Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?

By James Vivian. Owner of the 2023 ABIA Australian Salon/Clinic of the Year – 5 Treatment rooms or more.

I was recently speaking with a very dear friend who had just been informed that her sole staff member had resigned. I asked her how she felt and her reply was ‘relieved’.

For my friend, her experience with this employee had been one of frustration, poor output and moments of inappropriateness but as often occurs, my friend felt that it was better to have her work alongside her than not. That was until she resigned and my friend told me something I will now never forget and I have been repeating to myself over and over in my own business.

‘The juice was not worth the squeeze.’

What an incredible quote to apply to the topic of employment. It’s too perfect. It sums up the inevitable effort it takes to grow a team, build a culture and navigate the constant work it takes to ensure the health and success of your company.

I often hear people say in all walks of industries that one of the hardest aspects of owning a business is staff. I am always blown away when I hear this because I automatically think ‘you wouldn’t have a business without them’.

Of course, it’s not easy. There is no rule book. Business owners don’t learn how to employ staff at school. It’s a steep learning curve and it’s not for everyone. But alas many people find themselves in the privileged position of employing staff and phrases like ‘business would be easy without staff’ is never going to end well for employer nor employee.

In our business, we are a team of 11. A team of unique, complicated, hard-working, passionate human beings who all have lives, families, injuries, values and feelings that have nothing to do with their roles at work.

As an employee, I am beyond grateful for everything they do for us and am honoured that they choose to work with us for the time they allocate. We understand it will not be forever but for as long as they work alongside us, we will make the absolute most out of it.

In my opinion, it’s one of the greatest gifts when someone says that they’d like to work alongside you. It’s a privilege and it’s a position that should not be taken lightly. It’s also one that requires a great deal of patience, empathy and determination to make it mutually beneficial.

As an employer, an understanding that family always comes first, as well as the physical mental wellbeing of staff, sits at the top of our employee handbook, especially when it comes to the need for time off.

So back to the juice-y analogy above…

You know those moments (and yes, they happen) when you are feeling frustrated, let-down and overwhelmed by those around you? These, my friends, are known as the squeeze.

And you know those moments where your staff show up, give their clients the most incredible customer service, slay it with sales and contribute to culture and look after both their personal space and each other? These are forever now known as the juice.

It’s important to note that sometimes those feelings of frustration and overwhelm, for example, say more about you at a given moment than they do about what your employees may be asking of you. To assist, always feel like you can simply listen and ask for some time to consider the request or situation and come back when you are ready to discuss next steps.

So, ask yourselves, is the juice worth the squeeze?

At JV, the juice is overflowing and so worth the squeeze but I now have a barometer for knowing when something or someone isn’t right as – say it with me – the juice must be worth the squeeze.

@jamesvivian