Finding good people for your salon feels impossible. Zero applications, ghosted interviews, or people who show up for one day and disappear. Recruitment in 2026 is brutal - but some salons are still finding brilliant people.

Why it's harder now:

• Post-COVID shift: People want flexibility, development, culture (not just a job)
• Gen Z researches you on Instagram before applying
• Competition is fierce: Everyone's desperate

If your strategy is "post an ad and hope", you're screwed.

In this episode:

• The 3 mistakes killing your recruitment
• Always-on recruiting (build your pipeline BEFORE you need people)
• How to make your salon visible to potential employees
• Writing job ads that actually attract good people
• What flexibility actually means in 2026
• Your January action plan

Stop desperate scrambling. Build your employer brand and pipeline.

Work with me:

Salon Spark: https://salon-spark.com
£75/month, try for £1

1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com

Watch/Subscribe:
YouTube: Watch on YouTube
Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple
Website: buildyoursalonpodcast.com

Most salon team meetings are a waste of time. They're either non-existent or just you moaning at your team for 45 minutes while everyone stares at their phones.

Neither builds a better salon. Here's how to get them right.

The three camps:

• No meetings at all (no cohesion, everyone in silos)
• Occasional roasting sessions (owner's frustrated, nobody wants to come back)
• Rambling chaos (starts late, runs 90 minutes, nothing gets decided)

In this episode:

• Why I got this horrifically wrong for years
• The 45-minute structure that works
• Monthly minimum (when to increase frequency)
• What to include: Product training, promotions, wins
• What to exclude: Negativity, roasting, venting
• The agenda trick that prevents sabotage
• Your January action plan

Team meetings build culture and keep everyone aligned. Get them right.

Work with me:

Salon Spark: https://salon-spark.com
£75/month, try for £1

1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com

Subscribe:
YouTube: Watch on YouTube
Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple
Website: buildyoursalonpodcast.com

I've been coaching salon business owners for almost a decade. Want to know the problem that keeps coming back? Owners working their asses off and barely paying themselves.

If you put yourself on your team's wage structure and couldn't afford to pay yourself, you're not building a business - you've built an expensive hobby that happens to have staff.

In this episode:

• The 3 reasons salon owners don't pay themselves (guilt, fear, confusion)
• Worker vs Owner: Why you need TWO types of income
• Wages for the work + Dividends for the risk
• Real 2026 numbers: Small salon (£36-54k), Medium (£54-80k), Large (£80-160k+)
• How to set it up in January and stop subsidizing your business

You deserve to get paid what you're worth. Let's fix this in 2026.

Resources:

Get Paid Properly: https://getpaidproperly.com
Complete profit & pricing system

Work with me:

Salon Spark: https://salon-spark.com
£75/month, try for £1

1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com

Subscribe:
YouTube: Watch on YouTube
Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple
Website: buildyoursalonpodcast.com

You don't need 100 members to make salon memberships profitable. You might not even need 50.

After helping 100+ salons launch membership programs, I can tell you exactly how many members YOU need - and it's probably fewer than you think.

In this episode:

• How to calculate your membership target based on YOUR actual numbers
• Why most salons need 30-60 members (not hundreds)
• Small salon vs. large salon targets - what's realistic
• The reverse engineering strategy: start with your overhead gap
• Why "more members" isn't always better

Stop guessing. Start with the real numbers that will transform your cash flow.

Resources:

Salon Memberships Made Easy: https://queenofmemberships.com
The complete system for launching profitable memberships

Work with me:

Salon Spark (weekly accountability + community): https://salon-spark.com
£75/month, cancel anytime, try it for £1

1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com

Subscribe:
YouTube: Watch on YouTube
Website: buildyoursalonpodcast.com

Most salon memberships die in month 3.

Not because the concept is flawed. Because of 3 specific mistakes that are completely avoidable.

After helping 100+ salons implement memberships, I've seen this pattern play out over and over.

In this episode:

• Why month 3 is the danger zone
• The 3 retention killers (and how to avoid them)
• The simple system that keeps members past the honeymoon phase
• Real numbers from salons who got it right

Work with me:

Salon Spark (weekly accountability + community): https://salon-spark.com
Try it for one month for just £1

1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com

Free guide - 10 brutal truths - YOUR SALON MEMBERSHIP ISDEAD BEFORE IT LAUNCHES: https://www.buildyoursalon.com/memberships-for-salons-page😬 Got a negative review and don't know what to say? Get my free response templates: https://buildyoursalon.com/handling-reviews-page

Subscribe:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/C_i5jSMx3xwWebsite: buildyoursalonpodcast.com

Forget the fluff and glitter — this Boxing Day episode is all about turning vision-board fantasies into a plan you can actually stick to. Phil Jackson walks salon owners through his tried-and-true goal-setting process for 2026, showing how to connect your long-term dreams with realistic, value-driven actions.

From five-year mapping to quarterly focus and smarter revenue targets, this episode will help you anchor your goals in what truly matters — your values, your team, and your lifestyle.

And since it’s Boxing Day, I’m celebrating with some brilliant offers to help you start the year strong — including my Crystal Clear Goal Setting programme and Salon Spark accountability group. 🎁 Head over to buildyoursalon.com to grab your deals before they disappear.

Let’s make 2026 the year your salon works for you — not the other way around.

Most business owners jump straight into goal setting in January, only to abandon their plans by February. This episode reveals the crucial, albeit un-glamorous, prep work that will ensure your 2026 salon goals actually stick!

• Reviewing 2025: A cold, hard look at what made you money, brought joy, felt easy, and what simply didn't work.
• Your Magic Number: Pinpointing your desired profit for 2026 to inform your turnover targets and lifestyle goals.
• Feed Your Brain: Stretching your mind with inspiring reads or audiobooks to broaden your perspective and ambition.
• Values Research: Using a value-setting exercise to ensure your goals align with what truly matters to you, creating a filter for success and happiness.

This half-day prep isn't about setting goals yet, but about laying solid foundations so your goals are realistic, ambitious, and aligned with your core values. Block out 2.5-4 hours between Christmas and New Year – your future self will thank you for the clarity!

• Alex Hormozi's 100M Offers
• Dan Sullivan & Benjamin Hardy's 10x Is Easier Than 2x
• Any book by Brené Brown
• Value setting decks (available on Amazon or free online printables)

Join us next episode for a quick rundown on the goal-setting process itself!

Want help holding yourself accountable and getting clarity for the year ahead? Join Salon Spark and grab your first month for just £1 – my personal support to help you actually get sh*t done.

That December chaos? It’s not just about full columns and frantic clients. In this episode, Phil Jackson uncovers the deeper reason salon owners feel frazzled over the holidays—how your personal values and boundaries get thrown off balance, and what to do about it. Expect a little tough love, a few laughs, and a practical mindset reset to help you glide into the new year calmer, clearer, and more in tune with what really matters.

Join Phil Jackson as he shares expert insights on maximizing salon revenue this December. Discover strategic actions to fill up your appointment book, effectively use gift vouchers, and smart ways to bring forward promotions. Enhance your client experience and keep the cash flow steady even during quieter times. Let's make December more profitable despite the challenges!

What if growing your salon isn’t actually helping your bottom line? In this episode, Phil pulls back the curtain on why more team members, more turnover, and more chaos don’t always equal more profit. Discover how to calculate the real profitability of your team, why small can be smarter, and how to build a lifestyle-first business that truly serves you.