T Gordon Salon Talks

High Performance Salon Academy co owner Jason Everett gives some free advice on social media marketing and salon operations while talking with Tony Gordon from Gordon Salon and T. Gordon Salon Talks. Jason is a new voice in the industry as un like other consultants he comes from outside the business. He is not a hair designer. And because of that, he has a special perspective. He sees our industry from the outside in. Many of his clients show some rather dramatic results. But after seeing his presentation at the Millennium conference and using and speaking with salon consulates for many years, I think his big take away is absolutely engaging way of handling people and an audience. Not to say his presentations aren't packed with great info, they are. But he is just super fun! Jason is one of those guys you sit to have a simple talk with and end up with belly rolls of laughter. He is a great personality and a new welcome fresh face for this industry. Tony GordonGordon SalonT. Gordon Salon Talksgordonsalon.comFrom his website description; Jason's infectious high energy and drive to make everyone he meets the best possible version of themselves, has landed him on center stage in the Salon Edu-tainment scene. Jason is one of the founders of the High Performance Salon Academy which specializes in taking salons that are already successful and cranking up their success to an 11! Their non-traditional and unconventional approach to learning uses the latest in technology and social media strategies to quickly train and equip the most attention-strained owners, leaders and service providers on how to rapidly implement what they learn. Even more important than the wealth of information they provide is the massive results they help their clients achieve, often raising the Average Ticket, Pre-book Rate, Guest Count and Take Home Income from 20-40% for everyone they work with.http://www.highperformancesalonacademy.com/  

My sister Kathrine Gordon is a champion among hair stylists, she votes for the academy award winners in hair and make-up and has been doing Hollywood hair for 40 years. Like many Gordon's before her, Kathrine Gordon chose the hair industry, but with an entirely different take than the rest of the family. She is a Hollywood Hairdresser. As her family, we are all so proud of her -- she has "made it" in an incredibly tough part of the industry. A specialty like no other: hair for film, television and theater. She has done it all and to a level that has made her a judge for the Academy Awards. She and I talked about doing a podcast for a long time and her own humble way, she said, "why?" What Kathrine does is what many young stylists want to do, but like many young people, they have no guidance on how to achieve their goals. What are the pitfalls? What is the job really like? In this amazing discussion we talk about what it is really like to work on superstars, A-list celebrities and the extras on a film set. What skills do you need? What is the focus and how does it all function? What is it like to be in a trailer or make up tent for 16 hours a day? Where does one get these skills and how do they take it to next level -- the level that gets them the dream job? I remember being back stage at the Horwich Jewish Community Center on Chicago's far north side, while my sister did hair and make-up for a production of Guys and Dolls. I distinctly remember my thoughts while watching her work, "How does she know how to do that? Why does she look so confident?" Yes, I am the braty little brother. After beauty school and tutelage from great hair stylist and grandmother Rose Gordon Greenberg (that's a story for another podcast), Kathrine went on to the San Francisco Opera company, where she learned wigs, characters, production pace and so much more. She ended up in New York at 30 Rock! -- that's the fourth floor of Rockefeller Center -- where she worked for Jane Pauley on the Today Show, soap operas, a local news cast and eventually Saturday Night Live.  At Saturday Night Live she created wigs and hair for some iconic characters: Garth and Wayne for Wayne's World and many many others. From New York, it was off to Los Angeles where she entered the movie and television business of Hollywood. She was tasked with creating the looks for many characters and movies from HBO's Dorothy Dandridge Story with Halle Berry to American Hustle with Christian Bale and Amy Adams. She continues to work with A list celebs. Right now she is deep into multiple projects with Anne Hathaway. In this fascinating podcast, she talks about what it takes to do this job: reading scripts, creating characters and maintaining the all-important continuity from scene to scene. If your interested in this type of hairstyling work or know someone who is, take a listen to this conversation with my amazing sister, Katrhine Gordon. Tony GordonGordonsalon.comT Gordon Salon TalksGordon Stylist Academy

Eufora: The Next GenerationHow do you find your own voice in an industry where your father had such a huge impact? It is something I deal with all the time, but think about the young Sam Bewley. Sam now works for the company his late father founded and doing it great justice. As you can hear in this fascinating conversation with an important new voice in the professional salon industry, Sam Bewley is deep into his business and making new things happen. Eufora has been around since the 90s, slowly gaining steam, focused on the benefits of aloe vera for hair and scalp. Sam grew up in this crazy world of products and beauty shows, but made his way in the tech world at first. After his father passed away he made his way back to the family business and is now full time, with his wonderful mother and CEO Beth Bewley. In our conversation we discuss a wide range of topics, including the threat of Amazon. I love Sam's take on it, "we are in chapter 2," but if I jump in with Amazon what happens in chapter 6, 7 & 8? We determine that Amazon is the silver back guerrilla destroying so many companies in its path. Sam goes through an in-depth discussion about how Amazon targets and the potential fall out for companies that follow their direction. It isn't good. Sam knows his stuff!In this conversation he describes Eufora. Sam talks about the different divisions of the company: products, hair color, education and some of the big events they put on. His favorite is, Global Connection. A massive fashion show, beauty education opportunity and salon party in San Diego. Sounds great even if your salons are not Eufora. Sam, clearly loves his company and is excited for the future of our industry. Take a listen to this podcast and/ or Youtube video from this new voice in our industry with a great beauty legacy and history. Tony GordonT Gordon Salon TalksGordon Salon

Salon & Retail Environments of the Future: A conversation with Leon AlexanderLeon Alexander from Eurisko Design is one of a hand full of people in the beauty business who has visualized the future. In this podcast he describes his background that has led to his current thinking on where the service industry and specifically the salon industry is heading. "People are social," he says. He is right, and yet the technology marches on. Leon and I have met up many times. Last time at the high tech Millenium Experience, a conference put on by one the top makers of salon industry software.  He gave a one hour talk to a packed room describing the future of retail and salon environments. Of course it had plenty of the scary discussions we see and hear in the business press: Artificial intelligence, robotic this and that, Amazon Go and all sorts of other wiz bang dire predictions. But Leon knows the salon business. He started with Sassoon at the beginning and reinvented himself many times over as a salon owner, product distributor, QVC salesman, etc. Salons need people, especially the types of salons that buy his furniture. These clients, "not Guests" need and want the contact, the interaction, that affirmation that comes with a root touch up and a trim. Of course they can use a little more entertainment in the salon.  Leon believes that retail will have a lot of crossover in the future. He envisions mixtures of business, like a salon and coffee shop. Leon thinks some of that, "entertainment" can be automated, all while selling more product and services. Is this the brave new world of salon operations? Take a listen.Tony GordonT Gordon Salon TalksGordonsalon.com

Throughout my time with Aveda and the beauty industry, I can't remeber a time we weren't going through enormous change. Who knew that we would end up in this place at this time? Aveda  has seen its big changes:  from Horst to Estee Lauder, from Dominque's group to a lot of new faces. April Anslinger is the new North American Senior Vice President for Aveda. We met as Aveda Congress was ending two weeks ago in Minneapolis. It truly amazes me how someone can come from the outside of a company as tight as Aveda is and learn its underpinnings and issues as fast as she has. In our conversation we talk about Aveda's view on booth rentals. Aveda's new e-commerce approach called "A-Commerce," is the first in the industry.  We discussed the containment of Amazon. The structure of the relationship and how decisions and reporting flows from Aveda and Estee Lauder. And of course we find out who April Anslinger really is: her background, her home life etc. 

Are sales techniques the final frontier of service businesses? If you have tried  almost everything else to enhance your business, maybe it is time to dive into good old sales efforts. I have often thought about the idea of making sales training a bigger part of my company training, but I have relented. Not that we don't do some sales training, we do. Sales is often soundly rejected by so many stylists. Most stylists want to focus on artistic, design skills and definitely not sales. Even if the logic of sales techniques bringing more people to work on and more ways to make clients look and feel great. Why not then? Sales is simply uncomfortable for so many people. I asked one stylist on staff, she said "you risk rejection and worse it might make you unlikeable." God forbid any of us take the risk that we are deemed not "nice." "Nice" is one of those universal goods,  it is like a currency or an additional star are on some blanket rating system if yelp had one for individuals. She is so nice...., bless her heart. Oh gag me!Thank God for this latest podcast with Carol Phillips from Beautee Smarts a sales training company for the beauty industry. She talks about the success she has found. She tells us about salons and spas with 30% increases in sales and individuals seeing massive growth. Take a listen to this 30 years veteran of beauty industry sales with clients from Canyon Ranch to 5 chair mom and pops. Tony Gordon

Going into an Inspiring Champions seminar is like culture shock, a jolt to the system. People implore you to "wakey,wakey" as they slap these clapper devices back and forth. The energy and passion is like a rock concert mixed with a pep rally squared. And Lauren Gartland is leading the seeming riot and spectacle before your eyes. At first I remember ducking for cover, but now I get it. Lauren is right, if you want to be a champion a whole lot of people in our industry need to "wakey, wakey."  Honestly they need to wake up, shaken up a little and get on with life. Lauren Gartland does that for salons and salon professionals. Take a listen to an inspirational talk and introduction to one of my favorite people in the salon industry, Lauren Gartland from Inspiring Champions. 

How to be a Celebrity stylist-A conversation with Marco PelusiMarco Pelusi fits right in the Hollywood scene, effortless cool, velvety voice and loads of beauty cred. Marco does a lot of famous people's hair. He is especially focused  on hair color, he is what we call a celebrity colorist. He throws around names like James Brolin and George Clooney as if there all buddies, and he isn't kidding, they are. As a stylist you become quite familiar with your clients, as we all know.  I am a little familiar with this special world of celebrity hair styling. The celebrity world has its special considerations. Celebrity handling are stories of lore at Gordon Salon and in the Gordon household. Like when my father did Tipper Gore’s hair for the Democratic Convention in Chicago or my sister worked on this celebrity and that,  for various films, Walk the Line, American Hustle and many more. I like Marco’s philosophy when it comes to celebs, “ Just treat everyone like a celebrity.” The celebs do need some special consideration, there is no doubt. A Celeb has paparazzi, and an entourage and a current script they are working with. So Marco has a special salon space to keep out the prying eyes; on a second floor and in the back, a special entrance. More than anything, Marco knows how and when to stay quiet, an important attribute in this selectively secret town. Loose lips sink scrips.Now I know there are so many young stylists who want to break into this star studded world. What does it take? According to Marco Pelusi, no relation to Nancy the California congresswoman, he says-networking. Yep, good old networking, rubbing shoulders, follow up phone calls, who you know, etc. Now it helps to be a very accomplished practitioner in the art of hair. Marco teaches large classes at big hair shows and has a huge social media following, has a team of stylists, his own product line and a strong legacy of great hair. He is a top stylist. In regard to his salon, in California, all are hampered and he laments the state of salons in his adopted place.  Marco is one of those guys that if he was almost anywhere else in the country he would have a huge salon with lots of staff, yet not here. California has a group of laws that restrict or make it virtually impossible to run a traditional salon. 98% of all salons are booth rental, the bain of the industry. For those of you that aspire to be a superstar like Marco, a celebrity stylist in West Hollywood,  just subtract the mega salon you want to own from the equation. Tinsel town has its ups and downs. Since Donald Trump was a TV star before entering politics I couldn’t help but ask what he would do to the Prez’ hair. Marco advised changing his hair to wheat or beige, basically toning it down. Melania was safe as she fits his aesthetic and high taste level for the perfect locks. As he was saying that Trump's hair should be toned down, I couldn’t help but think “The Donald”  could be toned down  in all areas. Marco knows how to create what looks good on camera. A special skill. Marco can teach you, get in touch with him at marcopelusi.comTony GordonGordonsalon.comGordonstylistacademy,.com

Sales Expertise using NLPOne of things I love about Brian Gilbert is how he embraces the risk in every human interaction. He has this knowingness about him. The ability to convey that he knows the truth and is willing to share, but it is going to cost you! It will cost you effort, time and possibly money, but in the end you will be better off for it.I first met Brian when he was trying to do hypnosis on hairdressers that weren't confident enough, weren't creative enough and generally did not have enough of what it takes to be good behind the chair. I didn't buy it! A couple sessions to cure your career ills? Not possible!But I am always fascinated by the outrageous, the mystical, the short cut,  and so I jumped in with Brian. I bought a series of sessions for him to hypnotize me.  I wasn't interested in being a better hairdresser, I was already a great hairdresser,  but academics, that was a problem for me.I was always a C student. Yes I have a Liberal Arts BA, but I always struggled in school, even flunked 2nd grade after my parent's divorce. When I decided to get a Masters in Business, I went to Brian and he started to hypnotize me for better grades. It worked.  I got  all As and one B. Everything I had been reading about the mind being moldable was real. Brian will tell you that there is a close relationship between hypnosis and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). He owned salons in Chicago, and was selling so much product he was investigated for diversion of Aveda products. Is it moral to hypnotize people into buying your product? Brian will tell you, he isn't selling anything they wouldn't normally buy or what they don't need, further he isn't using hypnosis, he is using NLP.NLP is what some of the best self-help gurus know and love. Tony Robbins is an early user, practitioner and expert.All the best salespeople use NLP whether they know it or not, Brian says. Great sales people are very intuitive about the process, the programming and more. Brian is now out of the salon business, but has an intimate knowledge of how salons function, how creative people behave and what it takes to crank up a sales engine in salons. I have heard this amazing statistic bantered about that most clients buy products within 48 hours after leaving the salon. Why didn't they buy it from the recommending stylist? Brian will say it is because the stylist didn't say and do the right things. The client needs shampoo, why didn't they save themselves the trip? Brian now teaches and entertains corporate sales people in many industries. He is one of those guys who will hypnotize the person who swears they cannot be hypnotized but then he gets them to quack like a duck in front of 500 people. This may be a cost I need to absorb, because I will be that guy quacking.  He is coming to my salon to teach all the staff his amazing NLP techniques. You can find Brian at focusbdg@sbcglobal.netTony Gordongordonsalon.comgordonstylistacademy.comtgordonsalontalks

Bennie Pollard NAHA Winner-Salon Owner-Cool Beauty ConsultingBennie Pollard from Louisville, Kentucky he is a 6 time nominated NAHA entrant and 2 time winner. He has had a wide ranging career: salons, photoshoots, fashion shows, consulting, distribution, and product manufacturing. Bennie gives advice on NAHA and how to get started in photoshoots. He talks about how to really find the right photographer and the make-up artists. What to look for during the shoot. How to behave and find your dynamic while doing the shoot. How do you budget for a shoot? He goes thru all of this in this talk. He says photography will transform a stylist quickly from beginner to master level very fast. He has also became a distributor of products and salon educator. He talks about this great marketing method that I just love. Basically a seminar focused on clients, a free education for customers. It sounds like it works very well. Bennie gives us these bits of wisdom in this video. For example: "If you chase two rabbits they both get away."It is amazing what I have learned doing these podcasts, the people I get to meet and the profound wisdom I get to experience first hand.  

It is really all about being cool! Hanging out with cool people and being part of a  cool scene. James Griffith describes his foray in the hairdressing world with one word-cool. Horst Reckelbacher from Aveda was the top of the mountain. Aveda was just getting started and James was there, along with many other greats of the time. James had a classic upbringing in the industry about to be disrupted. He met some important people while hanging out with Horst, that changed his life. He came across Lauoret, a French master of the Jacque Desaage hair cutting technique. James went on a haircutting journey that led him to Paris and continues on till today. In pursuit of craft, he is now opening his own training classes in the French Haircutting method starting in 2019. James reminds me of so many guys I have spoken to from this era. Obsessed with the movie "Shampoo" they thought that being a hair designer behind the chair was happening, a place to meet girls, and something akin to being in a rock band. The industry was certainly in transition at that time. Isn't hair and beauty always in transition? Maybe so, moving differently than it is today. Jame's time was one of extreme transition, and certainly accelerated by the founder of Aveda, a genius hairdresser, salon owner and mad product maker. In this podcast James also talks about his locations. I ask him about what it is like to rent or own, as he does both. I ask him about the competitive landscape of being in a relatively small town with so many other top level salons. The seasonality of a place like Sarasota, how do snowbirds effect their business? Florida too, is in transition in so many ways. Many people lament the transistions, but not James. He is moving forward. He is opening a school in 2019, with a big draw, learn a new technique and hang out with some pretty cool people steps from the beach. Time to hang out with the cool kids!

Salon Altering Technology a conversation with Millennium founder John HarmsInterviewing John Harms made me think about all the passionate people in the beauty industry. There are the people who create beautiful shapes with hair, people that love to be “day makers”, many who love to create products, run great salons, but software? Computers have left no business unturned, everything has been disrupted, salons have not been exempt.John Harms was one of the first to our industry, he loves creating software for the salon business. He owns Millennium Systems International, one of the leading computer programs for salons and spas in North America. In my podcast with John, he  talks about wide ranging subjects, but in so many ways technology has transformed our lives, his software has changed the lives of over 100,000 salons and spas. Yet, John is a very down to earth guy. The guy you would have a beer with at a barbeque. In the podcast he talks about his family that are in the business with him: Jennifer and Micah. John says, once at work though,  he is all work.It is interesting how John became focused on the hair business in the first place. He tells the story of this serendipitous meeting that led to creating software for salons. The wunderkind was making software when very few were. One thing led to another and he was making databases in DOS.John’s newest evolution is MEEVO(Millennium/Evolution). It isn't just software he says,  it is the next evolution of the salon business. They have inserted voice recognition and much much more. John loves the salon business, he gets the salon business. He is always thinking about what can help his customer’s businesses. He is thinking about automated marketing, internal and external sales funnels, his convo bar and many other software features.  He has thought thru a lot of my questions on a technological level. Some were resolved in Millennium while some have no solution. I talked to him about self-checkout, and chair side check out. Meevo is a very competitive product.I asked John the tough questions.  As great as Meevo 2 is, what happened with Meevo 1? He explains Meevo 2 will I have choice with credit card providers, how will 3rd party providers work, what is the The Millennium Experience going to be like, what is it like to run a single building with almost 200 people in it?As we get more and more high tech, there is this expectation that it should all just work. It makes me forget, that all these devices are just humming in the background. Tech is sometimes fragile, but if someone has the passion, it is amazing what can happen.Tony Gordongordonsalon.comgordonstylistacademy.com

The Secrets of Van CouncilI had the opportunity to interview one of the top salon owners and salon personalities in the world,  Van Council, owner of eight Van Michael Salons in Atlanta and 42 salons in Japan. He and his salons have won various awards including 4 times North American Hair Stylist of the Year awards, Best Salon in Atlanta from various publications and much more. He is the Artistic Director for Intercoiffure North America, considered one the 75 top educators by Modern Salon Magazine, Aveda Global Master and the list goes on. He is a tour de force, a hairdresser's hairdresser, a leader in business. I have seen Van speak many times and for full disclosure, I have been enamoured of his great success. So it truly was an honor to speak with him, yet he is humble and real. It is always interesting for me to observe how unassuming Van is. As an example,  he tells me how smart his kids are, and then says, “not sure where they got that from.” His voice is full and sure and he qualifies everything. Because there are so many ways to run salons, he says, this is the way we do it. Whether you are salon owner, stylist or fashion creative, there are big lessons in his message. His voice is full, compelling, positive, reasonable, his methods for running salons are logical. I remember being with some of my staff at one of his talks. He regularly speaks at Aveda events, that I go to. My young staff were with me. They were entranced by him, engaged, shaking their heads up and down, they were jumping on the Van bandwagon, lucky he hasn’t opened a salon in my town. During this podcast, we talked about Atlanta as a great place to do hair. He says, “Atlanta has a lot of good salons. Keeps us on our toes.” But it is more than that, with 400 employees you need to be a great leader. From my perspective it comes from various things Van does. 1st he thinks deeply about his business. He has a personal habit of reading a lot. He takes his cues from top business people. It gives him an enormous amount to draw on. In fact I have heard him speak on some of my favorite authors, like Seth Goodin and Edward Demming. 2nd While many business people will suggest that hanging with your staff is a bad idea, Van does the opposite. He goes out of his way to meet and get to know his people. Take them to dinner, ride bikes, etc. 3rd, he is very affable, easy to be around, creative but not weird. I think Van would be a leader in any endeavor. I do think Van Michael has a couple strong philosophies that he  articulates well. 1st the idea of specialization. This ideas goes all the way to the front desk. One person for check in another for check out, of course one for cut one for color. 2nd,  Quality is first and foremost. Van says the chair has to make money, and the stylist has a date by which they need to be making a certain amount, or they are out. Van Council, the tour de force a leader among stylists,  salon owners and the business world. Tony GordonT Gordon Salon TalksGordon Stylist AcademyGordon Salons

My first experience with Neil Ducoff was at a dinner on the corner of Clark and Fullerton in Chicago. My father says, "you gotta meet this guy." The three of us go to this tapas place, half a block from my father's salon, slightly elevated above the street, so you can see all the surrounding businesses. We are eating, drinking, and Neil is talking. Neil is always talking. He was talking about the philosophy of Team Based Pay and how screwed up the salon businesses are. It was in 1989, I was a new stylist, young, opinionated, know-it-all and there was only one way to run a salon, and that was the way I knew it-commission. Across the street from the restaurant was a Super Cuts and a Hair Cuttery. The two businesses were practically side by side with one non related business in-between them. When I think of the stupidity of that landlord, it makes me want to scream. Who would put two of the same businesses in the same small building. I saw a movie trailer where two guys had guns pointed at each others heads in a moment of extreme intensity! It was kind of like that. Over lots of food and drink, and as Neil is explaining Team Based Pay, he leans over with his big waggy finger, points at the two chain salons, clearly visible from our table, and says, you know who is paying properly, they are. With added emphasis the pointing lingered. At the time those places were all hourly, not sure if they did bonuses. I said, "No way!" And I told Neil, this old guy with loads more experience than I, that he was crazy, he was wrong and one thousand other thoughts that were going thru my head. After the dinner, I was talking to my father, an award winning salon owner and visionary in the salon world, that stylists would never go for a pay scheme like Team Based Pay. 10 Years later I found myself in Connecticut at one of Neil's seminars and my wife Pam and I now have 4 salons all on Neil's pay system that are Top 200 for 15 years!  And I read the other day, the Hair Cuttery opened it's 900th location. Go figure!In this podcast you can hear for yourself if Neil is worth listening to. 

Geno the great! Talking to Geno Stampora is like listening to a moving freight train of motivation and inspiration. Any and all hair designers should take a listen to one of the great hair industry speakers of our time. He will entertain and also energize, inform and influence you to be your best. Geno says, if your a "nice, happy, fun, a networker" your success is guaranteed. He says in the debate of technical vs non technical: the answer is 20/80. "Talent is way over rated." He says, "I was a terrible hairdresser"  but lat the same time he loves the salon environment. When he goes on vacation he finds a salon to hang out in. After selling his last salon in 1991, he became  a professional speaker for the salon industry, inspiring and motivating everywhere he goes. One of his founding philosophies, is that stylists can make "quantum leaps," in their careers with just the right mind set and focus. See, there is no real quality control for hair stylists, but if your well read and intelligent, the sky is the limit. If you are a master hairdresser, the economy will have little to no effect on you. He advises people to choose books and authors that resonate with the reader, maybe it is dangerous to recommend specific authors, but he does say he likes Seth Godin and Joel Osteen. I asked Geno, about his thoughts on different trends within the salon industry. He travels a lot, sees a lot, and has great insight. His thoughts on booth renting: to claustrophobic. His thoughts on fragmentation of the service business into lash only, blow dry only, etc: He likes a classic 25 chair salon, where stylists team up and collaborate. What about the competition from Amazon? Geno says, that eventually, everyone will buy from Amazon and online stores like them. But if stylists are motivated properly and with all the right tools could be doing 35% retail sales in salon. Geno Stampora is incomparable.  I feel very fortunate to have interviewed, heard his story and his energized words. Please take a listen to the podcast. Share it with your co workers. Find your quantum leaps.gordonsalon.comgordonstylistacademy.comhttps://genostampora.com/

“You need to listen for the whisper,” says Frank Warner from Frank Anthony Salon in Chester,  New Jersey. Frank has survived tough times in the beauty business and has sincere wisdom to share. My interview with Frank was profound for me in many ways. First he tells a story about how he was greatly impacted by my father. Second he discusses his love of marketing. Thirdly, and maybe the most important, is what he calls “the whisper.” Personally I call this “an inkling.” Frank’s Whispers and my Inklings, are born of the same sound, a quiet sound, a subtle voice that tells you what is next.. Listening closely to your inner voice can make all the difference in the world. Frank mentions how listening to the whispers has put him in the right place, in the right situation to hear the right information at the right time. He has a morning ritual that sets him up to hear “the whispers.” His ritual, is prayer. Frank has his ear attuned to the quiet voices and it has served him and his staff well.The Frank Anthony Salon walks the talk. Frank says “the way” is to serve. He tells me about a series events that declare service, kindness and concern. These events include: free haircuts for veterans on Veterans Day, Divas for a Day for cancer patients, hiring disabled employees, declaring kindness to clients and staff. You don't hear about people using a spiritual pursuit to enhance their business. But as there are so many potential moral pitfalls in business, I think it makes a lot of sense. After 49 years in the beauty industry this method has served Frank well. Other passions and motivations include marketing. He follows the concepts for Jay Conrad Levinson the writer of the book Guerrilla Marketing. Awarded multiple honors for his in salon programs, now he has launched smart and manageable online strategy as well. Kindness and serving from the art, he explains, is really his overarching motivation.It occurs to me that kindness can be used as a marketing strategy. Isn't it the true intent of great customer service? But Frank isn’t just being kind  to make money, he is sincere in this pursuit. Caring and kindness pervades his entire salon operation.He mentions my father, Jerry Gordon’s kindness, when he came before the Intercoiffure board for his initial interview for entry to the esteemed organization. Going before the Membership Committee of IC is a nerve racking experience. I have been there. What does Frank remember about the experience: my father’s interest and comments about his internal marketing programs.I was aware Frank knew my father, but I had no idea of the connection between them or the profound impact Jerry had on Frank. Please listen to the podcast to hear more about Jerry, Vidal Sassoon and many more who influenced Frank.Listening to the Whisper is sound advice. Whether your deciding which education event to attend, how to deal with clients, staff and which marketing should be used, the whisper can inform, direct and more.  Although Frank’s whisper comes from prayer, I know mine comes from my intuition, my gut feelings. If your listening, you too will hear the whisper, the inkling. Be like Frank, listen for the quiet voice and then take action.Tony Gordongordonsalon.com

Therapy or Coaching?Coaching, mentoring, consulting, therapy— which one do you need? Brigette Sobus from Salon Soca and Empowering You Consulting, can help you! Everyone needs help sometimes. In fact I believe that almost everyone needs coaching at some point to take careers to the next level. Mentoring brings you to a higher place. Brigette is an expert as she is a certified coach with a national accreditation. She coaches various businesses, hair stylists and more. Brigette has been through a lot. She’s dealt with health issues, divorce, and runs marathons; but her knowledge and experience will help you get from point A to point B.She talks about how people can control how they react to salon drama. You can't control any other aspect of the situation than your own reaction. How can we stop being victimized?What is the difference between therapy, coaching, mentoring and consulting? Brigette defines each, completion and closure. These two key terms are what people get confused on. “Don’t let these past items become a ball and chain” she says. Holding people accountable and helping them hold to goals and project deadlines is what Brigette’s practice does.Brigette says, “many owners in this industry don't take a paycheck, are hostages  to their employees and are just plowing all their money back into their business.” I personally was shocked to hear this and though I heard it before, I just don’t want to believe it.Brigette is a survivor. Luckily going through her marathon training at the same time as a divorce, it was literally like therapy for her. Running marathons to reduce stress. Then she was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 40s.But Brigette is alive and well. Ready to give you her wisdom. Find her and have a conversation. It's probably just coaching you need, but if not she has a therapy referral for you. Tony GordonGordonsalon.comGordonstylistacademy.comT Gordon Salon Talks on apple podcastsYou can reach Brigette at:click here to find Brigette 

In this podcast I talk to Reid Zurlo, she is the Reluctant Client. She reviews her funny, kitschy hair salon history. If your in the salon business or if you can simply relate your salon histroy. Please take a listen.  BlogThe Life Cycle of a Reluctant Client My freind Reid is a classic and yet reluctant client. She is the type who doesn't want to commit to doing her hair regularly. “it is too expensive, too time consuming.”  But the salon environment offers so many more benefits for her, the friendship, camaraderie, the calmness, the rejuvenation, the downtime from the daily grind, release from the psychosis of life, of family, divorce, drug addiction and more. Reid doesn't just come to the salon for hair, she comes for solace.Reid like so many others wants the results of coming to the salon but not the commitment. At least that is how she intellectualizes the experience. “I hate it.” I didn’t go to salons for years she says, I was young and I let my hair go wild. This is when she was young with three young children a deadbeat husband and a nagging pain that wouldn’t go away. The pain was in her right frontal lobe. It was above the right eye and was always felt when she considered divorce. Divorce was an anathema,  a subject never to be. Now an expert, Reid runs a podcast supporting men in their time of divorce. Reid recognizes the pain as the relationship that should have never been. Is the girly salon she goes to a reaction to it all?My sister Liz is the same, a reluctant client: too expensive, too time consuming. But being one of five generations of hair stylists-how is this even possible? Granted that she is the black sheep, the only one to not go into hair design as a career. Removed from that salon dominance, Liz is a reluctant client. She would rather be spending her time doing one thousand other things. But Liz too finds herself in need of the salon environment. This isn't just for her hair, it is her familial interactions. She lives in California and waits to get her hair done. She wants that family interaction, so she waits.  Flies into Chicago every 4 months to get her hair done spend time with her stylists; her sister in law or brother. She switches back and forth depending on conversations she needs to have.While Liz is in the salon, she interacts with the other humans. She meets one that speaks Italian, another tells her a story of how the salon comes to her house to take care of a daughter who cant and wont leave the house.Modern life has this potential. It is the potential to never leave the house, to become a hermit. Can’t Amazon deliver everything, bank deposits made over the cell phone, even when going from place to place you can hermetically sealed yourself in the car. The opportunity for a solo life is very real, but is this really what humans crave? When confronted with too much technology we use it to create Facebook, with the promise of social interaction. But social media  fails to deliver and just estraines us further from each other.My future prediction is that places like salons become the go to for real social interactions. Sure you get your hair done, but also you get that mandatory dose of humanity.Reid will tell you she goes to the salon to get her hair done and Liz will say the same, but too costly, too time consuming; it may be too costly and time consuming not to go. My theory is that human needs drive us to human interaction. The salon is one of the few places left where that can occur. 

California Labor Laws Causing Consternation in SalonsI had a podcast conversation with my friend Karie Bennett of Atelier Salon & Atelier Barber Shop in San Jose, California. She  has been dealing with all the labor law changes that are coming at small businesses rapid fire like shots from an AR-15. It seems like a survival game for small businesses across California, because of the feeble attempts to fix unethical farming rules going back to the 1930s.  From well meaning but incompetent legislators, many businesses, including salons, are reeling. Sitting in Silicon Valley presents Karie with advantages and disadvantages in dealing with these death defying issues. She says, “Commision, the traditional model for paying hair stylists is dead in California!” With her business like so many others in the Golden State under assault with new work rules,  you may be fearful as to whether this could spread to the rest of the country.Karie has an amazing salon organization. She is in the heart of Silicon Valley, down the street from Apple and Facebook. The salon clients are the  whos who in the tech world. She used to do Sean Parker's hair, Mark Zuckerberg’s partner originally from Napster. Karie’s salon can handle the ups and downs of California labor craziness, because Karie,  is smart, flexible and up to date on what is happening despite being quite annoyed with politicians. Keep in mind that California has the best economy of any state in the United States bigger than both Britain and France.Small business is under assault in many ways, as it always has been. Business is tough. New companies chew up old ones. That is especially true in Silicon valley where the heart of the disruption is. Karie is in the epicenter of the killer business app that has destroyed many businesses and  entire industries. Salons are traditional businesses, but salons could be ripe for a shake-up especially when created by a governing body.What is happening in California could spread to the rest of the country. That is a common thought, but honestly many things in California don't spread, for example, Prop 13.  Although, there is plenty of evidence the disruption already has spread. The independent contractor rule for instance, is the most likely, as it mimics the IRS ruling on the same subject.  But red states are unlikely to do anything, as they operate in a laissez faire way and are looking for as little government intrusion as possible. Will California’s attempts to right the wrongs of the past spread to the rest of the country?  Of course workers in all walks of life are often mistreated and businesses that operate in unethical ways bring this on the rest of us. California has a very active and progressive legislature. As they continue to tweak employment law and businesses adjust,  you can be assured owners like Karie Bennett will survive and thrive in this fast moving environment. Tony GordonT Gordon Salon Talks   

Amy Carter Owner of Empowering You Coaching talks about Salon Drama & More One of things that is really interesting about Amy Carter is her understated but huge breadth of experience in the salon world. She runs a salon consulting company called Empower you and speaks with owners of different types of salons. She has helped with every conceivable salon crisis.  On top of that she has had multiple salons and currently owns Solaris Aveda in Evansville, Indiana. Amy makes some strong points and expounds on her philosophy:Salons are filled with drama.Drama has a direct impact on the bottom line.Some top performers can sometimes be the most dramatic.It is ok to be Interested vs interesting with the client.Spa techs can be dramatic as well.If I have to think of you more than twice, you are gone.Different clients may want various environments: calm, edgy, etc.Some salon owners are running two pennies together to make ends meet.The laws of supply and demand don’t necessarily apply to this industry.Owners need to get out from behind the chair sometimes.   Amy runs Empowering You as a unique consulting company. It is one that has salon owners talking to owners. She says she can get any salon, even one overlooking a corn or bean field, to a million dollars.She does it using coaching. A federally certified Life Coach, Amy and her team often find that the salon stinks from the head down. The owner and leads are sometimes the drama. It is often the case that owners need to get over their issues and then they show up to the store differently. Amy’s coaches are the “real deal”, which gives them a big point of difference. She asks clients what they want to achieve and then holds them to it. Accountability is big for them, as it is for everyone. She says that sometimes teams hold owners back. Very often people cant see the new you, they are often comfortable with the old you, you have taught them that. In a way we are all familiar with coaching as we had or saw how coaches operated in high School and other avenues of life. Coaches can be incredibly influential on individuals. It is such a rare thing to have a coach in the first place. But imagine if you allowed someone to coach you, someone who took it seriously and they were really invested in your success. How powerful could that be? Tony Gordongordonsalon.com gordonstylistacademy.com empoweringyouconsulting.com

Insta-Famer Daniel Mason Jones                            21 May 18 Insta-Gram fame was my first motivation for interviewing Daniel Mason Jones, an incredibly successful hairdresser with 40,000 IG followers, but his personal journey is wildly compelling filled with sorrow and triumph. Daniel Mason Jones has emerged into an Insta-famer, turning everything he sees and touches into a post that further pushes the fame. He integrates his break neck salon pace in with IG. He lets me know in exceptional detail with wit and humble humor how to duplicate this feat. Instagram fame is achievable for everyone, but it has its costs, like cars, fancy watches and lots of freebies. Daniel has become an influencer. But Daniels personal story is one of personal realization, coming to grips with his strict upbringing.  What interests me is his journey, from religious zealotry to funeral worker to starving stylist to a speed train of success. Daniel Mason Jones says it isn’t about the number of followers, it’s about the engagement. “I have 39,000 plus followers, others have many more’” he says , but “I sometimes have 400 comments per post.” The engagement is significant as the he says he tracks his new client rates from IG to be 70 new clients to his Atlanta salon per week. With an average per client ticket of $93. The salon is being a affected in a very positive way, including, new staff, who are traveling from Florida and other states to join his team. His expectation is a 40% increase in staff this year alone.Daniel Mason Jones, is a Loreal Professonal, a Salon Centric team member and an Insta-Gram influencer. Companies of all sorts want part of his action, with an affluent clientele, he has an important consumer in his salons. He told me about the boxes of products and beauty tools that show up at his door constantly. Each one is an opportunity for more posting. Each box he opens is a reveal done on Facebook or IG.  “Dont give up on Facebook. Facebook has the older clients and they have the non-pigmented hair. The word grey is insulting,” he says. Grabbing pics all day, as his salon with 50 plus employees are all engaged in getting more and more pictures. Throughout the salon is photo lighting, cameras and all sorts of equipment, but he still must drive the staff to get pictures. He advises: ask a question in the post, 30 tags per post, mix up the hash tags, put it under the comments, and make sure only 2 per day on facebook and Instagram, up to 5 on pintrest. Respond to each comment. He is religious and consistent about his pursuit of social media.Maybe his way  has underpinnings to his extremely strict upbringing? Raised in a highly conservative and cloistered community of a cult like religious group, Daniel was shunned by peers in school and a realization from church elders that he was different than other boys in the congregation, he was ostracized, bullied and eventually excommunicated. He contemplated suicide.  Picking himself up and moving on, he always had a dream to work as a funeral director, being concerned for people was and still is his driving force. He found joy in preparing the hair and make-up of the cadavers for the funeral services. Family would compliment him on how wonderful their deceased relatives looked. He decided to flip careers and go into the beauty industry.As a stylists, Daniel's career exploded. Yet, as a beginner he had very little training. He admits that his technical skill was very limited at that time. Yet he was the busiest in his salon. What causes a person’s success: technical skill or other factors? I don’t think the question will ever be answered completely, but his example shows how care  of the guest with lots of concern seems to work. Daniel will talk to you about hustle and how many clients he does each day. He is an energizer, doing up to 42 clients in a single day. Snapping pics, posting, and hash tagging. But his personal charisma is huge! He is a force. Atlanta is a competitive market with a lot of already large successful salons. To break into that market means you have to do something different.  Daniel Mason Jones has a lot to teach all of us.Tony Gordongordonsalon.com @tonygordonsalonexperience @dalielmasonjones  musesalonandspa.com

Keri Davis-Duffy President(Prezels) of 3 Gila Rut Salons in San Diego talks about her fabulous journey as a salon owner, her experiences and challenges. Keri often goes by Gila, happiness in hebrew, but many people call her Prezels. She has a long list of accomplishments, including: Top 200, presented at Aveda In this fun spirited conversation about salon and life in the beauty business, she goes over her experience as a Aveda Business College Purefessor. Why do salons fail? "Lack of systems, hiring, strong culture." What was the experience like to prepare and present at Aveda Congress.  Gila Rut is the  go to salon for San Diego Fashion Week. But salons are a wild ride. How to catch a thief? How to convey the great potential of this industry to aspiring students. Passionate about education from way back, she also created the web site beautybackbone.com helping other salons create trainers and more. "Salons are like a bucking bronco some issues throw you clear off." Join me for a wonderful conversation with this passionate, creative salon owner and soon to be pinned Intercoiffure member who has a plan for the future and steady trail ahead. Informative, entertaining and helpful for business owners and managersGordonsalon.com Gilarut.com

Listen up stylists to this indepth discussion of what clients like and dislike in the salon world. International travelers discuss their salon experiences from accross the globe. The talks are relevant to what we do in North America and beyond, but the perspective is fresh. Multiple women living in the Cayman Islands are experienced fashinistas, salon goers from their earliest childhood, and in the various places they have lived. From Singapore to New York City,  these stories will inspire you to take appropriate actions for positive salon results. Across the salon world the actions need to be the same, listen to your clients, over communicate including price, anticipate the mood of the client and match/mirror their behavior to give them the appointment they disire. 

Death of the founder takes an incredible toll on any business, but after Jerry Gordon passed away in November of 2015, Karen Gordon his wife,  had to take over. She has done it with grace and smarts. Take a listen to this incredibly hard working salon owner, stylist and beauty industry friend! Karen has insight into the inner operation of various important organizations like Chicago Cosmetologist, Intercoiffure, the International Association of Tricologists. She gives us her opinion on the dangers facing the industry: Amazon, booth rental, deregulation and more.  Karen reviews the deepest thoughts and feelings of her late husband and industry icon, Jerry Gordon, on issues concerning the beauty industry and specifically salons.  http://shopmodernsalon.com/history-and-economics-101

Kim Hansen of Kim Hanson Salon Business Coaching tells her personal story and quest to save the salon industry. We discuss wide ranging topics including: Salon industry changing licensing requirements, the pit falls of Insta-Famers, oxytosin created by social media, millneials, GenZ and a much better future, the advantages of John Maxwell coaching, does the craft of hairdressing still exist in California, and her personal experience with a near death experience. Listen now for the current state of the beauty industry and its possible future. 

Bullied, harrased, falsly accused by the tattoo supremicists, Paul-Anthony Surdi has brought his company through tough times to become a modern artistic version of the tattoo shop. Enduring picket lines in front of your store tends to repel customers. Experiencing hate mail from different parts of the world, is one of those things that happen when you are "inking" different. Take a listen to this smart,  creative guy whom has created a different experience for students and customers all while taking his company to new finacial heights.  PA Surdi can be found at www.tattoschool.com Tony Gordon can be found at gordonsalon.com

Join me, in a fun , moving conversation with Luca Boccia co-owner of Pyure Salon.  Luca has been in the salon business since he was 23 years old. Young and brash, buying a 3000 sq ft salon with no experience, no money and no experience he has emerged as a force on the Aveda scene.  Always emersed in hair, like any other stylist without much regard for the business side of things. What makes people succesful sometimes is what kills another persons career. But then he got involved with the Aveda business college. Three going on four salons and a great system that takes value added to a whole new level. Luca's goal is world class experience for his guests. Join me in discovering the journey of of one of South Florida's premier salon organizations. This fun lively conversation will bring you back to why we do what it is we do. As a stylist how you can make someones day. How you can be part of team. See how Luca's experience has moved and how yours could do the same.  For more info go to: pyuresalon.com and for more info on my Chicago based salon company go to gordonsalon.com

At 74 years old JIm Pacifico is going on 40 plus years in the beauty business and it appears he isnt slowing down anytime soon. I spoke with Jim about a wide range of topics, starting with Centre Salons in Colorado and Utah to his many years developing systems and products for the likes of Horst Recklebacher, Clairol, Zotos and more. Jim has a unique focus as he owns a finacial services firm that focuses on salons. He understands the bench marks, what makes salons work and what doesnt. He wants to create a place where stylists can be succesful by offering the guest the full Aveda experience. I was surprised to find out his roots are in Camden NJ and after graduating from High School spent time in Army, traveling to Korea in the early 60's. Before getting into the salon industry he had unique jobs including: butcher, metal stamper, etc. Jim is a dyanmic, smart guy who can relate incredible detail about things that occoured many decades ago. Round out your beauty industry history knowledge by listening to this super successful professional.  

Modern Salon Magazine's Steve Reiss gives an overview of the indepth studies undertaken by the industries leading trade publication. Steve's deep knowledge on subjects ranging from booth rental, retail sales, to data driven salons which will help you and your salon. Take a deep dive into information that will raise the bar for your beauty career. 

Drugs, homelessness, jail, abuse, violence and more is how life began. But for the husband and wife barber team of Riico Ramirez Laboy and Lici Febo creaters of Hair Palooza and Hair Palooza Reloaded, what has emerged from all that pain and suffering, is a fulfilling artistic life. Two master barbers have used the ever emerging popularity of the barber art form  and the rise of social media to transform their business together.  What a beautiful story of triumph over exceptional odds. Listen to how these two, use hopes, dreams, a huge determination to survive and thrive. After so much tragedy, the only place is up. The ladder up, was hair!

Oscar Valencia Jr is a former Pro Baseball player that then became a hair stylist. He now helps salons become all they can be. In this great discussion Oscar talks about the correlation between salon life and sports,  baseball coaches and mentoring stylists. What he thinks about many of todays hot salon topics: Booth Rental, Blow Dry Bars, Lash Studios and more. Entertaining and informational. 

Gordon salon and family history has been great with 70 plus employess, but this Top 200 salon has been under the radar. While the Gordon's are a fourth generation salon family and Tony is a 3rd generation salon owner, no one knows us. In the professional salon industry we are incognito. So we are laying out an agressive agenda for where this podcast will go. To the moon? you bet... This new communication push is ready to morph like a chameleon and go where society and technology might take us. The Current plan: YouTube channel, coaching for struggling stylists, speaking gigs and a book even. Go big or stay home!