Grow My Salon Business Podcast

My journey in hairdressing has been incredibly rewarding at lots of levels. But one thing I never take for granted is the people I have come to know and the friendships I have made in this industry along the way.  We are living through challenging times, and I think it's at times like this that the importance of people, of community, of friendships, of bonding, and engaging with each other is more...

There are only a handful of hairdressers that truly deserve the title 'Iconic.' But my guest today is Mr Tim Hartley, and he is certainly one of them.  Tim is the former International Creative Director of the Sassoon Organization. And over a long career, he has influenced a generation of 'haircutters' with not just how he 'cuts hair' but also with his thoughts about hair and fashion and his unders...

Hairdressing is a career that starts for most of us behind the chair, building a column of clients, and for some people, they only ever want to work behind the chair, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, and it can be very rewarding at every level.  But for others, their career branches off in different directions, and they seek other opportunities but still within the industry.  My gu...

All over the world in the last 10 years, there has been a huge renaissance of the barbershop. Quite simply barbering has become ‘cool again’ and there has been a return to the ‘Barbershop’... that uniquely ‘male space’.  I don’t for one minute think that it’s a trend that will return back to the ‘unisex model’ that existed since the ’70s. But like everything, there are inevitably some people that...

In last weeks podcast, I interviewed two young hairdressers, one from the US and one from Australia with the aim of finding out what makes Millennials and Gen Z 'tick'. We had a great response and so this week I’d like to wrap up with Deanna and James both from the UK talking about their goals and ambitions and what a career in hairdressing means to them. Amongst other things, they recognise that...

I often have salon owners venting their opinions about young employees, their work ethic, their loyalty, their level of commitment, etc. As an industry that is very youth-focused as far as employees go, salon owners (who are typically older) must understand the needs and motivations of young Millennials and Gen Z employees. Now for those of you who are not sure what the difference is between Mille...

Are there any questions you have wanted to ask me, or anything you wanted to know about how I got started in hairdressing? You get your wish today because I am being interviewed by Vivienne MacKinder on this episode of the Grow My Salon Business podcast. My good friend Vivienne reached out to me recently and suggested that she do a podcast takeover. She wanted to be the host and have me on the oth...

With all the uncertainty in the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, most salons have been able to reopen, but there is no way to determine if they will still be open in a month or where they will be at the end of the year. When you look at how most people have adapted to the changes, it's impressive, but it hasn't been easy, and it's not over yet. In some countries, states and cities, salo...

For today's podcast, I wanted to stop and look at the salon business environment that we are currently in and think of how I might best be able to serve my listeners as we are all subject to ever-changing situations. In some parts of the world, salons are reopening for the first time in many weeks, generating cash flow and getting their business moving. In other places, they have been ordered to c...

I'm very excited to be interviewing my guest today, Mr. Angus Mitchell. Son of the late Paul Mitchell, who was the co-founder of the Paul Mitchell product range. Angus is not only a very talented hairdresser in his own right, but he's also co-owner of John Paul Mitchell Systems and a proud father of his young son Dylan. In today's podcast, we will discuss: The challenges with living up to the repu...

I love the expression, “Success leaves clues!” Meaning that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Instead, find someone else who has already succeeded at what you want to do and emulate what they did! Learn to think how they think. Copy how hard they work. Put the hours in that they put in. Understand the sacrifices they have made along the way. The rejections and disappointments they have had alo...

Who could possibly have imagined that 2020 would present the world with the challenges that it has? I know that many of the listeners to this podcast will have been reflecting on the social unrest that started with the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the subsequent protests about police brutality and racial inequality that have dominated the global media over the last few weeks all over...

I think that one of the great things about this industry is that there are many different roles that you can grow into.   Most people will start off as a salon stylist, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a salon stylist for your entire career, as it can be very rewarding both creatively and financially. But being a salon stylist can (if you want it too) also open up other doors for y...

The majority of hairdressers I meet find their way into this industry for reasons like the social interaction or creativity aspects that a hairdressing career can offer.   Most of us don’t initially get into hairdressing with a business focus, and there is nothing wrong with that. The reality is that most of us open salons ill-equipped for the skills of what running a business really involves.   W...

One reason I like podcasts is that you get the chance to get into people's minds and understand how they think, and to me, that's often where the real magic is! I love to understand the story behind what makes a person do what they do, how they think, and the thought processes behind it. This episode is a follow on from last week's episode with 'Guido,' probably the most creatively influential hai...

There are very few people anywhere, let alone hairdressers, that are known by ‘one name.’ But if you are in this industry, you will almost definitely have heard of the name ‘GUIDO’... And if by some remote chance you haven’t heard the name, you would have definitely seen his work.   I don’t use the word ‘genius’ very readily, but when it comes to hair, ‘Guido is an absolute genius!’   I first met...

We live in a world where, to varying degrees, everyone is connected by technology. I heard a statement recently that was "Every business is now a technology business!" and I believe that statement to be true. The hub of technology in the salon industry is the salon website and social media platforms, and all things reach out from that. So, having an effective website and marketing strategy that in...

No matter where in the world you live, there are many changes happening that will impact the way we run our businesses forever. Some of those changes have suddenly been thrust upon us due to Covid-19. Others have been gradually changing right under our noses and have maybe been highlighted by the situation the world is currently in. One of those areas that are changing is the hair colour business....

This episode is a continuation from last week’s podcast about preparing for the recovery phase. Things are starting to change very quickly with salons in some countries or states reopening or at least having a date in the diary and actively planning for that day. And what is very apparent is that salon owners and clients are all expecting changes in the salon experience which will impact on the cl...

Some of us have been on lockdown now for 4-5 weeks, and many of us have no date for when we will be able to reopen. Whereas other countries or states either didn’t have a compulsory close order from the government or if they did close, they are now getting ready to reopen. Regardless of what your current situation is I believe that it’s essential that you plan for the day that you do reopen becaus...

The only part of these podcasts that I script is the introduction. Sometimes they are easy to write; other times, you don’t know where to start, and that’s what it is like with my guest today. I think that the expression “wears his heart on his sleeve” was invented for this man. He is passionate and driven about everything he does. He leads with an open heart, a sense of honesty, and generosity, a...

What does it really take to have a celebrity client base? My guest on today's Podcast is Nicola Clarke who is a salon partner and the creative colour director at John Frieda salons in London as well as being a major celebrity colourist. Nicola's success is not only due to her talent as a colourist but her personal qualities of grit, determination and persistence which are lessons that we all need...

The beginning of the new normal! I think that we all agree that the last couple of weeks have been like an out of control rollercoaster ride, or perhaps like a being in a tumble dryer on full speed. There has been a lot of uncertainty, and we are all living in a state of constant change literally by the day, and in some cases by the hour … In times like this, we need leadership, and we need a sens...

Handling COVID-19 with Sean, Virginia, and Emiliano As salon owners, it is a challenging moment for many, and inevitably with the uncertainty comes fear and panic is near to the surface. So if we are going to get through this and come out the other end more robust and even better prepared, then we need to make sure we adopt a positive mindset not buy into the fear and the panic. Unfortunately, man...

There is a big change afoot, and none of us can afford to ignore it. It is being driven by generational changes, different values, and new way of thinking and working.    But most importantly, it is being driven by a sense of urgency about taking better care of our planet and the people in it.   Buzz words and phrases like, “Socially and environmentally responsible. Sustainable ingredients. Enviro...