The beauty industry has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. The days of hoping your good reputation and referrals was enough to grow or maintain your clientele died out and successful stylists today need a real marketing strategy. It's actually never been easier to grow a clientele as a hair stylist or a business as a salon owner, yet stylists are giving up or struggling more often than they are thriving in this incredible industry. When I was first building my clientele, I realized i ...
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Have you ever felt the sting of a competitor trying to snatch your hard-earned clients? Are you battling the creeping fear of what I refer to as "Ninja Turtle" stylists who undercut your prices and poach your loyal clientele? Even if it’s something that you may not have experienced yet I want to talk about it, because it is becoming a very real tre…
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#381 - What does it mean to be "worth it" as a stylist
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24:47Are you feeling the shift? Is "charging your worth" leaving you and your clients feeling...unfulfilled? What if the key isn't about emotional pricing, but about genuine perceived value? Today we go deep into the "worth it" era, and look at how the rising cost of living and changing client expectations are reshaping the salon industry as we know it.…
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#380 - Are Auto-Responders for IG DMs a Good Idea Still?
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21:48Are your Instagram autoresponders secretly sabotaging your business growth? You set them up to save time, but are they actually pushing potential clients away? Today, I reveal my thoughts on if Instagram auto responders are still a good idea for us to use in 2025, and the advice that I give in this episode is going to be for those of you who want t…
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#379 - 3 Game Changing Strategies That Get You More Clients Within 24 Hours
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24:22
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24:22Are you struggling to fill your chair as a stylist? What if the client surge you once enjoyed has vanished, and the old tactics just aren't cutting it? Today, I want to share some high-level tips and tricks from the hundreds of stylists that attended our 10 New Clients Every Month Bootcamp of March 2025. In this episode, you’ll hear what I have lea…
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#378 - When should a salon owner reduce commissions?
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23:34Ever feel like your salon's commission structure is holding your best stylists back? Are you trapped in a cycle of high turnover and struggling to keep top talent engaged? In the last couple of months, there have been a few conversations where I have had to address this topic of overpaying people and we have had to take a deep dive into the compens…
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#377 - Winning pricing strategies in 2025
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27:26Are your salon prices keeping pace with reality, or are you unknowingly sabotaging your business? Today I dive deep into the crucial topic of winning pricing strategies for 2025, challenging the common myths that are holding stylists back at this time. If you've felt the sting of rising costs both personally and professionally (and who hasn’t?), ye…
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#376 - The NEW Marketing Funnel Level That Changes Everything....
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24:46
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24:46Have you noticed clients becoming more hesitant, even flaky? Are no-shows and last-minute cancellations eating into your profits and patience? Times have changed, things are different, and the “Great Divide” that I was speaking of in 2022 has indeed happened. In this episode, I dive deep into a brand-new level of the marketing funnel that's changin…
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Are you feeling lost in the ever-shifting sands of social media? Does it feel like the strategies that once worked are now falling flat? We are at this crossroads where some stylists and salons are about to be busier and more successful than they have ever been before, and some are going to start to feel like they’re sliding backwards and crashing.…
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#374 - Salon profit margins and stylist compensation
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23:03Are stylists truly getting what they deserve, and are owners protecting their bottom line? Compensation is always a hot topic, but right now especially everyone wants to make sure that they are getting what is appropriate. Today, we’re diving deep into the often-murky waters of salon profit margins and stylist compensation and I tackle the tough qu…
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#373 - The Great Divide-Sh*t is Getting Real For Stylists & Owners
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37:56Are clients spending less, or demanding more? For years, you’ve heard me talk about the "Great Divide" that’s impacting our industry. Stylists and salon owners are asking: What's really happening? How are things shifting? How do we navigate this? In this episode, I provide you with the answers, so hold on tight as we dive deep into the seismic chan…
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#372 - How many new clients do you need to hit your $$$ goal
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19:46Are you setting revenue targets without a solid plan to achieve your financial goals this year? If so, I’ve got you covered! Today, we're diving deep into a game-changing tool, The Grow My Clientele Calculator, and I am so excited to be sharing more about it with you here on the podcast. In this episode, I break down why simply setting a yearly inc…
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#371- Woo-Woo Episode...How I Got Realigned
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35:26Have you ever felt like you were just going through the motions, despite working hard? Are you holding onto relationships or situations that are no longer serving you? Are you ready to let go of the armor and embrace your true self? A very short time ago I would have answered a big “YES” to each of these questions, and I just knew that things neede…
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#370 - How to shift your clients to other stylists as a salon owner
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30:14Are you a salon owner who dreams of stepping away from the chair and focusing on growing your business? If you did this, what would you spend your time doing? Following an Instagram post I recently shared, I saw that stylists out there really want to learn how to go from being a stylist to a leader of the salon, which is what I cover here today. In…
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#369 - The "charge-back" crisis causing stylists thousands
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25:33As we all know, the economy is a little bit shaky right now, and desperate times call for desperate measures. Sometimes this leads to good people doing things they wouldn't normally do, and today we are talking about credit card charge-backs. In this episode, I share how these charge-backs work, the way that they are processed, and how to protect y…
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#368 - Online review myths, lies and old advice that doesn't work now
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21:08Are you still relying on old social media strategies to grow your salon business? Think Instagram is the key to success? Think again... In this episode, I reveal a major shift in how clients find and choose salons, and you’ll discover how online reviews have become the queen of social media. I share how focusing on them in 2019 and 2020 has set som…
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#367 - How To Calculate Your Salons Worth
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22:50Have you ever wondered how much your salon is really worth? I know there are a lot of salon owners out there who are looking to sell their salon in the future, so today I want to cover how to calculate your salon's value and position yourself for a lucrative sale. In this episode, I share the factors that influence a salon's worth, from its cliente…
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Best Of: #339 - How to attract more clients FAST in today's economy
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25:42As we are right in the midst of the busy holiday season, the Thrivers team and I are releasing the second of two “Best of” episodes rather than our usual fresh content to wrap up 2024. Today, we’re replaying a popular episode we first brought you in June of 2024, where I shared a classic marketing concept that can help you attract more clients FAST…
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Best of: #331 - The Pricing Crisis and How We Got Here
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23:40As we are right in the midst of the busy holiday season, the Thrivers team and I are releasing two “Best of” episodes rather than our usual fresh content to wrap up 2024. Today, we’re replaying a popular episode we first brought you in April of 2024, where I talked more about “The Great Divide” and the pricing crisis we’ve found ourselves in, along…
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#366 - IRS tax announcement and how it could impact stylists and salon owners
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24:42The IRS is now using AI to search tax records and open audits, but what exactly does this mean for stylists and salon owners? Today, I want to talk about how this latest news from the IRS could significantly impact your business, and I break down the key areas where the IRS’s AI is likely to focus, while sharing strategies to help mitigate risks an…
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#365 - Unexpected Studio suite challenges
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31:31
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31:31It’s important to normalize the reality that not everything is always perfect, and it’s just a fact that there are a number of unexpected challenges that studio suite owners often face. Recently, I put up a question box to ask about the biggest struggles you have when building your business as a studio suite owner, and today we're going to talk abo…
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#364 - How to prepare for the American government administration change
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27:44As we step into a new presidential term in 2025, uncertainty looms large. How will these shifts impact our daily lives? From healthcare and taxes to retirement and social security, the implications are far-reaching. A lot of this is speculative, but today I wanted to dive into the facts and figures of how this administration could impact us. I real…
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#363 - What to do if your business is shrinking or to prevent a stall out
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30:53If you’ve been listening to the podcast for awhile now, you’ve heard me talk about the great divide that’s happening in our industry. In fact, the industry is splitting in a way that I've never seen before, and we are seeing clients push back. In this episode, I reveal the reasons why your business may have gotten complacent, and I share actionable…
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#362 - Is "shrinkflation" a good fit for your business as a stylist?
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22:47
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22:47“Shrinkflation” isn’t a new phenomenon, and you’re most likely experiencing it right now in your day-to-day experiences as a consumer. We are in a tight economic spot at the moment and service-based industries have had many challenges in the economic downturn, so I believe this is a relevant conversation to be having right now for stylists. In this…
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#361 - Is the extensions bubble about to burst?
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28:48
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28:48The hair extension industry has seen a meteoric rise in popularity, driven by social media and influencer culture. While early adopters reaped the rewards of high demand and low competition, the market has since become saturated with stylists. This has led to concerns about quality and customer satisfaction. So, is the extensions bubble about to bu…
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#360 - Quick question mashup: You ask, I answer
30:04
30:04
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30:04I absolutely love reading the ratings and reviews we get on Apple Podcasts, and I read them every single week. In fact, a lot of the questions that get asked there I use for my podcast episode ideas, but I can't always get to all of them or some I can't make an entire podcast episode on. In today’s episode, I thought it would be fun to try somethin…
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#359 - How I grew an IG by 800 followers in 8 months
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29:24
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29:24Social media marketing, business growth, economics and consumer behavior are things that I am deeply interested in and obsess over, and this episode touches on all these topics as I talk about building a thriving social media presence. Today, you’ll hear exactly what I did to grow an Instagram account completely outside of our industry by 800 follo…
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#358 - Small Business Saturday Strategies
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24:05Small Business Saturday is fast-approaching, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to make a lasting impact on your community while boosting your business. That’s why for this episode, I want to give you actionable strategies to maximize your participation and build strong relationships with both current and potential customers. In our industry, it is v…
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#357 - How to achieve more without working more
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25:08When we talk about scalability in business, the big question is can we grow without burning ourselves out or working more hours? The answer is YES, it's absolutely possible, and I know this because we did it this year! In this episode, I’m sharing exactly how I revamped my business in 2024 to achieve more while working less. It wasn’t easy, but it …
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#356 - TikTok study:A client’s take on prices, search and services...
27:41
27:41
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27:41Recently, there’s been a surge in viral TikTok videos and Instagram Reels where clients are speaking out against the beauty industry, particularly targeting hair stylists. In this episode, I take a closer look at one TikTok user’s perspective and how (and why) her content is resonating with both clients and stylists alike. Instead of getting defens…
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Have you implemented a gratuity free pricing model but found that it's not working as you had hoped? If so, you're not alone because I’ve been receiving messages from stylists recently who are asking how to effectively transition back to accepting gratuities, which is why I wanted to record this episode for you today. Yes, there is a way for you to…
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If you’ve listened to the podcast for a while now, you know that I’ve released past episodes with my predictions for the upcoming year. Historically, my predictions have been spot on, and in this episode, I’m bringing you my 2025 predictions. My main goal of sharing these predictions with you is to get the conversation started on what's coming in 2…
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#353 - Is it time to raise rent or change your salon strategy?
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19:03In a time where the cost of living is steadily increasing, salon owners face the challenging decision of whether to absorb rising expenses or pass them on to their booth renters. In this episode, we take a deep dive into a DM I received from a booth renter salon owner, as I break down her current pricing model and analyze whether raising the rent i…
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This episode is a bit more of a vulnerable one that I'm a bit nervous, and excited, to bring to you today. I’m revealing how I personally overcame burnout, as well as what I learned from researching the key symptoms of burnout, and the profound changes I have made in my health, family, and professional life. As you’ll hear, I truly feel like I am s…
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#351 - Can a salon afford 45%+ commissions?
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24:04As salon owners, it's crucial to ensure that our businesses are sustainable for ourselves, our stylists, and our overall growth. But when we talk about being "fair," what does that really mean in the context of payroll? In this episode, I tackle the age-old question: “Can a salon afford to pay 45%+ commissions?, while diving deep into the numbers a…
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#350 - Does the loyalty pricing model work or fail?
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28:46
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28:46As a service-based industry, it is really easy to focus on the feels and the vibes because we are in this pressure cooker of an economy, and we start to make emotional decisions that are not good for business. I sat down to record this episode in urgency, because I want everyone to take a step back and really check the math on a piece of advice tha…
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#349 - How to grow as an employee stylist
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26:08Today’s episode is inspired by a message I received from an incredible Thriving Stylist podcast listener who is asking for guidance on how to build and grow her career as a commission-based stylist, while not having complete control over her career. As a stylist, I know that you want to grow, and you need to be in an environment where growth is sup…
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#348 -The new approach to talking pricing with clients
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19:15
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19:15Recently an Instagram post came across my feed that I have not been able to stop thinking about since seeing it, so I want to share this clip with you today so you can hear the powerful message around perceived value in our industry. In this episode, we are going to dig into the fatal flaws of how you are talking about price and cost and give you t…
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#347 - Amenities that don't mean much to clients anymore
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27:34Times are changing in our industry, as well as consumer behaviors, and the things that used to work just don't anymore. That is why today I want to shed some light on the amenities that don't hold the power that they used to, and give you the categories that used to be considered amenities that are now just par for the course and expectations of yo…
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#346 - Rethinking stylist goals and benchmarks for raises and promotions
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18:23
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18:23One of the things that is most challenging for salon owners right now is attracting top tier stylists, and let me tell you, it’s because those stylists are looking for something different than they were just a few short years ago! I want to talk about how you’re operating your salon to not only attract the best stylists, but to also retain the key …
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#345 - Can you afford to booth rent or suite rent
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19:41The question of whether someone can afford to rent a booth or rent a suite right now is one that I hear often, but this episode is not just for commission-based stylists or employee stylists who are considering leaving their current salon. It’s also for people who are renting booths currently, because let me tell you, there is a lot to consider wit…
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#344 - trendy specialties that are only going to get bigger
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23:19
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23:19The importance of being special and having a specialty is, in my opinion, going to become more and more important. That’s why I want to talk about it today, and look at how you can properly position yourself as a stylist to take advantage of these opportunities in the market. In this episode, I share what trendy specialties are on the up and up in …
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#343 - #ThrivingStylist60 experience for hair stylists & salon owners
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25:26I’m so excited today to be talking about the #ThrivingStylist60 experience for hairstylists! This experience is totally free, you do not have to sign up for anything and this is more of a giant social experiment, happening industry wide. In this experiment, we’ll be uncovering our core inspiration to thrive in this industry, and in this episode, yo…
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#342 - The 5 incomes and investing for wealth
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22:21Today I want to talk about a good friend of mine, Mel Abraham, a CPA and financial advisor to many, as I go through the key lessons that I got from reading Mel’s new book, Building Your Money Machine: How to Get Your Money to Work Harder for You Than You Did for It! If you are looking to have your money work for you or get a little sharper on inves…
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#341 - Deregulation and how it could impact the industry
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23:39Currently, a lot of states are looking at changing the law for cosmetology and it’s creating fears in the industry. Today, I want to talk about deregulation because it’s been something that people have been asking me about for a while now, and there’s a lot to unpack with this topic. Yes, there have been a lot of changes and research done in the in…
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#340 - Mid-Year state of the industry and suggestions
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25:29Today I am doing a mid-year check-in, and I want to talk about the reality of what is really happening in our industry. Our industry is in the middle of a revolution, and if you have been listening to the podcast, you have heard me talk about the “Great Divide”. Guess what? We are in it right now, so we need to be much more mindful about how we mov…
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#339 - How to attract more clients FAST in today's economy
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24:20
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24:20You’ve likely noticed that the impact of social media apps like Instagram has really changed, and stylists from coast-to-coast are telling me it’s becoming more difficult to attract and retain clients than it was in years past. In this episode, I want to look at a classic marketing concept that came up recently at an excellent mastermind event that…
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#338 - Which Salon Model Has The Most Profit Potential
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22:46A listener recently reached out to ask about which salon model has the most profit potential, which inspired me to record this episode and dive deeper into the topic. Although I believe the answer to this question is extremely clear, I also want to provide the caveat that it is really about what is right for you. Today I break it all down for you a…
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#337- The 7 “Icks" Salons Do That Stylists Can’t Stand
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32:05It’s no secret that stylist turnover is on the increase, and stylists are looking to work at the very best possible place for themselves. That’s why in this episode, I share the “icks” that stylists say turn them off from salons, in the hopes that it helps you as a salon owner recognize the areas for improvement, as well as the ways in which you ca…
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#336 - 3 Steps to Less Drama & Higher Profits for Salon Owners
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26:05My team and I recently had an awareness that we don’t talk about salon leadership and ownership stuff nearly enough on the podcast, so I’m excited to be diving into some leadership coaching with you today! Reading The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success by Jim Dither, Diana Chapman and Kaley Klemp, shifted…
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#335 - How to Hire Dream Team Members as a Salon Owner
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27:50Are you a salon owner who is looking to hire your dream team? Things have changed a lot in the industry the last few years when it comes to hiring, and there’s a BIG difference between just having a team and having that dream team you want working with you. In this episode, I share how we are still very much in a stylists’ market, and it’s the styl…
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