Profitable Salon Owner Podcast

Passion and Growth: Learn how Brian "Leo" Mallum expanded from a one-backwash studio to three successful salons through a deep passion for the industry and a commitment to organic growth.

CARE Values Framework: Discover how Roar Hair and Beauty’s core values—Color, Authenticity, Respect, and Excellence—shape their salon culture and attract a loyal clientele.

Community Over Competition: Hear why building a supportive community of salon owners and professionals can be more valuable than competing, and how this mindset has transformed Leo’s approach.

Staying True to Your Vision: Gain practical strategies for staying aligned with your original mission, even when faced with challenges like profitability and rapid expansion.

Inclusivity and Gender-Neutral Pricing: Understand the importance of creating an inclusive environment and how Roar Hair and Beauty implemented gender-neutral pricing to better serve their diverse client base.

Protecting Your Salon Culture: Leo shares how to safeguard your team’s well-being and maintain a positive salon atmosphere, even when dealing with challenging clients or new hires.

Hiring with Intention: Learn how to make intentional hiring decisions that align with your salon’s culture and mission, including the importance of trial periods to ensure the right fit.

Handling Unprofitable Periods: Get actionable tips on what to strip back and re-evaluate when your salon is not profitable, from pricing strategies to understanding your KPIs.

The Power of Storytelling: Leo emphasizes how sharing your salon’s story and values can create a deep connection with clients, leading to long-term loyalty.

Balancing Business and Art: Discover how to balance your artistic passion for hairdressing with the demands of running a profitable business, and why knowing your numbers is critical to success.

Topic: The discussion centers around burnout and practical ways to overcome it, focusing on causes and cures.

Guest: Chris Baran shares his experiences, emphasizing his journey in the beauty industry and lessons learned over 50 years.

Causes of Burnout: Overwork, feeling unappreciated, and imposter syndrome are highlighted as key contributors.

Universal Education: Chris points out that everyone is an educator in life, whether as a stylist, parent, or leader, which can lead to exhaustion.

Experience-Based Insights: Chris speaks about identifying burnout through personal struggles and recognizing it in others, especially salon owners and educators.

Self-Discovery: He emphasizes understanding where burnout originates, often tied to deeper emotional roots.

Cure Framework: He outlines solutions like continuous learning, open communication, motivation, and mentorship.

Straight Talk: The importance of honest, direct communication is stressed as a way to alleviate misunderstandings and improve relationships.

Mentorship: Chris advises finding mentors who can provide genuine guidance without imposing their own views.

Upcoming Webinar: A free webinar is mentioned, happening on November 18th, focused on addressing burnout and boosting productivity.

Social Media Burnout: Salon owners often feel overwhelmed by the pressure to constantly create engaging social media content.

Shift in Perspective: Instead of viewing social media as a daunting task, approach it as an opportunity to showcase your business and engage clients.

Entertaining Content: Understand that social media is a platform for entertainment. Your posts should aim to entertain first and then promote services.

Inspiration from Others: Look at successful salon posts for inspiration. Saving and adapting ideas can help streamline content creation.

Team Involvement: Engage your team in content creation by hosting fun, collaborative "social media play days" to generate ideas and content together.

Embrace TikTok Trends: Use the trends from TikTok and other platforms to create relatable, engaging videos that resonate with your audience.

Frequent Posting: Accept that producing a high volume of content (50-100 pieces) is crucial to finding what works and gaining confidence.

Minimal Editing: Start with simple video concepts that require little editing to avoid getting stuck in perfectionism.

Resource Sharing: Provide valuable resources to help salon owners create engaging content, such as cheat sheets for social media posts.

Celebrate Success: Encourage salon owners to share their content, tag the podcast, and celebrate their progress to build a supportive community.

Combatting Booth Renter Mentality: Joanne Peterman discusses strategies to reduce booth renter mentality and build a cohesive, team-oriented culture in salons.

Code of Honor: Emphasizes the importance of a salon's Code of Honor to set clear standards and expectations for the team, fostering accountability and consistency.

Team Culture: Joanne shares that her salon’s success comes from a strong team culture, where everyone supports each other beyond hair services, including helping with laundry, cleaning, and client follow-up.

Wellness and Personal Growth: Joanne integrates wellness practices like Reiki and yoga into her lifestyle, which she believes benefits her personal and professional growth, positively impacting her team and salon.

Staff Buy-In and Engagement: Discusses the importance of team buy-in, with everyone understanding why certain tasks are essential for business growth, creating a supportive and engaged salon environment.

Incentives and Rewards: Joanne implemented reward systems, such as two-hour passes, as incentives for staff performance and team-building activities, which are popular among her staff.

Onboarding and Expectations: New hires receive a clear handbook and manual to set expectations and outline roles, ensuring everyone understands their responsibilities.

Handling Team Turnover: She stresses the importance of letting go of staff who don't align with the salon's culture and Code of Honor, prioritizing long-term cultural fit over immediate staffing needs.

Owner Self-Reflection: Encourages salon owners to look inward and assess how their leadership impacts team dynamics, emphasizing that team culture begins with the owner’s actions and mindset.

Future Growth and Wellness Center: Joanne is expanding her business to a larger space focused on wellness, reflecting her vision of a holistic, supportive, and connected team culture.

Staff Retention and Growth: One of the main reasons staff leave is the lack of a clear growth path. Establishing defined career goals and providing a structured growth plan is crucial for retention.

Simplifying Performance Metrics: Creative salon staff often find tracking numbers stressful. Simplifying the process by providing clear, actionable metrics like guest count and average ticket can boost staff confidence.

Personal Goals Drive Motivation: Understanding the personal goals of your staff, such as buying a home or car, can be a strong motivator. Aligning their personal dreams with performance metrics can lead to better results.

Addressing Turnover: High staff turnover in salons is a challenge, but creating a supportive and growth-driven environment helps retain staff longer.

Weekly Check-ins: Instead of monthly reviews, weekly performance check-ins allow for timely adjustments and foster continuous improvement.

Effective Leadership Mindset: Salon owners should focus on guiding their team through collaborative leadership, rather than controlling or micromanaging, to create a positive work environment.

Supporting Team Strengths: Utilize team members’ strengths by assigning tasks like performance tracking to those who excel at it, while alleviating stress for others.

Motivating with Tangible Goals: Breaking down big financial goals into smaller, manageable targets, like increasing average ticket sales, makes achieving success feel more attainable.

Mindset Shifts for Growth: Shifting the leadership mindset from enforcing rules to supporting personal and professional growth encourages team engagement and loyalty.

Building a Positive Culture: By focusing on the well-being and development of the team, salon owners can create a thriving, energized work environment that benefits both staff and clients.

Communication Struggles: Many salon owners struggle to communicate effectively with their teams, which can impact staff meetings and overall team morale.

Responsibility in Communication: Taking full responsibility for how your message is received, not just what you say, is key to effective communication.

Tailoring Your Message: Adjust your communication style based on your audience, whether it’s a staff meeting or a larger group.

Importance of Feedback: Constantly seeking feedback and checking if your message was understood can improve communication in any setting.

Impact of Tone and Body Language: The tone of your voice and your body language play a critical role in how your message is perceived.

Communication in Relationships: Misunderstandings often stem from the initial communication, not the aftermath, requiring more focus on clarity upfront.

Telepathic Communication: Sometimes unintentional, subconscious messages are conveyed through body language and tone that can affect communication.

Continuous Growth: As a business owner, your ability to communicate should evolve along with the size and needs of your team.

Seeking Understanding: Effective communication starts with understanding others before trying to make yourself understood.

Performance Pressure: Pressure in staff meetings or conversations can arise from misaligned communication and team expectations.

Guest Introduction and Transition: Host Kayla Swanson introduces Lindsey Compton, who recently transitioned into a new phase of her life after getting married, including taking on a new last name, which symbolizes stepping into a new chapter.

Leadership Team vs. Manager Role: Lindsey discusses the distinction between a leadership team and a traditional manager. A leadership team handles broader responsibilities, supports growth, and drives the salon’s mission.

Transitioning to a Leadership Team: Lindsey shares her experience of managing all tasks herself for years before transitioning to a dedicated leadership team, which significantly improved the business.

Delegating Responsibilities: By delegating specific roles to people skilled and passionate about certain areas, Lindsey’s business has grown faster and more efficiently.

Importance of Personal Development: Lindsey emphasizes that personal development is a key trait she looks for in leaders and encourages it among her team members.

Weekly Leadership Meetings: Lindsey holds 90-minute leadership meetings weekly to ensure alignment, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Finding the Right People for the Right Seats: Building a leadership team means placing individuals in roles that best suit their skills and passions, ensuring they feel supported and capable.

Handling Misalignment in Leadership: Open conversations and regular check-ins help identify if someone is in the right role and allow for smooth transitions if a change is needed.

Empowering Growth and Retention: Creating clear paths for growth and open communication prevents stagnation and keeps team members engaged and motivated.

Avoiding Common Mistakes: Lindsey warns against promoting individuals solely based on seniority, overlooking compensation, and neglecting proper support and training.

Podcast Rebrand: The episode marks a significant rebrand for the podcast, with a new logo and color scheme, emphasizing fresh beginnings and renewed energy.

Embracing Change: Change is inevitable and essential for growth, whether in business, personal life, or global events. Jason discusses how change can often lead to unexpected positive outcomes.

Personal Transformation: Jason shares his personal transformation story of losing 30 pounds and how it triggered a series of positive changes in his business and personal life.

Leadership & Influence: Jason reflects on the idea that team members, family, and business associates replicate a leader's habits, making it crucial for leaders to embody the qualities they want to see in others.

Adapting to Seasons of Change: Using the metaphor of natural seasons, Jason explains how personal and business growth often requires going through uncomfortable changes.

Catalyst for Growth: Jason emphasizes that adversity and challenges, such as losing a team member or undergoing a business transformation, often serve as catalysts for significant personal and professional growth.

Mindset Shift: Changing one's mindset is highlighted as the most critical factor for creating a positive ripple effect in other areas of life, including finances, relationships, and business outcomes.

Reflection on Impact: Rather than focusing solely on financial goals, Jason aims to make an impact in the lives of those around him, stating that having an "impact goal" is more fulfilling and drives long-term success.

Responding Positively to Setbacks: Jason discusses how setbacks, such as damaging a car or losing a client, can be reframed positively, serving as signals for necessary change or lessons to learn from.

Power of Self-Improvement: The episode ends with a discussion on the power of self-improvement and the importance of striving to be a better version of oneself each day, setting small daily goals that build momentum over time.

• Marketing as Communication: Marketing is about clear communication with clients, potential clients, and team members. It's vital for building relationships in the salon business.
• Audience Understanding: Knowing who you are marketing to is crucial for crafting effective messages. Tailor your marketing to resonate emotionally with your audience.
• Lead Nurturing: Focus on nurturing leads by capturing their information and building relationships over time through consistent communication.
• SEO & Awareness: Invest in SEO to be found by potential clients. Build awareness early in the marketing funnel before pushing for conversions.
• Automation Importance: Use tools like email drip campaigns and automated messages to respond quickly and nurture leads.
• Personalized Communication: Maintain communication with clients through various methods like emails, texts, and personal outreach to build loyalty and retention.
• Marketing Investments: Understand that generating leads requires an upfront investment. Leads may cost between $45 and $400, depending on the industry and method.
• Drip Campaigns for Success: Automating email sequences and regularly interacting with your CRM can improve lead conversion and client retention.
• Marketing Psychology: Neuromarketing principles help build brand awareness subconsciously, keeping your salon top of mind when clients are ready to book.
• Continuous Practice: Marketing is not a one-time task but a continuous practice. Constantly refining and adjusting strategies will yield better results.

• Consultation Beyond the Picture: The episode emphasizes moving beyond Pinterest-inspired consultations to uncover what clients truly want, not just replicating a look.
• Vivienne Mackinder’s Expertise: Vivienne shares her 40+ years of experience as a stylist and artistic director for iconic brands, providing insight into fashion, style, and consultation techniques.
• Understanding Client Emotions: The discussion highlights that clients often seek to replicate an emotion or feeling associated with a look, not necessarily the exact style.
• Empowering Stylists: Vivienne encourages stylists to assert their expertise, helping clients achieve looks that fit their body type, age, and lifestyle, rather than simply copying trends.
• Improving Consultation Techniques: A large gap exists between stylists who believe they provide consultations and clients who feel they receive one, highlighting the need for better communication skills.
• Design from the Inside Out: Stylists should consider the client’s whole appearance—body type, face shape, and personal style—before recommending a haircut.
• Building Trust and Confidence: Gaining a client’s trust is key; otherwise, the client may take control of the process, leading to unsatisfactory outcomes.
• Tailoring Hairstyles to Body Types: Stylists must consider the client's body proportions (apple, pear, banana body types) to create balanced and flattering styles.
• Leadership in Salons: Salon owners must lead by example, empowering their stylists with the right skills, confidence, and systems to succeed.
• Vivienne’s Advice on Success: Vivienne shares advice on building confidence, creativity, and leadership, and emphasizes the importance of mirror neurons in learning and setting a good example in salons.