PhorestFM: Building a Stronger Industry, Together

Raquel Merlini on Building a Broader System of Care & World of Integrity in Aesthetics

[331] Raquel Merlini is the founder of R SKIN Aesthetics in Michigan. As a seasoned Registered Nurse and Certified Aesthetic Nurse Specialist with over 14 years of experience in the plastics industry, she offers a real-world model of collaborative care and ethical practice for those who, like her, seek to educate, listen to, and guide patients toward treatments that transcend fleeting trends and instead align closely with their most authentic self-expression goals.
In the context of rising calls for tighter regulation, greater transparency, and stronger safety standards, this episode is a warm, grounding conversation about Raquel’s philosophy and approach, as much as it is about what it takes to build trust and one’s responsibility as a practitioner. Her insights cover what a consultation informed by her worldview and life experience entails, how she holds patient vulnerability with integrity as people face increasingly unrealistic standards, and how she balances it all with business growth.
Connect with Raquel Merlini (RN-CANS)
Learn more about Raquel and R SKIN here and apply or contribute to the Raquel Merlini Pay it Forward Scholarship here.
TikTok: @rskinaesthetics
Instagram: @rskinnurseraquel, @rskinadmission, @rskinaesthetics
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquel-m-14947b21/
All things Phorest
Find out how Phorest helps the top salons & aesthetic clinics steer their business toward happier clients, productive teams and bigger growth. Say hello to life with Phorest!
Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets: https://www.phorestsummit.com/
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This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

Leading In Alignment With Joanne Starkman: A Continuous & Conscious Return to Self

Connect with Joanne Starkman and Innersense Organic Beauty
For Joanne’s podcast, check out Trust Your Innersense with Joanne Starkman, and EP58 for her interview with Louise Keane or EP59 for her solo cast unpacking her experience at the Sacred Spiral Retreat.
For Innersense Organic Beauty, learn more about the brand and mission here and here (salon pros)
Connect with both Joanne and Innersense on Instagram @trustyourinnersense, @joannestarkman, @innersensepro, @innersenseorganicbeauty
All things Phorest
Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets for 2027: https://www.phorestsummit.com/
Learn more about Phorest Software.
Enjoyed the episode?
Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!
Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter.
This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

Jennifer Jade Alvarez on Where AI & Automation Can Drive Impact in an Industry Built on Human Connection (w/ Rich Cullen)

[329] AI is soon coming to Phorest, and this serves as officially non-officially the first conversation in a string of ones to be sprinkled into the podcast’s schedule during Season 10.
A version of this conversation could easily live in extremes, but this one does not. Rather, it asks a valid and core question of our time: How do you adopt new technology, AI & automation more precisely, without losing what makes your business human?
In this episode, joined by guest co-host Rich Cullen (Principal Product Designer at Phorest), we sit down with Jennifer Jade Alvarez, founder of Naperville, Illinois’ Refined Beauty, to discuss what it has been like to bring AI and automation tools into various areas of her business. And beyond discussing tools, we also spend time discussing decisions: what to automate, the trust factor, and what should perhaps never be automated in a beauty and wellness business.
We unpack the opportunities, the trade-offs, the real-world lessons—including what happens when AI gets it wrong—and the paybacks. All of it, with a deep belief that the businesses that win in the future won’t be the ones to remove the human touch. They’ll be the ones who remove friction around the craft and care.
Connect with Jennifer Jade Alvarez
Download Jennifer’s Top 50 Ways Salon Owners Buy Back Their Time: A free checklist using AI, automations, and virtual assistants
Learn more about the Salon CEO Method™ coaching program, listen to the Beauty Business Game Changer Podcast, and connect with Jennifer on Instagram @JenniferJadeAlvarez
All things Phorest
Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets for 2027: https://www.phorestsummit.com/
Learn more about Phorest Software.
Enjoyed the episode?
Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!
Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter.
This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

Juliann Upton on Change As an Invitation to Come Alive

[328] Thinking about change can often bring up questions about readiness. Are we ready to move into this bigger space, to move cities, to grow the team? Juliann Upton, the founder and driving force behind Mesh Hair Studio, Nail Bar & Head Spa, would probably tell you the distinction between change that lands at your doorstep and change that you initiate matters less than what you do once it's standing in front of you. That's when, with some curiosity, perhaps the more intimidating questions emerge: Are we willing to honor the pull toward something more? Are we willing to let this rearrange ourselves, or a part of our identity?
As we trace the pivotal moments of her 20+ year career in roughly 60 mins — a challenge in itself — Juliann shares the key lessons she’s learned along the way. And if you pay attention, you’ll find that each meaningful chapter she seems to have begun when she met her future self halfway, in the unknown.
If you’ve been looking for a sign or a gentle nudge to trust yourself in whatever decision or change is waiting on you, perhaps this is your invitation to recognize and act on the moments that invite you to grow.
Connect with Juliann Upton
To learn more about Mesh Hair Studio, Nail Bar & Head Spa, click here.
Instagram: @meshhairstudio, @juliannikki
References
On Martha Graham: Smithsonian Mag, Biography, Martha Graham History.
For Kitty Knorr's Reel on creativity and change, click here.
All things Phorest
Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets for 2027: https://www.phorestsummit.com/
Learn more about Phorest Software.
Enjoyed the episode?
Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!
Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter.
This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

Live From the Salon Owners Summit 2026 with Davina Devine

In this second (and final) bonus episode from the Salon Owners Summit 2026, more on-the-floor reactions from salon, spa, and clinic owners attending the event, an overview recap of the 2026 lineup and a candid conversation with Davina Devine, one of Ireland’s most recognizable drag queens and cabaret showgirls (@davina.devine on Instagram).
Briefly stepping away from her hosting and emcee duties of the day, the discussion explored Davina's flavour of drag, how she goes about warming up a crowd, and her relationship to the industry.
For more about Davina Devine and to inquire about bookings, click here.
For her podcast, Petty Little Things, click here.
Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets for 2027: https://www.phorestsummit.com/
Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!
Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter or here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.
This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

Heather Harris on Strategic Delegation: Survival Mode Has an Expiry Date

[327] You’re booked and busy; what every business owner wants. But has over-functioning ever felt safer (or at the very least more familiar) than to say, “I feel like I’m drowning”? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone. In fact, Heather Harris — nationally recognised stylist, salon owner, business leader, and celebrated speaker — knows this all too well.
This week’s conversation focuses on delegation. At its heart, though, it focuses on the emotional experience of the shifts you are forced to make when you start delegating: 
Renegotiating with yourself what success actually looks like
Letting go of that part of your identity that ties success and/or value to how much you output
Shifting from being an owner-operator to becoming a CEO
Shifting from being a firefighter to becoming an architect in your business
Because at the end of the day, delegation is an identity renegotiation, and it’s about choosing where your care actually belongs. As the Founder/CEO of Spark Pro Global—an agency providing trained executive assistants—Heather’s here to tell you that you can, in fact, build a business that doesn’t require you to lose yourself in the process.
To avail of the complimentary consultation to implement strategic delegation in your salon, graciously offered by Heather, visit Alchemy Salon Consulting and leave a note in the form saying you heard about it through the PhorestFM podcast!
Otherwise, learn more about Spark Pro Global / Spark Pro Salon, listen to Heather's podcast here, and connect with her on Instagram @heather.tantrumsalon @sparkproglobal
Click here to read Brittany Dennison's "Delegate to Elevate" blog, and here for the "10 PhorestFM Podcast Conversations That Quietly Said the Loudest Things"
Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets for 2027: https://www.phorestsummit.com/
Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!
Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter or here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.
This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

Live From the Salon Owners Summit 2026 with Calvin Stovall

Calvin Stovall, customer experience and leadership keynote speaker, joins the show live from the Salon Owners Summit 2026, shortly after his main-stage talk on the art of the 'WOW' experience.
In this conversation, Calvin shares the story behind his own “why,” how his book Hidden Hospitality: Untold Stories of Black Hotel, Motel, and Resort Owners from the Pioneer Days to the Civil Rights Era came to be, and connects lessons from historic Black hoteliers to practical customer experience and leadership principles. Plus, on-the-floor reactions from salon, spa and clinic owners attending the event, and a look ahead to the Phorest Summit 2027.
Connect with Calvin Stovall on Instagram @iconicspeaker
Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets for 2027: https://www.phorestsummit.com/
Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!
Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter or here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.
This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

S10 Launches on February 23rd, 2026

For the past nine seasons, the PhorestFM podcast has been steadily putting down roots. Growing slowly, but steadily, like the trees in the Phorest forest. And every episode’s been its own brand of fertiliser, carrying insight, knowledge, lessons, new ideas, and stories. Many, many of those.
From small seeds, the show has grown enough to change the landscape.
Our intent going into this tenth season is to bring you the energy of the rooms we create and/or find ourselves in this year, and make it a season bound by conversations that bring us forward.
Whether you’re joining us from the salon floor, the treatment room, the clinic, or an industry event, the car park between clients, or the commute home before or after a long day, we’re here to amplify community voices all around the globe. We’re here when you need a spark of inspiration or an extra dose of courage to branch out. When you need a new perspective or someone to listen. Really listen.
Because more than software, we’re on a mission, together with our community, to build a stronger industry. One we’ll always fight to see soar.
The year is 2026, the local time is now, and what’s next… is up to us. If this feels like your kind of journey—bring a friend with you. Season 10 starts on Monday, February 23rd, 2026, with a Live From the Phorest Summit 2026 bonus episode.
Subscribe to the Phorest FM email newsletter to be in the know of our casting calls & more fun stuff, and follow both Phorest Salon Software (@phorestsalonsoftware) & Alex Bélisle-Springer (@a.belspring) on Instagram for video clips and BTS content!
This trailer was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Great music makes great moments. Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed.

Love Letters to the Industry and Its People: End of Year Gratitude and Reflections

When Phorest salons shared, in early 2025, that "growth" was their number one priority this year, we got busy. On Season 9 of the PhorestFM podcast, we brought you insightful interviews, case studies, episodes with special guest co-hosts, and bonus live content! Sourced directly from the community, this season finale is a feel-good festive send-off. Thanks for tuning in, and thanks for another incredible year — slán go fóill (bye for now)!
This episode was made possible thanks to the contributions of:
Jackie Gonzalez @hairbyjackie_g @maggiethesalon
David Campbell @davhoc @thesalonedge @houseofcolour
Christine Cunningham-Smith @blissbeautyfife
Emma Jarvis @emmajarvis.thbacademy @thehairbase
Lori Fudens @whitesandhairsalon @lorifudens_redkenartist
Shirley Popham @pophamsalons
Naomi Cartwright @thefarmhousesanctuary_ @nlc_x
Leslie Perry @leslieperry_pba
Greg Clarke @greg_clarke @amicaecohairdressing
Stay tuned for Season 10, coming to you soon after the Salon Owners Summit 2026!
Learn more about the Salon Owners Summit: https://www.salonownersummit.com/
Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!
Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter or here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.
This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

Tom Kuhn on What Top-Performing Salons Do Differently: Benchmarks & Data-Backed Profitability Insights

[325] In 2024, Qnity’s research arm, the Qnity Institute, conducted a study. At the heart of it was one core question: ‘What does a financially successful salon look like?’
In this episode, Tom Kuhn, CEO of Qnity—an organisation offering education and tools for economic empowerment in the beauty industry—shares findings and insights from the subsequent 50-page report, published in June 2025. The ‘2024 Salon P&L Benchmark Study’ set out to paint a clearer picture of the industry, establish reliable benchmarks, and deliver actionable insights that could help improve profitability, and this conversation aims to do the same, equipping salon owners with prompts for reflection or conversation starters about the financial health of their own business going into 2026.
Find out more about Qnity, and the Qnity Institute.
To participate in the 2025 version of the study, click here.
Follow Tom Kuhn on Instagram: @tomhkuhn
Learn more about the Salon Owners Summit: https://www.salonownersummit.com/
Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!
Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter or here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.
This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.