Dave Evans & Debbie Halls-Evans on 'Being More Kid' and Building Curious Cultures
If you’ve ever sat down for a chat with Dave Evans and Debbie Halls-Evans, founders of and. coaching (@andcoachme), you know you’re in for a bold and disarmingly honest one. High off a year so far defined by intentionality, bravery, and play, Dave and Debbie share:
How fear can manifest and be reframed as an invitation to look inward
The difference between being uncomfortable and being unsafe
How adopting a “be more kid” mindset unlocks creativity, imagination, and joy at work
The power of language and modelling care to build cultures rooted in curiosity and kindness
Deeply practical, rich with anecdotes and offering 10 powerful language reframes, this conversation is an essential no-BS starter toolkit for any salon owner or leader looking to reimagine how they show up for themselves, their businesses, their teams, and their clients.
Find out more about and. coaching here: https://www.andcoachme.com/
Listen to Double D Season 6 EP114, "Ripple effects. The quiet power of individual impact."
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Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter or here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.
This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.
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Stefanie Fox on How Lasting Teams Are Built With Intention, Not Found
[318] At Phorest, we know that the magic happens when you get the team right. Clients feel it. Reviews show it. Your bottom line reflects it. Building a strong team is an advantage, but great teams don’t just “happen.”
In this unearthed conversation from late 2023, Stefanie Fox (@stef_fox), Founder of Talent Match and Matchable, shares timeless leadership insights, why recruitment can’t be treated as a quick fix, and why lasting teams aren’t discovered by chance, but intentionally built through trust, purpose, and process.
From her philosophy of leadership as an oath to the data-backed insights of the Beauty Workforce Survey, Stefanie challenges salon owners to rethink leadership, recruitment, culture, and retention.
Learn more about Talent Match, and discover The Matchable™ Salon Owner Hub, here.
Read "How to Build a Salon Culture Stylists Want to Stay For" by Stefanie Fox
Read "Building a Salon, Spa, or Clinic Team That Performs Better and Stays Longer" by Steph Fernandez
Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!
Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter or here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.
This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.
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Anne Butterly & Kelly Swann on Harnessing the Power of Business as a Force for Good (w/ Daniel Johnson)
[317] It’s one thing to say your business stands for something, and it’s another to prove it. Certified B Corporations around the world are doing just that.
Featuring Anne Butterly, Founder of Easydry, along with Kelly Swann, the driving force behind Denver’s Let Em Have It Salon — both Certified B Corps— this episode shines a light on the systems, leadership, and values behind their purpose-led businesses and traces their journey from values to action, and from action to measurable change.
Co-hosted in partnership with Daniel Johnson, Founder and Executive Director of The Green Beauty Community. Download the FREE Pivot Point x Green Beauty Community Guidebook here.
Follow Daniel Johnson, Anne Butterly and Kelly Swann on Instagram: @greenbeautycommunityfoundation, @loveeasydry, @lehisalon
To take the B Impact Assessment, click here.
To learn more about BLab's Theory of Change, click here.
To learn more about the Berkana Institute's Two Loops Model of Change, click here.
Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!
Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter or here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.
This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.
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Betsy Morem on Burgers, Botox & the Power of Community-Rooted Businesses (w/ Joe DiFalco)
[316] CPA and co-founder of Morem & Waller CPAs, med spa co-owner, and now steward of Austin, Minnesota’s 87-year-old beloved Tendermaid burger joint, Betsy Morem (@heavenstobetsss) wears many hats. And her unique ability to balance big-picture strategy with daily operational insight makes her a trusted advisor to fellow entrepreneurs.
In this episode, Betsy joins Alex and Joe DiFalco, Senior Partnerships Manager at Phorest, for a candid conversation driven by stories about what it means to run community-rooted businesses, lead with care, serve with integrity, and how success can also be about the culture we create, the lives we touch along the way. Insightful, humble, and full of timeless lessons —like why the little things often leave the most significant mark— the conversation also covers rich, practical ground, including:
🤯 Key differences between salon and medspa models, from regulations to team dynamics
💡 Tips for salon owners looking to thoughtfully add medspa services
🫂 How to honour a business’s legacy while making space for new
🌱 The importance and power local businesses hold in their communities
To find out more about The MOD Medspa, click here.
To learn more about the Tendermaid, click here.
Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!
Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter or here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.
This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.
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David & Shirley Popham on the Heart, Art and Business of Paying Attention
[315] When David Popham first opened his salon in 1981, he didn't set out to build a legacy business. And Shirley certainly didn’t set out to work in or manage a salon—she grew up intimidated by them.
In this episode, Shirley and David Popham of Popham Hairdressing (@popham.salons) reflect on decades of hair and life stories. Stories of long, imperfect journeys, humble and unlikely beginnings, chance encounters, love, bold decisions, closing chapters, starting over and everything in between.
Most of this year’s PhorestFM conversations and stories have, in one way or another, connected to leadership, and in that way, this episode is no different. But here, leadership isn’t loud or perfect. It’s people-centered, creative, humble, built by curiosity and carried by integrity.
To find out more about Popham Hairdressing, click here.
Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!
Click here to subscribe to the PhorestFM email newsletter or here to learn more about Phorest Salon Software.
This episode was edited and mixed by Audio Z: Montreal's cutting-edge post-production studio for creative minds looking to have their vision professionally produced and mixed. Great music makes great moments.
The salon industry has a lot to be proud of. Phorest has always been in awe of it. The energy. The camaraderie. The creativity. Being a business owner takes courage, but it can sometimes become an isolating, all-consuming reality. Amidst the daily whirlwind of tasks, there’s still the challenge of thinking ahead, of carving a path forward.
The PhorestFM podcast celebrates innovative ideas, methods, and perspectives on business management and growth, marketing, leadership, and building great teams and cultures. Launched in 2017, it is hosted by Alex Bélisle-Springer (he/they), Global Education Content Lead at Phorest Salon Software. As of Season 9 (2025), new episodes air every second week, with occasional bonus drops on ”off” weeks.
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