You have done everything right. The website is beautiful, the work is gorgeous, the reels go up. So why does it feel like you are shouting into a void while new faces still trickle in from who knows where? This episode answers the who knows where, and the answer has changed. Jen sits down with Renee from Salon Society, for a conversation that started over dinner and turned into a deep dive neither of them wanted to end. Renee has seen this industry from every side. A mature age apprentice who became a Kevin Murphy educator. Then a sales rep who built a territory on relationships. Then a social media agency owner running it all between nap times. And now someone who lives inside the world of AI marketing for salons. She is not teaching theory. She is in salon every week watching real new clients walk in and asking every single one of them how they found the place. What she is finding will change how you think about marketing in 2026. One woman booked a curly hair appointment after typing "best curly hairdresser south Perth" into ChatGPT. Renee shares the real numbers, the multi step path a client takes before they book, and the holes in the bucket that quietly cost you the clients you already worked hard to attract. There is also a tender thread running underneath all of it, about success, motherhood, and the day her son threw her phone across the room and she realised she had built the business but forgotten to pivot it. If this conversation lights something up in you, Renee teaches the full system behind it, building a digital presence that brings in bookings without posting more or chasing trends, in her own online course. What we cover How clients are now using AI tools like ChatGPT to find a salon, and what that means for youThe one thing to become obsessed with in 2026, knowing exactly where your new clients come fromWhy a referred client can find you and still not book, and how to plug the holes in your bucketOptimising your socials, website and Google Business Profile so AI can actually find youWhy your captions matter again, and the problem and solution story every caption should tellBuilding an evergreen content strategy so you can stop chasing trends and get off the hamster wheelUsing AI to amplify your brand voice instead of replacing itRenee's own pivots, from the salon floor to education to agency to AI, and knowing when each season is overWhat success actually felt like, and the honest cost of chasing more This is the episode that makes the AI shift feel less like a threat and more like the most useful thing to happen to salon marketing in years. FAQs How do salon clients find a business using AI like ChatGPT? Clients type a plain question into an AI tool, such as the best hairdresser for a service in their suburb, and the AI answers by pulling from your socials, website, Google reviews and listed services. The more consistent and specific your content is across those places, the more likely AI is to recommend you. What is the one thing salon owners should focus on in 2026? Become obsessed with knowing where your new clients actually come from by asking every new client how they found you and whether that is when they booked. Once you know what is working, you can make more of that content instead of chasing new clients online for hours. Do captions still matter for salon social media? Yes, more than ever. AI reads the words in your captions and on screen text to understand what your content is about, so a caption that names the service, the client's problem and the solution is what helps you get found and booked. Mentioned in this episode: 💛 A HUGE Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors - Timely We’ve partnered with Timely to bring you something special: ➡ Enjoy a 14 day free trial to see how Timely can transform your salon. ➡ New customers get 50% off their first 3 months. If you've been thinking about levelling up your salon systems, this is your moment. Timely is designed specifically for salons. Helping you manage bookings, clients, staff, and more with ease. Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to to claim the offer. 👇 Timely 💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful: ➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon. ➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon. It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft. Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇 MCM https://www.salonrising.com
