From the cozy confines of a home salon to the bustling energy of Louka Hair, Lou's journey is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Join us for an intimate conversation with this vision-driven salon entrepreneur, who shares the transformative moments that shaped her education-centered philosophy and her unique approach to hair coloring. Discover the significance of fostering individuality and creativity within her team, and how it propels a culture of innovation that benefits everyone who walks through the doors of her salon.
There's magic in the intentional bonds formed within a salon team, and Lou embodies this as she details the alchemy of personalized support versus group mentorship. Hear about the profound effects of our Personal Development Day on Lou's crew, where ice baths and breath work were more than just exercises; they were rites of passage to a deeper understanding of self and collective strength. Lou's candid reflections on creating a nurturing environment speaks to the heart of what makes her business stand out in the competitive hair industry.
Behind every snip and color, there's a client looking for an experience that resonates with them personally. Lou from Louka Hair gives us a peek into the artistry of tailoring exceptional client encounters, emphasizing the importance of genuine connections in a post-COVID world. She also reflects on her mentorship journey and the work-life harmony that's instrumental in carving out financial freedom and business success. This episode isn't just about the cut and color—it's about the people, passion, and purpose that weave together to create a thriving salon business.
Follow along with Lou's journey:
@loukahair and @thecoloursociety_
To follow our journey:
Instagram @aheadhair_
@the_conscious_salon
This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative
From the cozy confines of a home salon to the bustling energy of Louka Hair, Lou's journey is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Join us for an intimate conversation with this vision-driven salon entrepreneur, who shares the transformative moments that shaped her education-centered philosophy and her unique approach to hair coloring. Discover the significance of fostering individuality and creativity within her team, and how it propels a culture of innovation that benefits everyone who walks through the doors of her salon.
There's magic in the intentional bonds formed within a salon team, and Lou embodies this as she details the alchemy of personalized support versus group mentorship. Hear about the profound effects of our Personal Development Day on Lou's crew, where ice baths and breath work were more than just exercises; they were rites of passage to a deeper understanding of self and collective strength. Lou's candid reflections on creating a nurturing environment speaks to the heart of what makes her business stand out in the competitive hair industry.
Behind every snip and color, there's a client looking for an experience that resonates with them personally. Lou from Louka Hair gives us a peek into the artistry of tailoring exceptional client encounters, emphasizing the importance of genuine connections in a post-COVID world. She also reflects on her mentorship journey and the work-life harmony that's instrumental in carving out financial freedom and business success. This episode isn't just about the cut and color—it's about the people, passion, and purpose that weave together to create a thriving salon business.
Follow along with Lou's journey:
@loukahair and @thecoloursociety_
To follow our journey:
Instagram @aheadhair_
@the_conscious_salon
This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative
Here at the Consha Salon.
Speaker 2:We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land in which we stand today the Boon Rung people of the Kula Nation.
Speaker 1:We pay our respects to the elders, past and present, and extend their respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Consha Salon. Welcome back to the Consha Salon podcast.
Speaker 1:Jess, we've got a very special guest here today. We certainly do. I'm back, guys. Very good. Every time. Very, very dear friend of God. How many years I think we're trying to always have it over there.
Speaker 2:Eight years ago we met Our beautiful friend Lou, who also is one of our private clients at the Consha Salon. So we've had the privilege of working with Lou now since May. It's been about seven months. I just count. I had to count on my fingers.
Speaker 1:Obviously, we're not done. Obviously, yeah, what's our problem? Is it from Mangle's, mangle's?
Speaker 2:So we actually met Lou through coaching, which we're going to get through in a minute, but Lou is the founder of Luca Hair in Wangaratta and she's also the founder of the Kula Society, which is actually Lou. Do you want to tell us what the Kula Society is?
Speaker 4:Yes, Well, hello.
Speaker 1:Welcome Lou.
Speaker 4:Hello Lou, so the Kula Society actually created it quite a few years ago. It has been a hands-on education where I incorporate both business and consultations, and also colour techniques. But that is soon going to be evolving with the help of you guys.
Speaker 2:So yeah, it's going to be super exciting, sure.
Speaker 4:Oh, can we say are you comfortable? I?
Speaker 3:mean, I guess I've got, then I've got to do it.
Speaker 4:Tell the people so soon and we're going to be bringing it online.
Speaker 2:So we're doing an academy, an online academy.
Speaker 1:So that Lou can impact.
Speaker 2:So Lou's really not like giving herself the intro that she deserves. Lou has always been, because we actually met through our first ever mentor and we met in like a group coaching program and the one thing that if you asked anyone who knows Lou in the hairdressing world what she's like, they will tell you that she is the most educated hairdresser that they know. So you have been someone who has literally travelled all around the world learning every technique from every well-known hairdresser possible. And then you've it's almost like you've taken all of these different techniques, blended it up, but you have such a signature style of colouring that I feel like if I had 100 photos lined up, I could pick all of your work out of it Because you have such a signature style. So tell us what you specialise in at Leaker Hair. How long have you been open for? Tell?
Speaker 4:us what you do there. So I've had the salon for almost 10 years now. So initially when I met you guys, I was I was working from home, I had no clients, had no business plan or anything like that. I guess that's why I went into coaching. And then what I discovered now that I like, look like, look back there was a quite a big gap in the market in our area and that was lived in colour, but also really listening to clients and building that connection, like that's the two things that we're missing.
Speaker 4:So I started heavily educating in colour training because I wasn't a natural colour. I still actually wasn't very good at it. I was probably a lot stronger cutter.
Speaker 1:What? Because you are truly like. I think of like when I think of like all my friends in the hair industry and like love you guys, all of you, but I think you're like my most, like I'm like, oh yeah love you guys the most. Totally Because I'm at your skill set. Your skill set, your colour work is like. Your cuttings are gorgeous as well, but the colour work I'm like how do you do that?
Speaker 4:You've really taught yourself to be a master in it, right, yeah, like I really struggled to picture colour Wow, Even yeah, I think, because where I did my apprenticeship my boss was very good at cutting and that's we did a lot of that. So I almost had to go after I qualified and you know, back then it was like 2010,. So colour work is very different. I pretty much had to go back and retrain myself. Wow.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:So then you fell in love. Obviously, you fell in love with colour. But then talk us through your education, because you are someone who I thought that we prioritised, having a budget for education pretty well, and then, obviously, seeing all your business financials, I'm like wow, she takes education extremely seriously. So tell us about your love for education and why you think it's so important.
Speaker 4:I think why I love it so much was because I was deprived of it and I felt actually in the places that I worked at I felt like my bosses felt threatened if they had staff that were more you know what I mean.
Speaker 4:Exactly they wanted to be the star. So I felt like really deprived and I felt like I was molded into being their little version. So I was really trying to find my place and what I was good at and what I was passionate about, because I didn't feel like I had that opportunity when I was working for other people. Yeah, wow.
Speaker 2:You hit the nail on the head with like every like. Our industry is so full of people who create like their ego creates like mini versions of themselves.
Speaker 2:You've nailed that, and it's like I just want to replicate myself with my team and by, if I can, just teach them to be me, whereas no one really focuses on individuality and really showcasing what the team can bring in individually, which is definitely something that I feel like you do really well, especially with your team currently. So, lou, you have learned with some from some pretty incredible names in the industry. Can you name drop a few?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so early on I actually did a heap of shadowing programs with Shari Noble. She has a big color. Yeah yeah, big color. She was probably, and still is, one of my biggest inspirations. She's beautiful, yeah, she's a really, really nice person. And Jay, especially when he was actually just beginning out in his education, jay Edwards- Jay Edwards, jay Edwards.
Speaker 1:We've done some work with Jay as well. He is beautiful.
Speaker 2:Mum will be Googling him while she listens to services.
Speaker 4:And then in 2019, we actually went to America and at the time I was obsessed with. Her name is Jamie C, but she owned she on her Instagram handle was pretty little ombre and she owned a salon called Salt Society. She's actually no longer hairdressing. She's doing.
Speaker 2:Oh, is she mentoring? Now she's mentoring. Oh my God, I know who you're talking about.
Speaker 4:Yeah, she's fully mentoring. She wears a lot of hats.
Speaker 2:Like as in literally physically wears hats. Not as in wears a lot of hats, you know at job, but yeah.
Speaker 4:So I was obsessed with her and I literally manifested that trip because everything revolved around me getting this ticket to go see her and then I booked everything else around that.
Speaker 1:Wow. So you bought the ticket to the workshop and then you created the trip.
Speaker 4:The ticket came out last minute, wow, and I literally bought the ticket and then booked everything else. Jay's is a love that.
Speaker 1:Jay's is a loose husband All right, jay's, pack your bags. We've gone to.
Speaker 2:America, that's wild, yeah, I love that yeah.
Speaker 1:So how long are you away? For Four weeks. Wow, wow. So how much?
Speaker 4:time was spent with her. It was, it was only one day actually, wow, so what did?
Speaker 1:you do. Well, we love a tax deductible trip. Make a moat of it, yeah.
Speaker 4:But we did, we did, so we went to the Redkin Academy.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And then I did a weeks training at in LA. I remember when you did all this, yeah.
Speaker 1:And I was like glued to your social media.
Speaker 4:And then we went to. I can't even remember the town, but it was just these people that I followed on social media, that I really liked their work and I just reached out to them and be like hey, do you do education?
Speaker 1:Can I come? You are someone that has always been ballsy with asking people if they offer education, shadowing, all of the things, because you have, as we've mentioned, you've done a lot of work with a lot of different people. I know there's people that we've missed out of the name dropping. Do you want to name drop anymore?
Speaker 4:Michael Kelly. Yeah, michael Kelly, yeah, and Charlie. I can never pronounce his last name, gouchy, I don't know. He used to work at Edwards and Co. Oh yeah, oh yeah, charlie.
Speaker 1:Yeah, who else? I'll just Charlie. You're not saying your name properly.
Speaker 4:We went to Queensland last year I think you pronounced the salon Faris or Fari with the owner Renee. That was really good. Rocker Verde, also on the sunny coast, is also. It was really good as well.
Speaker 1:Beautiful.
Speaker 2:So, as you can hear, like do you know fun fact, tess and I calculated like roughly how much we'd spent on all of our education and mentoring and stuff over the past eight years and I think we'd clocked just under 750 grand, which is pretty crazy. But for you, education and actually learning technique has been really, really part of the foundations of why you guys are unmatched in terms of Wangaratta and the surrounding suburbs. Well, I really feel that way, like in terms of you guys are the salon. It's like your front of mind. I feel like the experience that you offer and the result that you offer is unmatched. But it really comes down to how much education you put in. Obviously, mentoring's been a massive part of that as well. So let's talk through our love story and how we met.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do you want to tell the story? Hello, I was saying this like literally tug-topping. We're in Namlu's guest room at the moment again, so it's been hot for under the covers what?
Speaker 4:Yeah was it. It was like maybe Eight years ago 2014. 2014? Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it would have been 2014. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It was 2017.
Speaker 1:No, that's what it was. It was 2017.
Speaker 2:2017? Yeah, I remember 2016, 2017. Was it at?
Speaker 4:that Christmas, was it at the conference or was it at the retreat?
Speaker 2:At the conference I reckon we met. Oh, maybe not. Do you go to Brisbane?
Speaker 4:I can't remember.
Speaker 2:No, maybe it was on the retreat, so Lou and I I think it was on the retreat yeah. Maybe it was on the retreat. Lou and I went and did a five-day retreat, really intensive business retreat, were you there? No.
Speaker 1:No no, I was like oh no, I'm evolved enough, I don't need to do that.
Speaker 2:I was, and I was like I'm broken, I'm going to call you, and that was what.
Speaker 1:I was in my warden era, just to be clear. I definitely didn't think. I think that was just like just after I'd gone and put in pretty dramatic stuff and I was like, no, I'm not dealing with that yeah, no, you didn't want to go.
Speaker 2:No, lou, how would you describe that?
Speaker 1:So you guys had a week away with our first mentor, five days.
Speaker 2:Five days, four nights.
Speaker 4:I mean, I feel like we were all very vulnerable. Mm Um Outro. It was pretty intense. It was very intense, Very intense. Yeah, Especially, you know, we I think we're all new to personal development and we had never really shared our emotions before, so it was pretty, pretty full on yeah, and to give you some context, it was like myself, lou, two other people and then the mentor.
Speaker 2:Yeah, four people, four attendees. Yeah, I mean I'm saying this and you're about to come on our retreat, which is literally four people, and then us.
Speaker 2:But it was really intense, but I would absolutely say it was life-changing. Yes, it was hectic, but I feel that that experience you can only walk away from that, being bonded together. And then we actually worked in a group container together. So you've worked with a few mentors over the years. What have you seen is the big difference between now you're working one-on-one with us versus this is the first time you've done a one-on-one container with someone. Previously you've only done group mentoring. Yeah, so what would? How would you describe to someone the difference between group and one-on-one?
Speaker 2:And we're not favoring either side.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I feel like one-on-one. It's definitely a lot more personalized, especially with you guys, and what I've found is, if there has been like any issues that have been popping up in the salon, I feel like I'm able to kind of nip it in the butt and resolve it a lot quicker Because you guys, I've got that access to you guys and I've got that support I'd pose to if I was in a group environment. It would go on for a lot longer.
Speaker 2:I think, yeah, yeah, I agree with that. Actually, like now that I think back to the group situations, we have to wait for the group call yeah.
Speaker 1:Which we still have our, we have our calls, but we do have the access outside of that, which is, I think, though you kind of nailed it with the more personalized, because group containers are great and like for a lot of people they work really, really well, but it is that more of that thing of it's a one size fits all, rather than the customizing to the business.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and I feel like you guys. I know you guys know you know me, but you have a way better understanding of the business, opposed to like, if you're in a group setting oh, that's lovely, does that make sense? Yeah?
Speaker 2:I know, I reckon it's like we did group for a while and then we went into one on one, and group is incredible for the foundational stuff. So there's people that come to us at the Contra Salon. They're like I want to work with you guys, like I want to do one on one and we'll like go through their financials and things like that, and we're like, okay, no, you'd be more suited to go off and find a group mentorship program first. Do six months to a year in that, get your foundations of your business right. When you want to scale it or take it to the next level, come back and we'll chat then, because it is like you do need to have a certain level of foundational stuff ironed out. And then we can do the fun stuff like starting the academy. You know we just came off the tail end today. Do you want to talk about what we've done today?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so we had our first. What do you call it Personal?
Speaker 2:Development Day.
Speaker 4:Personal Development Day with my team. It was really good.
Speaker 1:So fun. What do we do? What activities do we do today?
Speaker 4:So we did a lot of. We cracked some limiting beliefs. We grew a lot closer as a team bonded.
Speaker 1:We did the ice bath and the breath work was really good. It was beautiful, really amazing.
Speaker 2:What was your favorite part of the day?
Speaker 4:Definitely the ice bath.
Speaker 1:You guys were incredible, like I know we spoke about this before, but seeing you and your team just all have that like moment of like, truly giving each person their moment on their own, but the support that was still there and the calm and they're like, oh my gosh, it was just so beautiful to sit in the arts and watch that Like truly. It's the first time that I've seen it that peaceful right through. It was so beautiful, it was incredible.
Speaker 4:And both Maddie and Steph, who work for me.
Speaker 1:Hi guys, Hi guys, what's up guys?
Speaker 4:They're very new to this kind of stuff and they, yeah, they were amazing, they were all in, yeah, they were incredible.
Speaker 2:They came in. Sometimes we can get a bit of resistance and that's normal from team Like it. It can also, you know, depending on the environment that's being created. And I really want to credit you for this, because you've clearly created such a safe, sacred environment for the, for the girls to really be comfortable sharing, because a lot of the time people come in there they really hold back or they don't trust that it's safe and sacred to be. You know you're in a work environment. You're like, look, can I share these things? And, you know, be vulnerable for a second.
Speaker 2:But you have created such a beautiful environment for the girls and I look at them and I'm like they're 20 and 24. Crazy, Like, imagine having opportunities like that at 20 and 24. I feel like my life would have been extremely different. But it was such a beautiful day and such a powerful day to be able to spend an entire day together and for you guys to really do some things that bonded you. I mean our goal for today was to really connect as a team and have some really beautiful quality time, and also the sort of the theme for the day that we kept leaning into was stepping into the next level version of ourselves and.
Speaker 2:Tess and I reference this a lot as human beings, we are constantly learning and growing and evolving and we often talk about stepping into, almost like going up in an elevator, stepping into that next level version of ourselves and moving into that next stage of growth. And I actually feel like, from the outside, looking at the three of you having these profound breakthroughs today in such a short period of time, I actually feel like I witnessed the blossoming of the transformation, literally a trend. Sure, that sounds so cliche, but literally watch the transformation of you going from one person to another, for all three of you. So beautiful yeah, which was pretty amazing Magic.
Speaker 2:Lou, I want to talk about what you do at Luca, at Luca Hair, what you've curated, what you're proud of with the business because I feel like your client experience and what you've created in terms of how a client will feel sitting in your chair, but also with that you've got the incredible result and the connection with your community, which I feel like that trifecta. People either nail we talked about this last night over dinner yeah, often people will really nail the result, but they'll not have the client connection or they'll really nail the client experience and not have the result, but you literally do all three. So I want you to talk through that, and some of our listeners are going to get a bit of inspiration from this as well.
Speaker 4:Sure. So when I started the salon, my main intention was actually never the hair. It was always how I wanted people to feel as soon as they walked in, because I've experienced situations where I've walked in to shops and I've felt like people have dressed me down with their eyes and.
Speaker 4:I felt automatically uncomfortable and going into a salon and sitting down with someone that you don't know. It's very vulnerable. So my mission is for everyone to feel welcomed as soon as they walk in, but also for everyone to feel heard, because not a lot of people have that opportunity and a lot of people have issues voicing what they actually want. So my aim is to be able to make them feel comfortable, to be able to voice even concerns like hey, Lou actually didn't love my hair this time and not be offended by that. I'm like, okay, cool, Like what can I do to make it better this time?
Speaker 2:I feel like this is such a massive gap in our industry because so many people don't ask enough questions in their consultations or get complacent with their existing clients and they're not asking enough follow-up questions. They're not asking for feedback, and what the result of that is is that that's when we lose clients.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and I mean like we're not perfect, we still make mistakes. But yeah, we always try to like listen to our clients, have conversations with them. Since COVID we've been working one-on-one with clients, so that means we don't double book anything if possible. You know, there might be a situation if there's a staff member sick and then we kind of have to do because we want to make sure that people's time with us, they're getting that downtime, because time to me is really valuable and what I'm hearing clients say is that their time is valuable as well. So I don't want them to feel like they're coming into the salon and they're just a number and they're getting turned in, turned out.
Speaker 1:Hmm.
Speaker 1:It's a really unique point of difference actually, because even when you look at so the first thing we got to weighing yesterday we ran straight down to the salon to like have a little sticky bit through the window. Of course it is a real point of difference for you with that and I don't know too many salons that do that with offering purely that one-on-one experience, because there is a lot of like. We don't offer that in our salon because it hasn't even been a thought. To be honest with Like even that I'm like oh wow, that does sound like an interesting kind of way of doing it. But for you you've found like a real niche that works really well, fits in with your crew like your team, really like working that way and it creates that like.
Speaker 1:It's that point of difference Again. First of all, for people that really wanna go and have you know, really quality one-on-one, not rushed, not feeling like you know someone's like okay, quick, get that color off and I'm gonna go and do and this thing it's gonna fit to the salons that do it. But that's a great point of difference for you. And even having that Like you've gotten so clear on your intention or the mission, as you said, was making people feel welcome. But then you can kind of fine tune it to really cultivate your exact experience that you're wanting to do.
Speaker 1:Which I think is really, really exceptional, to be able to work through that and get to that point. It's great.
Speaker 2:Lou your journey with us. I know obviously I know your intention going in. Are you comfortable sharing what your intention was going in to work with us, why you wanted to work with us and what you wanted to get out of your experience?
Speaker 4:Sure, yep, you're going to share, okay, yeah, okay. So basically I guess I was at a point in my business where, like it was at a good place, but I was a little bit like I'm gonna say I liked direction a little bit, I would say and I was feeling very overwhelmed with trying to balance, like running a salon working on the floor but also having a family at home. So pretty much part of the reason why I started with you guys was because it was structure. However, it wasn't overwhelming amounts of work and I feel like within the last seven months I've probably achieved so much more and added so much more stability, like it was stable, but I feel like it's way more stable now in the salon.
Speaker 2:I also feel like your personal stress levels and like your personal. Actually, you know where I've seen the most amount of growth your personal consciousness. So the way that you show up as a mom, the way that you show up with your team, the way that you show up for yourself.
Speaker 2:I've noticed such a huge difference in seven months. And even just things like boundaries around when you will and won't work how much and I know we're taking that a step further this year but even based around being really conscious with your time and your energy and reserving those times that you need for yourself, putting those boundaries in and going, no, I'm not gonna work, I'm not gonna check my emails in the morning, I'm not going to respond to this client on a Sunday, having those really clear boundaries and sticking to them, that's where I feel like you've done a lot of growth as well, even like considering how we, when we first started together, how you were showing up and now, how you're showing up now, and even just like wanting different things, like today.
Speaker 2:I saw you just having this such vulnerability to you and just like, okay, cool, let's do this. I'm here to work on myself. I'm here to work on myself with my team, and having your team see you in a vulnerable place as a leader is one of the most incredible ways that you can lead your team.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I definitely feel like I'm way less triggered as well, yeah, so great, I thought I had like worked on that, but yeah, like things that would set me off no longer set me off now that was the number one thing that I was thinking, as you were, I think about where we first started and there'd be quick reactions, quick responses, quick things that would like panic you, whereas now it's I can't even think of the last time we had nothing that was like panicking. What we were working through, like truly I can't like. When I think back, it's like, and not even some of the big things that we've like worked through, like even with changes within your like fundamental parts of your business, certain team members that weren't aligned and we had to like work through, but even that wasn't a tricky situation Like I feel, like it could have really blown up in such a those things that we start identifying and you're doing the work as well like personally on yourself, I'm really like I mean and again it probably steps into the fact that you've got a thirst for education and growth, like you're always wanting to be better, do better and like grow more. But even watching within that space, when I think back to you know where we start and those triggers and Some of the shit that we've gone through that you think about before.
Speaker 1:You had a said, you know, eight months ago, this is some of the things that you're gonna be facing and dealing with head-on. Yeah, I've been like, oh no fucking way, slightly interested in that, but I think it's such a Tribute to you. And then seeing you today with your, you know, incredibly aligned, wonderful, magnificent crew, hmm, it's just seeing you like how we see you and it's not like In all aspects, like it's seeing Lou rather than Lou the boss, lou the wife, the mother, you know, the friend, the hairdresser, all of these different hats. It's just like now you've just kind of encompassed it into one version of you, which is beautiful.
Speaker 1:Yeah and so, like I think that's one of the biggest things that I really noticed with Lou is just that, um, less trigger or less reaction or whatever word we want to say, but just your.
Speaker 2:Calm Like high reaction. Yeah, yeah like an.
Speaker 1:Even sometimes, I think, some of the conversations that we've had and when I've been like Are you good? And you're like, yeah, okay, great, that's great. Like how are you really like, yeah, I'm alright, I'm like all right, great, she's good, she's good. It's amazing.
Speaker 2:Um, well, it has been the most beautiful journey with you, but I want to just take a second to boast about a couple of things. But, um, I pulled up some of your stats over the last eight months and I want to share them because I'm really proud of them and I hope that you are too.
Speaker 2:So your average dollar sale has increased by $129 per client oh, which is pretty crazy. So I went from $259 to $388 as an average for your clients, which is pretty incredible. Your hours on the floor on average have gone from 38 hours to between 22 and 30 hours a week yeah, which is pretty incredible. So you're working a lot less. You have tripled your retail sales on average, which is pretty incredible, with the help of your online store as well. Yeah, you're also working with less team. Yes, then, when we first started which I think is really important you have one less team member as well. You're. You've worked with the team and gotten really clear on what they want to achieve out of their careers and also what's important to them. So, for anyone who's looking for a job in Wayne, gratter Lou offers work life balance that I have never seen in our industry. Hmm.
Speaker 2:So you really work with the team on what's important to them and Really make that happen with them, which is pretty incredible. Hmm.
Speaker 2:And you guys have also retained a 90 to 98 percent Rebooking rate, which is pretty phenomenal for our industry as well. So with that in mind, lou, I want to ask you if you had someone who was on the fence about mentoring, and this isn't to sit here and plug us. I mean lovely, if anyone wants to reach out, but Not to sit here and plug us. This is really about we want every salon owner to become so Educated and do as much personal development as they possibly can, whether it's with us or someone that aligns more with them.
Speaker 2:Yeah but what would you say to someone who was on the fence and wondering? You know they're scared to make an investment of time, energy, money. What would you say to them?
Speaker 4:To be honest, I don't think I would have the business I have today if I did not start mentoring. And you know, at the time when I first started, I was not making any money and I always Found the money to cover my mentoring. And when you really want something that, like this, sounds cliche, you'll find that money 100% and it is. It is life-changing. Yeah, I love that Because we, you go into a business to have freedom, financial freedom.
Speaker 4:But if you don't have the correct foundations which, like I, didn't know how to run a business you don't get that totally.
Speaker 1:You probably end up worse Absolutely, and I think this is actually an interesting thing we touched on last night at dinner. A lot of people think you know and like I know that I did this. I was like I can make this money. This is easy, like this is I can do. This is like that. You know, I'm making X amount in my salon currently. I why don't I go and do it myself and take it all for myself, whereas realistically then you open a business, you start learning about best statements and you know Paying people, paying superannuation, all of the things we didn't actually know that you needed to pay tax. This is so ridiculous.
Speaker 2:We didn't actually know you needed to pay tax. So when our accountant was like, okay, you owe the ATO like $20,000, $20,000 or whatever it was back then.
Speaker 4:We were like why, what, what are you?
Speaker 2:dollars.
Speaker 4:What do you mean so?
Speaker 2:we had no idea, which is like, yeah, bless. I mean, you know, 21 and 23 year olds probably should have a little bit more space between that.
Speaker 1:But anyway, that's another story. If you are 21 or 23, just definitely remember that you need to pay the government For everything that you're doing. But I think that really ties in well, because we know how to do our trade really well. We have no fucking idea how to do it. We have no fucking idea how to do those things like working out both statements, getting an account and getting like pricing, 100% pricing structure, all of those things. And it's like we constantly say a lot of people I thought I was gonna be falling ass backwards into money. Not, what happened ended up in, you know or freedom, or time as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, whatever it is, it's amazing.
Speaker 2:I just work a couple of days a week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it doesn't work like that. It's a lot of work and it's a lot of you know getting like through it. But this is the point of you know, mentorship, however that looks to you, with whoever resonates with you, these moments of having. We need to have those foundations in place so that we can do the things we want, so we can make the changes. So reducing if it's reducing your hours, if it's pricing yourself at a point that you actually, you know should be charging out Rather than you know seeing what everyone else is doing and taking $10 off like we did.
Speaker 2:Even for you with your pricing, like you've been through two different mentorship programs previously and when we pulled apart, like because it's at a different level. This is why I love one on one mentoring, because it's at a different level when you pull apart and dissect those numbers and there's literally no hiding, whereas when you're in a group setting it's a bit easier to sort of fall through the cracks and not necessarily get direct feedback. But even when we pulled apart your pricing, we're like okay, cool, we need to make changes here, here and here. So even that, just to shed some light on it, is like is huge. And again, you can probably get this from most like one-on-one mentors If they're like focused on data as well. But I feel like that even just to know that you're never, ever going to do another service that's not profitable, that's really bloody valuable and important. Totally agree, lou. I really would love to. I want to plug both of your businesses but before we do that, I would love.
Speaker 4:It Makes me uncomfortable.
Speaker 2:I know that's why we're doing it, but I really want to ask you if you can share a message for our industry. So if you had all the hairdressers in Australia in one room and I asked you to give one piece of advice, yeah, what would?
Speaker 4:you give. Oh, okay, so you have to remember Just doing good hair does not cut it anymore. People like our hair is a luxury. People want a service. People also want to feel connected to the person that's doing their hair.
Speaker 2:Yes, that is an incredible piece of advice and we talked about this last time. I don't know if you want, but such an important thing. We talked about our experiences in some of the most famous salon, with some of the most well-known hairdressers in Australia, and we bonded over our lack of client experience there, which you guys. Obviously it's a huge pillar for you at Lucahare and something that you teach as well in the colour society. So, Lou, before we wrap up, I want to really promote your two businesses. So anyone who's not following Lou at Lucahare and she has a Lucahare Lou page as well so you can just look up Lucahare and both will pop up. But Lucahare L-O-U-K-A hair on Instagram. They're located in Wangaratta. They have the most beautiful content and we've worked really hard on curating really meaningful content recently as well.
Speaker 2:Which has been really beautiful and I've seen such a huge change there but also the colour society. So the colour society underscore on Instagram. That's where Lou's going to be dropping her education. It's going to be online education so that we can really impact a greater audience. You don't have to worry about travelling to Wangaratta because it is in the middle of nowhere. It's so that bad.
Speaker 1:It's beautiful, though it's so beautiful here, I'm loving it.
Speaker 2:We actually Tess kind of talked to us yesterday on our walk it's so beautiful, it's such a beautiful town.
Speaker 4:I still love it. I should have told you it is very green at the moment. We've had a lot of rain.
Speaker 2:Is it usually like a dust bowl?
Speaker 4:Like usually by now. I'd be like drying out, we'll hurry here, guys, because it's beautiful Well it's green, but it's rather than people.
Speaker 2:I feel like this is a huge plus is the fact that you're going to be able to impact so many people and they don't have to worry about travelling, and you know it's going to be such an impactful thing in our industry because you are so educated. And as soon as the colour society kicks off, we are enrolling our team Absolutely. So we'd love you guys to go and follow Lou there, the Colour Society underscore, and at Luca, here, lou, we end every episode of our potty in gratitude. What are you grateful for?
Speaker 4:I'm grateful for you guys, because I don't know where it would be Truly. Truly. Yep, yep, I've had such a massive mindset shift. I'm so much happier. We're happier in my business as well. So yes, thank you guys.
Speaker 1:Oh, thank you, Cry. Just what are you grateful for? I mean, truly. I think you're such a powerhouse, Like truly. I think you are one of the most passionate people in our industry. I think it's so rare to be this far into it too and be you know, your passion never stops. You're always wanting to do more into. I just find that so inspiring.
Speaker 1:I'm so fucking proud of you and this is just me as a human that's known and loved you for years. But seeing you in your glory now and so aware of what you're worthy of and what you will and won't accept, is just, oh my God, groundbreaking. I'm so grateful to have the day here that we've had with your crew. Truly working with you is such an honor and like having you in our world I know that, like after all the years that we've had and the space and all of the things that, like you know, we don't live close to each other, but the connection, the friendship and they're like I just want to say you win. So I'm just so grateful to be part of the journey with you, Like in every way, not just sitting here, as, like you know, this is me sitting here as your friend, saying like you inspire the fuck out of me and I'm so grateful, so grateful that our industry has you, but I'm so grateful that we have you because it is just a magical world, a magical world with Louie.
Speaker 2:I just feel so grateful for the opportunity to work with you, louie. I we're going off to our retreat and what four weeks time, five weeks time. And I literally look around at all of the clients that we have and I'm like I love every single one of them deeply and, like I, care about every single one of them.
Speaker 2:And to go to work and work with people that you truly love and feel so aligned with the people that you work with is a real privilege. But you know we've curated that. But when you reached out to us we were actually not taking on any other one on one clients. We were at capacity and it's tricky because I think I went.
Speaker 1:No, you were. You joined a waitlist. You joined a waitlist.
Speaker 2:And we were. You know, like we do look through the waitlist and go, okay, who do we have the capacity to help the most? Yeah, and it's an interesting one, because we usually don't work with friends, because it can get a bit tricky. You know like if something happens in their business, you get too involved, you can get a bit defensive if someone wrongs them, things like that. It can be a little bit blurry. And when the opportunity came up to work with you, we were so excited by the idea and I feel so incredibly privileged to call myself one of your mentors. Like I'm just like, I just think you're truly, truly.
Speaker 2:if I had to name the most talented hairdresser that I know honestly there would be no one else that would come to mind first, I think, you you're, I'm a color society guys, because this is like truly, she's the best of the best.
Speaker 2:I agree, but the there's no one who I would want our girls to learn from more than you, and I just feel so privileged to be part of your world and the fact that you're in the conscious salon and work with us Like something Tess and I never take for granted. Working with you because you're so easy to mentor. We work so well as a tripod the three of us. We work so well together. We've accomplished so many things. I feel so proud of the team that we are, but I just love working with you. Like.
Speaker 2:I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity today to come down and work with your team, and just for our friendship in general, I just feel so grateful. So thank you, lou.
Speaker 1:Beautiful. Leave a little love for us there.
Speaker 2:Guys, remember to follow Lou at Loukahare and at the colorsociety underscore test. Take us out with a little catchphrase. Actually, do you want to take us out with a catchphrase? What's?
Speaker 1:that?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I didn't know that time no, lou Lou you're the sister of body.
Speaker 1:Love you guys. Stay conscious, stay conscious.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. Thanks so much for listening to this episode and hanging out with us today To hear more about our journey. Follow us on Instagram at the underscore conscious underscore salon. If you're a shit speller, check the spelling of conscious or at ahead hair underscore. Thank you so much for joining us today and we'll see you in the next episode.