Stephanie Russell-Jacobs is a former hairstylist turned psychological safety facilitator and coach. This is Stephanie's  third time on SUMM IT UP, and this episode we're focusing on leadership. Stephanie says just about anyone can be a leader, whether they know it or not, and that leadership is more about intention than power. In this insightful conversation, Stephanie and Blake discuss:

• The many forms leadership can take in a salon company
• Applying Mel Robbins' "Let Them" theory to the salon workplace
• Why leaders should aim for consistency, not perfection
• Strategies for managing conflict between salon company shareholders

And more. 

Learn more about Stephanie and her coaching services at wavesociety.ca.

Follow her on Instagram @psychologicallysafesteph.

Check out her previous SUMM IT UP interviews on psychological safety  and preventing burnout. 

Follow Summit Salon Business Center on Instagram @SummitSalon, and on TikTok at SummitSalon. 

SUMM IT UP  is now on YouTube! Watch extended cuts of our interviews at www.youtube.com/@summitunlocked

Find host Blake Reed Evans on Instagram @BlakeReedEvans and on TikTok at blakereedevans. His DM's are always open! You can email Blake at [email protected]. 

Visit us at SummitSalon.com  to connect with others in the industry. 

LaShawnda Hall's salon journey began in an unconventional way. As a retail manager in a chain clothing store, she befriended a customer -- a hair stylist from across the mall. She became a regular guest of that stylist, Summit's own Jen Culverhouse. Years later, when Jen opened her own salon company, Jen invited LaShawnda to manage a boutique. 

Fast forward to today, and LaShawnda has become the owner of that salon - Urban Eve in Pearland, Texas. A go-getter and multi-tasker extraordinaire,  LaShawnda is an inspiration to anyone dreaming about owning a salon. 
 

Looking to level up your boutique, or add one to your salon company? Listen to our previous episode, Boutique experience with LaShawnda Hall. We also have a very fun episode with LaShawnda's former employer and founder of Urban Eve Salon, Jen Culverhouse, where you can get to know your enneagram type .

Find LaShawnda on Instagram @lashawndahall_ssbc

Learn more about LaShawnda and schedule a 30 minute discovery call for front desk or boutique coaching services. 

Follow Summit Salon Business Center on Instagram @SummitSalon, and on TikTok at SummitSalon. 

SUMM IT UP  is now on YouTube! Watch extended cuts of our interviews at www.youtube.com/@summitunlocked

Find host Blake Reed Evans on Instagram @BlakeReedEvans and on TikTok at blakereedevans. His DM's are always open! You can email Blake at [email protected]. 

Visit us at SummitSalon.com  to connect with others in the industry. 

Jamie DiGrazia (she/they) is the owner of Logan Parlor Hair Salon and Barber Shop in Chicago, and a Level 6 cosmetologist and barber.  DiGrazia is the founder of Hair Has No Gender, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization  dedicated to promoting inclusive, gender-free, and gender-affirming practices within the hair world. 

In this heartfelt episode, DiGrazia and host Blake Reed Evans discuss:

• Gender-neutral pricing -- It's the right thing to do and makes business sense too.
• Gender-inclusive consultations
• How to transition your salon to a gender-neutral pricing structure (it's easier than you might think)
• How to be an ally to young trans, non-binary or gender-nonconforming guests in your salon

Take Hair Has No Gender's inclusivity pledge and get your salon company listed on their Affirming Service Finder directory. 

Learn about their professional team trainings. 

Instagram:  @jamiedigrazia / @hair_has_no_gender

Follow Summit Salon Business Center on Instagram @SummitSalon, and on TikTok at SummitSalon. 

SUMM IT UP  is now on YouTube! Watch extended cuts of our interviews at www.youtube.com/@summitunlocked

Find host Blake Reed Evans on Instagram @BlakeReedEvans and on TikTok at blakereedevans. His DM's are always open! You can email Blake at [email protected]. 

Visit us at SummitSalon.com  to connect with others in the industry. 

Hair stylists are in the business of people. You know how to take care of a guest when they're in your chair -- but how do you get people into your chair to begin with, and get them to keep coming back? In a post-2020 world where just about everyone does great hair, people skills are more important than ever. 

Our guest is Kim Light Pearson, Marketing + Branding Team Leader for Summit Salon Business Center, and she's hear to show you how to put the "social" back in social media. In this episode, Kim and host/hair influencer Blake Reed Evans cover:

• The power of tutorial videos/ What to do when your guest says "I wish you could come home with me!" 
• The tricky business of before and after photos
• How to optimize your use of photos and video on Instagram
• How to interact with clients and potential clients on social
• How Summit can  level up your salon company's website and social, and empower you to make updates whenever you want

And more! 

Learn more about Kim Light Pearson and book a 30 minute discovery call

Follow Kim on Instagram @theklp

Follow Summit Salon Business Center on Instagram @SummitSalon, and on TikTok at SummitSalon. 

SUMM IT UP  is now on YouTube! Watch extended cuts of our interviews at www.youtube.com/@summitunlocked

Find host Blake Reed Evans on Instagram @BlakeReedEvans and on TikTok at blakereedevans. His DM's are always open! You can email Blake at [email protected]. 

Visit us at SummitSalon.com  to connect with others in the industry. 

On average, only about 30% of new salon clients book a second appointment. A few write negative reviews online, but many simply don't come back. Why is that?

Our guest this episode, Kati Witledge, says clients often don't return because they weren't matched with the best stylist to meet their unique needs at that first appointment. Her company, mya, provides a software that allows potential clients to find a stylist match before they even set foot in your salon. mya empowers the salon to market to those clients, and makes booking a breeze. 

In this meaty conversation, Kati and host Blake Reed Evans also get into common pain points of client acquisition and retention, tools to grow your salon company's marketing reach, and how to prep your team to make a great first impression. 

LEARN MORE

joinmya.com

IG: @join_mya

TikTok: join_mya

Follow Summit Salon Business Center on Instagram @SummitSalon, and on TikTok at SummitSalon. 

SUMM IT UP  is now on YouTube! Watch extended cuts of our interviews at www.youtube.com/@summitunlocked

Find host Blake Reed Evans on Instagram @BlakeReedEvans and on TikTok at blakereedevans. His DM's are always open! You can email Blake at [email protected]. 

Visit us at SummitSalon.com  to connect with others in the industry. 

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty reigned in the salon industry. Questions like “When will I be allowed to open back up?” “Is it worth the risk to go to work?” and “Will my company survive this?” were on the minds of owners and staff. Leaders had a choice: put on a brave face for their workers, or be honest about their fears. Our guest Derek Reynolds says learning to be vulnerable helped him connect with employees on a deeper level. 

Also during the pandemic, the motivations of salon pros shifted more towards flexibility and time with family. In this episode, Derek and host Blake Reed Evans discuss how to navigate this new landscape with compassion, and why it’s okay not to be okay. 

Derek is the team leader for the Leadership Division and a salon consultant with Summit Salon Business Center,  general manager of Cutler Salons in New York City, and a certified Enneagram practitioner.

To learn more about Summit’s leadership coaching and retreats, visit summitsalon.com/wellness-culture/summit-leadership-system

SUMM IT UP is produced by Erica Furgiuele. Tim Fisk is the executive editor. Find all of our past episodes at summitsalon.com/summ-it-up-podcast-new, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. 

This episode was originally published in July of 2022. 

Follow Summit Salon Business Center on Instagram @SummitSalon, and on TikTok at SummitSalon. 

Follow host Blake Reed Evans on Instagram @BlakeReedEvans and on TikTok at blakereedevans. His DM's are always open! You can email him at [email protected]. 

Visit us at SummitSalon.com  to connect with others in the industry.  Get in touch with Summit and let us know what you think of the podcast or what topics you’d like us to cover next.

Follow Summit Salon Business Center on Instagram @SummitSalon, and on TikTok at SummitSalon. 

SUMM IT UP  is now on YouTube! Watch extended cuts of our interviews at www.youtube.com/@summitunlocked

Find host Blake Reed Evans on Instagram @BlakeReedEvans and on TikTok at blakereedevans. His DM's are always open! You can email Blake at [email protected]. 

Visit us at SummitSalon.com  to connect with others in the industry. 

Andrew Carruthers is a stylist educator and trainer and a Sam Villa culture ambassador. He also coaches private clients inside and outside the beauty industry through his company The Journeyist. Our conversation in this episode is about managing stress and controlling reactivity – skills essential to communication and leadership. You’ll learn simple breathing techniques from the Oxygen Advantage method and get an introduction to Multiple Brain Integration (mBIT), a holistic practice for processing thoughts and feelings. Andrew Carruthers joins us from his home in Olympia, Washington. 

Connect with Andrew on Instagram 

@andrew.carruthers  or visit his website thejourneyist.life.

SUMM IT UP is produced by Erica Furgiuele. 

Get in touch with Summit and let us know what you think of the podcast or what topics you’d like us to cover next.  

This episode originally aired on December 20, 2023. 

Follow Summit Salon Business Center on Instagram @SummitSalon, and on TikTok at SummitSalon. 

SUMM IT UP  is now on YouTube! Watch extended cuts of our interviews at www.youtube.com/@summitunlocked

Find host Blake Reed Evans on Instagram @BlakeReedEvans and on TikTok at blakereedevans. His DM's are always open! You can email Blake at [email protected]. 

Visit us at SummitSalon.com  to connect with others in the industry. 

The relationship between a stylist and their repeat guest is special. But if you build that special relationship with enough people over time, you might feel maxed out because your days are so busy. You have a waiting list. So you raise your prices, but that waiting list doesn’t get any shorter. 

Though you may feel like you can’t handle one more thing, this could be the perfect time to bring on an associate - a recent hair school grad to work with you behind the chair. And if you’re worried that bringing on an associate might upset that relationship you’ve built with your guests, Paige Lowe is here to allay your fears. 

Paige Lowe is a Summit Certified Associate Trainer and a stylist at Glam Street Salon in Grayslake, Illinois, where she currently works with three associates behind the chair! In this episode, Paige and host Blake Reed Evans dispel some misconceptions about working with associates and discuss how to develop a partnership where both stylist and associate can grow. 

This episode was originally released in August 2022. 

LEARN MORE

Find Paige on Instagram @paige_glamstreetsalon, or reach out to her at [email protected].

SUMM IT UP is produced by Erica Furgiuele. 

Get in touch with Summit and let us know what you think of the podcast or what topics you’d like us to cover next. 

Follow Summit Salon Business Center on Instagram @SummitSalon, and on TikTok at SummitSalon. 

SUMM IT UP  is now on YouTube! Watch extended cuts of our interviews at www.youtube.com/@summitunlocked

Find host Blake Reed Evans on Instagram @BlakeReedEvans and on TikTok at blakereedevans. His DM's are always open! You can email Blake at [email protected]. 

Visit us at SummitSalon.com  to connect with others in the industry. 

The way most salons manage their color results in a loss of profits - that's why Tim Howard co-founded Vish, software that is revolutionizing how salons manage their color so they can reduce waste and increase their profits. Tim has over 25 years of experience in the salon industry and is the former owner of two award-winning salons. He chats with Blake about how salons can charge clients correctly for their color, what needs to change in the industry, and how salons can best reinvest extra revenue back into their business. 

LEARN MORE

Visit getvish.com. 

SUMM IT UP is produced by Erica Furgiuele. 

Get in touch with Summit and let us know what you think of the podcast or what topics you’d like us to cover next.  

Follow Summit Salon Business Center on Instagram @SummitSalon, and on TikTok at SummitSalon. 

SUMM IT UP  is now on YouTube! Watch extended cuts of our interviews at www.youtube.com/@summitunlocked

Find host Blake Reed Evans on Instagram @BlakeReedEvans and on TikTok at blakereedevans. His DM's are always open! You can email Blake at [email protected]. 

Visit us at SummitSalon.com  to connect with others in the industry. 

What is a day in the life of a content creator like? How do you balance your responsibilities as a creator with your work as a stylist behind the chair? And what does it take to amass a significant following on social media in the hair salon industry? 

Our guest this episode is Alejandro Lopez, an incredibly talented stylist based in Orlando, Florida, with nearly 700k followers on social media. Alejandro chats with Blake about his background in braiding, how he transitioned to vivid color work, and what his daily life is like as both a stylist behind the chair and content creator.

LEARN MORE

Follow Alejandro on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube @artistic.aestheticss

SUMM IT UP is produced by Erica Furgiuele. 

Get in touch with Summit and let us know what you think of the podcast or what topics you’d like us to cover next.  

Follow Summit Salon Business Center on Instagram @SummitSalon, and on TikTok at SummitSalon. 

SUMM IT UP  is now on YouTube! Watch extended cuts of our interviews at www.youtube.com/@summitunlocked

Find host Blake Reed Evans on Instagram @BlakeReedEvans and on TikTok at blakereedevans. His DM's are always open! You can email Blake at [email protected]. 

Visit us at SummitSalon.com  to connect with others in the industry.