– Episode 182Antony Whitaker

Episode 182: Transcript

[00:00:00] Hello, and welcome to today’s episode of the Grow My Salon Business podcast. I’m your host, Antony Whitaker, and as always, it’s great to have you here with me today. Before we get into this short episode, I just want to say thanks for the feedback and the many five-star reviews we get on the show. If you’re one of those people who have written us a five-star review, you know who you are, and I just want to say that I really do appreciate it and I know that many of my guests do as well.

[00:00:27] And if you haven’t yet written us a review, then now’s your big chance. Just go to the Apple Podcast app, search Grow My Salon Business. Scroll down the page and in the show notes, you’ll see a link to write a review. It only takes a minute, and it really is very much appreciated. So, let’s get on with today’s episode.

[00:00:48] A theme that runs through many of these podcast episodes is that of change, whether it’s changing attitudes, changing technology, or changing business models. And I know I’ll often comment in the podcast that even though we’re in the business of change, meaning that we change the appearance of those that sit in that chair, that as an industry, as a generalization, we are usually slow to embrace change within our own businesses. And sometimes that can actually be a good thing, and other times it’s not such a good thing. But regardless, when you do change, the important thing is that you “Don’t throw out the good with the bad”. In business, and in life, I firmly believe that changes is not only good for you and your clients, and therefore your business, et cetera, but that some change is essential to keep you inspired and motivated, and importantly, to keep you and your business growing.

[00:01:49] But then there are some other things in business that are fundamental to success that mostly don’t change, and they probably shouldn’t either. And they are the foundations that everything else is built on. And I don’t just mean the foundations of the business. In fact, what I’m really meaning is the foundations of what it takes to be a successful hairstylist and to build a following of loyal clients.

[00:02:18] And that is what I want to focus on in this episode. So, the first thing that comes to mind is that your values will, in most cases, remain consistent throughout your career, meaning that assuming that you have values like honesty, professionalism, trust, and a desire to learn. That those values will likely remain fairly constant throughout your career.

[00:02:45] Now I say fairly constant because I recognize that at different times of your life that your priorities and therefore some of your values will inevitably change. For example, if you are a 20-year-old hairdresser just starting out in your career, then you are probably single and probably excited about embracing every opportunity to learn and grow, whether you’re being paid or just because you are hungry for new experiences and the knowledge and opportunities that comes with it.

[00:03:15] Whereas if you talk the same person 10 years further on in their career, then they’re probably in a relationship and possibly they have a child or two and possibly a mortgage and many other responsibilities that will typically come with that stage of your life. So, there’s a degree of inevitability that the 30-year-old version of the same person is probably not so motivated to stay back in the evenings or to attend shows and seminars on the weekends, and that’s surely because they have other commitments and responsibilities and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

[00:03:55] And it certainly doesn’t mean that they have necessarily lost their passion for what they do, or that their level of commitment to their career isn’t what it should be. And so your values might change or evolve as you get older. But what doesn’t change is the timeless foundations, the people skills of what makes someone successful in the hairdressing business.

[00:04:22] And these are sometimes the things that are overlooked and instead more emphasis is put on things like how many followers you have on Instagram or purely on your technical and creative skills, and while both those things are obviously important, it’s important to remember that fundamentally we are in the people business and amongst many other things, as well as being a creative career and perhaps even part of the fashion industry.

[00:04:50] It’s important to remember that hairdressing is what’s also usually described, whether you like it or not, as also being part of the service industry. And the foundations that any people business or service industry is built on are timeless qualities like honesty and integrity and personality, and being respectful, having good manners, having good communication skills, listening skills, good personal presentation, and being confident, charming, likable, and generally being someone that’s fun and good to be around.

[00:05:29] And when all of that is coupled with the right professional training from a hairdressing perspective, that then translates into someone who is able to do good consultations, someone who is able to confidently recommend additional services, and someone who is able to confidently recommend the right take-home products.

[00:05:56] And someone who is able to give clients a great experience and to build really good professional relationships. And all this in time makes you someone who is able to generate more referrals and request clients, and as a result, turn into a busy and well-rewarded hair stylist. But here’s the problem, we are not all necessarily born with those skills.

[00:06:23] In fact, nobody is. We don’t all necessarily grow up in an environment where we have good role models or mentors. We haven’t all been exposed to the life experience. That will give you the understanding or the people skills, the communication skills, the manners, and the confidence needed to become the best version of yourself.

[00:06:48] And so as important as social media skills might be. And as important as being technically competent is neither of those things are, instead of having good people and communication skills, you need them, as well as having good people and communication skills. Remember that if people don’t like you, then they don’t like what you do.

[00:07:13] So, although the technology we use in the salon will constantly change, and although each and every generation will continue to bring a new outlook and new expectations as to how and when and where they work, and that too will continue to evolve and change what won’t change in our industry. Is a need to have good people skills, good communication skills, and the ability to project confidence because these are timeless qualities that will never go out of fashion.

[00:07:50] Now we will shortly open enrolment for our Super Stylist course, which is an online course that helps develop hairdressers to reach their fullest potential when it comes to these people skills, these communication skills to become what I refer to as the super stylist. So, if you are interested to find out more about it, then visit growmysalonbusiness.com/course/super-stylist to join the waitlist.

[00:08:19] I’ll be sure to put that link in today’s show notes. I promise you that you won’t regret it. Okay, so that’s a wrap-up until next week when I bring you another great guest to you on the Grow My Salon Business podcast. And don’t forget to visit us on all the usual social media platforms @growmysalonbusiness. And until then, keep safe.