Having the Tough Conversation with Yourself By Kerrie DiMattia

When we first think about opening a salon we have a dream, a vision of what it will look like, how it will run, the incredible success it will be and how much money we will make!

That’s the fun part right…The planning, the excitement building as your vision becomes reality, it’s all coming together beautifully, and you can’t wait to open those doors and welcome the clients in.

First, we look for the perfect location - or at least one that looks ok and is within budget, then we get excited, plan the decor, pick the furniture, plan the menu, decide on pricing, what products we will stock and the team that will help us bring our dream to life!! Sounding familiar?

And for a while you are loving life, you ride the euphoric wave of success, the team you’ve hired seem to be the perfect fit, the books are starting to fill, the dollars are coming in and everything is going exactly as you had envisioned……

Until it isn’t!

There are so many things that can slow down or even grind to a screaming halt a salon’s success and leave the salon owner feeling like the proverbial duck on a pond, calm on the surface but paddling away frantically underneath just to stay afloat!

I hear everything from a little frustration to full blown anxiety from salon owners I’m working with, over issues that revolve around STAFF, MONEY, CLIENTS & TIME.

This is NOT what they signed up for, why didn’t anyone warn them it was going to end up like this.

The truth is, for so many salon owners the reality of the day to day is a far cry from their original dream, they wonder what it is they are doing so wrong, when in our social media driven world everyone else seems to be doing it so right…… right? And I can totally relate… as I think over the 30+ years I’ve been a salon owner I’ve experienced as many lows as I have highs and compared my salon to others many times and managed to convince myself there were many reasons, they were doing better than me, from the location to the brands we were stocking.

At some point you may, like I did, reach your F**K IT moment! You may even feel like a bit of a failure as a salon owner, I know at times I did!

Years of feeling like a hamster on a wheel, repeating the same mistakes but continuously expecting better results... You just want your salon to run like it should, to make a profit, you want to love every member of your team and to have them love you right back, to have the type of culture that you had dreamed of in the beginning of this story. Well, here’s the thing…Reaching your F**k it moment may possibly be the best thing that ever happens to you, I know it was for me.

And this may not be EXACTLY what you want to hear but here goes: the first lesson I had to learn was that the biggest problem I had was…. ME.

I was the one that causing most of the issues!! Not on purpose by any means, but by default, simply because I was working hard not smart, in every aspect of my business from managing my money to leading my team, I owned myself a good job, but I was no salon owner!!

Now before you slam the page shut, just hear me out, and it may be tough to hear...but if you want things to improve, if you want to stop feeling like the duck or the Hamster, if you want to actually feel like you have your shit together, then again like me, you have a few things to learn…

FIND A COACH, A GROUP, A MENTOR THAT YOU FEEL SAFE WITH AND TAKE ONE SMALL ACTION TOWARD YOUR GOAL.

Firstly, the time for beating yourself up is over, you and your business are where you are right here and right now…looking back at what went wrong, or what you could have done better won’t grow you, acknowledge your mistakes yes, learn from them, but don’t focus on the past it’s time to move forward.

It’s time to step up, be brave, reach out and ask for help!

Now in saying that, no one knows better than me how scary that is, reaching out means baring your soul, it means admitting to the things you don’t understand and the systems you don’t have in place, it means being honest with both the person you are confiding in and yourself, it also means this is where the works begins! feel the fear rising, just thinking about making that phone call or enrolling in your first course.

I was at this crossroad many times before I bit the bullet and faced my biggest fear, humiliation! I had owned salons for half my life and here I was about to admit to someone that I had no bloody idea what I was doing!

Fast forward a few years and here I am taking everything I’ve learned from some of the best in the business and not only applying it to my own salons and teams but helping out others as well.

So, if you’re reading this and can relate to some of it or all of it, here’s a few tips that may help…

Where do I start - Firstly, find out what’s broken, make a list of the things you struggle with. Then prioritise them and address them one at a time, NOT as a whole, otherwise you will very quickly become overwhelmed and go right back to wanting to just give up!!!

Who do I reach out to - There are so many fabulous coaches in our industry, ones who specialise in certain areas and others who can help across the board, but if engaging a coach straight up feels a little scary straight away you may even just start by joining a Facebook group for salon owners or a great industry specific podcast you can listen to on the way to and from the salon each day. The important thing here is to just start, find a Coach, a Group, a Mentor that you feel safe with and take one small action toward your goal.

What will it cost - That varies, depending on where you start and who you choose to guide you, you may think you can’t afford it, but it will be the best investment you will ever make in yourself and your business.

Being a successful salon owner, managing people, time and budgets can be a tough gig, but you aren’t in it alone, it takes courage to ask for help but I promise you it will be a game changer!

Kerrie DiMattia is the owner/creative director of DIMATTIA & CO, an award winning, uniquely progressive Salon offering services of the highest quality. Hidden away from the hub of everyday life, this urban loft style salon’s signature guest experience has seen it become one of the most sought-after destinations for Hair Care by both Men & Women in the Clarence Valley. The salon recently won the 2021 AHIA Best In-Salon Training award and Kerrie is now also part of the Total Salon Academy group as a Certified Master Coach offering her 40 years’ experience and business knowledge to help other salon owners in their journey to financial success.