Running a successful salon for nearly 40 years in one of the most competitive cities on the planet takes more than talent. It takes the willingness to keep evolving your model, your mindset, and even the words you use with your team.

My guest today, Scott Buchanan of the Manhattan-based Scott J Salons, has done exactly that. With around 90 employees across two locations, Scott's story is one of grit, reinvention, and a business built around culture and community.

In this conversation, we get into the real numbers behind a thriving employee-based salon, why he treats his team as partners rather than employees, and what it actually takes to keep an employee-based salon competitive in today's market. If you want to build a business that still works 40 years from now, this is the episode to listen to.

✅ Why calling your team "partners" changes the way they show up every day

✅ The KPIs Scott tracks obsessively and why guest count matters more than top-line revenue

✅ How Scott uses "wellness check-ins" instead of performance reviews to drive better results

✅ How Scott thinks about AI, retail, and the future of the salon experience in the next five to ten years

✅ The one piece of advice from a 40-year career that every salon owner needs to hear

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] Introduction: 40 years in Manhattan and what longevity really takes

[00:50] Scott's current business: two locations, 93 staff, and a long road to get here

[03:29] Is the age of the big salon over? Scott's honest take on boutique vs. large

[05:37] Why Scott considers his team partners, not employees

[07:18] Wellness check-ins: reframing performance reviews to drive real change

[10:25] How to keep an employee-based team in the age of salon suites

[13:55] The blowout story: why you have to be there when the client wants to be there

[20:11] How Scott is using AI now and where he sees the salon industry heading

[27:33] The key numbers Scott watches most closely, and what they reveal

[37:07] Intercoiffure America/Canada: building a community for employee-based salon owners

[43:57] Scott's one piece of advice for lasting 40 years in this industry

Want MORE to help you GROW?

📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books https://growmysalonbusiness.com/books/

🆘 Management overwhelm!? Download our free checklist! This checklist will help you get clarity on where you're at https://growmysalonbusiness.com/management-checklist/

RATINGS + REVIEWS

🙏 Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated!

They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.

I love to hear what's been helpful and what you love about the podcast! Thank you for your support! 🙏

Until next time!

Antony

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

🎓 Intercoiffure America/Canada – A community for employee-based, salary-based salon owners in North America – Find out more

👉 FOLLOW US!

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👉 FOLLOW SCOTT BUCHANAN!

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👉 FOLLOW SCOTT J SALONS

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Training a salon manager is one of the things salon owners often get wrong, and most don't realise it until they've already hired the wrong person, put them on payroll, but still end up doing everything themselves.

In this episode, I share a five-step framework for getting it right, from figuring out whether your business can actually support a manager right now, to the mindset shift that changes everything about how you lead.

By the end of this episode, you'll know exactly what to define before you hand anything over, why hiring another version of yourself backfires, and how to release control in a way that builds real capability over time. Done right, a great manager doesn't take things away from you. They give you your life back.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• The two pillars that underpin good management, and why most people are usually only good at one
• Why you need to consider the size of your business before you hire anyone into a management role
• The case against hiring a mini you and what to look for instead
• How to train for outcomes, not just tasks, so your manager can think, not just tick boxes
• The "let the leash out slowly" approach to handing over control without chaos
• Why getting it out of your head and onto paper is the non-negotiable first step

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Introduction: The challenge of training a salon manager

[00:30] Why hiring a manager isn’t as simple as it sounds

[01:19] The real question: how do you let go without losing control?

[01:45] The two pillars of management: people skills vs systems

[03:18] Why most salon owners lean heavily to one side

[04:11] The moment you realise you need help

[05:04] The fear of hiring and trusting a manager

[06:00] The two biggest obstacles: no systems and financial pressure

[06:40] Why most salons can’t afford a non-producing manager

[07:18] Delegating vs dumping chaos

[14:49] Recap of the 5-step framework

[15:41] Why a great manager gives you back your life

[16:04] How to get help

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

🎓 Salon Management Course - A complete blueprint for building a salon that runs with or without you - Find out more

Want MORE to help you GROW?

📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books https://growmysalonbusiness.com/books/

🆘 Management overwhelm!? Download our free checklist! This checklist will help you get clarity on where you're at https://growmysalonbusiness.com/management-checklist/

RATINGS + REVIEWS

🙏 Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated!

They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.

I love to hear what's been helpful and what you love about the podcast! Thank you for your support! 🙏

Until next time!
Antony

👉 FOLLOW US!

Instagram | Facebook | Website

The economics of running a salon have changed, and if your approach to training assistants hasn't changed with it, your margins are going to keep shrinking.

In this episode, I answer the questions salon owners are actually grappling with right now: Is it still worth taking on apprentices, how quickly should they be contributing, and what does it look like when a salon actually gets training right?

If you've been winging it or leaving it to chance, this episode gives you a clear framework and five practical takeaways you can act on straight away.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why condensing the apprenticeship timeline isn't lowering standards, it's a financial necessity
• The difference between income-producing and non-income-producing staff and why it matters
• How quickly a new assistant should be contributing to your salon revenue (and what to do if they're not)
• Why most salons' training problems are self-inflicted, and what good training ownership actually looks like
• Five clear takeaways for building a structured, productive assistant pathway in your salon

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Introduction
[00:28] Can you condense a two-year apprenticeship without lowering standards?
[01:21] How assistants contribute to revenue
[02:41] Income-producing vs. non-income-producing staff
[04:37] The shift required to make apprenticeships viable
[05:40] A brief history of apprenticeships
[09:00] Are employment-based salons restructuring the assistant pathway?
[11:27] What the best salons are doing differently
[12:33] Five takeaways for salon owners

Want MORE to help you GROW?

📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books

🆘 Management overwhelm? Download our free checklist

👉 FOLLOW US!

Instagram | Facebook | Website

RATINGS & REVIEWS

🙏 Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated!

They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.

I love to hear what's been helpful and what you love about the podcast! Thank you for your support! 🙏

Until next time!

Antony