049 Personal Reinvention and Finding Your Niche in the Hairdressing Industry.

Are there any questions you have wanted to ask me, or anything you wanted to know about how I got started in hairdressing? You get your wish today because I am being interviewed by Vivienne MacKinder on this episode of the Grow My Salon Business podcast. My good friend Vivienne reached out to me recently and suggested that she do a podcast takeover. She wanted to be the host and have me on the other side of the microphone being grilled. So now I get to find out how my guests feel when they are on the other side of the mic. It should be entertaining, and I hope you enjoy it. We will discuss: What are some things that all of my podcast guests have in common? Personal reinvention and finding your niche in this industry. The importance of understanding your brand. What are the myths around salon ownership? What might be the successful business models of the future?   In This Episode: [00:30] Welcome to the show, Antony! [00:59] Antony shares the impact that the guests he has had on the show have had on him. [02:29] Antony speaks about everyone falls down, but the successful people get back up and start again. [05:45] Antony says we all have our genius, we all have our gift, and we should never put ourselves down or feel lesser if someone can do something better. [08:48] Vivienne appreciates the authenticity that this podcast brings to the industry. [09:53] Antony, what did you want to be when you were a kid? [12:25] Antony shares that he fell into hairdressing. [14:59] Antony reveals that a high school counsellor suggested that he be a hairdresser. [16:07] He speaks about a friend of his brother opening a salon and asked Antony if he wanted to be an apprentice. [18:30] What do you owe to your parents? [20:03] Antony discusses whether he would have done anything differently. [22:07] Antony speaks about the price you pay when you move away from home. [24:42] He shares that he would have liked to have a more rounded skill set. [26:09] What is the worst job you've ever done as a hairdresser? [29:31] Antony shares a story of doing a celebrity's hair and not knowing what he was doing. [33:12] Antony advises anyone to try to figure out what they want to do. [35:03] You will always learn on the job, but you have to have the fundamentals down before you can learn anything else. [37:08] What was your greatest victory? [38:10] Antony shares his online learning platform. [38:52] Antony speaks about what drives him crazy. [40:26] Antony describes his coaching process with a salon that is failing. [43:03] A mentor is someone who's been there done that, a coach is someone who gets you to identify what you need to do to get where you want to go. [44:19] Antony feels like he is a cross between a mentor and a coach. [45:31] How do you mentor or coach someone who has lost their direction? [47:10] Antony shares how he visualized what he wanted to do and then followed through. [50:16] Vivienne speaks about years ago being asked what her brand was and not knowing how to answer. [52:46] Hunger for something more or doing more is what always drove Antony. [53:52] Antony speaks about his daughter and her idea of fun on a Friday night. [55:51] Who would play you in a film of your life? [57:53] Vivienne shares what she is taking away from her conversation with Antony. [59:08] What are the common myths about being a salon owner? [1:01:11] Antony discusses what he believes you need to own a successful salon. [1:03:20] The most creative art form is business. [1:05:58] Leadership is acknowledging what you are good at and knowing what you aren't good at. [1:07:24] Where do you see the beauty industry going in the future?  [1:09:26] Antony's favourite business model is building a team, but the salon suite model thrives during the pandemic. [1:11:40] Antony discusses a business model that he has been looking at. [1:14:15] Antony thinks employee-owned business models would work well with salons. [1:16:37] Thank you for listening to the show!   Links and Resources Grow My Salon Business  My daughter Scout's favourite piece of art in the Louvre – Canova's ‘Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss'  Al Pacino Inspirational Speech – Any Given Sunday Inch by Inch The Business of Fashion Podcast – Fabien Baron Interview