Inspiring Salon Professionals (Sue Davies)

This is the final episode in this mini series of Career Pathways and what a career to finish on.  One of the most rewarding opportunities you can get as a salon professional as you will not only get to enhance your skills in an alternative environment, you get to enrich your travel, social, spiritual and professional experiences as well as earning tax free cash on the way!  A great opportunity for those that don't have life commitments and want to save for their future.

I'm joined by the lovely Samantha Bance who has been a cruising salon professional for the last 7 years and is now a spa manager on board an exclusive luxury cruise liner serving around 400 people.  When we recorded the interview Samantha was in port in Cadiz, Spain before making the Atlantic crossing to begin the Caribbean stint of her contract, and so the wifi signal isn't the best and we overtalk here and there as there was a bit of a delay, but the important info is there and I really hope you get the best out of the episode as if you've ever considered stepping up the gang plank into a cruise career then this may help you over the line. Sam explains the ups and downs of this lifestyle choice and what to expect on board.  From the recruitment process to daily life to making the most of your shore time I think we covered all you need to know. 

I'm off to imagine waking up in the southern hemisphere to penguins in Antartica as part of my day to day life as I back to Buenos Aires!

Catch up on my Instagram Instagram or join my Facebook group.  You can listen to the podcast on my website www.suedavies.org and download free guides on Starting Your Own Business and Choosing the Right Course.

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What will you do when you need to take a planned or unexpected absence from your business? 

Planning for adversity is something that every business owner should do and have in place. 

Last week I had my own unexpected absence and regular listeners will know that last week's episode didn't drop and that was because I had an unexpected medical issue that landed me in A&E!  It took me out of my day to day business and life for a few days and so I missed doing my podcast.  The world didn't end but I still had felt like I was letting my audience down a bit and that I was meeting my own expectations (always the hardest to meet).  

Following this little interlude this episode looks at how we can build resilience into our businesses, our client expectations and how we can have a business to return to when we've had an unexpected or even a planned absence.  

Building client confidence with future planning with them including rebooking post absence, introducing them to key people that may be your replacement are vital and above all, honesty and transparency.  These factors will help protect your business from clients wandering away to what they feel may be a more stable business.

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This week's episode is all about working from home.  Whether you're in a converted spare room or bespoke garden cabin, working from a home salon gives the ultimate flexibility of working around family and other roles you may have. Home working has risen exponentially over the pandemic lockdowns as many salon owners reverted to a simpler way of working. Is it for you?  Listen in and get the lowdown on what it takes to start up in this career pathway and find out about what permissions you need, insurance information, how to market your business.

Join my world at suedavies.org and join my community on my Facebook group

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Talking through the pros and cons of being employed in salon after you qualify.  A great way to build up experience and grow your skills.  Learning skills on the job and developing your career in a safe and supported environment is the first step for so many new professionals and getting paid holiday, pensions and more may be more secure than taking a leap straight into self employment going mobile or in a home salon. 

Join my world at suedavies.org or on the Inspiring Salon Professionals community on Facebook.

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Join myself and Marta Zaczkowska, The Waxing Specialist, talking all things WAX!  Marta took the decision to niche down into being a single service business over 10 years ago when she opened her successful, award winning London salon.  Since then she has pivoted her business to include a waxing academy and has now niched down further to become an intimate & pregnancy waxing speclalist. 

Marta shares her experiences and waxing wisdom with us and we discuss her new book, The Art of Pregnancy Waxing, which has recently launched is already a #1 on the Amazon charts.  

Marta is a determined and highly skilled therapist who has created a great business model that has been proven to be workable and successful. 

You can join Marta on her social media platforms and website, where you can take her Waxing Survey to assess your skills and where you could boost your experience and knowledge.

Marta's Facebook Group

Marta's Instagram

Marta's Website

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Join me over the next two episodes where I’m in conversation with the award-winning mindset coach, Philippa Holding. 

Here’s Philippa’s explanation of what she does and how she helps women change their lives…

I help women change unwanted behaviours, habits and beliefs that hold them back from feeling empowered to thrive and redefine what’s possible for them in business and life. 

After years of struggling with anxiety, lack of self-belief and the confidence to be who I am and create the life and business I desired, I hit crisis point along with burnout, I realised in that moment that I had settled for less than I desired, that things must change and realised there had to be a different way of thinking, feeling and being, that I must be able to live life on my own terms. It set me on a journey to discover and master the techniques, tools and strategies that empowered me to breakthrough and transform every area of my life including my business, and I now teach other women how to do the same. 

As an international award-winning mindset coach, therapy practitioner and business mentor, I have been recognised by my industry peers and awarded the gold standard for my commitment to industry ethics, standards working practices and a 100% success rate for my clients. 

We discuss what Philippa’s role is in her career and how she can bring clarity and help you shift what does not serve you and how creating the right boundaries can assist you in ensuring your mental, physical and business wellbeing.  We look at valuing your worth, imposter syndrome and how serving yourself first will in fact serve those around you so much more positively.

Working in alignment with our values is a big part of how Philippa can assist you clarify and pin down your future so you begin to create the world you desire and deserve.

In the second part of this interview which will be released next week we do a deep dive on burnout and how easily we accept stress and burnout as our normal.  We look at creating better habits and changing our narrative to become the person we desire to be.

Philippa explains how our version of self-care is often hitting the spot and how true self-care varies from the media image we all fall for.

Only through changing our mindset and limiting beliefs will our true self be unleashed and empowered, and Philippa has kindly given ISP followers an offer and opportunity to work with her at a special rate if you sign up before 30/4/2022.  The details can be found on the Inspiring Salon Professionals Facebook group and it is a great offer!!

She’s put together an irresistible offer of a Power Up Session where you will receive 2 hours of 1:1 coaching with Philippa to help boost your general mindset, confidence or business.

These sessions have a value of £600, and she usually charges £295, however for ISP followers she is offering it at an irresistible price of £195, that’s an incredible saving of £95 if you purchase the offer before the 30th April 2022. In order to get the offer, you must quote “Power Up Salon Professional” when calling 07834 714716 to book. 

This is so worth your investment and could help you unlock your limiting beliefs and what is holding you back!

You can find Philippa in the following places…

www.philippaholding.com

@iamphilippaholding for Instagram 

@philippaholdingcoaching for Facebook

You can take Philippa’s Burnout Quiz on her website which we discuss in Part 2 of this interview

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Top 10 Salon Christmas Check List

Join me on the Inspiring Salon Professionals podcast this week as we head into the 2 busiest weeks in the salon year.  A few hints & tips to keep you safe and growing your business for Christmas 2021!

1. Client Christmas Cards/Email - spreading seasons greetings and keeping on their radar.

2. Client Christmas Gifts - sharing the love and incentives for 2022

3, Christmas Event nights - making them count 

4. Book Your New Year New You Training In - what new skills are you looking to gain in 2022

5. Work REST & Play - Make sure you look after your mind and body this busy season

6. Booking Fees - Keeping those no shows at bay

7. Scams - Be Aware!  Fraud is on the up and make sure you spot where they can happen

8. Keep Up to Date with COVID Safe Protocols - We all know the drill in the personal care sector, but new variants may bring a revisit to earlier protocols. 

9. REBOOK!  You stand to see 100's of clients of clients in the next 2 weeks - make it count - REBOOK and RETAIN!

10. ENJOY Your Downtime!  A glass of your favourite tipple, unwrapping your favourite quality street and putting your feet up - you deserve it!

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In Episode 9 of Inspiring Salon Professionals join Sue Davies as she talks about the importance of Work Experience placements for the personal care sector.  This valuable resource begins the journey of the industry's future workforce and covered are how to approach seeking a placement, what employers may be looking for and some thoughts from the employer's point of view and what should be sought in a student placement candidate.

First impressions count!  They also go both ways.  

Are you a salon that sees work experience students as free labour or potential employees?  As a student do you realise the value of some of those "menial" tasks?  There's a whole lot that's misunderstood around work experience and in this episode I try to dispel some of the myths surrounding this sometimes grey area.

Visit my website for more information and to check out my free guides.

You can join my world on Facebook and Instagram @_sue_davies

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In this episode around developing your career, I'm talking about testing your skills on the competition floor or in online competitions too.

As a means of skill growth competitions can make you challenge your day to day techniques, advance them, review them and WILL change how you work going forward.  

It shows ambition, drive and willingness to adapt to circumstances.  It shows you can work under pressure and still produce the goods.  For a prospective or current employer, having an employee that wants to compete can only bring positivity to the workplace.  Some larger businesses grow their teams through competition in the workplace as well as at regional, national or international competitions.  

I've been involved in competing, judging and managing nail competitions since 2006 and I love being on the competition floor.  Have to say I prefer my role as competition director than competing and love supporting the competitors as they hone their craft and help calm the nerves on the day. 

In my role with the Federation of Nail Professionals we are now collaborating with Professional Beauty and as this episode goes live on Monday I'll be on the competition floor for the second day of the London nail comp.  I'll be sharing pics and vids on my Inspiring Salon Professionals group so pop over to see what a nail competition is all about.

Find me on Facebook in my Inspiring Salon Professionals group or on Instagram as _sue_davies

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After an unplanned break in recording, Inspiring Salon Professionals is back!  I've been away concentrating on a bit of self care and building on a long term project that is making its way back from the back burner to launch ready!  Super exciting time for me and my partner in crime, Di Hughes as we bring Nabuno to the salon industry after having heads down on the project for the last few months, hence, my absence from recording.   In coming episodes I'll be talking about Nabuno and what it is and I'll be covering many aspects of business start up within the salon industry covering things like price list creation, business types, legal obligations, client avatars and more.  

I'll also be joined by a great line up of guests for some interviews.  I'll be talking to Hollie Power from Salonology about their new online supplier platform and on my guest list I'll be adding other industry coaches, mentors and guests that will bring you insight, knowledge and push that grey matter into new ways of thinking.  During the recent Pro Beauty show in London I caught up with lots of industry friends and we all agreed it would be great to have a space to host our own version of Loose Women and so in the coming weeks I'll be reaching out to them to get on board and have some video round tables discussing on trend industry topics.  Can't wait for this as it will be an amazing opportunity to get views from across the industry and across the skill sets that make up the salon industry. 

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Adversity can strike at any time from many places.  It may be self doubt, loss of a loved one, a business issue, poverty, dealing with toxic people.  There are many causes but how you deal with the impact and move forward helps define you personally and as a professional.  

I'm sharing some back history on this episode as, like many others, I've faced adversity personally and in my career and I wanted to let you know it's ok to feel like the world's falling away under you and that you will recover and you will find resilience. 

Managing those ruminating thoughts when something negative happens can be tough but I'll give you some methods of how I've coped and the mechanisms that professionals have given me when I've gone through CBT and other mindset reprogramming sessions. 

There's much you can do to help yourself like journalling, distraction, saying no and more and together we'll look at several ways you can move on and regain a positive outlook.

I hope you find the episode useful and if you want to hear other episodes please visit the website www.suedavies.org where you can find all the archive of episodes.

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In this weeks episode I'm talking all things trade test and salon trials.  Inspired by a post on a SM forum where a young therapist was called back for 1 day trial but wasn't paid whilst the salon gave her a full list of paying clients.  How does this sit with you?  

I'm discussing what to expect in a trade test from both perspectives.  Having an unpaid trial is not what most salon's require so as a prospective employee should you have to do this to win that dream role?  

There are H&S issues that surround unpaid work on a trial and I'll be revisiting that area with Sam Blake in a later episode.

I share a few hints and tips on what not to do on your trade test from one that was not a success in my salon.  

We all need to test each other when we are in the recruitment game and that's whether you are an employee or an employer.  Both sides are checking the other out and remember that it's an employee's market out there currently as there aren't enough to go round so make sure you sell your business as THE place to work!

You can find out more about Inspiring Salon Professionals on my website 

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In this episode we are taking a deep dive into the world of creating your own website and we delve into the crucial role that a strong web presence plays in today's digital landscape. 

In a Top 10 guide I'll provide you with valuable insights and a few tips to empower you to design and develop your website from scratch, even if you have little to no technical background.  We'll look at design, hosts & providers, page types, what information you want to share, what you do and don't need and a whole lot more.

Join me as I talk about the importance of creating an impact with your online presence whether you are a solo professional or have a salon and are looking at creating your first website.

Get ready to unlock the potential of your business online and take control of your digital destiny.  

Check out more episodes on the website and you can connect with ISP on Facebook

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Joining me on this episode is salon cheerleader, Hollie Power from The Source & Salonology. Hollie has been a spa owner, recruitment specialist, salon coach and more over her career and joins me to talk about recruitment in the salon industry and her new baby Salon Source. Hollie shares her thoughts on recruitment and tells it like it is. Advising salon owners looking to recruit new employees to advertise their roles as if they were advertising treatments to attract new clients. A great way to improve candidate numbers for salon owners that are currently finding it hard to entice salon professionals away from the draws of self-employment. With hidden employment becoming common place in the industry, it’s perhaps time to review our working practices and go back to basics with employed teams who get rewarded positively for following a successful salon ethos. We also talk about Hollie & Ryan Power’s new wing to their Salonology business, The Source which is an online directory connecting industry brands with salon owners and solo business owners. Doing the first stage of research for you and letting you know if they are brands that fit your needs rather than spending hours researching and meeting reps only to find out the opening order doesn’t meet your criteria! Time-wasting for both parties and something the Hollie explains, they are trying to help them avoid. The Source can be found at www.salonsource.com and brings a magazine style directory to the industry with no A-Z or small to big brand, in fact the whole thing is an even playing field for every brand to shine as the salon owner peruses their offerings. You can connect with Hollie at

www.salonsource.com

www.salonology.uk

hollie@salonology.uk

https://www.linkedin.com/in/holliepow...

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Joining me on this episode is Carl Hinder of Salon Help.  Carl is a widely known salon coach specialising in correct pricing and using retail to boost your bottom line.  He has developed a fantastic app (Salon Help App) to help you reach the 'correct price' and his positive can do attitude is infectious!  

His book, Salon Products, Sell or Die (Not Trying) has helped so many salon owners get a handle on getting retail off their shelves and into their clients bags.  

Carl talks about how it's about providing your clients with the information and products they need to make that purchase and how correct pricing is the only way to survive in business.

It's a long episode (recommend a couple of sessions to get it all in), so grab a cup or glass of your favourite beverage and get ready for some fantastic advice, thoughts and more from Carl as we delve into how to keep your business and team on the right track through every challenge we seem to be facing at time of recording.  

You can link up with Carl in the following ways... 

Salon Help Website

Salon Help Facebook Group

LinkedIn

Instagram

Salon Help on YouTube

Don't forget you can catch up with past episodes on my website and you can also find helpful FREE guides there too!

Thanks for listening and please subscribe, share and please feel free to leave a review on my Facebook Page or on the Apple podcast platform

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When you're developing your business and have goals you want to achieve, make sure you use SMART goal planning to make sure they are...

SPECIFIC MEASURABLE ATTAINABLE RELEVANT TIMELY

In this episode we cover how to use SMART goal planning to ensure you keep your goals and projects in the right lane.  Keeping to the SMART system will allow you to keep the goal on track when one of those threats from your SWOT analysis pops up.  As long as you have it mapped you can adjust your plan.  Ill prepared goals may lead to failure and nobody wants that. 

Here's the infographic for you to download to keep those SMART goal planning features in mind...

You can join the ISP Facebook group here

Join me online at www.suedavies.org

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On this International Women's Day I'm talking about how we address failure and deal with change in our lives and businesses. As women we see old paths ending too often as failure, we need to seem them for the new opportunities that they give us.

We all have unfinished plans, and I'm no exception, with a mountainous to do pile always in progress, learning to forgive myself for not completing everything perfectly has been a tough journey at times, but I've learned that crucifying myself is not necessary and that a moment to take a pause to recoup and refresh has more value than working myself into the ground.

Opportunities abound and they will not always end in perfection and success, we should view it like trying on shoes, there are always hundreds on the racks in the shops and we will try many on to go with the outfit we need to align them with, but sometimes it takes a little while to find the perfect fit.

On IWD we should honour ourselves as women, our peers and the women of humanity who in all their forms may be struggling today.

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This week I'm joined by fellow nail industry veteran, Liza Smith, who has had a successful salon business for 35 years.  Crossing hair, beauty and nails Liza has experience many highs and lows in managing a team and in this interview she shares a few of her thoughts on the subject.  Some useful insights on how your salon "brand" can conflict with some team models, ways to grow your team using apprenticeships and more.

Liza is founder of multi award winning salon Bodylines; an Educator for global brands like CND and Nimue for 20 years, and most recently a business mentor and coach for salon professionals, Liza Smith has a deep passion for elevating the salon profession. Giving them the skills now needed to navigate through these toughest of times.

“I have had the most amazing career and in my final decade in the industry, my goal is to raise the level of business knowledge among our professionals, to enable our industry to be recognised for the powerhouse that it is”. 

Still a working professional, her previous achievements include 15 national nail trophies, UK Nail Salon of the Year 3 times, and a long session career travelling the world looking after the hands and feet of the famous!

Her salon currently employs a team of 10 and there is a big ethos of education, with 6 team members currently working towards a higher level apprenticeship. “Education is what got me to here, and will get me to where I want to be! Investing in our business knowledge is as powerful as our original training”

You can follow Liza on Facebook and her group is called The Business of Salons

Liza is about to launch her new coaching business so if you want to find out more please go over to her FB group. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessofsalons

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In this week's episode we'll be taking a look at the images you use for your client facing world, whether that's your socials, your website or your print documents. 

Professional images play a crucial role in establishing your credibility and in attracting clients to your business. When potential clients come across your website or social media profiles, the images they see create their first impression. High-quality and professional images set you apart from the competition and build trust in your services.

For one off photography a professional photographer may be the way to go, but in an image based industry, regular photographic updates to our platforms is essential and making cost conscious marketing images is often a DIY task.

I'll be talking about reflecting your professionalism, hygiene and work stations within your images and some suggestions on getting the best photographic composition.  How using some simple photography theories can help boost your photographic results and help you attract the right clients.

As always you can visit www.suedavies.org/listen to hear the back catalogue and please do leave a review, share the podcast and subscribe as it's important to the show to keep moving forward. 

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This episode welcomes Sam Blake, the Salon Safety Geek, as she prepares to launch her all new salon wellbeing tools in the new year. This episode finds us discussing staff welfare, understanding when your coping pot is overflowing, challenges of the Christmas season for salon owners, teams and clients. How to help your team negotiate their work and sometimes personal issues that may be affecting them.

It is a great episode with lots and lots of really useful pointers and thoughts from two therapists and business owners who've been there and have a lot of t-shirts in their drawer. Learn to pause and allow your pressure points to pass as Sam talks you through the difference between stress and pressure and how to recognise that you may need to shift your patterns.

You can join Sam on her Facebook group to find out more about her upcoming launch of salon mental health tools https://www.facebook.com/groups/29219...

Apologies for the odd sound on the recording in the intro section, but all recovers as soon as the interview begins.

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This week's episode is all about working within the salon industry as a mobile worker.  If self employment beckons then going mobile gives you great flexibility and allows your clients to relax in their own home or take a break in their workplace in some circumstances.  Whether you are providing hair, nails or beauty services packing up your kit in your vehicle may offer you a great career away if your home doesn't lend itself to a home salon and you want to be your own boss.  

There are pros and cons to this way of working as you can lose a lot of time travelling which could be spent providing treatments to more clients but for many professionals this is their favoured working style and they've made very successful businesses trading as a mobile worker.

Talking through the pros and cons of being employed in salon after you qualify.  A great way to build up experience and grow your skills.  Learning skills on the job and developing your career in a safe and supported environment is the first step for so many new professionals and getting paid holiday, pensions and more may be more secure than taking a leap straight into self employment going mobile or in a home salon. 

Join my world at suedavies.org or on the Inspiring Salon Professionals community on Facebook.

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Once you've taken your initial salon qualifications and your career begins many soon realise there are treatments they love and treatments that are loved a little less.  Harnessing that passion can make you a "specialist" and in today's tough marketplace that can make you more employable or help your business grow in a direction that you will enjoy more and will help you become a more profitable professional.

Whether it's as a skincare specialist, colour specialist, nail specialist the options are broad as a salon professional, so find your favoured skill and ramp it up!!

Vist the website and download my free guides here

Join me on Facebook here

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As I close the series on Career Pathways, in this episode we look back a little over previous episodes and look forward into where your career can take you and why our industry needs to increase awareness of our value.

Join me on the Inspiring Salon Professionals Facebook group or on download my free guides on my website.

Please remember to subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and colleagues.

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I ran out of time last week to record and so was a last minute Larry today and knew I needed to just get something down and was procrastinating over which subject I was going to cover today as had a few.  Then I started receiving messages in response to my first post in my local village group about my new home salon which was great, but 2 of them didn't read my information and started pushing my people pleaser buttons.  It took a lot of control and effort to say NO! 

The first one hadn't looked at my website/treatment menu wanted me to do a treatment I could do and have done for years, but have chosen not to anymore and the other hadn't read my opening hours and wanted to book an appointment on a Saturday which I don't work. 

My immediate reaction to both was one of perhaps I should, just starting out and I need to grow the clientele, but I also knew that if I said yes, I'd set a precedent and the whole of the village would know I gave in as soon as those people pleaser buttons were pressed.  So I responded to both with a polite no! 

I respected my own boundaries and I know I'll thank myself for it down the line.

As I return to providing services for a couple of days I do not want to end up back in a full time treatment role.  My salon is there to work for me and to keep me aligned with industry for a little longer, not the other way round but I've worked with the public too many years and know that the inch/mile and who gets which end will never work in my favour if I roll over and say yes everytime.  

Don't forget to like and subscribe and please share the podcast with friends and colleagues. 

You can listen to more episodes on the ISP website www.suedavies.org and you'll also find free guides you can download there too.

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In this episode I am giving you a starter of what you need to consider when looking to start a mobile salon business, a home salon business and a salon premises business.  For all discerning salon professionals that have an entrepreneurial mindset owning your own business is often the dream.  In today's world this can be on a smaller scale or on a large scale of spa domination, salon franchise models or more.  But, the one thing in common is that they all start from the same place... Preparation & Opportunity!

To start a business of any size the same key things remain - location, ideal client, branding & marketing with business literacy and the support services that surround it all being in place.

Starting the journey can be daunting, but with the right knowledge and education you will be able to make the first steps into Salon Owner Success!!

In this podcast I mention the the downloadable FREE pdf on '8 Top Tips to Starting Your Salon Industry Business' which is available here.

Do you join me over on my Inspiring Salon Professionals Facebook Group

Here's the link for your HMRC registration  https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business

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This episode features the Career & Small Business Hub that I'm jointly hosting with Helen Ward. We know it's going to be an amazing weekend and will be kicked off by the Salon Education Journal and The Hair & Beauty Directory LAUNCH PARTY!

The Career & Small Business Hub is the collaborative event created by Helen Ward (The Hair & Beauty Directory) & Sue Davies (Nabuno & Salon Education Journal in association with Professional Beauty. We are aware that over the last few years the salon industry has become an ever more challenging space to work within, whether you are a professional or as a salon/business owner. The salon workforce has faced considerable stress, challenges, changing backdrops and financial constraints that have not been felt before or in so many ways. We also have a changing industry for students and learners who are entering industry without the clarity of career pathways and besst options. With these challenges there has never been a more important time for the industry to come together to help those that may be going through challenges, need advice on their futures and maybe just a friendly face that understands how the world has changed. Our experts and experienced professionals are on hand to provide you with support, a safe space, no judgement and nothing but help and guidance to get you through what may be a challenging time. With informal round tables where you can share an expert led conversation around a certain subject, panel discussions, networking opportunities, ‘ask us anything’ sessions, drop in opportunities to chat with a mentor, 1-2-1's with some of the industry’s best known coaches and experts; the list of what you can take away from this event is huge. Alongside this we have showcases for small businesses who are joining us to promote their services and products in our informal and intimate space. We know the value of this event is immense and when you call in you’ll be able to access our FREE Virtual Swagbag which is full of digital resources and discounts for some amazing opportunities to improve your mind or try a variety of products/services.

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In this episode I have a deep dive with Helena Biggs on the Scratch Stars Awards, THE nail industry awards. Now in it's 12th year and one of the most integrity filled award systems in the salon industry. I'm a tad biased as I have been involved as an entrant, finalist, winner and judge since the first year and I've had the honour of winning Salon of the Year (Independent) in 2014 and Services to the Nail Industry in 2017. Both times the process was challenging and hard earned and those two awards still have pride of place on my shelf.

The awards are open for entries until midnight 10 March 2024 and if you miss this years, start prepping for next years with your images and also by enhancing your customer journey. It is a vital part of the process with Scratch Stars. The application process and judging look at not only the given skill set of the category, but also the overall running of your business, your industry awareness and your client journey through your socials and website etc. No stone is left unturned.

If you are ready to 'Stand Up and Be Recognised!' get your entry in now! All categories require evidence of your qualifications/insurance to show you are a professional but you can work part time in the industry as long as you provide 10 hours of nail services per week for practical skill categories and other conditions apply to other categories.

I hope you can feel the positivity surrounding the awards from both Helena and myself as we are both super passionate about promoting the nail industry as a professional entity in it's own right and also as part of the wider salon industry.

Find out more and enter Scratch Stars here

Subscribe to Scratch Magazine here

Join Scratch on Insta

Here's the official guide from Scratch Stars for dates and details

HOW IT WORKS

Stage 1: Online entry open

1 February - 10 March 2024

On 1 February, FREE online entry will open for competition hopefuls. Entrants can choose up to two categories to enter & fill in the relevant form for each.

Stage 2: Finalists revealed

15 April 2024

The Scratch team whittles the entrants down to five in each category & announces them across its platforms. Finalists are emailed information about the next competition stage.

Stage 3: Competing & judging

From 20 May 2024

Those in the artistic & technical categories are sent requirements for a practical competition, which takes place at LCBT. Judges, put forward by sponsors, score on various criteria & the results are collated to determine each category winner.

Those in the media & business categories are required to either submit a portfolio or are subject to a mystery shop. Others will have reports taken on their social stats. 

Stage 4: Winners revealed!

Sunday 21 July 2024

The winners of the Scratch Stars Awards will be announced at a glitzy event - The Scratch Stars Party - in London on 21 July 2024.

You can find out more about Inspiring Salon Professionals on my website and you can pick up the back catalogue of podcasts there as well as downloading my free guides.

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Join me on this International Women's Day as I talk about collaboration amongst women and why we are more than "JUST'. In today's industry we experience unconcious bias regularly from the media, our families, teachers, careers advisors but worse is when we do it to ourselves. When was the last time you said, 'I just have a home salon', 'I just do nails' etc

We are more than 'just'. The salon industry is full of intelligent, academic, skilled, experienced, dedicated professionals who excel every day and should be celebrated.

Join me on my other episodes on my website and on my Facebook group

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Join myself and Ryan Power of Salonology as we take a deep dive into what makes you stand out in the marketplace to your clients, both potential and existing and how to use email to make the difference in your business. The conversation is over 2 episodes as we discussed a whole lot more than we first set out but wanted to share all the nuggets.

Over the 2 parts we talk about how you talk to them about you, your business and the services you offer is a vital part of building your clientele. We talk about the voice you use, the stories you share and how you can do this using email. Most of the salon industry drew a collective sharp intake of breath when Meta recently went down for a few hours as there was a huge question mark over whether they'd been hacked and lost not only their personal social world but more financially affecting, whether they'd lost contact with their community and clients. I knew that Ryan had an answer for this dilemma as we all need to understand we do NOT own the data on Meta and as Ryan explains in the episode we are merely tenants, renting space from Mr Zuckerberg. Email presents an opportunity for you to grow your business away from the risks associated with hosting your business on your socials. It's a lesson we all need to hear and I know the value in this episode.

Ryan and I meander through some other areas of marketing along the way and share thoughts, experiences and methods to make your business prosper.

About Ryan

Ryan Power is co-founder of salon coaching and mentorship brand Salonology and is a self confessed marketing geek. A former day spa and salon owner, he and wife Hollie have, for the last decade, helped more than 5,000 other salon owners with their courses, guides and programs - all under the Salonology banner - including 400 salon owners who are a part of the Salonology 'Gold Club' group coaching experience.  He's also the author of two salon marketing books; "the Successful Salon Marketing System" and "The Customer Is Always Right (And 7.5 Other Outdated Myths Which Are Destroying Your Beauty Business)". When not helping salon owners to live their best salon life Ryan can be found loitering with intent in the hummus aisle of the local supermarket.

Here's Ryan's links so you can join him on his journey to share his marketing skills to the masses of the salon industry.

Grab my new book for just £1 (plus the postage)

Join our Gold Club (with a £297 saving for March 2024)

Spend a day with Ryan at bootcamp! 8 UK locations

Free Facebook community

Facebook page

Salonology Instagram

Ryan's Instagram

You can download my Inspiring Salon Professionals Free Guides at www.suedavies.org

Don't forget to share and subscribe to the podcast!

Thanks for listening

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join myself and Ryan Power of Salonology as we take a deep dive into what makes you stand out in the marketplace to your clients, both potential and existing and how to use email to make the difference in your business. The conversation is over 2 episodes as we discussed a whole lot more than we first set out but wanted to share all the nuggets.

Over the 2 parts we talk about how you talk to them about you, your business and the services you offer is a vital part of building your clientele. We talk about the voice you use, the stories you share and how you can do this using email. Most of the salon industry drew a collective sharp intake of breath when Meta recently went down for a few hours as there was a huge question mark over whether they'd been hacked and lost not only their personal social world but more financially affecting, whether they'd lost contact with their community and clients. I knew that Ryan had an answer for this dilemma as we all need to understand we do NOT own the data on Meta and as Ryan explains in the episode we are merely tenants, renting space from Mr Zuckerberg. Email presents an opportunity for you to grow your business away from the risks associated with hosting your business on your socials. It's a lesson we all need to hear and I know the value in this episode.

Ryan and I meander through some other areas of marketing along the way and share thoughts, experiences and methods to make your business prosper.

About Ryan

Ryan Power is co-founder of salon coaching and mentorship brand Salonology and is a self confessed marketing geek. A former day spa and salon owner, he and wife Hollie have, for the last decade, helped more than 5,000 other salon owners with their courses, guides and programs - all under the Salonology banner - including 400 salon owners who are a part of the Salonology 'Gold Club' group coaching experience.  He's also the author of two salon marketing books; "the Successful Salon Marketing System" and "The Customer Is Always Right (And 7.5 Other Outdated Myths Which Are Destroying Your Beauty Business)". When not helping salon owners to live their best salon life Ryan can be found loitering with intent in the hummus aisle of the local supermarket.

Here's Ryan's links so you can join him on his journey to share his marketing skills to the masses of the salon industry.

Grab my new book for just £1 (plus the postage)

Join our Gold Club (with a £297 saving for March 2024)

Spend a day with Ryan at bootcamp! 8 UK locations

Free Facebook community

Facebook page

Salonology Instagram

Ryan's Instagram

You can download my Inspiring Salon Professionals Free Guides at www.suedavies.org

Don't forget to share and subscribe to the podcast!

Thanks for listening

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Being faced with a challenging business environment in the upcoming couple of years means we have to address how we look at attracting the clients who may be fewer and who may be more discerning. 

As salon professionals one of the things we can do is tell our existing and potential clients about why they're making a good choice by investing in you and your business.  Within this how you stack up as a professional is a vital part of the story.  

In this episode I'm looking at what makes a professional, ways of sharing and what some of the figures are behind consumer opinions. 

Using your social media platforms, website and other resources to shout from the rooftops about your qualifications, professional insurances and legitimate status may make a potential client prick up their ears or an existing one talk about you to their friends & family and get that whole word of mouth marketing strategy going. 

Sharing your story of how you entered the industry as a blog, facebook live, social post will get you more noticed than someone showing yet another back of head or nail pic that someone just scross past.  Human stories sell more than pics unless someone's looking for a new style, design or solution. 

Make your professionalism be the reason your next new client books in!

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This week's episode is about how your perspective and outlook can impact your world and how sometimes things can get skewed as we literally can't see the wood for the trees. My woods cleared this week as the view I look out on while I work has been a run of 12ft high Leylandii conifer trees that blocked my view to the the world beyond my boundary. This week they were removed as we are replacing them with a 4ft fence so we can have a clear view, less maintenance and actually see a horizon (well nearly). This has been a very physical removal and replacement of a boundary but I've also been taking time out after a very hectic few months to reflect, practice some self care and to look at my future pathway with more clarity.

As an industry we are facing uncertain times and a future that is unknown. This is pretty much a constant, although with each set of challenges we often feel that it's the first time we've experienced these things. In this episode I'm asking you to reflect on where you are, what your concerns are for the future, what you can do about those concerns now and whether you need to adjust your boundaries around that.

There is much we can do to practice living in the moment and sometimes the waiting for something to happen that will be the right thing can be the last thing you need. Acting in preparation is always more beneficial than waiting in trepidation.

Join me on Facebook and don't forget to subscribe and share the podcast if you've enjoyed the content.

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Customer Journey is about the first moment of connection through to that long lasting bond that you have with regular clients who value you and what you do and you value them for continuing to be part of your business journey.

In the coming episodes I'm going to be talking to you about the different elements that make up this part of your business - the UXP (User Experience) - and how you can make that connection stronger and more appealing to a potential client.

In this episode we'll cover Discovery which is all about what happens once that person has had the idea that they want to book a service and what they do next? We'll look at Google, websites and social media and discuss how attracting your ideal client is about more than just having a presence.

How does your business stand out against the other salons around you? How are you connecting when clients are doing their research? Do you have …

·     Your Google Business Profile. This is a hugely important piece of your marketing and gives potential clients an awareness of all the vital information without looking for your website or socials and puts you on that handy map on Google. Used well Google Business Profiles can create a great online shop window for your business, which is even more important if you don’t have a physical shop window.

·     Do you let your potential clients know what your accessibility levels are? For example, are you wheelchair accessible, deaf accessible, do you provide silent treatments, are you trans aware? All these elements and more can welcome different communities to your business.

·     An up to date and current website that provides information about the business including treatments, pricing and booking options. Make sure that the information is current.

·     An up to date and current social page on Facebook or Instagram

These 3 areas are the first points of contact for any new client in today’s world. Yes, some may do the old-fashioned thing of walking past a few times if you have a high street venue, and then coming in for a price list, but with more home-based businesses than ever, your online presence is how they do ‘a walk by’. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with positivity and professionalism.

Over the coming weeks we'll be unpacking more about this as I take you on a journey through your own business and look at ways you can adjust your outward messaging to attract more ideal clients.

Join me on my Facebook group

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Welcome to Part 2 of the Customer Journey series I'm sharing over the next few weeks.

The Welcome you provide for your clients is a fundamental part of why they revisit your business. If you get your welcome right, it tells the client that they've chosen well, that you align with them and that you are a pleasant and positive place to spend their money in return for the service you provide.

Everything we do within the salon industry is about providing service and that service needs to be consistently at the same high standard. Everyday should be an award-winning salon day, whether you've won awards or not. As an industry we should all be operating at that level to elevate the consumer view of what we do and to ensure that we represent our industry well.

How you greet your clients when they arrive often serves as the first in-person-contact they have with you and your business and sets the tone for their experience. Creating a welcoming space will enhance, even subconsciously, their likelihood of returning as they’re eyes, ears, nose, and hands will be filling up their senses of what they are experiencing. Check the following areas:

· Ensure the entry/reception area is clean, organised, and easy on the eye

· Give a warm welcome by using their names and mentioning the service they're having, those touches mean a lot

· Make sure you're attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about salon services and any offers you have

· Offer refreshments, current magazines etc that fit your client demographic

Subconscious messaging will be picked up by your client and will reinforce their internal 'I'm in the right place' checks.

How does your current Welcome look? Could it do with a review? Remember first impressions count and those first impressions are revisited every time they come for their service.

Join me on my Facebook group and look forward to sharing more on Customer Journey next time.

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Welcome to the third part of my series on Customer Journey where we're exploring the variety of ways that you connect with your clients.

The ethereal nature of ambience is that something that your client may not be able to exactly put their finger on until it’s not right. Ambience is that feeling of niceness, comfort, and Mmm. It’s things like your venue being clean, hygienic, tidy, the right lighting, good brand colours, a clean toilet (yes, that’s part of it too, believe me as a someone who’s been mystery shopped and read mystery shop reports as a judge many times, I’ve witnessed several comments on how clean or dirty a client toilet was.

Things to look out for are…

·  Lighting – soft in treatment rooms, task lighting at workstations, good lighting in your welcome area. If you only have one space, then have a mix of lighting elements so you can brighten or dim depending on task at hand

·  Hygienic work areas, meaning no messy wax pots, no nail service dust, clean bottles. This type of attention to detail is not noticed when it’s done but when it’s left out of daily routines it’s the elements that the client will remember negatively.

·  How are your work areas set up to welcome a client? What is your towel set up like? Do you use a heated underblanket or a cool blanket if you have clients that are going through menopause and may need something cooler.

·  How do you adapt your service for clients that may need other types of support, providing inclusive based services for other humans that you need extra awareness to help them feel they can connect with you. Think of the deaf community, neurodiverse people, menopausal women - the list is quite endless but if you can hone in and show you understand, can adapt services and can assist them they will arrive and be loyal to you in the longer term.

The website is going to be moving to a new home shortly, so the best place to connect is on my Inspiring Salon Professionals Facebook group and I also host and manage a group called UK Salon Professionals & Education Providers Business Advice & Guidance where there is a collective of approved experts and coaches to help you grow your business.

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In this episode we continue the series on Customer Journey and look at departure and how that flows for your client.

• Checking in with them on their happy level at the end of their service
• Aftercare and homecare with professional recommendations
• Rebooking and payment with simplicity and ease
• Valuing their visit and asking for feedback

These elements are major factors in the experience they take away with them and will be part of what makes them want to reconnect.

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Welcome to the final part in the series on Customer Journey and in this episode I'm talking all things Reconnection.

How to communicate and maintain relationships with clients once they've walked out of your venue. The methods are varied and cover areas like:

• Client goody bags with free gifts, merchandise, price lists - all tangible things to hold and commit their experience to memory and their sub-conscious mind
• Loyalty schemes - they'll want the next stamp and the incentive
• Recommend a Friend - they'll be talking about you
• Emailing and reconnecting with absent clients
• Emailing as a follow up to their treatment - make them feel valued, educated, cared about and heard
• Social media - VIP groups, community
• Memberships and clubs

There are so many ways to keep up communication with your clients and I'd love to hear what you do to maintain that connection.

At the end of the episode I talk about my new venture, Sue Davies - Inspiring Business Excellence which I'm launching and will provide opportunities for you to connect with me to audit your business' client journey with the Client Experience Audit and also book my Mystery Shopper Audit.

The Client Experience Audit is FREE and takes you through a 26 question quiz to review your client experience through 6 areas. You'll receive an overall score along with feedback so you can see areas you're doing great and areas you may need to review. There is also the opportunity to book a review call with me to discuss how you can implement changes and adjust your client journey.

Take the FREE Client Experience Audit here

The Mystery Shopper Audit will provide you a full review of your discover, connection and booking processes with a feedback report. This is

Buy your Mystery Shopper Audit & Report £48.50 until 31/5/24 use code SL50 (usual price £97)

Buy your Mystery Shopper Audit, Report & 60 min Implementation Call £98.50 use code SL50 (usual price £197)

Want to get more organised in your business and work through your mission, goals, be more mindful and have all your planning in one place? Buy my new 6 month undated Salon Business Planner here with FREE postage!

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Joining me on this episode is Debbie Allen, a salon professional and education expert who has over 40 years served. We discuss how your professional boundaries advise your clients on how your business operates, what they can expect and also how they help you maintain your own sense of self, wellbeing and business management. We share our experiences of when boundaries flex too much and what an unprofessional service can do for your client perception.

Debbie is a mindset and hypnotherapy coach as well as a salon industry education provider covering everything from entry level to advanced skills and through to helping professionals transition into education.

You can connect with Debbie through her Just Fabulous socials...

Debbie's Instagram

Debbie's Facebook

Head over to the Just Fabulous website and download Debbie's free Ebook - Raise Your Confidence Game .

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In this episode of Inspiring Salon Professionals I talk with Mandie Holgate who is an international business coach and cheerleader.

In this episode we continue on the client journey series discussing the ways the clients find you online and how you can promote your business in different ways. Mandie is an expert in blogging for business and a good blog can bring you so much new business and ground you as THE expert in your area.

Mandie is the coach that makes dreams reality. When others say it's impossible that's when best selling author of Fight the Fear and Taking Control Of Your Mind steps in. Growing over 10,000 businesses and millions of people's skills in communication, Emotional Intelligence and confidence, Mandie has made a career out of making the impossible, possible.

Overcoming adversity and ill health, Mandie has spoken at international events around business, mindset and communication supporting teams from Virgin Care and WHSmiths, to the NHS and Small businesses around the world.

Her Can do attitude and fun lively approach makes the hardest conversations and challenges easier and they melt away.

With over 1000 strategies personalised designed by Mandie to help people succeed, 3 books, 14 courses and one mastermind group there’s a solution for all budgets.

To find out more about joining the BWN Insiders follow this link

https://www.thebusinesswomansnetwork.co.uk/bwn-insider-benefits/

You can simply Google Mandie and you'll find the vast amount of things she's known for or you can check out these links ....

https://www.facebook.com/TheBusinessWomansNetwork

https://twitter.com/BWNcouk

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2633035/https://www.instagram.com/thebusinesswomansnetworkuk/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/mandieholgate/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/MandieHolgateFightthefearCoach

https://twitter.com/Mandieholgate

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandieholgatefightthefear/

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Welcoming Stephanie Stevenson to the Inspiring Salon Professionals podcast. Steph joined me recently for a catch up and a conversation that's long overdue.

Steph is a global business leader with over 30 years of experience in the hair, retail, and business sectors. Founder of the award-winning HNB Salon & Spa, she has collaborated with leading international brands and pioneered innovative strategies, blending AI and human dynamics to shape the future of business. A previous board member of the National Hairdressers/Beauty Federation, Steph is also a motivational speaker, industry awards judge, and is in the world of AI development. Her work with Kaikura, a personal development app, reflects her passion for driving innovation and supporting businesses to thrive in an ever-evolving global landscape.

In our conversation we talk through salon memberships, how the salon AI of the near future will be able to help you predict no shows, cancellations and individual client retail sales. We also talk through the struggles currently facing the industry in light of the Autumn 24 budget and the ongoing impact of client shifts since before, during and after the pandemic. Steph shares her list of must haves to be a successful entrepreneur and business owner in 2025 which includes enhancing your client experience, building your business skills and more.

It's a broad and long episode so buckle up if your on your school run, grab a cuppa or a wine if you're in the salon or at home and listen to what I know you'll find an interesting listen.

Follow Steph on Facebook

Link up with Steph on LinkedIn

Connect with me on my socials and website via my Linktree

If you've enjoyed this episode and want to help the podcast continue to thrive, please consider 'Buying Me A Coffee" Give £3 or multiples of to make a small contribution to the curation, production and information provided.

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Welcome to the new salon industry podcast "Inspiring Salon Professionals".

Join me, Sue Davies, as I host Inspiring Salon Professionals my new podcast where you can join me each week to hear me along with established salon professionals and industry leaders share stories, knowledge and guidance on everything salon and beyond. 

The podcast will be a combination of solo shows and industry interviews.  I’ll be talking with inspiring professionals who’ve built their careers from therapist to owner, nail techs who’ve honed their skills on the comp floor and progressed to award winning salon owners and many more.  I’ll also be sharing my experiences of owning and growing an award-winning salon.  

We’ll be starting the podcast at the natural beginning and talking all things qualifications and how to start the journey into the hair, nail & beauty industry.  In the following episodes we’ll work through career routes through to the ultimate for most professionals which is salon ownership.  We’ll cover areas of personal development, how to grow confidence, change your mindset and become more proactive in your career.

So, join me as I embark on my new journey and hold your hand, as you grow into a more confident salon professional and learn from some of the masters who have already discovered the art of being an inspiring industry professional.

Join my online world HERE

Join me on Facebook and Instagram 

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With yet another employment tribunal finding in favour of the 'self employed' worker the salon industry needs to get a rein on how we are operating our businesses.  

If you have self employed workers operating in your establishment and particularly if they have moved from employed by your to self employed without any major changes it's time to wake up and smell the proverbial coffee.  

In this episode we look at what makes a self employed business and how it should be operating in your establishment.  What doesn't constitute a self employed person and what can happen when HMRC come knocking on the door. 

Here's a link to one of the HMRC guidances on employer responsibilities 

Connect with me on Facebook

Or visit the website to check out previous episodes.

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If you want to start your own salon business, this episode is all about how to build your vision, look at you why and building the skills you need to make a success of your dream.  Grab a pen & paper as if you're looking to build that dream then you may want to do the couple of exercises included in this episode.

With more and more colleage/course graduates wanting to become solopreneurs the industry is awash with start ups, but if you rush in without planning you may find that you don't get to the giddy heights you see across social media (although, the here's a heads up - don't always believe the Insta reality - it's not always genuine, but sure you know that). 

Remember to build your own dream and not follow someone else's! 

Addressing 5 key questions to discover your vision and your why - Pen & Paper needed

Looking at how we all have transferrable skills that we can transfer into our new business and addressing our skill deficit so we can get the knowledge behind us that we need to progress - Pen & Paper needed

Don't forget to subscribe and share with your friends. 

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This is episode is intended as a guide to how modern slavery and human trafficking affects its victims but also how us, as the industry professionals, should recognise, behave towards and potentially report this illegal activity.

With thousands of victims across many industries and money making activities, modern slavery is big business in the drug scene and is known as County Lines in this field and in, for example, domestic servitude. These seems to represent what people expect to see when they think of people being trafficked to be modern slaves.  However, the humble manicure or handy car wash are often operated by trafficked people.  

This podcast episode looks at the effects on the nail & beauty industry and deals with some tough questions we need to ask ourselves.  All data has been researched and quoted from the references below and I have endeavoured to be as open and honest as possible in this very difficult subject.  

The entitled expectation that every woman has a right to regular nail service has fuelled the illegal trade that goes on under the authorities noses as it seems too nice a service to be affected by human trafficking. 

As professionals we can probably spot the irregularities of these 'businesses' more easily than Joe Public, but we often refrain from doing anything for fear of peer or authority judgement on our reasons for reporting.  We and the authorities need to realise that they are not our rivals or competition they are organised criminal venues and as such we are helping the victims escape their invisible shackles.

To report anonymously and confidentially you can call

08000 121700 or visit modernslaveryhelpline.org to register you concern.

You can also call 101 and if you feel that someone's life is in imminent danger please call 999.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-45130589

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-42541977 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/modern-slavery-national-referral-mechanism-and-duty-to-notify-statistics-uk-quarter-1-2022-january-to-march/modern-slavery-national-referral-mechanism-and-duty-to-notify-statistics-uk-quarter-1-2022-january-to-march

https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/who-we-are/publications/291-modern-slavery-and-human-trafficking-national-referral-mechanism-statistics-january-to-march-2019/file

https://www.unseenuk.org/about-modern-slavery/spot-the-signs/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/21/what-does-your-10-manicure-really-cost-the-unvarnished-truth-about-nail-bars

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When you're developing your career as a salon professional as a hairstylist,nail tech, beauty therapist, holistic therapist, lash tech, aesthetics provider there is so much that goes into it and as you work hard to achieve your goals you may need help and support along the way.  The first point for many of us is our family and friends, but support comes in many forms and in this episode we look at how growing your industry network can help as the peers you meet on forums and the like are usually the only ones that understand your drive, determination and desires of how to be the best you can be.  I also look at some of the financial support available and where to access it. 

Here's the links that relate to subjects covered in this episode

Join me on my own platform https://suedavies.org/

Join me on my Facebook group

The Prince's Trust help 16-24 year olds with self development and business start up

Nostos Candles provides beautifully scented hand-poured mini candles that are great for retail for any size business.

For information on funding your education as an over 19 year old https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan

National Enterprise Agency Directory to find your local providers

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In this episode we'll explore 10 Top Tips for recruiting an expert in website design and delve into the important things to look for in a collaborator to help you build a strong web presence.  We'll go through the value that can be added to your business when working with skilled web designers who can transform your online vision into a beautiful and client attracting reality.

Join me as I talk about the the sometimes challenging world of web design and look at how you can unlock the power of a captivating web presence for whether you are a solo business owner or a team leading salon owner.

I'll be covering how to think about and create your brief and why this is absolutely vital and how getting it wrong can be costly.  Topics covered include page types, information to give or not to give, branding, SEO and more.

To hear more episodes you can visit the website

Join ISP on Facebook

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What is SWOT analysis?   It's a simple business system to help you assess the following:

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

In this episode I run through how this can help you when planning for your business.  If you want to expand, develop a new treatment line, take on a high street salon, completing a SWOT analysis can help you work out the viability of your plan. 

Here's an infographic you can download to help you keep in mind how SWOT works...

Join the ISP Facebook group here

Find me online at www.suedavies.org

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When setting up your salon business getting your branding correct is imperative to being recognised in a busy commercial salon marketplace.  Your brand is more than just your logo, business name or slogan. Your brand tells your potential clients who you are, what you do, what they can expect and reminds your existing clients of who you are whenever they see your strong brand message on social media or in the local area. 

Your brand strategy should shout to your ideal client what you stand for, what you will do for them and it puts across your business personality and for solopreneurs a little bit more of the who you are personally is often incorporated.

Your salon branding encompasses:

• Business Name
• Logo
• Colour Scheme/Palette
• Slogan
• Product
• Price Range
• Where You Deliver Your Service
• How you Promote Your Business
• Brand Values
• Brand Personality
• Brand Identity

There's a few questions you may want to grab a pen and paper for in this episode if you are on your brand journey currently, and even if you think you have your brand sorted, I'm sure there'll be something you can take away with you. 

Start your Branding 101 process here and develop a strong brand that tells your perfect client who you are and why they need to be visiting you.

To discover more podcasts, videos, free guides and more go to the Sue Davies website

Join me on my Sue Davies - Inspiring Salon Professionals Facebook page here 

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• https://www.instagram.com/philjacksoncoach/
• https://www.facebook.com/philjacksoncoach/

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Today is launch day for the all new salon industry publication, Salon Education Journal.  SEJ is the creation of myself and my business partner, Di Hughes, who has worked with me on Nabuno and many other salon related projects since 2014.  Here is a little background on Salon Education Journal.

Salon Education Journal focusses on education in the salon industry. At SEJ, we believe that education is the Keystone of the whole industry. without education we would have no industry.

We are a little bit different to other industry publications as the majority of our editorial and features content is provided by our Collaborative Columnists. They have been invited to join us as they provide valuable experience and knowledge in their specialist area and cover all sectors of the industry. Within each sector you’ll find recognisable names from peers, mentors, coaches and educators talking about what they’ve done best over decades of experience, but focussing on actionable information to help you grow your career, business or academy.

Our approach is different in both informational content but also in advertising with us. If you’re a smaller supplier our aim is make advertising more affordable to allow a new light to shine on the roots of our industry.

If you want to know more please visit the Salon Education Journal website

To order or subscribe to the publication you'll find out all you need to know here

If you are a smaller brand and would like to advertise with SEJ please see our Rate Card

As always you can find out all about Inspiring Salon Professionals and listen to other episodes here

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With, hopefully, an uninterrupted Christmas season kicking in as this episode goes to air there is an opportunity in every salon business to gain new clients to carry through to 2022.  We have had a tough time as businesses and individuals over the last 2 years and as we book new clients in this Christmas we need to address the elephant in the room - Rebooking!! A skill not used by every salon and many then ask in January and February, "Why am I so quiet?"  Often it's because there was no rebooking.  In this episode I give a tried and tested incentive I'veused in my salon over the last 10 years that helped get new and existing clients booking in January & February.

As an industry we need to pull up our big person pants and make sure we ask the biggest and most important questions post consultation - "Would you like to rebook?"  To some a terrifying prospect to others the way they fill their diaries.  If you aren't sure about rebooking then listen to this episode and get an insight into what you're missing.

Join me on the Inspiring Salon Professionals Facebook group 

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This week's episode is a big one! You may want to grab a cuppa and a seat as there's a lot of information to take in on the topic of apprenticeships. 

Whether you're looking to be an apprentice or a salon owner wanting to start this invaluable method of recruitment there will be hints and tips that are helpful for everyone.

If you haven't heard of traineeships then you may benefit from the information Sarah imparts on this area.  As an ex salon owner this is something I hadn't heard of and I think it would have been very useful to me in the last few years.

We cover grants available to employers, the benefits of apprenticeships to both parties and look forward to the future workforce and recruitment challenges in the salon industry.  How to utilise your trainees and increase revenues using the unique opportunity they provide as part of your team.

The industry is pushing towards degree level qualifications in the next couple of years and so deserves recognition as the professional power that it is now becoming.  

Institute of Apprenticeships as mentioned by Sarah is an organisation that works on Apprenticeship Standards and is a useful place to look for different types of apprenticeship in the salon industry.

Also mentioned in the show this week are the beautiful hand-poured candles made by my daughter in her business Nostos Candles.  Started in the pandemic lockdowns, she is now selling direct to consumers as well as offering wholesale to small business and salon owners to retail in their premises for Christmas and all other times of the year

You can follow Nostos Candles on Instagram or Facebook.

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Salon ownership is a dream many salon professionals aspire to and in this episode we begin to look at how this journey can begin.  This is a highlights only overview of the big world of salon ownership but if it's on your vision board, there's lots of food for thought, guidance and pointers on how to prepare yourself for one of the biggest roles in the industry.  

How many hats do you need to wear to be a salon owner? Premises management, staff management, marketing & social media, branding, accounts, legal, leases, business management, events, customer service, retail and so much more.

To support this episode you can also download my FREE 8 Top Tips to Starting Your Own Salon Industry Business HERE

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Join me on this episode where I am talking about the role of Educator.  There are so many opportunities to work as an educator in the industry whether it's as a independent academy, brand educator, college tutor or even as on a freelance basis.

It can be a rewarding career pathway and one that requires experience, dedication to continuing your development and helping your students grow into great professionals.

Covering the types of qualifications required to be an educator (AET, CET, DET, CAVA) and how to ensure your underpinning knowledge is suitable and will get you off to the right start.

Join my world at suedavies.org

You can also join me on my Facebook Community Group or on Instagram

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Marta Zaczkowska joins me to talk all things waxing standards and growing your waxing business the right way.  The waxing industry has been a growth market within the wider salon sector for many years and with this it brings more attention from outside the industry and from social media influencers and tik-tokers more recently.  We've all seen that there are unqualified people making these viral videos and Marta has seen and heard from enough of her followers to know it's time for there to be a step up from the professional industry to make sure we are setting the standards and not following poor hygiene and techniques often shown online. 

Always at the forefront of waxing, Marta has recently added a paid for consultation and patch test to her treatment list and she explains the reasons behind this and how it's being welcomed by her clients. 

We discuss CPD, and the lack of it, in waxing and how beyond intimate and pregnancy waxing there aren't many ways to refresh and improve beyond your Level 2 or entry level classes.  Waxing is often the least liked service for any newbie with a fear factor attached to many wax services.  So are educators missing an opportunity to improve confidence and skills amongst the sector.

We also discuss Marta's upcoming Retreat for Waxing Professionals that she is hosting in Marrakesh in January 2024 and with a limited number of places available, if you want to be in it you need to book soon!

Marta is generously sharing her E-Book which she developed following setting up the Support Group for Waxing Professionals on Facebook earlier this year.

Marta's Website 

Raising Standards In Waxing Campaign Free Guide

If you want to find out more about the Marrakesh Business Retreat in January 2024

Join the Facebook group - Support Group for Waxing Professionals 

If you want to hear the Inspiring Salon Professionals back catalogue you can visit my website.

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Here’s Philippa’s explanation of what she does and how she helps women change their lives…

"I help women change unwanted behaviours, habits and beliefs that hold them back from feeling empowered to thrive and redefine what’s possible for them in business and life. 

After years of struggling with anxiety, lack of self-belief and the confidence to be who I am and create the life and business I desired, I hit crisis point along with burnout, I realised in that moment that I had settled for less than I desired, that things must change and realised there had to be a different way of thinking, feeling and being, that I must be able to live life on my own terms. It set me on a journey to discover and master the techniques, tools and strategies that empowered me to breakthrough and transform every area of my life including my business, and I now teach other women how to do the same. 

As an international award-winning mindset coach, therapy practitioner and business mentor, I have been recognised by my industry peers and awarded the gold standard for my commitment to industry ethics, standards working practices and a 100% success rate for my clients."

We discuss what Philippa’s role is in her career and how she can bring clarity and help you shift what does not serve you and how creating the right boundaries can assist you in ensuring your mental, physical and business wellbeing.  We look at valuing your worth, imposter syndrome and how serving yourself first will in fact serve those around you so much more positively.

Working in alignment with our values is a big part of how Philippa can assist you clarify and pin down your future so you begin to create the world you desire and deserve.

In the second part of this interview which will be released next week we do a deep dive on burnout and how easily we accept stress and burnout as our normal.  We look at creating better habits and changing our narrative to become the person we desire to be.

Philippa explains how our version of self-care is often hitting the spot and how true self-care varies from the media image we all fall for.

Only through changing our mindset and limiting beliefs will our true self be unleashed and empowered, and Philippa has kindly given ISP followers an offer and opportunity to work with her at a special rate if you sign up before 30/4/2022.  The details can be found on the Inspiring Salon Professionals Facebook group and it is a great offer!!

She’s put together an irresistible offer of a Power Up Session where you will receive 2 hours of 1:1 coaching with Philippa to help boost your general mindset, confidence or business.

These sessions have a value of £600, and she usually charges £295, however for ISP followers she is offering it at an irresistible price of £195, that’s an incredible saving of £95 if you purchase the offer before the 30th April 2022. In order to get the offer, you must quote “Power Up Salon Professional” when calling 07834 714716 to book. 

This is so worth your investment and could help you unlock your limiting beliefs and what is holding you back!

You can find Philippa in the following places…

www.philippaholding.com

@iamphilippaholding for Instagram 

@philippaholdingcoaching for Facebook

You can take Philippa’s Burnout Quiz on her website which we discuss in Part 2 of this interview

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In this episode I'm talking about how adversity sometimes allows the brightest of ideas to form and gives the opportunity for new projects to build.   One of the biggest and brightest light bulb moments in my career came from a second hand surgery following a not so nice car accident.  In the days after the surgery 5 years ago today, a series of conversations led to the idea for Nabuno - The Evolution of Education.  Nabuno is a one stop shop for all things education within the salon industry and itself has faced one launch in January 2020, being shelved due to the lockdowns and Covid and now is being reborn for the second time. 

Here I discuss what it is and how it can help the learner and the education provider to connect and grow knowledge, careers and businesses. 

It brings together a directory of education providers (our members), the Nabuno Oracle (our information library and blog space), and our Learning Management System for education to host their courses and resources on.  Our Education Provider memberships give varying levels of promotion across our platforms online and on our socials.

Find out more at www.nabuno.com or join us on Facebook.

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Happy New Year to all ISP listeners !

A little reflection on recent times and moving forward into 2022.  Let this next year be the start of a transition to better times.

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As an industry professional of many years one of the most common questions I see on forums is "what product should I buy" or "I'm having problems with X product how do you find Y product?"

Product choice is an individual thing but there are key things you need to consider when making any initial choice or when moving or changing brands.  

In this episode I cover my Top 10 on Choosing Products. 

Covering areas of branding, quality, safety, regulation, compliance, support, customer service and choice of colour etc this guide will give you a great place to start when looking to select your brands in your business.

It is mainly aimed at the nail industry as this sector has the biggest abundance of non standard and low quality products being sold to professionals and consumers alike.  In no other part of the wider personal care sector is there such a free for all in imported white label goods that in many instances fail to meet safety and compliance guidelines.

It is a buyer beware market in our industry for both professionals and consumers and this guide will hopefully give you some answers to your questions on the "how to" of product choice.

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Since the COVID pandemic there has been a shift away from employment by many salon professionals and a subsequent crisis has occurred throughout the personal care sector.  Many previous employees are now working in their own businesses be they home salons or mobile as they have seen the increase to their earnings possible when they do it themselves.  

Salon owners consequently have got to up their offer to encourage professionals back to the salon floor.  Many salon owners have converted as a result to self employed 'teams' which are often not within the HMRC criteria and could lead to serious long term damage  both financially and physically to their businesses.  

The first self assessment return is due soon for this new group of solopreneurs, and this may give rise to a demand for employed roles again as the reality check of an annual tax and NI bill dawns.

How green is the grass on the other side for both salon owners and former employees.  

One thing is for sure we need as an industry to value our real teams and to make sure our clients understand why we may now be charging higher prices.

Join the Inspiring Salon Professionals Facebook group 

Find more episodes and my free downloadable salon guides on my website 

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In this episode of Career Pathways we cover Reception.  The centre of the universe for many salons, receptionists are a huge asset to any busy salon.  Working across front of house and back of house they connect the clients to the business in a way that the pro team don't always have time for.  

Managing bookings and rebookings, retail, client experience, payment, stock management and more these angels at the front desk are a fundamental part of salon life.  If you are a great receptionist in the making then hats off to you for starting the journey of making salon clients feel extra special and if you are an old hand that has mastered the wonders of client care then we thank you!  A receptionist can make or break a salon and are ofte worth their weight in gold.

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Entering and winning awards is a fantastic way to get your business or your skills noticed.  From mobile solopreneurs through to top end destination spas everyone wants to be seen as the best in their specialty. 

How do they do it though?  A huge part is in the initial application and in this episode I am giving you a guide to how to put together the best application possible.  Your application is the only thing between you getting shortlisted to finalist or not, so getting it right is imperative. 

I've entered and been shortlisted many times as well as winning a few along the way, I now judge for 2 of the industry's biggest award schemes and so know what it takes to make it to the top of the pile.

Answering the questions in a clear, concise, honest and powerful way will give you the best opportunity of getting through and having the possibility of winning. 

Being a finalist is marketing heaven for your business so follow the pointers in the episode to get you started on the right foot.

Head over to my website to find my free guides and join the Inspiring Salon Professionals world

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Join me on this episode as I talk all things qualification with Donna  Clayton.  Donna has been in industry for over 20 years and is an expert on academy set up, qualification routes and much more surrounding education within the personal care sector.

We talk about regulated, accredited and CPD courses and how each can and should be utilised to help you get the most from your education to take into your future career.  This episode has great start your career advice and will help you whether you are looking to work in nails, hair, beauty or therapies.  Your foundation qualification is where it all starts and you begin your journey as a salon professional.

Qualifications are not born equal and with the issues surrounding cheap online education it is ever more important to research and check your education providers themselves as well as their course content and certification type.

Donna helps industry professionals change pathways into education by providing guidance, courses and resources to set up their own academies.  You can find the Academy Creator website here or join Donna's Academy Creator Facebook page here.

We discuss the National Occupational Standards in the podcast and as they've just been updated please check those that relate to your skill set

Join my world at on my website or on the Inspiring Salon Professionals community group on Facebook.

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White space - the dreaded gap in the salon diary.  At this time of year it is probably the biggest cause of stress to any salon business owner or professional.  With colds, flu, covid, gastric bugs, Xmas on the horizon, less events, higher heating and food costs, many clients cancel and often at the last minute.  

This episode looks at making that stomach flipping moment of dread turn into a more positive mindset on what you CAN do to make that space generate income through using it as POSITIVE ACTION SPACE!

As a salon owner one of the worst questions you can get when you've got your head in the accounts is "I'm bored, what should I do?"  I know from experience that the last thing you need is to have to think about what to tell your junior member of staff what to do when you feel that they should have some idea.  

There's a lot goes into running a salon and here I talk about a few simple things your team or you can do when that gifted PAS time arrives. 

Watch this space as I'm developing a brand new resource which is due to launch soon and to test my final version I'm looking for a couple of salon business owners to make up my beta testing team.  If you're interested drop me an email at welcome@suedavies.org or pm me on FB/IG.

As always you can catch up with me on the Inspiring Salon Professionals Facebook group and all my links are on my website www.suedavies.org

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If you are in the salon industry you will, at this point of the year, be seeing the marketing posts from organisers at various points of their awards calender.  Some are already closed, some are due to close and some have yet to begin their call to action.  I've listed below some of the key industry and national business awards that you can enter and there are many others, these are just a few that that you could enter (other awards are available).  

Remember that for you or your business the taking part is a huge part of the process and enables you to consider you market position, business skills, practical skills and where you fit in your local, national or even international area of expertise. 

Reflective practice opportunity, business opportunity, marketing opportunity - all these are possible and make up part of the journey.  

Winning awards should not be easy.  It should take hard work, dedication, resilience and patience.  You may not win first time out, it may take a few times, but the experience will always allow for your personal and business growth. 

Including your clients in your journey from taking their testimonials, sharing your finalist and/or winner status with them is important and is a great way of shouting from the rooftops about how great you and your business are.  Using the marketing gold that being part of any awards programme is essential and is an opportunity not to be missed.  You get these chances once a year with each award scheme so make it count and use the assets of the award scheme to reach out to existing and potential clients and tell them all about why you are entering and why you want to win.

If a potential client is looking for a new business, who are they more likely to be pulled by - a business that plods along doing the same old thing year after year or one that tells them they're good, tells them they care so much about how the level of service they offer that they enter awards to prove it.  I know which I'd choose. 

Award-winning status is not to be overlooked as a huge lead generator for potential clients allowing you to convert them to build your business.  Being an award-winning professional or business may give you a step above your competitors that shines a light on what you do so brillliantly.  Use those skills to promote yourself and your business.

Being an award winner can be part of your success story so have a look around your sector of the salon industry and see what you can enter.

Here are a few examples of industry and national business awards you could look at entering....

BABTAC Awards

Scratch Stars Awards

Professional Beauty Awards

Federation of Holistic Therapists Awards

British Hairdressing Awards

British Hairdressing Business Awards

National Hair & Beauty Federation Awards

Federation of Small Business Awards

British Business Excellence Awards

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This episode gives an overview of CPD (Continued Professional Development) and explains what it is, how you achieve it and how useful it is.  

Whether it's practical, business or written skills you are developing you can add to your annual CPD targets required by your trade association and recommended by all industry sectors.

Join me on Facebook and Instagram. 

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Every salon has a specific clientele and every client has a favourite salon, so what makes that connection?  In this episode we're covering market position.  This key factor in your business' success is sometimes overlooked by those with less experience.  Be ahead of the game and work out who you are, who you want to be and who your clients will be.

Every client has favoured places they go to for products and services and if your local area doesn't have the clients you want to attract you may need to look at how you position yourself for success.

Whether you are in line with the more discount end of market with Aldi, Joe Average with the likes of Tesco or providing services akin to Harrods, you need to understand what makes your business and your clients tick so that you can increase the profit margins to grow your business.

Join me on my facebook group here where you can be part of the ISP community.

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Join me as I catch up with Safer Salon Geek, Sam Blake. Grab a cuppa it's a long one! We both like a chat and so you may need two sittings lol. In this episode we are talking about the client journey and how to incorporate Health & Safety to ensure that your client experience is top notch for your business whether you are a high street salon or a solopreneur. Sam has worked her way through many career types in the salon industry and has settled in her post practical years as the go to Health & Safety salon expert or as she has been titled The Safer Salon Geek. Sam geeks out on things like genital warts and how to spot them to ensure you, your team and clients can reduce the risks associated with cross infection. She also covers ventilation and air bouncing. I loved the fact that she goes as far as literally licking her finger and checking the wind direction. As a consultant offering Safer Salon Management Systems or as a training provider in health & safety for your salon team, Sam will bring you a knowledge that is specific to our workplaces. We started with the intention of talking about self care but as you will see we barely skimmed it in places, so Sam will be back in 2022 to discuss this area which is close to both our hearts.

Hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget the video is available on YouTube when I have guest interviews.

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In this episode I chat all things Session Work with award winning session nail tech, Nickie Rhodes-Hill.  Nickie has been in the salon industry for coming up 20 years and ventured into the world of fashion and media about 7-8 years ago.  She's about to launch her Session Work Academy and here we talk about how to get into this amazing career pathway which gives you your name in lights and sees your work on film, front covers and more.

Whether you are an aspiring session professional in hair, make-up or nails this is the conversation you'll need to hear to get that first step on the ladder.

Join Nickie on Instagram

Nickie Rhodes-Hill

or

Session Work Academy

Nickie will be taking on founder member students for her blue print course starting in early 2022 so get involved if this is a career pathway that you think is for you.

Don't forget to share, subscribe and leave a review and this episode is also available on my YouTube Channel as a video.

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A quick intro to Season 2 of Inspiring Salon Professionals.  

This season I'll be talking more about business and how you can grow from a graduate through to a salon owner and how to make the most impact as a salon professional.

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