Salon Success Secrets

If We Had to Start Over: What We Did Then vs. What We’d Do Now

• Lindsay Lowe & Jen Booth

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We explore what experienced salon owners would do differently if they had to start over tomorrow with nothing but their skills and experience. 

• Replacing paper appointment books and calculators with salon software that integrates with QuickBooks for better financial insights
• Shifting from desperate hiring to building teams based on cultural fit and shared vision
• Moving away from competitor-based pricing to strategic pricing based on demographics and value
• Understanding that discounting and free services don't build loyalty or respect
• Measuring marketing ROI instead of throwing money at random promotions
• Embracing your uniqueness as a salon instead of trying to appeal to everyone

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Speaker 1:

Hey salon owner, if you had to start over tomorrow, that means no team, no software, no systems, just your skills, your experience and maybe a cape. What would you do differently?

Speaker 2:

Oh yes, today is going to be a fun one. We are taking you way back back to the days of whiteout and calculator tape and, that's right, the yellow pages, because we are going to be talking about the things that we did early in our salon owner days that we thought were genius but actually make us laugh now.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and, more importantly, we're sharing exactly what we do instead, if we had to start over tomorrow, so you can skip some of those face planning or face palming moments and fast track your growth. All right, so let's start here. I don't know about this, but do you remember when we used to I know we did, Lindsay, I'm sure you did too we used to have to track all of our appointments in a paper book.

Speaker 2:

Yes, so not only do I remember, but you know I had two colors of highlighter and a mechanical pencil in my desk drawer at all times, you know, and the book was my BFF, and don't even get me started on doing the math at the end of the night, because I mean, jen and I, actually we have matching calculators. I don't, of course now, mine's not handy right here, but we joked around the first time we're like, wow, we have matching calculators. You know, but man, we still use calculators, but we use those things all the time. Do you remember that, jen?

Speaker 1:

Oh, yes, I do. I remember, you know it was one of those ones that would um at like. It was like a typewriter calculator, so you'd be like 45 plus, 45 plus, and so it would print it with you 45, 45. So you get this roll of paper at the end of the night and you're like, wow. You know, when you think about that, you know it's like literally flipping through like a Lisa Frank notebook hoping to see if we made more this month than we did last month. And now you know we don't have to play like that anymore.

Speaker 1:

You know, nowadays we have software, we have Nevo Boulevard Forest, you know. You know, nowadays we have software, we have Nevo Boulevard Forest. You know, whatever it may be, you know whatever fits your business. And then I think the most beautiful part of that is when we started having that salon software and then we got to integrate with QuickBooks and boom, one click and we can see exactly what's working, what needs attention. I found my first P&L about about two years ago and it was actually just something I must've typed up on word I'm not sure I would assume it was word and it was just. You know what we brought in our expenses, and then what was left was, which wasn't very much at all, and so that was the way we try, hey, but at least we were tracking it, but that was the way we were tracking it when we first started.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and you know what I'm just going to say. I'm impressed that yours was on a word, because mine was like one of those. Do you remember those little notebooks that were green and they had like little boxes and like they would have like a little a longer part in the beginning and then they'd have like all those?

Speaker 1:

different boxes.

Speaker 2:

That was my first TNL statement was on something like that. And you know, I just want to say, if you're still tracking by paper, I love you, but you might consider an upgrade, because you don't need more time, you need better tools. You know, because I think once you kind of learn, hey, those tools can make your life so much easier. You start to realize, like, how much you can buy back your time. You start to realize, like how much you can buy back your time, and you know, I think that that is one of the most important things is is when you start to see, hey, my time has a lot of value, and when I'm spinning it in the areas that really mattered the most, that's when things start to change.

Speaker 1:

All right. So let's talk about hiring Cause. Remember, uh, one of my first hires, actually when I took over the business, the one employee that my grandmother had she actually quit, so it was just me. Um, and then I remember, you know, um, we were I was remodeling, actually doing some things with my grandparents trying to get the, the salon, up to date. We had a toilet sitting out on the front porch because we were doing some work and you know, I remember someone walking through the door and I was like wow, a person actually wants to work here.

Speaker 1:

Like, I really didn't even ask that many questions, I'm not a got her to show me something she could do on a mannequin. You know, honestly, at the end of the day, if you think about it, like she stopped in with a toilet on the on the front porch. So that was exciting. Um, I was just excited to have an employee, but I really didn't have the vision like at that age, like I didn't even I really, I was just. I was grateful that somebody gave me $5,000 so I can do a little remodeling by removing the tone and tables and duck wallpaper that was on the current and carpet that was on at our current salon. So yeah, it's just really funny when you think about winging it versus truly having that vision.

Speaker 2:

I, I love that story, Jen, and you know, for me it was very similar, you know, and and kind of what happened in the beginning was I had a small team of people when I bought an existing salon and ended up releasing three of them, and then one of them was moving, One of them was having a baby, and so, with the three people that were released, it was, you know, now I have more tools to understand who they are as people and why. You know, that was literally the best gift ever for both of us, really. But what it did at that time was it made me terrified to hire, and so, you know, I was like, oh man, is everybody like these three people, you know? And if that's the case, like, oh, my gosh, this is so scary. And you know, that belief nearly broke me. You know, I went from being too trusting to too closed off, you know.

Speaker 2:

But now we don't hire from fear, we hire with vision, much like you talked about, Jen, like you know, just getting crystal clear on who you are as a salon and who thrives in that environment, because truly, we are looking to create synergy, you know, and synergy is one plus one equals three or a million, you know, but if you get linked up with the wrong person, it doesn't even equal to. You know. One plus one could also be negative one with the wrong person, you know. And synergy is that energy being in alignment and really creating something incredible yeah.

Speaker 1:

I love that you said that, because really hiring isn't about just feeling a table or a chair, you know. It's about feeling your culture with the people, the right people, who make your business feel better, not more chaotic. And that's why, lindsay, I love what you said earlier. You're mentioning, like you're releasing those people and you're realizing, hey, that was a great gift for them and for you. And that's why, when it comes to hiring, like you are your greatest asset and when you continue to work on yourself and, you know, get the coaching you need, like that's when you really truly can uncover what's possible and that's how you will really understand, like, who are the right people for the vision that I'm building.

Speaker 2:

That is so true, and I totally agree with you, jen that it all starts with you, as a leader, pouring into yourself and getting that education and coaching necessary to continually get to the next level.

Speaker 2:

And I think another roadblock that I think of is pricing, because back in the day we literally I don't know if this is how you would do it too, jen, but we would literally grab the Yellow Pages phone book that, first of all, you would pay what felt like a million dollars to advertise in, and who knows if you ever got an ROI on that but you know we would flip through the phone book and call other salons and see what they were charging. You know, and so I think people do the same thing now. They, a lot of salon owners will just look at other salons websites. So maybe they're not busting out their yellow book, but they're looking at salons websites and just basing their pricing on what everybody else is doing. And and that that was something that stood in the way for so long that I didn't realize was a huge thing standing in our way for a long time.

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah, I'll never forget the good old yellow book days, even the cost to run an ad in the yellow books. I remember my grandmother always said, oh man, this is going to be so expensive. And back then, like, uh, you know, 20 years ago, three $400 for an ad in the yellow pages was a lot of money. And so it's just interesting to see how everything has evolved, how now we have price based on actual demographics, on demand, you know, on experience level, on that brand position and on the transformation and transformation that we're delivering. You know, it's not the, not just what the salon down the street charges. There's actually science to it.

Speaker 2:

You know and I think that's what's so cool, is that you know. That's why we created something we are so excited to give you, because you know, we made a salon pricing calculator just for you. And truly, you guys, it's one of the best tools we've ever created. And truly, you guys, it's one of the best tools we've ever created. And it's totally free. There's no catch. All you have to do is text the word pricing P R I C I N G 2, 4, 6, 9, 2, 8, 3, 5, 5, 9, 0. And we'll send it straight to your phone. You know. So, whether you're just starting or you're ready to, you know, raise your rates, or or or have it be pricing that actually makes sense, based on your demographics and specific to your um area and salon. This is a total game changer.

Speaker 1:

So good. Yes, that is truly a total game changer. All right, so let's talk some more truth. Like you know, this is something that I used to do for my friends. This is a great conversation as a salon owner, to make sure you're having these kind of conversations with your newer team members, too, is.

Speaker 1:

I used to do people's hair for free because I wanted to be light. Like some of my friends that I thought were my really good friends, I would do their hair, and I'll never forget one time when someone said I got back to me that this friend told someone else yeah, I don't want Jen doing my hair anymore. She does it like this, like old women. And I thought, wow, I'm not even charging you. And here you are telling people I do hair like old women, there's no way. And so it just.

Speaker 1:

You know it's so interesting when you think about it that, like your true friends, they will want to pay for your experience and for your service that you provide, and so, to really be able to, I would go back and do that a lot differently now. I definitely wouldn't do people for friends that I thought were my friends for free. You know I would. I would truly create the model that we have now, where we really focus on experience and you know when people pay. You know they pay attention and they appreciate it more, and so the day of giving away freebies. I just would no longer serve who we are today.

Speaker 2:

That is so beautiful, jen, and it truly does sort out who you thought your friends were, and that's something that I know, I've talked with my kids, you've talked with your nieces about. Truly, the definition of a friend is and you know, they found out that they could save a couple of dollars by going to somebody else. And hindsight now is always 2020, because I was the one who was like you. What you have to stay with your friend, it doesn't matter how much it costs. You know what I mean. Like, that's what friends do is. You know you, you support each other and you do this stuff.

Speaker 2:

But if you want to sift through your friends really quick, clean up discounts that you were charging or just better yet, just don't even start that way and, like Jen said, teach your team right from the jump Like, hey, don't offer discounts. We're not going to convince anybody to see our value. The right people will see your value and the wrong ones you absolutely have to just let them walk and know that it truly is the best gift. So I love everything that you shared about that, jen.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, cause really, you know, I think it goes back to what we learned is that discounting doesn't earn loyalty. You know, I'm begging for people's validation, which I thought I was doing. My friend's hair was going to really give me that validation. It actually can bankrupt your confidence, especially when you don't have the right tools in hand. And so now, no discount, no convincing. You know the right people see your value and the wrong ones it's okay, let them walk.

Speaker 2:

So good, yes, you know. And let's close with marketing, because you know we've done some things like back in my day we actually painted specials, specials, painted specials on the window and we would also put ads in the phone book. I know we talked about that, like man, that was like several hundred dollars a month that you might not ever see that ROI. I mean. We would even like sponsor events or teams or random things that didn't bring a single guest in the door and, okay, sure it put, put our name out there. But, like, how many people are actually paying attention to that? Do you know how many times they have to see your name for it to stick in? You're not.

Speaker 2:

You're not Coke, where you know they're also seeing your ads everywhere else. Or you know any other other major brands. Like, when you're a newer brand, you have to see an ROI for every dollar that you spend. So if you're marketing without measuring, man, that is like one of the most destructive things that you can do is to to market without measuring it and seeing. You know, because now we only invest where we can track ROI and see that we're getting a return on our investment.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, cause if you think about it, it's like if you can't see the return, we don't run it. Like you know, we build funnels, we track the referrals and we use custom codes or QR links so that we do have the measurement of looking at the ROIs, because marketing, at the end of the day, is an art class, it's actually math class and you're not just throwing glitter everywhere, you're actually planting those seeds. Yeah, I love that you said that you're not just throwing glitter everywhere, you're actually planting those seeds.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I love that you said that you're not just throwing glitter everywhere. You're planting those seeds because you know, sometimes it truly is like you're not going to get that investment back right away because people are going to have to see your name multiple times. But that doesn't mean quit doing your Google AdWords or quit doing social media or whatever it might be. It's just getting really crystal clear on. If you are having a dollar, go out, you want to see it, you know come back eventually, and so you know. I think if I could go back and tell my younger salon owner self just one thing, it would be this, and that's that you're not for everyone and that is your superpower. So stop trying to be the Walmart of beauty. Be Chanel, you know, and really shine bright like a diamond.

Speaker 1:

I love. Stop trying to be the Walmart of beauty, be Chanel. That is so, so powerful. And you know I'd say something similar Like you. Don't need to be perfect to be powerful, just keep showing up, learning and leading. So here's what we know for sure is that better tools make your life easier. The right team makes your salon peaceful. Confident pricing makes your money flow.

Speaker 2:

And strategic marketing makes growth predictable. I love that, and if you want help with that pricing piece, don't forget to text pricing to 469-283-5590 and get our free calculator sent directly to your phone, because it's time to stop surviving and start building the salon you've actually dreamed of, and we're so grateful to be building it right alongside you.