On this episode of Nightmare Success, I sat down with Kristin Kline. Her story hits hard. She was a successful salon owner, living what looked like a great life. But behind the scenes, things were unraveling. She got caught up in a federal case involving insurance fraud, and it landed her in federal prison.
Kristin’s fall was fast and public. She went from mom, wife, and business owner to inmate almost overnight. The hardest part, she told me, was the shame. She felt like she had let everyone down. Her kids. Her husband. Her community. But she didn’t stay broken.
In prison, Kristin made a decision. No more excuses. She was going to own her story and rebuild from the ground up. She used her time to reflect, read, and think. She made a plan. And when she walked out those gates, she stuck to it.
Kristin didn’t just return to the beauty industry. She built a new business model. She founded a mobile salon service that brings hair and makeup to people who can’t get to a salon—like elderly clients, people with disabilities, and even women in domestic violence shelters. She told me the idea came from thinking about how to serve others, not just survive.
Her comeback wasn’t easy. She had to fight to regain trust. She had to push through the doubts, the rejections, and the whispers. But she kept showing up. Day after day. Appointment after appointment. She proved her worth with action, not words.
Now Kristin mentors other women coming out of prison. She teaches them how to start fresh, how to find work, and how to believe in themselves again. She told me, “Your worst moment doesn’t define your life unless you let it.” That stuck with me.
There’s a lot to learn from Kristin’s story. She didn’t wait for someone to rescue her. She didn’t ask for sympathy. She took responsibility, learned from her mistakes, and built something better on the other side.
If you’re facing something hard, if you feel stuck, if you think your past is holding you back, this episode is for you. Kristin lays it all out—what prison was like, how she kept her family together, and how she turned one of the lowest points in her life into a reason to rise.
Her story is raw, real, and full of practical wisdom. Listen to this episode. It might give you the push you need to move forward. No excuses. Just action. Search for Nightmare Success wherever you get your podcasts.