She Built a Business for Freedom. Then Cancer Tested It. With Guest: Elma Siljkovic
About this episode
Elma Siljkovic shares her journey of building a sustainable salon business and how it supported her during her cancer treatment.
In this episode, David sits down with former Destroy The Hairdresser student Elma Siljkovic, owner of Queen of Swords in Brooklyn, to share one of the most powerful stories we've ever featured on the podcast. After building a salon around systems, trust, and sustainability instead of hustle, Elma was faced with an unimaginable challenge: a cancer diagnosis. Because her business wasn't built to depend entirely on her, she was able to step away, focus on treatment, and give herself the space to heal without watching everything she had worked for fall apart. This conversation isn't just about salon ownership. It's about building a business that supports your life during the best moments—and the hardest ones. Elma shares how rethinking the traditional salon model gave her the freedom to prioritize her health, trust her team, and return stronger than ever. Whether you're behind the chair every day or leading a growing team, this episode is a reminder that the most successful businesses aren't the ones that demand everything from you—they're the ones that give something back when you need it most.
More episodes of Destroy The Hairdresser
- The Call Is Coming From Inside the Industry
- The Proof Is in the Profit
- The Weirder the Salon, the Better the Business with Guest Katya Yoshida
- Nobody Cares About Your Views
- The Hairdresser's Confidence Gap
- Your stylist accepted a new job. They weren't kidnapped.
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