About this episode

Scott Buchanan shares insights on maintaining long-term success in the salon industry through culture, partnership, and evolving business practices.

Running a successful salon for nearly 40 years in one of the most competitive cities on the planet takes more than talent. It takes the willingness to keep evolving your model, your mindset, and even the words you use with your team. My guest today, Scott Buchanan of the Manhattan-based Scott J Salons, has done exactly that. With around 90 employees across two locations, Scott's story is one of grit, reinvention, and a business built around culture and community. In this conversation, we get into the real numbers behind a thriving employee-based salon, why he treats his team as partners rather than employees, and what it actually takes to keep an employee-based salon competitive in today's market. If you want to build a business that still works 40 years from now, this is the episode to listen to. ✅ Why calling your team "partners" changes the way they show up every day ✅ The KPIs Scott tracks obsessively and why guest count matters more than top-line revenue ✅ How Scott uses "wellness check-ins" instead of performance reviews to drive better results ✅ How Scott thinks about AI, retail, and the future of the salon experience in the next five to ten years ✅ The one piece of advice…

People in this episode

Host: Antony Whitaker

Guest: Scott Buchanan

Topics covered

• salon success
• business mindset
• employee culture
• long-term strategy
• KPIs
• wellness check-ins
• future of salons

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Scott J Salons

Places: Manhattan

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