Salon Rising: The Podcast

Transcript

All while getting the kids to school and daycare and kindy  and getting to work. Are we the same person? Yeah. Is this my counterpart? Yeah. We could run the world babe. The relief came about with And I'm sure every salon owner's had it, like, a text message in the morning, I'm not coming to work,  there's a full column,  I've got a little baby,  I've got a full column.

Like, yeah, there's gotta be a system, like, someone's gotta help out. And then how many relief hairdressers did you start with? Me.  It's not just them taking clients. It's the salon potentially taking the hairdresser. Actually, shouldn't judge a book by its cover. It is all a juggle at all times. You're like,  where are all the pieces today?

You just need a big ass video game dopamine hit. Yep. Settle that brain back down again. Yep. I don't think there wasn't a word in my vocabulary that did not come out.  That day. Yeah. It's felt sticky and gross and then you realise The back end of what you need to do, adapt to it, move forward. And it's such a great growth opportunity.

For the relief I've had to put my big girl pants on and accept there are confrontational conversations.  How are your stylists going to work in my salon? People go, how do you do it all? It's definitely with the people that you surround yourself with. You just have to accept that conversation is going to happen and you have to. 

Be accepting of the feedback that you get because it's not always going to be positive, but you're always going to learn something from it. 

 Hey lovers, just a quick one. If you listen to us and you love us, could you please hit that subscribe button? I know it's a pain, but that little button means the world to us and our podcast and means that we can get more great guests on like we know you guys love listening to. So  do a girl a favor, hit subscribe.

And we would be so grateful.  Hey Sam. Hey babe. How are you? Good. Even though we have already released one podcast, this is our first recording for the year, which is exciting. Yeah. I don't even know what day it is. I don't know when I read the appointment book, when people are like, I need to change my appointment.

I'm like, what day is it? Who, what even week are we in?  It is like that. It came back full force. I think it will be like that for another couple of weeks.  I don't know. I just feel like when the kids go back to school, that's when you know what day it is. Yeah. Maybe.  I don't know. I have lots of thoughts on this, but we're going to do that on the next podcast.

Okay. That's cool. So we have our first guest for the year, which is wonderful. So we have Sarah Lancaster. Have I pronounced your surname right?  is a woman with many hats, so she's an amazing hairdresser. She has a salon in Brisbane called Coal Co, and she also has a business called The Relief Hairdresser, which we're going to talk about today.

Did I get all them right? Yep. And we will have all their tags on the show notes. So I think, and she's a mum, and she's just a really fun person, so it's going to be a good chat. I thought it would be nice to talk a little bit about your backstory, because  we kind of had. Crossed your path from many different angles, but one of them being the beautiful Ash Bailey, who we just all love and adore.

And she was like, you had said to you, you need to talk to these guys. And I said to us, you need to talk to Sarah. And then it all just came together because.  I love your journey that you've been on. So let's talk a little bit about where you started to where you're at now. Okay. Yep. I started at home with two chairs  and I had just moved from Adelaide.

So I had a handful of clients and myself and Facebook marketplace.  And now I have eight beautiful girls that work for me in the salon and.  44 girls on the relief. So you, how long did you do work out of your space from home? I worked there for 7 years, so we went from 2 chairs to 6. Sometimes like 7 or 8 if we pulled a couple from the deck upstairs.

Um, but yeah, we just made it work and in time we just grew with staff members. And now we're at a space that we're so grateful for. Yeah, because your new space is beautiful. So you literally built a team from your home space? Yep. That in itself I think is pretty wild. You know, like that,  I don't think people think you can do that.

And you definitely proved that you can. I did, and I did it with three children strapped to my belly from five days old.  The shit we do. So how old are your children now?  Um, six, four and three. Yeah, that's busy. So, one would sit on the floor, one would be strapped to me, and the client would have one. Or, one would be at daycare, two in the salon, until they were old enough to go to daycare.

Without crying too much.  Without making you feel too guilty.  Yeah. Samara knows all about that one. Yep. But he loves Kindi now. No. He loves, yes, once I'm gone.  It's the goodbyes. He just has to make me feel like an absolute asshole until  I can't, he can't see me anymore. And at which point he just then rolls around kindy and runs the place.

It's fun.  So funny. So  did you start the relief hairdresser while you're working from the salon at home? Cause you've only just moved out into your big salon space, right? Yep. So, um, we moved out in September and we opened the relief in April. So the relief came about with. And I'm sure every salon owner's had it.

Like the text message in the morning, I'm not coming to work. There's a full column. Got a little baby.  I've got a full column. I'm like, okay, there's got to be a system. Like someone's got to help out. So.  We created it. I mean, everybody's thought of it. Everyone you talk to says, I was gonna do this. But nobody actually did.

So, yeah, we've done it. That's amazing. So you've got 45 people on the books? Yep. For the relief? Yep. So they just give you their availability? And then, and they're like, where they would drive to and  Do you assess their skill and stuff? Yep, so everyone comes in for a skill assessment. They spend a couple of hours in the salon with me.

And then,  depending on their location, if they're local Um, they come and spend as much time as they can in our salon, time permits. So, um, obviously the girls that are down south, like end of the Gold Coast, Tweed, they can't come to Brisbane as often. Or, um, the girls that are up in Noosa, same sort of thing. 

Yeah, one of the girls, she just relieves to us. Oh, wow. So, kind of help myself out, but also doesn't really help other people out in, in doing that. But, um, it's a good way to assess their skills and make sure that everyone's okay. Yeah. Um, I've had plenty of girls come in and they've come for the skill assessment and I've said, we won't worry about that.

But thank you anyway. Yeah, okay. Because if I think if they're not right for my salon, then how can I Put them into someone else's Morally put them into someone else's salon. Yep. That's so true. Because that's the hard thing is, is  And what we're seeing industry wide is generally,  it's, I don't know, it's hard actually because when you, like, I'm deep in owning a salon, right, and having staff that come on board.

Um, and they definitely like, we're definitely having lacking in cutting and I can put my hands up as an employer and say, like, that can be hard for us too because we do so much colour and we do a lot of basic.  Hair cutting, right? So then they're not getting the, like, when you think about when I trained the exposure to, you know, concave bobs and short haircuts and to men's it was just so much and we don't do any of that in here.

So  people are getting trained differently, but then their level of skill when it comes to color is extraordinary. Like I watch what they're coming off the floor, like they're coming out of their apprenticeship doing and, you know, it's taken me 20 years to learn that. But then you've got other, you know, I see other stylists that come on board who will come on board with us.

And they're, they're great around basics, but their level of colour is nowhere near where it needs to be. And we're living in this industry and this time that the level of work that people want is so intricate that it's, you know, it's hard to find people that can do all of the things. Yeah, I agree. We, um, teamed up with Kevin Murphy.

And they've been amazing. So we send all of our stylists a, um, the links to do all the courses. They've got any questions, I've got Greg's direct number, um, and Lisa's. So we've been really lucky that we've got some sort of.  First hand support in that area. Um, we've just signed on again to another Nathan Yip course.

He's coming to colon colon do. He's actually coming here. I love him. So, um, we were sitting around as a team the other day and I said, we need to do some education and Laura, one of my. Um, seniors, she used to, she used to work with his mother in law. So she's like, why don't we get Nathan? Oh my God, that's one of my girls did too.

Oh, really? Yeah. Um, that's amazing. Yeah. She was like, let's get Nathan. I was like, that's such a good idea. So I've got to email him back. He was just like, yeah. And it's cause it's also specific. You don't want to, I'm really conscious with education too, because I don't want all the crazy education. I don't want to learn.

I just want really beautiful basics. Gonna use. Day to day. Day to day. Yeah. There's no point in teaching a team something they're never going to use, um, so I want all the day to day educated, like educating, so you've got to find the educators that will, you know, work to what you need to. Yeah. Yeah, he was great.

He, honestly,  um, I've worked with him a few times now and, um, I worked with him on Saturday actually. We did some charity stuff together. Oh, that looked really cool. Yeah. Um, and he was just so informative, like I coloured next to him and just. peeped over, um, and watched how he was doing things and some stuff  like shags and things that that's not my my space, but  Yeah, I was lucky enough to sort of have that hands on experience, but we had already organized that education So we just try to keep the girls Not all the time can someone make it but I do try and block out Um,  the dates when we book them far enough in advance, no relief work can happen on that day.

Oh, I was going to say, so this is your relief team come to those as well as your salon team? Oh, that's cool. So, um, just try and keep everyone as educated as possible. Even if these girls do one shift with me in six months, like, yeah, please come embrace yourself, immerse yourself in the team.  This is us like, yeah, watch, learn, ask questions.

Cause you'd think too, like if I needed a relief, I'd probably do all the work and I would just have someone that Lots of people do that. Blow dried and you know, I'd do all the colour work and stuff like that, but I would have someone that could just back us up. Yeah. Yeah, that's. Very common. Um,  often it's usually running a column, but I don't know what that column looks like until the girls get there because often as a running salon, it just changes.

Yeah. It changes when you're in there to what they do, but majority of the time they will do colors and blow dries and then existing stuff will do the haircuts. Yeah, amazing. Just keeps clients comfortable and everyone sort of.  Not that awkward feel of, I want my hair cut like Shannon did it last time.

Shannon's not here today, but  Michelle can cut like Shannon. So can you ask Michelle and then Michelle is going to relay it to you. And then it makes the client feel uncomfortable. So there's none of that. We're just here to be a part of your team and  run as if we've worked together forever. Yeah. Amazing.

And then we pop out and it's like, the biggest thing is we're here to help you and you're here to help us. So like, we're not here to take your clients and you're not here to take our staff. That's the. Um, and I think that's the main culture of it, apart from obviously helping each other, but, um, and everyone has been so incredibly respectful, like, you know, we just go in and we're like, we're relief hairdressers, we, we don't work anywhere in the same, at the same time.

So no one can find us, we're not interested in clients contacting us. Yeah. Um, and that was the rule with the girls was,  even if someone was to contact you,  it's non negotiable. You're not there to take anyone's clients. Yeah, you're not there to take anyone's clients. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So. And so far, like, nearly a year in, we haven't had that drama because it's been set from the start.

It wasn't awkward or anything. It was, it's in the contract. It's as clear as day. We're here to help you. We're not here to hinder you. So,  do you find that it's mostly like one off, one day here and there? Or do you, sometimes do you get like, this person's broken a leg. Can you send us someone for like a month?

Um, both, yeah, like we're doing a maternity leave contract, um, we've been doing some of the hair house warehouse salons, um, and we've been there repeatedly, but we do have, we don't send the same person every time, otherwise then they do start to build a rapport and that's what you. You know, we're not there to do that, um, but sometimes people will send a message and just request the same stylus I've had, so, and that's okay too, um,  but it's not every day, like, we've definitely got probably about 15 salons every month, they've got a day in, but it's all ad hoc, it's all very last minute, so, um, but we've got our admin girl Kayla, she does all of the scheduling, so she just works out who's free on the day, you know, the week before you get a message, they get a message and, We just work it like that.

Know who's available that morning and then send the message out. So all your relief staff know that it's just, uh, you're going to wake up on the day, just like being a relief teacher, I reckon. Exactly the same. Yeah. And it's like, okay, you're either getting a phone call or you don't. So by this time, like, is there a cutoff to say, like, if you needed someone, you have to have let us know by this time or?

No, because sometimes it's like two o'clock in the afternoon and someone's gone home sick and they need someone to cover the afternoon. So  I just ask. And sometimes it's like, When I say I'm so sorry I can't help today, um, other times we can help like, um, and we do our best and sometimes I might be shutting in an hour so I can't get there at two but I can get there at four.

Does that help you? So, you know, one of the girls will jump out and go from colon co to a relief job. So, but it's not always the case. Like we're only human. Sometimes we can't physically make it happen. Yeah, that's amazing. So how did you, how did you start getting it out there?  Um, I just use my contacts. 

Um, and the first couple of times we did it, we just did maybe like two months of,  No one was charging. We just wanted all the feedback we could get. I wasn't charging anybody. And then from there we just built on what the feedback was, so. And then how many relief hairdressers did you start with? Me. 

Excellent. So she had a salon, three children,  and then you were like, I'm also going to go to other people's salons.  I love that. What women can do, right? Um, so I had an amazing girl start with me.  In December  22? 23? 23. And I knew that I could leave the salon to her. She's now my manager. I could leave the salon to her and I could do relief jobs.

Or vice versa. She could go do the relief jobs and, um, I would do the salon. But initially it was just me. I just wanted to make sure everything was right. If we could fix anything. If there was any  Errors, mistakes, not in doing the hair, but in the communication, in the booking.  We could fix it before we went out there.

And then, um,  we had salon photos taken. And one of the girls I went to school with, she does all of our Facebook and Instagram ads.  And, yeah, here we are today.  That's so cool. What do you think  you're overall booked at? You've got 45 girls on. Not everyone is available every day. So like,  um, 13 of them are wedding stylists, so they're out over wedding season.

Yep. Heap of them are mums, out over school holidays. Yeah. So, like, and we've got ranges, ages from like 20. To 70. Wow. Really? That's so cool. So not everyone is suited for every salon. Yeah. So even though, you know, one might be free, that person is definitely not suited for that salon. So do you do like an intake, find out what the salon needs and then do the same thing with the stylist?

Yep. Yeah. So everyone fills in like a drop form of what they are, what products they use, how many stylists they have. If they've got car parking, like  all the essentials you need to know to go there. Um, and then, you know, if I've got someone who's free that uses Wella and the person, the salon is Wella, then I'm going to automatically team them up together.

Yeah. Pending that it's suitable, you know? Yeah. Yeah.  You're not going to have someone with bright green hair go to a blonde specialist salon because it's not, you know, yeah, they're not, they're not going to be the same expectations on color. So, yeah. Um, in saying that. Some of the girls that come in with  different varieties, um, are amazing.

Yeah. So, sometimes I've had girls walk in and I'm like,  This is not gonna work out. And then Colin Coe girls and I are like,  Actually, shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Yeah. So, um. So true. Yeah. So, um. Yeah, we're very lucky. It's,  I'm sure there are some faults, like, uh, one lady offered one of the stylists a job, this has been the only time, and when I spoke to her about it, she, um, then said, I'd never do that.

I didn't, I didn't even want that person to work for me.  Mmm. And then by the end of the conversation, we'd gone from. We did do it, we didn't do it. I hated my experience with the company.  So, I was like, that's okay. Think of your feedback. Like, we can only grow. We can't grow if we don't get feedback. Yeah. Um, and I was like, oh. 

That would be, yeah, I guess that would be the hard thing too. Is, yeah, it's not just them taking clients. It's the salon potentially taking the hairdresser. Yeah. Especially because you're putting all that effort in to provide a really high level.  stylist to support them. Like you're putting that effort into educating them to make sure that they can walk in and step into any scenario.

So,  yeah. One of our guys, he's an ex tape teacher, so  he's absolutely expert in cutting. Um, so  the variety of skill changes from, we've got one lady who's an assistant, she's And she's amazing too. So it's just, sometimes it's just the extra pair of hands that helps. Yeah, absolutely. Um, but yeah, so grateful for all the salons.

Like I think we've done over a hundred salons now. Wow. And then do you invoice the salon and then  the stylist invoices you? The stylist is employed by us. Oh wow. So, and then we invoice the salon. Yeah. It all runs through us. And I think some days when, Kayla sees my number drop on her phone. She's like, oh no, what have we got happening here? 

Because sometimes there's so many salons booked in and we're trying to, we might have one client, uh, one hairdresser going to this salon, but then they're more suited for the new salon that's booked in. So just scheduling over how that works.  Um, all while getting the kids to school and daycare and kindy. 

And getting to work. Are we the same person? Yeah. Is this my counterpart? Yeah. We could run the world, babe. We've got this. We've got this. I, it's so funny because as I'm hearing you talk, I'm like, how the hell do you do it? And then I'm like, this is what people must think. Babe, you've got five kids. Yeah.

And  I know, but the scheduling's making my brain go  like, I also, I have five children, but I have these guys behind this business that set it up. Like there's no, I could not do this without Rich. You're really like, you've got a lot of. People set up in different places as well. Like you've got a full time social media person, right?

Yep. So, um, Kayla does social media and all of our admin. Yep. And then Celine manages, um, Georgia does all of the marketing. So,  I do more on the floor than some people would because I do have the extra help. So,  um, I definitely couldn't do it without all the extra hands. So,  and I've got some really great stylists in the salon so that helps too. 

And cause you, you literally just normally, you're in the salon on a Monday by yourself, right? Yep.  Like got all these, all the extra hands to help all the people. I just work by myself. I like it because Um,  we've got one girl that comes in and helps now on a Monday, but it's like being back at Carina. It's like being at home and clients walk in and someone's got no bra on, someone's got no shoes on.

And they're like, Oh, it's just like being at your house. So,  and then, you know, come a Thursday,  people putting lipstick on in there to make sure they feel, you know. So it's such a vast variety of  comfort, I guess, but, um. Yeah, I don't mind working by myself, but I also love being part of like, having the team there.

Yeah, so I think it's that whole,  it's definitely taken, like, I feel like I'm back on my roots more than I ever have been back in La Sirela because obviously the, you know, I've, I stepped out for a substantial period of time. I was always here, but stepped out more and the more hands you have to help, the more you can  take your hands off other things and build. 

Um, but yeah, it's interesting how, when you get, you kind of have to need to come back to the roots, you either need to change everything  And take the business in a completely different  way. At which point your clientele and everything needs to change as well. Or  you do things to adapt to bring it back to its roots as well.

Which can be, you know, your home salon. For me it was the tiny little salon that we had that we made work. But people love the feel of both, you know, they like the high end, but they also want the feel of the little. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. How did you, what made you decide to, was it, had you just outgrown? We hadn't outgrown, but um,  2022 we flooded.

We had 1. 7 meters of water in our salon. Oh, okay. Um, we got shipped out by SES Rescue with,  um, a two week old baby strapped to us. And so my husband and my dad, my dad flew up from South Australia and  Amongst, we had this amazing, we still have, this amazing network, like one of my girlfriends put together, all of them put in like a hundred dollars each and covered all of our groceries and our bills and  like, where do you find these people, like absolutely angels, but my dad  and my husband just worked  endlessly within the week and got the salon back up and running  and we just couldn't do that again, so it wasn't just me at that point, it was  The kids and the staff, like how do we accommodate for everybody, you know, you can't, so not if you're going to get flooded in every January.

Do you, so did you move your house as well? Do you still live in the house? We still live in the house. The flood didn't come into the house, um, but my husband and a good friend of ours, they kayaked back in and got all of our stock out. I had just done like a 20, 000 stock order. Oh my god. It's just so terrible.

Yeah, my front desk was just like floating down the road. Basins were just like in the middle of our salon. It was crazy.  Yeah. Oh wow. Yeah, even like a year later someone would put a shampoo bottle on our  front fence, like just randomly would find it. 

So we thought we just can't do this anymore. Like it's not just me and our livelihood. It's our staff too. So, and we had outgrown it. Um, but  yeah. What do you use that space for now?  Playroom? Um, Yep, my husband's got a KO on the TV down there. Yeah.  And um, the kids just play in there. Yeah. Does it feel nice now to have it taken away from home?

Yep. I cut the boy's hair yesterday. I don't cut anyone's hair in there anymore.  And I was like, how did I work in here for so long? Like, I felt like I was hunched over and oh my God, like, you know, the ceilings aren't legal height. So if you can imagine.  And we made do and it was great and it looked amazing, but we definitely built on it.

And then, um, one of my dear girlfriend, she's an interior designer. So she designed us the perfect salon for Cooperoo. So um, now I look back and I'm like, how did we work in Carina when we have such nice space and you just do it. You don't know any different. You totally do. Yeah. It's like everyone says, how do you do it with.

You know, when we have women whose husbands are FIFO, or how do you manage five kids, or how do you do three kids in businesses, how do you do multiple businesses, you just go, you just do, you just, you know,  run differently. My husband also has his own business. Oh yeah, because he's hiring at the moment as well, isn't he? 

What's he do? Um, he has a golf simulator studio. Yep. So between us, it's just like,  what are we going to juggle today? Yeah. Um, and often it'll be like,  where's your day at? Who's going to get the kids? My day's changed. Can you go out? Nope. Okay, we'll call my mother in law and she'll pick up the kids. Yeah. So, um, it's just all a juggling act.

You would know more than any of us. Nope. I think you know just as much. It is all a juggle at all times. You're like,  Where are all the pieces today? That's like today I organised my mum to have the kids. Because I was like, Mum, I need you to have the kids. Be at my house at 9. She's like, yep, no worries.  She won't drive so she gets my dad to drop her over.

And she's like, yep, it'll all be fine. And then at 8 o'clock. My son's standing at the window and he's like, Nessie's here. And I was like, that's his nanny. And I was like, nah, she's not here today. And he was like, Nessie here. And I was like, she walked up and I was like, are you here today? And she was like, yep.

And I was like, cool, mum. Like, cancel, cancel. Now I need you to do Thursday or Friday. Which day you want to do? Do you want Thursday or Friday? Like, you just. You make it work. Yeah, it's all the balls in the air. And everybody that listens to this podcast feels that right. Like, everyone is like, there is so, and I don't, I think if one thing that I can say to everybody is.

You know, your load is no more, is no less heavy than somebody else that has, yeah, like just because that person has more children or more business, it doesn't mean that your load is any less heavy like we are constantly. Putting things on our plate and running multiple things, you know, it's not even just the businesses.

It's all the life stuff, you know, anyone that's listening right now, it's book packs and making sure the books are covered and picking that thing from office works and making sure that, you know, the uniforms are done and ready to go and folding the washing. Yeah, no, that's,  that's a never ending job. It's just doing all of the things and making sure that all of the things are. 

It's funny, I found a coping mechanism and we'll talk in the next pod, but it's, you know, it's finding out how to, and this is what I'd love to talk to you on actually, so this has worked out perfectly. How do you go from, because I've found mine,  do you find it really easy to slide from business owners? 

From hairdresser, business owner, doing all the things into motherhood, or do you struggle because you're just like your mind's across all of the things? Um, depends on what day of the week it is, but most of the time I'm just like a little bit of everyone in the same person. Yeah. Um, which I'm working on.

I'm definitely getting there. Like I know that if I stay at work an extra half an hour,  I'm less likely to have to do that work at home, which means I can be much more accommodating at home  instead of, you Don't touch. Just leave me alone. I've got to do this. I'm sorry. Come back. Like, um, but usually Andy and I just team up like whoever has got more workload that day,  the other person takes the kids and yeah, he's great.

He will just  pick up what needs to be done. So often he's the one that's up at midnight, still working and I'm in bed asleep.  Um, so he can do with being tired a little bit better than I can, I think.  I'm totally the opposite way in my house. I'm definitely the up at midnight working person, but my husband is definitely the up at 4.

30 in the morning person. He's both, and he's both. And that is just not okay for me. No. Yeah. Women need more sleep. It's been scientifically proven.  I'm just gonna go with that.  As I feel like my eyes are closing today. Um, yeah, for me, I really struggle finding.  It depends on, like, on the weekends, I'm like, don't even come at me with anything work, like, I'm so tuned out, like, nothing work can come at me.

But if I'm in the headspace, Mondays specifically, I'm like, There's so many things and there's so much to do. So go, go, go building, developing, making something, trying to do all the appointments. And then yet come that nighttime, I'm still in that head. Like I find it hard to click back in. And I did this on Friday.

Um, I was meant to have a day off, but ended up working. And then I said to my partner, I don't know how to get out of this right now. Like my head is in such a busy loop. I'm sure so many people can relate to that when you just like, I can't, you know, so then you go to Instagram to. TikTok to do something to emails back to computer back to this back to do lists and you just feel like you're in such a thing.

It's like go get the Nintendo because we bought the kids a DS for Christmas and I was like you know what that is the best idea ever. You ask me why I do that all the time you're like why are you playing those games it's like it turns my mind off. No but I needed to come off my phone.  So I had like, I went through a stage of that.

I had some Farmville thing on my phone. Then I got addicted to that. And I was like making sure that my carrots were farmed, you know? And then, so I was replacing social media. And then it was worse because I was still on my phone. And when I got on the Nintendo, I was just like, yeah, I was just like Mario cutting it up.

And then I could switch off and I was done. But I needed something to break  the busyness of  my work mind to put me back into a relaxed mind. Then I could step back into motherhood, which. Seems weird, otherwise I literally do feel like that, like I feel like, I'm just like, don't do that, don't do, I'm busy, don't come, like, and then the kids don't get a great version of me because I'm so heightened with trying to do work stuff.

You just need a big ass video game dopamine hit. Yep. Settle that brain back down again. Yep,  because nothing else can.  So, it's interesting how you've got to kind of come across the different things because it's so, your mind can get so busy and so racy, that's why when I think about the scheduling for you, I'm like, man, that, that would blow my mind, but you have the people to help.

I do. And I think that's the difference. And usually, like, Kayla has it all set up, so it's so easy for me to read. And I never read it. I just text her and say this salon needs somebody and she'll say this person's free and then I'll contact that person. Yeah, okay. So, I'm very grateful. She's also been my best friend since we were in primary school.

Ugh. So,  she can No, but just a text message, whether I'm in a good mood or a bad mood and whether how much help I'm going to need that day.  Richard, that's my Richard.  I'm like, don't come at me today. And he's like, yeah, I read that you have PMS on Instagram. I'm not coming anywhere.  I just need you to answer this. 

Or other days I'll be like, I made this, I created this, I did this, and he's like, she's on, send him all work, send him all work, send him all work, send him all work, send him all work, send him all work, yeah, yeah.  Um, it's definitely, yeah, people go, how do you do it all? It's definitely with the people that you surround yourself with, you've got to have heaps of help.

Yeah, and I've got so much help, like I'm very lucky. Um, I can,  easily step away from the salon.  I say easily, very hesitantly. But, um, that's more of a me thing than the girls. Like, the girls are very competent. Um, Celine and Alyssa have absolutely got it covered. And then we've got a couple of new girls that have just started.

So, um, I'm sure in time they will have it covered too. They're just learning the policies and procedures. So do you, do you train your Col and Co team with your relief hairdresser team?  Um, if we host training, it's just open to All the Colin Co and then anyone who's free on the relief, so, um,  not always can the relief people come, but like for the course with Nathan, um,  they, not all of them will come because we've done, we're doing individual training.

He's going to come around with mannequins, so, uh,  where, when he did a look and learn a couple of months ago,  it was open to everyone. But by the time  we had scheduled a date, most of the people were booked out. So, um, some people will book in advance and that's fine. Um, but yeah, it just, it changes every day.

But if we've got a group training, absolutely. I encourage everybody to come.  So  that's so good. So with you.  Did your new salon flood as well? No. No, it was the old salon. Okay. That's what I was like. Hang on. I remember the flood story, but I didn't realize it was the old salon. I thought it was a new one. I was like, Oh, did you come?

Yes. The new one did flood actually on, um, day three of being there. That's right. Not because of an environmental flood. No. Uh, someone left the tap on. So I walked in and there was 400 liters of water overnight  now. Basin. Yep. So it was like a dripping tea bag  over the basin.  So, yeah. So it was like the head had turned around to be outside of the basin instead of in pointing into the basin.

So it didn't just run down and into the basin in a way it just dripped off the side and onto the floor. Yeah.  How substantial was the dripping? Um, like, uh, like when you just pull a tea bag out and it's like constantly dripping like a slow.  Run  yeah, I walked in the back door and I was like, so how much water does that put in the salon?

400 liters you feel like that wouldn't be that much.  I have never grasped how much a dripping tap would lose water Yeah for 12 hours. Yeah,  I only knew that it was 400 liters or 400 ish liters because the council rates Yeah, the landlord came in and she'd checked the water meter before we'd  taken over and then  we'd built.

It was three days later. Yeah, she came in and she checked and she goes, my God, what did you do flooding here? And I said,  well, now that you mentioned it, yeah.  So I walked in the back door and it was like, actually had these shoes on and I was like, God, it feels wet. Like wet underfoot, but well. I don't know, maybe I've stood on something. 

God, it's so wet, like it smells damp in here.  Oh no, I've smelt this, like PDSD came back straight away.  And  I didn't even ring my husband. I was like, what can he do? He's got three kids at home.  And then when I did ring him, he's like, what the fuck? I'm like, yep, um, yep. And I think the only thing that saved us is we had this big woolen mat rug at the back and this tiny little drain that sat just next to the rug.

And everything went into there. Mat. Into the mat and the drain. So I pulled the mat up and it's like, I don't know, a bit over a metre circled mat. And it just dripped like as if the shower was on.  And it took two days to dry outside. 

And one of the girls had come in and she walked in and I had the salon torn apart and she said, I don't know what happened, but I'm really glad I went to didn't work yesterday.  Do you know who did it? 

Did  she get her arse handed to her? 

Look, it was a mistake. It wasn't on purpose, obviously. But, um, it was just one of those things. No one checked the tap for like Yeah. So now, from that day, they take the tap off and they put it in the sink before we leave. Ah! Never done that before. That's a good idea. Yeah. I like that. So if the tap is on or someone's been caught, at least it can only run into the basin. 

But  I don't think there wasn't a word in my vocabulary that did not come out that day. Yeah. All right. What is,  across  both businesses, what is some big learnings that you've had that you've adapted and changed that have changed how you run business? Like what is, if you can think of something that went wrong,  that was a good one.

Managing people and expectations. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. And then like, cause I. I love this question because I can look at different areas of my life where I'm like, it's happened,  it's felt sticky and gross, and then you realize the back end of what you need to do, adapt to it, move forward, and it's such a great growth opportunity.

Um, but yeah, where is that for you and what advice could you give others on one that you've gone through? Policies and procedures. We didn't have one before we flooded, in the new salon. We do now. Um,  and it's very clear. Everybody signs it. Everyone is on board with it. Um, obviously if someone isn't on board, we chat.

Why? Like, what can we change? What, what would you like to see that is done differently? Um, but just being open. Has that happened? No, but we're prepared that potentially it could happen. Um, but  I don't like conflict and I don't like confrontational conversations. And,  uh, especially with the relief I've had to put my big girl pants on and accept there are confrontational conversations. 

How are your stylists going to work in my salon? How do you, how do I know that I can entrust you? Um, what, why do you think you're so good? Is often what I got the first couple of times. And I said, I don't think that I'm so good. I just want to help you. And if you're reaching out, obviously you need the help.

So let's work together and I can help you. And, um, that gentleman calls me every week now. That's so funny. So, um, but yeah, policies and procedures was probably the biggest thing for us. And just. Accepting the feedback. I don't, I never used to be able to have that sort of conversation. I would be like, no, no, it's not my fault.

Nope. Um,  fast forward a couple of years and  you just have to accept that conversation is going to happen and you have to.  Be accepting of the feedback that you get, because it's not always going to be positive, but you're always going to learn something from it. I think you become sell on owners at some point, so that you don't have to have the, like, conversations.

Like, I think some of us become sell on owners. Well, it's like a lead to that, where you're like  It's a little too sticky working for someone else. I work for myself and then no one No, you have to have all the conversations when you work for yourself. That's what I mean. Every single one. Then you become a solenoid and you're responsible for it all and you don't do it so well in the beginning and then you have to keep learning how to do it, how to have the conversations, how to be okay with that.

Um, how to lean into the uncomfortable. Yes. I've definitely had to lean into lots of uncomfortable in the last 12 months. Um. Just stepping out of not having a salon at home, having to  effectively be at work, like,  even though I was at home, I can guarantee everybody, including my kids thought I was just downstairs.

Yeah, yeah. So now that I'm physically not there, it's little things that you just have, just have to multitask better and be more organized and. More accepting of people's help and  delegating  because you also don't just so you've got the relief You've got coal and co but you also travel for education as well. 

So  Yeah, very grateful for that opportunity. But  this year we'll be branching out to do some education. So  I've done my first class with Shannon Williams and We're off, um,  Townsville, I believe, Rockhampton, um, early this year, so that will just add a little bit more workload, but again, I've got a great team and I can rely on them at any time, so it's not like I can't say no because I know that they, they've offered to say yes, like they've got their bags packed, they're ready to come.

So, um, Alyssa was like the sound and tech girl at the last course, so I don't know how we're going to do that without her if she doesn't come. Um, I know, because she really was all over it. She was so onto it. More so than the people that were providing the venue. Yeah.  So, um, yeah, she was so onto it. So, it's just accepting that we can, I can't do all of these things. 

Without having those people to be able to delegate extra jobs to. Like today I was working and now I'm here. So,  thanks to my clients that moved. Um, but yeah, I mean, Elisa just stepped in and she's like, yep, I can do it. So, um,  it all just works out. Like, it does work out, but you have to have those strong policies and procedures in place.

And if I didn't have those, I couldn't confidently leave. Because I know that everyone sticks by the book, and if you're not going to stick by the book, then this isn't the place for you. And that's very open from like,  the first conversation that we have. So, um, Did you develop your policies and procedures yourself?

Like, did you sit down and go through what exactly you wanted for your businesses to create your policies and procedures? Or did you do them off like a  base, like a template, all round type scenario? I did what I thought I needed. And what  I thought was right. And then one of my girlfriends is in HR. So, she polished it up and  said that's not ethical.

This is, you need to have this in here. Like, just made it more HR appropriate. Yeah. Um, but, I'd been writing them over time. Like, it wasn't like I just woke up one day and was like, Yep, okay, today we're gonna write this. Um, there was just notes over, sort of once we realised in February last year we were talking about moving.

So from there until we moved, I was writing things down.  And I said to the girls, it's going to be very different when we go to Coorparoo, it's not going to be the same. We  were on boarding from June for September, so everyone knew that. We shut the salon a day, everyone went to Coorparoo.  We learnt where the foil went, where the combs went, where the clips went.

So when we got there, there was no surprises, there was no unorganisation. I hate when you walk into somewhere and you're like  I'll um,  yep, I can help you, I just gotta get myself sorted. So,  that was, being organised and sorted helped us with the confrontational conversations, um, the policies and procedures.

I know I keep going back to it, but that's where it all lays. Um, it's just putting my beliefs and everything that I stood for and why I had the salon,  into, onto paper.  And, yeah, it's working. Amazing. What is a, to finish up, are you good with that? Yes. What is a big goal, or what is a goal that you've got for this year? 

Personally, professionally,  what's something that you are working towards or want to work towards? Well, I want to buy a beach house. Love that.  My husband wants to buy a big block land. Um, but I would like to see all of my girls earn more money and everyone be an even happier version of themselves. So, what's a goal for you?

Oh, for me? Cause see, we, I like the beach house first. We go automatically to how we can make everyone happy. But what do you want? Um, I want to do more education. I want to teach people everything that I know. And, um, whether that's in Brisbane or travel. Um, wherever that is, I'd like to do it. So, um, maybe even international in time.

I love that.  Good job. It's so great. I love it. Thank you so much for watching. Getting a relief hand dresser in so that you could come down and spend some time with us and share your story Because it's such a cool one. I really really like it I like how this  these little things that you've built and they're not little they're big and Just the journey you've been on has been really cool.

So thank you for giving us your time today for having me, it's so nice to be here And then we're going to share some details about the Relief hairdresser and where you can go and I think maybe a little promotional thing that we're going to put into the show notes when this comes out. So check it out. 

But thanks for listening guys and we will see you soon. Bye. Bye.