Salon Success Secrets

The Fear That Keeps Salon Owners Broke

• Lindsay Lowe & Jen Booth

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We unpack the hidden fear that keeps salon owners stuck and show how to replace control with preparation. Turnover stops feeling personal when you use simple systems to protect guests, team, and brand through any departure.

• Naming the real fear behind “can we talk” 
• Why turnover reveals systems not worth 
• How fear bends standards and breaks trust 
• Star performer red flags and language shifts 
• Freedom leadership through structure and data 
• Three-step departure process for calm exits 
• Scripts to reassure guests and reset culture 
• Using metrics to predict disengagement 
• Building faster training and leadership layers 
• Subtraction as a gift for growth

Share with another salon owner who's ready to trade fear for freedom. Text departure DEPARTURE to 469-283-5590 to grab your free departure process guide. Head on over to millionollarbeautypro.com because we've seen the score team based beauty pros earn millions more.

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SPEAKER_00:

There's one fear that keeps salon owners broke. It's not fear of failure. It's not fear of not being good enough. It's not even fear of competition. It's the fear of people leaving. It's that whisper that hits your gut when the notification pops up on your phone. Hey, can we talk? Because you already know what that means. And instantly your stomach drops. You start replaying every conversation in your head. Like, did I say something wrong? Did they feel unappreciated? Did I miss something? But here's the truth: the only thing scarier than someone leaving is building a salon that only works if they stay. Because that fear keeps you stuck. It keeps you clinging, overworking, and truly operating from survival instead of leadership. So it's truly the fear that keeps you from raising prices, from delegating, from building systems, because somewhere deep down, you believe your peace depends on somebody else's loyalty. And today we're breaking that pattern because the salons that grow the fastest aren't the ones that keep everyone forever.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I love that. You know, they're truly the ones that build systems so strong. Um, you know, that systems that are strong enough or even better to um to never break when someone leaves. It only gets better. You know, and if you want to make sure that your systems are strong enough or even better to never waste another week training someone new, you've got to go to million dollar beautypro.com, check that out because there's a little chant that Lindsay and I like to say is we've seen the score, and team-based beauty pros earn millions more. Love that. Hey, Lindsay, you said you got the text or the texts, you know, people will text, hey, can we talk?

SPEAKER_02:

How about when you're driving home and there's a slide near your house and you see you see one of your team members moving their stuff into the um into a new space that that counts too, right?

SPEAKER_00:

It does. Yep. I remember when when you witnessed that, Jen. Oh, it's a great day.

SPEAKER_01:

So, you know, guys, when someone leaves, most owners think the fear is about money, right? They're losing revenue, they're losing gas, they're losing momentum. But truly underneath that is something deeper. It's actually identity fear. It's the voice that says, I'm a failure because they didn't stay. And we make their departure mean something about us. What? Isn't that so crazy? You know, it's like we attach our worth as a leader to their decision to stay or to go. You know, I remember early on when every time someone left, it almost felt like rejection, especially in my early days. You know, and I'll I'd smile and say, you know, congratulations, I'm happy for you. But then, you know, I'm felt like crying in my car at times too, after they left the building. And truly, I wasn't crying over the loss of income. I was crying over the, you know, the story about what I made up about what it meant, that maybe I wasn't enough, or that maybe they didn't believe in what I was building, or that maybe I should stop training people so well because they just leave.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. You know, but here's what I've learned after leading hundreds of stylists. Turnover doesn't expose your worth. You know, it really exposes your system. So, Jen, I feel like we can all relate to that same feeling that you just talked about. We've all made up some stories about what it meant in the past. But, you know, the truth is if the business falls apart when someone leaves, it's not because they were too important. That's not true, you guys. It's because your structure wasn't strong enough to support transition. And that's actually so empowering when you think about it. Because if the issue isn't people, it's process, then that means that you can fix it. So you have all of the power back, you know, and when you stop taking departures personally and start treating them as feedback, you stop reacting like an employee and start leading like a CEO. You know, because let's be honest, fear makes us do weird things, you know. So, like when we fear losing someone, we start bending the rules, you know, we'll maybe overcompensate or just really just hold on too tight. We start protecting relationships instead of protecting results, you know. So we'll say things like, I'll just let her do her own schedule. It's easier than confrontation, or, you know, I'll cover that client because she's having a hard week. Or I don't want to push too hard. I don't want her to leave. You know, I've even heard gotten feedback that maybe the goals are too hard to reach and and had people say, are they too hard to reach? You know, maybe some of this sounds familiar to you, but here's the cost of that fear. You know, it quietly erodes your authority, your boundaries, and ultimately your bottom line. And when you lead from fear instead of having standards, you teach your team that your love is negotiable and that your leadership is optional. And the irony behind all of this is the very behavior meant to keep people happy often pushes them away because they lose that clarity of what it looks like to get to the next stage. They don't have any accountability, and that ultimately breaks their trust.

SPEAKER_01:

I'll never forget one time working with a salon owner who said, I can't imagine my business without her. And you know, they she's like, That stylist was talented, but she was also running the show. And so the owner's days revolved around her mood swings, her needs, her preferences. And yes, when she left, I remember her saying it hurt. But six months, six months later, that salon was actually thriving. You know, and the owner uh then came to us and said, Hey, I didn't realize how much energy I was giving to the fear of losing her until she was gone. And sometimes that thing that you're scared to lose is the thing standing in your way to the next level. Oh, that's good. Let me say that again. Sometimes that thing that you're scared to lose is the thing standing in the way of your next level.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that is so good, Jen. You know, I've also seen this play out in another way, and it's sneaky, you know. Uh salon owner hires a new beauty pro on their team, a new service provider, and they instantly think she's going to save the day, or he's going to save the day, you know, and maybe they have a big following on Instagram, or maybe, you know, they you think that they've got that it factor, or you know, maybe they tell you that they're bringing in a bunch of clients, or you know, they've done some branding or they just have some buzz, you know. Um, and so, you know, we've seen an owner relax, you know, for maybe what they think is the first time in months, you know, thinking their problem is finally solved. But here's the truth no one person will ever save your salon, except for you as the salon owner. No one person is, you know, because a salon isn't built on one superstar, you know, it's built on systems, it's built on really truly creating that teamwork and also creating consistency for your team, for your guests, for everyone, you know, because you can always spot when someone's starting to believe that they are the business, because you see a huge language shift. And it's with two words, you know, it goes from our to my, you know, so they'll start thinking saying things like, my clients, my VIPs, my skills, my Instagram, you know, and when that happens, it's a red flag. Because the moment that someone forgets that iron sharpens iron, their ego starts to outgrow their gratitude. You know, they forget that they didn't get where they are because of only them. They got there because they were surrounded by the right people in the right systems inside of your salon that supported their growth. You guys, that's when the countdown begins. You know, because pride always walks out before a partnership does. So if you ever notice that shift on your team, don't panic. It's truly the time to start to lead that person. You've got to pull them back to the vision, remind them how they got to this place in the first place. You know, what makes the salon strong is having that collaboration, that humility, that structure. And that's why they have so many loyal, thriving guests in the salon, because it's that environment that has created it. It's not one person that's created it. So good. Yeah, I was just gonna say the ones who don't learn that, they're usually the next ones to go. So, like if you see that, you know they're about to go.

SPEAKER_01:

About to go. Yeah, you're so right. That's so true. And when you think about it, the fear of leaving is really the fear of people leaving, better, yeah, is really the fear of like losing control. Because control truly feels safe. And you say to yourself, hey, if I can control who stays, I can control the outcome. But the truth is, you guys, control is exhausting and temporary. You cannot control who stays, you can only control how prepared you are when they leave. You know, and truly that's why systems are what give you peace. If you think about one of the most popular fast food restaurants, Chick-fil-A, like they don't rely on unicorn employees, they rely on repeatable training in culture systems, cultural systems that work, whether it's an 18-year-old cashier or a 10-year veteran. You know, that's really what we like to call freedom leadership. You know, you lead through structure, not through stress. And it's the moment that your systems are stronger than your emotions, you stop being reactive and start being resilient. That's exactly what we teach in Million Dollar Beauty Pro. We show you how to build a business that's unshakable. So even when someone leaves, like your culture, your income, and leadership stand firm. Because fear loses its power when you built a foundation that cannot be rocked.

SPEAKER_00:

That's good, Jen. Fear loses its power when you built a foundation that can't be rocked. That's perfect. You know, really, we should talk about what is the practical side. What do we do when someone leaves? Like, how can we create that foundation, like you mentioned, that's so strong that fear can't even shake it? Because, you know, the truth is when someone leaves, most salon owners panic, they overexplain it to their team, they get caught up in the emotions, or they try to convince the person to stay, or they take it personally, and the entire salon feels the energy shift. But the reality is departures are inevitable. You know, you can either let them drain your business or strengthen it. And that's why we created the depart, the departure process guide. You know, it's what we use in our own salons and the salons inside of Salon Business School. Um, it's incredible. It's a three-step system to protect your piece, your brand, and your culture when someone exits. So the first thing that you want to do is you want to protect the guest experience, you know. Reassign clients quickly and gracefully, you know, and you'll want to use language that builds trust with the guest, you know, like, hey, we're so grateful for you. Your service provider or the the last service provider you saw is no longer here, but we already have a plan to make sure that you're totally taken care of, you know, and that doesn't mean you're like gonna withhold any information from them, but like you want them to know like, hey, we are a team, we work together as a team here, we already have a plan to take care of you. And then next, you want to make sure that you're protecting the team culture. So, right away, you know, announce it calmly and directly to the team. So you could say something like, You may already know service provider so-and-so is no longer with our salon company. Uh, you might be feeling sad, or maybe you're feeling relieved to hear this news. Either way is okay. You know, she's chosen a new path and we wish her well. And our focus is on making sure our guests and each one of you feel supported through this transition. You know, that helps you eliminate gossip by setting the tone immediately. And the third thing that you want to do is protect the brand standards, you know. So make sure you remove access to that former uh service provider, close accounts, you know, transition any of their resources. Just, you know, keep it professional and don't take it personal, you know. And here's the secret that most people miss it's to start with gratitude. You know, so when someone tells you they're leaving, tell them, you know, say, thank you for letting me know. Like first, it diffuses the emotion and it also anchors you as the calm leader in the room. You know, that one sentence communicates confidence, safety, and maturity. You know, I'll never forget one day I had uh a service provider meet me outside and they told me to take a deep breath before they were about to give me the news. And um, you know, I'm not making fun of them or the situation, but I it did make me giggle a little inside because I thought I've never been a reactive uh leader, and so there's no need for a deep breath. So I said, Oh, I'm totally great. You know, what what did you want to share with me? You know, and they told me and I said, thank you so much for letting me know. And, you know, we got to move on peacefully, but you know, it took a while to get there as a leader, and you know, having the cheat code to get there faster always makes everything better, you know, because we say, hey, you can, you know, spend 40 years to try to figure out something that could take you one day. So if you want a copy of the departure process guide with our exact scripts, checklists, and you know, really our communication templates, go ahead and text the word departure. That's D-E-P-A-R-T-U-R-E 2469-283-5590. Because the moment someone leaves, it doesn't have to be a crisis, it can be a defining moment for you inside of your leadership. So good.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, so like truly, you guys, you can't stop people from leaving, um, but you can stop being afraid of it. I think in the book, um, Dr. Ben Hardy talks about subtraction is a gift. Wow, and when I heard that, I was like, that's so true. Subtraction is a gift. Um, and so you know, when you think about that, here are some ways that you can future-proof your salon as well. So build faster training systems so new hires ramp up in weeks, not months. Yes, weeks, not months. You know, you want to create those leadership layers so knowledge doesn't bottleneck with one person, you know, making sure that you have that leadership team in place. You know, you want to use the data, your uh pre-book rates, your retail percentages, uh, your par scores. So PAR is usually um pre-book, average ticket, and um retail to service. So, like looking at those scores to spot disengagement before it even becomes departure. Um, and then you want to lead from clarity, not chaos. And here's the mindset shift that changes everything. Your salon isn't a prison, it's actually a platform. And when people feel like they can grow with you, they don't need to leave to expand, they evolve within your ecosystem. And that's what Million Dollar Beauty Pro was designed to create: a business model that actually grows leaders, not turnover. Because we've seen the score, and team-based beauty pros earn millions more.

SPEAKER_00:

Ain't that the truth, Jin Booth? I love that, you know. I'll I'll never forget the time, you know, the first time somebody that I had mentored told me that they were leaving. Um, you know, they were talented, kind, and someone I'd poured into for years. And so when they told me I got an instant pit in my stomach, and I said, you know, I'm happy for you, but inside I was crushed, you know, and for weeks I would think about it off and on, you know. And one day while I was updating the schedule, I realized something. I was so afraid of losing people that I was losing myself, you know, and that moment became a turning point because that person leaving forced me to finally build the system I'd always been too busy to create. You know, it pushed me to clarify our training, to really strengthen our brand and to build a confidence in the team that stayed. You know, that departure, what I thought was a breakdown, it truly became a breakthrough. And that's the truth. Fear loses its power when you turn it into structure. And pain becomes purpose when you channel it into your process. So if you're in that season right now, if someone's leaving or you're scared someone might, let this be your reminder. You can't control who stays, but you can own how you lead.

SPEAKER_01:

So good. So if this episode resonated with you, share with another salon owner who's ready to trade fear for freedom. And don't forget, you guys, text departure D E P A R T U R E to 469-283-5590. Again, that's 469-283-5590 to grab your free departure process guide. And if you're truly ready to build the kind of systems that protect your peace, your profits, and your people, head on over to millionollarbeautypro.com. Again, that's million dollar beautypro.com because we've seen the score team based beauty pros earn millions more.