Salon Swagger

Brie (00:00)
All right. Hey there, Salon and Spa superstars. Welcome to Salon Swagger, your go -to podcast for commission salon and spa related everything really. I'm your host Brie and I am here with my cohost Chandra. Hey Chandra, what's up?

Chandra Chriswisser (00:13)
Hello, hello, hello. Oh good, just getting through it.

Brie (00:16)
How you doing?

I feel ya, I feel ya. Well today we are going to unleash some serious wisdom so that people can elevate their studio games. So I say let's get buckled up as we dive into this latest episode, Breaking the Bank, Why Salon and Spas Crash and Burn. It's time for us to get ready to unleash our inner bosses, dodge the financial pitfalls, and strut our stuff with confidence. How does that sound?

Chandra Chriswisser (00:49)
Sounds great. Let's dive in.

Brie (00:51)
I love it. So I feel like the topics that we're going to discuss today are super important. I've actually had a lot of people reach out to me recently asking a ton of questions that I found extremely valuable and really had the ones that I couldn't answer had some fun researching, you know, and trying to figure out how to possibly help these people. I also got a lot of questions lately about coaching and mentorship when it comes to salon and spa ownership.

And I think there's such a stigma around it that we probably should talk about it just a little bit.

Chandra Chriswisser (01:25)
Yeah, I think so for sure. I think that would be good.

Brie (01:28)
So I'm going to bring something up and I know we talk about it all the time on these podcasts, but I'm going to bring it up again today because it's really, really important. You know, as well as I do that running a salon or spa means wearing a ton of hats, right? And so many commission salon and spa owners, they're still in that service provider role, along with performing services all day, every day. They play the part of accountant, human resources, counselors.

I mean, you name it, they do it, right?

Chandra Chriswisser (01:58)
Yeah, yeah, everything, literally everything.

Brie (02:01)
everything. And after a long day of client appointments and handling all of the other tasks, we are usually completely tapped out, or at least I know that's how I felt.

Chandra Chriswisser (02:13)
Yeah, oh, I felt like that all the time. And so many of the people we talked to are just in that same feeling, that same position. So, yeah.

Brie (02:21)
Yeah, there's literally nothing left in your tank at the end of the day. I remember coming home. I didn't even want people to ask me, what are we having for dinner? Like it was that bad. It was that bad. My brain was fried. And I feel like as a result of this, we never give our team and our studios the attention that they need and that they deserve. I feel like so many important tasks end up getting neglected.

Chandra Chriswisser (02:30)
Yeah, for sure. Yep.

Brie (02:51)
What's even worse is I feel like the tasks that we often brush off, they are the ones that are the most crucial for our team success and for our business's growth. And this neglect, it can lead to significant gaps creeping into our operations. And unfortunately, they often go unnoticed for far, far too long if they are ever noticed at all.

Chandra Chriswisser (03:15)
Yeah, for sure. It's always the things that get neglected that are inhibiting growth and taking that stress off of you. So it's, yeah, 100%.

Brie (03:27)
Yeah. So when I was thinking about something that we could talk about today and I was looking at all the conversations that I'd been sent, all the messages, things of that nature, I really kept coming back to about four areas that are really just pain points for almost every single salon and spa owner out there. Things like leadership, team growth, business growth, and finances.

Chandra Chriswisser (03:54)
Yeah, I would say those are definitely the four biggest ones, for sure.

Brie (03:58)
and they all play an integral part of whether or not our business is going to succeed or fail at the end of the day. So I thought today we would just kind of break down these pitfalls and talk about why it is crucial to spot them, kind of how to spot them, and then how to tackle them head on and the easiest way to do that.

Chandra Chriswisser (04:03)
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, that sounds good.

Brie (04:21)
Awesome. So let's start with leadership because for me, I feel like everything leadership is at the root of everything when it comes to your business. Lack of leadership is really a common issue that we come across as we coach salon and spa owners. I don't think it's, it's not that the owners, they don't want to lead. It's usually they're just kind of unsure of how to lead effectively.

Chandra Chriswisser (04:27)
Yeah.

Yeah, I think that happens all the time. They just don't know what to do. They don't know how to do it. They don't know where to start. Mm -hmm.

Brie (04:52)
Yeah. And let's face it, when you are focused on clients all day, every freaking day, it's really tough to kind of switch gears and lead your team and business the way that they need to be led.

Did you find that you had a hard time with that when you were providing services all day, every day? Because I know I did.

Chandra Chriswisser (05:13)
Yeah, oh, definitely. I thought I was doing a good job. You know, I felt like I was doing everything and leading my team and taking the business to the next level and doing all the things that I needed to do. But once I stepped back and actually started working on my leadership, I realized that I wasn't doing any of it the way that I needed to be doing. And I...

really noticed that was kind of killing my business a lot because my team kind of just ran around. I just kind of was running around and nobody was really having that structure or that, you know, mentor that they needed to have in order to kind of push them and to get things moving in the direction I thought I wanted to get to, you know.

Brie (06:00)
I often find that in the beauty industry, in the salon setting, the spa setting, whatever it is, leadership is a little different. I don't know if it's because we are dealing with such creative type mindsets, but it is different because in our other businesses, I felt like I knew how to lead and I led very, very well. Our turnover rate was very, very low. Our business was growing, you know, but when it came to the salon, it was like, what do I do? I don't know how to lead these people.

Chandra Chriswisser (06:12)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Brie (06:31)
And I think that is a common, common problem in this, in the beauty industry. Without proper leadership though, we are opening the door for a host of problems. I feel like our employees will become bored very, very quickly. They're going to be unfocused. And eventually I see this all the time. They're going to start doing what they want when they want to do it, AKA making their own rules.

Chandra Chriswisser (06:43)
Mm -hmm.

Yeah. Yeah. And I think it also, they lose trust in you as the owner and they, they don't have the respect for the business in the same way that you need them to have it. And they just don't really care as much. Like they're not kind of connected in that way.

Brie (07:05)
Mm.

invested.

Yeah, definitely. And so when they lose focus and they lose trust and they don't really care anymore and they're making their own rules, which is a disaster waiting to happen, it causes a recipe for employees wanting to leave, whether that's to another salon, booth rental, actually opening up their own salon, things of that nature, regardless of what it is, when they leave, what happens? They take clients with them and your business, once again,

Chandra Chriswisser (07:27)
Yep, yep.

Yep.

Brie (07:47)
takes a hit.

Chandra Chriswisser (07:48)
Yep, yep, and then you repeat the same pattern over again. Yep.

Brie (07:52)
Yes, again and again and again. One of my favorite things to say and everybody that I've talked to has said, oh my gosh, that really made me think. I always tell people, if you are not leading your team, somebody else is going to. And as a business owner, that is the last thing that you want because those dominoes just start hitting and they fall and fall and fall.

Chandra Chriswisser (08:08)
Uh huh. Yep.

Yep, oh yeah, and I mean, I've had it happen in my business in the early days, and I think we have seen that in many of the salons that we have worked with. Like, it's a common, common problem, for sure.

Brie (08:30)
So if you were coaching one -on -one right now with one of our BBA members and they were dealing with a leadership issue and trying to figure out how to see if that is a pitfall for them, right? A blind spot, something that they couldn't see. What would you tell them to look for or how to go about seeing if their leadership is on point or not?

Chandra Chriswisser (08:53)
Yeah, I think for what I did just to kind of speak from some of my experience and what you know, I always will coach people on as well is.

taking a step back and looking at what's happening in your business, number one. Are things being done the way that you wanted them to be? Is your culture the type of culture you had expected it to be and all of that stuff? And I think that's one of the biggest things to start with. And then for me, one of the best things I ever did was start surveying my team and asking them what their perspective is on how.

I am as a leader or how the business is being led and how happy they are there. And I think that's a really, really good place to start because you can get feedback from your team and stuff that you would probably didn't even know was going on.

Brie (09:44)
Yeah, I agree with that 100%. I love doing surveys and things of that nature. As long as you have a team that'll be honest with you, I think that's a great way to go about it. There's also a lot of stuff online that you can find when it comes to leadership. So there's certain types of quizzes that you can take and they're all free. And some of them are really, really good and they'll make you open your eyes and see what type of leader you are, if you're even leading at all, you know, things of that nature. And I think that's really, really important. So.

Chandra Chriswisser (09:51)
Yeah.

Brie (10:12)
That's probably some advice I would give people if they're out there listening right now is create a survey, ask your team, tell them, have it anonymous so that they can be completely honest, right, with everything that they want to say and be open, be open -minded. Take the criticism as it comes because it's the only way that you're going to grow.

Chandra Chriswisser (10:21)
Yeah.

Yep, yeah, and that's their perspective, right? And so whether it's right or wrong necessarily, it doesn't really matter because that's how they are seeing things. And so as the leader, you need to be able to look at that perspective and open your eyes to see what's really happening. So I think, yeah, that's a huge, huge one for me. I love surveys.

Brie (10:57)
I do too. And I think we have to learn not to be so defensive. Like we have to learn to open up and realize that we ask these questions, like we want to know, we want to get better. And so sometimes we have to let our guard down and make the changes that need to be made because without them, you are going to be stagnant or moving in the wrong direction.

Chandra Chriswisser (11:01)
Mm -hmm.

Right. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. And I think it helps you as you start researching and finding out more about leadership and what type of leader you are, having that feedback is really helpful too, because then you can be like, Oh, am I really doing that? Am I really doing these things? You know, once you start learning more and more about the type of leaders there are and what you what you're doing. So, yeah.

Brie (11:39)
Yeah, 100%. I know when I started really looking into this because I could see, right? Like I could see the difference. I was like, okay, in this business over here, things are just moving great. They're going so well. But over here, it's just not, it's not connecting. And I'm not going to lie to you. I was a little resentful in the beginning because I was like, I don't do that. No, that's not, you know what I mean? Like, no, it's not. But when I really, really,

Chandra Chriswisser (12:02)
Yeah. Uh huh. Yeah.

Brie (12:07)
got down into it and I started opening up, I would start watching myself more and more. I even pulled up my cameras at my salon sometimes to look at my body language. If somebody said, you know, you come across like kind of strict or kind of mean, and I'm like, but I'm the nicest person you'll ever meet. And so I had to do that and really look into things. So being open is really, really huge. Another area that I feel like people kind of have blinders on,

Chandra Chriswisser (12:25)
Yeah.

Brie (12:36)
or it gets overlooked very, very easy is training. I feel like in this industry, the stigma is there's like one or two ways to go, right? We either throw them to the wolves and just hope for the best, or we have them shadow forever. They're there for a year, two years, doing chores, doing duties, cleaning and shadowing. And that, that's not going to work anymore.

Chandra Chriswisser (12:41)
Mm -hmm.

Yeah.

Mm -hmm.

Brie (13:05)
That day and age is long gone. So I think training programs are something that people really need to look at in their studios. When you create a good training program, it can create a domino effect in the right way to where people will be begging to come work for you because your training is so good.

Chandra Chriswisser (13:05)
No.

Yeah, yeah. And I think too, looking at those training programs, I hear all the time, like I've taught them this a hundred times. I've showed them this a hundred times and they're still not getting it. And I think there's pitfalls in your training program then, like something is not connecting or you're not teaching them in a way that they can absorb the information or learn it.

or you're running around like a crazy person all the time thinking you're conveying information a specific way, but you're not really doing that. And so I think training programs, definitely that's a really big one for the success of a salon and the people within it for sure.

Brie (14:01)
Yeah, I think you kind of hit the nail on the head when you said that there are so many different ways to do training programs. Unfortunately, salon and spa owners, we get stuck in our old way of doing things. Well, I know how to do it. So I'm going to hands on teach people how to do it. And there's so many better ways to do it. My opinion when it comes to training programs is they should tell you throughout the training program. Number one, who is not getting it? Who's not picking it up? Right?

so that you don't waste any more money, time, resources on those people and you can let them go. Number two, who is stepping up, who is getting it, and who could be a future leader or rock star in your business?

Chandra Chriswisser (14:28)
Yes.

Yeah. Oh yeah. I think I'm guilty a hundred percent. Even my team will tell you like you keep people too long because I think I see all this potential and I'm like, okay, we're going to get there. We're going to get there and it never gets there. And then eventually you've wasted so much time when you could have been focusing on those rock star people who want it, who are hungry for it. And I think that's a, that's another big thing to pay attention to.

Brie (15:06)
I think so too. It really opened my eyes when I started doing that because I didn't realize that I was wasting so much time, money, resources, you know, on that. I also didn't realize how much time I was wasting training people hands on when they could have been generating revenue so much quicker for my business, right?

Chandra Chriswisser (15:13)
Mm -hmm. Yeah.

Oh yeah, absolutely. Yep.

Brie (15:30)
It's really, really crazy. So if you're out there and you have a training program, but you're just not really sure, or if you are 100 % involved in that training every second of every day, you may have a pitfall right there. Like you may really have blinders on and need to course correct just a little bit. The next area, and I think this is a really, really big one is employee growth. Employee growth plans, career plans, right?

Chandra Chriswisser (15:45)
Yep.

Mm -hmm. Yeah.

Brie (15:59)
Nobody. I don't give a crap what you tell me. Nobody wants to be a technician forever. They don't. Everybody wants to grow. They want to promote. And if we are not offering our employees the opportunity to grow and promote, they are going to leave and they are going to go somewhere else.

Chandra Chriswisser (16:06)
No. Mm -hmm. Yep.

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I think so.

Brie (16:22)
So when it comes to employee growth, let's talk about that for just a minute because people always say, well, they're still just a hairstylist or they're still just a massage therapist or there is such a horrible stigma about a level system. And I get so tired of hearing that because level systems are fantastic for seeing once again, who's stepping up, who has lead potential and who your rock stars are.

Chandra Chriswisser (16:35)
Yeah.

Brie (16:49)
So let's talk about your growth plan that you have for your employees just a little bit.

Chandra Chriswisser (16:54)
Yeah, I mean, we implemented, we, we changed ours up over the years. And I think that what we have now has been the best for my team. They loved it. They love it. They've grown so much. And I think we implemented, you know, the level system in a different way. We made it easier. I would say we used to have a level system that was very difficult to grow. It took them sometimes years to grow and.

you know, it's deflating and it's unmotivating and then they just get stagnant. And so having this level system that allows them more opportunity to grow at their own pace, like they could grow quicker if they wanted to, you know, and that is how you kind of weed out those ones where you know, like these ones have a lot of drive and they're going to really kill it. And,

having that level system set up that way is what really showed me that they actually do want to do this. Maybe in the beginning I didn't even realize that they wanted it because it was stagnant. And so I think when you set that up that way where...

they have the opportunity to take things into their own hands just a little bit. And they can, the harder they wanna push and get through that level system and get raises and promotions and all of those things, it pushes them so much faster. And that's how we have it set up now. And our growth plan is set up to where they can also promote into an educator role if they want to. They could promote into a director role if they wanted to. There's a lot of different places they can go if they want to.

You know, we have some that don't want to deal with any of that. They just want to do their hair and they're happy and they love it and they hit their numbers and that's great and that's totally fine. But for those ones that you have that are your rock star people who are going to stay with you and want to help the business grow, having those opportunities for them I think is huge. Like they want that. Some of them, like you said, they don't want to just do hair forever.

You know, and we even will help them get education with one of our manufacturers if they want. You know, we have those relationships. So wherever they want to go, we will help them get there. And I think that made such a big difference in my team and how quickly. I mean, I have level one stylists who are surpassing some of our master stylists sometimes because they're excited about it and they're not having to be held back.

Brie (19:14)
100%. I also think that when we're creating these employee growth plans and things of that nature, one of the coolest things that we created at BBA, at the Beauty Biz Agency, is the tracker that we made so that people can actually see. Because when they can see those numbers, right, you plug it in, you're like, okay, you're at a level one, and if you do this many clients, this is how much you're making according to your prices, your commission, whatever.

Chandra Chriswisser (19:15)
Mm -hmm.

Mm -hmm.

Brie (19:40)
But if you're at a master level, this is what you're making. And when they can see, oh my gosh, I can go from $2 ,500 a month to $12 ,500 a month, it really, really creates that sense of urgency and excitement and they want to do better and do more.

Chandra Chriswisser (19:58)
Yeah, and I think the traditional way

that we're taught a lot in this industry to set up our level systems doesn't give them that opportunity. Like I had mine set up very traditional, what many, many salons and spas were doing. And they didn't really care that much to really try that much harder to get to that next level because it just took them too long and it was too hard. So I think definitely modernizing your level system and making it in a way that is more, because I think sometimes the owners too, sometimes we feel like we don't necessarily,

Want them to grow that fast? You know, I think there's like this idea of like well I have to pay them more and I have to do these things more and so they they kind of keep them at that slower pace but It's better if they make more because the more I get excited when they have a really big paycheck and I'm like, oh my god You hit this like amazing check. This is your best check ever and they're so excited about it, too And I want that for them, you know, and I think that's something that

you know, as the leader, you want to shift your mindset if you're not thinking that way all the time because you want them to succeed and grow.

Brie (21:04)
I agree with that. I remember when you and I were working together and I first saw your level system and I was like, oh my gosh, what is this? Simple is better. And I think people need to realize that. I feel like a lot of owners, they think that they're doing the right thing, right? By creating all of this growth opportunity when in reality it becomes so cumbersome, people don't even want to deal with it. And so I think simple is better.

Chandra Chriswisser (21:08)
Yeah, we have like 12 levels. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yep.

Brie (21:30)
Let's talk about a few ways that people could grow in studios because a lot of times people are like, well, what do you mean? I have a level system. Level systems are great, but there are other things. You can have a lead for each level system. You can have management positions. You can have assistant management positions. You can have guest experience experts. You know what I mean? You can have educators. You can have lead educators, assistant educators. You can create almost any role that you want to in your studio.

Chandra Chriswisser (21:37)
Mm -hmm.

Yeah, oh, for sure. And if you set it up the right way, I think it helps you to create those things when you see the people that you're like, oh, they're really excited. They're doing this. Let's talk to them and see where they want to go next. And then you can create things for them that are going to make them feel appreciated and excited and motivated to continue working for you and to continue growing in your business. So, yeah.

Brie (22:26)
look at it this way, I'm like, and I bring this up all the time, too, but every other industry offers growth, you have growth potential, right? Even if you're working at McDonald's, which there's nothing wrong, you start out at the cash register or busing tables, and then you move up and you can be, you know, manager or area manager or whatever it is. And I don't understand why we feel in this industry, that it's not needed, or it's not wanted or desired, because it really, really is.

Chandra Chriswisser (22:52)
Yeah, definitely. I think that's where a lot of employee turnover, like you said before, kind of comes in because people want something more so they look elsewhere if you don't have it.

Brie (23:05)
So let's get into the last one and we are just going to talk about being broke and broken down. So I had somebody reach out to me and we were talking about some of their financials. I started doing some research. I want everybody to hear me when I say this. Only a tiny 5 % of salons and spas are making it, meaning making a profit. Among those 5%,

The profit margins are super slim, like 1 % to 3 % profitability. That's so sad. About 15 % of salons and spas, they are barely hanging on. I mean, like holding their breath, praying that they can just pay their bills and pay payroll at the end of the month to break even. The rest, they are deep in the red. I mean, owners are having to kill themselves.

Chandra Chriswisser (23:41)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Brie (24:04)
just to keep the lights on. It is so, so very sad. And I know when we start coaching new members at the Beauty Biz agency, we almost always, I would say 99 .9999 % of the time, spot gaps when it comes to finances. That's a big one. It's so crucial for us as business owners to track every penny coming in and going out. Our finances affect...

Chandra Chriswisser (24:04)
Uh huh. Yeah.

Oh yeah. Mm -hmm.

Brie (24:33)
everything from growing our business to building our team, even to setting our prices, you name it, finances are going to affect it, right? Owners often only know this is what I found. And I know we coach together, so they know a lot of times how much they're bringing in every month, right? They know their revenue on a monthly basis, but that's not enough to know about your business. You have to know your expenses as well. It's

Chandra Chriswisser (24:41)
Mm -hmm. Yep.

Mm -hmm.

Brie (25:03)
kind of pointless if you just know how much you're bringing in every month and you don't have a clue about what's going out every month. I feel like we push this finance thing off all the time. I don't know if it's because we just don't understand it. I don't know if we're scared of it because well, I'm just going to be honest. I know for me, I didn't want to look at it because I was terrified. I knew what I was going to see. It was going to be in the negative every single month.

And that's terrifying. So I think we really, really need to stop ignoring these gaps and really, really focus on them so they don't continue leading to bigger problems.

Chandra Chriswisser (25:47)
Yeah, 100%. Yep.

Brie (25:49)
I think that's why we at the Beauty Biz agency, we put so much emphasis on knowing and understanding the numbers, right? It's just, it's that big of a deal. It's, there is a way to ensure that your salon or spa is profitable. There's a way to do it. You just have to sit down, understand and know most of the time, it just comes down to finding those gaps or even finding the right mentor or coach that can help you spot those gaps so that you can course correct.

Chandra Chriswisser (26:20)
Yeah, for sure. I think none of us started our business to struggle. Right? Yeah, I think that's a problem.

Brie (26:24)
No, absolutely not. But why are we okay with letting it continue? I think that's the bigger question, right? Why are we okay with killing ourselves 70, 80 hours a week, still just to see it barely survive or to struggle? What do you think causes that?

Chandra Chriswisser (26:33)
Yeah.

Yeah, I think you're exactly, yeah. Oh, I was gonna say you're exactly right. I think it's a lot of the same, those things. I think it's fear, for sure. I think we don't know, I mean, I can speak from my experience, right? So when I started out owning, I was a service provider before that. I knew how to make money, I knew how to generate money, and I knew, you know, it was just me. So I had my own finances I had to deal with. I didn't have to...

It wasn't like I was running a real business necessarily where I had all of this overhead and all of these expenses. And I think when we open our salons, we still have that same mentality sometimes where we think this is how much money's coming in, this is what necessarily needs to go out, but we don't have any idea of if our prices are set to be profitable, if our overhead is within a specific budget to be profitable, what our pay structure should be in order for us to be profitable.

We just sort of look around at what other salons and spas are doing and think, okay, well, that looks like they're making it, but you don't know that one might also be struggling just like you and you're setting yourself up to just do the copycat thing. And I think that's a big problem. I did too. Yeah. Yeah.

Brie (27:52)
That's exactly what I did. That's exactly what I did, to be honest. I looked at competitors' pricing and I was like, okay, I'm going to undercut them just a little bit because maybe I'll get busier, right? I did the same thing with my commission structure and it was upwards of 50 to 60%. I killed myself from the very beginning. There was no hope, none.

Chandra Chriswisser (28:14)
Yeah, yeah, no, yeah, exactly. I think that's the biggest problem in our industry is, and we're more creative minded for the most part, you know? And so those things frustrate us, I think, a lot of the times. Those kinds of things are difficult, they're frustrating, and because of that, we don't wanna look at it, so we do just kinda try to ignore it. And it's like, okay, well, if it seems like...

We're not going to bring in enough revenue for, you know, this month. Well, I can just crank behind the chair an extra couple of days or squeeze in a few more clients and we'll make all the bills, you know, instead of actually taking it and looking at it and saying, okay, how do I actually make money off of this business? And how do I not struggle and have to kill myself just to keep the lights on? I remember even saying that a couple of times when I first started out, I had some people that were like, oh, why do you work so hard? I'm like, well, somebody's got to keep the lights on.

And then I'm like, that's just the stupidest way to run your business. I'm like, why, that just makes no sense whatsoever, right? And so I think that we have that sort of mindset though sometimes we just think, okay, well we can make this happen instead of actually like understanding how to make it happen in a bigger way so that we can have freedom and actually have a successful business.

Brie (29:12)
So bad, right?

sure. And here's the deal. No matter how great your services are, if you are not keeping a close eye on your cash flow, you can risk everything. I see people all the time as we're coaching that by mid month, their tank is completely empty. There is no money left. They don't know what's coming in. You can't always depend on the forecast of your CRM because I see people make that mistake every single day. Right?

Chandra Chriswisser (29:58)
Mm -hmm. Yep.

Brie (30:00)
Well, according to the forecast, we're supposed to make an extra 15K this month in the next two weeks. Absolutely not. So we have to make it a priority to stay on top of our finances because it is really the only way that our business is ever going to thrive. 100%.

Chandra Chriswisser (30:19)
Uh huh. Yep.

Brie (30:22)
I am a firm believer in having mentorship. I think it's really, really important. I remember when I was trying to get all of my ish together, I felt so alone. I felt like a failure. My confidence was completely shattered. I remember going and sitting out in my car one night and just crying for probably two hours thinking, I don't know what I'm going to do. Like I've got to get my stuff together. I don't know what I'm going to do.

but my business is going to close in 30 days if I don't get my crap together. I would have given anything to have had someone by my side helping me. And I don't understand why there is such a stigma when it comes to mentors and coaches in the salon and spa industry.

Chandra Chriswisser (31:11)
Yeah, no, I agree.

Brie (31:12)
I just don't get it. I feel like they can be your secret weapon in the game of success. I mean, they've been there, done that, and they're willing and ready to share all of that wisdom with you. More importantly, they can be your extra pair of eyes. They can spot opportunities and pitfalls that you may miss. They're also your sounding board, helping you make tough decisions, helping you build that confidence that you need.

Chandra Chriswisser (31:18)
Yeah, no, I agree.

Brie (31:42)
And they're your cheerleaders, right? They're rooting for you every single step of the way. So because I actually figured it out on my own. I, at the time when I was trying to do everything, I could not find a coaching company that I felt followed my values and what I was needing. Um, so I figured it out on my own. So I would like to hear from your perspective, why you think there's such a stigma when it comes to mentorship and coaching in the beauty industry.

And what made you finally take that leap? And are you glad that you did?

Chandra Chriswisser (32:18)
Yeah. Well, I think there's a stigma sometimes. So before I got the type of coaching that actually helped, I had tried several coaching companies over the years. Like I would see this thing and I'm a shiny thing and I'm like, okay, let me try this. This is going to save me. This is going to help me. And I would pay all this money and then it didn't help.

You know, and it didn't save my business and you know, some things may be worked here and there and I'd try this or I'd try that and it would kind of work, but it never, nothing ever really stuck. And I think that's why there's a big stigma too, because a lot of us do try stuff, but then you end up sometimes in a worse position because it didn't really align with what your business was or.

I think sometimes a lot of the things that are out there, like my 12 level system, I got that from a coaching company. You know what I mean? And so those kinds of things sometimes I think they make it so complicated and they make it.

It just makes it harder almost on you as the owner. And I feel like sometimes they're not looking at your position and all the things you're doing and trying to actually help you. It's just these systems that they give you. And a lot of times those systems don't work. And so I think that's where a lot of the stigma comes from, especially in a lot of the people that I hear from that have been in coaching groups or I see posts and things, people are...

complaining about that stuff, like, oh, I tried this, it didn't work, don't waste your money, or I did this. And I think that's because they've had such a bad experience in the past. And for me, really finding what was simple was what worked best. It wasn't over -complicating a 12 -level system or having this really crazy pay structure that took me forever to have to figure out payroll.

because that's what a lot of the stuff that I had gotten in the past was like. And so I think that put me sometimes in a worse position because I spent, it's expensive, coaching is expensive, right? But if you get the right information, like for me, I turned my business around within less than a year after 12 years of struggling. So getting that right information is worth it 1 ,000%, but I think that's why it's so hard sometimes for people to take that leap.

Brie (34:29)
Yeah, that that that makes sense. I know there's so many coaching programs out there. I know. I also know that there are a lot of them that are just full of the fluff, right? It's that let me make you feel good so that you stay around. To me, it is all about action because I feel like that is where owners get stuck the most. It's like, OK, let's take the topics that we covered today. I'm sure people's brains are spinning a little bit. They're aware of some of the the.

Chandra Chriswisser (34:33)
Bye.

Brie (34:58)
pitfalls that they may need to be looking for, right? Now, what do they do? They don't know how to take action or they don't know how to get started. I think that for me is one of the main reasons that people should look for mentorship or coaching or things of that nature. But I also think in saying that when you are looking for coaching or mentorship, they need to have a plan laid out for you that...

Chandra Chriswisser (35:14)
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Brie (35:25)
that you can follow. Once again, that's easy, like you said, right? Where they can start taking action immediately. Coaching shouldn't be about the fluff, meaning they shouldn't just say those things to make you feel good or offer just a supportive community of like -minded individuals, right? Their job is to create a plan to follow that is going to get you results. Now, in saying that at the same time,

Chandra Chriswisser (35:27)
Yeah.

Mm -hmm.

Mm -hmm.

Brie (35:53)
Coaches aren't magicians either. You hear that saying all the time, right? Like, I'm a, what is that saying? I'm a something, not a magician. I don't remember what it is, but it's something about hairstylist. I'm a beautician, not a magician, right? And coaches can't just snap their fingers and help you create and implement everything in one session. And so I think it really has to be a balance of.

Chandra Chriswisser (36:09)
Yeah, oh yeah, yes.

Brie (36:20)
I can see what this coaching program has. I see that they have it all laid out. I can take action on my own knowing that they're right there and you start to see the results slowly but surely. As long as you find a coaching company and you are moving forward, things are happening. You are on the right track. Your revenue should increase. Your profitability should increase. You shouldn't be behind the chair as often as you were previous to coaching, right?

Those are some of the things that I would tell people to look out for. And I think it's very, very important to talk about because there are so many coaching programs out there. I have people reach out to me all the time. And even though you and I are coaches and we own a coaching program, they will reach out to me and say, hey, do you know anything about this company? What do you think? And I will give them my honest opinion because at the Beauty Biz Agency, we are really

picky about who we partner with as well. And I think the people looking for mentorship should be just as picky, right?

Chandra Chriswisser (37:25)
Oh, a thousand percent. And I think another thing to look for as you're trying to find a good partner for that is if the program is going to actually teach you what to do instead of just telling you what to do. Cause I think that was one of the biggest turning points for me when I finally got got the help I needed was that it was more about like, let me teach you exactly how you need to do these things. Because then going forward,

you can just do it on your own. You don't need to have that help and that handheld all the time. And I think that's where a lot of them fall short too, especially some of the ones that I did in the past because I left there and I still didn't even know what I was supposed to do after months and months of training, right? And so I think that's another big thing to look for when you're trying to find a good partnership for that.

Brie (38:15)
I agree with that. When we were creating the program, I think that's one of the biggest things that you and I talked about. You know, if you put it in a salon setting, what do we do? We teach our stylists what to do, and then we send them on their way to do hair, right? It should be no different with a coaching company and salon or spa owners. We need to teach them so they... It is the only true way for coaches to make a massive impact on this industry, is to teach people...

Chandra Chriswisser (38:42)
Yep.

Brie (38:44)
send them on their way and let them kill it when it comes to their business.

Chandra Chriswisser (38:49)
Yep, 100%.

Brie (38:51)
So if you were to talk to somebody one -on -one right now, what are the top five things you would tell them to look for? If they, let's say that they listen to this podcast and they know that they have some blinders on, right? Like their training program isn't up to par, their finances are a disaster, and they really are considering looking at different coaching programs or mentorships, what are five things that you would tell them to look for?

Chandra Chriswisser (39:19)
I think number one, I would want to know exactly what contents in their program are the things that I need part of that training program. And I think number two, I would want to talk to those people a few times before I signed up just to see if I felt like I was aligned with how they were and if they were going to help my business. I would want to know maybe some testimonials, some things from other owners maybe that I could reach out to and see.

you know, what their experience was like. I think really finding out what, finding from them what it is they're going to do for me. Like, how can they help me once they see like my financial state or they see some of those things? What are some of the things that ideas or things that they know they can help me get through that and get past that? And I think those are some of the biggest things. Pricing, I feel like pricing doesn't necessarily matter so much if,

you can find all of those things aligned because you're not gonna have to pay it forever, you know, you'll get out of that. And so I think a lot of people get stuck in that pricing thing and they think, oh, this is so much money, but you have to look at it as like return on investment, right? For all of those different things. And I think that's another big one is to more so find out exactly what this company is willing to help you with. Do they have your training programs?

Do they have templates for you? Do they have ways to help you set this up for your specific situation, not just a cookie cutter necessarily way, right? And then I think whatever areas are your pitfalls, what do they offer you that's gonna help you get out of those pitfalls? That's what I look for, for sure.

Brie (41:03)
I agree with that. I know that we have so many people that say, you know, coaching programs are so expensive and they are so expensive, but I feel like when you are at a make it or break it point, here's the thing. We are all one person and we can only do so much. And every year we get older and older and older and life changes, right? And eventually we're not going to be able to do what we're doing right now.

Chandra Chriswisser (41:09)
Mm -hmm.

Brie (41:29)
We can't take on any more clients. We can't make any more revenue. We can't do any of that. You've got two options. That's a make it or break it point. You can stay where you are, do nothing, which usually is leading to an overwhelmed, unfulfilled, unhappy life. Or you can decide right here, right now, whenever you, you know, find your blind spots or whatever it is that you are going to make changes, be the change. You're going to be the change for your business, right?

Chandra Chriswisser (41:55)
Yeah.

Mm -hmm.

Brie (41:59)
You're going to take action and you're going to do that. So many times we have people that come to us and they're like, I really can't afford this, but I'm going to do it. There should be return on investment within 60 to 90 days of going through a program some way, somehow. And so that is something that I would tell people to really, really pay attention to. Really, really watch that. If you've been a coaching program for two, three, I was talking to another coach the other day from a different company. Um,

love them. But I was talking to him the other day and they were like, yeah, we've had some people that have been in our program for five, six years. And I'm like, why? And he's like, you know, they're just not fulfilling. They're not taking action on everything. And I'm like, well, isn't I almost said their name. Isn't that your job to make sure that they're taking that action? I understand staying in a coaching program longevity wise to be a part of the community. Right.

to get that, to be around other salon owners and stuff. But I mean, my goodness, by six to 12 months in, you should learn everything that you need to know. And as your business evolves and changes, you should have been taught how to make those changes, whether the economy is up, down, backwards, forwards, whatever it is, you should know what to do.

Chandra Chriswisser (43:21)
Yeah, I agree, absolutely.

Brie (43:25)
Awesome. Well, we talked about these blind spots today or pitfalls or blinders or whatever you want to call them. I think the majority of people are probably going to go in and think. And I know for a fact, finances is going to be number one, probably for almost everyone that is listening to this. But I think they're also going to start thinking about their leadership and their training programs and their employee growth plans and things of that nature. And so I'm really glad that we talked about that. I think it's really, really.

Chandra Chriswisser (43:27)
Mm -hmm.

with you.

Brie (43:54)
important. With that being said, a lot of coaching programs have a ton of free resources and you can check those out to see. I feel like looking at those free resources will kind of give you an idea of what they're about and maybe get you to start taking some action. So I think we should bring that up. I know we have a ton of free resources and a lot of other ones do too. So if you are starting to think your mind's spinning and

Chandra Chriswisser (43:56)
Mm -hmm.

Brie (44:22)
and you really wanna take some action, go to some different companies and get some of those free resources and start implementing things. And if it works for you, then you probably have your answer when it comes to mentorship. What do you say about that?

Chandra Chriswisser (44:33)
Yeah, I think that's a great way to start kind of looking into researching a little bit for sure. I think I would definitely, you know, start giving it some thought and start thinking about, you know, what future you see for your business and then kind of just start getting some help if you're stuck and you're not growing and you feel like you're cranking to keep the lights on, then I would definitely, you know, start thinking about it and start figuring out, you know, the best way for you to.

stop being the one to keep the lights on.

Brie (45:06)
There is a whole other life out there for salon and spa owners and it's really really sad that only about 5 % ever get to see it.

Chandra Chriswisser (45:14)
Yeah, yeah, it's horrible.

Brie (45:17)
really, really sad. Well, awesome. We just want to thank you guys for kicking it with us today on Salon Swagger. Now go out there, tackle those pitfalls and make some boss moves. That's all I know to tell you guys. Make those boss moves. Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast for strategies, interviews with industry experts and these in -depth discussions. If you have any topics that you want us to cover in future episodes, you can reach out and Chandra is going to tell you how.

Chandra Chriswisser (45:22)
Yes.

Yep.

Yeah, just send us a message on social media, Instagram, Facebook, or you can send us an email at admin at the beauty biz agency .com.

Brie (45:53)
Awesome. Don't forget to follow us on social media as well. We put out new resources all the time that have amazing strategies to level up your salon or spa. Until next time, guys, keep slaying those business goals with style, sass, and a whole lot of swagger. Bye.

Chandra Chriswisser (46:07)
Bye.