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.
Listen on:
Episodes
Monday Jun 17, 2019
Monday Jun 17, 2019
[121] When you're out of school and ready to tackle the world of employment, it can be hard to make sense of the path ahead. Eventually, things do fall into place, but it requires patience and hard work.
Featuring Phorest guests James Mulcahy (Software Engineer) and Denise Gill (Online Trainer), this week's episode is all about the post-graduation blur, navigating job interviews and defining your career path... everyone has to start somewhere!
Links:
Life after college: Transition from student to software developer (by James Mulcahy on Nothing Ventured)
Landing your first software developer job (by James Mulcahy on Nothing Ventured)
Register for the 6-Week Salon Management Course hosted by Business Strategist Valerie Delforge
Book a free 15-30 minute consultation on The Salon Mentorship Hub
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.
Tune in every Monday for a mix of interviews with industry thought-leaders, roundups of our most recent salon owners marketing tips & tricks, all the latest in and around Phorest and what upcoming webinars or events you can join. Feel free to let us know who or what topic you'd like to hear on the show!
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to request a personalised quote from Phorest Salon Software.
Monday Jun 10, 2019
Monday Jun 10, 2019
[120] For many, opening a salon is a thrilling, yet scary experience. After a while though, once the wheels are in motion, habits start forming. After a couple years, the salon runs things a certain way, and the thought of changing that up by switching salon software, for instance, is likely to trigger some fear.
Fear for creating a short period of instability; that it won’t work out the way you imagined it would. Fear that you’ll lose data or that your staff won’t get it. Fear of leaving a comfort zone.
Our brains consider what is known to be far safer. The only way past this is to some research, plan things as best as you can and make educated decisions. Featuring Paul Kiersey (Phorest Onboarding Team Lead) and Will Hulihan (Phorest Brand Ambassador), this week’s episode focuses on insider tips for a seamless transition from one salon software company to another.
Links:
Switching Software, Salon Today Article
Phorest Studios, Salons Discuss Switching Software
Register for the 6-Week Salon Management Course hosted by Business Strategist Valerie Delforge
Book a free 15-30 minute consultation on The Salon Mentorship Hub
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.
Tune in every Monday for a mix of interviews with industry thought-leaders, roundups of our most recent salon owners marketing tips & tricks, all the latest in and around Phorest and what upcoming webinars or events you can join. Feel free to let us know who or what topic you'd like to hear on the show!
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to request a personalised quote from Phorest Salon Software.
Monday Jun 03, 2019
Monday Jun 03, 2019
[119] Top performers: you can always count on them to get things done and exceed expectations. Unfortunately, they also tend to be the first to walk out the door. For salons and spas, the idea of losing them is terrifying.
However, there's a lot to be said about developing individual greatness. A lot of, no pun intended, great things to say. Sports, for instance, provide several key lessons on the matter. In episode 119, Aveda educator and salon owner Amanda Olusanya (Allen Ray Salon) discusses her research findings and ideas on the topic.
Links:
Amanda Olusanya: Don't Build Teams, Build Individuals
Click to download both the 80% and 20% Ad Copy
Register for the 6-Week Salon Management Course hosted by Business Strategist Valerie Delforge
Book a free 15-30 minute consultation on The Salon Mentorship Hub
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.
Tune in every Monday for a mix of interviews with industry thought-leaders, roundups of our most recent salon owners marketing tips & tricks, all the latest in and around Phorest and what upcoming webinars or events you can join. Feel free to let us know who or what topic you'd like to hear on the show!
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to request a personalised quote from Phorest Salon Software.
Monday May 27, 2019
Monday May 27, 2019
[118] Did you miss an episode this month? Catch up on everything that's happened in May with Killian and Zoe's round-up. On the agenda: Phorest Salon Software's new and free 6-week Salon Management Course in collaboration with Business Strategist Valerie Delforge, highlights from popular articles published on the Phorest Blog and snippets from previous interviews with Charlotte Bradshaw & Leslie Healy, Jay Williams and Emma Simmons.
Links:
3 Tips That Will Make Your Salon Employee Bios Stand Out
The Beast Of Beauty: Diversifying Your Salon Service Offerings
Eat This Not That: Satisfied vs Loyal
Register for the 6-Week Salon Management Course hosted by Business Strategist Valerie Delforge
Book a free 15-30 minute consultation on The Salon Mentorship Hub
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.
Tune in every Monday for a mix of interviews with industry thought-leaders, roundups of our most recent salon owners marketing tips & tricks, all the latest in and around Phorest and what upcoming webinars or events you can join. Feel free to let us know who or what topic you'd like to hear on the show!
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to request a personalised quote from Phorest Salon Software.
Monday May 20, 2019
Monday May 20, 2019
[117] This week on the show, Killian and Zoe discuss the power of teamwork with Emma Simmons, owner of multi-award winning Salon 54 in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, UK. Taking part in the #30Days2Grow salon challenge both in 2018 and 2019, Emma was amazed by this year's increased results. This episode looks into the team's accomplishments, figures, success factors and key takeaways.
#30Days2Grow is a fun and unique challenge designed to help salons build team spirit and grow revenue. Every day for 30 days, starting on April 1st, participants were provided with impactful, yet easy-to-execute challenges that helped them put their brand at the forefront of their clients' minds.
Links:
Salon 54, Website
Register today and take the #30Days2Grow Salon Challenge in your own time
Register for the 6-Week Salon Management Course hosted by Business Strategist Valerie Delforge
Book a free 15-30 minute consultation on The Salon Mentorship Hub
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.
Tune in every Monday for a mix of interviews with industry thought-leaders, roundups of our most recent salon owners marketing tips & tricks, all the latest in and around Phorest and what upcoming webinars or events you can join. Feel free to let us know who or what topic you'd like to hear on the show!
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to request a personalised quote from Phorest Salon Software.
Monday May 13, 2019
Monday May 13, 2019
[116] When we frame an idea, a problem, or an opportunity, we are choosing our perspective. Look at a "glass as half-empty," and we start conserving and protecting. Seeing the same glass as "half-full" and opportunity and growth emerge. Our thinking shifts simply by how we choose to look at or "frame" something. Jay Williams's latest video series "Eat This, Not That… A Leader's List Of Ingredients To Create Better Communication" is essentially a guide to reframing our perspective on various concepts and situations.
Discussing a topic from his series, this week's episode focuses on satisfaction and loyalty: what makes both concepts different, why it matters and most importantly, what makes loyalty more valuable in the long run.
Links:
Jay Williams, Speaker, Author & Coach (Website)
Jay Williams, Leave Your Mark
Eat This Not That: Expectations vs Agreements
Eat This Not That: Courtesy vs Curiosity
Book a free 15-30 minute consultation on The Salon Mentorship Hub
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.
Tune in every Monday for a mix of interviews with industry thought-leaders, roundups of our most recent salon owners marketing tips & tricks, all the latest in and around Phorest and what upcoming webinars or events you can join. Feel free to let us know who or what topic you'd like to hear on the show!
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to request a personalised quote from Phorest Salon Software.
Monday May 06, 2019
Monday May 06, 2019
[115] Networking has long been recognised for its many benefits in the business world. It has the power to help you build awareness of your products or services, learn about people you might never have known otherwise and/or meet potential future employers or employees. Knowing more people is usually an advantage: it's easier to share information and when your network comes together, the power of influence of said group is redoubtable.
To discuss the power of networking in the hair and beauty industry specifically, this week's episode features two women with years of experience in the trade: Salonetwork founders Charlotte Bradshaw, who has worked in the industry for the past ten years and Leslie Healy, who hails from a twelve year background in the corporate world.
Links:
Salonetwork: a free social networking platform that connects professionals from the hair and beauty world with creative and likeminded people
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.
Tune in every Monday for a mix of interviews with industry thought-leaders, roundups of our most recent salon owners marketing tips & tricks, all the latest in and around Phorest and what upcoming webinars or events you can join. Feel free to let us know who or what topic you'd like to hear on the show!
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to request a personalised quote from Phorest Salon Software.
Monday Apr 29, 2019
Monday Apr 29, 2019
[114] Did you miss an episode this month? Catch up on everything that's happened in April with Killian and Zoe's round-up. On the agenda: Phorest's latest product update, highlights from popular articles published on the Phorest Blog and snippets from previous interviews with Katie Lowndes, Kati Whitledge and Steve Gomez.
Links:
What To Consider Before Setting Software Staff Access Levels
Eat This Not That: Expectations vs Agreements
Eat This Not That: Courtesy vs Curiosity
Jay Williams, Leave Your Mark
Book a free 15-30 minute consultation on The Salon Mentorship Hub
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.
Tune in every Monday for a mix of interviews with industry thought-leaders, roundups of our most recent salon owners marketing tips & tricks, all the latest in and around Phorest and what upcoming webinars or events you can join. Feel free to let us know who or what topic you'd like to hear on the show!
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to request a personalised quote from Phorest Salon Software.
Monday Apr 22, 2019
Monday Apr 22, 2019
[113] Known as one of the most prestigious and talked about events in the hair & beauty industry for bringing salon owners and their teams together with the greatest minds in the world in business, customer service, marketing and management, the Salon Owners Summit recently left its home in Dublin for a first Roadshow stop in the United States.
Straight from the Dalcy at Aba in downtown Chicago, this week's episode gives you a taste of what it was like to be there on the day. On the agenda: discussions with your co-hosts Killian and Zoe, an interview with salon owner and speaker Stefanie Jackson, vox pops and a few more surprises!
Links:
Salon Owners Summit: The Roadshow
Book a free 15 to 30-minute consultation on The Salon Mentorship Hub
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.
Tune in every Monday for a mix of interviews with industry thought-leaders, roundups of our most recent salon owners marketing tips & tricks, all the latest in and around Phorest and what upcoming webinars or events you can join. Feel free to let us know who or what topic you'd like to hear on the show!
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to request a personalised quote from Phorest Salon Software.
Monday Apr 15, 2019
Monday Apr 15, 2019
[112] Steve Gomez is recognised as one of the top business systems experts in the beauty and wellness industry. With over 24 years of business coaching experience combined with a background in marketing, communication and operations, he has personally supported hundreds of salons and spa businesses throughout his career. On episode 107 of the Phorest FM podcast, he discussed how to put emotions aside to coach based on data-backed decisions. Today, he's back with one simple goal: to make every staff, salon owner and leader feel empowered by the meetings they attend and hold.
Links:
Steve Gomez, Salon/Spa Business Coaching, Trainings & Seminars
Interdependent Leadership To Improve Team Culture & Profits
Book a free 15 to 30-minute consultation on The Salon Mentorship Hub
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.
Tune in every Monday for a mix of interviews with industry thought-leaders, roundups of our most recent salon owners marketing tips & tricks, all the latest in and around Phorest and what upcoming webinars or events you can join. Feel free to let us know who or what topic you'd like to hear on the show!
Leave a Rating & Review: http://bit.ly/phorestfm
Read the transcript, or click here to request a personalised quote from Phorest Salon Software.