Diary of The Search Queen
If you’re a salon owner ready to ditch the overwhelm and finally fill those empty chairs, this podcast is for you. Hosted by Google Ads and SEO expert Sonja Pototzki-Raymond, Diary of The Search Queen gives you real talk, proven marketing strategies, and raw behind-the-scenes stories to help you get found, trusted, and fully booked without burning out.
Episodes
34 episodes
Episode 34: How Glamour Empire 2.5x’d Their Revenue in 3 Months
In this week’s episode, I’m joined by the inspiring Lisa from Glamour Empire in Tamworth, NSW, an incredible salon owner who, alongside her business partner Renee, has 2.5x’d her salon revenue in just three months. Yep, you read that right. And...
•
Episode 34
•
25:22
Episode 33: Doubling Revenue in 2 Months, Gemma Urbank’s Salon Success Story
In this inspiring episode, I sit down with the powerhouse behind Coast Hair Henley, Gemma Urbank, who proves what’s possible when courage meets strategy.When we first met, Gemma had her back against the wall. Revenue was tight, her appr...
•
Episode 32
•
29:11
Episode 32: From Gaps to Growth, How Rosemary Chalmers Doubled Her Salon in 18 Months
In today’s episode, I’m joined by one of my all-time favourite clients, the incredible Rosemary Chalmers, owner of D'or Hairstylists in New Zealand.When Rosemary and I first met, her salon had inconsistent bookings and under-utilised st...
•
Episode 32
•
24:54
Episode 31: The Most Powerful Free Google Tool You’re Ignoring (And It’s Costing You Bookings!)
Still think your Google Business Profile is “just another listing”?In this episode of Diary of the Search Queen, I’m breaking down the most powerful free visibility tool in the entire salon industry, the one that decides whethe...
•
Episode 31
•
8:22
Episode 30: Google Ads 101 – Why It’s NOT “Too Expensive” for Your Salon
Still think Google Ads is too expensive for your salon?In this episode of Diary of the Search Queen, I’m busting the biggest myth that’s keeping salon owners broke, burnt out, and believing that visibility is something only the big bran...
•
Episode 30
•
7:56
Episode 29: What Actually Gets You Found on Google (Hint: It’s Not Luck)
What Actually Gets You Found on Google (And Why Most Salons Miss It)Think your salon will magically show up on Google just because you have a website?Think again.In this episode of Diary of the Search Queen, I break down...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 29
•
10:23
Episode 28: Sick Of Relying On IG For Your Leads?
Tired of dancing on Reels, posting every day, and still staring at empty salon chairs?In this episode of Diary of the Search Queen, I’m breaking down the real reason so many salon owners are stuck in the scroll-and-hope cycle—and why re...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 28
•
10:56
Episode 27: The UNFILTERED Truth About Purpose, Healing & Becoming Magnetic as a Leader
🎙️ Episode 27: The UNFILTERED Truth About Purpose, Healing & Becoming Magnetic as a LeaderWhat if your anxiety, your fear, and even your burnout weren’t signs to stop—but signs to come home to yourself?In this raw and expans...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 27
•
38:03
Episode 26: The Hard Truth About Business Growth
Episode 7: The hard truth about business growthWhat happens when your world is falling apart behind the scenes, but the business must go on?In this powerful episode of Diary of the Search Queen, I sit down with one of my dearest...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 26
•
24:59
Episode 25: She Stopped Discounting and Doubled Her Bookings
Episode 25: She Stopped Discounting and Doubled Her Bookings: How Ceri Scaled Coastal Blondes with Google Ads & SEOWhat happens when you stop relying on discounts and Facebook ads and start showing up on Google where your dream clie...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 25
•
24:03
Episode 24: The Salon Owner Who Finally Cracked the Google Code
From Burnout to Booked Out, How Iris Rebuilt Her Salon & Stopped Doing It AllWhat happens when your socials are hacked, your ads flop, and your salon feels like it’s stuck on survival mode?In this episode of Diary of ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 24
•
22:02
Episode 23: The Google Ads Strategy Behind This Gym’s Massive Growth
Running three businesses, raising two kids, and leading a community of 700+ members? It sounds like a lot, because it is. But today’s guest, Pumen from Champions Gym, shows us exactly what resilience, leadership, and heart really look like....
•
Season 1
•
Episode 23
•
28:47
Episode 22: Google Ads or SEO? The Secret to Filling Salon Chairs Fast 💇♀️✨
Ever wondered if Google Ads or SEO is better for your salon?In this solo episode, I’m diving deep into the question I get asked the most, “Which one should I do first?”Here’s the truth: choosing the wrong strategy (at the wrong ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 22
•
8:49
Episode 21: Get 50 Qualified Salon Leads in 90 Days 💇♀️🚀
If you’ve ever had one week of fully booked appointments followed by a week of crickets — this episode is for you.I’m diving deep into the science of keeping your salon chairs full all year round. In this episode, I share why relying on...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 21
•
11:35
Episode 20: 3 Brutal Truths About Google Ads That Will Shock You 😱💥
Discover the three brutal mistakes salon owners make with Google Ads and why they’re losing money. Many rely on organic social media or Meta ads, but Google Ads work on intent, bringing warmer, high-quality leads ready to book. This episode cov...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 20
•
5:46
.png)
Episode 19: Success Nearly Cost Me Everything: Until I Redefined It
What happens when you build the empire of your dreams… only to realise you’ve lost yourself in the process?In this episode of Diary of the Search Queen, I sit down with powerhouse strategist Lezly Kaye. Lezly went from scaling a...
•
35:52
Episode 18: The Day I Fired the Wrong Clients
What if the bravest business decision you could make… was to say no?In this episode of Diary of the Search Queen, I share the raw truth about one of the scariest (and most freeing) parts of running a business: firing clients wh...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 18
•
13:07
Episode 17: When Letting Go Becomes Your Greatest Leap
What if the thing you thought you’d do forever… turned out not to be your destiny?In this episode of Diary of the Search Queen, I sit down with my dear friend and powerhouse coach Alicia Bode, a woman who walked away from t...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 17
•
36:18
Episode 16: Just Because I Can Doesn’t Mean I Should
What happens when you say yes to everything, and then realise the cost was higher than you imagined?In this reflective episode of Diary of the Search Queen, I look back on the last six months, a season filled with massive wins, sa...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 16
•
15:03
Episode 15: What it Truly Means To Be Seen
What happens when your biggest wounds become your greatest work?In this powerful episode, I am joined by brand photographer and creative mentor Belle Verdiglione for a soul-stirring conversation about truth, trauma, and building a...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 15
•
48:02
Episode 14: Google Isn’t Dead, But It Is Changing - The Future of Visibility in an AI-Powered World
There’s a lot of noise out there about SEO being “dead” but that’s not the full story....In this episode of Diary of the Search Queen, I’m breaking down what’s actually happening inside Google, why your clients a...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 14
•
9:06
Episode 13: Dear Diary, When Healing Becomes Your Homecoming
In this deeply spiritual and heart-led episode, Sonja sits down with Aisha from Waters of Eden, a medicine woman, energy worker, and spiritual guide who has quietly played a pivotal role in Sonja’s personal and fertility healing journey....
•
Season 1
•
Episode 13
•
56:15
Episode 12: The Launch That Shattered Me (In the Best Way)
What if your dream launch didn’t just go to plan…What if it cracked you wide open in the most expansive way?In this episode of Diary of the Search Queen, I take you behind the scenes of one of the most powerful seasons of m...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 12
•
21:45
Episode 11: The Power of Story: Turning Pregnancy Loss into Purpose with Jacqui Maloney
In this deeply moving episode of Diary of the Search Queen, I'm joined by my beautiful friend and fellow fertility warrior, Jacqui Maloney. Jacqui is a speaker, storytelling coach and communications expert who helps people ac...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 11
•
46:53
Episode 10: What It Really Takes to Get Your Book in Bookstores as a First-Time Author
When I started writing The Search for Resilience, I had no idea how far it would go.I didn’t have a book deal. I wasn’t signed by a major publisher. And I certainly didn’t expect to walk into a bookstore and see my book beside Mel...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 10
•
13:33