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Salon Rising

Salon Rising

By: Samara Scott-Hunter & Jen Veivers
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Introducing Salon Rising: The Podcast - your personal business BFF in the world of hair and beauty! Hosted by the incredible duo, Samara Scott-Hunter and Jen Veivers. This podcast brings real-talk and heart-to-heart conversations. It's your go-to space for navigating the wild journey of being a woman, a mother, and a business owner. And how to blend those all together. Join Samara and Jen as they spill the tea on their own business escapades. Share the highs, lows, and everything between. It's like catching up with your besties, swapping stories, and debriefing about the rollercoaster of business life. It's where authenticity meets entrepreneurship. Offering a raw and honest peek into the challenges and triumphs of badass women in the industry. Salon Rising is the safe, supportive space you've been craving. Whether you're a seasoned pro or starting your business adventure. Tune in for a dose of realness, laughter, and the camaraderie of women who've been there and get it. 💪💖 #SalonRisingPodcast #WomenInBusiness #RealTalk© 2026 Salon Rising Art Decorative Arts & Design Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Building the Dream While Running the Business – with Sara Briscoe

    Building the Dream While Running the Business – with Sara Briscoe
    Mar 15 2026
    There's a particular kind of calm that only comes after years in the trenches.In this episode, Sam and Jen sit down with the brilliant Sara Briscoe from Roca Verde, an 18 year salon owner, country girl turned Sunshine Coast icon, and one of the most refreshingly real voices in the industry right now.Sara has built, sold, renovated and rebuilt her way through nearly two decades of business, and she brings all of it to this conversation without filters, without fluff, and with a lot of heart.They talk about what it actually looks like to build a salon from the ground up, from a tiny 50 square metre space called Blondies to the stunning Roca Verde, and now into the next chapter with a brand new build in the works. But this episode goes well beyond bricks and mortar. It gets into the stuff that lives underneath the beautiful feed and the full appointment book. The real cost of running a big team, why wages to sales ratios matter more than most people realise, and why so many salon owners are still undercharging and burning out because of it.This is also a deeply human conversation about leadership, letting go, and learning to love the season you are in. Whether that is a season of growth, a season of stillness, or a season of just holding it all together while a new dream takes shape behind the scenes.What we coverSara's journey from country Queensland to building one of the Sunshine Coast's most recognised salonsWhat it really takes to buy, build and renovate salon spaces over 18 yearsSelling a building you love and starting again from scratchWages, pricing and why knowing your numbers changes everythingThe tiered pricing model that brought wages to sales back into a healthy rangeHiring for the person, not just the skill setWhy a bad culture fit can rock an entire businessThe apprentice conversation the industry needs to be havingLearning to let your people go with grace and prideWhy it is not that deep, and how that mindset shift changes everythingThere is one thing that has stayed consistent across 18 years of building, selling, hiring, losing, laughing and starting again. And that is Sara.This episode is a reminder that you are the constant. Everything else is just the season you are in.Timestamps00:00 Episode Summary02:02 Podcast Welcome and Guest04:54 Warts and All Growth09:55 From Country to Salon Owner12:42 Building Roca Verde Empire17:29 Designing The All Space20:43 Selling Up and Staff Trust23:52 New Site and Pop Up Plan30:08 Family Priorities and Burnout33:49 Apprentices vs Freelancers39:20 TikTok vs Instagram Comments39:52 Wages Salon Misconceptions41:03 Apprentice Pipeline Crisis44:57 Pricing Value Perception48:15 Raising Prices Without Guilt54:02 Tiered Pricing Know Numbers01:00:43 Hiring Culture Retention01:06:05 Letting Staff Leave Well01:09:34 Its Not That Deep WrapMentioned in this episode:💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM ImportsWe’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇MCMhttps://www.salonrising.com💛 A HUGE Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors - TimelyWe’ve partnered with Timely to bring you something special:➡ Enjoy a 14 day free trial to see how Timely can transform your salon.➡ New customers get 50% off their first 3 months.If you've been thinking about levelling up your salon systems, this is your moment. Timely is designed specifically for salons. Helping you manage bookings, clients, staff, and more with ease.Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to to claim the offer. 👇Timely
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 15 mins
  • Mini Moment #17: The Real Secret to Keeping Great Staff - with Abbe

    Mini Moment #17: The Real Secret to Keeping Great Staff - with Abbe
    Mar 8 2026

    Staff retention is one of the biggest conversations happening across the hair and beauty industry right now. In this Mini Moment, the girls sit down with Abbe from Koko Cosmetica to unpack what actually keeps great team members in your business and why it’s rarely about perks or pay rises.

    Instead, it comes down to something much more human: creating a safe, supportive environment where your team feels respected, heard and able to live their lives outside of work. Because the truth is, your team aren’t just employees, they’re people building their own lives alongside your business.

    We talk about the small leadership habits that build loyalty over time, from respecting personal boundaries to paying people properly, and why often the biggest shifts start with looking at ourselves as leaders first.

    What we cover:

    1. Why creating a safe work environment matters most
    2. Letting staff live their lives outside work
    3. Supporting sick leave and personal time properly
    4. Why leadership self awareness is essential
    5. The importance of paying staff correctly and on time
    6. Why consistency builds trust within your team


    A great team culture isn’t built in big gestures. It’s built in the small, everyday ways you show your people they matter.

    Mentioned in this episode:

    💛 A HUGE Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors - Timely

    We’ve partnered with Timely to bring you something special:

    ➡ Enjoy a 14 day free trial to see how Timely can transform your salon.

    ➡ New customers get 50% off their first 3 months.

    If you've been thinking about levelling up your salon systems, this is your moment. Timely is designed specifically for salons. Helping you manage bookings, clients, staff, and more with ease.

    Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to to claim the offer. 👇

    Timely

    https://www.salonrising.com

    💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports

    We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:

    ➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.

    ➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.

    It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.

    Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇

    MCM
    Show more Show less
    11 mins
  • There Are No Secrets. Just Hard Work – with Sam Mangan

    There Are No Secrets. Just Hard Work – with Sam Mangan
    Mar 1 2026

    If you want anywhere near a business, it’s hard. There is no secret club. No magic strategy. No shortcut that only a few people know about. In this episode, the straight talking and unapologetically honest Sam Mangan joins us for an unfiltered, no fluff conversation about what it actually takes to build something meaningful and why so many people are chasing the wrong things.

    We unpack the myth of instant success and the obsession with access. Meeting the CEO will not save you. A viral moment will not build your foundation. Success is built in relationships, in uncomfortable conversations, in asking better questions, and in choosing to do the hard thing when no one is watching.

    This episode is a reality check and a reminder. Every business is a dumpster fire behind the scenes. Every operator is putting out fires daily. If you feel like you’re struggling, you’re not alone. Everyone is in a lifeboat. The difference is not who avoids the hard. It’s who chooses it.

    What We Cover

    1. Why “it’s hard” is not a strategy
    2. The myth of the secret formula for success
    3. Why networking is about people, not business cards
    4. The truth about instant gratification and social media success
    5. Why extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort
    6. How to ask better questions in business
    7. Why ideas are worthless without execution
    8. The importance of relationships at every level

    Timestamps

    00:00 – Episode Summary

    02:29 – The real reason Sam quit

    04:18 – Being blunt but still kind

    05:34 – Sam’s honest Bond panel rant

    08:38 – The rise of free content

    10:37 – The danger of delusional ambition

    11:27 – The fake influencer illusion

    13:58 – The hard work reality check

    14:59 – Raising kids around money

    18:04 – Questioning self help culture

    22:19 – How to spot fake coaches

    23:12 – The questions real consultants ask

    31:20 – Networking to find real answers

    36:52 – Why gatekeepers deserve respect

    38:27 – Putting relationships before transactions

    39:23 – When kindness genuinely pays off

    40:03 – The unexpected Celine Dion story

    44:35 – Dating app filters and authenticity

    45:42 – Coffee shop loyalty lessons

    48:31 – Why change starts today

    49:21 – Lessons from the Aspire podcast

    53:13 – Ideas are nothing without execution

    55:33 – How Sam built his business

    57:47 – Why networking takes practice

    01:00:28 – The ego free celebrity insight

    01:02:25 – Coming back to home base values

    01:11:33 – The truth that failure is universal

    01:13:18 – Final reflections and wrap up

    Mentioned in this episode:

    https://www.salonrising.com

    💛 A HUGE Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors - Timely

    We’ve partnered with Timely to bring you something special:

    ➡ Enjoy a 14 day free trial to see how Timely can transform your salon.

    ➡ New customers get 50% off their first 3 months.

    If you've been thinking about levelling up your salon systems, this is your moment. Timely is designed specifically for salons. Helping you manage bookings, clients, staff, and more with ease.

    Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to to claim the offer. 👇

    Timely

    💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports

    We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:

    ➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.

    ➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.

    It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.

    Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇

    MCM
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 16 mins
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