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 Apr 08, 2019
Monday Apr 08, 2019
[111] Companies outside of the beauty industry are spending millions of dollars on digital sales funnel processes to capture new leads that will turn into lifelong clients. Who is doing this for the beauty industry? This week, entrepreneur, speaker, author, and podcaster Kati Whitledge joins Phorest FM's co-hosting duo to share insights on how to create salon digital sales funnels without increasing your marketing spend! They'll discuss what sales funnels involve, why they're the most effective digital marketing strategy, how to create them and will give real examples of some that you can use right away for your salon.
Kati is the Creator and CEO of the Beyond The Technique podcast, the award-winning marketing tool, Meet Your Stylist, and award-winning Be Inspired Salon, located in Madison, Wisconsin. She was recently named one of Madison’s “40 under 40” professionals and is eager to move the industry in a positive, progressive direction. Her mission is to equip salon owners and their teams with the most innovative business and marketing strategies.
Links:
Book a free 15 to 30-minute consultation on The Salon Mentorship Hub
Salon Owners Summit: The Roadshow, April 15, 2019
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 01, 2019
Monday Apr 01, 2019
[110] When it comes to hosting a salon retail demo we picture incredibly well-displayed merchandise accompanied by free wine, canapés, live music and a big budget; a very, very big budget.
Yes, retail events are a fantastic way of showcasing your salons inventory and for your team to demonstrate their expertise when it comes to products used in treatments. However, a no expenses spared approach isn't always the best way to go about rocking a successful retail demo. In fact, it could do more damage than you think. In this episode, Katie Lowndes, founder of Beauty Sale Mate and Katie’s Beauty Kitchen, will take you through the pros and cons of hosting a retail demo and more importantly, how it can be done on a shoestring budget.
Links:
Beauty Sale Mate, Training & Business Development for Clinics, Spas & Salons
Book a consultation with Katie Lowndes on The Salon Mentorship Hub
Salon Owners Summit: The Roadshow, April 15, 2019
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 Mar 25, 2019
Monday Mar 25, 2019
[109] Did you miss an episode this month? Catch up on everything that's happened in March with Killian and Zoe's round-up. On the agenda: Phorest's latest feature releases, bits from the Thrive Session workshop in Seattle, highlights from the some of the popular articles published in March and snippets from our previous interviews with salon coaches Steve Gomez and Ryan Power.
Links:
Good, Better, Best: Introducing The Predictive Rebooking SMS Feature
3 Female Bosses From The Salon Industry Discuss Leadership
Top 10 Rules For Creating An Efficient Salon Staff Rota
Steve Gomez, Business Coaching
Ryan Power, Salon Business Superstars
Join the #30Days2Grow Salon Challenge (Starts April 1st, 2019)
Book a consultation on The Salon Mentorship Hub
Salon Owners Summit: The Roadshow, April 15, 2019
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 Mar 18, 2019
Monday Mar 18, 2019
[108] Just as the world wide web celebrates its 30th birthday, we, as users, are becoming more aware of online privacy. We're also increasingly wary of the impact that social media can have on our professional lives. But the reality is, the lines between online personal and professional personas have never been so blurred, which is causing a lot of headaches in the entrepreneurial world. As a small business owner, can you use those blurred lines to your advantage?
To discuss the matter and some specific Facebook salon/spa marketing tactics, Killian and Zoe have a sit down with UK-based coach, speaker, author and co-founder of Salonology, Ryan Power.
Links:
Salonology - Coaching For Beauty Businesses
Book a consultation on The Salon Mentorship Hub
Thrive Sessions Seattle, March 24-25, 2019
Salon Owners Summit: The Roadshow, April 15, 2019
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 Mar 11, 2019
Monday Mar 11, 2019
[107] As a coach, Steve Gomez supports salon professionals to create breakthrough results when it comes to growing their sales, client base and profits. To do this, he is committed to helping the industry recognise that how you view yourself and your business more often than not dictates personal and professional results. On this episode, he joins Killian and Zoe to discuss interdependent leadership and how to put emotions aside to coach based on data-backed decisions.
Links:
Steve Gomez, Salon/Spa Business Coaching, Trainings & Seminars
Interdependent Leadership To Improve Team Culture & Profits
Book a consultation on The Salon Mentorship Hub
Thrive Sessions Seattle, March 24-25, 2019
Salon Owners Summit: The Roadshow, April 15, 2019
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 Feb 25, 2019
Monday Feb 25, 2019
[106] Did you miss an episode this month? Catch up on everything that's happened in February with Killian and Zoe's round-up. Expect an exciting announcement about Phorest's channel on YouTube, discussions around the most popular articles published recently and snippets from Phorest FM episodes 103, 104 and 105!
Links:
The Phorest Salon Success Plan (Phorest Studios, YouTube series)
Book a consultation on The Salon Mentorship Hub
Making Charity & The Act Of Giving Your Salon Business Culture
Making Tax Digital: Important Informations For Salons & Spas
Making Tax Digital For UK Salons: Helping You Prepare
Save your spot on the Making Tax Digital Salon Masterclass, March 4, 2019
Thrive Sessions Seattle, March 24-25, 2019
Salon Owners Summit: The Roadshow, April 15, 2019
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 Feb 18, 2019
Monday Feb 18, 2019
[105] Rebooking has a massive impact on salons and spas’ client loyalty. Unfortunately, not every client is always ready to pencil in a new appointment while they're at the til. More even, it can be challenging to get your staff in the habit of asking people to rebook, and well maybe you don’t have a receptionist, so you’re relying on your team when they’re busy getting ready for their next client.
Phorest's new predictive rebooking SMS feature is geared towards clients who, based on their individual history with your salon, are due to come back to the salon soon. It's pre-emptive: you're offering these clients the chance to book maybe before they've even realised they need to. And from over 400 salons trialling this feature in February 2019, a total of €2,000 worth of rebooking SMS has been sent, resulting in over €93,000 salon revenue from the appointments booked as a result of those texts. Nearly a 50:1 return there, and on average an extra 6% clients retained against salons who hadn't been using the feature. On the show to discuss these findings and more, Killian and Zoe are joined by Phorest CEO, Ronan Perceval, and Product Data Analyst, Nuala Maguire!
Links:
Introducing The Predictive Rebooking SMS Feature
25 Reasons That Will Make You Value Rebooking Clients
Making Tax Digital Salon Masterclass, March 4, 2019
Salon Owners Summit: The Roadshow, Website
Thrive Sessions Seattle, March 24-25, 2019
If you have any questions or are a Phorest Salon Software client and would like help getting this feature set up on your system, send us an email at .
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 Feb 11, 2019
Monday Feb 11, 2019
[104] Known as one of the most prestigious and talked about events in the hair & beauty industry in Europe, the Salon Owners Summit will leave its home in Dublin this coming April to embark on its first roadshow... destination: Chicago! The objective? To bring salon owners and their teams together with the greatest minds in the world in business, customer service, marketing and management.
To discuss the reasons behind the tour, the logistics and lineup, you'll hear from regular contributor Sinead Carroll (PR & Events, Phorest Salon Software). Then, joining Killian, Zoe and Sinead on the show, you will be introduced to Jay Williams, a 25 year veteran of the Salon Industry, author, educator and speaker at the Salon Owners Summit Roadshow stop in Chicago.
Links:
Salon Owners Summit: The Roadshow, Website
Thrive Sessions Seattle, March 24-25, 2019
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 Feb 04, 2019
Monday Feb 04, 2019
[103] It was the year 2008 when Facebook introduced instant messaging. Today, 60 million businesses use Facebook Messenger to connect with their clients and potential clients in a much more personable way. In fact, it is said that monthly, 8 million messages are exchanged between users and businesses on the feature. How can salons take advantage of Messenger? Why is it now another business essential?
To discuss the topic, Killian & Zoe welcome back award-winning salon owner, industry mentor, speaker and author of The Hairy Book of Email Phil Jackson! Also, stay tuned as we have a few announcements you don't want to miss towards the end of the show.
Links:
Facebook Messenger Help
3 Ways To Stay Responsive To Salon Facebook Messages
Phorest presents... Salon Spark, a 7-week group coaching programme to put the SPARK back into your business! Strickly limited to 100 salon owners who are serious about growth in 2019. Sign up here!
Topics include:
Reducing overwhelm
Your 3-month marketing plan
Social media marketing
Salon recruitment in a tough recruitment market
Setting effective targets
... and MUCH more!
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 Jan 28, 2019
Monday Jan 28, 2019
[102] Did you miss an episode this month? Catch up on everything that's happened in January with Killian and Zoe's round-up. Expect exciting announcements, discussions around the most popular articles of the month and snippets from Phorest FM episodes 100 & 101!
Links:
Heather Yurko: Building A Great Salon Team Of Elite Performers
Melanie Icke: ‘Getting To Know You’ Workshop, Using The DiSC Method
Steve Gomez: Interdependent Leadership To Improve Team Culture & Profits
The Salon Mentorship Hub
Digital Media Awards: Best Podcast Finalist
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.