Grow My Salon Business Podcast

AI has already and will continue to impact the salon industry. One area that is getting a lot of attention is the front desk and the role of AI in streamlining the client booking process, capturing missed calls and directly having a positive impact on salon revenue.  

My guest today is Universe Walker, a hairdresser, salon owner, and the founder of Beauty Desk AI, whose AI receptionist Eve answers calls and texts, books appointments, handles escalations, and never puts anyone on hold. We dig into how she built it and why online booking alone isn't enough.

If you've ever lost a client because nobody answered the phone, this episode will hit home. You'll walk away understanding exactly what an AI receptionist can and can't do, how it fits alongside your front desk team, and whether an AI receptionist could be the solution your front desk needs.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Introduction: AI is changing how salons handle every incoming call
[01:06] Meet Universe Walker, salon owner, hairdresser, and founder of Beauty Desk AI
[03:26] The problem Universe set out to solve after COVID changed everything
[05:06] Why 75% of salons no longer have a front desk, and what that costs
[07:00] What Eve actually does: voice, SMS, bookings, and the all-in-one dashboard
[10:12] How Eve integrates with your existing booking platform
[12:09] Latency, the "army of Eves," and why conversations feel surprisingly human
[16:06] The 200-call experiment: what happened when nobody answered the phone
[21:20] How Eve is trained to understand your salon's specific services and language
[26:12] Real examples of Eve's empathy, from nervous kids to tsunami evacuations
[29:00] How salons with a full reception team use Eve as a backup
[36:41] The business insights Eve unlocks that no booking platform can give you

Want MORE to help you GROW?

📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books https://growmysalonbusiness.com/books/

🆘 Management overwhelm!? Download our free checklist! This checklist will help you get clarity on where you're at https://growmysalonbusiness.com/management-checklist/

RATINGS + REVIEWS

🙏Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! 
They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.
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Until next time!
Antony
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Beauty Desk AI, the AI receptionist built specifically for salons: answers calls, texts, and books appointments 24/7 Find out more
 
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👉 FOLLOW UNIVERSE WALKER!
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👉 FOLLOW BEAUTY DESK AI!
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AI in the salon industry is moving fast, and most salon owners genuinely don't know where to start. My guest this week is Frank Westerbeke, co-owner of Gadabout and VerVe, a multi-generational salon group with six locations and nearly 300 staff in Tucson, Arizona. Frank's been using AI across his business for years, not just for Instagram captions, but for people management, financial analysis, team communication, and the client experience.

What you'll hear in this conversation will make AI feel far less intimidating. Frank is not a tech person. He's a salon person. And the way he talks about AI, as a bridge, not a replacement, will shift how you think about it. 

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] Introduction: AI in the salon industry and what's at stake
[01:04] Meet Frank Westerbeke, co-owner of Gadabout and VerVe
[02:09] Running 6 salons and 300 staff, Frank's role as the human connector
[04:14] How Frank uses AI voice on the drive to a salon before a tough conversation
[06:44] Why Frank gave his managers permission to use AI and what changed
[10:23] Turning managers into leaders with AI as the bridge
[18:07] Why Frank's marketing team uses AI to enhance creativity, not replace it
[22:45] The client experience: where AI helps and where the human must stay
[27:00] Using AI to free up human connection in the salon
[41:42] Frank's advice for salon owners who haven't started yet

RATINGS + REVIEWS

🙏 Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated!
They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.
I love to hear what's been helpful and what you love about the podcast! 
Thank you for your support! 
Until next time! Antony

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Gadabout and VerVe Salons – Frank Westerbeke's salon group based in Tucson, Arizona – Visit Website

Want MORE to help you GROW?

📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books https://growmysalonbusiness.com/books/

🆘 Management overwhelm? Download our free checklist: https://growmysalonbusiness.com/management-checklist/

 
👉 FOLLOW US!
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👉 FOLLOW FRANK WESTERBEKE! 
Instagram | Website

How you pay your salon team is one of the most confusing decisions you'll make as a salon owner. Salon owners often compare pay structures with other salons, copying what seems to be working elsewhere.
But the real problem isn't which pay system you're using. It's that most salon owners have never stopped to ask what a good pay system actually needs to do.

In this episode, I cut through the noise around salon pay structures and explain why there is no universal right answer. Instead, I walk through the fundamentals of salon pay structures and why understanding your own numbers matters far more than benchmarking against the salon down the road.

By the end of this episode, you'll have a clear framework for evaluating your own pay structure, a benchmark worth knowing when it comes to employee costs, and a clearer understanding of whether your pay structure is working for the business or against it.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Why copying another salon's pay structure without understanding your own numbers is a recipe for financial stress
The one test that tells you instantly if your pay system is broken
Why staff retention problems aren't always about money, and what actually drives people to leave
The 40% benchmark for employee costs, what it means, and when exceptions apply
How to build a pay structure that is simple, transparent, and trusted by your whole team

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] Introduction: The question every salon owner worries about
[00:26] Why salon pay is one of the biggest sources of confusion in the industry
[01:00] The dangerous myth of a perfect universal pay system
[01:32] Who this episode is and isn't for: employed income-producing staff only
[02:07] The seminar exercise that reveals how different every salon's system really is
[03:02] When your pay structure is so complicated nobody else can understand it
[03:58] Why salon owners get themselves into legal trouble with pay
[05:00] Your responsibility as the business owner to know the law where you operate
[06:00] The five things every salon pay system must achieve
[08:00] Why profit isn't optional
[11:31] Why your payroll decisions can't be made in isolation from the rest of the business
[12:22] The 40% benchmark and what happens when payroll climbs beyond it
[14:00] Recap: what a good pay system actually looks like and where to get more help

RESOURCES MENTIONED

The Money Course - the online course covering pricing, wages, profitability and salon financial benchmarks – Find out more

Want MORE to help you GROW?

📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books https://growmysalonbusiness.com/books/

RATINGS + REVIEWS

🙏 Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated!
They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.
I love to hear what's been helpful and what you love about the podcast! Thank you for your support! 🙏
Until next time! Antony
 
👉 FOLLOW US!
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Most salon owners don't have a money problem, they have a ‘lack of understanding’ problem. You can be fully booked, your team can be flat out, and yet you can still be running at a loss without realising it. 

That's what happens when you're managing your business without awareness of a few key numbers. On today's podcast, I'm walking you through the five numbers that, in my experience, determine whether a salon owner feels in control of their finances or is controlled by them.

These aren't complicated. You don't need to love spreadsheets or become an accountant. But knowing these five numbers changes the way you make decisions, and the decisions you make determine the business you build. If last week's episode resonated with you, this one is the practical follow-up you've been waiting for.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
Why your salon can be fully booked and still be running at a loss and the one number that highlights the reality.
What net profit margin actually means and why checking it once a year with your accountant is already too late
Why copying a competitor's pricing could mean your services are running at a loss.
How a 13-week rolling cashflow forecast removes the financial anxiety that hits every time something unexpected goes wrong
Why these five numbers are all connected and what pulling on one thread does to the rest

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] Introduction: The salon that looks busy but can't explain the numbers
[00:26] Why this episode follows directly from last week's
[00:44] The real reason salon owners feel financial fog
[01:19] Why gut feel is not a strategy for running your finances
[01:42] Number one: your breakeven point and why it matters most
[02:52] You can be fully booked and still be running at a loss
[03:47] Number two: net profit margin and what it actually measures
[04:55] The story of Clarissa: from 2.5% to 8.4% profit margin
[06:16] Number three: staff costs as a percentage of total revenue
[08:11] Number four: which services on your menu are actually profitable
[09:56] Number five: understanding your cashflow over the next 13 weeks
[11:53] Billy's story: from breaking even to £80k profit
[12:08] How all five numbers connect to each other
[13:39] The free 10-question salon financial reality check
[13:57] Free live masterclass: Where Does All the Money Go?

Want MORE to help you GROW?

➡️ 10 Question Salon Financial Reality Check – A free 60-second quiz to identify exactly where your financial knowledge gaps are – Find out more

➡️ Free Live Masterclass: Where Does All the Money Go? – Monday 11th May, one hour, completely free – deeper than this episode and the logical next step if this resonated – Register here

RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE

If you enjoyed this episode, you'll also like: Episode 345: Where Does All the Money Go? The 10-Part Financial Framework for Salon Owners Listen here 

RATINGS + REVIEWS

🙏 Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated!
They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.
I love to hear what's been helpful and what you love about the podcast! Thank you for your support! 🙏
Until next time! Antony

👉 FOLLOW US!
Instagram | Facebook | Website

Hopefully your salon is busy, clients are coming through the door, and money is being taken at the till every day, so if that's the case, then why is salon financial management still such a struggle? This is the reality for a lot of salon owners: the numbers just don't add up, and the stress that comes with that is real. 

In this episode, I walk you through a 10-part framework for following the money trail in your business. This isn't a finance lesson, and it's not about spreadsheets. It's a practical way of thinking about your business that gives you clarity and control, because right now, with costs up and clients spreading out their appointments, you can't afford to keep guessing.
IN THIS EPISODE:
The difference between knowing your numbers and understanding your business in real time
Why budgets aren't about restriction,  they're the single most important tool for weekly profitability
What cashflow forecasting actually looks like and why a 13-week rolling forecast changes everything
How to think about productivity-based pay so your team's performance is tied to the salon's financial health
EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Introduction: The reality of a busy salon that still isn't profitable
[00:50] Why the financial picture behind the scenes rarely matches the front
[01:14] This isn't about how hard you work, it's about structure
[01:38] The biggest misconception: thinking someone else is watching the numbers
[02:22] Why understanding your finances is your job, not your accountant's
[03:10] What following the money trail actually means in practice
[03:53] Introducing the 10-part financial framework for salon owners
[06:47] Why budgets matter more than most salon owners want to admit
[08:07] Cashflow forecasting and why 13 weeks ahead changes everything
[09:32] Pricing for profit and why "charge your worth" isn't a strategy
[10:47] Recap: how many of the 10 points are you actually doing?
[13:01] The free webinar: Where Does All the Money Go?

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Where Does All the Money Go? (Free Webinar) Antony breaks down the 10-part framework in full and shows you how to apply it practically in your salon - Register here

Want MORE to help you GROW?

📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books https://growmysalonbusiness.com/books/

RATINGS + REVIEWS

🙏 Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated!
They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.
I love to hear what's been helpful and what you love about the podcast! Thank you for your support! 🙏
Until next time! Antony

👉 FOLLOW US!
Instagram | Facebook | Website