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Real Talk on Hiring, Culture, and Why People Stay.

After a technical hiccup on Monday’s episode (sorry if you caught the glitchy one!), Todd and Jen are back with a full redo—and it might be even better than the original. 

This episode covers team retention, leadership, and how to build a salon culture that people don’t want to leave.

They cover everything from how to attract new talent straight out of school, why “luxury” means nothing if your client experience doesn’t back it up, and how simplifying your systems might be the key to long-term success. 

Oh—and they don’t shy away from calling out toxic industry mindsets that are holding people back.

Whether you’re running a salon or running a rental model, this episode is full of practical, experience-backed advice you can implement immediately.

🔥 Key Topics Covered:

[00:00] Why We’re Re-Recording + Behind-the-Scenes Podcast Real Talk
[00:03] Luxury Isn’t a Word—It’s a Client Experience
[00:06] Simplicity Wins: What Lego Can Teach Salon Owners
[00:11] Bad Advice on Facebook and the Mentorship Void
[00:12] Why You Should Always Be Interviewing
[00:15] Don’t Be Salty When Stylists Leave—Plan for It
[00:18] Creating a Clear Career Path with Visible Growth Opportunities
[00:22] How to Build Education Into Your Salon Model
[00:24] Stop Waiting for the “Perfect Stylist”—Hire Out of School
[00:28] Buy-In Beats Experience
[00:29] Flexibility + Rules = Sustainable Culture
[00:32] Why You Might Be the Reason You Can’t Retain Staff
[00:34] How to Structure Your Team to Handle Turnover
[00:36] The Secret Power of Station Sharing
[00:38] Culture Can’t Just Be a Buzzword—It Must Be Defined
[00:39] The Fun Factor: Why Energy, Leadership, and Respect Matter
[00:41] Culture > Commission: What Stylists Really Want Today

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• “Always Be Interviewing” – Even when you’re fully staffed, build relationships now to avoid panic hires later.
• Set Clear Growth Paths – Show stylists how they’ll grow with you—financially and professionally.
• Hiring Out of School Isn’t a Last Resort—It’s a Strategy – Create systems to train and retain future superstars.
• Flexibility Without Structure Fails – Your culture needs rules and systems if you want people to respect their freedoms.
• Culture is More Important Than Commission – People don’t just want money—they want meaning, clarity, and momentum.

📌 Mentioned in the Episode:

• The failed “luxury” experience rant
• A breakdown of our real-world commission system
• How Hello Hair Pro does internal education
• Our philosophy on interviewing, even when not hiring
• The deep clean bonus opportunity for staff
• Why hiring the “perfect” seasoned stylist isn’t your best bet

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