PhorestFM: Stories From the Salon Floor

• Experience the Difference: A Case Study in Turning Service into Predictable, Consistent Retail Sales

  [323] Featuring Derrick Rutherford (Co-Owner, Valentini’s), Arif Isikgun (CEO & Founder, Ai Beauty Consultancy), and Cole Marker (Founder & Builder in Chief, thync.c), this episode reimagines retail not as a “pushy add-on," but as an essential part of sustainable business growth, driven by client care and rooted in trust.   Backed by data from the Phorest 2025 Consumer Insights Report and rooted in the incredible success Valentini’s is having with retail (26% service-to-retail, 113$ average retail ticket), this conversation explores what’s driving these impressive figures and flips the narrative on common blockers salon, spa, and clinic teams face in making retail a natural part of everyday operations. With Arif and Cole’s added layer of lived experiences and insights as coaches, we first discuss the power of storytelling and the importance of thorough, process-driven consultations. Then, we speak to how systems make it stick, goal-setting and accountability elevate performance, and how retail can serve as an early indicator of broader issues in the business.   Learn how to build a retail approach that is: Backed by systems that make the offer authentic, care-centered, and consistent Sustainable and reflective of service standards and clients’ levels of trust Empowers your team with confidence Integrates service, recommendations, and follow-through into one seamless client journey If you listen to one episode about retail this year… Let it be this one.   Follow Derrick Rutherford, Arif Isikgun, and Cole Marker on Instagram: @derrick_rutherford, @aibeautyconsultancy, @thync.c_coaching   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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• Wafaya Abdallah on Leading With Heart and Becoming Fluent in the Silent Language of Energy

  [322] For Wafaya Abdallah, owner of Oasis Curl Salon (@curlyoasis), real growth happens when we let go of control, release the need for perfection, and create a safe space for others to rise. In this episode, we explore the salon as a space for transformation and how her journey into energy medicine, holistic beauty, and cultivating trust has shaped her approach to leadership. Now dedicated to integrative education and developing a curriculum that blends the art of curly and texture hairdressing, the science of natural hair care, and the power of energy healing, she is driven by a desire to ensure hairstylists are equipped not just with technical skills but with the tools to uplift and empower themselves and others. Connect with Wafaya Abdallah on Instagram @yinrizingofficial or by email <[email protected]> Listen to her podcast, The Curl Code (in process of rebranding): https://podcast.ausha.co/curl-code Secure your Salon Owners Summit tickets here: https://www.salonownersummit.com/tickets Want to share your love or gratitude for the industry on PhorestFM's Season 9 finale? Fill out this form before November 30, 2025! 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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• Grief as a Teacher: Luis Miguel Bujia on Lessons in Honourship and the Power of Sharing

  [321] Every now and again, there’s an episode that asks us to slow down, sit with what’s real, and see what it has to teach us. This is one of those episodes. Becoming who we are — as people, friends, as community and team members, leaders — is a lifelong, multifaceted journey. Growth is tender, vulnerable, messy, and profoundly human. Ten years into salon ownership, the founder, owner, and artistic director of Stylists at North in Alexandria, Virginia, Luis Miguel Bujia, shares: How letting our “messy” show can build relationships rooted in truth and trust Why honoring life’s difficult moments — personally and professionally — creates space for growth Connect with Luis Miguel Bujia on Instagram: @stylistsatnorth Secure your Salon Owners Summit tickets here: https://www.salonownersummit.com/tickets 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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• The Work of Happiness: Heather Bagby on Transforming Leadership and Life

  [320] When approached with intention, leaning into happiness can become a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. In this episode, Heather Bagby (@heatherbagby on Instagram) — the visionary behind the Summit Salon Business Centre’s Happiness Project and the recently announced keynote speaker for the Salon Owners Summit 2026 — reframes happiness as hard work with high rewards. Known to inspire audiences and organizations to embrace the journey toward a more joyful and successful workplace, Heather joins the PhorestFM podcast for a conversation blending personal stories, actionable strategies, and bold ideas that connect happiness with leadership, resilience and personal growth. Find out more about the Summit Salon Business Centre here: https://www.summitsalon.com Secure your Salon Owners Summit tickets here: https://www.salonownersummit.com/tickets 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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• Live From the 2025 Aesthetic Extender Symposium With Dr. George Baxter-Holder

  Get a glimpse of the energy and people at the 18th Annual Aesthetic Extender Symposium in Boca Raton, Florida! Hosted by Shauna O'Halloran (Head of Brand & Communications at Phorest), this short episode has it all: her on-the-ground observations, short clips from some of the conference’s live education, a conversation with Dr. George Baxter-Holder (VP of Talent Development at Skin Spirit) and some vox pops! You can learn more about the Aesthetic Extender Symposium here, and about Skin Spirit here. Follow Dr. George Baxter-Holder, DNP, MBA, APRN, CANS on Instagram 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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