Episodes
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Most of us treat our accountant like a stranger who happens to know our numbers. Someone we email at tax time, brace ourselves for, and quietly hope is not judging us. But what if that relationship could feel like the complete opposite?
In this Mini Moment, Sam sits down with her own accountant, Paris from Group One Accounting, to talk about what it actually looks like to work with someone who gets you. Not just someone who lodges your BAS on time, but someone you can be honest with, lean on, and yes, even cry to about tax.
Because here is the part most salon owners never get told. Your accountant is not there to be your business strategist, and expecting that will only leave you let down. The real shift comes from knowing what the job actually is, asking for exactly what you need, and finding the person who fits the way you work.
What we cover
What an accountant is actually responsible for, and what they are notThe real difference between a bookkeeper and an accountantThe questions to ask before you take someone on, from communication style to fees and response timeWhy Sam pays her accountant a set amount each week, and how that protects her cashflowHow to find an accountant who feels personal, not just professionalWhy you should never feel judged by the person doing your booksThe right accountant does not just know your numbers. They make you feel safe in your own business.
FAQs
What is the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant?
A bookkeeper handles the day to day reconciling, data entry and the quarterly BAS that Australian businesses lodge for GST. An accountant usually comes in at the end of the financial year to tidy everything up and do the tax level work, though plenty of accountants can cover both.
What should you ask before hiring an accountant?
Ask how they communicate, how quickly they respond, and how they charge, including whether phone calls are billed. Being clear about what you need up front is what stops you feeling disappointed later.
Should I do my own bookkeeping as a salon owner?
For a lot of smaller salons, basic reconciling and paying wages is simpler than it looks, and learning it first keeps your head in your own business. You can always hand it over once you understand what is involved.
Mentioned in this episode:
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
https://www.salonrising.com
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
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Everyone's starting a side business right now. A product, a brand, a little something on the side that might just take off. Acacia actually did it. She and her partner built PuraU, a natural skincare and gut brand, out of her own years of struggling with acne. And in this episode she tells the real story, not the highlight reel.
It started with her own skin. Years of the pill, antibiotics, Accutane, naturopaths she could barely afford, and nothing that lasted. So she set out to build the thing she wished she'd had. What she's honest about is everything that came after. They launched to crickets and didn't make a sale for two weeks. They cold called journalists themselves when the expensive PR agency did nothing. It took three years before the business turned a profit, and three years before they paid themselves a wage.
If you've ever sat on an idea waiting until you had enough money, or felt behind watching everyone else online look like an overnight success, this one will land. Acacia is proof that the unglamorous version is the real one, and that the people who make it are simply the ones who stick it out.
What we cover
Building PuraU from Acacia's own years of acne and trying everythingLaunching the website and not making a single sale for two weeksCold calling journalists herself instead of paying a PR agencyWhy a great product means nothing if nobody can find itLearning Facebook ads herself to stop relying on one off PR spikesThe three years it took before breaking through, making a profit, or paying themselvesComparison, social media, and the false reality of replacing your income in four weeksKnowing your customer because you were your customerPushing into chemists and skin clinics, and the setbacks that nearly broke themShe built it from nothing, on persistence not luck, and she's only just getting started.
You'll find the whole range at purau.com.au, plus there's a quick skin quiz to find your own starting point.
FAQs
How long does it really take to build a successful business?
For Acacia and PuraU it took three years before the business made a profit or paid them a wage. The overnight success stories you see online usually hide years of work that happened before the launch.
Do you need money and business experience to start a brand?
Acacia was a nurse with no business background and sold her car to help fund the brand. What carried them was resilience and a willingness to learn each part themselves rather than pay someone else to do it.
What is PuraU?
PuraU is an Australian made skincare and gut health brand, formulated with microbiologists to treat the root cause of acne rather than the surface. It was created by Acacia and her partner out of their own experience with skin and gut issues.
Mentioned in this episode:
https://www.salonrising.com
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
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Missing episodes?
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You already know AI can tidy up a caption. Most salon owners stop right there. Renee from Salon Society and Jen do not.
In this Mini Moment the two of them fall down a happy little rabbit hole on all the other ways AI quietly takes the load off a busy owner. Not the marketing stuff. The day to day stuff that clogs up your head and steals your day off.
Renee, who is in salon in Perth every week, shares the exact thing she did after a five hour client meeting. One voice note, dropped into Claude with a bit of context, came back as a full action list of who does what. If you want to go deeper on this kind of thing, Renee teaches the whole system in her online course, How to Market Your Beauty Business Online.
Jen then talks through how she runs her admin days now, from sorting her inbox to building apprentice training plans, so the mental load stops living rent free in her head. This one is for anyone who has ever sat staring at a to do list with no idea where to start. Especially the neurodivergent owners, who Jen speaks to straight here. AI does not replace you. It just clears the path so you can actually get going.
What we cover
Why AI is for so much more than checking your captionsTurning a long staff meeting into a clear action list in a minuteThe voice note habit that writes your client content for youGiving AI proper context so it sounds like you, not genericUsing AI to sort and triage your inbox on admin daysBuilding apprentice training plans that are easy to actually followAI as a way past analysis paralysis and the never ending listWhy it buys back time without ever doing the work for youDip your toe in. The water is warm, and your next day off will thank you.
FAQs
How can salon owners use AI for more than writing captions? AI can turn a long staff meeting into a clear action list, sort your inbox, and build training plans for your apprentices. The trick is giving it context about your salon so the output sounds like you, not generic.
How do you use a voice note to create salon content with AI? Record a quick voice note about a client's consultation on your phone, then drop the transcription into a tool like Claude or ChatGPT. Ask it to write the caption as a story about that client, and you get content in your own voice in seconds.
Does using AI mean it replaces the salon owner? No. AI does not do the work or send your emails for you. It speeds up the planning and thinking you already do, so you take action
Mentioned in this episode:
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
https://www.salonrising.com
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
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You know the feeling. You post the last minute cancellation, the one that used to fill within the hour, and now it just sits there. The Monday DMs that used to be mental are quiet. The new client requests that used to roll in are a trickle. You are not imagining it, and you are not doing anything wrong.
In this episode, Sam and Jen are joined by one of Sam's dearest friends and the final piece of her rat pack, Rach from Halo Hair and Beauty in Tweed. Fourteen years a salon owner, six years an educator, and refreshingly honest about what has actually shifted in this industry. Rach and the girls get into the thing most owners are quietly worried about and almost no one is saying out loud. The clients are not coming the way they used to, building a new column is harder than it has been in years, and the old playbook of post on Monday and fill by Friday does not work anymore.
This is a real conversation about the new landscape of the Australian salon industry. Why younger clients are skipping colour altogether. Why the hate around pricing online misses what a haircut actually costs to deliver. Why a smaller team has quietly become the smarter, calmer, more profitable choice. And the slow shift that comes with time in the chair, when you stop chasing the bigger salon and start enjoying the one you already built.
What we cover
Why building a new client column is so much harder than ten years agoThe new client landscape and why last minute spots no longer fill the way they didYounger clients going natural and skipping colour, and what that does to the booksThe online hate around salon pricing and the real cost behind a haircutWhy a smaller team often means better culture, less tax and more profitKnowing your numbers and team targets so you are not paying people to do nothingWhy going back to basics is the skill apprentices are missingChoosing to enjoy the salon you have built instead of always chasing moreSome weeks the most powerful thing you can do is jump in, do what you need, and jump back out.
FAQs
Why is it harder to build a new client column now than it used to be? Demand has shifted, so the steady stream of new clients many salons relied on has slowed right down. More people are going natural or stretching out appointments, which means fewer new bookings and a slower build for newer team members.
Is a smaller salon team better than a bigger one? For many owners, yes. A smaller team can mean stronger culture, less time spent managing people, and a lower wage, tax and superannuation load, which often leaves the business more profitable and far less stressful to run.
Why do salon prices feel so high right now? A haircut or colour covers far more than the time in the chair. Rent, stock, insurance, superannuation and tax all come out of that price, and rising client expectations mean each service takes more time and skill than it used to.
Mentioned in this episode:
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
https://www.salonrising.com
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
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Most salon owners think branding is the colours, the logo and the name above the door. Tegan from Moosh used to think that too. Then she realised her brand had quietly gone missing, not because she got the visuals wrong, but because she had stopped knowing who she was actually talking to.
In this Mini Moment, Tegan joins Jen to pull branding apart in plain language. The thing that brought hers back was almost too simple. She stopped posting to everyone and started posting to one favourite client, a real person, as if she was talking only to her. From there the feeling, the team and the whole vibe of Moosh fell back into place.
This is an honest, practical chat about why your brand is a feeling more than a colour, why your team is part of it whether you planned that or not, and why two salons right here in Australia can share the exact same palette and still feel like nothing alike.
What we cover
Why your brand is a feeling, not just your colours and logoThe one client trick that makes your posts actually landHow a busy salon quietly loses its brand without noticingWorking out who you really want sitting in your chairWhy your team and their personalities are part of your brandPosting to attract the right client instead of everyoneThe difference between the look of a salon and the feeling of itYour colours were never the brand. The feeling people walk into always was.
What makes up a salon brand? A salon brand is the feeling people get from you, not just your colours, logo or name. It comes from who you serve, how your team shows up and how clients feel in your space.
How do I find my salon brand? Start by picturing one favourite client and speak only to her, the way Tegan from Moosh did. Once you know who you are talking to, your colours, tone and team culture fall into place around her.
Why does my salon brand feel off? Most brands feel off when the salon gets busy and the owner loses sight of who they are speaking to. The fix is rarely new colours, it is getting clear on your person again.
Mentioned in this episode:
https://www.salonrising.com
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
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You have done everything right. The website is beautiful, the work is gorgeous, the reels go up. So why does it feel like you are shouting into a void while new faces still trickle in from who knows where? This episode answers the who knows where, and the answer has changed.
Jen sits down with Renee from Salon Society, for a conversation that started over dinner and turned into a deep dive neither of them wanted to end. Renee has seen this industry from every side. A mature age apprentice who became a Kevin Murphy educator. Then a sales rep who built a territory on relationships. Then a social media agency owner running it all between nap times. And now someone who lives inside the world of AI marketing for salons. She is not teaching theory. She is in salon every week watching real new clients walk in and asking every single one of them how they found the place.
What she is finding will change how you think about marketing in 2026. One woman booked a curly hair appointment after typing "best curly hairdresser south Perth" into ChatGPT. Renee shares the real numbers, the multi step path a client takes before they book, and the holes in the bucket that quietly cost you the clients you already worked hard to attract. There is also a tender thread running underneath all of it, about success, motherhood, and the day her son threw her phone across the room and she realised she had built the business but forgotten to pivot it.
If this conversation lights something up in you, Renee teaches the full system behind it, building a digital presence that brings in bookings without posting more or chasing trends, in her own online course.
What we cover
How clients are now using AI tools like ChatGPT to find a salon, and what that means for youThe one thing to become obsessed with in 2026, knowing exactly where your new clients come fromWhy a referred client can find you and still not book, and how to plug the holes in your bucketOptimising your socials, website and Google Business Profile so AI can actually find youWhy your captions matter again, and the problem and solution story every caption should tellBuilding an evergreen content strategy so you can stop chasing trends and get off the hamster wheelUsing AI to amplify your brand voice instead of replacing itRenee's own pivots, from the salon floor to education to agency to AI, and knowing when each season is overWhat success actually felt like, and the honest cost of chasing moreThis is the episode that makes the AI shift feel less like a threat and more like the most useful thing to happen to salon marketing in years.
FAQs
How do salon clients find a business using AI like ChatGPT? Clients type a plain question into an AI tool, such as the best hairdresser for a service in their suburb, and the AI answers by pulling from your socials, website, Google reviews and listed services. The more consistent and specific your content is across those places, the more likely AI is to recommend you.
What is the one thing salon owners should focus on in 2026? Become obsessed with knowing where your new clients actually come from by asking every new client how they found you and whether that is when they booked. Once you know what is working, you can make more of that content instead of chasing new clients online for hours.
Do captions still matter for salon social media? Yes, more than ever. AI reads the words in your captions and on screen text to understand what your content is about, so a caption that names the service, the client's problem and the solution is what helps you get found and booked.
Mentioned in this episode:
https://www.salonrising.com
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
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The bravest thing you can do as a business owner is admit you do not have all the answers.
In this Mini Moment, Jen sits down with Sherri from Timely to talk about why asking for help might just be the most underrated business move you make this year.
Timely Answers is the new drop in session format that has been quietly booking out. A community of other business owners, and an open invitation to ask the questions you have been carrying around alone. Because the moment you hear someone else ask the thing you were too nervous to ask, everything shifts.
The conversation then opens out into something equally valuable. How small sensory shifts in your service, a hand massage, a foot rub, a scalp moment, the smell of your salon, can move you from another appointment to a memorable experience your client will talk about. And how the energy you bring to your business is the energy your clients walk out with.
What we cover
The new Timely Answers drop in sessions and how they workWhy community removes the loneliness of running a salonThe power of realising someone else is asking the same questionHow to think outside the square with higher ticket offeringsWhy regulated business owners create regulated clientsBringing the passion back into your businessWhen you stop trying to do it all alone, everything gets lighter.
Mentioned in this episode:
https://www.salonrising.com
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
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There is one question that quietly underpins every leadership decision a salon owner makes. Are you in service or are you in sacrifice?
In this honest, reflective conversation, Sam and Jen sit down to unpack the difference, why it matters, and how the answer changes everything from your team energy to your retail numbers to the way you feel walking into your own business.
This is not a leadership masterclass. It is a real conversation between two friends who are deep in the work themselves, examining the labels we attach to leadership, culture and ourselves. The word boss carries an ego. The word culture has become a buzzword. And the version of leadership most of us were taught, the one that sits at the top shouting orders down, is actually the opposite of what builds a business that lasts.
Sam shares what she has learned from 14 staff down to three, why finance is the most important pillar of any small business, and why the targets document she has used for years has never felt more valuable.
Jen reflects on capacity, glass balls and plastic balls, and the moment she pulled out of an event that would have broken her. Together they explore what it actually looks like to lead from below rather than above.
What we cover
The difference between service and sacrifice, and how to tell which one you are inWhy resentment is the signal you have stepped into sacrificeReverse engineering your leadership from the version you actually wantWhy the word boss does not sit right anymoreFinance as the foundation everything else flows fromWhy your team needs financial literacy, not just targetsCapacity, boundaries and protecting your glass ballsStripping the ego out of the decisions you make about your businessWhy your first priority is your team and theirs is your clientsThe labels we attach to ourselves, our businesses and the people in themWhen you lead from service, your business stops feeling heavy. It starts feeling like home.
Mentioned in this episode:
https://www.salonrising.com
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
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In this Mini Moment, Tegan from Moosh joins Jen to talk about something most salon owners are quietly stressing about...marketing. Specifically, what to actually spend money on, when to bring someone in to help, and what kind of return you can realistically expect.
After years of consistent regulars, Tegan is in a rebuild season and marketing to brand new clients is now non-negotiable. She shares exactly what she has been doing, why she finally outsourced her paid ads, and how that decision is now bringing in 14 new clients a week.
This is an honest, practical conversation about the chicken and egg of marketing spend, why you cannot build a business on Instagram posts alone, and why finding people who actually understand your brand is the difference between marketing that lands and marketing that makes you cringe.
What we cover
Why community Facebook pages are not the answerThe real cost of trying to run paid ads yourselfHow to know when it is time to outsource your marketingWhat a proper marketing agency actually does for a salonWhy understanding your brand has to come before outsourcingThe chicken and egg of marketing investment when cash is tightOne client a week from your team can fund the whole marketing budgetWhy patience is part of the marketing strategyMentioned in this episode:
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
https://www.salonrising.com
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
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Sometimes the dream you were chasing is not the dream you needed. In this episode, Sam and Jen are joined by one of Sam's dearest friends and biggest cheerleaders, Tegan from Moosh. After 10 years in business, a team that grew to 11 and has since come back to two, Tegan opens up about what it has actually taken to come back to herself, her vision and the kind of salon she always wanted to build.
This is a conversation about the slow, quiet realisations that only come from time in the chair. The grief of losing long term staff. The bittersweet beauty of regular clients moving on. The financial honesty most owners avoid. And the moment you walk into your salon, hear how peaceful it is, and realise this calm was the goal all along.
Tegan is open, warm and full of the kind of gusto that makes everyone around her feel like they can do anything. But this episode shows another side of her too. The leader stepping into herself for the first time. The mother holding boundaries. The owner choosing service over sacrifice. And the woman who genuinely loves what she does and is finally ready to enjoy it.
What we cover
10 years of Moosh, from 40 square metres to a commercial purchaseGoing from 11 staff down to two and what that has taught herThe grief of losing long term team members and regular clientsWhy your business cannot be built on sacrificeComing back to your vision and rebuilding from thereKnowing your numbers as the antidote to fearHiring for personality over skillThe trap of panic hiring and why it never worksLeading through different seasons of life and teamWhy being a hairdresser does not have to be the thing you outgrowShe's back. And the salon she always wanted was here all along.
Mentioned in this episode:
https://www.salonrising.com
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
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Most salon owners set up their booking software once and never go back. The descriptions are outdated, the services do not reflect the brand anymore, and there is revenue sitting quietly in the background that nobody is capturing. Sound familiar?
In this Mini Moment, Jen sits down with Sherri from Timely to talk about why an annual audit of your salon software is one of the most underrated things you can do for your business. And why the new Timely add-ons feature might just be the thing that changes how you think about upselling forever.
Because here is the thing. The best add-on conversation is the one you never have to have out loud. When your software is set up properly, it does the prompting for you. Your clients get the nudge at the right moment, they feel in control of their choices, and you get the revenue without the awkward middle bit.
What we cover
Why auditing your salon software once a year is non negotiableHow misaligned service descriptions can disconnect your brand experienceThe new Timely add-ons feature and how it works for your businessLetting technology do the upselling so you do not have toWhy giving clients ownership of their booking increases add-on uptakeHow solo operators can use software to reduce overwhelmAI, social media and the future of working smarter not harderWhy having fun on Instagram is actually a strategyYour software should be working while you are behind the chair. This episode will show you how to make that happen.
Mentioned in this episode:
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
https://www.salonrising.com
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
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Sometimes the most important conversations are the ones that happen between two friends who are deep in it themselves.
In this episode, Sam and Jen pull back the curtain on where they are each at right now. In their businesses, in their teams and in their lives and give each other, and you, permission to just be in the season you are in.
Sam is back on the floor full time and genuinely loving it. Jen is in the hustle, building her team and finding her rhythm. Neither of them is where they thought they would be. And both of them are okay with that.
This episode is a honest, grounded and at times deeply personal conversation about what it actually looks like to run a small salon business in real time, without the highlight reel.
From wage ratios and retail to radical honesty and gratitude, this one covers a lot of ground. But the thread running through all of it is the same. The season you are in right now is not a detour. It is the journey.
What we cover
Where Sam and Jen are each at in their businesses right now
Sam's return to the floor and what that season has taught her
Jen's hustle of building and filling her team's columns
Wage ratios, what they should look like and how to check yours
Retail as a tool for genuinely helping clients, not selling to them
Training young team members consistently and why bite size beats once a week
The difference between being in your business and running it from above
The time is going to pass anyway. You may as well be in it.
Timestamps
00:00 Episode Summary
02:29 Hospital Detour and Boundaries
04:50 Easter Break Reset Rituals
06:59 Back on the Salon Floor
09:00 Booked Out and Waitlist Systems
10:34 Jen’s Hustle to Fill Columns
12:24 Training Young Staff Fast
14:43 Offers Referrals and Memberships
16:37 Choosing Your Season in Business
18:27 38 Hours on Floor Plus Admin
19:42 Capacity and Wage Ratio Basics
22:23 Salon Cost Benchmarks
23:38 Tracking Wages Weekly
24:39 Team Targets and Performance
25:47 Retail Without the Ick
28:05 Owner Lessons and Expectations
32:09 Work for Yourself Myth
35:25 Quarter Two Focus
36:55 Gratitude and Seasons
46:04 Closing Thoughts
Mentioned in this episode:
https://www.salonrising.com
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
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Retention. It is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot in this industry, usually tied to numbers, rebooking rates and revenue. But Sara Briscoe from Roca Verde has a different way of looking at it, and once you hear it this way, you will not be able to unhear it.
Because retention is not just good for your bottom line. It is good for your nervous system. A column full of familiar faces means less anxiety, less tap dancing to impress someone new, and more of the kind of days that remind you why you love this job. That is what is in it for your team. And that is exactly the conversation most salon owners are not having.
In this Mini Moment, Sara breaks down the why behind retention, the how behind building it, and why teaching your team to care about it starts with making it personal.
What we cover
Why retention is an emotional conversation as much as a financial oneThe real cost of a column full of new clients on your adrenals and your confidenceHow to teach your team the why so they actually careThe power of a consistent consultation and giving clients a hair journeySocial media as a retention tool, not just a marketing oneWhy a calm familiar column is one of the greatest gifts you can give your teamWhen you and your team understand what retention actually does for you and them, everything shifts.
Mentioned in this episode:
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
https://www.salonrising.com
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Some episodes stop you in your tracks. This is one of them.
Sam & Jen are joined by one of Sam's closest friends and hair besties, Brooke Wolf from Paper Rokk. For a conversation that is as honest, warm and real as it gets.
Brooke has built her salon business over 12 years through some of life's most defining moments. Loss, burnout, single motherhood, a new build and now navigating the early days of a significant personal change. And through all of it, one thing has kept showing up as the answer.
Connection.
This episode explores what connection actually looks like in business and in life. The connection you have with your team, your clients, your closest friends and yourself. It is a conversation about showing up for people in ways that matter, about the salons that save us when everything else feels uncertain, and about what happens when you finally let yourself lean into the people around you instead of pushing through alone.
Brooke's story is one of resilience, self awareness and grace. And her reminder that we are in the business of connection, even when we forget it, is something every salon owner needs to hear.
What we cover
Brooke's journey from heartbreak to building Paper Rokk over 12 yearsOpening a salon after loss and figuring it out as you goRunning two salons, burning out and knowing when to let one goNavigating separation as a business owner and a motherWhy grief doesn't stop, it just moves with youThe difference between sending a text and actually showing upHow your salon can save you in the seasons you least expectWhat connection really means for your team, your clients and yourselfWhy saying yes more often can change everythingThe glass balls and the plastic balls, what you let fall and what you don'tThe answer was always connection. It just takes the hard seasons to remind us.
Timestamps:
00:00 Episode Summary
02:33 Meet Brooke Wolf
03:27 Friendship And Support Crew
06:27 Starting A Salon After Loss
09:27 Second Salon And Burnout
12:15 Closing Palm Beach Lessons
13:43 New Space Pregnancy Chaos
15:07 Group Chat Lifeline
19:20 Separation And New Chapter
25:43 Grief While Leading
28:49 Finding Joy In Small Moments
32:37 Saying Yes Again
34:31 Glow Up And Bucket List
35:44 Better Apart Realizations
36:45 Trauma And Overworking
39:13 New Hobbies And Joy
42:57 Friendship Web Story
46:13 Connection Over Everything
51:02 Salon As Safe Haven
56:21 Business Lessons And Team
59:03 Show Up For People
01:05:30 Grace In Breakups
01:08:30 Co Parenting And Closure
01:10:02 Final Connection Reminder
Mentioned in this episode:
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
https://www.salonrising.com
-
Most salon owners are sitting on a network they have barely touched. The clients in their chairs, the brands they love, the people they already know and trust.
In this Mini Moment, Jen sits down with Sherri from Timely to talk about one of the most underutilised assets in your business, the community you have already built around you.
It is a conversation that started with a question Timely kept hearing from salons: costs are rising, times are tough, how do we actually help? The answer became Timely Perks, a growing initiative built to ease the real financial pressure of running a salon by connecting owners with brand partnerships, exclusive offers and education, all in one place. But the conversation quickly opens out into something bigger than a product feature. It becomes a genuine exploration of what it means to build with your community rather than just within it.
From leveraging the clients already in your chairs to rethinking what collaboration can look like across brands, artists and industries, this one will shift the way you see the network you already have.
What we cover
What Timely Perks is and why it was createdHow to support clients through tough financial times without discountingTreating your clients as partners, not just appointmentsLeveraging your existing client network in ways you probably haven't tried yetThe power of collaboration across brands, artists and industriesWhy community over competition is more than a hashtagOne simple thing you can do today to start building those connectionsYour next great business partnership might already be sitting in your chair.
Mentioned in this episode:
https://www.salonrising.com
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
-
There's a particular kind of calm that only comes after years in the trenches.
In this episode, Sam and Jen sit down with the brilliant Sara Briscoe from Roca Verde, an 18 year salon owner, country girl turned Sunshine Coast icon, and one of the most refreshingly real voices in the industry right now.
Sara has built, sold, renovated and rebuilt her way through nearly two decades of business, and she brings all of it to this conversation without filters, without fluff, and with a lot of heart.
They talk about what it actually looks like to build a salon from the ground up, from a tiny 50 square metre space called Blondies to the stunning Roca Verde, and now into the next chapter with a brand new build in the works. But this episode goes well beyond bricks and mortar. It gets into the stuff that lives underneath the beautiful feed and the full appointment book. The real cost of running a big team, why wages to sales ratios matter more than most people realise, and why so many salon owners are still undercharging and burning out because of it.
This is also a deeply human conversation about leadership, letting go, and learning to love the season you are in. Whether that is a season of growth, a season of stillness, or a season of just holding it all together while a new dream takes shape behind the scenes.
What we cover
Sara's journey from country Queensland to building one of the Sunshine Coast's most recognised salonsWhat it really takes to buy, build and renovate salon spaces over 18 yearsSelling a building you love and starting again from scratchWages, pricing and why knowing your numbers changes everythingThe tiered pricing model that brought wages to sales back into a healthy rangeHiring for the person, not just the skill setWhy a bad culture fit can rock an entire businessThe apprentice conversation the industry needs to be havingLearning to let your people go with grace and prideWhy it is not that deep, and how that mindset shift changes everythingThere is one thing that has stayed consistent across 18 years of building, selling, hiring, losing, laughing and starting again. And that is Sara.
This episode is a reminder that you are the constant. Everything else is just the season you are in.
Timestamps
00:00 Episode Summary
02:02 Podcast Welcome and Guest
04:54 Warts and All Growth
09:55 From Country to Salon Owner
12:42 Building Roca Verde Empire
17:29 Designing The All Space
20:43 Selling Up and Staff Trust
23:52 New Site and Pop Up Plan
30:08 Family Priorities and Burnout
33:49 Apprentices vs Freelancers
39:20 TikTok vs Instagram Comments
39:52 Wages Salon Misconceptions
41:03 Apprentice Pipeline Crisis
44:57 Pricing Value Perception
48:15 Raising Prices Without Guilt
54:02 Tiered Pricing Know Numbers
01:00:43 Hiring Culture Retention
01:06:05 Letting Staff Leave Well
01:09:34 Its Not That Deep Wrap
Mentioned in this episode:
https://www.salonrising.com
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
-
Staff retention is one of the biggest conversations happening across the hair and beauty industry right now. In this Mini Moment, the girls sit down with Abbe from Koko Cosmetica to unpack what actually keeps great team members in your business and why it’s rarely about perks or pay rises.
Instead, it comes down to something much more human: creating a safe, supportive environment where your team feels respected, heard and able to live their lives outside of work. Because the truth is, your team aren’t just employees, they’re people building their own lives alongside your business.
We talk about the small leadership habits that build loyalty over time, from respecting personal boundaries to paying people properly, and why often the biggest shifts start with looking at ourselves as leaders first.
What we cover:
Why creating a safe work environment matters mostLetting staff live their lives outside workSupporting sick leave and personal time properlyWhy leadership self awareness is essentialThe importance of paying staff correctly and on timeWhy consistency builds trust within your teamA great team culture isn’t built in big gestures. It’s built in the small, everyday ways you show your people they matter.
Mentioned in this episode:
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
https://www.salonrising.com
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
-
If you want anywhere near a business, it’s hard. There is no secret club. No magic strategy. No shortcut that only a few people know about. In this episode, the straight talking and unapologetically honest Sam Mangan joins us for an unfiltered, no fluff conversation about what it actually takes to build something meaningful and why so many people are chasing the wrong things.
We unpack the myth of instant success and the obsession with access. Meeting the CEO will not save you. A viral moment will not build your foundation. Success is built in relationships, in uncomfortable conversations, in asking better questions, and in choosing to do the hard thing when no one is watching.
This episode is a reality check and a reminder. Every business is a dumpster fire behind the scenes. Every operator is putting out fires daily. If you feel like you’re struggling, you’re not alone. Everyone is in a lifeboat. The difference is not who avoids the hard. It’s who chooses it.
What We Cover
Why “it’s hard” is not a strategyThe myth of the secret formula for successWhy networking is about people, not business cardsThe truth about instant gratification and social media successWhy extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effortHow to ask better questions in businessWhy ideas are worthless without executionThe importance of relationships at every levelTimestamps
00:00 – Episode Summary
02:29 – The real reason Sam quit
04:18 – Being blunt but still kind
05:34 – Sam’s honest Bond panel rant
08:38 – The rise of free content
10:37 – The danger of delusional ambition
11:27 – The fake influencer illusion
13:58 – The hard work reality check
14:59 – Raising kids around money
18:04 – Questioning self help culture
22:19 – How to spot fake coaches
23:12 – The questions real consultants ask
31:20 – Networking to find real answers
36:52 – Why gatekeepers deserve respect
38:27 – Putting relationships before transactions
39:23 – When kindness genuinely pays off
40:03 – The unexpected Celine Dion story
44:35 – Dating app filters and authenticity
45:42 – Coffee shop loyalty lessons
48:31 – Why change starts today
49:21 – Lessons from the Aspire podcast
53:13 – Ideas are nothing without execution
55:33 – How Sam built his business
57:47 – Why networking takes practice
01:00:28 – The ego free celebrity insight
01:02:25 – Coming back to home base values
01:11:33 – The truth that failure is universal
01:13:18 – Final reflections and wrap up
Mentioned in this episode:
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
https://www.salonrising.com
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
-
What if the reason your business feels heavy… isn’t the workload, it’s misalignment?
In this Mini Moment, we’re sharing a behind the scenes masterclass from inside Rising Finances Online and Solo Rise Online. This is the foundational work our members do early on, defining their why, their purpose, and their core values.
Because here’s the truth: if you don’t consciously decide how you want your business to serve your life, it will quietly start running you instead.
Your values are your compass. Your why is your anchor. And your purpose is the filter every big decision should pass through.
What we cover:
The power of defining your whyValues as your business compassMisalignment as a hidden cause of burnoutGrowth that aligns with your lifeBuilding a business that reflects youThis isn’t mindset fluff. It’s practical clarity.
If your business feels noisy, heavy, or disconnected, it might be time to come back to your values.
And if you would like to delve deeper into our online courses, you can check them out below 👇
➡️Rising Finances Online
➡️Solo Rise Online
Mentioned in this episode:
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
https://www.salonrising.com
-
What happens when the hardest season of your life becomes the foundation for your strongest one?
In this deeply honest and reflective conversation, Abbe from Koko Cosmetica returns to the podcast two years after her first appearance, and she is not the same woman. Since we last spoke, she’s navigated postpartum depression, grown her salon to five years strong, welcomed a third baby, survived the FIFO juggle, and stepped into a calmer, more grounded version of herself as both a mother and business owner.
We talk honestly about postpartum mental health, delegation in business, the pressure to keep expanding, sustainable systems, and the uncomfortable truth that growth often requires letting go.
If you are a mother in business, a salon owner feeling stretched, or a woman quietly navigating your own hard season, this one will feel like a hand on your back.
What we cover:
The reality of postpartum depression as a business ownerWhy discomfort is often the birthplace of growthLetting go of a business idea that no longer fitsDelegation as both leadership and self protectionCreating sustainable systems in motherhood and businessThe power of separating work and home energyThis episode is a reminder that you can survive the mud, grow through it, and come out clearer, calmer, and stronger on the other side.
Timestamps:
00:00 Episode Summary
04:03 Meet Abbe Again: Five Years in Business, FIFO Life & New Baby
05:44 Putting Projects Down: Pausing the Clothing Brand to Focus
07:43 Choosing Baby #3 After Postpartum Depression Fears
11:31 A Healing Postpartum
13:53 Spotting the Signs: Anger, Overwhelm & Business Pressure
20:37 Sustainable Business Habits: Delegation, Stock & Systems
29:12 Motherhood + Business Balance: Separation, Routines & Small Wins
33:04 Ditching Social Media - Replacing Scroll Time with Podcasts
34:13 The 1% Reminders That Change Your Day
35:18 Family Systems That Save Your Sanity
36:49 Delegation Without Perfection
42:27 Close the Loops: Tackle One Annoying Area to Build Momentum
43:57 Why Uncertainty Is Needed to Level Up
48:06 Seasons of Business
50:33 Putting Projects Down and Staying True to You
55:02 Redefining Success & Legacy
Mentioned in this episode:
💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports
We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:
➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.
➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.
It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.
Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇
MCM
https://www.salonrising.com
💛 A Limited Time Offer From Our Amazing Sponsor, Timely 💛
➡ Timely is the easy to use booking and payments system that puts salon owners in control of the whole client experience from the first booking to final payment.
➡ Salon Rising listeners get a 14 day free trial plus 50% off their first 3 months.
➡ And until August 1st, when you activate with Payments, you'll also get a free Touchscreen terminal, worth $349 + GST.
Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to get started. Once you're set up, your Timely contact will take care of the rest. 👇
Timely
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