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 May 21, 2018
Niamh Greaney on Last Minute Best Practices for GDPR Compliance
Monday May 21, 2018
Monday May 21, 2018
[075] May 25th. For countries in the EU, this means GDPR has officially come into effect. As of today, mandatory for salons within the EU to collect, house and protect clients’ personal data and information securely, on top of being uber-transparent about how it was collected.
On this episode of Phorest FM, Killian and Zoe are joined by one of Phorest Salon Software's salon business advisors, Niamh Greaney, who will shed light on some last-minute best practices for GDPR compliance and examples of a few real-life "don't-do's."
Links:
Phorest Academy GPDR Webinar
The Salon Owner's Guide To Understanding And Preparing For GDPR (eBook)
Visit salongdpr.com and book an appointment with an advisor to talk about a GDPR compliant salon software solution.
Tune in weekly 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 you can join. Phorest FM is produced every Monday morning for your enjoyment with a cup of coffee on your day off. 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 here, or click here to request a personalised quote from Phorest Salon Software.

Monday May 14, 2018
#30Days2Grow: Katrina Sutherland on Her Salon’s Experience & Results
Monday May 14, 2018
Monday May 14, 2018
[074] On this week’s Phorest FM episode, Killian and Zoe interview #30Days2Grow participant and winner of the 'Share Your Experience' contest Katrina Sutherland, salon owner and founder of Katrina Sutherland Country Spa, opened in July 2007 and the first beauty spa north of Inverness.
Katrina, who hails from Occumster, Caithness, trained as a beauty therapist in 1988 at the Clydebank College in Dunbartonshire. During her time there she gained The Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology Diploma and The Public Institute Health and Hygiene in Beauty Therapy Certificate. She was also awarded prizes for Best Electrologist and Best Body Therapist for the year.
Links
Katrina Sutherland Country Spa, Website
Didn't take part in the #30Days2Grow salon challenge in April? Sign up for it here.
Tune in weekly 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 you can join. Phorest FM is produced every Monday morning for your enjoyment with a cup of coffee on your day off. 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 30, 2018
April Monthly Round-up
Monday Apr 30, 2018
Monday Apr 30, 2018
[073] After a month of interviews with industry thought leaders on various topics, Killian and Zoe dedicate this week's episode of Phorest FM to a round-up of everything that's happened during the #30Days2Grow salon challenge that took place in April.
Links
Enter for a chance to win 1 of 2 StarQ Wireless Phone Chargers! Click here for more details & entry form.
Download your free May salon marketing toolkit. Click here.
Sign up for the Phorest Academy Instagram Masterclass (May 21st, 3PM GMT). Click here.
Didn't take part in the #30Days2Grow salon challenge in April? Sign up for it here.
Tune in weekly 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 you can join. Phorest FM is produced every Monday morning for your enjoyment with a cup of coffee on your day off. 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 23, 2018
David Barnett on Charging What You’re Worth
Monday Apr 23, 2018
Monday Apr 23, 2018
[072] You have the technical skills, but you are still frustrated with a mediocre paycheck? You seem pretty busy but your income is nowhere near what you need it to be? For the fourth and final interview of this year's special #30Days2Grow series, Killian and Zoe welcome back salon coach and industry expert David Barnett (High Performance Stylist) to the show. Known for taking salons and stylists to 7 figures, he'll discuss his tried-and-tested formula & techniques for increasing prices and charging what you're truly worth.
Links:
High Performance Stylist (Website)
High Performance Stylist (Facebook Page)
David Barnett is offering free 30-minute consultations for anyone looking for some advice or help with an aspect of their business. Pick a date and time that works for you - it's fast and easy: https://meetme.so/DavidBarnett
Tune in weekly 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 you can join. Phorest FM is produced every Monday morning for your enjoyment with a cup of coffee on your day off. 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 16, 2018
Gavin Hoare on Customer Experience & Acting Like the Expert You Are
Monday Apr 16, 2018
Monday Apr 16, 2018
[071] For the third instalment of the special #30Days2Grow interview series, Killian and Zoe are joined by Salon Maitre D’ Gavin Hoare, or as described by some, the 'master of all salon managers'. As a vital part of the management structure at the London-based salon Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa, Gavin runs the ultimate super salon with 90 staff, 1,200 clients per week and 250 innovative hair and beauty treatments and services. His unique and unrivalled talents as a leader and a ‘people person’ coupled to his background in hairdressing make him the ideal guest to not only discuss how to define and deliver the ultimate client experience, but also touch upon staff empowerment.
Links:
About Gavin Hoare
Follow Gavin On Twitter
Top Insights For Salon Success From The Phorest Salon Owners Summit 2018
Join The #30Days2Grow Salon Challenge (from April 1st to 30th, 2018)
Tune in weekly 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 you can join. Phorest FM is produced every Monday morning for your enjoyment with a cup of coffee on your day off. 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 09, 2018
Aaron Carroll on Healthy Lifestyles & Work-Life Balance
Monday Apr 09, 2018
Monday Apr 09, 2018
[070] We’re in the second week of #30Days2Grow, a salon challenge that aims to banish the stigma around having to heavily discount to get more clients in. Last week was a very busy week for all of our 30Days2Grow participants, especially for anyone who had signed up for their first year and had no idea of what to expect.
With this in mind, this week on the show, Killian and Zoe are joined by Personal Trainer and Health Coach Aaron Carroll to go through some tips to not only keep everyone fuelled throughout the 30-day challenge, but also ensure that anyone who isn't taking part also avails of professional advice on how to juggle the demands of your salon work and the rest of your life.
Get in touch with Aaron Carroll:
On Facebook
On YouTube
On Instagram
Through His Website
Join The #30Days2Grow Salon Challenge (from April 1st to 30th, 2018)
MyFitnessPal App
Tune in weekly 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 you can join. Phorest FM is produced every Monday morning for your enjoyment with a cup of coffee on your day off. 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 02, 2018
Rowena Doyle on Visual Merchandising in the Hair & Beauty Industry
Monday Apr 02, 2018
Monday Apr 02, 2018
[069] Happy Easter Monday! The #30Days2Grow challenge has finally kicked off last Sunday (April 1st - not an April fool's joke) and this first week is all about retail. What better way to kick off our exclusive interview series this month than by inviting Summit workshop speaker and Founder of Visual Sense, Rowena Doyle, to discuss all things visual merchandising. Is there a theory behind displaying products? What are the best ways to get retail displays to stand out? What strategies tend to be most useful when you want to announce special offers and promotions? All this and more in this week's Phorest FM episode.
Links:
Visual Sense, Website
Top Insights For Salon Success From The Phorest Salon Owners Summit 2018
Join The #30Days2Grow Salon Challenge (from April 1st to 30th, 2018)
Tune in weekly 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 you can join. Phorest FM is produced every Monday morning for your enjoyment with a cup of coffee on your day off. 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 26, 2018
March Monthly Round-up
Monday Mar 26, 2018
Monday Mar 26, 2018
[068] Before they kick off their special #30Days2Grow episodes this coming April, Killian and Zoe dedicate this episode to the most popular blogs in March, new contests and upcoming Phorest Academy Webinars.
Links:
Enter for a chance to win 1 of 2 KINGA Essential Oil Diffusers (comes with a fragrant oil starter pack)! Click here for more details & entry form.
Preparing For The Worse With An Extreme Weather Salon Policy
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Salon Vouchers
Are You Ready For The 2018 #30Days2Grow Salon Challenge?
Sign Up For #30Days2Grow (Before March 31st, 2018)
Tune in weekly 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 you can join. Phorest FM is produced every Monday morning for your enjoyment with a cup of coffee on your day off. 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 19, 2018
Nicola Sharp on GDPR and Delivering Standout Salon Experiences
Monday Mar 19, 2018
Monday Mar 19, 2018
[067] The closer in time we get to May 25th, the higher the chances that businesses will be facing a much more GDPR-concerned and ‘private’ customer. For a salon who prides itself on delivering a standout salon experience, could GDPR turn into an opportunity to build even more trust with existing and potential clients? And for salons based in the UK, also in the midst of dealing with Brexit, is GDPR taken just as seriously as it is within the EU?
On this week's episode of Phorest FM, Killian and Zoe take the pulse of the situation as they are joined by Nicola Sharp, owner of award-winning salon Enhance Beauty & Spa, in Penicuik, and whose mission is all about providing the best salon experience.
Links:
Enhance Beauty & Spa, Website
4 Minute Intro, GDPR For Your Salon
Salon GDPR Explained With Emojis, In Under Three Minutes
How To Use GDPR To Build Trust And Show Clients You Care
The Salon Owner’s Guide To GDPR eBook (free download)
The Phorest Academy Salon GDPR Masterclass
Join The #30Days2Grow Salon Challenge (from April 1st to 30th, 2018)
Tune in weekly 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 you can join. Phorest FM is produced every Monday morning for your enjoyment with a cup of coffee on your day off. 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 12, 2018
Salon Marketing & Design Tips: Lighting, Online Education and March Promos
Monday Mar 12, 2018
Monday Mar 12, 2018
[066] On this episode of Phorest FM, Killian and Zoe take their usual mid-month break from interviews to discuss recent Phorest Salon Software blogs.
Links:
Top Salon Lighting Tips To Complement Your Interior Design
10 Alternative Online Salon Courses That Will Help You Grow
Salon Marketing Opportunities To Avail Of This Coming March
Tune in weekly 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 you can join. Phorest FM is produced every Monday morning for your enjoyment with a cup of coffee on your day off. 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.