028 The Challenges of Juggling Multiple Roles in Life From Being a Wife, Mother, Stylist, and Business Owner

I consciously go out of my way to interview a diverse range of people for the podcast. But, the one thing I know that they all have in common is that they are building successful, profitable businesses, regardless of where in the world they are.   My goal is to interview a range of people at all stages of their careers in various areas of the salon industry to bring you a mixture of inspiration, entertainment, and practical ideas and advice to help you grow your salon.   Today’s guest on the podcast is Maria Unali, a salon owner from Sydney Australia who opened Salon Kiin 4 years ago.   In today’s podcast we will discuss:   The challenge of juggling multiple roles in life from being a wife, mother, stylist, and business owner with all of the demands that come with it. How to attract, nurture, and build a salon team. And how to set guidelines around salon social media.   In This Episode: [01:35] Welcome to the show, Maria! [01:59] Maria shares her background, why she became a stylist and salon owner. [04:20] Her salon has been open for four years and now has fifteen stylists. [05:17] What are the advantages of having a salon on the outskirts of Sydney? [07:01] Maria speaks about taking over her dad’s salon when he retired. [09:35] Antony chats about the upside of being in the suburbs with keeping staff and clients. [11:13] Can you tell us a little bit about your sustainable program? How do you pay for the program? [14:51] Maria speaks about creating and cultivating her team culture and the acronym she built it on. [17:20] Maria explains the one on ones she does consistently every month and the yearly retreat she treats her team too. [19:15] A good team culture isn’t built overnight, and it evolves as people leave, and new people come in. [22:00] Antony speaks about bringing in young people as trainees and the expectations they have. [24:11] What are some practical everyday things you do to motivate your team? [26:58] Maria shares her staff retention and how she keeps them motivated to stay. [28:49] Maria discusses what young twenty-something employees want from an employer today. [31:48] Maria shares a time when she almost lost her salon and how she turned it around. [33:55] They discuss how doing shows can be seductive, but there is very little money to be made. [35:16] At what profit margin are you currently running your salon? What hurdles have you had to overcome? [37:29] Maria describes the color table in her salon and shares how it works with clients. [40:01] How did you come up with the name Salon Kiin? [40:23] Maria explains how she reacts when someone from her team leaves. [42:35] They chat about some good leadership books that Maria likes. [44:11] Maria speaks about fashion weeks and their importance to salons and stylists. [46:34] What social media platforms do you use and how do you use it to market your business? [48:00] Maria shares that her stylists all have personal social media accounts, but they have guidelines they have to use. [50:56] What other technology do you use today to run your business? [52:36] Maria speaks about the manager that helps her run parts of the company so that she has time away. [54:34] Maria shares how she balances being a wife, mom, stylist, and business owner. [56:17] How do you reinvent yourself creatively? How do you stay relevant? [58:25] What advice do you have for someone who is going through what you have for the last four years? [1:00:47] If you have enjoyed this podcast please take a screenshot and share it on your Instagram stories and tag us. [1:01:19] Thank you, Maria, for being on the show today! Links and Resources Grow My Salon Business  Raising Girls by Sissy Goff Dare to Lead by Brene Brown How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber   Find Maria Maria Unali @maria_unali Instagram | Twitter  Salon Kiin @salonkiin Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest