PhorestFM: Stories From the Salon Floor
The salon industry has a lot to be proud of. Phorest has always been in awe of it. The energy. The camaraderie. The creativity. Being a business owner takes courage, but it can sometimes become an isolating, all-consuming reality. Amidst the daily whirlwind of tasks, there’s still the challenge of thinking ahead, of carving a path forward. The PhorestFM podcast celebrates innovative ideas, methods, and perspectives on business management and growth, marketing, leadership, and building great teams and cultures. Launched in 2017, it is hosted by Alex Bélisle-Springer (he/they), Global Education Content Lead at Phorest Salon Software. As of Season 9 (2025), new episodes air every second week, with occasional bonus drops on ”off” weeks.
Episodes

Monday Sep 28, 2020
Inside Phorest: Your 5-Star Fan Club Is Waiting
Monday Sep 28, 2020
Monday Sep 28, 2020
[180] September: less episodes, lots of planning! We're headed into the last quarter of the year and preparing the 13 remaining episodes to Season 4. This week on the show, we talk about online reputation with Salon Business Advisor Sinéad Norman, discuss our recent episode on community, announce a few upcoming blogs, webinars and everything else in between.
Links:
[Blog] The Importance Of Reviews & Getting To The Top Of Google With The Phorest Online Reputation Manager: https://bit.ly/3jltypm
[Webinar] Lifestyle Recruiting, Building A Salon Team That Helps You Scale: https://bit.ly/3n71Vmb
[Online Event] Data Driven Salon Experience Free Registration, from Sept.28 to Oct.30: https://www.datadrivensalon.com/experience
Click here to subscribe to the weekly Phorest FM email newsletter
This episode 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.
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.

Monday Sep 14, 2020
Alison Alhamed on the Life-Changing Power of Community
Monday Sep 14, 2020
Monday Sep 14, 2020
[179] Suppose life longevity can be rooted in our level of connection to others. Would it be such a great leap to think that career longevity might have its roots in connection too? What if the story we made ourselves about successful people and success too often failed us; made us doubt our worth, skills, knowledge, experiences? What if support from like-minded people and professionals was at times all we needed to keep going?
Featuring Alison Alhamed, Vice President of Social Media & Community at R+Co, this week's episode takes a look into the meaning of "community," and discusses how brand-engineered ones can positively impact businesses, careers and lives altogether.
Links:
Learn more about R+Co: https://www.randco.com
Click here to subscribe to the weekly Phorest FM email newsletter: http://bit.ly/2T2gUj1
This episode 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.
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.

Monday Aug 31, 2020
Inside Phorest: Slicker Than Ever Marketing to Help Fill Your Calendar
Monday Aug 31, 2020
Monday Aug 31, 2020
[178] This ‘new normal’ definitely hasn’t come without its challenges, but the good news is Phorest is here to help. Catch up on everything that's happened in August! This week's episode features recent blog and podcast recaps in addition to an interview with Product Manager Aisling Scolard on Phorest Salon Software's new and improved Email Editor.
Links:
[Blog] Digital Consultation Forms, A Step Closer To Your Safe & Paperless Salon: https://bit.ly/2ED7qYa
[Blog] Taking Control Of Your Colour Business With Vish: https://bit.ly/3gF2NtD
[Blog] Life Beyond COVID-19, Your Have 3 Types Of Salon Customers: https://bit.ly/34VCOMz
Click here to subscribe to the weekly Phorest FM email newsletter
This episode 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.
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.

Monday Aug 24, 2020
A Trip Down Memory Lane: Sarah Doyle on Two Decades of Phorest Features
Monday Aug 24, 2020
Monday Aug 24, 2020
[177] This week's conversation is more like a story, a trip down memory lane, as the title suggests. On the show, we welcome Sarah Doyle, owner of Templeogue Beauty Clinic (@templeoguebeauty) in Dublin — one of Phorest Salon Software's first clients, going back 17 years ago. We discuss her journey with Phorest, what it was like back in the days, the features she's adopted over time, and how from listening to clients, she's gained insights into what they look for in a salon; what's important to them.Links:Visit Templeogue Beauty Clinic's website: https://templeoguebeautyclinic.ie/index.htmlClick here to subscribe to the weekly Phorest FM email newsletter: http://bit.ly/2T2gUj1This episode 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. Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm Read the transcript, or click here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.

Monday Aug 17, 2020
Derek Anthony on Growing a Seven-Figure Business Using Mobile Technology
Monday Aug 17, 2020
Monday Aug 17, 2020
[176] Reaching the $1+ million in revenue mark in business doesn't mean everything is smooth sailing or running at its peak performance; growing pains are still very much part of the process. And while they can be challenging in the moment, overcoming them can create competitive advantage opportunities.
A little over a year ago, NYC-based salon D Anthony (@d_anthonyhair) underwent a culture reset led by entrepreneur, salon owner and master stylist Derek Anthony (@derek__anthony_), for which the central theme was modernization.
Featuring the man himself, this week's episode discusses what rethinking the D Anthony brand and its operations both required, as well as how communication and mobile technology usage — among other things — were vital pieces to the salon's next stage of business growth.
Links:
Visit the DAnthony salon website: http://danthony.com/
Schedule a complimentary call on Culture Curators: https://www.myculturecurators.com/bookings/
Click here to subscribe to the weekly Phorest FM email newsletter: http://bit.ly/2T2gUj1
This episode 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.
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.

Monday Aug 10, 2020
James Davis on Leading Through Change & Becoming a Community Linchpin
Monday Aug 10, 2020
Monday Aug 10, 2020
[175] When the coronavirus pandemic hit earlier this year, James Davis went back to digging deep, working 16-hour days, and thinking outside the box to figure out what he could do to keep his various business operations alive and lead positively through change and uncertainty.
Enabling his salon, Clay, to financially evolve while supporting the team with a new work platform as they returned, his 'thinking outside the box' mindset also led to a village togetherness featured in national newspapers and magazines. Inspired by the "Pay It Forward" mentality and determined to give back to the very people who had contributed to his entrepreneurial success over the years, James Davis pulled together volunteers from all fields and launched Oxshott Delivery.
In this episode, hear Phorest's CEO Ronan Perceval and entrepreneur James Davis discuss recent projects, what changes both lockdown and reopening have brought to his salon, and how leading positively through change positioned him and his local businesses as community linchpins.
Links:
Visit Clay Salon's website: https://clayhairsalon.com
Click here to subscribe to the weekly Phorest FM email newsletter: http://bit.ly/2T2gUj1
This episode 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.
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.

Monday Aug 03, 2020
#BackInBusiness: Irish Salons Share Their Reopening Experiences
Monday Aug 03, 2020
Monday Aug 03, 2020
[174] Life beyond COVID-19 is having salon owners around the world think differently about their business. From cleanliness procedures to staff rosters, booking appointments and selling retail, various processes are undergoing considerable changes. Featuring salon owner Greg Clarke (Collage Hair Group, Hairbrush.ie) and Operations Director John Hickey (The Green Room), this week's episode takes a look at what reopening has been like for Irish salons after weeks of lockdown.
Links:
Click here to subscribe to the weekly Phorest FM email newsletter
This episode 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.
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.

Monday Jul 27, 2020
Inside Phorest: Prepare and Protect With Pre-send Consultation Forms
Monday Jul 27, 2020
Monday Jul 27, 2020
[173] Catch up on everything that's happened in July! This week's episode features recent blog and podcast recaps in addition to an interview with Product Designer Mikey Cannon on one of Phorest Salon Software's many features keeping your salon staff and clients safe: pre-send consultation forms.
Links:
[Blog] How To Maintain A Post-Lockdown, Top-Quality Salon Experience: https://bit.ly/304c0GU
[Blog] US Beauty Booking Habits Post-Lockdown: https://bit.ly/2CMO42h
Click here to subscribe to the weekly Phorest FM email newsletter
This episode 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.
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.

Monday Jul 20, 2020
David Campbell on Growing Your Own Timber
Monday Jul 20, 2020
Monday Jul 20, 2020
[172] How many business owners do you know today that can proudly say their employees spend, on average, ten years within the organisation? Probably not many.
Welcome to House of Colour (@houseofcolour): the biggest award-winning salon group in Ireland, with six salons, one academy, and impressive staff retention statistics.
Featuring David Campbell, owner of House of Colour group and current President of the Irish Hairdressers Federation, this week's episode discusses apprenticeships' value. David is also an international educator, platform artist, business advisor, stage presenter, a two-time IHF Icon award winner, and an IHF Lifetime achievement award recipient.
Links:
Visit House of Colour's website: https://www.houseofcolour.ie/
Access the Back In Business, With Phorest information page at www.phorest.com/c19
Click here to subscribe to the weekly Phorest FM email newsletter: http://bit.ly/2T2gUj1
This episode 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.
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.

Monday Jul 13, 2020
Meabh Quoirin on Consumer Trends & Insights to Shape the Industry’s Future
Monday Jul 13, 2020
Monday Jul 13, 2020
[171] The industry is likely never to go back to the way it operated before COVID-19. As salons and spas progressively reopen, they are also shaping a new normal.
Before the pandemic, people conceived of beauty experiences in four main ways: convenience, skills, pampering and an indulgent experience, and finally, a sense of connection and community, visiting the same beautician every single time and being able to talk about personal and beauty-related issues. Will that remain true for years to come? That's what companies like Foresight Factory are in the business of predicting.
Featuring CEO and co-owner of Foresight Factory, Meabh Quoirin, this week's episode discusses consumer trends and insights that are changing the hair & beauty industry's foreseeable future.
Links:
Visit Foresight Factory's website: https://www.foresightfactory.co
Access the Back In Business, With Phorest information page at www.phorest.com/c19
Click here to subscribe to the weekly Phorest FM email newsletter: http://bit.ly/2T2gUj1
This episode 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.
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.