Owning your Salon

How do we create a culture of creativity in salons where staff feel safe to try new things, and learn from each other?

We source creativity through our ability to be vulnerable. Vulnerability starts with humility, and a willingness to explore who we are, and how we are showing up. Vulnerability comes from questioning everything. Vulnerability means we have to be courageous, willing to take risks, willing to not look so good all the time.

Be vulnerable as a leader. Tell one on yourself. Create opportunities by sharing new things with your staff. Trust them to be inspired by your honesty.

Share your numbers with your employees; what’s actually going on. You don’t need to show everything. But show some of your cards. Be vulnerable. Open up a conversation about what’s working and what’s not working in the salon. Sometimes you’ve got to be straight with your staff. If you’re honest with people, then you can ask them what they’re really committed to, and share what you really want.

You want staff who are aligned with your vision. The staff who are really committed to the shared vision will stay. The ones who aren’t will leave. Then you have a team who is working together towards a common goal, who support each other, and who can be vulnerable and creative together, and not be shut down or negatively influenced by those who don’t want to play.

Only then can we push through fear, and express our creativity which is infinite and truly our own. This is the place where energy is abundant, burnout is non-existent, and where truly something new can be born.

Reflections from Beyond the Chair

by Andrew McAleese, Owner of La Luma Salon & Academy