It's a Profitable Life
Join Ronit Enos, industry veteran and author of Profit First for Salons, as she guides beauty CEOs on the journey from overwhelmed business owner to confident, profitable leader. Through candid conversations with the industry's foremost experts, "It's a Profitable Life" delivers actionable strategies and systems that transform salon, spa, and med spa businesses from cash-strapped to consistently profitable.
It's a Profitable Life
The Exit Strategy 80% of Salon Owners Never Learn | Alayne Curtiss, Entrepreneur
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What do you do when you have built something beautiful for 25 years but know it is time to let go? When you are the face of the business, the one everyone trusts, but staying means sacrificing freedom, time, and what comes next?
In this episode of It's A Profitable Life, Ronit Enos and Nicole sit down with Alayne Curtis, world renowned hair and makeup artist, founder and former CEO of Make Me Fabulous, and one of the rare entrepreneurs who successfully exited her business after building it into one of America's Hot 100 Salons.
Alayne pulls back the curtain on what most business owners never talk about: the real process of selling, the mistakes that cost her years, why 80% of businesses never sell, and what it actually takes to build a company someone wants to buy.
This conversation blends vulnerable personal truth with tactical business strategy, including the service provider trap every salon owner falls into, the systems buyers actually look for, what to stop doing if you ever want to exit, and why women in business need to stop tearing each other down.
If you are building toward an exit, stuck behind the chair, or wondering if your business is sellable, this episode will change how you think about your next move.
In This Episode
00:12:11 Why 80% of businesses never sell and what makes the 20% different
00:12:22 The one piece of advice every salon owner needs about service
00:17:18 What she would tell her 37 year old self starting out
00:19:33 Why entrepreneurship is not what social media sells you
00:20:00 Your business is your biggest asset and gets more attention than your kids
00:22:21 The three lowest profit industries: farming, restaurants, and salons
00:23:03 The systems she wishes she had set up from day one
00:24:15 Why you cannot be the main service provider if you want to exit
00:34:45 What makes a business attractive to buyers
00:39:15 Why only 20% of businesses successfully exit
00:42:00 The different exit strategies: selling, franchising, licensing
00:45:30 Knowing when it is the right time to let go
00:51:00 What Alayne would do differently looking back
01:00:30 Why calling it balance is a myth
01:06:00 Buying your time back without compromising results
01:11:44 The Three Fires: rapid fire questions
01:12:41 What her billboard would say: stop the walkouts
01:13:15 Why women can do better for each other in business
01:14:27 Defining success: it is endless
Brought to You By
Salon Cadence: The advisory network for salon, spa, and medspa CEOs scaling with systems, leadership, and Profit First for Salons - saloncadence.com
Vish: The color management system that turns waste into profit - getvish.com
Phorest: The all in one salon software that grows your business through automation, culture, and client connection - phorest.com
MySalonBooks: Real-time salon bookkeeping powered by Profit First for Salons - mysalonbooks.com