BUILDING & BREAKING with Nina L. Kovner

In this episode, Nina welcomes Sean Paisant, Owner of Entrust Hair in Portland, Oregon, and seasoned haircutting educator. Sean shares his journey of building, leading, and growing Entrust Hair over the past 14 years, the origins of Entrust, the shift from an employment-based to a lease-based salon model, the importance of focusing on community and connection between clients and other hairdressers in the salon, and valuable insights into building a loyal clientele through offline word-of-mouth and elevated salon experiences. Sean also shares his view of some of the challenges and changes in the salon industry, the significance of having a routine, and finding his rhythm. You can find Sean on the socials here and Entrust Hair here. You can find Passion Squared on the socials here and on the web here. Thank you Sean for being our guest, and my awesome neighbor, we love you!

Originally aired January, 31, 2024 In this episode, Nina shares some thoughts about the 'everyone is slow' narrative being shared on the salon industry socials. The fact is, not everyone is slow, busy, sad, happy, or anything. This is another example of black-and-white thinking, coupled with remembering the algorithms can be deceiving and distracting. Nina also shares insights on some key areas of your salon business to look at when things slow down and you don't know why starting with having clarity around your salon brand story which is the foundation for every decision you make in your business. You can learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty pros here, and find Passion Squared on the socials here and the web here. You can find examples of the post experience salon client communications here. Thank you so much for listening, and if you know someone who needs to hear this episode, I'd be super grateful if you shared it with them. Thank you!

In this episode, Nina welcomes back Stacey Rackham, leader and owner of Mint Hair Crafting Salon in Ferndale, Michigan. They dive right into Stacey's new concept, Melt, which focuses on scalp care and head spa experiences inspired by Japanese wellness techniques. Stacey discusses her journey of creating the Melt head spa experience, the challenges faced, and the overwhelmingly positive feedback from salon guests and her team. We talk about how Mint Hair Crafting builds new guest relationships through staying active in local Facebook groups and events like her recent puppy yoga fundraiser, and how she continues to enhance the Mint Hair Crafting experience. We also discuss Stacey's dedication to nurturing her salon guests and team, and yes, we also talk about our shared love for Taylor Swift. Lol. You can find Mint Hair Crafting on the socials here, on the web here, and find Stacey here. Thank you Stacey for being our guest. We love you!

In this episode, Nina revisits the January 2024 episode on perspective for the salon industry, and reflects on significant global and consumer trends impacting the salon industry from 2023 to 2024, emphasizing the importance of providing care, building trust, and creating value for salon clients. We dive into topics ranging from customer psychology and economic factors to specific salon industry trends such as the skinification of hair. Nina highlights the need for businesses to adapt to consumer behaviors, improve salon client experiences, and stay focused on the fundamentals of growing your salon business, focusing on lifetime client value and the importance of clear communication and consistent experiences, online and off, and strategies to retain clients, manage prices, and realign business practices, concluding with advice on focusing on fundamental values and avoiding the distraction of online discourse. You can find Passion Squared on the socials here and here, on the web here, and Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty professionals here. Thank you so much for listening!

In this episode, Danielle Green, the owner, and creator of Radically Curly Salon, an employment based salon in Las Vegas returns to the pod. We discuss Danielle's recent move to a large salon from a quad salon suite, to accommodate her growing clientele and team. Danielle shares the journey and motivations behind creating the Radically Curly Salon brand, which focuses on celebrating all natural textures of hair. Danielle also discusses her wisdom and insights from the build-out of the new Radically Curly location including the importance of external support systems like a business attorney and CPA, and the challenges and rewards of transitioning to a larger space. We also discussed marketing strategies, client referrals, self-care practices, and maintaining healthy boundaries as an entrepreneur. You can find Radically Curly Salon on the socials here and here, on the web here. Thank you Danielle for sharing your wisdom, again, with us! And thank you to our listeners for being here. We love you!

In this episode Nina dives deeper into a recent Reel they shared on the connection between your salon brand, your salon experiences, and your salon prices. When your prices are aligned with the experience you deliver, and you're attracting salon clients who see value in the experience for the price, you are good. When your salon prices are out of alignment with the experience you deliver, that's where you may struggle. We also talk about the importance of context when absorbing content on the socials about your salon pricing. The Reel mentioned in this episode can be found here. You can learn more about the Creating Your Awesome Brand course here, find us on the socials here and here, and on the web here. Thank you so much for listening!

In this episode, Nina sits down with Kristen Peckich, the owner of La Pomponnee Salon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We discuss Kristen's 32 years as the owner and leader of an employment-based salon, her unusually low turnover of team members and clients, her salon leadership philosophy, lessons learned, and transitioning from working behind the chair into a full time leadership position. We also talk about Kristen's most impactful marketing strategies focusing on client care and how Kristen practices self-care while serving others. Thank you Kristen for being an inspiration to our industry and for being our guest on the pod. You can find La Pomponnee on the socials @lapomponnee Thank you for listening!

In this episode, Nina revisits a conversation around our collective loss of perspective as an industry thanks to the algorithms on social media feeding into our fears and insecurities by amplifying the most enraging pieces of content. Remember, your content is your marketing, and what you choose to engage with online has a direct impact on your salon business and brand. And when you choose to engage, you are feeding these ridiculous narratives about our industry and causing harm to your nervous system, mental wellness, and salon business. Nina also shares a few tools to help you stay focused on what matters, and less on what doesn't. You can find us on the web here, and on the socials here and here. You can listen to the 2024 The Year of Perspective for The Salon Industry here and the Instagram post mentioned here. You are so loved. Thank you so much for listening!

In this episode, Nina talks about the recent ban on non-compete agreements in the US and why that's awesome news for the salon industry in creating a positive and supportive environment for your salon team members, focusing on building trust through clear communication, expectations, and shared vision. Nina also talks about how this new ruling is directly connected to your salon brand story which is the foundation for your Salon Team Handbook, which is about building trust, clarifying your salon brand values, and helping create a healthy salon culture. You can learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, A Complete Course for Beauty Professionals here, and find Passion Squared on the socials here and here. Please share this episode with folks you feel would gain value from the message. Thank you so much for listening!

In this episode, Nina share insights on generational discourse drawing from their own experiences as a young hairdresser and marketer, the importance of listening to different generations and their perspectives, and how it applies to both your salon business and life and shares some tips from a blog they wrote in 2013 on how to be a more empathetic leader to future generations. Nina also shares why the word awesome has always been a big part of their vocabulary. You can find Passion Squared on the web here, and on the socials here and here. Thank you so much for listening! You are awesome!