Brazen and Bold: Real, Raw, and Radically Honest Conversations for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Leaders

Heather Harris
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Welcome to Brazen and Bold—the podcast that dares to say what others won't. Hosted by Heather Harris, a behind-the-scenes powerhouse at Spark Pro Global, this show is your go-to space for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with entrepreneurs, salon owners, and business leaders who are rewriting the rules of success. Each week, we pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to build a business—and a life—you're obsessed with. From game-changing wins to "why did nobody warn me about this?" disasters, we're covering it all. Whether you're a salon owner ready to scale, a small business CEO learning to lead, or a creative founder tired of the BS, you'll find strategies, stories, and straight talk that help you grow with confidence. Expect guest interviews packed with bold lessons, behind-the-scenes insights, and actionable takeaways—plus a few laughs and "did-they-really-just-say-that?" moments along the way. If you're ready to ditch perfection, own your CEO role, and build a business with brazen confidence—hit play. Perfect for: Salon owners, service-based entrepreneurs, and small business leaders (5-50 employees) Learn: Business growth strategies, leadership lessons, and real-life entrepreneurial stories Want more? Visit https://sparkproglobal.com/getstarted to get connected.

  1. 3d ago ·  Video

    Heart and Edge: How to Lead, Coach, and Have the Conversations That Actually Change Things with Bonnie Bonadeo

    What does it really take to lead a team that shows up, performs, and actually wants to do well for you? In this episode of Brazen and Bold, Heather sits down with Bonnie Bonadeo — CEO and founder of SOS Leadership Academy and a 35-year veteran of the beauty industry — for one of the most practical, real, and eye-opening conversations about salon leadership we have ever had on this show. Bonnie breaks down the difference between ownership and leadership, why most salon owners have hit a communication ceiling without realizing it, and how emotional intelligence is not a soft skill — it is your most powerful business tool. You will hear a live role play of a real difficult conversation, learn the difference between a behavior issue and a performance issue, discover why asking one simple question changes everything, and find out what resistance versus refusal looks like on your team and how to handle both. If you have ever thought I just cannot get my team to care, this episode is for you. Connect with Bonnie: 🌐 SOS Leadership Academy: SOSleaderquiz.com 🌐 Beauty Leadership Lab: beautyleadershiplab.com 📺 Podcast: SOS Small Biz Success on Spotify and YouTube Branding and consistency are everything. Let Spark do the work for you—from setup to weekly execution. 👉 Talk to Spark » Spark Pro Global – sparkprosalon.com Spark Links: 📸 Instagram: @sparkproglobal — https://www.instagram.com/sparkproglobal 🔗 LinkedIn: Spark Pro Global — https://www.linkedin.com/company/spark-pro-global Heather's Instagram: 📸 @heather.tantrumsalon — https://www.instagram.com/heather.tantrumsalon

  2. Sep 23 ·  Video

    Out of the Office, Into the Business: What Leading Salon Owners Are Doing to Grow Revenue Right Now

    What are the most successful salon owners doing differently right now? Heather Harris and Lucy Randall of Spark Pro Global share what they're seeing inside nearly 60 salons across the U.S. and Canada. They also preview their ICA Fall Atelier classroom, Out of the Office, Into the Business. In this episode: •⁠  ⁠The 3-question delegation test (What am I best at? What do I love? What makes the most money?) that freed up 15–20+ hours a week •⁠  ⁠Why speed is the new currency, and how to reach clients before they book somewhere else •⁠  ⁠Why email marketing isn't dead, especially now that clients are stretching appointments by 2+ weeks •⁠  ⁠How Heather's salon grew retail-to-service from 4% to about 20% with KPI snapshots and monthly 1:1s •⁠  ⁠The Monday "weekly pulse" report that catches slow leaks before they cost you a month •⁠  ⁠A live, real-time look at delegating to a Spark Assistant mid-recording Join us live: ICA Fall Atelier, New York City. Monday, October 5, 2:30–4:30 PM. Three salon owners in the room will win three months of done-for-you KPI reports from a Spark Assistant. Can't make it to NYC? Book a discovery call with Heather or Lucy at sparkproglobal.com. Branding and consistency are everything. Let Spark do the work for you—from setup to weekly execution. 👉 Talk to Spark » Spark Pro Global – sparkprosalon.com Spark Links: 📸 Instagram: @sparkproglobal — https://www.instagram.com/sparkproglobal 🔗 LinkedIn: Spark Pro Global — https://www.linkedin.com/company/spark-pro-global Heather's Instagram: 📸 @heather.tantrumsalon — https://www.instagram.com/heather.tantrumsalon

  3. Sep 16 ·  Video

    One Day at a Time: Kati Whitledge on Change, Routine & Building MYA

    Heather sits down with Kati Whitledge — entrepreneur, author, podcaster, and founder & CEO of MYA — for a conversation that moves from cold, hard business numbers straight into one of the most honest personal stories the show has featured. Kati spent 16 years as a salon owner before recently selling the business, and built MYA out of a problem she saw firsthand behind her own chair: getting the right client in front of the right stylist is the single biggest lever for retention, referrals, and revenue. MYA has since helped beauty professionals generate more than $38 million in revenue for its partner salons, spas, and med spas — Heather and Kati dig into the real mechanics of how it works, including live case-study numbers from real salons. Kati is also the author of From First Date to Forever and hosts Beyond the Technique, her own podcast with more than 700 episodes since 2016. Partway through, the conversation turns personal. Kati opens up about her recovery from addiction — including food addiction, which she calls "the friend that never let me down... until it wasn't a good friend to me" — and the daily, non-negotiable routine that keeps her grounded: faith, structure, and a philosophy of taking life one day at a time rather than trying to white-knuckle forever. This episode covers: •⁠  ⁠How MYA's matchmaking technology works — from lead magnet to booking to automated retention •⁠  ⁠Real numbers: cost-per-lead, conversion, and a case study of a salon that went from 15 leads a day to 35 in a single day •⁠  ⁠What it actually took to leave 16 years behind the chair and bet everything on a tech platform •⁠  ⁠Kati's recovery story, and the daily non-negotiables that keep her steady •⁠  ⁠Why "regimented" isn't the same as "rigid" — and how routine becomes freedom 🌐 MYA: www.joinmya.com 📸 MYA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/join_mya/ 📸 Beyond the Technique Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthetechnique/ Follow Kati: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiwhitledge/ Branding and consistency are everything. Let Spark do the work for you—from setup to weekly execution. 👉 Talk to Spark » Spark Pro Global – sparkprosalon.com Spark Links: 📸 Instagram: @sparkproglobal — https://www.instagram.com/sparkproglobal 🔗 LinkedIn: Spark Pro Global — https://www.linkedin.com/company/spark-pro-global Heather's Instagram: 📸 @heather.tantrumsalon — https://www.instagram.com/heather.tantrumsalon

  4. Sep 11 ·  Video

    The Light Switch Came Back On: Laura Watkins on Depression, Recovery & Becoming Mental Girl

    Heather sits down with Laura Watkins — hairdresser, salon owner, Aveda educator, and the voice behind Mental Girl — for a conversation that starts with a simple, disarming line: "They probably wouldn't guess that I'm mentally ill." Laura has been licensed in beauty for over 21 years and holds an MBA, but her path has never been just about the business side of the industry. In 2015, after years of running at full speed, she was diagnosed with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. Over four years — through multiple medications, a global pandemic, and ultimately a course of electroconvulsive therapy — she fought her way back to a life she describes as fully hers again. She's now three and a half years free of ECT treatment. Rather than keep that story private, Laura turned it into her mission. She's the founder of Mental Girl (@mentalgirl502), a community built around honest, stigma-free conversations about mental health in the beauty industry, and the author of the memoir Something Feels Off. She's spoken at ICA, Aveda Congress, and Serious Business New Orleans, and continues to advocate for building emotional-intelligence and self-care education directly into how our industry trains its next generation. Laura is also the owner of Pure Salon Spa in Louisville, Kentucky, and travels nationally as an educator for Aveda — proof, in her words, that recovery and a thriving career aren't mutually exclusive. This episode covers: •⁠  ⁠Laura's diagnosis, her four-year journey through treatment, and what finally worked •⁠  ⁠Why "good stress" (achievement, success) can cost your body as much as bad stress •⁠  ⁠What it actually means to build a strategic self-care plan — and why waiting until burnout is too late •⁠  ⁠Founding Mental Girl and turning her hardest season into her life's work •⁠  ⁠Leading a salon team through their own mental health struggles with empathy and healthy boundaries •⁠  ⁠Why she believes mental health education belongs in cosmetology school curriculum A heads-up: this conversation is a genuinely honest one about depression, mental illness, and recovery. It's also, in Heather's words, one of the most impactful conversations she's had on the show. 🌐 Pure Salon Spa: https://www.puresalonspa.com/ 📸 Pure Salon Spa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puresalonlou/ 🌐 Mental Girl: https://mentalgirl502.com/ Follow Laura: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mental_girl502/ Branding and consistency are everything. Let Spark do the work for you—from setup to weekly execution. 👉 Talk to Spark » Spark Pro Global – sparkprosalon.com Spark Links: 📸 Instagram: @sparkproglobal — https://www.instagram.com/sparkproglobal 🔗 LinkedIn: Spark Pro Global — https://www.linkedin.com/company/spark-pro-global Heather's Instagram: 📸 @heather.tantrumsalon — https://www.instagram.com/heather.tantrumsalon

  5. Sep 4 ·  Video

    Roll With It: How Ameet Turned Fear Into Freedom

    Heather sits down with Ameet Kallarackal — founder of Glammatic and author of Dice Theory — for a conversation that starts as a soul-level connection at an Intercoiffure event and goes absolutely everywhere from there. Ameet shares the origin story that changed the course of his life: an amusement park roller coaster at 14, five rides in a row, and the realization that he didn't have to be the person he thought he was. That single moment sparked Dice Theory — his practice of intentionally introducing randomness into decisions to break out of the patterns his past experiences would otherwise dictate for him. Along the way, Heather and Ameet cover: •⁠  ⁠Dice Theory — why letting chance make a decision can actually increase your freedom •⁠  ⁠The teenage roller coaster story that started it all •⁠  ⁠Building Glammatic, and helping salon owners grow with less effort •⁠  ⁠Merging last names into a new legacy: Kallarackal → Kalaroo •⁠  ⁠Growing up between two worlds, philosophy, and finding his own ideas •⁠  ⁠Why confronting mortality (and Atul Gawande's Being Mortal) might be the key to living more fully This is 90 minutes of the kind of conversation Heather says she rarely gets to have — unfiltered, a little uncomfortable at times, and impossible to stop listening to once it starts. 🌐 Glammatic: https://www.glammatic.com/ 📸 Glammatic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glammaticpro/ 📖 Dice Theory Book: https://dicetheory.org/book/ Follow Ameet: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ameetkal/ Branding and consistency are everything. Let Spark do the work for you—from setup to weekly execution. 👉 Talk to Spark » Spark Pro Global – sparkprosalon.com Spark Links: 📸 Instagram: @sparkproglobal — https://www.instagram.com/sparkproglobal 🔗 LinkedIn: Spark Pro Global — https://www.linkedin.com/company/spark-pro-global Heather's Instagram: 📸 @heather.tantrumsalon — https://www.instagram.com/heather.tantrumsalon

  6. Aug 25 ·  Video

    Want to Grow Your Salon? You Have to Let Go

    What if the next level of your salon isn't about working harder, booking more clients, or adding another location—but becoming less essential to the day-to-day business? In this episode of Brave & Bold, Heather sits down with Ronit Enos, bestselling author of Profit First for Salons and founder of Salon Cadence, for a powerful conversation about what it actually takes to build a profitable salon that gives you your life back. Ronit shares how she went from being deeply involved in her businesses to building a salon that could operate without her—including leaving for three months to be with her son and discovering that her team didn't just survive without her, they thrived. Heather and Ronit unpack the five phases of business growth, why so many owners get trapped in the "warrior" stage, how to develop leaders who can make decisions without you, and why people and profit have to grow together. They also dive into AI, virtual assistants, creating a luxury mindset, protecting your time, and building a business around the life you actually want to live. Because being booked solid isn't the same thing as being free. If you're a salon owner who feels like everything still depends on you, this episode may completely change the way you think about growth. 🌐 Salon Cadence: www.saloncadence.com 🌐 Ronit Enos: www.ronitenos.com 📸 Salon Cadence Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saloncadence/ 📧 Email: ronit@saloncadence.com Follow Ronit: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saloncadence/ Branding and consistency are everything. Let Spark do the work for you—from setup to weekly execution. 👉 Talk to Spark » Spark Pro Global – sparkprosalon.com Spark Links: 📸 Instagram: @sparkproglobal — https://www.instagram.com/sparkproglobal 🔗 LinkedIn: Spark Pro Global — https://www.linkedin.com/company/spark-pro-global Heather's Instagram: 📸 @heather.tantrumsalon — https://www.instagram.com/heather.tantrumsalon

  7. Aug 20 ·  Video

    "I Told My Coach I'd Never Burn Out" — Shelbie Moser Rebuilt Her Salon and Herself

    Meet Shelbie Moser — owner of Lightning Hair Lounge in Saxonburg, PA, red-specialist-turned-mindset-coach, and proud mom to two mini pigs. Shelbie built her salon into "the bougiest in Butler County," but the real gold in this episode is what's underneath the glow: the burnout that nearly broke her, the weekly budgeting system (yes, 12 checking accounts) that transformed her finances and bought her first rental property, and the six daily "pillars" that keep her from running on empty. If you've ever told yourself you're the exception to burnout, or you're not totally sure where your payroll money actually is right now — this one's for you. 🌐 Lightning Hair Lounge: https://www.lightninghairlounge.com/ 📸 Lightning Hair Lounge Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightninghairlounge/ 📸 Healthy Wealthy Happy Hairstylist: https://www.instagram.com/healthywealthyhappyhairstylist/ 📰 Newsletter: https://lightning-hair-lounge-lifestyle-co.kit.com/the-list Follow Shelbie: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelbiemoser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shelbie.moser.3/ Branding and consistency are everything. Let Spark do the work for you—from setup to weekly execution. 👉 Talk to Spark » Spark Pro Global – sparkprosalon.com Spark Links: 📸 Instagram: @sparkproglobal — https://www.instagram.com/sparkproglobal 🔗 LinkedIn: Spark Pro Global — https://www.linkedin.com/company/spark-pro-global Heather's Instagram: 📸 @heather.tantrumsalon — https://www.instagram.com/heather.tantrumsalon

  8. Aug 12 ·  Video

    If You Want More, More Is Required

    Shelby Bills started at the front desk of Graeber & Company at 19 with a marketing degree and zero salon background. By 25, she'd bought out her boss. Over the next twelve years she bought out every remaining partner — and today she's the 100% owner of a 61-year-old Boise institution with 32 team members, 22 chairs, a facial bar, and her fiancé's coffee shop and wine bar attached. In one of Heather's favorite episodes to date, Shelby pulls back the curtain on how she did it: the two-day audition and four-day onboarding immersion every hire goes through, the "five-star experience" standard she rebuilt from the ground up, the 90-day personal-professional-financial coaching cycle that keeps her team, and the single KPI she watches every day. She also gets honest about the part nobody wants to hear — that your business results are a direct reflection of who you are, and that "if you want more, more is required." Equal parts tactical and transformational, this conversation is for any salon owner ready to stop being the bottleneck and start designing the business — and life — they actually want. In this episode: •⁠  ⁠From front desk to full owner — how the buyout actually happened •⁠  ⁠The two-day audition + four-day onboarding system •⁠  ⁠Rebuilding the five-star guest experience for today's client •⁠  ⁠Why she killed double-booking and bundled her pricing •⁠  ⁠The one KPI she tracks every single day •⁠  ⁠Radical accountability and the mindset shift most owners resist •⁠  ⁠Designing your calendar around your life, not the other way around. https://graeberandcompany.com/ https://www.instagram.com/graeberandcompany/ https://www.instagram.com/boisehairstylist_careers/ Follow Shelby: https://www.instagram.com/shelbybills_/ https://www.facebook.com/shelbybills/ Branding and consistency are everything. Let Spark do the work for you—from setup to weekly execution. 👉 Talk to Spark » Spark Pro Global – sparkprosalon.com Spark Links: 📸 Instagram: @sparkproglobal — https://www.instagram.com/sparkproglobal 🔗 LinkedIn: Spark Pro Global — https://www.linkedin.com/company/spark-pro-global Heather's Instagram: 📸 @heather.tantrumsalon — https://www.instagram.com/heather.tantrumsalon

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About

Welcome to Brazen and Bold—the podcast that dares to say what others won't. Hosted by Heather Harris, a behind-the-scenes powerhouse at Spark Pro Global, this show is your go-to space for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with entrepreneurs, salon owners, and business leaders who are rewriting the rules of success. Each week, we pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to build a business—and a life—you're obsessed with. From game-changing wins to "why did nobody warn me about this?" disasters, we're covering it all. Whether you're a salon owner ready to scale, a small business CEO learning to lead, or a creative founder tired of the BS, you'll find strategies, stories, and straight talk that help you grow with confidence. Expect guest interviews packed with bold lessons, behind-the-scenes insights, and actionable takeaways—plus a few laughs and "did-they-really-just-say-that?" moments along the way. If you're ready to ditch perfection, own your CEO role, and build a business with brazen confidence—hit play. Perfect for: Salon owners, service-based entrepreneurs, and small business leaders (5-50 employees) Learn: Business growth strategies, leadership lessons, and real-life entrepreneurial stories Want more? Visit https://sparkproglobal.com/getstarted to get connected.

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