"Send us a message!"

Salon owners are constantly looking for answers.

What product line sells best? Should I add a head spa? Are Google Ads worth it? What software should I use? Should I expand?

Those sound like reasonable business questions. But what if the answer has nothing to do with the actual problem you're trying to solve?

In this episode, we talk about learning to diagnose a business problem before jumping to a solution. We use examples from retail, marketing, new services, hiring, profitability, and some of our own mistakes at Hello Hair Co. to show why copying someone else's answer rarely fixes what's happening inside your business.

We also get into something we believe strongly: business is its own skill. Being great at hair doesn't automatically teach you finance, leadership, marketing, hiring, systems, operations, or strategy. Those skills have to be learned just like anything else.

If you constantly find yourself looking for the next product, service, strategy, coach, system, or quick fix, this episode is about slowing down long enough to figure out what question you should actually be asking. 

The Big Idea: Better business decisions don't start with better answers. They start with understanding the problem you're actually trying to solve.

Key Takeaways

• The question you're asking may not reflect the problem you actually have. 
• New products and services won't fix weaknesses in the underlying business. 
• Marketing can't solve poor retention, bad pricing, or an unprofitable business model. 
• Being good at hair and being good at business require completely different skill sets. 
• Coaches, books, podcasts, and systems should support your thinking—not replace it. 
• You can't want success more than an employee wants it for themselves. 
• Holding onto the wrong people can damage the team you're trying to protect. 
• Sometimes improving your business means removing something instead of adding something. 
• Mission, vision, and core values can serve as practical filters for business decisions. 
• Every yes consumes bandwidth and may prevent you from pursuing a better opportunity. 

Timestamps

00:00 — Opening takes: lifelong education & positioning
04:00 — Are salon owners asking the wrong questions?
05:00 — The three layers behind every business problem
08:00 — Why changing product lines may solve nothing
10:00 — Amazon isn't your salon's competition
11:00 — The danger of shiny new solutions
14:00 — Head spas, permanent jewelry & adding new services
15:00 — Marketing can't fix every business problem
17:00 — Business is its own skill
21:00 — Coaches, systems & outsourcing your thinking
24:00 — What our biggest mistakes taught us
25:00 — You can't want success more than your employees do
27:00 — Protecting your team and culture
29:00 — The team that gets you from 1 to 10
31:00 — Sometimes the answer is removing something
32:00 — A simple filter for making business decisions
34:00 — Pause before looking for the answer 

Reflection: What problem are you actually trying to solve?

Before you add something, buy something, hire someone, change systems, or ask another owner what worked for them, spend some time figuring out whether you're solving the actual problem—or just treating the symptom.

Your business should serve you, so that you can serve others.
And better business decisions don't always come from finding better answers. Sometimes they come from asking better questions.

Links and Stuff:
Our Newsletter
Mentoring Inquiries

Find more of our things:
Instagram
Hello Hair Pro Website

"Send us a message!"

The best conversations aren't planned.

For this episode, we filled a bowl with random salon and business topics, took turns drawing them out, and challenged ourselves to answer each one in just a few minutes.

From difficult clients and Google reviews to commission, hiring, social media, core values, AEO, expansion, cancellation policies, and client expectations, you'll hear our honest thoughts without a script.

Some topics could have been entire episodes. Others were quick takes. But together they paint a pretty clear picture of how we think about building a salon business.

The Big Idea: Great businesses aren't built by having all the answers. They're built by consistently thinking through the right questions.

Key Takeaways

• Difficult clients don't always belong in your business.
• Core values should guide every major decision. 
• Expansion should happen only after you've maximized your current business. 
• Amenities rarely differentiate your salon. 
• Social media should solve client problems—not just showcase hair. 
• Standards protect both your clients and your culture. 
• Commission is a business model, not a recruiting strategy. 
• Hiring systems matter more than hiring quickly. 
• Business owners should spend time on work that only they can do.

Time Stamps

00:00 — Opening takes: negativity & owner responsibilities
04:00 — Difficult clients & team meetings
07:00 — Hustle culture & core values
11:00 — Expansion & Google reviews
15:00 — Standards & commission salons
21:00 — Amenities & social media
28:00 — Cancellation policies & client expectations
34:00 — AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
37:00 — Hiring systems that actually work

Reflection: Which topic challenged your thinking the most?
More importantly... which one are you actually going to act on this week?

Your business should serve you, so that you can serve others.
And sometimes the biggest breakthroughs don't come from finding new answers—they come from asking better questions.

Links and Stuff:
Our Newsletter
Mentoring Inquiries

Find more of our things:
Instagram
Hello Hair Pro Website

"Send us a message!"

Most business owners don't fail because they take too many risks–they fail because they avoid them.

In this episode, we examine the hidden costs of playing it safe—from avoiding difficult conversations and delaying price increases to protecting underperforming employees and making decisions based on comfort rather than conviction.

We also share real stories from our own businesses, including some of our biggest leadership mistakes, how those mistakes nearly cost us everything, and what finally changed our perspective.

If you've ever delayed a difficult decision because it felt uncomfortable, this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways

• Playing it safe often creates bigger risks than taking action.
• Avoiding difficult conversations hurts your team more than having them. 
• Your mission, vision, and core values should guide difficult decisions. 
• Growth requires discomfort. 
• Great leaders challenge people because they care about them. 
• Stop reacting emotionally and start responding intentionally. 
• Build systems around your future—not your fears. 
• Business never gets easier; your ability to solve problems improves.

Time Stamps

00:00 — Opening takes: why snacks don't retain staff
03:00 — Why you should already be planning for December
05:00 — What "playing it safe" actually looks like
07:00 — Difficult conversations every owner must have
10:00 — The hidden cost of avoiding discomfort
13:00 — How playing it safe hurts your culture
16:00 — Using your mission and core values to make decisions
18:00 — Why saying "no" often grows your business
20:00 — The Evo product story and finding the right fit
29:00 — Leadership requires uncomfortable conversations
34:00 — Todd's gym leadership mistakes
36:00 — Jen's biggest leadership lessons
40:00 — The price increase that changed Hello Hair Co.
45:00 — Reacting vs. responding as a business owner
48:00 — Building a team instead of protecting one person
50:00 — Why business never gets easier

Reflection: What's one decision you've been avoiding because it feels uncomfortable? What would change if you addressed it this week?

Your business should serve you, so that you can serve others.
And sometimes the greatest risk isn't making the wrong decision—it's avoiding the right one because it feels uncomfortable.

Links and Stuff:
Our Newsletter
Mentoring Inquiries

Find more of our things:
Instagram
Hello Hair Pro Website

"Send us a message!"

What if the biggest business advantage isn't talent, experience, or even hard work?

What if it's curiosity?

In this episode, we explore why the best salon owners aren't the ones who blindly copy trends or follow outdated advice; they're the ones willing to ask better questions.

We talk about challenging industry assumptions, learning from other businesses, embracing new technology, building original systems, and why curiosity has been one of the biggest competitive advantages in growing Hello Hair Co.

From Google Ads and AI to hiring, apprenticeships, pricing, and marketing, we share why asking why has consistently led us toward better answers than simply asking how.

Your business should serve you, so that you can serve others.
And the future belongs to the owners willing to think for themselves.

Key Takeaways

• Curiosity is one of the greatest competitive advantages in business.
• Copying outcomes is not the same as understanding why they worked. 
• Better questions lead to better decisions. 
• Innovation begins with curiosity, not certainty. 
• Build systems that fit your business—not someone else's. 
• Patience requires engagement, not passivity. 
• Long-term thinking beats quick fixes. 
• New technology rewards curious business owners. 
• Your ideas are worth exploring, even if they don't all succeed. 
• Learn from others without outsourcing your own thinking.

Time Stamps

00:00 — Opening takes: stop criticizing the next generation
03:00 — Why the past shouldn't dictate the future
05:00 — The salon industry's copycat problem
06:30 — Copying outcomes vs. understanding causes
08:00 — Asking better questions in business
09:00 — Why profitable salons think differently
10:00 — Assigned stations, apprenticeships, and challenging tradition
12:00 — Hiring with curiosity instead of fear
14:00 — Why change feels uncomfortable
16:00 — Curiosity built Hello Hair Co.
18:00 — Google, SEO, and long-term thinking
20:00 — The Five Whys and deeper questions
22:00 — Why stylists choose some salons over others
24:00 — Patience vs. complacency
26:00 — Building business frameworks that last
28:00 — Turning frustrations into better systems
30:00 — Build your future instead of inheriting it
31:00 — AI, technology, and curiosity
34:00 — Your ideas are worth exploring
36:00 — Don't outsource your thinking
38:00 — Final thoughts: think for yourself

Links and Stuff:
Our Newsletter
Mentoring Inquiries

Find more of our things:
Instagram
Hello Hair Pro Website

"Send us a message!"

"I'm just so busy."

It's one of the most common things we hear from salon owners.

But being busy and building a business aren't the same thing.

In this episode, we revisit one of our favorite leadership frameworks: the Five Modes of Ownership, and explain why so many owners stay stuck working harder instead of building systems that create long-term growth.

We discuss the difference between busy work and compounding work, why diagnosing problems matters more than reacting to them, how to know which "mode" your business needs most, and why your future should determine where you spend your time today.

Your business should serve you, so that you can serve others.
That starts by giving your attention to the work that actually compounds.

Key Takeaways

• Being busy isn't the same as building a business.
• Compounding work creates long-term value. 
• Every business owner must lead in different modes. 
• Diagnose problems before reacting to them. 
• Focus on one type of work at a time. 
• Leadership requires intentional attention. 
• Crisis mode demands calm, not panic. 
• Invisible work often produces the biggest results. 
• Systems reduce future chaos. 
• Your future should determine how you spend today.

Time Stamps

00:00 — Opening takes + preparing for slow seasons
05:30 — Stop believing manufactured business problems
07:00 — Why owners always feel busy
08:00 — The Five Modes of Ownership refresher
10:00 — Busy work vs. compounding work
11:30 — Operations vs. systems
12:30 — Leadership, strategy, and crisis mode
14:00 — Diagnose before you react
16:00 — Choosing the right leadership hat
18:30 — Why working harder isn't the answer
20:30 — Give each mode your full attention
23:00 — Why focus creates better results
25:00 — Where the Five Modes came from
28:00 — Lessons from navigating a true crisis
31:00 — The invisible work that builds businesses
34:00 — Why business owners need long-term thinking
36:00 — Building tomorrow instead of surviving today
39:00 — Final thoughts on intentional leadership

Links and Stuff:
Our Newsletter
Mentoring Inquiries

Find more of our things:
Instagram
Hello Hair Pro Website

"Send us a message!"

Why do stylists choose one salon over another?

Most owners think hiring starts when they post a job ad. 

We don't.

In this episode, we explain why the strongest salons attract great people long before they ever have an opening. We discuss reputation, relationships, education, leadership, opportunity, culture, and why becoming known for something meaningful matters far more than offering snacks, perks, or calling yourself "luxury."

We also share lessons from building Hello Hair Co., mistakes we made along the way, and why we believe hiring isn't really about recruiting, it's about becoming the kind of business people genuinely want to join.

Your business should serve you, so that you can serve others.
And the best teams are built long before anyone submits an application.

Key Takeaways

• Hiring begins long before you have an open chair.
• Strong reputations attract stronger candidates. 
• Education should build independent professionals, not copies of you. 
• Every new stylist needs training—even experienced ones. 
• Relationships compound into future hiring opportunities. 
• Great salons sell opportunity, not perks. 
• Modern stylists are looking for leadership, growth, and purpose. 
• Hire for character and values before technical ability. 
• Reputation is built through consistent actions over time. 
• The best salons become magnets instead of marketers.

Time Stamps

00:00 — Opening takes + the myth of "luxury" salons
06:00 — Why hiring starts long before you need staff
08:00 — Building relationships before recruiting
10:00 — Lessons from our first salon
12:00 — Reputation matters more than job ads
13:00 — Why education attracts great stylists
15:00 — Recruiting vs. becoming a magnet
16:00 — Why every stylist needs training
18:00 — The questions Tier A owners ask
19:00 — Stop blaming the next generation
20:00 — Understanding what modern stylists actually want
23:00 — Teaching principles instead of techniques
27:00 — Why people join a future, not just a salon
29:00 — Hiring for values instead of technical skill
30:00 — Building opportunities beyond your own expertise
31:00 — Perks vs. real opportunity
35:00 — The biggest mistake we made when opening Hello Hair
36:00 — Relationships create future hiring opportunities
40:00 — Becoming the salon people hope has an opening

Links and Stuff:
Our Newsletter
Mentoring Inquiries

Find more of our things:
Instagram
Hello Hair Pro Website

"Send us a message!"

What if someone asked you the questions you usually avoid asking yourself?

In this episode, we tried something completely different. We asked AI to interview us, not to generate answers, but to challenge the way we think about leadership, business, culture, growth, relationships, and running a salon.

The result wasn't a conversation about artificial intelligence.

It became a conversation about reflection.

From hiring and education to leadership, core values, profit, partnerships, parenting, and personal growth, these questions forced us to slow down and think about what we've learned over the past several years of building Hello Hair Co.

Whether you're an established owner or just getting started, these are the kinds of questions that don't always have easy answers, but they often lead to better ones.

Your business should serve you, so that you can serve others.

Sometimes the best way to grow is simply to ask yourself better questions.

Here's the prompt we used to create the questions.

Key Takeaways

• Better questions lead to better leadership.
•  AI is a tool—not a replacement for critical thinking. 
•  Strong businesses evolve because their leaders stay curious. 
•  Experience often creates humility, not certainty. 
•  Great partnerships require different perspectives. 
•  Leadership is built through intentional conversations. 
•  Core values simplify difficult decisions. 
•  Culture is created through consistency, not slogans. 
•  Growth comes from reflection as much as action. 
•  The quality of your answers depends on the quality of your questions.

Time Stamps

00:00 — Episode 251 + introducing the AI interview experiment
 01:00 — Opening takes: developing staff intentionally
 03:00 — AI isn't a replacement for thinking
 05:00 — Question 1: Beliefs we've changed over time
 07:00 — Question 2: Business mentors and influence
 08:00 — Question 3: What people misunderstand about us
 10:00 — Question 4: What we've learned from each other
 14:00 — Question 5: What we hope our children learn
 16:00 — Question 6: Advice we no longer believe is universal
 18:00 — Question 7: One skill every owner should master
 20:00 — Question 8: Risks worth taking
 22:00 — Question 9: Why we've ignored conventional wisdom
 25:00 — Question 10: What people don't see behind the scenes
 27:00 — Question 11: Beliefs we're unlikely to change
 29:00 — Question 12: What could have caused Hello Hair to fail
 33:00 — Question 13: Becoming less certain with experience
 36:00 — Question 14: Compliments that meant the most
 39:00 — Question 15: The hardest core value to lose
 41:00 — Final reflections on asking better questions

Links and Stuff:
Our Newsletter
Mentoring Inquiries

Find more of our things:
Instagram
Hello Hair Pro Website

"Send us a message!"

Episode 250 feels like the perfect time to talk about something bigger than salons.

As this episode releases alongside America's 250th birthday celebration, we found ourselves thinking about opportunity, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and why small businesses matter so much to the communities they serve.

In this episode, we discuss how small businesses create opportunity, build stronger communities, support education, develop leaders, and give ordinary people the chance to build something meaningful.

We also talk about profit, responsibility, community involvement, leadership, culture, growth, and why owning a business is about far more than simply making money.

Whether you own a salon, run a business, or dream about starting one someday, this conversation is really about something bigger:

The opportunity to build something that matters.

Your business should serve you, so that you can serve others.
And small businesses give people the opportunity to do exactly that.

Key Takeaways

• Small businesses create opportunity. 
•  Every dollar spent is a vote for what you value. 
•  Profit is not greed—it's sustainability. 
•  Ownership comes with responsibility. 
•  Education and growth create long-term value. 
•  Strong culture protects itself. 
•  Opportunities can change the direction of a life. 
•  Community involvement strengthens businesses and neighborhoods. 
•  Being busy is not the same as building a business. 
•  Small businesses create hope for a better future.

Time Stamps

00:00 — Episode 250 + America's 250th celebration
 01:00 — Opening takes: leadership and Facebook advice
 03:00 — Why awards and recognition often don't matter
 06:00 — Opportunity, capitalism, and entrepreneurship
 08:00 — Why small businesses matter
 09:00 — Community impact and giving back
 11:00 — Every dollar is a vote
 13:00 — Supporting vendors and local relationships
 14:00 — Education and investing in people
 16:00 — Small businesses that changed our lives
 20:00 — Why opportunities matter
 21:00 — Why owners struggle with profit
 23:00 — Profit, sustainability, and responsibility
 25:00 — The difference between income and profit
 27:00 — Why hope isn't a business strategy
 29:00 — The responsibilities of ownership
 32:00 — Growth opportunities for staff
 34:00 — Difficult conversations and leadership
 35:00 — Responsibility is the price of ownership
 36:00 — The opportunities we're most proud of creating
 38:00 — Culture, education, and apprenticeships
 42:00 — What we'd lose without small businesses
 45:00 — Being busy vs building a business
 48:00 — Creating opportunities for others
 49:00 — What we hope people take from this episode
 50:00 — Why small businesses create hope

Links and Stuff:
Our Newsletter
Mentoring Inquiries

Find more of our things:
Instagram
Hello Hair Pro Website

"Send us a message!"

If we had to start over tomorrow, would we build a different salon?

Not really.

But we'd absolutely build it faster.

In this episode, we break down the biggest lessons we've learned from building Hello Hair Co. over the last six years. From hiring, pricing, education, marketing, leadership, one-on-one meetings, apprenticeships, and long-term thinking, we share what we'd do differently if we were opening a business today.

We also talk about the mistakes we made, the things we got right, and why experience often isn't about discovering new answers, it's about recognizing the right answers sooner.

If you're building a salon, thinking about opening one, or simply trying to grow the business you already have, this episode will help you avoid some of the lessons that took us years to learn.

Your business should serve you, so that you can serve others.
And sometimes the biggest advantage isn't knowing more, it's moving faster.

Key Takeaways

• Hire for your framework, not around it. 
• One-on-one meetings build stronger teams than staff meetings. 
• Stop trying to make everyone happy. 
• Marketing is an investment, not an expense. 
• Pricing should be built on math, not hope. 
• Education works best when expectations are clear. 
• Most business advice is attached to someone else's goals. 
• Facebook is not a substitute for business strategy. 
• Mission, vision, and core values simplify decisions. 
• Experience often comes down to recognizing the right answers sooner.

Time Stamps

00:00 — Intro + learning alongside your team
 01:30 — You're not the main character in someone else's story
 02:00 — If we opened a salon tomorrow...
 03:00 — What we'd do differently first
 04:00 — Understanding leases and business foundations
 05:00 — Hiring slower and hiring for the framework
 05:30 — One-on-one meetings and leadership
 07:00 — Worrying less about people leaving
 09:00 — Why clarity beats people-pleasing
 11:00 — Investing in marketing sooner
 13:00 — The long game of SEO and Google
 14:00 — Optimizing salon space for growth
 16:00 — Simplifying pricing and profitability
 19:00 — Improving the hiring process
 21:00 — Education: what we got right
 22:00 — Pushing people too quickly
 24:00 — Business advice we'd completely ignore
 25:00 — Why Facebook isn't your business mentor
 26:00 — Mission, vision, and core values
 28:00 — The story behind Hello Hair Co.
 31:00 — The biggest lesson: speed matters

Links and Stuff:
Our Newsletter
Mentoring Inquiries

Find more of our things:
Instagram
Hello Hair Pro Website

"Send us a message!"

Why do some salon owners continue growing year after year while others seem to hit a ceiling?

It's rarely talent.

It's rarely luck.

And it's almost never because one owner knows some secret that everyone else doesn't.

In this episode, we break down the mindset shifts, habits, leadership decisions, and business fundamentals that separate growing salon owners from those who get stuck.

We talk about better questions, long-term thinking, fear-based decision making, apprenticeships, leadership, client retention, culture, systems, and why so many owners spend their time chasing tactics instead of strengthening their foundations.

If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure of your next step as a salon owner, this episode will help you identify what's really holding your business back and what to focus on instead.

Your business should serve you, so that you can serve others.
And that starts by focusing on the things that actually create long-term growth.

Key Takeaways

• Growing owners focus on fundamentals instead of tactics. 
• Better questions lead to better business decisions. 
• More clients are not always the solution. 
• Fear-based decisions keep businesses stuck. 
• Accountability and difficult conversations matter. 
• Long-term thinking creates compounding results. 
• Apprenticeships can be a powerful growth strategy. 
• Copying competitors rarely creates lasting success. 
• Clients buy certainty, not just services. 
• Growth often comes from refinement rather than expansion. 

Time Stamps

00:00 — Intro + a listener raises her prices
 03:30 — Madison's raise and apprenticeship success
 05:00 — Why conformity hurts salon growth
 08:30 — Growing apprentices vs holding people back
 09:30 — Why some salons plateau
 10:00 — Fundamentals vs tactics
 12:00 — Better questions create better answers
 13:00 — "More clients" isn't always the answer
 15:00 — Solving problems for the clients you already have
 16:00 — Why growth-focused owners think differently
 17:00 — Fear-based decision making
 19:00 — Raising standards and accountability
 21:00 — Difficult conversations matter
 24:00 — Long-term thinking and business vision
 25:00 — Why owners abandon ideas too early
 27:00 — Mission, vision, and consistency
 28:00 — Apprenticeships as a long-term investment
 30:00 — Meetings, systems, and follow-through
 32:00 — The marathon mindset
 33:00 — Industry trends and copying competitors
 35:00 — Borrow principles, build your own business
 38:00 — Recipes vs techniques in business
 39:00 — The core experience clients actually buy
 41:00 — Refining before expanding
 42:00 — Education, advancement, and opportunity
 44:00 — Why people stay (or leave)
 45:00 — The fundamentals behind long-term growth

Links and Stuff:
Our Newsletter
Mentoring Inquiries

Find more of our things:
Instagram
Hello Hair Pro Website