany Catalfamo]

I mean, yeah, the clients that we deal with, or it's probably not the best word to use, but being the clients that we get to interact with.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Sure.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

And then the stylists that we bring in and train, I feel like it's kind of similar where the clients that we bring in, they have no clue how to, like, enhance what they already have going on.

[Rio Gutierrez]

I love that.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Like, literally clueless. So it's really fun to be able to, like, show them how to embrace their natural beauty. Yeah. And it's like, it's really fun to be able to take somebody that, you know, sometimes has spent their whole life dealing with hair they hate.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Yeah.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

And don't know what to do with. To, like me.

[Rio Gutierrez]

I hate my hair.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Teaching them how to, like, manage that and then coming to life right there in our chair.

[Rio Gutierrez]

That's amazing.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Super fun.

[Rio Gutierrez]

It's transformational, I'm sure.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Totally.

[Rio Gutierrez]

I gotta ask. I'm on Reddit and the Miami subreddit is hilarious. Finding a good barbershop is impossible because everyone's got their. Their. Their selfie ring and they're shooting content and everyone's got the Cuban smack. It's not the environment that I want to be in. Yes.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Here.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Miami. Only in Miami, of course. What environment do you create? Are you content creating with your. With your. Your clients, or is it an intimate, like, moment? Like, what is your culture like?

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Yeah, our entire shop, it has, like, a really, really great culture. People always comment on our reviews and whatnot. I'm just feeling very welcomed. It's very busy. There's a lot of hustle and Bustle. So it can be loud and chaotic. But all of our clients that come in really enjoy the experience that they have and just the energy and the vibe and feeling welcomed and accepted as they are not having to change in order to come into our establishment.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Right on, right on. From one curly hair to another. Curly hair. What are some of your secrets? Not just for curly hair, but for.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Just for.

[Rio Gutierrez]

For beauty tips, like some affirmations, journaling, cold showers in the morning. What. What is your routine?

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Product, Product.

[Interviewer Assistant]

Product.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

A lot of product. You can't do curly without product.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Yeah, no, I know.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

There's no two ways about that.

[Interviewer Assistant]

Yeah.

[Rio Gutierrez]

With curly hair, it's. I just had to learn the hard way with LA looks. I was just like globbing it on there.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Yeah. In the day 90s.

[Interviewer Assistant]

Yeah.

[Rio Gutierrez]

But the thing is, it's like, it's Miami humidity, so it just grows up.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Like Kramer, this has been a little challenging for us here.

[Rio Gutierrez]

I know. Well, I'll go into Miami. No. Yeah, it's going to just go. Start showing up.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

We're discussing, like, what we would do if we lived here. And she commented on, like, I don't think I have banks here. Like, that's not. It doesn't really, like, work.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Yeah, no, just like, bang up. Yeah, totally.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

So, yeah, lots of slick buns. You know, like, it's different. I mean, anywhere you go, you're going to have different results of your hair. So where we live, we. We live by the beach. Similar. West coast.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Not the same.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

No.

[Rio Gutierrez]

I lived in the bay for a year. It's. I mean, for 10 years. It's not the same.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

It's different. Yeah, in a good way, it's different. I mean, it's. I love it here, but yeah, it's different from where we are from. But for teaching people, we have a lot of people that move to our area that visit. We're one. One of the first places I think that they see really? Or come visit. Yeah, we have a really great online presence. So we bring a lot of, like, new people from the area, which is cool. But, you know, they're like coming from anywhere. From Colorado, which is dry, to, you know, Bay Area. I mean, all over the place.

[Rio Gutierrez]

That's amazing.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

So a lot of new transplant star area. And it's kind of fun to be like, they're like, oh, they say it's more humid where we are.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Wow.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Which is interesting because clearly they have a menu.

[Rio Gutierrez]

What is your common, like, client? Are they looking for, like a transformation or is it just like simple haircuts like, what is your.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

I mean, it varies. I feel like it. I mean, we have a lot of regulars that come in and just trust us and we do our thing and, you know, they just are good with that. But we have a lot of people kind of just checking out, you know, like, what we're about. So I feel like it varies. We get a lot of curly hair that comes in a lot of texture, shall we say?

[Rio Gutierrez]

We'll say texture for sure.

[Interviewer Assistant]

Yeah.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Which is kind of fun for us to work with, especially having curly hair myself. Like, I've learned a lot, you know, just having it for the years I've been on this earth. So it's kind of fun to kind of, like, share that with new guests that don't know what to do with their hair.

[Rio Gutierrez]

What do you tell folks that are watching and are like, well, I'm a lot like her. I'm thinking about opening up my own place or, you know, taking lessons from you or showing off your tattoos. Like, what. What. What advice would you give to someone that is on the fence about taking the leap that you just did?

[Bethany Catalfamo]

It's exciting. It's an adventure. It's. There's ups and downs. I mean, a lot of salons in my area and over the years that I've been in business have gone away, you know, like, they. They haven't survived it. So it's not always, like, glamorous. It's not always. When it's not always profitable. I mean, there's a lot of investment. There's a lot of sacrifice that it takes, and there's no guarantees either. So I think everything's a little bit of a risk. But I feel, like, very passionate about having a passion behind your drive. And I think that's what drives me every day to just keep going, whether it's doing amazing or it's struggling, you

[Rio Gutierrez]

know, what are we going to learn about you and your in your Women in Power episode that we're about to film? Give us a preview.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Well, it was kind of interesting, filling out all, you know, the questions and stuff. Just kind of even learning a little bit more about myself and my upbringing. How, you know, different things have affected how I am today, how I think how I, you know, am driven. I have found that I've been driven since I was very young.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Usually works out that way.

[Interviewer Assistant]

Yeah.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

As I, like, look back, I mean, I kind of always knew that, but it's like, wow. Yeah, it always was kind of there. You know, it's like, I just feel like people don't Wake up one day and like I have a drive. Like you're, you're, you're usually kind of wired that way. You know, sometimes I'm like too driven.

[Interviewer Assistant]

Sure.

[Rio Gutierrez]

No, same. What do you tell the folks that don't understand that you know that they don't have that drive, do they? Are they born with it? Do you need to find it? Like what, what advice would you give them?

[Bethany Catalfamo]

I mean again I'd say the same thing. Like you have to have the passion behind the drive.

[Interviewer Assistant]

Yeah.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

There's.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Sure.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

You just. I don't, I don't see too much of a drive without some kind of passion. And I also think chasing money is not going to be successful, you know. So I feel like that comes when you're passion. Passionate and you are driven and you really like just do it full heartedly. I feel like the money comes, you know, and being diligent with that in the good and the bad times.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Very cool. 111 nice. Your last name, where is it from?

[Bethany Catalfamo]

My husband is full Sicilian.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Oh, where are you from?

[Bethany Catalfamo]

California. Yeah.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Well by me. But your background, you're just.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

I'm an English, Irish, German, Scottish, Welsh, Swedish, Spanish.

[Rio Gutierrez]

I love, I love this mix. Yeah. Talk. But you have that natural passion because it's in your blood. And now your partner actually obviously it's also in that blood. What's the household like? Is it energetic? Is it, is it, what's it like?

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Very energetic.

[Narrator]

Great.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

There's. It's loud. Yeah. My. We have a lot of passion in our home. Oh yeah.

[Rio Gutierrez]

I'm Cuban, so a lot of people are like Ray, are you yelling? Like no, I'm just talking. They're just a thing.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

That's the thing. It's like. Yeah. My, my mother in law used to say my husband was, when he would get upset or whatever that he was just passionate and I was like, oh, that's a very nice way of saying

[Rio Gutierrez]

he's just very passion. It's kind of emotional.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Emotional, Exactly. Yeah.

[Rio Gutierrez]

I'm 40 now, so I'm just kind of learning now how to the mental maturity of like you don't always have to speak up. Right. You'll see a lot more without speaking up. So. So that's why I'm like oh. With the last theme like that and your energy I'm like there's got to be more to the story. So I'm glad I, I tracked it down. Where can folks find you and learn more about you?

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Our salon is Lotus Den Hair on Instagram.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Cool.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

But then mine is stylus. Bethany is my personal, um. Yeah, I. I'm always happy to people reach out and I'm always happy to kind of direct or guide the best that I know. But it's just what I've learned over the years.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Right on.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Well, Bethany, I love sharing.

[Rio Gutierrez]

Awesome. Well, we're. I'm eager to learn more. We're going to film your episode now. Moments away. Welcome to the east coast.

[Bethany Catalfamo]

Thank you.

[Rio Gutierrez]

I know. You are three years in the future.

[Interviewer Assistant]

Woo.

[Rio Gutierrez]

We're in the future. And with that, this is Bethany. I am rigatiers. And we are inside success.