In this episode of Founders Future, with host Zach Young, we sit down with Nicole Holdaway, a Melbourne-based salon coach and master stylist. Nicole shares her incredible journey from being a car service advisor to buying her first salon with 10 staff just after becoming a qualified hairdresser. She opens up about the "traumatic" yet transformative early years of salon ownership, navigating HR issues and leadership without a guide, which ultimately led her to her true calling: coaching new salon owners through the challenging first three years of business.

Nicole delves into her unique coaching methodology, which prioritizes a "mindset audit" before tackling business strategy, explaining that sustainable growth in profit, pricing, and systems can only happen after shifting internal blocks. She also discusses her marketing strategies, the surprising impact of AI on the hair industry with clients bringing in AI-generated inspiration photos, and her future goals of hosting in-person retreats for salon owners to complement her virtual coaching practice.