The Farewell Tour Begins: Why We're Ending the Podcast – with Sam and Jen
There is in fact a farewell tour. After four years and 89 episodes, Sam and Jen are wrapping up the Salon Rising Podcast. In this episode they tell you why, in their own words.
There's no drama here. They're tired, in the honest way anyone running a salon, raising a family and standing on the floor all week will understand. One Monday a month in the studio had started to cost more than it gave back. So they're doing what they've always told Australian salon owners to do: check back in on what still feels purposeful, and put down what doesn't.
It's warm, funny and full of gratitude. They laugh about the early episodes and how many times they said "absolutely". Then they get into the business lessons they'd pass on to anyone building a salon today.
What we cover
- Why Sam and Jen decided to end the Salon Rising Podcast after 89 episodes
- Knowing when something costs you more than it gives back
- Their favourite episodes and the guests who shared their stories so openly
- Why it's okay to pull a dream apart and build a new one
- Know your numbers, still the number one business tip
- Checking back in on your purpose so you don't miss the chance to pivot
- Learning the thing that scares you, one hour a week at a time
- Checking your ego and learning to back yourself
- Why Salon Rising isn't disappearing, just getting simpler
This chapter is closing, and they're leaving it grateful, not resentful.
Transcript
[00:00:07] Samara: we didn't know where the podcast would take us.
[:[00:00:10] Samara: And it's been such a beautiful journey, but our lives have all taken a 360 to what we thought they were gonna look like- Agreed ... when we created this.
I think it's been such a deeply rewarding chapter in that to be like, oh, we've done a podcast, and we've recorded 93 episodes- Yeah ... plus all the mini moments.
[:[00:00:28] Samara: That I think what an achievement.
But just like anything else, you've gotta learn when to put it down, when- Yes ... it's at the sacrifice to other things.
[:[00:00:41] Samara: So I just think, yeah, I'm just deeply grateful for everyone being on this journey,
[:[00:00:54] Samara: I think that is 100%, yeah, it's okay to change.
It's not failure.
[:Before we dive in, just a quick little love note from us. If this podcast has ever made you laugh, cry, think, or feel seen, please hit that subscribe button. It's the easiest way to keep the magic going and it helps us land more incredible guests for you.
Go on back, your girls, subscribe now and let's keep rising together.
[:[00:01:37] Samara: Hi, guys.
[:[00:01:41] Samara: I fear that this just may affect one person particularly, and Bridget- Bridget ... I'm sorry
They still are in the salon
[:[00:01:56] Samara: The decision is that this is f- we've got three final episodes
[:[00:02:04] Samara: Prepare yourself ...
[:[00:02:10] Samara: Yeah.
[:We're calling it the farewell tour. I don't know who's gonna be on that tour, but that's what it's gonna be. We
[:[00:02:26] Jen: Yeah.
[:[00:02:27] Jen: There is in fact a farewell tour, and this little chapter of our lives is coming to an end.
[:[00:02:41] Jen: Wow.
[:[00:02:45] Jen: Yeah.
[:[00:02:50] Jen: 89, yeah
[:[00:03:01] Jen: I'm okay with it.
[:You know, a lot of people are talking about simplifying. And as much as we love the podcast, and we do- Yeah ... I think every time we're here we're like, "Oh, so good. It fills our cups." Yeah. It's also just another day that Jen and I have to take that we are pouring out, but not ne- not necessarily. We get back in the way we do from being with- Oh, for sure
everyone.
[:[00:03:52] Samara: Yeah I'm just- So now a Monday can, you know, and we're only doing it monthly, but that one Monday a month when Jen and I are already at capacity with running the businesses.
[:[00:04:03] Samara: And being on the floor, it would be different if we had more flexibility, but we don't right now.
[:[00:04:07] Samara: Um, it just feels like we're doing it at the sake of ourselves, and we always- Yeah ... like, and we, we keep promoting the fact that, you know, you shouldn't be doing something, uh, if it's going to cost you.
[:[00:04:21] Samara: Um- Agreed ... and it feels like it's costing more than w- what is coming from it.
[:Yeah. Yeah. And I think too, um, we-- I've-- It's definitely been such a fulfilling-
[:[00:04:37] Jen: journey.
[:[00:04:38] Jen: For sure. But I, I think that in those four years, there's so many other thing-- Uh, like, you know, it's, it's not like you're like, "Oh, no, there won't be anything that's, that people are gonna listen to." Like, there's so much now.
There's so much now. There's so many- Yeah ... people doing things and being really helpful and amazing podcasts to listen to that I think the industry is safe.
[:[00:05:00] Jen: Yeah. Like we, yeah.
[:[00:05:09] Jen: Yeah.
[:[00:05:16] Jen: Agreed.
[:Yeah. Like, our guests certainly do. Yeah, for
[:[00:05:35] Samara: But I feel like we're saying the same message all the time.
[:[00:05:38] Samara: Um, that I feel like when it starts to come to a point where we feel like we can't give to you guys anymore, this starts to feel-
[:[00:05:49] Samara: Yep.
[:[00:05:52] Samara: like- We're at giving capacity.
[:[00:05:54] Samara: Yeah.
[:[00:05:55] Samara: So Jen and I also have always had this conversation that when it feels like it's done, then we make that decision together. Yeah. And there was a space where I was like, "I think I'm done." And Jen's like, "I'm not." I'm like, "Okay, well then we're good."
Yeah. We'll stay in it. Um, and recently Jen and I just went away and Jen's like, "I think I'm done." And I was like, "Okay." Like I'm- Yeah ... okay with either decision, so I'm like, I think, yeah, it would allow me to have more space. As I said, you know, it's only one day a month, but that one day a month we're recording three podcasts.
You know, today- Yeah ... I was up ridiculously early, kids to school, had to race to Rubina to get stuff for them, and then we're here for the entirety of the day, and then it's school pickup. So it's a Monday that we also do wages, appointments- Yeah ... bookwork, that Jen and I are now just starting to sacrifice our time and ourselves.
Yes. That I feel like we will get to a point where it's just becoming resentful for the podcast rather than just being deeply grateful that we were able to actually create something that was this great.
[:[00:06:50] Samara: Yeah.
[:[00:07:00] Samara: Yes.
[:[00:07:21] Samara: And I think too, like, we didn't know where this business Salon Rising and the podcast and everything would take us.
[:[00:07:27] Samara: And it's been such a beautiful journey, but our lives have all taken a 360 to what we thought they were gonna look like- Agreed ... when we created this. You know? It was, and it was, and it's something I, I've al- you and I have always spoken about do- I've always spoken about doing a pod, and you were like- Yeah
"I'm in. If you ever do the podcast, I'm in." And I think it's been such a deeply rewarding chapter in that to be like, oh, uh, we've done a podcast, and we've recorded, by the time that one comes out, we would've recorded 93 episodes- Yeah ... plus all the mini moments.
[:[00:07:58] Samara: That I think that's super cool, and what an achievement.
But just like anything else, you've gotta learn when to put it down, when- Yes ... it's at the sacrifice to other things.
[:Mm-hmm. But when I really sat with that, it's like, ugh, okay, I cannot continue to hold all these balls. We've talked about glass balls. They're not all glass. Some of them have to be put down.
[:[00:08:32] Jen: And-
[:And in the be- in, in- Yeah ... the podcast lit us up for so long. Even on- The
[:[00:08:44] Samara: has always- ... the worst days ... lit us up when we're
[:[00:08:46] Samara: Yeah. Oh, yeah.
[:[00:08:52] Samara: Any resentment on any side ...
[:[00:08:55] Samara: Yes
[:[00:08:58] Samara: Yes. Yeah. And then you guys don't get the best out of us either, 'cause we're like, "Here we are again."
[:[00:09:05] Samara: Welcome back to the Salon Rising podcast. This is Jen and Samara.
Like a few episodes did
[:[00:09:15] Samara: Yeah, just feel free to ring us every second
[:[00:09:23] Samara: You can... We'll just... We'll do it together- Yeah ... and we'll send it to you.
[:[00:09:26] Samara: Welcome back to Salon Rising, the podcast just for Bridget.
[:[00:09:31] Samara: on what's happening in her life. And I don't, like, I honestly don't know who listens still. Rich knows those stats. It's probably, like, four of you out there. And for the four of you-
[:[00:09:38] Samara: thanks ... thank you.
It's like there's not even, it's just Bridget. Bridget, thank you. And my mom
It's not my mom. She doesn't care. Oh, no. Um, but you can still go back and listen to the podcast. I'll still be there.
[:[00:10:04] Samara: You know, maybe we'll do a brief one day. We'll be like, "We're back for one podcast just to talk on something." Someone said that to us the other day, "Can't you just like when you and Jenna are hanging out, can't you just record it?"
And we're like, "No." "Richard doesn't wanna listen to that."
[:[00:10:19] Samara: Um, so yeah, for, for the fact that you hung out with us for this long, thank you.
[:[00:10:24] Samara: We appreciate it. That's 90 hours of listening to our voice. That's a lot.
[:[00:10:34] Samara: Can you think about what's your favorite episode? Um, there's been so many.
[:[00:10:44] Samara: I think I'm gonna have to like look and be like, "What are my top five?"
[:[00:10:49] Samara: Let's get my phone out
[:I've always loved the ones where it just feels like we get lost with our friends
[:[00:11:12] Jen: Even the friends that we've never met before- Oh, yeah ... and yet by the end we're like, "Yes."
[:[00:11:21] Jen: Please don't go back and li- In fact, I think we pulled a few of them.
[:[00:11:24] Jen: Because-
[:[00:11:26] Jen: did ...
[:[00:11:27] Jen: very performative.
[:[00:11:30] Jen: Oh my gosh, if I said the word absolutely one more time.
[:We had the most amazing podcast with Lauren.
[:[00:11:44] Samara: was amazing ... from The Outline. You know, Shirelle's first episode was incredible. I think any time that we've had Tiana on, it's been insane because she's so insightful.
[:[00:11:55] Samara: But even to the most recent ones, with...
simone from Apocatery. That was incredible. Like, just to hear someone else's wisdom. Yes. A lot of the podcasts I've loved are ones where it's been not a hairdresser.
[:[00:12:12] Samara: Oh, I loved the one with Skin, with Amy- Oh, yep ... and Emily from Hambro. Yep. Like, I think that was a beautiful one. I'm going through this now. So these are ones to, like, re-listen to. We did one in, Budapest, which was super cool. Oh. Like, a recorded one- Great ... overseas, so that was really cool. Yeah. But yeah.
I think there's so many you can go back on and just, like, scroll through and be like, "Oh, I need that right now. I need that right now. I need that right now." But yeah, even as I look over, I'm like, "Oh, there's so many good episodes in this." Breast pumps and taxes. I think any one. Paris' one was so great. But yeah, there's just so many on there, and s- stuff that's on there that was relevant then that we probably talked about that we're like- Yeah
"Do this," and now we're like, "Don't do that. It was a terrible idea."
[:[00:13:00] Samara: Yeah. So I just think, yeah, I'm just deeply grateful for everyone being on this journey,
[:Yep. And that's... I, I think those were the ones that really hit the most for people.
[:[00:13:23] Jen: Yeah,
[:Ooh, I'm gonna do that. Ooh, I like that. Ooh, that was s- Yeah ... some..." Even today, you know, "That was some good information," or, "That's really good." Or it's just, like, really honing in on the fact that someone will say something. Tiana did it in the last one for me, and I was like, "Yes."
[:moment.
[:[00:13:49] Jen: Yeah.
[:[00:13:53] Jen: I know. It's, it's the end of an era.
[:[00:13:59] Jen: We are wrapping things up.
[:[00:14:13] Jen: Always gonna be, know your numbers.
[:[00:14:17] Jen: Like, it's always gonna be number one.
[:[00:14:21] Jen: I like the idea that you can build a dream and then you can deconstruct it and build another one.
[:[00:14:27] Jen: You know what I mean? Mm. Like that, that it's okay to be changing
[:[00:14:36] Jen: Yeah ...
[:[00:14:40] Jen: personally.
[:It's not failure.
[:[00:14:47] Samara: exactly right. It's okay to deconstruct instead of feel like you fail. You're just like, "Oh, I'm de- deconstructing this. It doesn't work anymore."
[:[00:14:54] Samara: But the pod is a little bit the same for us. Like-
[:[00:14:57] Samara: deconstruct ...
[:like the purpose behind things. Yes. And everything still has to feel purposeful, and that we... I still think it's so important to be checking back in- And doing it ... with everything- Yeah ... all the time because what felt purposeful at some point does not necessarily feel purposeful later on. And that's when you, if you miss that check-in point, if you think it's just a set and forget, you will miss the chance to pivot.
[:[00:15:32] Jen: Yeah.
[:Like, that sounds like a terrible time for me.
[:[00:15:41] Samara: But we did that with the pod.
[:[00:15:43] Samara: The pod was not financially the purpose. The pod was to do something that we've always wanted to do and feel our cup- Yeah ... in a different way and give back. And
[:[00:15:53] Samara: But then again, you have to get to the point where you're like, "Okay, what am I sacrificing at this point?"
[:So know your numbers
[:[00:16:01] Jen: yeah.
Or grow. Build whatever you want, just make sure you're building what you want.
[:[00:16:10] Jen: Yeah.
[:So I'm like, "Okay, I'm gonna put that down for a little while." And again, the podcast can be- Yeah ... a bit the same. It's not angsty, it's more so we're tired.
[:[00:16:36] Samara: Um, and I certainly had a weekend where I was so exhausted that I was like, "Ugh, I could use today- Yeah ... to take a breather and be able to cook for the kids and stuff like that."
But it's, yeah, it's like look at those things in your life of what kind of brings you that and the things that don't and in your business, and really work out how you can change that. So comes to the same thing with your retail products or your, what color you use. Like, how does it make you feel?
Yes. With team members, how do they make you feel? With your computer system. It's like all of those things, how do they make you feel? If you feel constricted, can you change it? Can you learn something different? Yeah. Jen is the queen of AI. I'm just getting into it now. Obviously use ChatGPT for everything, but not...
Like, it's more so- Yeah ... like, "Can you make my garden look pretty?" Like, what does it look like? That's what I use ChatGPT for. Or like, let's see what the last thing I asked Chatty was. Jen and mine's would be very different. Oh, I'm a little terrified This is terrifying. Oh. I bought a slow cooker this morning from Kmart, and I wrote, took a photo of it and said, "Is this a safe slow cooker?"
And it says, "Yes, I'd be comfortable using this." So, but there's so many things that, I need to get my phone just to see what the last thing I asked was. Do it. Okay, one second.
I wanna learn AI. I can't do that while I'm still doing the pod.
I implore everyone right now to get your phones and look at the last thing that you asked Chatty, Chatty Cathy for. It'll make you laugh.
[:so that y- it doesn't get taken away from you. And I have an agency, and I'm just going through the process of, having a changeover in the person that's looking after my socials, and I didn't love it. But because th- what was sent through in my preview, but because I have built an AI agent who is my marketing AI agent, her name is LL Cool Jen, because I named them all after '90s hip hop and rap artists, I can send that agent to go through all the content and just bring up why, and, and it knows, 'cause I've trained it, why I don't like it- Mm
and give me all the feedback to send through so that I can send it to them so that they can change it, so that when it goes out, I know that it's going to be discoverable by AI, on brand for what we're looking for, converting people to sit in the chair.
[:Yeah. So that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna take an hour a week to sit and understand it and ask ChatGPT to teach me. Yeah. But maybe that's a guest we get in for the next- Yeah, yeah ... three weeks is an AI specialist. Because things, like, I want to learn more in my business that'd just help free up more time-
[:[00:19:40] Samara: more space, more, you know, I know that being on the floor for me is, I'm exhausted, so I need to, like, allow more time for rest, and I haven't had that time because I shove other things in instead. That, yeah, we're getting to the point where we're like, "Okay, what can we put down?"
[:And you know what? If you don't think you need it, that's fine. Mm. Like, if what you have is working, if you're not struggling with a pain point, you don't have to do what everyone else is doing.
[:[00:20:13] Jen: Right? But if there is somewhere in your life that you feel like you could do with something being taken off your plate, then there's probably an AI that I could build
[:I think that it is one of those things, though, that it feels, it's not just like the new phone. AI is a beast.
[:[00:20:34] Samara: And I think a lot of people will be like, it's, like even for me, I'm like, "No, I'll just ask about my slow cooker." But I think if we can get into being like, I, this terrifies me.
Like, I know you're amazing at it. I don't know anything about it. So I'm like, this terrifies me, which means I need to learn, 'cause there could be something that it's doing.
[:[00:20:54] Samara: Understand it. You understand a lot ... to
[:[00:21:02] Samara: Yeah, I would love that. I just- Don't, and then I, like you said, like, I just keep doing the same thing. So I think it's not about, AI now is not about building my business. No. It's more so about, like, how can it make my business run smoother and more beautifully, and how can it take care of others, and how can it help me a little bit more so I don't- Yeah
feel so overwhelmed. It's those type of things. Because at the moment, I know how important it is for me to be a present mom to five.
[:[00:21:30] Samara: And I don't want my children getting to a point where they're like, "Mom was always at work, and then when she was home, she was working." Whereas now I'm like, "I am at work four days a week, but those other times, you get me."
[:[00:21:40] Samara: Because, you know, I have more space in other areas, but that's one of the ones I would say is if something scares you and you do wanna do it, then just allow, you know, I th- I'm very much the person, I think a lot of hairdressers are like this as well, that we're like, "This is so exciting.
Do it right now," and I can't do anything else. Like all or nothing, you know? Yeah. All the diet, all the water, all the thing, and then you last for three days, you're like, "Fuck this. I'm gonna just eat a jar of Nutella." And whereas now I'm very much trying, even at 39, I'm trying to reteach myself that it's like, don't think about it for a week, and then just do an hour next week.
Yeah. Don't think about it a week. Do an hour next week. Because y- you're an hour of learning more each week- Absolutely ... rather than being like, "It's all too much." And it's the same way with your finances. Like we said with, Siobhan earlier. She was like, "I got AI to help me with it," you know? Yeah. And it can do that.
Is it going to be as valuable?
[:[00:22:33] Samara: Yeah. But you can, in saying like, "Can you help me build a plan?" Yes, for sure.
"I financially don't know how to run. How could I do this?" But in saying that, I will always say to you, one of the best things you can do is find someone who does it really well- Yeah ... and learn off them. Do a course, learn off them.
[:[00:22:48] Samara: I do finances well, guys. You can learn off me. You know, it's still something that we're not saying no to with Salon Rising altogether when it comes to finances.
Yeah. It's something I still feel really highly passionate about, that I love teaching people. So if you're like, "I still wanna get my finances under order," like what does that look like? You know, I am actually gonna put it out there and be like, "I'll do it." Even if it's a one-off call here and there- Yeah
and you guys wanna... And it's something that I've never offered Rich, hearing this first, and then he's gonna be like, "Shit, she's gonna neglect on that for sure." But I'm just telling- ... the, telling the peoples. But if, yeah, if you wanna get your finances sorted and it's just like, "How do I do this? I don't know how to explain it," and you wanna do a one-on-one call, please DM us and Rich can organize that, because I'm happy to do that and not have to do the full big program.
Sometimes it can just be someone to riff off.
[:[00:23:37] Samara: I'm happy to do the riff. But yeah, it's not like Salon Rising is completely shut down, it's just everything is simplifying and- Yeah ... as you can see, we're, we're quiet on socials because of the fact that we need more capacity for the other areas in our life.
[:[00:23:53] Samara: What has been the biggest lesson you've learnt since starting the podcast? Not in the podcast, but in business. Mine was take y- even though I said it in the early days, I said in the very early days with Michelle, "You need to make sure that you take your ego out of it." Oh, my ego was so in it still.
To check my ego constantly and be like, why was I building this business? And why was I doing the podcast? And at that point it was just like, I liked the idea of people knowing us and going like, "Oh, that looks, that sounds amazing," and like I liked that component of business. Of someone looking at La Sorella and thinking, "She's done really well."
And for me it looked like that with a team and it looked like that with the, you know, I wouldn't take my bigger space back for a second, but it looked like that. And it was, and I loved it, but also there was still so many struggles behind it.
[:[00:24:43] Samara: that I think I also go, I wasn't checking my ego enough to be like, was I building this business because this is the life I wanted?
Or was I building this business because I thought I had to keep building?
[:Like, it's like, "This is the best idea you've ever had. We're gonna do it." We- And just to pause and be like, you've gotta back yourself as well. Mm-hmm. You've gotta build dreams for you and your family and your life and, yeah, I feel like each encounter, and as we progressed through this, it was like, just do it.
[:[00:25:45] Jen: Fuck it, the time's gonna pass anyway. Mm. You know what I mean?
[:[00:25:54] Jen: It's just, it's not. It's actually
[:Like, it's just not that deep. If I wanna change my entire life and move to Italy, which I won't, 'cause I can't, but like it's just not that deep. If I- I
[:[00:26:17] Samara: Shutting the podcast down, it's just not that deep. Yeah. And we really get in our heads about all of the things that other people will think, and what will that look like, and what does that do, and it's just not that deep.
One day it w- won't exist, so like make it count now.
[:[00:26:29] Samara: Make your impact count now.
[:[00:26:31] Samara: I
[:[00:26:35] Samara: Agreed.
[:[00:26:37] Samara: Agreed ... that- It has for Bridge.
[:[00:26:42] Samara: And if there was someone else, h- honestly, if there's anyone that's listened and have been like, "I've listened to every single podcast," that's why we keep mentioning Bridge, apart from Bridge and your mum-
[:[00:26:51] Samara: if there's anyone else that's like, "I have listened to every single podcast," please DM us because, like that would feel nice. As I talk about the ego.
[:[00:27:02] Samara: DMs? But I was like... No, actually it's not even av- on my phone anymore. Richard will tell us and he'll text us, and it'll make mine and Jen's day.
[:[00:27:13] Samara: get in and DM, yeah ...
[:[00:27:16] Samara: so if you've DM'd, I'm real sorry. Yeah. All of us thought each other had it on their phones, and we don't. And
[:[00:27:22] Samara: So I'm, I'm gonna get that.
I'll do it.
[:[00:27:27] Samara: shit up." Everyone's like, "Well, that's nice, because I've been texting for months asking if I can have some coaching." "No one gets back to me." Worst business model ever. Don't do. Maybe we should get AI on that. But I don't know how long we've been talking for, but it feels like enough.
[:[00:27:43] Samara: No, it's not. Well- We've got three more episodes to go.
[:[00:27:55] Samara: Yeah.
[:[00:27:58] Samara: know what they are or who they are yet, but we'll see.
[:[00:28:01] Samara: Never been a, not a
[:[00:28:06] Samara: And
[: