Managing Multiple Salons in the same city

Being a father to two incredible children—Makena, who is eight, and Maddox who is five—is one of my greatest achievements. Before I was entrusted with this great honor, I, like everyone else without children, had an ironclad mentality about how things would go down when the time came. I think we all have an idea about how we will parent, but then reality hits us.

The lessons I have learned from raising my children are in direct parallel to managing multiple salons in the same city—each one is different and has their own unique needs.

Here are three principles that have helped me on my journey:

1. Commit to loving with your whole heart.

This is the first and most important point! Even though there were times when I wanted to return my son Maddox, my overwhelming love for my own flesh and blood superseded all else. Every business owner should prepare themselves for a second salon (third, fourth, etc.) in their city, even if they never do it. This will cause us to really evaluate our systems and culture, which is key when deciding to duplicate. Worst case scenario, you don’t expand, but you get better in your existing location. Win-win! Our commitment to loving and honoring our new location will be felt by all who are involved.

2. Create and audit consistent systems that you are committed to.

There is no guide to parenting (that actually works), but the lessons that my wife and I learned from our daughter Makena — from reading books to listening to advice from friends — created a road map that helped us along the journey and as we welcomed Maddox.

Systems will help you experience a higher level of success. Lauren Hoggan, Head of Reservations for my KCS Hard Rock location, is a master at this. She has committed to a certain result and now is implementing systems that are in line with her desire. Systems must be looked at as a living and breathing process. System sets are always evolving and should be consistently audited to make sure that they stay relevant to the times. When my son arrived, we already had systems in play with our daughter, but as soon as we met him, those systems were audited and adapted to his unique personality. This is true with multiple locations in the same city. Have systems in place before you begin, but be ready to adapt to the specific needs of that location. Just make sure that the adaptation is always in line with your core values.

3. Celebrate the uniqueness of each location.

Makena is my princess, and Maddox is my little monkey! Both are a necessity in my life. I always tell the story of how Makena adapted to our lives and how we all had to adapt to Maddox. This is the beauty of life, and a lesson that my mom and dad always taught me and my brother — that we were unique. They never compared the two of us, and they always celebrated our individuality. When I came into this world, my mom made sure that everyone celebrated my older brother having a little brother. This principle is key as you expand. Be careful that you celebrate your existing location and emphasize the fact that, without it, no expansion would be possible.

Whether you’re looking to expand in your city, or you already have and want to peak performance, remember these three principles as you and your business continue to grow.