I hope the title of this Monday Morning Wake-Up grabbed your attention. Why? Because being the owner of a salon/spa today can be stressful and, at times, unforgiving.

Leading and dealing with employee challenges can wear you down.

Fighting to create profit, control expenses and manage cash flow can be nerve-racking.

Motivating your team to achieve goal each and every month can have you searching for ways not to sound like a broken record.

The list of things that dial-up stress levels goes on and on, and through it all, there’s something about your salon/spa that is special beyond words.

At the end of the day, we entrepreneurs all belong to a special club of dreamers and tenaciously hard workers. We owners willingly share our war stories, frustrations, failures and successes.

So, as we enter the 2018 Holiday Season, I felt it only fitting to offer up my personal list of No-Compromise reasons for owners to be thankful:

• We’re still in business: My company celebrated its 25th anniversary last September. It’s been a crazy journey that has seen its good times and bad. As owners, we figure things out. We work through adversity. We learn from our mistakes, at least most of the time. Many salons and spas go out of business. But many survive and thrive. If you’re still in business, be thankful. It means you can always get better and do better.


• We create careers: Yes, I know employee turnover at salons and spas is an ongoing challenge. But as a business, our job and our purpose as leaders is to grow talent and create careers for our employees. We have the privilege of helping people earn a living by developing their skills and challenging them to achieve their full potential. Employees will come and go. But while under our leadership, our job is to bring out their best to ensure that our companies are the best they can be. Be thankful to each and every long-term employee that stays with you on your journey. Be thankful for the opportunity to have been a positive influence on the careers of those that chose to move on.


• We control our own destiny: As owners, we chose to pursue our dream and vision to build, lead and grow our own company. If we pay attention and practice all the disciplines of business, we can be rewarded in ways that go beyond making money. Of course, making money is important, but the money is really nothing more than a measurement of business and leadership abilities. Be thankful that you control your own destiny — even though it may feel like you’re being tested every day.


• We create profit: Yes, I know that many salons/spas struggle to be profitable. The truth is, profit is a measurement of the effectiveness of your leadership and systems. If you’re struggling to be profitable, something in your business needs fixing. It could be your leadership. Likewise, if your business is profitable, you have the financial means to grow and expand your salon/spa. Profit is also your reward for dialing in your systems and being a good leader. Be thankful that you have the opportunity to earn a profit in addition to your regular pay.


• We are building something of value: Too many owners forget that starting a salon/spa company is about creating something of value. Your company is more than a place to work. It’s an opportunity to build a company and a brand that has value. We all will reach that time in our careers when it’s time to retire or chase a new dream. When that time comes, the selling price of your salon/spa, and how well you managed debt, should allow you to walk away with your reward for all the years of hard work. Be thankful you have the opportunity to build something of value because that is an entrepreneur’s end game.