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In this episode, Todd and Jen dive deep into one of the most common pain points salon owners and independent hair professionals face: retention—both of staff and renters. 

Armed with decades of hands-on experience building a thriving salon culture at Hello Hair Pro, they share what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to keeping great people around.

Candid takes on leadership, the myth of “luxury” branding, how to educate new talent out of school, and the power of clear systems. 

Whether you run a commission salon, rental suites, or a hybrid space, this episode gives you tangible, real-world strategies to create a place where people actually want to work.

🔥 Key Topics Covered:

[00:00] Setting the Stage: Why Retention Matters More Than Ever
[00:02] Owners Must Invest—Even If People Leave
[00:04] Tough Love: Stop Complaining About No-Shows If You Don’t Enforce Your Policies
[00:07] Luxury Is a Feeling, Not a Word—Lead Like It
[00:13] Hiring Stylists Out of School: Why It's the Smartest Move
[00:16] Our Education System at Hello Hair Pro
[00:17] Why We Shift Chairs (And Why You Should Too)
[00:20] Thinking About Expanding? Here’s Why You Shouldn't (Yet)
[00:23] Stop Hiring to Fill Chairs—Hire to Build a Culture
[00:28] Flexibility & Freedom Within Structure: The Secret to Our Culture
[00:31] Your Team Wants Rules—They Just Won’t Say It
[00:34] The Kind of People Who Thrive With Freedom
[00:36] Hiring Mistakes: Be Quick to Fire If You're Quick to Hire
[00:38] Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need All the Answers—Just Start

Key Takeaways:

• Leadership is not optional: If you're running a salon, you’re a leader—whether you want to be or not. Step into it.
• Retention starts with self-awareness: Would you want to work for you? If not, change something.
• Culture > Commission: Compensation matters, but culture keeps people around.
• Stylists want education: New talent out of school is a blank slate—you can shape them to fit your brand.
• Flexibility must be defined: It's not a free-for-all. Freedom only works when expectations are crystal clear.
• Create a salon you’d still want to work at: That's the true test.

 Mentioned in the Episode:

• Our custom education model
• How we use Slack to streamline scheduling
• Why salon expansion is often premature
• The system behind our "shifted chair" approach
• Building structure without killing creativity

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