Brazen and Bold: Real, Raw, and Radically Honest Conversations for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Leaders

What does success really mean? After attending the Salon Today Top 200 awards, Heather found herself reflecting on a word that gets thrown around constantly but is rarely defined: success. In this solo episode, she explores why awards, income, status, and even longevity don't necessarily equal a successful life. Drawing from her experiences as a business owner, conversations with high-achieving pr...

What does it take to build a salon that thrives for nearly four decades? In this episode of Brazen & Bold, Heather sits down with industry icon Gayle Fulbright, owner of Headlines The Salon in Encinitas, California. Gayle shares the lessons she's learned from growing a salon she purchased for just $11,000 into a thriving multi-million-dollar business. Together they discuss: The power of relationsh...

Google's latest update is changing how businesses are ranked online, and many salon owners don't even realize they're at risk. In this episode, Heather Harris and Lucy sit down with industry innovator Kip Dodson to discuss the major Google update impacting reviews, rankings, and online visibility. They unpack why traditional review strategies may now hurt your business, how AI is reshaping local s...

What separates successful salon owners from those who stay stuck? In this powerful episode of Brazen & Bold, Heather Harris sits down with renowned salon business coach, bestselling author, educator, and leadership expert Steve Gomez. Steve has coached more than 700 salons worldwide and brings decades of experience helping owners improve profitability, strengthen culture, and become better leaders...

What does it take to stay relevant, innovative, and inspired after 54 years in the beauty industry? In this episode of Brazen & Bold, Heather Harris sits down with NAHA Lifetime Achievement Award winner, salon owner, educator, inventor, and industry visionary Sam Brocato. From dropping out of high school and building a multi-million-dollar salon company to pioneering AI-powered business systems, S...

What does it actually take to scale a salon from one location to four without losing your culture, your team, or your sanity? In this episode of Brazen and Bold, Heather Harris sits down with Lisa Sanger of Wild Olive Salon — a multi-location, multi-million dollar salon brand in North Carolina — to break down the real strategies behind sustainable salon growth. Lisa shares her biggest leadership m...

In this raw, funny, and deeply honest conversation, Heather sits down with Christopher Hartle from The Refine Network to talk about entrepreneurship, leadership, divorce, identity, mental health, addiction, growth, and what happens when the business you built no longer aligns with the life you want to live. From hilarious stories about getting fired for barricading a boss's house with Christmas tr...

What if everything you thought you knew about branding was wrong? Heather Harris sits down with Andi, founder of Oui We Studio, to talk about what actually makes people obsessed with a brand. Spoiler: it has nothing to do with your logo. Andi introduces the concept of "lore" (think brand mythology), explains why your point of view is your most powerful marketing tool, and shares how human design c...

If you've ever whispered to yourself "I just want my life back" — this episode is for you. Lauren Gartland of Inspiring Champions sits down with Heather and Lucy of Spark Pro Global for a raw, no-fluff conversation about what it actually takes to stop doing everything yourself and start leading like the CEO you are. From panic attacks mid-client to doubling profit margins, Heather and Lucy share t...

What does it take to go from a recently divorced single mom with a few hundred dollars to running a multi-location, award-winning luxury salon? Anne Marie Krainich, founder of Ottalaus Salon in Salt Lake City, Utah, joins Heather Harris on Brazen and Bold to pull back the curtain on all of it. The messy middle, the Monday she almost quit, and the systems that quietly made her unstoppable. Anne Mar...

What does it actually feel like to own a salon? Spoiler: it's a rollercoaster — and nobody tells you that before you sign the lease. In this episode of Brazen and Bold, host Heather Harris sits down with salon business coach, consultant, and former salon owner Nikki Le of Nikki Le Consultancy for a candid, no-fluff conversation that every salon owner needs to hear. Nikki opens up about what it rea...

In this special webinar-turned-podcast episode, Heather Harris (CEO of Spark Pro Global) and Lucy Randall (COO) join Brigette Sobus, founder of Power & Joy Coaching Academy, for a powerful conversation on what it really takes to grow a profitable, sustainable salon. Hosted by Brigette, this conversation dives into how salon owners can step into their CEO role, increase revenue, and reduce overwhel...

Most salon owners think the problem is their pricing, their marketing, or their team. It's not. In this episode of Brazen and Bold, Heather sits down with Arif, a global luxury retail expert who has worked with some of the most prestigious brands and spas in the world. Together, they break down the real reason clients aren't buying—and it has nothing to do with sales tactics. You'll learn: •⁠  ⁠Wh...

What if your biggest business problem… is the one you can't see? In this episode, Heather sits down with salon owner and innovator Lou DeCola to break down one of the most overlooked threats to salon growth: the silent client—the guest who says they love you… and never comes back. With over 40 years in the industry, Lou shares how he's redefining salon leadership through data, systems, and a compl...

Heather and Lucy are recording live from Inspiring Champions Champ Camp in Dallas, where top salon owners and leaders from across the country gathered to learn, collaborate, and level up their businesses. In this episode, they share some of their biggest takeaways from the event including how powerful consultations can transform the guest experience, simple ways to increase service enhancements an...

Hiring is hard. Keeping great stylists is even harder. In this episode of Brazen & Bold, Heather Torriente sits down with Coach Chris Baran—founder of Fuel Education and creator of the Salon Associate Accelerator—to talk about the real reason salons lose new hires and how to fix it with a scalable training system. Chris shares how to: •⁠  ⁠Get associates producing revenue faster •⁠  ⁠Build trainin...

Salon owners and stylists, this episode of Brazen and Bold is a must-listen. Heather sits down with beauty industry leader Tracey Napotnik, founder of SalonTraining.com, to talk about the real struggles behind salon ownership—working 80-hour weeks, struggling with payroll, and not knowing how to make money even when your chair is full. Tracey shares how education, mentorship, and tracking numbers...

What does it take to lead a multi-generational salon business while the beauty industry evolves faster than ever? In this episode of Brazen & Bold, Heather Torriente sits down with Jack Panico of Panico and founder of Heirs to Beauty to talk about legacy leadership, the future of salon retail, and what it really means to build a brand that supports salon owners and hairstylists. They dive into: •⁠...

In this power-packed episode of Brazen and Bold, Heather Harris sits down with the brilliant Beverly Shortt to uncover one of the biggest missed opportunities in the beauty industry: unused loyalty points. With over 700 million L'Oreal Level points expiring every year, Beverly reveals how salon owners can turn these points into real cash flow, business growth, education, technology upgrades, and e...

What happens when technology actually helps you lead better instead of pulling you further away from your people? In this episode of Brazen & Bold, Heather Harris sits down with salon owner Michaela Blissett Williams and tech innovator Vinay to explore how salons can scale with intention using AI—without sacrificing culture, connection, or leadership. They break down: • Why front desk burnout is o...

What if the key to higher retention, stronger loyalty, and increased revenue wasn't a bigger service menu—but small, intentional moments of luxury? In this episode of Brazen & Bold, Heather Torriente sits down with Louis Hayes-Davies and Victoria Harrington of Daimon Barber to explore how guest experience, education, and skincare-grade haircare can completely transform the way salons and barbersho...

Double Boost Meets Flat Marvel – A Journey Through Vivid Hair, Salon Ownership, and Friendship Heather sits down with longtime friend and Goldwell National Artist Jenna Meulenberg, owner of Ruby Lou Salon, for a conversation that's equal parts inspiring and hilarious. From rebellious piercings in suburban Wisconsin to accidentally winning international competitions, Jenna shares her 21-year journe...

In this episode of Brazen and Bold, Lucy Randall—COO of Spark Pro Global—steps in as guest host to spotlight one of the most transformative forces inside Spark: Jude, Spark's Tech Lead Executive and the mastermind behind our AI systems, chatbots, dashboards, websites, digital audits, and internal efficiency tools. From fixing washing machines as a kid to building Spark's internal AI assistant Roxy...

In this episode of Brazen & Bold, Heather sits down with Paddy Monahan, Chief Product Officer at Phorest Salon Software, to unpack how an engineer from telecoms ended up obsessed with the salon industry—and why talking to customers is still the most powerful technology we have. Paddy shares the pivotal moment that pulled him away from writing code and into product strategy, how a quirky "startup s...

In this Brazen & Bold episode, Heather sits down with Barry Quinn, President of Phorest North America, to talk about something every salon and spa owner cares about but doesn't always have time to optimize: loyalty and retention. Barry shares how he went from "terrible at mortgages" to spending 15+ years helping salons grow with Phorest, and why the best salons don't just hope guests come back—the...