Grow My Salon Business Podcast

Latest Episodes:

157 What Does It Really Look Like to Be Part of a Team Culture? with Antony Whitaker Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

“It’s easier to prevent a problem from happening in the first place than to try and solve it once it’s happening.”

Team culture is established whether you consciously create it or not, so to ensure that you and your team members are on the same page and thus avoid conflict down the line, the best time to establish a culture within your business is at the very beginning. Although this isn’t an easy task, it is certainly worth it!

In this episode, we discuss:

How to create a healthy team culture within your salon.
The importance of consistency.
Resources that will help you successfully establish a team culture.

And more!

In this Episode:

[01:09] How to leave a review for the podcast (which we would greatly appreciate!).

[01:32] The email that inspired today’s episode.

[03:20] When a business culture should be established.

[04:19] How to establish a culture within your business.

[07:48] The importance of consistency in building a team culture (even though it’s hard!).

[10:08] What you need to accept if you want to change the culture in an established business.

[10:51] An overview of the four ways to prevent workplace conflict relating to culture.

[15:47] The benefits of building a healthy business culture.

[16:20] Resources that can help you along your journey of establishing a culture within your salon!

Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.

I also love to hear what’s been helpful and what you love about the podcast! Just click here to review, scroll to the bottom, tap “Ratings and Reviews” tap to rate with 5 stars and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favourite part of the podcast is. Thank you for your support! Until next time! Antony

Links and Resources:

Grow My Salon Business

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Grow Resources

Grow 2: Management | Grow 3: Team | Grow Management: Online Course

156 This Could Be the Business Model for You with Blake Reed Evans Aug 30, 2022

Show notes

As a former salon owner and business coach, I am very aware of the ever-evolving business models in the industry and the challenges that these create for some people.

I have often thought about why more salons haven’t tried to grow in the same ways that law firms, accountancy firms, and architecture firms do; by having a partnership model that not only creates a career path and profit sharing for the partners but also allows the company to keep growing.

My guest on today's episode is Blake Evans from Shear Art Salon in Tampa, Florida. Not only do they have a very impressive partnership model, but Blake is happy for me to dig in and ask exactly how it works.

So, in today’s podcast, we will discuss:

How do you decide who will be invited into the partnership program?
How do they buy into the partnership?
How is their shareholding valued?
What happens when partners want to sell their shares?

And lots more!

In this Episode:

[03:08] An overview of Blake’s transition from marketing student to hairdresser.

[06:02] Blake’s advice for finding the right salon for you, and why he chose Shear Art.

[08:36] The evolution of Blake’s career at Shear Art, from assistant to owner.

[11:21] Benefits of a partnership model.

[13:26] Factors that drove the founder of Shear Art to implement a partnership/shareholder model in the salon.

[19:00] What Blake loves about the shareholder model at Shear Art.

[21:11] Blake explains how an employee can become a partner at Shear Art.

[25:53] The different investment options that incoming partners can choose between.

[31:43] Examples of the different roles that are held by Shear Art shareholders.

[34:30] How Blake’s marketing background has impacted the way he does business.

[37:13] Blake explains how partners are paid.

[41:53] How Shear Art shares are valued.

[46:33] Some of the clauses in the Shear Art shareholder contract.

[50:32] Blake shares some examples of how decisions are made in Shear Art’s partnership/shareholder model.

[54:34] The challenges of a partnership/shareholder model.

[1:00:21] Final words of wisdom from Blake about living in an ever-evolving world!

Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated!

They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.

Special thanks to Blake for sharing his insights with me for this week’s episode. Until next time!

Antony

Links and Resources:

Grow My Salon Business

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Shear Art Salon

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Blake Reed Evans

Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Email

155 The Importance of Embracing Change In An Ever-Evolving Industry with Mia De Vries Aug 23, 2022

Show notes

There are a lot of people that will talk about how tough the past couple of years have been, and rightly so in many cases.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 40 years in this industry it is that to succeed you have to continually evolve. You can’t stand still and dine out on yesterday’s glories and you can’t be afraid to continually reinvent and evolve your business…

My guest today very much shares those sentiments. Her name is Mia De Vries, and amongst other things, she is a salon owner, business coach, and founder of ‘The Secret Fox’ online education company.

In today’s podcast, we will discuss:

No longer working Saturdays and embracing a 4 day work week.
The importance of finding life and business balance
Motivation and people management

And lots more!

In this Episode:

[02:27] Mia shares an overview of her business and personal life.

[04:54] Business “meltdowns” that Mia has experienced and the biggest lesson that she learned from them.

[09:11] Mia’s joy-seeking approach to business.

[10:44] Factors that influenced Mia’s decision to close her salon on Saturdays, and how she subsequently restructured her employee’s working hours.

[16:06] What Mia believes to be the secret to successfully stepping away from the chair without losing clients.

[18:43] Additional ways that Mia has cultivated a flexible culture in her salon.

[20:29] Reasons for the big renovation that Mia’s salon recently underwent, and the various other changes that have accompanied this.

[25:20] A story that epitomizes the special relationships that hairdressers can develop with their clients.

[30:38] The characteristics that Mia believes have been foundational to her success.

[31:36] Offerings that are available via Mia’s online education company, The Secret Fox (and the inspiration behind the founding of the company).

[36:23] Mia’s thoughts about the influence of social media in the hairdressing and hair education space.

[47:47] Mia’s approach to improving productivity and dealing with conflict in her salon.

[57:19] A discussion about all things financial in The Fox & The Hair Salon.

[1:01:00] Reasons why The Fox & The Hair hasn’t been affected by the shift away from traditional salon business models.

[1:03:27] What Mia wishes she was better at.

[1:05:59] The value in asking for help.

Links and Resources:

Grow My Salon Business

Website | Facebook | Instagram

The Fox & The Hair

Instagram | Facebook

The Secret Fox

Website | Instagram | Facebook

154 Pushing the Boundaries of What It Means To Be a Successful Hairstylist with John Vial Aug 16, 2022

Show notes

My guest on today's podcast is London-based hairdresser, salon owner, editorial stylist, product developer, and general hairdressing visionary John Vial.

As you are about to discover, John has been involved in many areas of the hair and beauty business and continues to inspire at many levels across the industry.

In today’s podcast we will discuss:

The TV make-over show ‘10 Years Younger in 10 Days’
John’s TED Talk
The challenges with salon ownership and the industry today
Developing a product line with a difference…

And lots more!

In this Episode:

[02:37] John shares the origins of his salon industry career.

[06:23] The transformative power of hairdressing (in more than just the physical sense).

[08:51] 10 Years Younger in 10 Days; the enormous popularity of the TV makeover show that John is involved with.

[11:24] The evolution of John’s upcoming sustainable product range (the focus of his first TED talk).

[14:11] A brief overview of how blockchain works, and its benefits.

[18:22] John shares what led him to become an editorial stylist.

[20:55] The role that John played in changing perceptions around men’s hairdressing.

[24:16] John’s thoughts on trends.

[29:44] Examples of some hairdressing suitability rules that shouldn’t be broken.

[30:55] The ultimate goal of hairdressing.

[33:51] What it takes to be successful, according to John.

[38:25] Major insecurities that John struggled with, and the invaluable lesson that he has learned through (almost) 12 years of sobriety.

[41:47] Two reasons why the hairdressing industry is in freefall.

[49:01] How John keeps himself inspired.

[51:04] What John sees as his biggest strength, and what he wishes he was better at.

Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated!

They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.

Antony

Links and Resources:

Grow My Salon Business

Website | Facebook | Instagram

John Vial

10 Years Younger

Salon Sloane

Tim Blanks

153 Why Job Titles Matter with Antony Whitaker Aug 09, 2022

Show notes

Think carefully about the titles that you use to refer to people because everything has a meaning attached to it. Some titles are empowering, while others could be considered demeaning.A listener recently ask me why I use the term “client” instead of “guest” and “hairdresser/stylist” instead of “artist.” So, in response to that question, today’s episode is dedicated to titles.

Whether they are for the people on your team or for those who frequent your business, titles really do matter!

In this Episode:

[00:45] The question that inspired today’s episode.

[01:30] Examples of how terminology differs between countries.

[02:05] The broadly accepted definition of customer.

[02:23] Percentage splits in the responses to my online survery about whether salon owners use the term client, guest, or customer.

[03:09] Factors that influence terminology used in salons.

[03:49] Why I use the term ‘client’ rather than ‘guest’ (or ‘customer’).

[05:08] Why I refer to hairdressers as ‘stylists’ rather than ‘artists.’

[06:45] My preference for the term ‘assistant’ over ‘junior’.

[08:11] Examples of how titles can be used to elevate a position within a salon.

[10:01] An overview of why titles are important.

[10:30] The winner of the Most Fun Title Award (if there was one!).

Until next time!Antony

Links and Resources:

Grow My Salon Business

Website | Facebook | Instagram

152 Paying the ‘Profit First’ with Ronit Enos Aug 02, 2022

Show notes

The sustainability of a business is dependent on profit, yet many businesses operate on a tiny profit margin. Ultimately, that is why only a very small percentage of small businesses reach their 10th birthday.

Most business failures can be attributed to a lack of financial awareness and understanding of how to manage finances. Too many salon owners operate on the basis of “work hard, pay my bills, and what's left over is profit.”

However, that way of thinking is fundamentally flawed because, in case you haven’t noticed, there is usually very little left over!

So instead of the traditional accounting method of ‘Sales minus expenses equals profit,’ we should be turning this on its head and running businesses on the ‘Profit First’ principle; ‘Sales minus profit equals expenses.’

If you’re confused, stick around because my guest on today's podcast is Ronit Enos, Author of the book ‘Profit First for Salons.’

In today’s podcast, we discuss:

Profit margins in salons today
The steps to increasing profitability
The ‘Profit First for Salons’ book…

And lots more!

For full show notes, links and resources mentioned visit: https://growmysalonbusiness.com/podcast/152/

Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated!

They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast. I also love to hear what’s been helpful and what you love about the podcast!

Just click here to review, scroll to the bottom, tap “Ratings and Reviews” tap to rate with 5 stars and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favourite part of the podcast is. Thank you for your support!

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show to get automatic updates.

Got a question you want answered on the podcast? DM me your question over on Instagram or just come on over to connect at: https://www.instagram.com/growmysalonbusiness/

151 What does it take to build a successful independent cutting education company? with Ben Brown Jul 26, 2022

Show notes

Over the last 20 years, salon hair fashion has predominantly been focused on colour and styling, whereas the ’60s to the ’90s were the era of the haircut.

Many young hairdressers today are terrified about the thought of ‘cutting’ unless it's taking the ends off long hair and many salon owners say that they just can’t find stylists who have the technical and creative skills to cut hair well.

My guest on today's Podcast is Ben Brown, who has built a very successful cutting education company and although based in the UK, works in many countries teaching the art and science of what makes a great haircut.

In today’s podcast we discuss:

Why opening a salon isn’t for everyone
Starting an online education company
Teaching technique and suitability

And lots more!

For full show notes, links and resources mentioned visit: https://growmysalonbusiness.com/podcast/151/

Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated!

They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast. I also love to hear what’s been helpful and what you love about the podcast!

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show to get automatic updates. Got a question you want answered on the podcast? DM me your question over on Instagram or just come on over to connect at:

https://www.instagram.com/growmysalonbusiness/

150 What is Freedom and How Do We Balance That with Running a Profitable Business? with Antony Whitaker. Jul 19, 2022

Show notes

Regardless of what business you are in, the challenge every business owner faces is that of constantly adapting and evolving to the changes in the world we live in.

Whether it’s the demands for more flexibility from today's workforce, or the pressures of inflation and the rising costs of living and doing business, the fact remains that being in business isn’t easy, and to succeed you need to constantly evolve.

And therein lies the challenge. How do you build in more freedom, flexibility, and autonomy for your team?

And how do you balance that with running a viable and profitable business?

In this Episode:

[00:54] Why I recommend watching WeCrashed.

[01:14] The question that inspired today’s episode.

[02:13] Important realizations that many people have come to as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[04:08] The tradeoff between income and freedom.

[04:27] Changes that many stylists made to their way of working during the pandemic.

[05:22] A few different definitions of freedom in relation to the salon industry.

[08:04] Comparing the trajectory of the salon industry in relation to other industries.

[09:13] The importance of treading cautiously when implementing change.

[10:27] Factors that make the salon industry ideal for disruption.

[11:19] 30: the number of hours a week being worked by over 60% of hair and beauty professionals in the United States.

[12:26] The downsides of the proliferation of independent businesses.

[13:48] An overview of my thoughts on the increasing levels of flexibility and autonomy in the salon industry.

Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated!

They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.

Until next time!

Antony

Links and Resources:

Grow My Salon Business Website | Facebook | Instagram

149 How Technology Can Streamline All Your HR Needs with Ian Egerton Jul 12, 2022

Show notes

As I often say, we are in the ‘people business.’ This means that our primary product is the people who sit in our chairs and the services we offer to make our clients happy.

But from the salon owners' perspective, we are also in the ‘people business’ in that because our teams are also our product and our most important asset.

The Human Resource (HR) regulation around employees varies from country to country but no matter where you are listening to this podcast there are almost definitely more complexities around managing your team today than there were 5 years ago.

And managing those complexities takes time, and time is money.

My guest on today's podcast is Ian Egerton, hairdresser, salon owner, and the founder of Loop HR Salon Software. Ian’s software solution makes the HR component not just much easier to manage, but also extremely professional.

In today’s podcast we will discuss:

The role of ‘HR’ in a successful salon
The benefits of getting more organised, systemised, and automated when it comes to HR…

And lots more!

In this Episode:

[02:39] An overview of Ian’s journey from “Saturday boy” in his local salon to the founder of Loop HR.

[08:55] Ian’s approach to business development.

[11:48] Origins of the name Loop HR.

[14:25] Experiences that motivated Ian to found Loop HR.

[16:24] An explanation of how Loop HR works.

[24:01] The 4 pillars of business, and where Loop HR fits in amongst them.

[24:52] Elements that make Loop HR unique.

[25:30] Examples of Loop HR in action.

[30:56] How to use Loop HR.

[32:33] The benefits that Loop HR provides to salon employees.

[37:52] Ian explains how salon owners can integrate Loop HR into their systems (and the assistance that he offers).

[41:15] The 3 subscription-based packages offered by Loop HR.

[43:10] Ian’s greatest joy.

Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated!

They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.

Special thanks to Ian for sharing his insights with me for this week’s episode. Until next time!

Antony

Links and Resources:

Grow My Salon Business

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Loop HR

Website

148 What Does it Take to Bounce Back from COVID (and Everything Else Life Can Throw at You)? Jul 05, 2022

Show notes

This week is ‘Part 2’ of the ‘Comeback Stories’ series, where I again talk to a salon owner couple about how they’ve bounced back after a tough couple of years.

With the challenges that the world is going through at the moment, it’s important to be focusing on the success stories and the opportunities that difficult times can sometimes present.

The last two years have been a testing time for most of us, and my guests today are no exception. Their business and their personal lives have had numerous changes thrust upon them that were beyond their control.

But despite that, they have come out the other end in good shape we can all learn from their resilience, their willpower, their strength, and their courage in the face of adversity.

Today I am talking to Todd and Audra Wise from the Color Pop salon in Texas.

In today’s episode we will discuss:

Their business journey pre and post covid
Dealing with significant personal health challenges
Finding balance in both personal and business commitments

And lots more!

In this Episode:

[02:32] A brief overview of what Todd and Audra’s career paths have consisted of to date.

[05:08] Audra explains what motivated her to open her own salon and the shock that she and Todd received 8 months later.

[07:18] Why Todd and Audra didn’t receive financial assistance for their salon, Color Pop, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

[09:46] The “lean” approach that Audra and Todd adopted to make it through the pandemic.

[12:48] The mindset and support system that helped Audra deal with her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

[19:44] Some of the most important lessons that Audra has learned through the challenges that life has presented her with over the past few years.

[24:25] The effort that was required on the business side to help Color Pop bounce back.

[26:22] Changes that Todd and Audra made to their pricing strategy post-COVID.

[27:34] Why Audra and Todd decided not to increase their prices when they reopened after the shutdown.

[28:38] Color Pop’s number one marketing tool.

[29:38] Some of the innovative marketing initiatives that Todd and Audra have implemented, and how they have helped Color Pop grow.

[34:04] The philosophy that is foundational to the way Todd lives his life.

[35:59] What Audra sees as her biggest strengths, and the daily practices that help her feel at peace.

[37:16] Todd and Audra’s plans for the future.

Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated!

They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.

Special thanks to Todd and Audra for sharing their insights with me for this week’s episode. Until next time!

Antony

Links and Resources:

Grow My Salon Business

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Color Pop Salons

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Todd Wise

Instagram

Audra Wise

Instagram