Grow My Salon Business Podcast

“There is always a lesson if you look for it!”   Today’s episode was inspired by an email from a salon owner who is currently in the middle of dealing with the loss of 50% of his business after his ex-manager and a stylist left to open their own salon.   In this episode, I drive home the fact that in the world of business, people are bound to come and go, and there will be no shortage of obstacles...

In this episode, my guest is Annie Humphreys, a true icon in the world of hairdressing and an important part of the success of the Vidal Sassoon salons and schools.   Annie is quite simply the colourist who paved the way for those who followed into the world of modern hair colour.    Join us as Annie takes a trip down memory lane and shares her experiences in the ever-evolving salon industry from...

2024 started off on a very sad note for the hairdressing world with the passing of Angus Mitchell.   Angus was the son of the late Paul Mitchell, who was the co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems.   As someone who had the privilege of having a close working relationship with the company, I was fortunate enough to ‘on occasion’ have spent a little time with Angus, and he was always full of life,...

In today’s episode, we’re going to focus on one of the most misunderstood concepts among salon industry professionals: the ‘P’ word (i.e. PROFIT).   Reliable data in the salon industry is often hard to come by. But, what is usually agreed on is that when it comes to profit margins, the average salon has a net profit margin of somewhere between 0-8%. The good news is that with a little bit of educa...

What would your “best year ever” look like?   As a salon owner, perhaps it would involve attracting more new clients, an increase in revenue, increasing the profit margin, or even opening another salon. Setting these kinds of resolutions is important, but it’s the easy part. Turning them into reality is where the real challenge lies.   Tune into today’s episode to hear what it’s going to take to a...

“Information given without emotion is very rarely remembered.”   So much has changed in the two years since Gianni Scumaci was last on the podcast, including the incredible growth his digital education platform has experienced, his new academy space outside of Rome, and the development of an exciting new app that is sure to enhance the salon experience for owners, hairdressers, and clients everywh...

For our last episode of 2023, we’re joined by a guest who always brings a unique, highly informed perspective on the hair and beauty industry. There is nobody more fitting to share an overview of the business trends that have come to the forefront over the past year and what the future may hold.   Gordon Miller is the CEO and President of Beauty Cast Network, a platform that connects young people...

The end of the year is a time for reflection, gratitude, appreciation, and most of all, kindness. The single most important gift you can give yourself and others is the gift of kindness.   As we begin to wrap up 2023, we want to wish you all a joyful festive season; one in which you have the opportunity to celebrate your wins, forgive yourself for your mistakes (we’ve all made them, don’t worry!),...

The last few years have seen a change in how hairdressers and salon owners access and present education.   Online learning platforms have become a well established option to complement live education and have the dual benefit of providing quality learning opportunities for people across the globe and expanding the skill sets of hairdressers themselves.   Over the past few months, I’ve interviewed...

The Sassoon brand will be celebrating its 70th birthday next year, and it is as relevant as ever before.    Like many businesses, the last couple of years forced the Sassoon leadership team to reevaluate the way forward because if a business is to stay relevant, it mustn't be afraid to reinvent.     The result is House of Sassoon, a concept that combines different salon models, hair education, amb...

Talking, thinking, and weighing up the pros and cons are all important, but ultimately success comes from taking action, from implementing!   Of course, preparation is important, but the longer you spend trying to perfect something before taking action on it, the less time you have to learn invaluable lessons that can only come about when your vision has been turned into reality.    Or, in the wor...

“If you lead an inspired life, it’s a lot easier not to get burnt out.”   The world we live in is overflowing with information, but what we really need more of is wisdom, and wisdom comes with experience.   Geno Stampora has a lifetime of experience in the salon industry, and he joins us on the podcast this week to share some of the most valuable lessons that he has learned along the way.   Among...

Alcohol and drug addiction are a fact of life for people from all walks of life. However, in the creative industries, it is perhaps a more prevalent struggle than in others.   For some people, having a drink two or three times a week does absolutely no harm at all, but for others, it’s the beginning of spiralling out of control.   My guest on today’s episode is salon owner Clive Allwright who, alo...

The role of a hairdresser isn’t just to do great hair; it’s also to serve our clients in a way that makes them feel seen, heard, and valued. And that’s not just because it’s a good thing to do; it’s also because it’s good for your business!   Across industries, there has been a steady decline in customer service over the years. As a salon owner in the current climate, you have the opportunity to m...

Daniel Di Iorio had been in business for 11 years when he decided to relocate his salon, Diior10. In two prior episodes (episode 179 and episode 194), Daniel and I discussed the process he was going through to transition from one salon location to another.   Well, you’ll be happy to know that after many trials and tribulations, he has finally made it into his new space. And, as you’ll hear today,...

 One of the things I enjoy most about hosting this podcast is connecting with salon owners who are still active behind the chair, dealing with the multitude of challenges and opportunities that come their way as they balance their roles as owners and stylists.     My guest today is Ashley Renee, a hairstylist and the owner of The Salon Venice in Venice Beach, California. Ashley has a small team, s...

 You may have heard the expression, “Where the rubber meets the road.”     I think that it’s used as a metaphor to say, “This is the moment of truth!”     In today's short episode, I talk about the moment of truth in the salon as being the time of engagement between the stylist and the client because that's where everything comes together.     That’s where the training, the salon marketing, the de...

Being a business owner is a great education because it forces you to learn a range of new skills, from people management to financial management and marketing.    All these elements will push you out of your comfort zone, and as a result, you will grow both professionally and personally. I’ve spent a lot of time talking about the former, but in today’s episode, we focus on the latter: the invaluab...

 Most of us, myself included, will have someone in our lives who has been directly impacted by breast cancer.     Because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I have devoted this episode to talking about the disease that one in seven women develop during the course of their lives.     The salon industry is predominantly female-led, and due to the nature of the work, hairdressers are often giv...

In a salon, your productivity is measured by your ‘output’, things like your total sales, total number of new clients, and total pre-booking percentages.   Your output is determined by your input, things like your total number of follow-up calls, number of social media posts, and number of training events hosted.    In this week’s short episode, I talk about how if you want to change the output, s...

 Online education has grown exponentially over the last few years, and online education in the hairdressing space is no exception.     This is one episode in a series of podcasts that will focus on the various forms of online education in the world of hairdressing.     My guest on today's podcast is Dublin-based Paul Davey, a hairdresser, salon owner, and the founder of Hairdressing Live, one of t...

Hairdressing is often seen as a young person’s industry; my guess would be that the average person working in the industry is probably in their late 20s.   Although on the one hand, that’s a negative thing because it’s reflective of the high turnover rates of staff who choose to move into other industries, it also means that those who stay in the industry are constantly being exposed to new ideas,...

Across the world, financial management is typically the single biggest area that salon owners struggle with.   When asked financial questions about their business, in many cases, their answer is a mixture of “I get my accountant or bookkeeper to look after that stuff,” or, “I get my wife or husband or partner to manage all that.”   And that's where the problem starts. The game of business is prima...

I’ve often talked about the endless opportunities available within the hairdressing industry for those who are ambitious and prepared to do the work.   For some people, it’s all about building up an excellent clientele behind the chair. For others, it might lead to opening a salon of their own. Then there are those who pursue the education route, and occasionally, you come across someone who does...

 The fact that you are reading this means that you are probably working in the hairdressing industry, and in all likelihood, you are also a business owner or an aspiring business owner.     As a business owner, the financial health of your business is your biggest responsibility, and one of the most important business relationships you will have is the relationship with your accountant.     My gue...