141 A Business Masterclass with Van Council

Published: May 17, 2022, 7 a.m.

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There are many qualities to take into consideration if you are going to refer to a salon business as being one of the very \'best in the world\\u2019 and we would each have our own criteria to consider. \\xa0

When it comes to great leadership, a fantastic culture, excellent training, a real career path, great team retention, and consistently having 20% plus in retail and having a very profitable business, there are two salons that really stand out to me.

The first one is JUUT Salons, whose owner, David Wagner, I interviewed on a previous episode. If you haven\\u2019t checked it out yet, go back and have a listen.\\xa0

The second is Van Michael Salon, and today I\\u2019m going to be speaking to Van Council, the founder and co-owner of this incredible business which sets the bar at a level that very few salons can come close to!\\xa0

In today\\u2019s podcast we will discuss:

  • Adapting your business model to the times
  • The importance of standards, training, systems and exceptional service
  • Lessons in leadership\\u2026\\xa0

And lots more!

In this Episode:

[04:36] What drew Van to hairdressing, and an overview of his +45 year career in the salon industry (and his experience working in construction).

[13:01] Valuable lessons that Van learnt during the time he spent living in London.

[16:37] Van explains what motivated him to open his own business, Van Michael Salon.\\xa0

[20:44] Growth that Van Michael Salon has experienced over the years.\\xa0

[25:05] What Van wishes he had known when he co-founded Van Michael Salon.

[27:08] Key elements which have resulted in the very successful expansion of Van Michael Salon.\\xa0

[34:48] Examples of the effort that Van puts in to make his salons stand out.

[36:36] Unique features of the Van Michael Salon call centre.

[41:24] Skills that Van drew on when he was working behind the chair, which he is now teaching to his staff.\\xa0

[43:31] Van\\u2019s thoughts on why Atlanta has a particularly strong salon based business culture in comparison to other areas.

[45:59] How Van branched his business out into Japan, and lessons from there that he has brought back to his American based salons.\\xa0

[51:49] Changes that Van is working into his business model.

[59:54] An overview of the two-year training program that Van takes new employees through, and the philosophy that he instils in them during this time.

[1:10:32] The level system at Van Michael Salon.

[1:13:48] Metrics that Van aims to maintain in his salons (and goals that he has for the future).

[1:20:15] Van\\u2019s approach to creating a healthy company culture, his biggest strength as a leader, and advice for hiring employees.\\xa0

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!\\xa0
They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.\\xa0

I also love to hear what\\u2019s been helpful and what you love about the podcast!\\xa0Just\\xa0click here to review,\\xa0scroll to the bottom, tap \\u201cRatings and Reviews\\u201d tap to rate with 5 stars and \\u201cWrite a Review\\u201d and let me know what your favourite part of the podcast is. Thank you for your support!

Special thanks to Van for sharing their insights with me for this week\\u2019s episode. Until next time!

Antony

Links and Resources:

Grow My Salon Business\\xa0

Website\\xa0|\\xa0Facebook\\xa0|\\xa0Instagram

Van Michael Salon

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Van Michael Studio

Instagram

Van Council

Instagram

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