word. with Gordon Miller

This episode is re-shared for a 5-part Anthology of 2024's most-listened to episodes -all focused on "Bad Coaching" and the misinformation and real damage it can cause. Schedule of Anthology releases: 12/25: #76 12/30: #78, 1/1: #87, 1/6: #98, and 1/8: #80.  Today's episode description: Apologies in advance for going down this rabbit hole but hearing the anti-retail coaches suddenl...

This episode is re-shared for a 5-part Anthology of 2024's most-listened to episodes -all focused on "Bad Coaching" and the misinformation and real damage it can cause. Schedule of Anthology releases: 12/25: #76 12/30: #78, 1/1: #87, 1/6: #98, and 1/8: #80. Today's episode description: "Change" is more often than not a good thing - and is essential for any business to thriv...

I am wrapping up 2024 with a quick rant on the continuing flow of misinformation hijacking too many businesses and careers - for all the wrong reasons. I end with some thoughts about the coming year. Wishing all a wonderful holiday season and a great start to the new year just around the corner!

As a follow-up to a recent episode featuring Debra Neill (Neill Education and Serious Business conference) and our talk about the big picture of where events may be headed, this week I dig deep into the power of conferences - and what makes great ones stand out. In my opinion, the conference space is where we have the biggest opportunity to create added value to our larger industry. Listen in for...

I've been thinking a lot about this year and the pro beauty industry and what it all might means for the longer term - which led me to look instead at what's ahead in the next few years for salons and pros- across business models, best practices, and more. Thanks to all who make time to listen regularly, it means the world to me. Wishing all a great holiday season and a most amazing 2025!

My quick update on the continuing challenge of bad coaching (fueled by misinformation and clickbait). Sadly, careers and salons continue to be DESTROYED by an effort to somehow "salon differently" under the 'guidance' of those selling programs and services to do what these coaches have never done - owned or managed commissioned salons.

The evolution of events (of all kinds) is an important topic given their significant role in our industry. Debra Neill is CEO of Neill, an iconic, educationally focused family-owned organization. Not your traditional chief executive officer, Debra is known as Chief Energy Officer, a fitting title given her genuine passion and positive energy around our industry and its future. Check out Neill'...

The pro salon industry talks a LOT about the "6 figure hairdresser" but rarely with clarity about what it takes to get there. In today's episode, I share my lessons learned from Antony Whitaker's Grow My Salon Business podcast (Episode 267). Antony interviews guest Maxwell Snow, a color specialist at Atlanta's Van Michael Salon who is among the top-earning hairdressers working...

Words are so powerful! They can inform, inspire, and/or elevate- or they can confuse, crush and/or diminish. In this episode, I share context around the powerful 'labels' we attach to most individuals who work behind the chair, in classrooms, or on stages. Today we often refer to all who are licensed as Artists and Professionals; and all who are self-employed as Entrepreneurs. Listen in fo...

My quick take on the "work less to make more" conversation I see going on across the industry - too often without the proper context from which individuals can make the best decision for their unique life and career circumstances. This may be a bit contrarian for some but it's just my honest take - shared hoping to offer more context for those looking for solutions.

Although we are very passionate as an industry about the need to understand the foundational rules of the craft, business & career best practices -which often fall into the grey areas of knowledge- are too often deemed 'right or wrong'. The key to navigating the grays of our industry? Knowledge and experience along with great role models and mentors -all of which are growingly in short...

In thinking about the future of our industry and how best to tap into the many and varied opportunities around us all, these are 3 of my favorite words. In this episode, I do a riff of sorts explaining why and what I think they mean for us today...and how changing the way we look at them just might create even more opportunities tomorrow!

Recorded on my way to Intercoiffure North America's Fall Atelier (to do a presentation on AI) this episode digs into some new 'aha's' -as well as a deep dive into what it might all mean for professionals and owners. I truly believe that AI will be revolutionary for how we think about the business of beauty - across categories. Related to this, I belive AI matters to salons in the s...

Over the last 10 years, Suites have arguably been the #1 disruptor of the professional salon industry. The tremendous growth in suites has led to hiring and retention problems for traditional salons, revenue challenges for brands, business model challenges for distributors, and educational challenges for schools. Listen in for my take on what the real 'trouble' with Suites is, my projectio...

In this episode, Part 2 of a talk that began with Mindset, @TabathaCoffey digs into the meaning and importance of Mindfulness as a follow-up and a bit of a contrast to Part 1. One of the most iconic names in all of pro beauty, Tabatha is a self-described "Truth Teller, Dream Chaser, And Coach For Women Just Like You". For more about Tabatha, follow her on IG or visit   www.tabathcoffey.com

A quick episode on some big topics: the ongoing move to part-time work (driven, in part, to misconceptions about the too often romanticized "Gig Economy"), our troubles with pricing and inflation, and thoughts on the importance and power of great customer service. All this and a bit more in just over 20 minutes. Podcast hack: speed up the player on your favorite podcast platform to save ti...

My short take on what i view as the realities around where we've come from, where we are today, and where we just might be headed as an industry - with added context to help make sense of it all (or so I hope!). Giving the negative coaching rants a rest this week- and planning on (hoping for) no bad coach-related episodes in September!

Following another DTH podcast sharing MORE bad advice(on how to leave a salon as an employee), I'm inspired to react to it - and a lot more. I've dug deep into DTH to try and figure out why they think the way they do - and I may have found the answer! If you are following my talks on the dangers of bad coaches, don't miss this one.

Apologies in advance for going down this rabbit hole but hearing the anti-retail coaches suddenly promote in-salon retail stopped me in my tracks - for about a minute. On closer listen, it became clear that this change of heart was not what it seemed. Listen in for my take on the reality of traditional vs 'private label/white label' retail models - and more.

According to Chat GPT, Economics is "the study of how people use resources and make decisions about money. It looks at how goods and services are produced, distributed, and consumed, and it helps us understand how individuals, businesses, and governments manage their finances and resources to meet their needs and wants." It's as much as 'art' as it is a science - and is the top...

I've been talking about the challenges faced by hairdressers and owners looking for competent coaches for 3+ years. Many have been surprised that I've yet to be blocked by one coaching group in particular -and it's finally happened. Silly coaches. I've got 3 accounts following them - just in case this was to happen. This week I dig further into proof points around the lack of coach...

If time truly is money in our pro lives, then our 'capacity' represents the maximum amount of time that we have to generate revenue. Productivity, on the other hand, drives the reality of your financial outcomes - the difference being your potential for financial growth at this moment. The solution to closing the gaps? Finding efficiencies. This is my geeky take on a critical topic that do...

AI has been top of mind for many since late 2022 - and certainly through much of 2023 the same has been true for the press, pundits, and regular folks alike. We've watched the AI category expand from mostly Open AI-focused to now include Google's Gemini, Meta's Llama , and Anthropics Claude (owned in part by Amazon). On top of that, there are now AI Agents being developed by a small ar...

It's hard to believe we have just passed the midway point of 2024...but here we are! Given the ever-hastening speed of change in our world, this felt like a moment to recap where I see the industry's various 'parts and pieces' - everything from shifting business models to events, media...and more.

So much destructive coach chatter across the industry trying to diminish the value of 'service' - weirdly saying to the press: 'We are sick of being service providers and want to get back to the artistry of what we do". The implication is that 'service' is a new idea (it's not!) that takes away from the profession. My take: remove great service from the 'experience&...