Build Your Salon With Phil Jackson

Dread that difficult conversation with a team member? You've rehearsed it, avoided it, and now resentment is building and standards are slipping. Putting it off is doing more harm than good, affecting your salon's culture and bottom line.This episode gives you a simple, four-part framework to approach these vital discussions with confidence and achieve clear outcomes.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━WHY WE AVOID DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS* **Fear of conflict:** As salon owners, we are people-pleasers, good at building relationships with clients and team members. We dread damaging those bonds.* **Guilt:** You haven't always been clear on expectations, so calling someone out now can feel very unfair.* **The damage of avoidance:** Resentment builds, standards drift, communication breaks down, and team members can become toxic to your workplace culture.PHIL'S FOUR-PART FRAMEWORK FOR EFFECTIVE REVIEWS* **1. Prepare with Focus:** * Know exactly the points you'll cover; you can even script key sentenc

Are you staring at empty slots in your appointment book this spring, hoping social media likes will magically turn into bookings? Stop wishing and start doing. This episode gives you a no-nonsense, three-point spring marketing plan that delivers real clients through your salon door.Phil Jackson, your Queen of Salons, reveals the direct, actionable strategies to fill your books NOW, without relying on Instagram.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Are you working flat out in your salon, always busy, but still struggling to pay yourself properly? It's a common trap: busyness doesn't automatically mean profitability. This episode reveals the four critical numbers every salon owner MUST track to turn their hard work into real profit.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Phil Jackson, your Queen of Salons, discusses the importance of effective quarterly strategic planning for salon owners. He guides viewers on how to properly map out actions beyond just setting revenue goals, emphasising that good planning is crucial for business growth. This video encourages salon owners to develop a clear strategy and focus on goal setting for a thriving business.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

RESOURCES:Memberships Made Easy: the programme for building a salon membership that actually works. https://queenofmemberships.comFalling out of love with the work that built your business is not failure. It is evolution. And a membership might be the most elegant way to make that transition without abandoning the clients you actually want to keep.This week I am answering a brilliant question from Summer at Flourish Beauty and Academy in Devizes, who wants to use a nail membership to pivot toward skin treatments. The answer applies to any salon owner who wants to reshape their column without burning down what they have built.WHY THIS INSTINCT IS RIGHTMost salon owners who want to change direction either do nothing and stay stuck, or go cold turkey and lose the clients they built their business on. Summer has found a third path. A membership is the bridge that lets you honour those long-term relationships while reshaping your column on your terms.THREE THINGS A TREATMENT-SPECIFIC MEMBERSHIP MUST HAVEABSOLUTE C

The clients you are most afraid of losing when you raise your prices are usually the ones you cannot afford to keep. Here is how to put your prices up properly, before the spring rebooking window closes.This episode gives you the maths, the method, and the exact three rules for communicating a price rise without losing the plot or the clients.WHY THE FEAR IS WRONGMost clients will accept a well-communicated price rise without complaintPrice-sensitive clients who leave were going to go eventually anywayRaising prices does not just lose clients at the bottom, it attracts better clients at the topAn underpriced salon cannot afford to look after its clients, its team, or its futureYou are not raising your prices. You are correcting them.HOW MUCH TO RAISE BYIf you have not raised prices in 12 months, you are already behind. A 10% rise covers inflation, wage increases, and product cost rises, and is small enough that most clients accept it without question.The maths: if your average bill is 60 pounds and you do 30

January was all big plans. February was survival mode. And now March has turned up and most salon owners are drifting. Three weeks later it is April, the rush hits, and you are already behind.This episode is your wake-up call. March is the last calm window to make strategic decisions before spring takes over. Here is how to use it.WHY MARCH IS DIFFERENT January is about intention. February is about reality. March is about decision. By now you know what Q1 actually looks like, which staff are performing, and whether your January plan is working. And you still have time to respond. From April onwards you are in reactive mode. Do not make your biggest decisions under pressure.THE THREE DECISIONS TO MAKE THIS MONTHDECISION 1: ARE YOU PRICED RIGHT?Easter is coming. Your books will fill at whatever price you are currently charging.March is your last sensible window to raise prices before clients rebook for summer.A price rise in April lands badly. In March, with good communication, it lands cleanly.If you are avoid

Is your accountant actually LOSING you money?It's tax season, and your accountant should be more than just a scorekeeper. This video explains how to get more value from your accounting relationship, focusing on proactive financial planning rather than just reporting past figures. Learn essential questions to ask your accountant to boost your salon business growth and improve your financial health. Because your small business finance deserves more than just annual accounts.What You'll Learn:What most accountants actually do (compliance vs. strategy)Why you're paying for a historian, not a business advisorThe five questions to ask your accountant this weekWhen to change accountants (red flags to watch for)What accountants can't do (but you wish they would)The gap between accounting and strategy (and how to fill it)What Most Accountants Actually Do:Process your bookkeeping (or tell you off for not doing it)File your tax return, tell you what you oweGive you last year's numbers (when it's

Your team's been cooped up together all winter. Three people not talking, one being a bitch, one being passive-aggressive. You're hiding in the office. Today: How to actually handle the drama.In this episode, Phil Jackson tackles the uncomfortable truth - staff drama doesn't resolve itself, it festers. Late February cabin fever is real. Here's how to handle it instead of hiding.What You'll Learn:Why drama ages like milk (longer you leave it, worse it gets)Two types of drama (and how to tell which one)Four-step process to handle itWhy your avoidance makes it worseWhen YOU'RE the problemThe Two Types:Type 1: Legitimate Grievances Badly ExpressedReal issue: Unfair scheduling, favoritism, broken equipment, lack of trainingBad expression: Bitching, passive-aggression, attitudeFix: Address issue AND coach better communicationYounger teams especially struggle with face-to-face communicationType 2: Personality Conflicts & Drama-SeekingJust drama: Gossip, cliques, excluding people, undermin

Take a look at next week's diary. Still seeing gaps? That's hope as a business model. You're hoping clients will rebook, hoping they'll spend enough, hoping March will be better. Today: The opposite of hope. Memberships for predictable income, loyal clients, and better cashflow.In this episode, Phil Jackson (the "Queen of Memberships") walks you through how to start salon memberships without overwhelming yourself. After 10 years teaching memberships, Phil knows what works.What You'll Learn:Why hope is killing your FebruaryMemberships vs. subscriptions (and when to use each)How memberships create predictable incomeWhy membership clients have 95-100% retentionHow to start with ONE serviceWho to target (your 7s and 8s, not your 10s)The Two Types:Memberships (Unlimited)Pay monthly, unlimited useWorks for: Hair services, waxingNot for: Services with no natural limitSubscriptions (Defined)Pay monthly, specific allocationWorks for: Beauty, holistic, aestheticsExample: £90/month = 1 luxu

Did someone just hand in their notice? Or maybe you're stuck with staff who just aren't good enough, but you're too scared to let them go. Good news: good staff exist. You're just fishing in the wrong pond.In this episode, Phil Jackson breaks down the five-step recruitment process that actually works in 2026. This is Build Your Salon's #1 most-watched topic—updated for portfolio working, flexibility expectations, and where good people actually are.What You'll Learn:The five points where your recruitment process breaks downWhy "nobody wants to work" means you're looking in wrong placesWhere good staff actually are (not Indeed or Facebook)How to make your offer compelling in 2026Proper interview process that prevents expensive mistakesWhy onboarding determines 90% of recruitment successThe Five Steps:Step 1: Know What You're Looking ForWritten job description before you need itRequired vs. desired skills, culture fit criteria, deal-breakersDesperation hiring = expensive

t's Friday the 13th. The unluckiest thing you can do today? Ignore your numbers. You might tell yourself a few fibs about how your business is doing—your numbers won't. Let's dive in.In this episode, Phil Jackson walks you through four critical numbers that tell you everything about your salon's health. These aren't weekly metrics—these are quarterly deep-dive numbers that show you exactly what needs fixing and where to focus your strategy for the next three months.What You'll Learn:The four numbers that expose your salon's true healthWhat healthy benchmarks look like for each measureWhy "money in the bank" doesn't mean profitableHow to spot pricing vs. capacity vs. retention problemsWhen being "busy" just means busy being poorThe Four Numbers That Matter:Number 1: Net Profit MarginFormula: (Net Profit ÷ Revenue) × 100Healthy: 10-15% minimum (target 15-20%)Below 10%: You're in troubleWhat it reveals: Pricing too low, costs too high, or bothNumber 2: Reve

February is when you notice the gaps in your diary. Those clients who couldn't get enough of you in December aren't rebooking. You don't have one big retention problem—you have three specific leaks in three specific places. Let's plug them before March.In this episode, Phil Jackson identifies the three critical points in your client journey where you're losing people and gives you one practical fix for each that you can implement this week.What You'll Learn:The three specific points in the client journey where you're losing customersWhy "better customer service" is too vague to fix retention problemsHow pre-booking appointments can jump retention rates dramaticallyThe power of one personal touch per visit (and how to systematize it)Why 48-hour follow-up messages work (and how to template them)The Three Retention Leaks:Leak #1: Before They BookProblem: Great experience, intended to rebook, just... didn'tFix: Book next appointment before they leave (every single client)

It's February. Maybe you've just had the worst January you can remember, and you were Googling "how to sell my salon business" at 1am. Before you call a business broker, answer these five questions.In this episode, Phil Jackson walks you through the critical questions every salon owner needs to answer before deciding whether to sell or fix their business. Selling might be the right answer—or you might be running from fixable problems.What You'll Learn:Five questions to determine if you should sell or fix your salonThe brutal reality of salon business valuations (and why most owners overestimate)What happens to your income when you sell (and why £30k isn't as much as you think)What you're actually selling (hint: it's probably worth less than you believe)Why "I've tried everything" usually means you haven'tHow fixing your business first maximizes sale price even if you do decide to sellPhil's Perspective:"If you're at your lowest ebb, you've g

48% of salon owners say staff management and motivation is the hardest part of running their business. For many, February is when this hits hardest. Right after the January buzz comes the February funk.In this episode, Phil Jackson cuts through the cheerleading nonsense to give you five practical motivation strategies that actually work, cost almost nothing, and don't require you to become a rah-rah motivational speaker.What You'll Learn:Why throwing money at motivation problems doesn't workThe five things that actually motivate salon teams (and it's not commission)How a £500 training session beats a £500 pay rise every timeWhy your team members might leave over an £8 mopThe difference between standards and micromanagementHow to make your team feel valued without breaking the bankThe Five Motivation Drivers:Feeling Valued (Not Just Paid) - Recognition and specific acknowledgmentGrowth and Learning Opportunities - Internal skill-sharing and consistent trainingAutonomy and Control - Standards vs

If everyone in your salon charges the same price - junior who's just qualified, senior who's been with you 10 years - you're leaving money on the table.WHAT TIERED PRICING ISDifferent team members charge different prices based on experience, expertise, and client demand.Hair salons do this well. Beauty salons? Not nearly enough.THE FIVE REASONS IT WORKSREASON 1: HELPS JUNIORS BUILD CLIENTELEWithout tiered pricing, reception has subconscious bias - senior costs more in wages, needs to stay busy. Junior never gets chance to build regulars.With tiered pricing, price-sensitive clients gravitate to junior. Levels the playing field.REASON 2: IT'S FAIR TO SENIOR TEAMSomeone with 2 years charges same as someone with 10 years? That's not fair.Tiered pricing shows there's a career path - not just a job.If you don't take care of your team's future, they'll take care of it themselves. Usually means leaving or going self-employed.REASON 3: COST-BASED PRICING MAKES SENSESenior team costs

Most salon owners leave thousands of pounds on the table every year because they hate selling retail.You feel pushy. You don't want to be that aggressive salesperson. You're afraid of rejection.So products gather dust and you miss massive profit opportunities.Here's the truth: NOT recommending products is doing your clients a disservice.THE MINDSET SHIFTStop thinking of retail as "selling products." Start thinking of it as completing your professional service.You're a professional. Your client isn't. You know which products protect their work, maintain treatments, and extend results.If you don't tell them, you're being SELFISH about your fear of rejection instead of thinking about what's best for the client.PRESCRIBE home care. Don't "sell" products.WHAT DOESN'T WORK❌ Product displays (people don't browse)❌ Vague mentions ("We have some great products...")❌ Waiting until checkout (they're mentally done)❌ Selling features instead of

Most salon team targets don't work. Either they don't exist, they're random numbers that sound good, or - here's the killer - everyone hits their individual targets and the salon STILL misses its numbers.That's because individual targets don't add up to the salon target.THE FOUR MEASURES (Track these, nothing else)Stop tracking 17 things. Your salon software has too many reports and it's confusing. Track these four for every team member:MEASURE 1: SERVICE REVENUEHow much money each team member puts in the till from services.Work BACKWARDS from your salon target:- Salon needs £50k/month- 4 team members- £50k ÷ 4 = £12.5k per personIf everyone hits £12.5k, salon hits £50k.MEASURE 2: RETAIL (Units, not revenue)How many products did they sell?Why units? Selling 15 shampoos is harder than selling one set of expensive straighteners. We're measuring the HABIT of retailing.MEASURE 3: UTILIZATIONPercentage of column full with paying customers.Target: 80-90% (85% is sweet spot)- 100% = n

Referrals are the best source of new salon clients - but most salon owners get it completely wrong. They put up a poster saying "Refer a friend, get 10% off!" and wonder why nothing happens.Here's the problem: referral programs fail because you run out of steam.You can't maintain referral-focused energy year-round while also running your salon, doing your marketing, managing your team, and actually doing hair.So referral programs die by March. The poster fades. Nobody notices it anymore.The solution: Split your referral strategy into TWO parts.PART 1: ALWAYS-ON FOUNDATION (Background referral generation all year)- Shareable transformations (before/after photos sent automatically to clients)- Branded Instagram templates (make it easy to tag you)- New client welcome system (acknowledge who referred them)- Thank you texts (when someone refers, thank them immediately)Set it up once. Runs forever. Generates referrals passively.PART 2: FOCUSED REFERRAL CAMPAIGN (One month, high energy, then STOP)P

If you're working harder than ever and not making profit, there's a good chance your prices are too low.But raising prices feels terrifying. What if clients leave? What if nobody books?Here are the 3 signs you're definitely undercharging - and exactly what to do about it.WHY YOU'RE STUCK AT LOW PRICES:Fear #1: Clients will leave(Spoiler: The ones who leave over £5 weren't your clients anyway)Fear #2: Columns will be empty(Reality: When you charge properly, you need FEWER clients to make the same money)Fear #3: You don't feel "worth it"(That's imposter syndrome talking. You're worth more than you're charging.)THE 3 SIGNS YOU'RE UNDERCHARGING:Sign #1: Fully booked but not making money- Columns rammed, working 50-60 hours, barely scraping by- You're discounting your time - making £10-15/hour after costs- The market is telling you that you can charge moreSign #2: You're attracting price-sensitive clients- They ask "How much?" before "What ca