Stop Being the Busiest Stylist in Your Salon | Coral Pleas, Cutting Loose Salons

Stop Being the Busiest Stylist in Your Salon | Coral Pleas, Cutting Loose Salons

Episode Summary Coral Pleas built Cutting Loose Salons from a single five-chair shop to a five-location, multiple seven-figure company — and she did it by letting go. In this episode, Coral sits down with Ronit Enos to unpack 45 years of lessons: surviving a fire the day before Christmas, walking away from a multimillion-dollar partnership at 47, getting out from behind the chair, and building a partnership model that turns stylists into owners. This is the real playbook for scaling without losing yourself. Guest Bio Coral Pleas is the founder and CEO of Cutting Loose Salons with locations in Florida and Connecticut. Over 45 years she's pioneered a partnership model that empowers stylists to become salon owners. Her son Travis serves as her business partner, continuing the legacy. Key Timestamps 00:19 The fire that almost ended everything 00:21 Leaving a multimillion-dollar partnership at 47 00:22 Walking on eggshells in your own salon 00:25 The $100K stylist club and setting higher goals 00:27 Gen Z stylists — the new unicorns 00:31 Why salon #2 is harder than salon #5 00:34 Getting from behind the chair 00:38 The partnership model explained 00:42 Having the courage to close a failing location 00:45 The billboard moment: enjoy the journey 00:47 Raising prices without fear Listener Takeaways - Your goal as an owner is to NOT be the busiest stylist. If you are, that's the problem. - Don't open location two until location one runs without you. - If you're afraid of it, that's your sign you need to do it. - Your staff aren't employees — they're investors. - Closing a failing location isn't defeat. It's leadership. - If you don't lose 20% of clients when you raise prices, you didn't raise them enough. - Everything that got you here won't get you to the next level. THIS EPISODE IS POWERED BY CADENCE BUSINESS ACADEMY The global advisory network helping salon, spa, and medspa CEOs scale to seven and eight figures without burnout. saloncadence.com MYSALONBOOKS Real-time bookkeeping built for Profit First salon owners. Finally: clarity and control over your money. mysalonbooks.com PHOREST The all-in-one salon software built to grow your revenue through data, marketing, and client retention. phorest.com VISH The color management system that eliminates waste and protects your profit on every single service. getvish.com ABOUT THIS SHOW It's A Profitable Life is hosted by Ronit Enos and produced by Cadence Business Academy. Every episode is built for salon, spa, and medspa owners who are serious about building a business — and a life — that actually works. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

This Episode Will Change How You Think About Leadership Forever | Studio Shanthaly

They opened their salon. Then an ice storm shut it down the next day. Most people would have quit. These two sisters didn't. In this episode of It's A Profitable Life, Ronit Enos sits down with two founder-sisters who turned a small-town salon into a thriving, multi-layered business — but not before navigating catastrophic setbacks, a devastating betrayal inside their own company, and the painful realization that they had built themselves a job, not a business. What changed everything? They stopped being operators. They started leading. This is one of the most honest conversations we've had on this show. If you've ever felt like your business is running you instead of the other way around — this episode was made for you. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE → The real reason most salon owners feel stuck (it's not money or marketing) → Why staying behind the chair is quietly killing your growth → The betrayal that became their biggest turning point — and what they did instead of staying in victim mode → How Profit First and financial clarity completely changed their business → What it actually looks like to step into the CEO role → The partnership dynamic that made scaling possible TIMESTAMPS 0:00 What does a profitable life actually mean? 2:30 Two sisters, one dream: the origin story 6:10 Walking away from stable careers to bet on themselves 10:45 Opening day. Then: the ice storm. 14:20 The moment they realized they'd built a job, not a business 18:30 Their first real taste of entrepreneurship (and why it scared them) 24:10 The betrayal that cracked everything open 30:00 Taking radical ownership instead of staying the victim 36:20 Learning to lead instead of doing everything themselves 42:15 Discovering Profit First and finally understanding their numbers 48:00 Benchmarks, margins, and what financial clarity actually feels like READY TO STOP GRINDING AND START GROWING? You're not stuck because you're not smart enough. You're stuck because no one taught you how to lead a business — they just taught you how to do the work. Our virtual experience is built specifically for salon, spa, and medspa owners who are done grinding and ready to actually grow. Inside, you'll learn how to step out of daily operations and into the CEO seat, implement Profit First for Salons the right way, build systems that run without you in the room, understand your numbers well enough to make real decisions, and reclaim your time, your income, and your energy. Spots are limited. Secure yours here: https://milliondollarevent1.saloncadence.com/home THIS EPISODE IS POWERED BY CADENCE BUSINESS ACADEMY The global advisory network helping salon, spa, and medspa CEOs scale to seven and eight figures without burnout. saloncadence.com MYSALONBOOKS Real-time bookkeeping built for Profit First salon owners. Finally: clarity and control over your money. mysalonbooks.com PHOREST The all-in-one salon software built to grow your revenue through data, marketing, and client retention. phorest.com VISH The color management system that eliminates waste and protects your profit on every single service. getvish.com ABOUT THIS SHOW It's A Profitable Life is hosted by Ronit Enos and produced by Cadence Business Academy. Every episode is built for salon, spa, and medspa owners who are serious about building a business — and a life — that actually works. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

The Truth About Data, Decisions, and Growth | Steve Reiss, Industry Relations & Insights

You Can’t Grow What You Don’t Measure What if the biggest thing holding your business back is not your talent, your team, or your effort… but your data? In this episode of It’s A Profitable Life, we dive deep into one of the most overlooked and misunderstood drivers of success in the beauty industry: data. Because here’s the truth:  If you are not measuring it, you cannot improve it.  And if you are guessing, you are leading your business blindly. This conversation unpacks why data is not just numbers on a report. It is clarity. It is leadership. It is the difference between reacting and making confident, strategic decisions. As shared in this episode, without data, you are simply making guesses, and those guesses are often not informed.  What You Will Learn  • How operating without data creates confusion, bias, and inconsistency  • The biggest mistake salon owners make when it comes to tracking performance  • Why the beauty industry struggles with data compared to other industries  • The importance of standardizing data across the industry  • How data removes emotion and creates fair, objective leadership  • What metrics actually matter for salon owners, schools, and brands  • Why benchmarking is critical to growth and profitability  • How technology without proper data becomes ineffective  • The opportunity for the beauty industry to evolve through better data systems Timestamps 0:00 Introduction and why data matters  2:10 Why guessing is dangerous in business  4:20 How data becomes your manager  6:45 The difference between creative industries and data-driven industries  9:30 The biggest opportunity in the beauty industry today  12:15 Why most businesses struggle without realizing it  15:40 The challenge of inconsistent data definitions  18:10 Why technology alone is not enough  21:05 What data actually looks like for salon owners  24:30 Benchmarking and why it matters  28:15 The lack of a shared data foundation in the industry  32:40 Industry-wide challenges and missed opportunities  36:20 The role of organizations in shaping the future  40:10 What Pivot Point is doing to drive change  44:00 Research insights across education, health, and business  48:30 The shift toward independent contractors and what it means  52:00 The future of the beauty industry and data  56:30 Rapid-fire insights and leadership lessons January Virtual Workshop If this conversation opened your eyes to what you are not tracking or what you may be missing in your business, then our January virtual experience is your next step. This two-day workshop is designed for salon, spa, and medspa owners who want to:  • finally understand their numbers  • build predictable profit  • lead with clarity instead of emotion  • create systems that support growth  • use data and Profit First for Salons to scale smarter Reply EXPERIENCE on Instagram or join our email list to get early access. This Podcast Is Powered By Vish A color management system that eliminates waste, increases profitability, and brings consistency to your salon. getvish.com Phorest The software platform helping salons grow through data, retention, and powerful business insights. phorest.com MySalonBooks Real-time bookkeeping built for salon owners using Profit First for Salons to give you clarity and control. mysalonbooks.com Salon Cadence The global advisory network helping salon, spa, and medspa CEOs scale with systems, leadership, and Profit First for Salons. saloncadence.com

How This Salon Built A Team-Run Company | Elleven Salon

How Understanding Your Numbers and Building the Right Team Changes Everything What does it feel like to run a business when you don’t truly understand your numbers? And what changes when you finally do? In this episode of It’s A Profitable Life, Ronit Enos sits down with a powerful salon leadership team to unpack their real journey from confusion, overwhelm, and operating on instinct… to clarity, confidence, and building a profitable, team-run business. They share what it was like in the early days when the business was driven by hustle, long hours behind the chair, and guessing instead of knowing. The frustration of not understanding financials, the pressure of leading without clarity, and the quiet fear of feeling like you should know more but don’t. Through coaching, accountability, and learning how to truly read and use their numbers, everything began to shift. But it wasn’t just about profit. It was about leadership, communication, trust, and building a team that could grow together. This conversation dives into the moments that changed everything. Losing key team members. Facing financial mistakes. Learning how to communicate as partners. And stepping into roles with clarity instead of assumption. What emerged was not just a more profitable business, but a stronger culture, a clearer vision, and a company that no longer depends on any one person to survive. This episode is for any owner who feels stuck in the day to day, unsure of their numbers, or questioning whether real growth is possible. Because it is. In This Episode 0:00 Why this conversation matters for anyone building a business 3:00 What it felt like to run a business without understanding the numbers 6:00 The frustration, confusion, and self-doubt behind financial blind spots 14:00 The moment things started to shift with coaching and accountability 18:00 Losing key team members and the lessons that came from it 22:00 How financial mistakes created stronger communication and awareness 27:00 Understanding P&L and gaining real control of the business 31:00 Defining roles and responsibilities within a leadership team 36:00 Why clarity and communication changed everything 45:00 The difference between feeling busy and actually growing 49:00 Building a business that does not rely on your hands 54:00 Creating wealth inside and outside the business 58:00 The importance of being in the right room with the right people 1:02:00 Hiring for alignment instead of desperation 1:06:00 The power of culture, trust, and shared vision 1:10:00 What they would tell themselves two years ago 1:14:00 Defining success, purpose, and long-term impact About the Guests This episode features the leadership team behind Elleven Salon, a highly respected salon in Huntsville, Alabama, known for its commitment to education, client experience, and team development. Founded by Becky Dobbs, Elleven Salon has been serving the Huntsville community for over 15 years, building a reputation for excellence in color, extensions, and advanced hair services. What makes this team unique is not just their longevity, but their evolution. From operating as a traditional owner-led salon to becoming a team-driven, profit-focused business, Becky and her partners have redefined how leadership, communication, and financial clarity can transform both culture and performance. Brought to You By Salon Cadence The global advisory network helping salon, spa, and medspa CEOs scale to seven and eight figures without burnout saloncadence.com My Salon Books Real-time bookkeeping powered by Profit First for Salons mysalonbooks.com Phorest The all-in-one salon software designed to grow your business through automation, reporting, and team performance phorest.com

The $10K Haircut Secret | Leon Alexander, CEO & Founder of Eurisko Design

Leon Alexander, CEO & Founder of Eurisko Design, built 320 salons using other people's money, distributed Aveda across the UK, and is now disrupting beauty tech. In this episode he breaks down exactly how he did it and what every salon owner needs to do right now to stay ahead. What you will learn: * Why your current "wow" is already someone else's minimum standard * How to shift from experience to PERSONALIZED experience * The $10,000 haircut framework you can apply at any price point * How Leon acquired 320 salons with almost none of his own capital * The lateral thinking strategy that unlocks 10x growth * Why retail stays stuck at 10% and the one script that fixes it * What is coming next in beauty tech that will change everything TIMESTAMPS 00:00 "Stop managing, start disrupting"  01:55 Who is Leon Alexander  03:26 The one thing that never changes in beauty  07:12 Why Sassoon was the Steve Jobs of hair  10:20 Today's initiatives are tomorrow's minimum standards  11:19 From experience to personalized experience  14:47 The $1 million haircut question  15:20 The $10,000 haircut story  19:23 The failure that taught Leon to move fast  24:42 How he acquired 320 salons with no money  27:38 Grew 5%, saved 23%: the consolidation strategy  28:29 Why he gave it all back to Wella  29:20 Distributing Aveda: carrying a vision not a product  31:12 Why staff will never naturally sell retail  32:02 The assumptive selling script that works  34:20 Lateral vs logical thinking: the X exercise  36:34 The empty room exercise: find your 10x opportunity  40:05 The Chick-fil-A consistency principle  47:28 Rapid Fire: failure, superpower, billboard, success  49:48 What Leon is building next in beauty tech ABOUT THE HOST Ronit Enos is the Founder of Salon Cadence, the global advisory network helping salon, spa, and medspa CEOs scale to seven and eight figures through Profit First, systems, and leadership.  https://saloncadence.com [https://saloncadence.com/] BROUGHT TO YOU BY Salon Cadence: https://saloncadence.com [https://saloncadence.com/] Vish: https://getvish.com [https://getvish.com/] Phorest: https://phorest.com [https://phorest.com/] MySalonBooks: https://mysalonbooks.com [https://mysalonbooks.com/] Subscribe, leave a review, and share this with one salon owner who needs to hear it. Live a profitable life. By design.