Salon Swagger

Brie Holt (00:01.533)
Hey there and welcome back to Salon Swagger where we dive into the good, the bad and the ugly of commissioned salon and spa ownership. I'm Brie and as always, I am joined by the amazing Chandra C Hey girl, what's up?

Chandra (00:12.386)
Hello? I am doing good? Doing good.

Brie Holt (00:13.981)
How are you doing?

Awesome, awesome. Well, we've got a truly special episode lined up, I think. It's one that's going to inspire and motivate people to take charge of their businesses like never before. know, every story or every business, I guess you could say, every person, every business, they really have their own story. It's not just about wins and successes though. It's about the bumps in the road. It's about the tough decisions. It's about the moments when everything could have gone sideways, right?

We are going to dive into some of the incredible stories of our members at the Beauty Biz Agency and how they overcame these challenges. I think it's important for people to understand that these are real stories. The ones where salon owners went from feeling stuck, from feeling overwhelmed, to totally changing the game for themselves and for their businesses. So we're gonna share how they faced these incredible challenges head on, how they took action.

and how they really completely transform their businesses and their lives. So if you're out there, you're listening and you've ever wondered whether real change is possible, or if you're stuck in that, it'll never get better mindset, like I know a lot of you are, this episode is definitely for you. We are going to be celebrating breakthroughs, perseverance, and the power of making bold moves. So let's get into it and share some amazing transformations. With that being said,

I can't think of anyone better to start with. Now I have to preface this by saying, because I know all of our members listen, we chose these randomly. We really, really did because if not, we could have been here all day, literally all day talking about people. So we just kind of chose a few to share with everybody today and we kind of chose them randomly. So don't get your feelings hurt. I promise we know how awesome you are. But one of the first ones that came to mind for me was Tanya. Tanya's comeback after her walkout.

Brie Holt (02:15.955)
So I would like to give you the floor, Chandra, just to share a little bit about her story and kind of what happened. I know she experienced that devastating walkout. She lost pretty much her entire team. So just kind of walk us through that, share a little bit about her story with us.

Chandra (02:33.74)
Yeah, I love Tanya's story because I think that so many salon owners can relate to this situation. And I also think that what she went through is what so many of them fear and keeps them from moving forward with making the changes they need to make. So she had a crazy, she basically had to start over from scratch after years and years and years of being in business and being afraid of starting over from scratch. And the

The transformation that she has managed to come out of this with is just unbelievable. She had totally started over, brand new team, implemented all the systems and things like that that we talk about and teach and fearful, you know, during that whole time to implement them because knowing like you never know if your team's gonna be receptive or if you're gonna find people that are going to want to follow your way.

And so she managed to find that team and putting those processes in place. And that really, you know, changed everything for her and her financials and her situation like that too. We were able to help her go from negative profitability to profit and actually know where her money is. And that's such a huge problem in this industry. So I loved getting to see that. And she was so excited too, getting to.

actually look at her finances and be like, my gosh, I actually have money and I actually know where my money went that I spent. And it just gives you so much control and so much empowerment. And I think her situation is such a cookie cutter salon situation that everybody has to deal with. And I think her coming out of that, being on top, having an all-star team now that is totally fitting within her culture and her systems and

Being able to have that handle on her finances that was probably one of the most incredible ones that that I really liked being a part of

Brie Holt (04:30.993)
Yeah, it was really cool. I'll never forget when she sent us the message and she was like, I'm essentially losing everyone. And of course we've been there, done that. So for me, it wasn't a big deal, right? Like I remember being there and how it felt, but I knew that she was going to be able to overcome everything. And essentially we rebuilt her business from the ground up pretty much. That's, what we did. We've, we focused on key strategies that we implemented. created.

Chandra (04:54.604)
Yeah.

Brie Holt (04:59.601)
solid team roadmaps, we redefined her culture completely. We got her clear on what she really wanted out of her business so that as she was rebuilding her team, we knew what to look for and we knew how to walk her through the hiring process and exactly what we needed to create in her policies and her procedures and getting her KPIs and her commission structure on point so that

the team that she was bringing in could feel fulfilled and they could make more money than they've ever made. And it would allow her to be able to step back and focus on those financial aspects like you said. And I know for Tanya, she was bringing in about 83 % of the profitability or the revenue all by herself when she had her team and she was working every day that the business was open. Last that I spoke to her, she is no longer doing that. I think she may be working two days a week behind the chair.

Brie Holt (05:54.983)
And all of the other days, it is literally focused on her business, you know, on the things that she needs to focus on. think she just had growth beyond what she could ever imagine is kind of the way that I see it. And, you know, that's really important when we're talking about a lot of commission salon and spa owners, because the majority of commission salon and spa owners are over the age of 35 now. Like most of the young ones have gone into the solopreneur.

era, they're kind of booth running, suite running, whatever that is. And so for people that are in our age group or even older than us that are running businesses, commission salon specifically, it's hard because the majority of them are still behind that chair. They're still cranking it out every single day. No retirement plan, no clear vision of where they're going, thinking that they're going to have to do it until their body no longer works. And so

to see on Tanya's face as she's actually talking about being able to retire, step out of her business, do things that she wants to do. I know she's having a grandbaby pretty soon. And so that's her real motivation now to completely step away and she's gonna be able to do that. And so I think it's really, really amazing and important. The financial growth and metrics that you really focused on because for those of you that...

don't know in our business at the Beauty Biz agency, Chandra kind of focuses more on the numbers. She's kind of, hate them. I don't like them. I know they're important. Could care less about kind of dealing with them. I'll do it if I have to. So Chandra is really, really good at it. And that's where her expertise comes in. So what did y'all really focus on when you were looking at growth metrics, financial metrics, things of that nature?

to get her from that 0 % profitability, I think she's sitting right about 12.5 % right now.

Chandra (07:53.238)
Yeah, no, think, you know, the biggest thing when I look at stuff like that, when somebody comes in with those, with their P&L or their information and we use our tracker, we have our tracker that we put all of our members on. And so it makes it really easy for me to look at it and go, okay, look, this is where you're having a leak. This is where your money is going. And also to really help her sort of fine tune those areas that she needs to get within that budget. And so I think that was

That was one of the biggest things. And even she was like, my gosh, you know, I had no idea I was spending this much money on, certain things. Or I had no idea that, you know, this leak was happening. And so it's very easy to get in that trap where you, don't know what, what's really going on with your money. And so that was one of the things that we went through with her and really were able to find money almost within a month for her to be able to start turning that around and getting that back on track. So it happened pretty quick.

It really did.

Brie Holt (08:53.213)
Yeah, she went from 0 % profitability to being profitable within a matter of 60 days, according to our records that we've looked at. And that's almost unheard of. But it's easier than what people think with the right systems in place with the right tracking methods in place with the right goal set in place clear expectations. It can be done a lot faster than what people truly, truly think it can. One of the other things that I really noticed with Tanya

And this is more where I focus on the side was leadership. It was kind of when she came to us. Yes, she was an owner and yes, she was involved in everything, but I felt like she does what a lot of salon and spa owners do. She kind of put herself down on that level with her employees. And it's a huge mistake that we make because there has to be a leader. If you're not leading, I say this all the time, somebody else is going to. And I think she really.

took that role, took that to heart, what we were teaching and coaching on and stepped up as the leader that she needed to be. And now she is finding passion in training her employees, hiring her employees, getting her employees where they want and need to be and crushing through their personal goals, which is in turn allowing her to crush through her business goals. So it's really cool how it just domino effects all the way down in my opinion.

Chandra (10:16.3)
Yeah, for sure.

Brie Holt (10:18.119)
The next person that I want to talk about, and this one is really more financially related than anything in the growth that we've seen is Rose. And the reason that I say that is because Rose wasn't a service provider. In fact, she didn't even have a cosmetology license, but was still a salon owner. So she was constantly, and I've known Rose for a very long time, constantly worried about payroll and operating.

in a state of financial fear. That's kind of the only way to put it. She was always, always in that state of financial fear. So I want to discuss how she was kind of living paycheck to paycheck, you know, not really sure money wise and feeling like there was really no way out for her. So I think you're best to kind of walk us through that scenario.

Chandra (11:08.086)
Yeah, no, she was definitely struggling in that area for sure. I think it's kind of the same thing I feel like that a lot of the salon owners that we see deal with, they just don't know where their money's supposed to go and they don't know how to manage it. And I think that, you know, one of the biggest things we did with her was we really tightened up that budget and really looked at exactly where that money was going and helped her figure out what...

what she could do and what she could change to also find money really quickly. And I think the most exciting thing that I remember from her was when she was telling me that I actually have all the money for payroll right now. And I was like, that is the most amazing feeling when you know you are already covered and you don't have to wait for the revenue that's future revenue to come in to cover you.

And so getting her to that point, it definitely took a little while because we had to really go through a lot of stuff to kind of get that all tightened up. But that was probably one of the best things to get to see and to get to see her face light up and that excitement when she had that empowerment. Like you feel so empowered and you feel like you are in control. I think the financial part when that's out of control, that really affects everything in

how you're running and how your mood is and how you feel. so getting all that under control for her, think gave her so much more confidence in running her business and knowing that she could do it and that she had the money coming in to do it. She just needed to know exactly how to put that together and how to make that happen.

Brie Holt (12:46.473)
Rose was with another coaching program for a very, very long time. And so it was very cool to see, you know, she had picked up some great things from the other coaching companies and things of that nature, but nothing was really focused on the finances. And so when we were able to get her on our Beauty Biz profit plan, and she began tracking those financials, and that's something that's so important because our profit plan,

Chandra (12:57.153)
you

Brie Holt (13:12.097)
is different than any other out there. actually have percentages that people need to stay under to ensure profitability. And so it makes it very, very easy for them in certain ways, because all they have to do is be like, I got to stay below this and I'm going to be okay. So they know where to cut, they're learning how to do it on their own without us having to constantly be there. A big thing that we did with her as well was we adjusted her pricing structure. And that really been a

Chandra (13:28.288)
Yep.

Chandra (13:40.034)
Yeah.

Brie Holt (13:41.48)
that it benefited her in a lot of ways as well. So that was really cool. Now Rose has just a healthy bank account. She has a great team. She isn't stressed during payroll anymore. And she's finally able to plan for future growth and invest back into her business. She is paying herself a very hefty salary for managing and running her salon. And I just think her mindset shift has been huge.

You see the financial side, is amazing, but I see that mindset shift, confidence. And I don't know, just, it is just a shift in so many different ways. I feel like she was a little more laid back and a little more quiet and a little more reserved. And now the confidence of just knowing that her business is running and it's running well and it's profitable and it's doing great things. And there's so much room to grow is just a beautiful, beautiful thing to see.

Chandra (14:40.172)
Yeah, it's amazing.

Brie Holt (14:43.601)
All right, I want to talk about Miss Kathlyn for a second. So Kathlyn has been a salon owner for, I don't know, 30 plus years probably. And throughout those 30 years, she has never really truly understood leadership or finances, in my opinion. And I want people to know and understand that it's okay to be that way.

It's one of the things that I am actually working on behind the scenes outside of the beauty biz agency to change in almost every state across the nation right now. I'm trying to get cosmetology schools to add in some sort of business aspect into their schooling because I think it's so important. We are creative people. We are creative people. And I say this all the time. We think from a different side of our brain. And so for a lot of us,

Chandra can see a spreadsheet and be like, ooh, this is awesome. And I see one and I'm like, holy crap, get it away. Cause I am overwhelmed. And so it's, it's important because the percentage of us that are like Chandra is very, very small. And I think that would just be huge. But Kathlyn was wearing so many hats once again, put herself on the same level as her employees stuck behind the chair constantly, like never even had an option to get out.

And I think she just really felt trapped in her own business, to be honest with you. So let's talk about how she gained a solid handle on her finances through working with the Beauty Biz Agency using our BBA profit plan. That's what I call it. And really learned to establish boundaries and actually started delegating to some of her team, which has been really, really huge for her.

Chandra (16:38.038)
Yeah. Yeah. think with the, when it came to the, the, the financial financials going through that with her, that was definitely a challenge in some ways because she really didn't have any idea what she should be doing with any of that. And the, the hard the scary thing is that's not uncommon. Like we see that with almost every single salon owner that, that we encounter. so when, when you're like that, I think it's exactly what you said. You feel trapped in your own business. You don't know how to get out of.

that you don't know how to come above that. And when we went through all of her stuff, it was really breaking every single thing down, like going through all the bank statements, going through all the P &Ls, really trying to find out what was happening. And we were able to get her some different things with her credit card rates and getting her different areas in her business that she could get a handle on her professional product costs that were just really, really out of control and really understanding her money.

I think that was one of the most empowering things that she went through with going through all of that because it was hard. I mean, it is hard and she didn't really want to do it because it's hard. I mean, I understand because I feel like that sometimes too. And so when we're going through that stuff, it's like breaking down every penny and finding every single thing and knowing where to put it. And I think that's one of the biggest things that we went through.

with helping her figure out exactly where did those things need to be allocated to because it's just unknown and it's scary because you don't have any money and you're trying to find money and then you're trying to figure out how to budget money and it's just a lot. so going through all of that with her, think definitely made a big difference. And she's another one too that now she feels so much better with her bank account because she actually knows where to put that money, how to manage that money and just

You don't even have to really learn that much. Like you said, you just follow the process and the process works. And so as long as you can just follow that process and know exactly what roadmap to take when it comes to that, it'll get you out of pretty much any mess. And so it's really pretty amazing. And watching her go through that process was really cool.

Brie Holt (18:51.527)
Yeah, I think we, often stay away or steer away from the numbers, not just because we're scared of them, right? Not just because we don't understand them, but we're scared of failure. We're scared of disappointment almost more than anything. And so we just kind of push those to the side. I know one of Kathlyn's big issues was accountants. And we actually talked about this on our coaching call yesterday, but

Chandra (19:06.594)
Yeah.

Brie Holt (19:18.119)
I think something that everybody needs to realize as a salon or spa owner is that, yes, you need an accountant. You need one by your side. They're important, but your accountant has a very different job than you do. Your accountant's job is to really kind of tell you what has happened in your business. Your job as the driver, as the CEO, as the owner is to say what is happening right now so that you can pivot and adjust.

I always use it in the aspect of your accountant is kind of like looking through the rear view mirror when you're looking through the front windshield. And so it's really, really important to remember that your accountant is focused on making sure you're tax compliant, your taxes are paid, all of those things. Your job as the business owner is to know your numbers so you can pivot, you can adjust, and you can ensure that you're going to be profitable.

So many people think that that's their accountant's job, and it's not. My accountant could really care less if I'm profitable or not. As long as he gets paid, he's just going to pull those numbers. And one of Kathlyn's issues was she wasn't getting her information from her accountant in real time, which meant by the time she got this information, it was 10 months later. And so she couldn't change anything, right? She didn't know what to do or where to go.

And so it's really important that you play accountant in your business and know these things, because if you don't, you're going to be in a world of hurt. It took Kathlyn a lot longer to get in a financial state that she's in now than it did someone like Tanya or Rose, who was kind of familiar with what was going on in their business. And I have been in Kathlyn's shoes before, so I completely understand where she's coming from. And it's not easy.

I give her so much credit and so much adoration for sticking with the process. Not only that, but 30 years in business, it's really hard to learn new things and to change your ways. And even though she was a little hesitant in the beginning on certain things, I mean, she trusted us completely, but who wouldn't be hesitant, right? She did it. She followed through and she did it. And so something that we've now seen after kind of

Brie Holt (21:37.289)
working with her and getting these things created is she has stepped up. She's watching her team grow. She's watching them step into their roles, which is really, really cool. She has set growth metrics for her entire team, personal milestones that have been achieved. She's bringing in education now, which she never did. There's just so many things going on in her business now that probably have never happened in 30 years.

Chandra (22:54.23)
think that would be amazing. Her story, I think, is really, really cool too. We just got to do an intensive with her and that was probably one of the coolest experiences to get to go in and really work one-on-one with her to make sure that she had everything that she really needed. her, I mean, she's thriving and it's just so cool to see from her financials was the same situation, kind of breaking all that down, going through all that and.

and finding out how to get her in charge of it. And same thing with the accountants, like everybody seems to have that same kind of challenge. So her story, I think would be really, really great to kind of dive into a little more.

Brie Holt (23:36.509)
Yeah, I think the biggest thing that I have noticed with Lori is she was very, Lori has a huge heart. Lori has one of the biggest hearts I probably ever met in my life and she would give the shirt off of her back to anyone. And sometimes that can really hurt us in business if we're not careful. And so for Lori, she was open.

to learning and doing new things, but at the same time, she was kind of closed off when it came to it. But what I have noticed with Lori in the last six months is the motivation and the drive and the desire and the give me more. Like I want to learn more. I want to do more. I want to be more. This is what I want, not only for myself, but every member of my team. Her story is kind of similar, right? Like she's having to...

Not having to I shouldn't even say that she is deciding who she wants to be on her team, creating that dream team, and then kind of building everything around that and you can just see she's glowing. She is happy and thriving and glowing in every single thing that she does. Has she been through all of the obstacles that we have? Yes. In fact, Lori had an entire automobile go through the front of her salon which took

everything out a few years ago, and she didn't think she would ever come back from it. So to actually see her where she is today is phenomenal. She has been with a lot of other coaching programs in the past as well. Some of them very wide known and just always felt stuck. So to see where she is now is just huge. Out of that in person event that you and I got to go to, which was amazing. If you have never had a coach come into your salon or spa and do an intensive in person,

I would highly recommend doing it. You don't even have to work with a coaching company to have that done. A lot of them offer it. You can just go on their website, find it, and they will come in and it is life changing. But what would you say were the highlights of that trip for Lori and for you as a coach?

Chandra (25:44.812)
Yeah, I mean, I think one of the things that was really amazing was getting to sit down and talk to her team and really getting kind of the insider scoop on where they were at and where they were coming from. Because I feel like they might not necessarily tell the owner some things, but they did open up to us. And what they said was all good feedback. And so it's like the things that we got to learn were kind of that she was on the right track.

You know, like she, her team saw that as well. And I think that was something that was really cool. And I think for Lori really having us to sit down with her and comb through all of her things and really just right next to her one-on-one, helping her understand some of the things that we were working on and, teaching her, not even helping her understand, but really teaching her how to do it herself and how to then turn around and train her team.

on some of the things that we were working on, like maybe on sales and maybe somewhat working more one-on-one with them to empower her team to do better. I think that was the biggest highlights for me. It was really getting to dive into that aspect of her salon and really seeing her have those aha moments and be like, yeah, I can do this. This is gonna be fine. I can really do this myself. And it just empowered her to have that confidence and to I think really take charge of her situation and make it.

what she wants and really turn it into that powerhouse that she's trying to grow.

Brie Holt (27:11.623)
Yeah, I would agree. I was telling my husband the other day, I was like, she is becoming a boss babe. Like there's no other word for it. I have seen her step up. I've known Lori for years, probably four years. And the transformation is absolutely incredible. Before I feel like she was kind of one of the owners that was kind of back of the crowd, just kind of following along, would try to do some things, but really kind of in her comfort and safety zone.

Brie Holt (27:40.891)
And now she is like at the forefront, just leading the charge with her team, with her life, with her business, with everything. And it's just one of the coolest things that I've ever, ever seen. So, I think what do these four incredible success stories have in common is a great question to ask. And I think it's really simple. They all started with facing some pretty tough challenges, whether it was

Maybe rebuilding a team after the walkout, staring down financial fear every month, or trying to break free after 30 years of business habits or a vehicle driving through your salon. These salon owners, didn't back down. The secret wasn't just perseverance. It was being open to change and being willing to trust and actually taking action.

on strategies that were given to them. I feel like each of them took the brave step of seeking guidance, diving into their numbers and putting in the work to create solid business foundations. They took control of their finances and got clear on their business vision, which you have to do. That's when everything kind of shifted and the results really started pouring in. So for anybody out there listening, I want you to ask yourself, what story do you want to tell

a year from now?. Do you want to say I finally made it through another year without losing my mind? Or do you want to say I transformed my business, I grew my team, and I achieved things that I never thought were possible? So here's a few actionable strategies that I think we can maybe take away from today. Consider a financial audit. Consider one of those. Take a look at where your money is going, where you can tighten up.

and where you can invest more. Establish clear team expectations and growth plans because that has changed all of these people's lives in many ways. Your team is a huge part of your success and they have to have a solid roadmap. They have to have one, they have to understand it and they have to believe in it and be on board with it. And then identify one key area of your business that you really want to focus on and really want to grow. It could be client retention, retail sales,

Brie Holt (30:04.807)
or simply reducing your time behind the chair. Whatever it is, focus on that and build a plan around it. With that being said, what final words of wisdom do you have for the people, Chandra?

Chandra (30:16.544)
Yeah, mean, I think that, you know, listening to these success stories, I hope inspires you a little bit and makes you feel like you're not alone and that, you know, this is pretty common for the industry. So I definitely think, you know, if it's something that you need to dive into, you should definitely reach out to any, any coach, any company and just, you know, get some information because I'm telling you, if you're struggling with any of those things that we've just been talking about.

It doesn't have to be like that and it can turn around fairly quickly if you know what to do and you get some help with some of those things. So I definitely, I hope it's inspiring for you guys to get to hear some of those stories from some of our amazing members who are just killing it now. And I love to see it and I'm excited to get to share their stories. So yeah, that's my final thoughts.

Brie Holt (31:05.757)
Yeah, 100%. Why struggle if you don't have to? If not now, when? Think about how long it's been. Some of you, 30 years like Kathlyn, right? 30 years, 20 years like Tanya, or I think it's like 25 for her. But if not now, when? That's a wrap, guys. Hopefully this episode gave you some motivation as you move forward on your ownership journey. If you enjoyed this episode, please make sure that you leave us a review and subscribe so you don't miss out on future episodes.

Also make sure that you are following us on all social media platforms. Chandra, how do they do that?

Chandra (31:40.022)
Yeah, reach out to us at the Beauty Biz Agency on Instagram or Facebook. You can also send us an email at admin@thebeautybizagency.com at the beautybizagency.com. We'd love to hear from you guys, hear what you think about some of these episodes. And if you would like any information or anything in the future, let us know. We could create an episode around that.

Brie Holt (31:58.543)
Awesome. And last, please make sure you visit our website at www.thebeautybizagency.com. We have some amazing free resources that you can implement immediately to level up your studio. Now go out there, be the change that you want to see and make some boss moves. Until next time, keep slaying those business goals with a whole lot of swagger.