09 From Failing Salon to Thriving Business: Kelly Shaw’s Journey to Leadership & Growth Artwork

What One Thing?

One business. One lesson. Every week.

Real businesses. Real stories. Real-time.

What One Thing? is the straight-talking weekly podcast for growing UK businesses with a team who are on the move — building, scaling, and figuring it out as they go.

Join co-hosts Hayley Baxter (Corbar Accounting) and Phil Davenport (Affirm IT) as they chat with fellow business owners and share their own lessons from the journey — the things they wish they'd known, the wins, the wobbles, and the one thing that made the biggest difference.

Each episode is 15–25 minutes of real-world insight, a few laughs, and practical takeaways to help you grow a better business — without the fluff.

🎙️ Expect:

Honest interviews with business owners on the grow
Topic episodes on key business challenges
Straight answers, no jargon
One clear lesson, every week

👀 Also on YouTube — because yes, it’s filmed too.
📍 Based in Derbyshire, speaking to businesses across the UK.

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What One Thing?

09 From Failing Salon to Thriving Business: Kelly Shaw’s Journey to Leadership & Growth

August 27, 2025 • Phil Davenport and Hayley Baxter

In this episode of What One Thing, hosts Phil Davenport and Hayley Baxter are joined by Kelly Shaw, entrepreneur, salon owner, and business coach.

Kelly shares her remarkable journey from working in luxury spas across the globe to buying a struggling local salon and transforming it into a thriving, sustainable business.

Her story highlights the realities of entrepreneurship: the risks of over-reliance on one client, the difficulties of leading a team, and the moment she realised that true success required stepping away from day-to-day operations to focus on leadership and culture.

Listeners will gain insights into:

Managing the highs and lows of business ownership
The role of coaching in building resilience and clarity
How to balance profitability with team and client satisfaction
Why understanding your numbers is non-negotiable
The critical difference between managing and leading

Kelly also reveals her one thing every business owner should focus on to strengthen their business from the inside out.

📌 Connect with Kelly Shaw
Tel. 07872 315588

Email. hello”kellyshaw.co.uk

Web. www.kellyshaw.co.uk

Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/iamkellyshaw/

Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/kellyshawme

LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyshawme/

If you enjoy the podcast, please follow, rate, and share with business leaders in your network.

Connect with Phil and Hayley

👇 CONNECT WITH US:

🔹 Hayley Baxter on LinkedIn: / hayley-baxter-

🔹 Corbar Accounting: https://corbar.uk/

📸 Instagram: /iamhayleybaxter/

🔹 Phil Davenport on LinkedIn: / phil-davenport-affirmit

🔹 Affirm IT Services: https://affirmit.co.uk/

🎧 Listen on your favourite platform: What One Thing?

Kelly's Bio

Kelly Shaw brings over 30 years of industry experience, having excelled as a Spa Director for renowned luxury groups like The Four Seasons and Shangri-La, and as a Senior Educator for Dermalogica. As the founder of Hampshire’s award-winning salon k:SPA, Kelly has spent the past 16 years perfecting a Salon-meets-Spa experience driven by trust, respect, and a self-managing team. Her innovative leadership fosters a positive, dynamic atmosphere, inspiring growth and collaboration.

Kelly’s passion for empowering others led her to coaching salon owners and managers and authoring the book How to Make Your Salon Work, So You Don’t Have To! She shares her proven strategies to help others achieve freedom and sustainable success in salon management.