word. with Gordon Miller

I've been talking about the challenges faced by hairdressers and owners looking for competent coaches for 3+ years. Many have been surprised that I've yet to be blocked by one coaching group in particular -and it's finally happened. Silly coaches. I've got 3 accounts following them - just in case this was to happen. This week I dig further into proof points around the lack of coaching competencies and my ongoing fear around the destruction of careers and businesses being quietly done across the industry (as bad information from all kinds of sources sure does travel fast these days thanks to social media).

If time truly is money in our pro lives, then our 'capacity' represents the maximum amount of time that we have to generate revenue. Productivity, on the other hand, drives the reality of your financial outcomes - the difference being your potential for financial growth at this moment. The solution to closing the gaps? Finding efficiencies. This is my geeky take on a critical topic that doesn't get enough attention.

AI has been top of mind for many since late 2022 - and certainly through much of 2023 the same has been true for the press, pundits, and regular folks alike. We've watched the AI category expand from mostly Open AI-focused to now include Google's Gemini, Meta's Llama , and Anthropics Claude (owned in part by Amazon). On top of that, there are now AI Agents being developed by a small army of interested parties across categories. Some compare this to the proliferation of Apps following the i-phone launch. Listen in to my quick round-up of evolving thoughts on the category.

It's hard to believe we have just passed the midway point of 2024...but here we are! Given the ever-hastening speed of change in our world, this felt like a moment to recap where I see the industry's various 'parts and pieces' - everything from shifting business models to events, media...and more.

So much destructive coach chatter across the industry trying to diminish the value of 'service' - weirdly saying to the press: 'We are sick of being service providers and want to get back to the artistry of what we do". The implication is that 'service' is a new idea (it's not!) that takes away from the profession. My take: remove great service from the 'experience' and home haircare is sure to explode to even greater heights(and the AI robots will applaud the lapse in judgment). Listen in for my quick take on the critical need to double down on service as a point of difference separating you from the many who are quickly moving away from this long-time, proven revenue driver.

Given the rush to independent businesses by so many, this feels like great advice for anyone looking to go out on their own (as a business of one or many). This week, i talk about this as well as other relarted "random thoughts" -all connected to our changing business landscape.

I believe deeply that "knowledge is power "- and that history is a special form of knowledge that elevates us all. In that so much misinformation is floating around -including in our pro beauty space-, I asked Chat GPT to help me lay out some of the high points of the last 250+ years related to our profession -and then share my take on what some of it might mean to us today.

Apologies for remaining in the bad coaching lane but they are at it again - this time recommending salons spend $2500 on building a custome app that will, according to the duo, be more valuable than your business when you decide to one day sell.  Add to that a new website that seems suspiciously connected to all of the 'destruction' and I'm back down the proverbial rabbit hole of concern. The last time i hope to talk about these folks for a while.

This episode (and follow-ups #77 & #78)has created much buzz about the bad side of coaching in beauty. The resulting feedback has been overwhelming - including stories of bankruptcies, walkouts, and career-crushing results said to be related to the BS being spread by a couple of coaches seemingly in search of fame and $$$. Original description: "Change" is more often than not a good thing - and is essential for any business to thrive in the long term. Having said this, with change comes risk - perhaps today more than ever given the amount of industry-related misinformation being spread far and wide by too many. In this episode, I dig into the 'methodology' of one coaching group (per a recent IG post), offer my take on the thinking behind some of these ideas, and more. Buckle up and listen in!

In our larger world, the idea of facts vs fiction and/or truth vs opinion seems to be a very murky concept that too many are using to not only create wedges amongst us all but also as a way to confuse--and 'market' to us. In this episode, I try to add some much-needed context to this trend as well as speak to the importance of language -and some data all should consider when thinking about the word "entrepreneur". For early access to future episodes, please visit www.socialbeautymakers.com to sign up for my free weekly e-newsletter.