Claim OwnershipThe Conscious Salon
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Welcome to The Conscious Salon.
Here for the real talk salon owners actually need.
The Conscious Salon Podcast is where salon owners get clear guidance without the fluff. Hosted by Nic & Tess, we break down leadership, team culture, money, client journey, systems and numbers into simple moves you can use this week. Expect straight talk, real stories, lots of laughs and practical frameworks that help you lead well, grow profit, and have a life outside the salon.
You will hear from salon owners, industry leaders and working mums who have done the hard yards. We cover mindset that holds under pressure, meetings that improve your team culture, and the habits that build a self led team.
Follow the show and start with leadership posture, client journey design, and money mindset.
Listen in, implement, and stay conscious.
182 Episodes
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Ready to stop being the emergency contact for every problem and build a salon that runs smoothly without you hovering? We mapped out a 2026 playbook for salon owners who want calm, high performance, and real freedom: pay for meetings during work hours, lead with courage, and turn your numbers into a shared compass. Instead of venting at home or hoping issues fade, we walk through how to hold direct, respectful conversations that reset standards and lift trust across the floor. We dig into ...
Numbers don’t have to be scary. If spreadsheets make you want to hide behind the reception desk, this episode is for salon owners who want to take control of their money without the stress. Accountant and salon numbers coach Kate Slater breaks down complex financial topics into simple, actionable steps so you can stop guessing and start planning. From tax traps to cash flow clarity, we cover the essentials that every salon owner needs to know. We dig into the real-world issues that trip up ow...
Ever wish you could hold your team to higher standards without being the bad cop? This episode shares a leadership playbook that turns confrontation into curiosity and guesswork into actionable data. Build confidence, lift rebooking and retail, and keep your team aligned — all while staying approachable. In this episode, we cover: How to start tough conversations with curiosity: “I’ve noticed a pattern…”The five‑minute Tuesday debrief to track weekly targets, services, rebooking, retail, and ...
What does it really take to grow a cosmetic clinic without losing trust, standards, or heart? In this episode, we sit down with Amy, founder of Eltham Cosmetic Clinic, to unpack how a solo injector scaled to a 12 person team while keeping client care, safety, and culture front and centre. Amy shares the behind the scenes of building a clinic that feels human and professional, even as it grows. From calming anxious clients with precise language to designing a brand experience that builds long ...
What if the business you built to prove your worth is the very thing draining it? In this honest conversation, hairstylist and coach Maxi Dotorri shares why she sold a thriving family-run salon and chose health, clarity, and self-respect instead. In this episode, we talk about: • The warning signs of burnout Maxi ignored for years • How lockdown exposed migraines, panic, and an identity tied to being “the owner” • The moment a team resignation became the catalyst for change • Selling a sa...
Start strong, breathe deeper, and write the year you actually want to lead. This guided intention setting session with Tess is for salon owners and leaders who want less stress, stronger culture, and sustainable growth in 2026. Through calm structure and practical reflection, you will move from vague goals to clear leadership behaviours that shape how your salon feels, functions, and grows. In this episode, we guide you through: • A short breath practice to settle your nervous system • Defi...
Ready to close 2025 with clarity rather than chaos? In this guided reflection, Tess leads salon owners and leaders through a calm, intentional review of the year that was so you can carry the right lessons forward and release what no longer fits. This episode is designed to help you slow down, breathe, and reflect honestly before stepping into 2026. In this reflection, we cover: • A short breathing practice to settle your nervous system • Key prompts to recognise what you are prou...
A 17-year-old with salon keys and no driver’s licence. Two decades later, Karla Daddo steps into a new season, trading a bustling team-based salon for DOYENNE., a luxury rental-chair space built to give freelancers real freedom, community, and profit. We dive deep into the moments that shaped her: early sabotage and isolation, the kitchen-table bookkeeping with her nan, the rebrand to BRONDE., and the powerful shift that happened when numbers finally told the truth. It’s raw, honest, a...
What if the busiest season in the salon could feel steadier, clearer, and more in your control? This solo pep talk is your calm reset for the Christmas rush. It gives you grounded tools you can use today to slow your breath, steady your energy, and lead your space with intention even when the salon is buzzing. ✨ Inside this episode: • A one minute breathing ritual to regulate your nervous system • Simple language swaps that strengthen leadership and boundaries • How to hold ...
What happens when the dream you chased becomes the cage you’re stuck inside? Dom from NEIKE Hair joins us for a brutally honest ride from opening a salon at 22, to surviving lockdowns, to nearly selling everything when burnout and doubt took over. The twist: one hard conversation made her choose community over exit, and that choice reshaped everything. We dig into the early wins and hidden costs of being fully booked, how a scrappy pivot to tint kits and e‑commerce kept the lights on, and w...
A tired but functioning salon is easy to tolerate. The real challenge is admitting it is not the business you truly want and having the courage to rebuild it into the space you imagine. In this episode, we sit down with our friend and client, Lauryn Mathrick, to explore how she transformed an inherited and successful salon into Self The Salon, a place designed for deep client connection and a work environment where mums can thrive. Lauryn shares the twenty four hour crossroads that changed th...
What happens when you treat your health with the same urgency you give a boardroom deadline? In this episode, we run a real-time experiment on discipline, systems, and self-trust — and the results surprised us. One of us jumps from an average of 874 steps a day to 10,000 plus structured strength training. The other reframes yoga and movement as daily anchors for a neurodivergent brain. The shift was undeniable: better thinking, stronger boundaries, and delegation that finally stuck because mo...
A suitcase, $300, and a window out of a small coastal life — Tamsin’s story begins with a bold leap and unfolds into one of the most powerful salon journeys we’ve shared. We sit down with Tamsin, founder of Sakara Collective, to explore how a teenage dream became a decade-long vision of artistry, culture, and leadership. From leaving school at 15 to building one of Australia’s most beautiful salons, her story is raw, honest, and deeply human. Tamsin opens up about the highs and heartbreaks: a...
What if the gap between where you are and where you want to be is simply how fast you act on what you already know? In this episode, we sit down with salon owner and mother of two, Carla Crowley, whose quiet fire turned a spare room in Gembrook into a thriving clinic, a trusted team, and now a commercial property that will become her forever business home. Her success didn’t come from hacks or luck, but from decisive action, self-awareness, and a money system that turned stress into structure...
In this powerful conversation, Rachel Mahon shares her courageous decision to sell her high-performing skin clinic after eleven years in business and begin a new venture with her daughter, Soul Society. This isn’t a burnout story or a highlight reel. It’s a grounded, human reflection on identity, leadership, and letting go with integrity. From journaling a truth she didn’t want to face, to safeguarding her culture through a values-aligned buyer, Rachel walks us through how she honoured her te...
Freedom sounds amazing, until it bumps into your need to control every detail. In this episode, we sit down with Tae, our salon manager, to unpack how control quietly creeps into salon leadership, and what truly shifts when you replace micromanagement with trust. This isn’t theory, it’s lived experience. We get real about giving someone a title without real power, double-checking that crushed initiative, and the moment we realised our “supportive” words were actually restricting action. Tae s...
What if the key to building a strong, connected salon team before the silly season isn’t another checklist but honesty, pressure, and celebration? In this episode, we take you behind the scenes of our Life Ahead Team Development Day: a mix of raw journaling, a horror-themed escape room, and a practical debrief on communication, roles, and trust. It was messy, emotional, and incredibly powerful. The biggest surprise? How clearly our team patterns showed up, and how small shifts in language and...
The moment you meet Jess Lewis, you feel it: a rare mix of warmth, authenticity, and unstoppable drive that has made her a legend among millennial hairdressers across Australia. From humble beginnings in a home salon with her sister as an apprentice, Jess built one of the country’s most recognised blonde specialist salons, attracting clients who would travel hours for her craft. Her influence extends far beyond the salon chair. Jess pioneered live workshops that transformed the way stylists l...
Ever felt like your brand looks like a swan gliding gracefully across the water, while underneath your legs are thrashing just to stay afloat? In this episode, we dive straight into the “smoke and mirrors” that so many salon and clinic owners face: the glossy grids, pedestal leaders, and feel-good routines that often hide shaky numbers, wobbly culture, and leadership habits we’d rather not admit. No shame. No spin. Just truth, clarity, and the real power that comes from facing what matters....
In this vulnerable episode, Tess shares her story of a past relationship that left deep emotional scars, and the strength it took to walk away. She reflects on how grief made her more vulnerable, how the red flags were easy to dismiss, and the pivotal moment that gave her the courage to finally choose herself. Seven years on, Tess speaks with honesty about the lingering impact of shame and self-doubt, while also showing how her healing has given her a renewed sense of purpose. She opens up ab...
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