Social Beauty Makers Gordon Miller

Apologies in advance for going down this rabbit hole but hearing the anti-retail coaches suddenly promote in-salon retail stopped me in my tracks - for about a minute. On closer listen, it became clear that this change of heart was not what it seemed. Listen in for my take on the reality of traditional vs 'private label/white label' retail models - and more.

A post-Americas Beauty Show episode (translation: I'm worn out!) talking a bit of a tech update in advance of a coming deep dive as well as some commentary on the (over) abundance of coaches in the industry plus a recap of some feedback on my Destroy the B**l Sh*T episode.

"Change" is more often than not a good thing - and is essential for any business to thrive in the long term. Having said this, with change comes risk - perhaps today more than ever given the amount of industry-related misinformation being spread far and wide by too many. In this episode, I dig into the 'methodology' of one coaching group (per a recent IG post), offer my take on the thinking behind some of these ideas, and more. Buckle up and listen in!

My riff on recent social media posts by salons, pros, & coaches mistakenly calling out the 'men running the beauty industry'; my defense of brands (against the misinformed blaming them for 'everything') plus my view that signs are bubbling up that could be signaling that the suite category may be in trouble in 2025.

Iconic salon owner, educator, artist, and thought leader Sam Brocato joins Gordon to share his take on the impact of AI upon professional salons (as well as our larger industry). Sam is an early adopter of artificial intelligence who shares Gordon's belief that the technology is going to have a far-reaching impact on the business of beauty - as it will upon our larger world. To encapsulate his larger view: "AI is going to permeate every part of our lives" - Sam Brocato

The Washington Post recently ran a feature story about the rising costs to clients of salon services and the negative reactions by many - including some professionals -to what is seen as a trend. In this episode, I go through some of the key points in the article (many of which do not make me happy!) to add needed context. My take somewhat aligns with the article - which hypothesizes that salons are facing challenges related to the price increases many have implemented. The bottom line: this is becoming a hot-button issue for salons losing clients (and revenue), seemingly in reaction to their steep increases in pricing.