T Gordon Salon Talks

In this podcast I talk to Reid Zurlo, she is the Reluctant Client. She reviews her funny, kitschy hair salon history. If your in the salon business or if you can simply relate your salon histroy. Please take a listen. 

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The Life Cycle of a Reluctant Client 

My freind Reid is a classic and yet reluctant client. She is the type who doesn't want to commit to doing her hair regularly. “it is too expensive, too time consuming.”  But the salon environment offers so many more benefits for her, the friendship, camaraderie, the calmness, the rejuvenation, the downtime from the daily grind, release from the psychosis of life, of family, divorce, drug addiction and more. Reid doesn't just come to the salon for hair, she comes for solace.

Reid like so many others wants the results of coming to the salon but not the commitment. At least that is how she intellectualizes the experience. “I hate it.” I didn’t go to salons for years she says, I was young and I let my hair go wild. This is when she was young with three young children a deadbeat husband and a nagging pain that wouldn’t go away. The pain was in her right frontal lobe. It was above the right eye and was always felt when she considered divorce. Divorce was an anathema,  a subject never to be. Now an expert, Reid runs a podcast supporting men in their time of divorce. Reid recognizes the pain as the relationship that should have never been. Is the girly salon she goes to a reaction to it all?

My sister Liz is the same, a reluctant client: too expensive, too time consuming. But being one of five generations of hair stylists-how is this even possible? Granted that she is the black sheep, the only one to not go into hair design as a career. Removed from that salon dominance, Liz is a reluctant client. She would rather be spending her time doing one thousand other things. But Liz too finds herself in need of the salon environment. This isn't just for her hair, it is her familial interactions. She lives in California and waits to get her hair done. She wants that family interaction, so she waits.  Flies into Chicago every 4 months to get her hair done spend time with her stylists; her sister in law or brother. She switches back and forth depending on conversations she needs to have.

While Liz is in the salon, she interacts with the other humans. She meets one that speaks Italian, another tells her a story of how the salon comes to her house to take care of a daughter who cant and wont leave the house.

Modern life has this potential. It is the potential to never leave the house, to become a hermit. Can’t Amazon deliver everything, bank deposits made over the cell phone, even when going from place to place you can hermetically sealed yourself in the car. The opportunity for a solo life is very real, but is this really what humans crave? When confronted with too much technology we use it to create Facebook, with the promise of social interaction. But social media  fails to deliver and just estraines us further from each other.

My future prediction is that places like salons become the go to for real social interactions. Sure you get your hair done, but also you get that mandatory dose of humanity.

Reid will tell you she goes to the salon to get her hair done and Liz will say the same, but too costly, too time consuming; it may be too costly and time consuming not to go. My theory is that human needs drive us to human interaction. The salon is one of the few places left where that can occur.

California Labor Laws Causing Consternation in Salons

I had a podcast conversation with my friend Karie Bennett of Atelier Salon & Atelier Barber Shop in San Jose, California. She  has been dealing with all the labor law changes that are coming at small businesses rapid fire like shots from an AR-15. It seems like a survival game for small businesses across California, because of the feeble attempts to fix unethical farming rules going back to the 1930s.  From well meaning but incompetent legislators, many businesses, including salons, are reeling. Sitting in Silicon Valley presents Karie with advantages and disadvantages in dealing with these death defying issues. She says, “Commision, the traditional model for paying hair stylists is dead in California!” With her business like so many others in the Golden State under assault with new work rules,  you may be fearful as to whether this could spread to the rest of the country.

Karie has an amazing salon organization. She is in the heart of Silicon Valley, down the street from Apple and Facebook. The salon clients are the  whos who in the tech world. She used to do Sean Parker's hair, Mark Zuckerberg’s partner originally from Napster. Karie’s salon can handle the ups and downs of California labor craziness, because Karie,  is smart, flexible and up to date on what is happening despite being quite annoyed with politicians. Keep in mind that California has the best economy of any state in the United States bigger than both Britain and France.

Small business is under assault in many ways, as it always has been. Business is tough. New companies chew up old ones. That is especially true in Silicon valley where the heart of the disruption is. Karie is in the epicenter of the killer business app that has destroyed many businesses and  entire industries. Salons are traditional businesses, but salons could be ripe for a shake-up especially when created by a governing body.

What is happening in California could spread to the rest of the country. That is a common thought, but honestly many things in California don't spread, for example, Prop 13.  Although, there is plenty of evidence the disruption already has spread. The independent contractor rule for instance, is the most likely, as it mimics the IRS ruling on the same subject.  But red states are unlikely to do anything, as they operate in a laissez faire way and are looking for as little government intrusion as possible. Will California’s attempts to right the wrongs of the past spread to the rest of the country?  

Of course workers in all walks of life are often mistreated and businesses that operate in unethical ways bring this on the rest of us. California has a very active and progressive legislature. As they continue to tweak employment law and businesses adjust,  you can be assured owners like Karie Bennett will survive and thrive in this fast moving environment.

Tony Gordon

T Gordon Salon Talks

Amy Carter Owner of Empowering You Coaching talks about Salon Drama & More 

One of things that is really interesting about Amy Carter is her understated but huge breadth of experience in the salon world. She runs a salon consulting company called Empower you and speaks with owners of different types of salons. She has helped with every conceivable salon crisis.  On top of that she has had multiple salons and currently owns Solaris Aveda in Evansville, Indiana.

Amy makes some strong points and expounds on her philosophy:

1. Salons are filled with drama.

2. Drama has a direct impact on the bottom line.

3. Some top performers can sometimes be the most dramatic.

4. It is ok to be Interested vs interesting with the client.

5. Spa techs can be dramatic as well.

6. If I have to think of you more than twice, you are gone.

7. Different clients may want various environments: calm, edgy, etc.

8. Some salon owners are running two pennies together to make ends meet.

9. The laws of supply and demand don’t necessarily apply to this industry.

10. Owners need to get out from behind the chair sometimes.  

Amy runs Empowering You as a unique consulting company. It is one that has salon owners talking to owners. She says she can get any salon, even one overlooking a corn or bean field, to a million dollars.She does it using coaching. A federally certified Life Coach, Amy and her team often find that the salon stinks from the head down. The owner and leads are sometimes the drama. It is often the case that owners need to get over their issues and then they show up to the store differently.

Amy’s coaches are the “real deal”, which gives them a big point of difference. She asks clients what they want to achieve and then holds them to it. Accountability is big for them, as it is for everyone. She says that sometimes teams hold owners back. Very often people cant see the new you, they are often comfortable with the old you, you have taught them that.

In a way we are all familiar with coaching as we had or saw how coaches operated in high School and other avenues of life. Coaches can be incredibly influential on individuals. It is such a rare thing to have a coach in the first place. But imagine if you allowed someone to coach you, someone who took it seriously and they were really invested in your success. How powerful could that be?

Tony Gordon

gordonsalon.com gordonstylistacademy.com empoweringyouconsulting.com

Amy Carter Owner of Empowering You Coaching talks about Salon Drama & More 

One of things that is really interesting about Amy Carter is her understated but huge breadth of experience in the salon world. She runs a salon consulting company called Empower you and speaks with owners of different types of salons. She has helped with every conceivable salon crisis.  On top of that she has had multiple salons and currently owns Solaris Aveda in Evansville, Indiana.

Amy makes some strong points and expounds on her philosophy:

1. Salons are filled with drama.

2. Drama has a direct impact on the bottom line.

3. Some top performers can sometimes be the most dramatic.

4. It is ok to be Interested vs interesting with the client.

5. Spa techs can be dramatic as well.

6. If I have to think of you more than twice, you are gone.

7. Different clients may want various environments: calm, edgy, etc.

8. Some salon owners are running two pennies together to make ends meet.

9. The laws of supply and demand don’t necessarily apply to this industry.

10. Owners need to get out from behind the chair sometimes.  

Amy runs Empowering You as a unique consulting company. It is one that has salon owners talking to owners. She says she can get any salon, even one overlooking a corn or bean field, to a million dollars.She does it using coaching. A federally certified Life Coach, Amy and her team often find that the salon stinks from the head down. The owner and leads are sometimes the drama. It is often the case that owners need to get over their issues and then they show up to the store differently.

Amy’s coaches are the “real deal”, which gives them a big point of difference. She asks clients what they want to achieve and then holds them to it. Accountability is big for them, as it is for everyone. She says that sometimes teams hold owners back. Very often people cant see the new you, they are often comfortable with the old you, you have taught them that.

In a way we are all familiar with coaching as we had or saw how coaches operated in high School and other avenues of life. Coaches can be incredibly influential on individuals. It is such a rare thing to have a coach in the first place. But imagine if you allowed someone to coach you, someone who took it seriously and they were really invested in your success. How powerful could that be?

Tony Gordon

gordonsalon.com gordonstylistacademy.com empoweringyouconsulting.com

Insta-Famer Daniel Mason Jones                            21 May 18

Insta-Gram fame was my first motivation for interviewing Daniel Mason Jones, an incredibly successful hairdresser with 40,000 IG followers, but his personal journey is wildly compelling filled with sorrow and triumph. Daniel Mason Jones has emerged into an Insta-famer, turning everything he sees and touches into a post that further pushes the fame. He integrates his break neck salon pace in with IG. He lets me know in exceptional detail with wit and humble humor how to duplicate this feat. Instagram fame is achievable for everyone, but it has its costs, like cars, fancy watches and lots of freebies. Daniel has become an influencer. But Daniels personal story is one of personal realization, coming to grips with his strict upbringing.  What interests me is his journey, from religious zealotry to funeral worker to starving stylist to a speed train of success.

Daniel Mason Jones says it isn’t about the number of followers, it’s about the engagement. “I have 39,000 plus followers, others have many more’” he says , but “I sometimes have 400 comments per post.” The engagement is significant as the he says he tracks his new client rates from IG to be 70 new clients to his Atlanta salon per week. With an average per client ticket of $93. The salon is being a affected in a very positive way, including, new staff, who are traveling from Florida and other states to join his team. His expectation is a 40% increase in staff this year alone.

Daniel Mason Jones, is a Loreal Professonal, a Salon Centric team member and an Insta-Gram influencer. Companies of all sorts want part of his action, with an affluent clientele, he has an important consumer in his salons. He told me about the boxes of products and beauty tools that show up at his door constantly. Each one is an opportunity for more posting. Each box he opens is a reveal done on Facebook or IG.  “Dont give up on Facebook. Facebook has the older clients and they have the non-pigmented hair. The word grey is insulting,” he says. Grabbing pics all day, as his salon with 50 plus employees are all engaged in getting more and more pictures. Throughout the salon is photo lighting, cameras and all sorts of equipment, but he still must drive the staff to get pictures. He advises: ask a question in the post, 30 tags per post, mix up the hash tags, put it under the comments, and make sure only 2 per day on facebook and Instagram, up to 5 on pintrest. Respond to each comment. He is religious and consistent about his pursuit of social media.

Maybe his way  has underpinnings to his extremely strict upbringing? Raised in a highly conservative and cloistered community of a cult like religious group, Daniel was shunned by peers in school and a realization from church elders that he was different than other boys in the congregation, he was ostracized, bullied and eventually excommunicated. He contemplated suicide.  Picking himself up and moving on, he always had a dream to work as a funeral director, being concerned for people was and still is his driving force. He found joy in preparing the hair and make-up of the cadavers for the funeral services. Family would compliment him on how wonderful their deceased relatives looked. He decided to flip careers and go into the beauty industry.

As a stylists, Daniel's career exploded. Yet, as a beginner he had very little training. He admits that his technical skill was very limited at that time. Yet he was the busiest in his salon. What causes a person’s success: technical skill or other factors? I don’t think the question will ever be answered completely, but his example shows how care  of the guest with lots of concern seems to work. Daniel will talk to you about hustle and how many clients he does each day. He is an energizer, doing up to 42 clients in a single day. Snapping pics, posting, and hash tagging. But his personal charisma is huge! He is a force. Atlanta is a competitive market with a lot of already large successful salons. To break into that market means you have to do something different.  Daniel Mason Jones has a lot to teach all of us.

Tony Gordon

gordonsalon.com @tonygordonsalonexperience @dalielmasonjones  musesalonandspa.com

Keri Davis-Duffy President(Prezels) of 3 Gila Rut Salons in San Diego talks about her fabulous journey as a salon owner, her experiences and challenges. Keri often goes by Gila, happiness in hebrew, but many people call her Prezels. She has a long list of accomplishments, including: Top 200, presented at Aveda In this fun spirited conversation about salon and life in the beauty business, she goes over her experience as a Aveda Business College Purefessor. Why do salons fail? "Lack of systems, hiring, strong culture." What was the experience like to prepare and present at Aveda Congress.  Gila Rut is the  go to salon for San Diego Fashion Week. But salons are a wild ride. How to catch a thief? How to convey the great potential of this industry to aspiring students. Passionate about education from way back, she also created the web site beautybackbone.com helping other salons create trainers and more. "Salons are like a bucking bronco some issues throw you clear off." Join me for a wonderful conversation with this passionate, creative salon owner and soon to be pinned Intercoiffure member who has a plan for the future and steady trail ahead. Informative, entertaining and helpful for business owners and managers

Gordonsalon.com Gilarut.com

Listen up stylists to this indepth discussion of what clients like and dislike in the salon world. International travelers discuss their salon experiences from accross the globe. The talks are relevant to what we do in North America and beyond, but the perspective is fresh. Multiple women living in the Cayman Islands are experienced fashinistas, salon goers from their earliest childhood, and in the various places they have lived. From Singapore to New York City,  these stories will inspire you to take appropriate actions for positive salon results. Across the salon world the actions need to be the same, listen to your clients, over communicate including price, anticipate the mood of the client and match/mirror their behavior to give them the appointment they disire. 

Death of the founder takes an incredible toll on any business, but after Jerry Gordon passed away in November of 2015, Karen Gordon his wife,  had to take over. She has done it with grace and smarts. Take a listen to this incredibly hard working salon owner, stylist and beauty industry friend! Karen has insight into the inner operation of various important organizations like Chicago Cosmetologist, Intercoiffure, the International Association of Tricologists. She gives us her opinion on the dangers facing the industry: Amazon, booth rental, deregulation and more.  Karen reviews the deepest thoughts and feelings of her late husband and industry icon, Jerry Gordon, on issues concerning the beauty industry and specifically salons. 

http://shopmodernsalon.com/history-and-economics-101

Kim Hansen of Kim Hanson Salon Business Coaching tells her personal story and quest to save the salon industry. We discuss wide ranging topics including: Salon industry changing licensing requirements, the pit falls of Insta-Famers, oxytosin created by social media, millneials, GenZ and a much better future, the advantages of John Maxwell coaching, does the craft of hairdressing still exist in California, and her personal experience with a near death experience. Listen now for the current state of the beauty industry and its possible future. 

Bullied, harrased, falsly accused by the tattoo supremicists, Paul-Anthony Surdi has brought his company through tough times to become a modern artistic version of the tattoo shop. Enduring picket lines in front of your store tends to repel customers. Experiencing hate mail from different parts of the world, is one of those things that happen when you are "inking" different. Take a listen to this smart,  creative guy whom has created a different experience for students and customers all while taking his company to new finacial heights. 

PA Surdi can be found at www.tattoschool.com 

Tony Gordon can be found at gordonsalon.com