PhorestFM: Building a Stronger Industry, Together

[332] Jules Molina — Guest Experience Team Leader, Consultant, and Shareholder — and Ashley Prowell — Phorest North America Education Specialist — share a deep passion for operational systems developed over years of hands-on experience in the hair and beauty sector. In this episode, they stand united in a philosophy that treats this part of a business’s operations as a high-value, dedicated profit...

[331] Raquel Merlini is the founder of R SKIN Aesthetics in Michigan. As a seasoned Registered Nurse and Certified Aesthetic Nurse Specialist with over 14 years of experience in the plastics industry, she offers a real-world model of collaborative care and ethical practice for those who, like her, seek to educate, listen to, and guide patients toward treatments that transcend fleeting trends and i...

Connect with Joanne Starkman and Innersense Organic Beauty For Joanne’s podcast, check out Trust Your Innersense with Joanne Starkman , and EP58 for her interview with Louise Keane or EP59 for her solo cast unpacking her experience at the Sacred Spiral Retreat . For Innersense Organic Beauty, learn more about the brand and mission here and here (salon pros) Connect with both Joanne and Innersense...

[329] AI is soon coming to Phorest, and this serves as officially non-officially the first conversation in a string of ones to be sprinkled into the podcast’s schedule during Season 10. A version of this conversation could easily live in extremes, but this one does not. Rather, it asks a valid and core question of our time: How do you adopt new technology, AI & automation more precisely, witho...

[328] Thinking about change can often bring up questions about readiness. Are we ready to move into this bigger space, to move cities, to grow the team? Juliann Upton, the founder and driving force behind Mesh Hair Studio, Nail Bar & Head Spa, would probably tell you the distinction between change that lands at your doorstep and change that you initiate matters less than what you do once it's...

In this second (and final) bonus episode from the Salon Owners Summit 2026, more on-the-floor reactions from salon, spa, and clinic owners attending the event, an overview recap of the 2026 lineup and a candid conversation with Davina Devine, one of Ireland’s most recognizable drag queens and cabaret showgirls (@davina.devine on Instagram). Briefly stepping away from her hosting and emcee duties o...

[327] You’re booked and busy; what every business owner wants. But has over-functioning ever felt safer (or at the very least more familiar) than to say, “I feel like I’m drowning”? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone. In fact, Heather Harris — nationally recognised stylist, salon owner, business leader, and celebrated speaker — knows this all too well. This week’s conversation focuses on deleg...

Calvin Stovall, customer experience and leadership keynote speaker , joins the show live from the Salon Owners Summit 2026, shortly after his main-stage talk on the art of the 'WOW' experience. In this conversation, Calvin shares the story behind his own “why,” how his book Hidden Hospitality: Untold Stories of Black Hotel, Motel, and Resort Owners from the Pioneer Days to the Civil Rights Era cam...

For the past nine seasons, the PhorestFM podcast has been steadily putting down roots. Growing slowly, but steadily, like the trees in the Phorest forest. And every episode’s been its own brand of fertiliser, carrying insight, knowledge, lessons, new ideas, and stories. Many, many of those. From small seeds, the show has grown enough to change the landscape. Our intent going into this tenth season...

When Phorest salons shared, in early 2025, that "growth" was their number one priority this year, we got busy. On Season 9 of the PhorestFM podcast, we brought you insightful interviews, case studies, episodes with special guest co-hosts, and bonus live content! Sourced directly from the community, this season finale is a feel-good festive send-off. Thanks for tuning in, and thanks for another inc...

[325] In 2024, Qnity’s research arm, the Qnity Institute, conducted a study. At the heart of it was one core question: ‘What does a financially successful salon look like?’ In this episode, Tom Kuhn, CEO of Qnity —an organisation offering education and tools for economic empowerment in the beauty industry—shares findings and insights from the subsequent 50-page report, published in June 2025. The...

In this episode, keynote speaker, business coach, and educator Lance Courtney explores what salon leadership looks like in an era shaped by Gen Z, shifting values, and rapid cultural change. Drawing on themes from his Salon Owners Summit 2026 workshop and blending real-world salon examples with coaching insight, he takes an educational “what works, what doesn’t work, and what works better” approac...

[323] Featuring Derrick Rutherford (Co-Owner, Valentini’s ), Arif Isikgun (CEO & Founder, Ai Beauty Consultancy ), and Cole Marker (Founder & Builder in Chief, thync.c ), this episode reimagines retail not as a “pushy add-on," but as an essential part of sustainable business growth, driven by client care and rooted in trust.   Backed by data from the Phorest 2025 Consumer Insights Report a...

[322] For Wafaya Abdallah, owner of Oasis Curl Salon (@curlyoasis),  real growth happens when we let go of control, release the need for perfection, and create a safe space for others to rise. In this episode, we explore the salon as a space for transformation and how her journey into energy medicine, holistic beauty, and cultivating trust has shaped her approach to leadership. Now dedicated to in...

[321] Every now and again, there’s an episode that asks us to slow down, sit with what’s real, and see what it has to teach us. This is one of those episodes. Becoming who we are — as people, friends, as community and team members, leaders — is a lifelong, multifaceted journey. Growth is tender, vulnerable, messy, and profoundly human. Ten years into salon ownership, the founder, owner, and artist...

[320] When approached with intention, leaning into happiness can become a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. In this episode, Heather Bagby (@heatherbagby on Instagram) — the visionary behind the Summit Salon Business Centre’s Happiness Project and the recently announced keynote speaker for the Salon Owners Summit 2026 — reframes happiness as hard work with high rewards. Known to...

Get a glimpse of the energy and people at the 18th Annual Aesthetic Extender Symposium in Boca Raton, Florida! Hosted by Shauna O'Halloran (Head of Brand & Communications at Phorest), this short episode has it all: her on-the-ground observations, short clips from some of the conference’s live education, a conversation with Dr. George Baxter-Holder ( VP of Talent Development at Skin Spirit ) an...

[319] If you’ve ever sat down for a chat with Dave Evans and Debbie Halls-Evans, founders of and. coaching (@andcoachme) , you know you’re in for a bold and disarmingly honest one. High off a year so far defined by intentionality, bravery, and play, Dave and Debbie share: How fear can manifest and be reframed as an invitation to look inward The difference between being uncomfortable and being unsa...

[318] At Phorest, we know that the magic happens when you get the team right. Clients feel it. Reviews show it. Your bottom line reflects it. Building a strong team is an advantage, but great teams don’t just “happen.” In this unearthed conversation from late 2023, Stefanie Fox (@stef_fox) , Founder of Talent Match and Matchable, shares timeless leadership insights, why recruitment can’t be treate...

[317] It’s one thing to say your business stands for something, and it’s another to prove it. Certified B Corporations around the world are doing just that. Featuring Anne Butterly, Founder of Easydry, along with Kelly Swann, the driving force behind Denver’s Let Em Have It Salon — both Certified B Corps—  this episode shines a light on the systems, leadership, and values behind their purpose-led...

[316] CPA and co-founder of Morem & Waller CPAs , med spa co-owner, and now steward of Austin, Minnesota’s 87-year-old beloved Tendermaid burger joint, Betsy Morem (@heavenstobetsss) wears many hats. And her unique ability to balance big-picture strategy with daily operational insight makes her a trusted advisor to fellow entrepreneurs. In this episode, Betsy joins Alex and Joe DiFalco, Senior...

[315] When David Popham first opened his salon in 1981, he didn't set out to build a legacy business. And Shirley certainly didn’t set out to work in or manage a salon—she grew up intimidated by them. In this episode, Shirley and David Popham of Popham Hairdressing ( @popham.salons ) reflect on decades of hair and life stories. Stories of long, imperfect journeys, humble and unlikely beginnings, c...

[314] In Part 2 of this conversation, co-hosted by Luke Doolin (UKI Managing Director at Phorest), we pick up where we left off with Sarah Abel — CEO of TNB Skills Training (@tnbskillstraining) and proudly known in the industry as the Funding Godmother. The topic of mindset as a strategic tool for growth remains a constant throughout, but in this episode, we spend more time exploring how salon own...

[313] Sarah Abel, also known as the known as the Funding Godmother, is the CEO of TNB Skills Training ( @tnbskillstraining ) and author of The Power of Funding, is an award-winning entrepreneur and funding strategist with a fierce passion for helping beauty businesses grow, secure funding, and develop accredited and regulated programmes, all without getting buried in bureaucracy. In Part 1 of this...

David Colonna (@thedavidcolonna) joins Shauna O'Halloran (Head of Brand & Communications at Phorest) in the Phorest Lounge at the Data-Driven Salon Summit for a catch-up that leads to hearing about how Calligraphy Cut came to be, the circumstances that led David to a career in the industry, and some thoughts on technology. Learn more about Calligraphy Cut here , and about The Maven and The Mus...