Kenneth Snyder is the owner of Evolution, a salon company with four locations and a staff of 89, in central New Jersey. With a background in fashion, he opened his first salon out of hair school with six chairs. In this episode, Kenneth walks us through how he grew Evolution through investing in education and growing people. We also learn how partnerships with Redken and Summit Salon Business Center helped shift Kenneth’s leadership style and business practices. Plus, how a reset forced by the COVID-19 pandemic led to an improved company culture. 

Follow Kenneth on Instagram @HairbyKenneth. Learn more about his company at evolutionsalon.com. 

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

Find 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. Join our new online community for certified Summit salons, spas, barber shops and schools.

Sign up for our newsletter, Your Weekly Game Plan to stay on top of our events and trainings. 

SUMM IT UP is produced by Andrea Muraskin. We had production help on this episode from Andrew Brownlie.

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. 

We’re living in a time of cultural transition. Individuals are openly expressing gender and sexuality in ways that are new to Western culture. At the same time, some members of our society still believe that expression outside of the traditional cisgender heterosexual frame is a bad thing. Others want to be supportive, but are unsure about the correct pronouns and terminology to use, or how to respectfully acknowledge queer identities.

As beauty professionals, we want all guests and staff to feel safe and welcome in the salon. So how do we normalize queer inclusivity in our lives and professional spaces? 

Never fear, Emily Holiday is here! Emily Holiday is an activist and humanitarian, owner of Emily Holiday Salon, and a stylist at Sola Salons in Charlotte, North Carolina. She’s a facilitator for queer inclusivity and identity workshops for salon companies and other organizations. Emily considers herself a “brave space”-- that means she’s here to answer questions that might be uncomfortable or inappropriate to bring up in everyday life. 

Even if you’re new to talking about gender and sexuality, this episode is for you. Emily and Blake break down all of the letters in LGBTQIA+, talk about what it means to be non-binary, and get at the differences between gender, sexuality, and romantic attraction. Emily shares some simple yet brilliant practices that you can implement at your salon company. And so much more. 

Get in touch with Emily Holiday on Instagram: @emilyholidaybeauty.

QUEER EDUCATION AND CULTURE RESOURCES RECOMMENDED BY EMILY AND BLAKE

Janet Mock, a trans author and activist

The Human Rights Campaign, a leading organization in the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights in the US

The Audre Lorde Project, a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color community organizing center, focusing on the NYC area

Time Out Youth, a queer youth center in Charlotte, NC

Equality Florida, a statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization

Jonathan Van Ness, a non-binary hair stylist, influencer, writer, podcaster, comedian, and entertainer

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

Find 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. Join our new online community for certified Summit salons, spas, barber shops and schools.

Sign up for our newsletter, Your Weekly Game Plan to stay on top of our events and trainings.  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. Thanks for listening! 

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. 

All hail the Queen of Spa! There’s a world of business in spa these days, with new technologies and younger clients booking preventive and wellness services. So how can your salon company tap in? Victoria Perry is the owner of Soto Signature Spa in Perrysburg, Ohio, a Summit Spa Consultant, and Spa Division Team Leader at Summit Salon Business Center. Victoria and host Blake Reed Evans discuss both tried-and-true and trending spa services, social media marketing, associate training, and more. 

Connect with Victoria Perry on Instagram: @Victoria.beauty.expert, or email her at [email protected]. 

Visit Summit’s Spa Division to explore the services we offer. 

Has the spa side of your business been dragging? Check out our episode “Spa Reboot” with SSBC Spa Consultant Emily Richardson for advice on how to rev up your spa. 

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

Find 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. Join our new online community for certified Summit salons, spas, barber shops and schools.

Sign up for our newsletter, Your Weekly Game Plan to stay on top of our events and trainings.  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. Thanks for listening!

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

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

Find 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. Join our new online community for certified Summit salons, spas, barber shops and schools.

Sign up for our newsletter, 

Your Weekly Game Plan , to stay on top of our events and trainings.  

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. Thanks for listening!

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. 

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

These days, more and more people are looking for stylists with a specialty: whether that’s blonding, balayage, natural curly cuts, extensions, or other services. Rae Stanton is a level four stylist and a vivid & platinum color specialist at Shear Art Salons in Tampa, Florida. (Yep, that’s our host Blake’s salon company, and it’s no accident that they’re coworkers...) A self-professed nerd and creative, Rae is drawn to both the art and science of color. 

In this episode, Rae shares how she built her book and jumped levels, with a focus on specializing. And Blake and Rae discuss how to strike a balance between the specialty you’re passionate about, and a well-rounded skill set behind the chair. Rae is also a Summit Certified Associate Trainer, and she talks about her decision to start working with an associate, and how that’s changed her work life. If you’re a new stylist just starting out, or you’ve had a few years behind the chair and you’re looking for a refresh, this episode is for you. 

Rae is on Instagram @raestantonhair and TikTok at raestantonhair. Book a training or appointment with Rae.  

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

Find 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. Join our new online community for certified Summit salons, spas, barbershops and schools.

Sign up for our newsletter, Your Weekly Game Plan to stay on top of our events and trainings.  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. Thanks for listening! 

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 front desk is the first place a guest goes when they walk into a salon, and their last stop on the way out.  Yet front desk team members often don't get the respect and credit they deserve - and that's putting it mildly!  Julie Molina is a Certified Front Desk Trainer and team leader with Summit Salon Business Center, and a shareholder and stylist at Soto Signature Salon & Spa in Perrysburg, Ohio. In this episode, Julie and Blake Reed Evans get real about retaining front desk talent, while preparing front desk staff- and management, for the guest drama that comes their way. Plus, how to turn a profit at the front desk. 

SUMM IT UP is produced by Andrea Muraskin, with editorial support from Tim Fisk. 

Follow Summit Salon Business Center on Instagram @SummitSalon.

Follow guest Julie Molina on Instagram @molina.jules.

Follow host Blake Reed Evans on Instagram @BlakeReedEvans. His DM's are always open! 

Download free resources and learn about Summit's front desk training at summitsalon.com/divisions/front-desk-division

Visit us at SummitSalon.com  or join our Summit Salon Community on Facebook to connect with others in the industry.  Get in touch with Summit and let us know what you think of the podcast or who you'd like us to interview 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. 

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/divisions/leadership-division.

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

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. Sign up for our newsletter, Your Weekly Game Plan to stay on top of our events and trainings.  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. 

As queer, Black women in the beauty industry dealing with discrimination from clients, Christin Brown and her wife made a business decision not to show their faces on their websites.  But as their business grew, they decided to put their identities at the center of their business. Christin now exclusively styles natural, curly, unmanipulated hair at their Santa Barbara, California salon –  and she couldn't be happier. Christin and Blake discuss the importance of pride in all aspects of your identity - including in your business as a stylist. Plus, a short history of Black hair that you won't want to miss.

Follow Christin on Instagram @curlfactor, and find her salon company @fullspiralsalon, and boutique @puralunaapothecary.

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

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. Sign up for our newsletter, Your Weekly Game Plan to stay on top of our events and trainings.  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.

Happy Pride! 

. 

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. 

With Father’s Day around the corner, this episode we profile a unique salon company that’s part of a family legacy: My Father’s Mustache in Cookeville Tennessee. The business is owned and operated by two sisters. And it’s named in honor of their father, Wayne Fletcher, a local pioneer in unisex salons and barbering education. Our guest Debbie Fletcher is a Level Four Master Barber, a master barber instructor, and co-owner of My Father’s Mustache. Blake and Debbie discuss the ins and outs of running a combined salon and barbering business, the challenges of retailing to men, and of course - mullet perms!

Follow My Father’s Mustache on Instagram @my_fathers_mustache, and on Facebook @myfathersmustache. 

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

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  or join our Summit Salon Community on Facebook 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.