PhorestFM: Stories From the Salon Floor

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.
 

Lance Courtney on How Opportunity Lies Ahead of Co-Creation and Collaboration

In this episode, keynote speaker, business coach, and educator Lance Courtney explores what salon leadership looks like in an era shaped by Gen Z, shifting values, and rapid cultural change. Drawing on themes from his Salon Owners Summit 2026 workshop and blending real-world salon examples with coaching insight, he takes an educational “what works, what doesn’t work, and what works better” approach to challenging leadership styles.
If you're navigating generational shifts within your team or seeking guidance on how to evolve your leadership style without compromising your authentic self, this conversation offers a modern perspective on leadership and provides valuable self-reflective prompts to prepare for the new year.
Connect with Lance Courtney on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lancecourtney
Learn more about the Salon Owners Summit & explore the full lineup and agenda: https://www.salonownersummit.com/tickets
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.

Experience the Difference: A Case Study in Turning Service into Predictable, Consistent Retail Sales

[323] Featuring Derrick Rutherford (Co-Owner, Valentini’s), Arif Isikgun (CEO & Founder, Ai Beauty Consultancy), and Cole Marker (Founder & Builder in Chief, thync.c), this episode reimagines retail not as a “pushy add-on," but as an essential part of sustainable business growth, driven by client care and rooted in trust.
 
Backed by data from the Phorest 2025 Consumer Insights Report and rooted in the incredible success Valentini’s is having with retail (26% service-to-retail, 113$ average retail ticket), this conversation explores what’s driving these impressive figures and flips the narrative on common blockers salon, spa, and clinic teams face in making retail a natural part of everyday operations. With Arif and Cole’s added layer of lived experiences and insights as coaches, we first discuss the power of storytelling and the importance of thorough, process-driven consultations. Then, we speak to how systems make it stick, goal-setting and accountability elevate performance, and how retail can serve as an early indicator of broader issues in the business.
 
Learn how to build a retail approach that is:
Backed by systems that make the offer authentic, care-centered, and consistent
Sustainable and reflective of service standards and clients’ levels of trust
Empowers your team with confidence
Integrates service, recommendations, and follow-through into one seamless client journey
If you listen to one episode about retail this year… Let it be this one.
 
Follow Derrick Rutherford, Arif Isikgun, and Cole Marker on Instagram: @derrick_rutherford, @aibeautyconsultancy, @thync.c_coaching
 
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

Wafaya Abdallah on Leading With Heart and Becoming Fluent in the Silent Language of Energy

[322] For Wafaya Abdallah, owner of Oasis Curl Salon (@curlyoasis), real growth happens when we let go of control, release the need for perfection, and create a safe space for others to rise.
In this episode, we explore the salon as a space for transformation and how her journey into energy medicine, holistic beauty, and cultivating trust has shaped her approach to leadership. Now dedicated to integrative education and developing a curriculum that blends the art of curly and texture hairdressing, the science of natural hair care, and the power of energy healing, she is driven by a desire to ensure hairstylists are equipped not just with technical skills but with the tools to uplift and empower themselves and others.
Connect with Wafaya Abdallah on Instagram @yinrizingofficial or by email <wafaya@curlyoasis.com>
Listen to her podcast, The Curl Code (in process of rebranding): https://podcast.ausha.co/curl-code
Secure your Salon Owners Summit tickets here: https://www.salonownersummit.com/tickets
Want to share your love or gratitude for the industry on PhorestFM's Season 9 finale? Fill out this form before November 30, 2025!
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.

Grief as a Teacher: Luis Miguel Bujia on Lessons in Honourship and the Power of Sharing

[321] Every now and again, there’s an episode that asks us to slow down, sit with what’s real, and see what it has to teach us. This is one of those episodes. Becoming who we are — as people, friends, as community and team members, leaders — is a lifelong, multifaceted journey. Growth is tender, vulnerable, messy, and profoundly human.
Ten years into salon ownership, the founder, owner, and artistic director of Stylists at North in Alexandria, Virginia, Luis Miguel Bujia, shares:
How letting our “messy” show can build relationships rooted in truth and trust
Why honoring life’s difficult moments — personally and professionally — creates space for growth
Connect with Luis Miguel Bujia on Instagram: @stylistsatnorth
Secure your Salon Owners Summit tickets here: https://www.salonownersummit.com/tickets
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.

The Work of Happiness: Heather Bagby on Transforming Leadership and Life

[320] When approached with intention, leaning into happiness can become a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. In this episode, Heather Bagby (@heatherbagby on Instagram) — the visionary behind the Summit Salon Business Centre’s Happiness Project and the recently announced keynote speaker for the Salon Owners Summit 2026 — reframes happiness as hard work with high rewards.
Known to inspire audiences and organizations to embrace the journey toward a more joyful and successful workplace, Heather joins the PhorestFM podcast for a conversation blending personal stories, actionable strategies, and bold ideas that connect happiness with leadership, resilience and personal growth.
Find out more about the Summit Salon Business Centre here: https://www.summitsalon.com
Secure your Salon Owners Summit tickets here: https://www.salonownersummit.com/tickets
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 2025 Aesthetic Extender Symposium With Dr. George Baxter-Holder

Get a glimpse of the energy and people at the 18th Annual Aesthetic Extender Symposium in Boca Raton, Florida! Hosted by Shauna O'Halloran (Head of Brand & Communications at Phorest), this short episode has it all: her on-the-ground observations, short clips from some of the conference’s live education, a conversation with Dr. George Baxter-Holder (VP of Talent Development at Skin Spirit) and some vox pops!
You can learn more about the Aesthetic Extender Symposium here, and about Skin Spirit here. Follow Dr. George Baxter-Holder, DNP, MBA, APRN, CANS on Instagram here.
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.

Dave Evans & Debbie Halls-Evans on 'Being More Kid' and Building Curious Cultures

[319] If you’ve ever sat down for a chat with Dave Evans and Debbie Halls-Evans, founders of and. coaching (@andcoachme), you know you’re in for a bold and disarmingly honest one. High off a year so far defined by intentionality, bravery, and play, Dave and Debbie share:
How fear can manifest and be reframed as an invitation to look inward
The difference between being uncomfortable and being unsafe
How adopting a “be more kid” mindset unlocks creativity, imagination, and joy at work
The power of language and modelling care to build cultures rooted in curiosity and kindness
Deeply practical, rich with anecdotes and offering 10 powerful language reframes, this conversation is an essential no-BS starter toolkit for any salon owner or leader looking to reimagine how they show up for themselves, their businesses, their teams, and their clients.
Find out more about and. coaching here: https://www.andcoachme.com/Listen to Double D Season 6 EP114, "Ripple effects. The quiet power of individual impact."
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.

Stefanie Fox on How Lasting Teams Are Built With Intention, Not Found

[318] At Phorest, we know that the magic happens when you get the team right. Clients feel it. Reviews show it. Your bottom line reflects it. Building a strong team is an advantage, but great teams don’t just “happen.”
In this unearthed conversation from late 2023, Stefanie Fox (@stef_fox), Founder of Talent Match and Matchable, shares timeless leadership insights, why recruitment can’t be treated as a quick fix, and why lasting teams aren’t discovered by chance, but intentionally built through trust, purpose, and process.
From her philosophy of leadership as an oath to the data-backed insights of the Beauty Workforce Survey, Stefanie challenges salon owners to rethink leadership, recruitment, culture, and retention.
Learn more about Talent Match, and discover The Matchable™ Salon Owner Hub, here.
Read "How to Build a Salon Culture Stylists Want to Stay For" by Stefanie Fox
Read "Building a Salon, Spa, or Clinic Team That Performs Better and Stays Longer" by Steph Fernandez
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.