Grow My Salon Business Podcast

For many salon owners, Instagram is an important part of their marketing strategy; the problem is that it can feel like a second full-time job, with hours of effort going into content that earns likes but rarely fills the appointment book. 

This week I’m joined by Hayley Mears, Instagram and Canva expert, who helps salons with this every day. We talk about how to get your Instagram bringing in real bookings, even when you’re time-poor and tired of comparing yourself to industry influencers.
Hayley shares the content format cutting through for salons right now, a simple way to reach people in your local community who would never see your posts otherwise, and one piece of homework you can do on Instagram today. It’s practical, realistic and doable, even in your busiest week.

IN THIS EPISODE:
Why carousels that open with a short video are working so well for salons right now
How to cut the time it takes to get content from idea to live
The one Instagram tool to open today to find businesses and people in your area

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Introduction: how to turn Instagram effort into real salon appointments
[01:49] Why high-profile content creators leave salon owners feeling inadequate
[03:00] What’s working on Instagram for salons right now
[05:36] The problem every salon owner raises: no time to create content
[07:21] Is AI the answer to getting content from idea to live faster?
[08:08] The biggest change of 2026: influencers losing their grip on salons
[09:34] The type of content salon clients are connecting with now
[11:00] Finding the balance between being authentic and being negative online
[13:29] How to turn a staffing shortage into a positive piece of content
[16:29] What salon owners should be doing differently on Instagram this year
[19:04] Collaborating with local businesses that share your audience profile
[20:25] One piece of Instagram homework to start growing your local reach

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

🎓 Marketing Course – The framework that helps you get more clients, turn them into regulars and keep them as long as possible – Find out more

🎓 Six Underground Media – Hayley’s digital marketing agency – Find out more

Want MORE to help you GROW?

📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books 

🆘 Management overwhelm!? Download our free checklist! This checklist will help you get clarity on where you're at 

 
👉 FOLLOW US!
Instagram | Facebook | Website
👉 FOLLOW HAYLEY MEARS!
Instagram | Website
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.
👉 Here's what you do:
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- Tap on the empty purple stars and rate 5 stars
- Click on ‘Write a Review’ I love to hear what’s been helpful and what you love about the podcast! 
Thank you for your support! 🙏
Until next time!
Antony

All business development starts with personal development, which is why salon leadership development has to start with you. 

Debra Neill Baker, CEO of Neill Corporation and co-founder of Serious Business, has lived by that idea for 50 years in the industry. 

As salon owners, we pour our energy into the team, numbers and clients, and our own growth gets pushed to the bottom of the list. So what would change in your salon if you moved your personal and professional development as the leader back to the top?
Debra shares how her family business has lasted 75 years, how her salons have adapted to changing times, and why developing your next leaders is the most important part of your job. 
If your own growth has slipped down the list, this conversation gives you clear places to start.
IN THIS EPISODE:
 Why all business development starts with personal development, and what that means for you as a salon owner
 Why thinking about your own thinking matters, and how fixed beliefs can keep you stuck
 Why developing your next generation of leaders is the most important part of your job
 What taking responsibility for your own life looks like, and how doing the inner work helps you handle anxiety and noise
EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Introduction: Debra Neill Baker and her influence on the American salon industry
[02:26] How a third-generation family business has lasted 75 years in the salon industry
[08:05] The secret behind a business that keeps evolving and still stays successful
[11:23] Why Debra says the heart of the salon business is to evoke self-love
[15:34] How Serious Business started and why business education became the focus
[17:57] Why human skills matter more as artificial intelligence reshapes the world
[18:50] Thinking about your own thinking, and how beliefs can keep you stuck
[33:23] How Neill’s salons have adapted to flexibility, autonomy and a younger workforce
[35:10] Why developing the next generation of leaders is the salon owner’s primary role
[38:20] The wisdom Debra hopes the next generation of hairdressers will take on board
[42:30] Where to find out more about Serious Business in New Orleans

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

🎓 Serious Business – the annual personal growth, leadership and business event held in New Orleans every January – Find out more

Want MORE to help you GROW?

📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books 

🆘 Management overwhelm!? Download our free checklist! This checklist will help you get clarity on where you're at 

👉 FOLLOW US!
Instagram | Facebook | Website

👉 FOLLOW SERIOUS BUSINESS!
Instagram | Website

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.
👉 Here's what you do:
- On your phone, Click here  (Read steps below first)
- Scroll down to 'Ratings & Reviews'
- Tap on the empty purple stars and rate 5 stars
- Click on ‘Write a Review’ I love to hear what’s been helpful and what you love about the podcast! 
Thank you for your support! 🙏
Until next time!
Antony

Salon client retention is one of the most overlooked numbers in your business, and most salon owners have no idea how many first-time clients they’re losing. You spend money on promotions and social media to get new people through the door, then never see them again.
In this episode, I talk about how to measure retention properly, why the numbers can vary so much between stylists, and what’s really behind a client deciding not to come back. And I ask the question every salon owner should be asking: how many of the new clients I’m paying to attract am I actually keeping?
I finish with a simple seven-step process for finding out who on your team is struggling, working out why, and getting more first-time clients back for a second visit.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
How to measure new client retention properly, and the right time period for your type of salon
Why each stylist’s individual numbers tell you far more than your salon’s overall figure
A seven-step process to lift retention across your whole team
Why stylists improve faster when they can see their own data, and how to use it constructively

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Introduction: Is your real problem new clients or keeping them?
[01:56] What happens when only four in ten new clients come back
[02:35] Why chasing new clients is an expensive way to grow
[03:00] Defining client retention and choosing the right measurement period
[03:57] New client retention vs existing client retention, and what to aim for
[05:35] Why individual stylist numbers matter more than the salon average
[06:56] Why some first-time clients never come back
[11:21] The rebooking conversation many stylists never have
[12:23] The seven-step process for improving new client retention
[17:42] What lifting retention from 40% to 60% could mean for your salon
[18:58] How to get help improving your team’s client retention

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Super Stylist Online Course – Build the consultation, communication and rebooking skills that keep clients coming back – Find out more

Marketing Online Course – Build a marketing system that attracts the right clients and keeps them – Find out more

Management Online Course – Put the systems and structure in place for a salon that runs properly – Find out more

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/

👉 FOLLOW US!
 Instagram | Facebook | Website

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.
👉 Here’s what you do:
On your phone, Click here (read the steps below first)
Scroll down to ‘Ratings & Reviews’
Tap on the empty purple stars and rate 5 stars
Click on ‘Write a Review’
I love to hear what’s been helpful and what you love about the podcast! 
Thank you for your support! 🙏

Until next time!
Antony

The festive season is one of the biggest spending periods of the year, yet most salon owners go into it without a real marketing plan. Meanwhile, every retailer, restaurant and online business is chasing the same share of your clients’ festive spending, and they planned their campaigns months ago. 

So the question every salon owner should be asking is: what’s my plan for the rest of this year, and will it make my salon more profitable?

I share five practical things you can put in place in the buildup to the Christmas money-making season. You’ll come away knowing how to generate extra revenue through gifting, retail and events without giving your profit away, and how to use December’s busy appointment book to fill the quieter months of January and February.

IN THIS EPISODE:
How to build a simple festive marketing plan your team can deliver
The discount maths that shows how a 20% Black Friday offer can wipe out your profit
How to make gifting easy for clients who know nothing about hair products
How a $50 haircut turned into $3,600 in gift card sales, and what made it work

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Introduction
[00:27] Why marketing never stops, even when you think you’re not doing any
[01:17] The festive spending season and who you’re really competing against
[03:12] Too many ideas and no plan: why festive promotions fall over
[05:32] The Black Friday discount maths every salon owner needs to see
[07:24] Why the person buying the gift matters more than the receiver
[08:10] The fifty dollar haircut that turned into $3,600 in gift cards
[11:41] Turning a gift card into something that feels like a proper present
[13:47] Giving back at Christmas and why it matters to your community
[16:36] Retail bingo: a fun way to get your team recommending products
[21:11] Recap of the five ways to make the most of the festive season
[22:19] How to get more organised with your marketing all year round

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

🎓 Marketing Course and Coaching Program – A complete system to attract, convert and retain the right clients all year round – Find out more 

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/

 
👉 FOLLOW US!
Instagram | Facebook | Website
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.
👉 Here's what you do:
- On your phone, Click here  (Read steps below first)
- Scroll down to 'Ratings & Reviews'
- Tap on the empty purple stars and rate 5 stars
- Click on ‘Write a Review’ I love to hear what’s been helpful and what you love about the podcast! 

Thank you for your support! 🙏
Until next time!
Antony

When one salon already feels like it's running you, scaling a salon business to 230 locations sounds impossible. I'm joined by returning guest Denis McFadden, founder of Just Cuts. Denis has just released his book, The Power of Showing Up, and we talk about the personal story behind it and the thinking that built the brand. And I ask the question every salon owner asks: how do I build a business that keeps growing without everything going through me?

You'll hear why Denis puts systems at the heart of everything, the simple numbers he uses to judge whether a salon can be profitable, and why he's still building at 80. Whatever your size, you'll walk away knowing what to write down, what to measure and where you're overcomplicating things.
IN THIS EPISODE:

✅ Why systems let a business run 10 salons or 200 the same way
✅ Why time and price always belong in the same conversation
✅ How focusing on one thing built a brand, and why Denis keeps saying no to other opportunities
✅ What showing up really means, and how that one habit shaped an entire career

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Introduction: Denis McFadden returns to talk about his new book
[06:01] The Power of Showing Up: what the title of the book really means
[11:30] Dyslexia, self-belief and why Denis now calls it his superpower
[18:46] Still building at 80: what keeps Denis motivated in business
[21:27] Why systems are the foundation of growing from one salon to many
[24:55] Is the Just Cuts model still relevant to today’s clients and stylists?
[31:41] Are tougher economic times pushing clients to trade down on haircuts?
[35:30] The percentages that decide whether a salon will be profitable
[37:49] Why time and price can never be separated in your salon
[39:54] The future of Just Cuts and why Denis is bringing in experts
[45:36] Would Denis do anything differently? Plus how to get the book
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

📚 The Power of Showing Up by Denis McFadden – Denis's personal story and the story behind the Just Cuts brand – Find out more

Want MORE to help you GROW?

📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books 
🆘 Management overwhelm? Download our free checklist! This checklist will help you get clarity on where you're at 

RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE:

Episode 24: The story behind building ‘Just Cuts' a successful salon franchise with Denis McFadden Listen here → https://growmysalonbusiness.com/podcast/024/
 
👉 FOLLOW US!
Instagram | Facebook | Website

👉 FOLLOW JUST CUTS!
Instagram | Website 

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.
👉 Here's what you do:
- On your phone, Click here  (Read steps below first)
- Scroll down to 'Ratings & Reviews'
- Tap on the empty purple stars and rate 5 stars
- Click on ‘Write a Review’ I love to hear what’s been helpful and what you love about the podcast! 
Thank you for your support! 🙏
Until next time!
Antony