4 Things We Learned From The Hair Game Podcast by Salon Republic

This iconic podcast is full of fabulous interviews and discussions that are a wealth of information for salon owners.

Salon Republic founder and creator of The Hair Game Podcast Eric Taylor is no stranger to the hair game. He started Salon Republic as just one salon in Los Angeles 20 years ago, and since then SR has expanded to 15 locations with over 1200 stylists across California, Colorado, and Texas. Talk about a republic!

The birth of The Hair Game

Eric found himself meeting people via Salon Republic with which he had fabulous conversations and thought “why not share these conversations with others?” There was so much juiciness in those convos that other people, especially salon owners and stylists could seriously benefit from. And it was important to him to share those success stories and insider information with others in the business so that they too could reach the success of Salon Republic and the people he had these great talks with. 

Thus, in July 2017, The Hair Game Podcast was born. 

Fast-forward four years and The Hair Game Podcast is one of the top podcasts in the industry. Listeners from nearly 70 countries tune into this show to gain all sorts of insight on how to improve business in their salon. Over 200 episodes offer information on some of the hottest topics in the hair game including things such as “What Clients Are Thinking But Won’t Tell You” (episode 20), “How to Price Yourself Right” (episode 71), “5 Things You Can Do On Instagram to Put More Clients in Your Chair” (episode 138) and many, many more. 

If you’re new to the show, get acquainted by listening to these four standout episodes.

Our 4 favorite episodes of The Hair Game podcast

1. COMMON SALON PROBLEMS | Episode 223: The Top 3 Problems Facing Salon Businesses Right Now with David & Nicole Barnett

One of the newer episodes features David and Nicole Barnett of High-Performance Stylist (HPS) Business Coaching and covers the hot topic of how to get into the salon business. The Barnetts share their journey of turning their four-chair, small-town salon into a $1.2 million powerhouse business. 

The meat of this episode comes from the discussion about the top three problems that salons face today:

• Recruiting and retention. How to find and keep quality stylists and salon employees. 

• Finances. How to keep track of where the money is going. 

• Standing out. How to make your salon stand out from the competition.

2. THE INSTAGRAM CONUNDRUM | Episode 217: Instagram Is Killing Me with Heather Chapman

It’s safe to say that salon owners have a love/hate relationship with Instagram. On the one hand, when used correctly, it has the power to bring in loads of business while simultaneously serving as a portfolio of your stylists’ work. However, it can be exhausting trying to stay on top of all the trends and fighting the game of getting views and likes. 

In this episode, hairstylist educator Heather Chapman discusses why she has decided to ditch Instagram and focus her attention and energy on TikTok instead. Worth a listen to see if it’s a tactic that makes sense for your shop.

3. HOW TO GET OUT OF A RUT | Episode 201: Britt Seva’s Top 5 Topics for Struggling Hairdressers

We have all been at the point where the struggle got the best of us. Some might say the struggle for a stylist is even more common because the industry is so competitive.

In this episode, marketing strategist and business coach for hair stylists & salon owners Britt Seva brings to light what struggling hairdressers can focus on to get out of the slump.

• Target market and branding

• Effective consultations

• Book in time for the game changers

• Social media

• Selling retail

Even if your business is chugging along on a comfortable plateau, exploring ways to give it a boost is good research.

4. IMPOSTER SYNDROME | Episode 184: How to Deal With Imposter Syndrome & Avoid Self-Sabotage with Caitlin Ford

2020 AIA Hair Colorist of the Year Caitlin Ford knows a thing or two about how to avoid self-sabotaging and how to deal with imposter syndrome. She lost her index finger in an accident a couple of years ago and had to adapt to her new life without her finger and learn how to stay on top of her hairstyling game. Not to mention she, like the rest of us, dealt with the struggles of COVID and how that changed the hair business. 

In this episode, Caitlin chats with Eric about her tips on beating imposter syndrome and turning to other people not to compare herself to them but rather to use them as inspiration to get back on top of her game. Imposter syndrome is something that people in all types of industries experience, so this episode is great even for those who aren’t in the salon business. 

From the little details about running a salon to the big-picture items; from the business side of things to the emotional side, The Hair Game Podcast covers it all. The podcast is here to educate you on the things you care about and need to know about to keep your salon game strong, and also to infuse some fun into your hard work. 

You can find the show on your favorite podcast platform by searching “The Hair Game.”