PhorestFM: Building a Stronger Industry, Together

Phorest Software
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The professional hair, beauty, and medi-aesthetics 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 bold 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. New episodes every second week, with occasional bonus drops on ”off” weeks.

  1. 3d ago

    The Bot-tom Line: Jules Molina & Ashley Prowell on Turning the Front Desk Into a Profit Center

    [332] Jules Molina — Guest Experience Team Leader, Consultant, and Shareholder — and Ashley Prowell — Phorest North America Education Specialist — share a deep passion for operational systems developed over years of hands-on experience in the hair and beauty sector. In this episode, they stand united in a philosophy that treats this part of a business’s operations as a high-value, dedicated profit center with its own distinct goals, KPIs, and clear career trajectories. If the conversation begins with the early-2020s deskless salon trend, it moves through time, addressing common myths that keep business owners stuck, touching on coaching, verbiage and accountability, and lands on present-day realities and shifts, exploring how AI is beginning to impact this area of business. This is a passionate, gracious, no-BS conversation meant to propel you forward with confidence, levity, clarity, and momentum for what’s next in this part of your business operations. Connect with Jules Molina Learn more about The Summit Immersive & reserve your spot: https://summitsalon.com/the-summit-immersive Connect with Jules on Instagram @molina.jules or set up time with her: https://calendly.com/jmolinassbc Get your complimentary diagnostic here and connect with the Summit Salon Business Center on Instagram @summitsalon Connect with Ashley Prowell Connect with Ashley on Instagram @_lady_ashley_ Learn more about Ashley’s Phorest-related education sessions & save your spot here All things Phorest Find out how Phorest helps top salons & aesthetic clinics steer their businesses toward happier clients, more productive teams, and greater growth. Say hello to life with Phorest! Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets: https://www.phorestsummit.com/ Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter. This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

    1h 5m

  2. May 16

    Raquel Merlini on Building a Broader System of Care & World of Integrity in Aesthetics

    [331] Raquel Merlini is the founder of R SKIN Aesthetics in Michigan. As a seasoned Registered Nurse and Certified Aesthetic Nurse Specialist with over 14 years of experience in the plastics industry, she offers a real-world model of collaborative care and ethical practice for those who, like her, seek to educate, listen to, and guide patients toward treatments that transcend fleeting trends and instead align closely with their most authentic self-expression goals. In the context of rising calls for tighter regulation, greater transparency, and stronger safety standards, this episode is a warm, grounding conversation about Raquel’s philosophy and approach, as much as it is about what it takes to build trust and one’s responsibility as a practitioner. Her insights cover what a consultation informed by her worldview and life experience entails, how she holds patient vulnerability with integrity as people face increasingly unrealistic standards, and how she balances it all with business growth. Connect with Raquel Merlini (RN-CANS) Learn more about Raquel and R SKIN here and apply or contribute to the Raquel Merlini Pay it Forward Scholarship here. TikTok: @rskinaesthetics Instagram: @rskinnurseraquel, @rskinadmission, @rskinaesthetics LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquel-m-14947b21/ All things Phorest Find out how Phorest helps the top salons & aesthetic clinics steer their business toward happier clients, productive teams and bigger growth. Say hello to life with Phorest! Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets: https://www.phorestsummit.com/ Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter. This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

    52 min

  3. Apr 29

    Leading In Alignment With Joanne Starkman: A Continuous & Conscious Return to Self

    Connect with Joanne Starkman and Innersense Organic Beauty For Joanne’s podcast, check out Trust Your Innersense with Joanne Starkman, and EP58 for her interview with Louise Keane or EP59 for her solo cast unpacking her experience at the Sacred Spiral Retreat. For Innersense Organic Beauty, learn more about the brand and mission here and here (salon pros) Connect with both Joanne and Innersense on Instagram @trustyourinnersense, @joannestarkman, @innersensepro, @innersenseorganicbeauty All things Phorest Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets for 2027: https://www.phorestsummit.com/ Learn more about Phorest Software. Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter. This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

    58 min

  4. Apr 3

    Jennifer Jade Alvarez on Where AI & Automation Can Drive Impact in an Industry Built on Human Connection (w/ Rich Cullen)

    [329] AI is soon coming to Phorest, and this serves as officially non-officially the first conversation in a string of ones to be sprinkled into the podcast’s schedule during Season 10. A version of this conversation could easily live in extremes, but this one does not. Rather, it asks a valid and core question of our time: How do you adopt new technology, AI & automation more precisely, without losing what makes your business human? In this episode, joined by guest co-host Rich Cullen (Principal Product Designer at Phorest), we sit down with Jennifer Jade Alvarez, founder of Naperville, Illinois’ Refined Beauty, to discuss what it has been like to bring AI and automation tools into various areas of her business. And beyond discussing tools, we also spend time discussing decisions: what to automate, the trust factor, and what should perhaps never be automated in a beauty and wellness business. We unpack the opportunities, the trade-offs, the real-world lessons—including what happens when AI gets it wrong—and the paybacks. All of it, with a deep belief that the businesses that win in the future won’t be the ones to remove the human touch. They’ll be the ones who remove friction around the craft and care. Connect with Jennifer Jade Alvarez Download Jennifer’s Top 50 Ways Salon Owners Buy Back Their Time: A free checklist using AI, automations, and virtual assistants Learn more about the Salon CEO Method™ coaching program, listen to the Beauty Business Game Changer Podcast, and connect with Jennifer on Instagram @JenniferJadeAlvarez All things Phorest Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets for 2027: https://www.phorestsummit.com/ Learn more about Phorest Software. Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter. This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

    57 min

  5. Mar 16

    Juliann Upton on Change As an Invitation to Come Alive

    [328] Thinking about change can often bring up questions about readiness. Are we ready to move into this bigger space, to move cities, to grow the team? Juliann Upton, the founder and driving force behind Mesh Hair Studio, Nail Bar & Head Spa, would probably tell you the distinction between change that lands at your doorstep and change that you initiate matters less than what you do once it's standing in front of you. That's when, with some curiosity, perhaps the more intimidating questions emerge: Are we willing to honor the pull toward something more? Are we willing to let this rearrange ourselves, or a part of our identity? As we trace the pivotal moments of her 20+ year career in roughly 60 mins — a challenge in itself — Juliann shares the key lessons she’s learned along the way. And if you pay attention, you’ll find that each meaningful chapter she seems to have begun when she met her future self halfway, in the unknown. If you’ve been looking for a sign or a gentle nudge to trust yourself in whatever decision or change is waiting on you, perhaps this is your invitation to recognize and act on the moments that invite you to grow. Connect with Juliann Upton To learn more about Mesh Hair Studio, Nail Bar & Head Spa, click here. Instagram: @meshhairstudio, @juliannikki References On Martha Graham: Smithsonian Mag, Biography, Martha Graham History. For Kitty Knorr's Reel on creativity and change, click here. All things Phorest Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets for 2027: https://www.phorestsummit.com/ Learn more about Phorest Software. Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter. This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

    1h 12m

  6. Mar 9 ·  Bonus

    Live From the Salon Owners Summit 2026 with Davina Devine

    In this second (and final) bonus episode from the Salon Owners Summit 2026, more on-the-floor reactions from salon, spa, and clinic owners attending the event, an overview recap of the 2026 lineup and a candid conversation with Davina Devine, one of Ireland’s most recognizable drag queens and cabaret showgirls (@davina.devine on Instagram). Briefly stepping away from her hosting and emcee duties of the day, the discussion explored Davina's flavour of drag, how she goes about warming up a crowd, and her relationship to the industry. For more about Davina Devine and to inquire about bookings, click here. For her podcast, Petty Little Things, click here. Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets for 2027: https://www.phorestsummit.com/ Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter or here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software. This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

    15 min

  7. Mar 2

    Heather Harris on Strategic Delegation: Survival Mode Has an Expiry Date

    [327] You’re booked and busy; what every business owner wants. But has over-functioning ever felt safer (or at the very least more familiar) than to say, “I feel like I’m drowning”? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone. In fact, Heather Harris — nationally recognised stylist, salon owner, business leader, and celebrated speaker — knows this all too well. This week’s conversation focuses on delegation. At its heart, though, it focuses on the emotional experience of the shifts you are forced to make when you start delegating:  Renegotiating with yourself what success actually looks like Letting go of that part of your identity that ties success and/or value to how much you output Shifting from being an owner-operator to becoming a CEO Shifting from being a firefighter to becoming an architect in your business Because at the end of the day, delegation is an identity renegotiation, and it’s about choosing where your care actually belongs. As the Founder/CEO of Spark Pro Global—an agency providing trained executive assistants—Heather’s here to tell you that you can, in fact, build a business that doesn’t require you to lose yourself in the process. To avail of the complimentary consultation to implement strategic delegation in your salon, graciously offered by Heather, visit Alchemy Salon Consulting and leave a note in the form saying you heard about it through the PhorestFM podcast! Otherwise, learn more about Spark Pro Global / Spark Pro Salon, listen to Heather's podcast here, and connect with her on Instagram @heather.tantrumsalon @sparkproglobal Click here to read Brittany Dennison's "Delegate to Elevate" blog, and here for the "10 PhorestFM Podcast Conversations That Quietly Said the Loudest Things" Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets for 2027: https://www.phorestsummit.com/ Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter or here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software. This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

    53 min

  8. Feb 23 ·  Bonus

    Live From the Salon Owners Summit 2026 with Calvin Stovall

    Calvin Stovall, customer experience and leadership keynote speaker, joins the show live from the Salon Owners Summit 2026, shortly after his main-stage talk on the art of the 'WOW' experience. In this conversation, Calvin shares the story behind his own “why,” how his book Hidden Hospitality: Untold Stories of Black Hotel, Motel, and Resort Owners from the Pioneer Days to the Civil Rights Era came to be, and connects lessons from historic Black hoteliers to practical customer experience and leadership principles. Plus, on-the-floor reactions from salon, spa and clinic owners attending the event, and a look ahead to the Phorest Summit 2027. Connect with Calvin Stovall on Instagram @iconicspeaker Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets for 2027: https://www.phorestsummit.com/ Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter or here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software. This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.

    27 min
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The professional hair, beauty, and medi-aesthetics 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 bold 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. New episodes every second week, with occasional bonus drops on ”off” weeks.

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