Posh Salon and Day Spa: Thriving on the Cutting Edge!
by Sara Altizer

Meet Lindsay Pyle, the owner of Posh Salon and Day Spa in Kokomo, Indiana. Posh opened in 2004 as a booth rental salon and day spa. After five years of working hard to fill all of the booths and build the business, Lindsay recognized that the salon had reached its financial potential within the current business structure. Here is the story of how Summit Salon Business Center helped Lindsay completely restructure her salon and spa and of how, with the personal attention and support of her Summit Salon Consultant, Jane Salsbery-Gibson, Lindsay was able to regain control of her business and achieve unbelievable success.

Knowing When to Ask for Help

Once Lindsay had accepted that her business had hit a plateau, she knew she had to change the overall structure, but she wasn’t sure how to begin to make those changes or which business model might work best.

As her booth renters moved on, she began to fill her stations with commissioned employees. “Honestly, I was just winging it,” Lindsay explains, “I did the best I could with the little I knew. There was no salon culture, no policies or systems in place. I made decisions on a whim and my employees knew that. I often felt nervous about being stern when I needed to be, because I was fearful my best producers would leave. I attended several different salon business classes taught by Michael Cole and other salon business seminars as well. I picked up a few things along the way and started implementing what I had learned, but on my own it just wasn’t enough.”

Lindsay had been hearing about the Summit Salon Business Center programs for years in different classes at the Exchange, at Redken Symposium, and from her Redken sales rep Leslie Haley-Halsema. Lindsay explains, “I was always impressed with what I heard, but when my rep asked me to sign up I always replied that it just wasn’t a good time to spend money for the course.” It took Stephanie Heltzel, a level 4 stylist at Posh who had previously worked in a Summit Salon to encourage Lindsay to attend, “Stephanie and I had spent years attending different education events throughout the U.S. together,” Lindsay says,  “I respected her opinion and we agreed to attend The Summit together with my sales rep in October 2012.”

The Summit Experience

Attending The Summit was an incredibly eye opening and emotional experience for Lindsay. She finally realized that her situation was very common and that she was not alone.

Lindsay’s defining moment came when they were discussing the systems used to track and measure growth, set goals, and schedule monthly follow up meetings with each service provider. The Summit Salon Systems were exactly what Lindsay had been looking for to bring her salon to the next level.

“I knew I needed this in my salon, and I knew I needed more help at getting these systems all in place,” explains Lindsay. “On top of that, I knew I also needed encouragement and outlined steps along the way. I needed someone to hold me accountable to follow through. I scheduled bimonthly meetings with a Summit consultant, Jane Salsbery-Gibson.”

The Summit Salon Consultant Advantage

Summit Salon Business Center (SSBC) not only provides its salon members with the business knowledge and resources for success, but they also provide a Summit Salon Consultant who is there just for you, completely dedicated to the success and growth of your company and stylists. The Summit Salon Consultants are truly indispensible. They are there in a heartbeat to answer any questions or provide support as needed.

“Jane gave me tasks at every meeting to have completed by our next visit; she kept it from all seeming so overwhelming,” Lindsay explains. “She teaches the Over the Top textbook to the service providers at our salon meetings and gives them homework to complete before her next visit as well.” Jane brings accountability and empowerment to everyone at Posh Salon and Spa, demonstrating for Lindsay and her what they are truly capable of.

Summit Salon Consultant Jane Salsbery-Gibson (right) and the Posh team.

“Jane has taught me how to efficiently conduct a personal development meeting, using the tools provided by SSBC. She encourages me, she believes in me, and she toughens me up when I need to be tougher!” Lindsay explains. “Now I sit down twice a month with my sales rep and discuss promotions, inventory, and educational events for the salon. My relationship with my professional beauty distributor has grown, as she is now a partner in the salon vision and is helping to bridge the gap between the salon and manufacturers.”

The Summit Salon Systems teach how to create a true salon culture and brand, beginning with more efficient recruiting and the Summit Salon® Associate Program. This approach removes the common “hostage” feeling from the salon dynamic, replacing it with owners and team members who are empowered for success.

“When standards and systems are in place, it takes the emotion out of decision making, and makes running a business much easier,” Lindsay explains. “I believe that stylists now know what is expected of them and they value that direction. They get excited to share their monthly numbers with me and even compete with each other to win monthly contests. They push each other to do their best and that’s an awesome thing to see. Change is hard for everyone, especially in the workplace, but I believe we are all better for the changes today and I think they would agree.”

In addition to knowing what is expected of them, the stylists at Posh Salon and Day Spa frequently attend educational events to stay on the cutting edge of the professional beauty industry. Stylists have also stepped up to take ownership in teaching the new associates, an opportunity that allows them a chance to grow as leaders and teachers while making more money.

Posh Today

In October 2014, Posh Salon and Day Spa celebrated ten years in the professional beauty industry with a salon team that is stronger than ever. They are now a Redken Elite Salon and have been racking up the awards in their city, where they have been ranked the number one salon for the fourth year in a row by Kokomo Tribune’s “Best of Kokomo.”

For salon owners who may be considering Summit Salon Business Center, Lindsay offers this advice: “I can honestly say that attending The Summit was the smartest decision I have made as a business owner. You can’t just attend, you have to be willing to do the work and make the changes. You have to be willing to step outside of your comfort zone and be more than you were yesterday, every day!”

Pre-Summit, 2012

• Total Annual Sales: $181,683
• Average Retail/Month: $3,501
• Average Services/Month: $11,639

First Year with Summit, 2013

• Total Annual Sales: $240,868
• Average Retail/Month: $4,505
• Average Services/Month: $15,568

Second Year with Summit, 2014

• Average Retail/Month: increase of 53 percent compared to first 6 months of 2013
• Average Services/Month: increase of 57 percent

Posh Salon & Day Spa’s Summit Salon Consultant is Jane Salsbery-Gibson.