Stacey Soble is Director of Brand Content Strategy at SALON TODAY, the only salon industry media solely focused on business. She's also the organizer and a judge of the SALON TODAY 200, one of the industry's most coveted awards.  She's been involved in the conversation of salon business for more than two decades—as a reporter, a consultant and as the editor in chief of SALON TODAY.

In this episode, host Blake Reed Evans chats with Stacey about the relationship between industry media and salon pros and some of the business innovations she's most excited about. Is your salon company newsworthy? Stacey explains how to get the judges' attention in your application for SALON TODAY 200, and more. 

Submissions for the 2025  SALON TODAY 200 start in August 2024. Learn more about the awards, Sign up for the Salon Today newsletter on their homepage to be notified as soon as applications are available. Follow Salon Today on IG @salontodayofficial, and follow Stacey @staceysoble. 

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. 

Whether you have never worked with an associate before, or you've been a trainer for years and are looking to update your methods, this episode is for you! Not only do associates provide an extra pair of hands, but they provide the opportunity to book more guests, maximize productivity, and help your salon run like a well-oiled machine. 

Our guest Molly Limes Getz is a Senior Educator and Partner at Soto Signature Salon and Spa in Perrysburg, Ohio. She's also a Redken Artist, a Sam Villa Ambassador, and co-host of Detangled Podcast. 

Molly and host Blake Reed Evans both started as associates, and work with associates daily behind the chair. In this high-energy interview, they cover recruitment, onboarding, how to introduce new associates to guests, and so much more. 

This episode was originally published in April 2023. 

Learn about Summit's associate training programs. 

Follow Molly Limes Getz on IG @mollygetz 

Follow Molly on TikTok at mollylimesgetz

Find Detangled Podcast where-ever you listen.

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. 

Sam Villa is the founding partner of Sam Villa Professional Brand, the Redken Global Artistic Ambassador, and 2017 NAHA Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Famous across the salon industry for his line of tools and his educational videos, Sam is a master of change and adaptation, whether that be hair trends or the way education is delivered. Sam never stops learning, and you shouldn’t either. 

In this high-energy interview, Sam Villa and host Blake Reed Evans talk about online vs. IRL education, career shifts, brand development, and collaboration. Also, all about trends: where they came from, where they’re going, and how to stay on top of them while making sure your guests love the way they look. 

You can find Sam Villa all over the internet! 

Youtube: youtube.com/c/samvillahair

Instagram: @samvillahair

Facebook: @samvillapros

Tiktok: @samvillahair

Website: samvilla.com

This episode originally dropped in August 2022.

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. 

As salon professionals, we have a unique ability to create a safe space for our clients, and lend a friendly ear. For someone in a domestic violence situation, the salon may be the one of the few or even the only place they can go without their abuser. So how do we identify the signs of domestic violence, and offer the right kind of support for clients and team members who may be in danger? 

Our guest Liz McKeon is a salon business expert, author of the best-selling book, ’30 Days to Beauty Business Success’, and and UK & Irish Ambassador for Shear Haven Anti Domestic Violence Industry Training. 

If you feel unsafe at home, find a hotline for your country or location here. 

This episode does not contain descriptions of violent acts. 

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. 

You might know Elizabeth Faye from her Instagram, or maybe you've watched her Tedx Talk about how hairstylists can change the world or attended one of her retreats with Hair Love University. Elizabeth just announced her latest venture, The Vitality Project, the first wellness program designed for salon companies, barbershops and beauty schools! 

In this high-energy episode, Elizabeth and Blake discuss the proven benefits of wellness programs, such as better retention, reduced burnout, and higher profits; and how emotional regulation tools and mindfulness can help owners show up for their teams and stylists show up for their clients in the salon environment. 

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. 

Faith Rivers contains multitudes. In the salon industry, she's worn many hats, including stylist, colorist, salon manager and manager of education and marketing for a major haircare brand. Faith also brings her experiences  in theater, journalism, and gender studies, as well as her Buddhist practice to bear in her work and in this wisdom-packed interview. 

Topics include: 

• Setting and maintain boundaries with guests
• Stay grounded in a job where you're exchanging energy with guests and coworkers all day long
• Tapping into empathy as a stylist
• Creating a safe and welcoming salon company for guests with curls and coils
• Recruiting and retaining staff with expertise in curls and coils

Follow Faith Rivers on Instagram @thefaithrivers

Connect with Faith on LinkedIn

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. 

Guest Bianca Rose is a stylist behind the chair, owner of Bianca Rose Salon in Fairfield, Ohio, and hair influencer known for vivid colors, including her own gorgeous pink hair. Bianca recently began working with a Summit coach and converting her salon company to Summit systems. She speaks with Blake Reed Evans about why she made the decision, and how to set expectations for your team and gracefully transition to a new - and more profitable - way of doing business. 

Follow Bianca on TikTok @hairbybiancarose

Follow Bianca in IG  @hairbybiancarose

Learn more about Summit's Custom Coaching program and schedule a free 30-minute discovery call. 

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. 

You’re an associate, and the stylist you’re assigned to isn’t letting you get hands-on with clients. You work the front desk, and one of the stylists is consistently rude to you. You’re a stylist, and the front desk has been under-booking you for weeks. You’re a co-owner, and your business partner is over-spending on spa equipment. Situations like these require communication - and in a business where emotions often run high, a tough conversation can be a powder keg. It can be tempting to grumble to yourself and avoid confronting the problem; but in the long run, your work relationships and your salon company will suffer. Fortunately, even the most conflict-adverse of us can learn to have tough conversations respectfully and effectively. 

Guest Johnny Stellato coaches on personal development, leadership, team-building, and more for Redken and the L’Oreal Professional Products Division, and runs his own consultancy, Just Be Empowered Coaching. He’s also a stylist, and he’s held various leadership positions at Redken NYC, including Senior Director of Training. A master communicator who has taught around the world, Johnny brings his wisdom on how to confront tough subjects with others - and with ourselves - to this enlightening conversation with host Blake Reed Evans. 

Connect with Johnny Stellato on Instagram @johnnyjustbe, or on Facebook. Email Johnny at [email protected] or [email protected]. 

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. 

 Stylists are increasingly seeing renting their own suite or booth as an appealing alternative to working in a commission salon.  Guest Anne Chesbro is co-owner of a commission salon company, Platinum Salon, as well as a suite rental business in Rochester, NY. She and her husband Joe Chesbro founded Platinum Salon Suites to meet the needs of stylists who wanted to strike out on their own. Unlike most suite rental setups, Anne provides renters with  benefits like laundry, business coaching, free access to stylist education, and more. She says the new business has been a great way to provide stylists the opportunity to be their own bosses, while retaining them within the greater salon family and culture. Tune in for a smart and savvy conversation about navigating changes in our industry.

Follow Anne on Instagram @anne_chesbro.

Follow Anne on TikTok at anne_chesbro.

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. 

Korie Lance is the owner of The Mae Salon and Spa in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Mae took home two 2024 Summit Unplugged Awards: for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Sound Financial Practices. Out of all Summit salon companies, The Mae was recognized for highest year over year growth: 192%!   

In this episode, Blake and Korie discuss how The Mae has built a salon culture that's inclusive of all sexual orientations, gender identities, races and hair textures.  Also: how they've grown so rapidly since opening in 2016, and how embracing retail has allowed the Mae to offer benefits including paid time off, a retirement plan and an education fund.            

IG: @themaesalon 

@korielance                              

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.