The Salon I Always Wanted Was Smaller Than I Thought – with Tegan from Moosh
Sometimes the dream you were chasing is not the dream you needed. In this episode, Sam and Jen are joined by one of Sam's dearest friends and biggest cheerleaders, Tegan from Moosh. After 10 years in business, a team that grew to 11 and has since come back to two, Tegan opens up about what it has actually taken to come back to herself, her vision and the kind of salon she always wanted to build.
This is a conversation about the slow, quiet realisations that only come from time in the chair. The grief of losing long term staff. The bittersweet beauty of regular clients moving on. The financial honesty most owners avoid. And the moment you walk into your salon, hear how peaceful it is, and realise this calm was the goal all along.
Tegan is open, warm and full of the kind of gusto that makes everyone around her feel like they can do anything. But this episode shows another side of her too. The leader stepping into herself for the first time. The mother holding boundaries. The owner choosing service over sacrifice. And the woman who genuinely loves what she does and is finally ready to enjoy it.
What we cover
- 10 years of Moosh, from 40 square metres to a commercial purchase
- Going from 11 staff down to two and what that has taught her
- The grief of losing long term team members and regular clients
- Why your business cannot be built on sacrifice
- Coming back to your vision and rebuilding from there
- Knowing your numbers as the antidote to fear
- Hiring for personality over skill
- The trap of panic hiring and why it never works
- Leading through different seasons of life and team
- Why being a hairdresser does not have to be the thing you outgrow
She's back. And the salon she always wanted was here all along.
Mentioned in this episode:
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Transcript
Oh my God. It's just so quiet. Then you realize this is actually what I wanted to create. Yeah. The fact that the salon feels so quiet and peaceful and calm
[:[00:00:27] Jen: As the owner of the business, you do deserve to earn more money than everyone else. Not everyone wants to work 60 hours a week.
[:
[00:00:44] Samara: If you
are in sacrifice instead of service
that's when you burn yourself out.
[:[00:00:55] Samara: Yeah.
[:me now,
[:[00:01:03] Samara: Yes,
[:[00:01:10] Samara: nobody has more gusto than this woman and she's the biggest cheerleader for everyone else. Like if you are like, I'm doing this Tegan's, like,
yes, you are like, go girl. Like
if I read you the text messages in our group chat, it's always Tegan going, yes, Queens have the best week ever. I'd love you all sunshine and rainbows.
Like she's the best.
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[:Good morning, Samara.
[:[00:01:54] Jen: me. I, I can't, is we had a conversation about
[:[00:01:57] Jen: Weird
[:[00:01:59] Jen: Morning, Sam.
[:[00:02:02] Speaker 4: Yeah.
[:[00:02:04] Jen: Gosh, what a lead in. What a segue.
[:[00:02:06] Jen: a segue we've had into this one. I'm really excited to be joined by one of your dearest friends and mine. I would like to say,
[:[00:02:27] Jen: I literally
[:I was too, in my, that
[:[00:02:33] Samara: That was of the mo, the beginning.
[:[00:02:36] Samara: Yeah. I was like,
well, this
is really inappropriate, and I don't think I've ever said that to anyone. I was like, can I hire you? Your energy is unmatched.
[:[00:02:49] Samara: person next year?
Yeah. This is my friend Tegan and Tegan owns Moosh.
[:[00:02:54] Samara: Hi.
[:[00:02:56] Samara: Long time listener. First time guest.
[:[00:02:59] Samara: Very
[:[00:03:00] Samara: When I talk about my crew of people, Tegan is one of them.
[:[00:03:04] Samara: So, Brooke, Tegan, Bridget, Rach, and. I was like, okay, I'm
[:[00:03:14] Jen: happened?
I said that to Brooke when we were, we went out for lunch after she came on the pod and I was, she, I was like, I have to find a crew. She's like, you can be part of our crew. I like, I don't think I can. I think it's different. I crew that to Jen all the time.
[:[00:03:24] Tegan: absolutely, you're in
[:We
don't do that
lively. We've never taken
one single other person. So true. You're in Very true. We'll initiate you in, I dunno what that looks like most of the time. It looks like we never catch up.
[:[00:03:38] Samara: Um, no, but we never catch up. We love each other. We're biggest cheerleaders and then we don't talk for another six months.
[:[00:03:46] Samara: but it's, that sounds
[:[00:03:47] Stereo Mix: in
[:[00:03:50] Tegan: That's the last three years though, isn't it? Yeah. There's no time to catch up. Everyone's busy. It's just life.
[:[00:03:57] Tegan: Hey,
[:And I think it's
[:friend. Jen and I were together. and I was like, not how we roll. We, we don't have questions. She was like, but I wanna be a value. I'm like, whatever's meant to come out will come out. I
[:'cause I don't feel like I have that much to share. But let's see. You
[:[00:04:22] Jen: Yeah. But you would say that.
[:[00:04:30] Tegan: Yes.
[:[00:04:39] Samara: Yeah. She was just opening her own. Yeah, she was just also, if anyone needs to know where, Tegan Salon is straight across the road from Sun Devil. So everyone will automatically know where that is.
[:[00:04:52] Samara: So she's in Tweed and it literally is popping.
So her salon is across the road from public supply, so you can get a scroll and cross the road from Sun Devil and that area is absolutely going gangbusters. Okay. So you've had the business how long? 10 years.
10 years.
You just celebrated 10
years? Yes.
[:[00:05:12] Samara: So you left, you opened a small salon first.
[:[00:05:17] Samara: Yes.
[:[00:05:34] Samara: And then you bought a premise, which I think is so
[:Not anymore anyone. sun level.
[:really
like
[:up now eight years later. But uh, bread Social was there and I was like, that's a cool cafe.
[:[00:05:53] Tegan: And then, yeah, we found our space. That's where I got that epic bit
[:[00:05:56] Jen: Oh yeah, yeah,
[:[00:05:57] Tegan: Yeah. So thanks to Bread Social, I thought it was a cool area. And then after that, yeah, the team just grew and yeah, moosh became quite big. I
[:[00:06:09] Jen: So you purchased a commercial premises?
[:[00:06:11] Jen: What made you decide to purchase that over, like, taking on a lease or something like that? , Was it just the, the opportunity that presented itself or, well,
[:Um, so she was like, you have to find a premises. You can't just keep paying rent for 30 years. And then this place came up and
[:I,
it wasn't, it would've been hindsight's a beautiful hindsight, right.
Beautiful thing now that my rent's gone up, but also probably would've been a nightmare with my divorce. So it's probably a good thing. I don't need it, but I think that it's a really smart, smart decision.
[:[00:06:59] Samara: Because a commercial lease, you also pay off a lot quicker than what you do a home. Yes. And then you own the space and then it's just like.
You know, having commercial leases is incredible.
[:[00:07:09] Samara: not commercial lease commercial, sorry. Sorry. Commercial properties is incredible because like my partner works for a commercial developer now, and you think about it, you don't have to do shit in someone's commercial premise. Like, my landlords don't do anything, but if you own a rental, you have to do stuff all the time.
Yeah, yeah. Whereas in, you know, if I walked outta here, they keep everything that I built in here. Like, it's an incredible investment. I think it's amazing that you did it.
[:I was like, I found he was working away. I am like, I found a premises
[:[00:07:48] Tegan: and he was like, and you guys hadn't been
together and he got no money.
[:long,
I
[:you do
[:[00:07:52] Speaker 22: um,
[:don't think you'd been together that long.
[:Um. So I just rung him and I'm like, I'm looking at a premises. And he's like, what?
[:[00:08:07] Tegan: married? Two years.
[:I remember because
I
remember that you.
were like, thank God I have a boyfriend that can do all of this.
[:[00:08:27] Samara: Yeah. Isn't
[:Like you can do it.
Let's
go.
[:[00:08:33] Tegan: So, um, so yeah, that happened and then built That was before you were
[:[00:08:37] Tegan: Yes.
Yeah. Yeah. And then during the time we were building the salon, I kept saying to my sister and my mom, I'm so anxious. Like, I'm so stressed about this build. I can't even drink my coffees. And then my mom was like, um, I think you're pregnant. When was your last period? And I was like, I don't even know. I am definitely not pregnant.
And I was, I was like nine weeks pregnant and I had no idea. And then two days later, moose opened the big space. What a ride.
[:[00:09:12] Tegan: Um, so yeah, that happened. And it, I was very stressed at the time, but it was all perfect timing.
[:[00:09:26] Tegan: seven, uh, eight years.
[:[00:09:27] Tegan: yeah.
[:[00:09:30] Samara: yeah, it really
[:[00:09:32] Tegan: Yeah.
[:[00:09:35] Tegan: We've only really changed the wallpaper to make it feel a bit more classy than fun when I first opened. And that's pretty much it, but yeah.
[:[00:09:44] Samara: it's been a big two years, like, from the outside, like, what I'd love to talk to you about is it's been a big two years, like, for me, the last two years,
I feel like though, in parallel,
mine has been the same as yours. So, it's, you know, always in business it's.
[:But I feel like the last couple of years have been, a bit of a ride for both of us, but probably one of the biggest points in business for you, that things have changed. I think that this is such an important conversation because I think like knowing you and loving you behind the scenes and stuff as well, like Tegan is the most positive person you'll ever meet in your life.
She's, she's the best cheerleader.
[:baby. I might not have been.
lost to you.
[:be
like,
oh, no, she said I'm back, my I'm back.
I, but I think, I think like Tegan says, I'm back. She never went. No. Like looking at it from the outside's point of view.
Like nobody has more gusto than this woman and she's the biggest cheerleader for everyone else. Like if you are like, I'm doing this Tegan's like,
yes, you are
like, go girl.
Like
if I read you the text messages in our group chat, it's always Tegan going, yes, Queens have the best week ever. I'd love you all sunshine and rainbows.
Like she's the best. well,
[:[00:11:14] Speaker 22: you
[:[00:11:20] Samara: but even when business is on its ass Tegan's still like,
like Tegan,
I'm
[:it
to turn
around's. Like her nose is out and she's like, we got this's.
Fine. She's thinking,
[:I've
got
it.
She's back.
[:[00:11:39] Jen: the last, so some context on the last two
[:[00:11:51] Jen: I ju I just wanna segue into that. So when you moved into the new space, you had a steady, consistent growth phase, would you agree? Yeah. Like, and then you Yeah. So
[:[00:12:03] Jen: Yeah.
[:really
like we were really solid team, like beautiful team and I feel like we grew quickly from there.
Mm-hmm. And like we're all learning, aren't we? When you open a business Yeah. You really have no goddamn idea. Mm-hmm. So I think because we grew so quickly and I just bloody love doing hair. Mm-hmm. Upon reflection, the last two years I have really had to step into the leadership role, right. That I kind of. Maybe not ever took so seriously. Um, I was like, everyone's amazing. Like you're the best hairdresser. Like I do pump up my team and I've had the most talented staff. But I feel like now knowing I need to step into the leadership role, that's probably where I've changed my mindset a little bit recently.
[:[00:12:58] Tegan: So I've had pretty, consistent staff for, I would say there was a good five year timeline there from, I don't know, a few years into business to five years.
[:Yeah. And it's fine. It works like they have businesses that can flow in, flow out. I think the difference in this point when you are about to talk about is when you have consistent staff for a really long time. And all of a sudden you have the change in that. And I, I feel like a lot of the time it comes all at the same time.
Yeah. That's when it can rock because you have this beautiful long consistency and then all of a sudden you're trying to find your feet again.
[:[00:13:40] Samara: So
[:Our clientele was, I would say like 95% regulars. So we really, when they were leaving and moving on, I didn't really know how to hold. Myself without being sad. Yeah. Like to lose the client. Like not only the people, like the staff members that I loved so much, but the clients, yeah. Just would stop coming.
I'm like, oh, I really miss that person. They've been coming for 10 years. So I feel like you feel that loss not only with the staff members, but with the clientele that were coming through.
[:[00:14:34] Tegan: I
know I
[:[00:14:36] Tegan: like, I wish I could
[:[00:14:37] Tegan: feel less.
[:[00:14:50] Tegan: I
[:[00:14:50] Tegan: enough to do them? What should I have done differently? Yeah. All those questions go through your mind like, was I not enough?
Yeah. Should I have given more?
[:[00:14:58] Tegan: And then probably the last two years I went through a bit of a stage where I felt quite. Bitter, not to anyone in particular, but I was like, I'm such a giver. I've give, give, give, give, give. And then in the end you don't like,
[:[00:15:13] Tegan: you don't feel that at the end of the day.
But I have come to realize you can't stop being who you are. Mm. And it's not till I've realized that, like who am I in this business? Yeah. And coming back to myself is where I've felt like I'm coming back.
[:you went from how many to how many? And And these again, no one's like, I preface this because I have to do it when I do it.
No one's leaving. 'cause you're an asshole. Everyone just has different stages.
[:[00:15:46] Samara: and it
[:[00:15:47] Samara: real fast.
[:[00:15:56] Samara: Yeah.
[:[00:16:12] Samara: and I just, I don't think you'd be you if you didn't feel all the feels.
It wouldn't be me if I didn't feel all the feels. Yeah. If we didn't somehow blame ourselves, um, and, and, you know, feel like we'll just quit. This is just like, because it's, yeah. It's still, I, I don't care who you are if you're not feeling the feels. That's odd.
[:[00:16:32] Samara: You know, we're such like, and that's why our business is as an
[:[00:16:36] Samara: that Yeah.
[:[00:16:37] Samara: they
[:[00:16:38] Samara: That's, and that's just what it is. Right. That's why businesses are successful. Yeah. Is because there's so much love putting in those people, in those, in all of it. And you know, a hundred percent as you said, like people move on, the clients move on, but then you still underneath are like, I built those clients.
from
this business.
[:[00:16:54] Samara: You know, so that's hard because you're spending all of the time building those clients from your culture. Mm-hmm. That then all of a sudden that goes,
[:Like I have made that a priority. I'm obviously, no one has the most perfect work life balance, but, my little boy started school and I was like, I'm gonna do school pickup. Like, I'm not straying on that. Anyway, a staff member said, you wouldn't know you're not here in the afternoons. And I'm like, I am literally doing school pickup though, and filling your column at home.
Like I am not chilling out with my kids. I am still working my little bum off. Yeah. To make sure this is a well-oiled machine. Mm-hmm. I might not be sweeping the floor at the end of the day, but. You know, we are filling those columns and writing back to clients and, you know, all the things,
[:Oh, yeah. Like, okay, I'm
gonna
[:[00:18:02] Samara: a
[:hour.
[:[00:18:05] Speaker 4: Yeah.
[:45 an hour.
[:And, you know, at the end of the, I was like, yeah, but as the owner of the business, it, you do deserve to earn more money than everyone else. Not everyone wants to work 60 hours a week.
[:[00:18:27] Jen: Like, and they're welcome to. Yes, yes. But then not everyone wants to do that.
[:[00:18:31] Tegan: And I definitely like, not this is a passion project, but like, you know me and I know you.
We bloody love doing hair. And I feel like sometimes as when you're so passionate you lose that like value in a way because you're like, I'd do this for free, I bloody love it. Like this is the best. But I think that in the last two years I have been drowning. But
[:But if you
are in sacrifice instead of service
[:[00:19:08] Samara: That's when you burn yourself out.
[:[00:19:10] Samara: Because
[:so I was just working, working, working. Um, 'cause prob last year we ended up with one senior stylist and beautiful B who helped ran the run the salon. But it was just the two of us. So
[:[00:19:28] Tegan: Oh, 11.
[:[00:19:30] Tegan: Maybe that was the most Yeah.
But we
went, we've gone down to two.
[:[00:19:34] Tegan: And oh my God. Like the treading water is scary
[:How do I make sure I do this? Like,
[:Mm. Like you just, I feel like some staff members can want to be those really hard workers, and that's amazing.
What do I want my business to be?
[:[00:20:16] Tegan: And how do I want it to feel and how do I want the clients to feel?
[:And sometimes it's those times when you feel like you're drowning, right?
[:[00:20:28] Jen: That you're like,
probably
need to reevaluate this. Yeah. What do I want my business to feel like? What, what are the values that I have for it? But
[:Exactly. There has definitely been times where like, what do I get? Nothing
[:like, I'm not talking about you. see, you later. Bye. We're not having this conversation because
she would do it for free, but.
There comes to a point where it feels like you're sacrificing yourself.
[:[00:21:12] Jen: Yeah. Yeah. 100%.
[:[00:21:22] Samara: Do you feel, 'cause I very much feel through this, that it's almost the complete change. 'cause obviously I went from over, I was the biggest team I ever was, was 14.
[:[00:21:34] Samara: And now I'm four and, well, three and, and three and a
[:[00:21:39] Samara: I feel like for the first time though, I can actually come back to my vision and also redo things.
Like I, I was talking to Jen about this. Mm-hmm. I actually feel like I'm founding a new business again. Yeah. Because even though I have all the learnings and all the structures of what I've had.
when
you have a very small team, you can build it very differently from Yeah. The
[:[00:22:00] Samara: again and just, I think, and having those systems and processes in place so
[:[00:22:03] Samara: if
[:[00:22:05] Samara: Right. Yeah.
[:Mm-hmm. And how do you introduce that now? Like you can't
[:[00:22:28] Tegan: Without ruffling some feathers. So I feel like having new energy and a new vibe in the salon, and I was saying to Jen as well,
how
hard is it when you ha, you're replacing a staff member? And all the regular clients
are coming in
and they're saying, I wanted exactly how Jen did it.
How such?
[:[00:22:47] Tegan: And you are like.
[:[00:22:49] Tegan: over like you are reading the room going, oh my
God, this client is really giving it to her. Like just tell her what you want.
Show her a photo. Like just be like, some clients aren't as open to change. Yeah. And I think that's what really kind of rattled me as
the leader.
You know what I was like,
I
need to step in because like the clients aren't used to the change either. And now a lot of pressure is being put on my new staff.
[:Oh my God.
I
hear it's just so quiet. I'm like,
[:very regularly.
And I'm like, let it go. Let
[:And like you
have to
like learn to be like,
[:then I'm
like, no, no.
She's been
here for
at least
a year.
[:be like,
that's not the case. Yeah. We love it. Yeah.
Yeah. We love it. It's amazing. Yeah,
we love it.
But it's been 17 years,
shit changes, but that's what
when your clients get so used to, and you've had the same, when your clients get so used to the fact that nothing changes and that these people have been in these walls for five plus years.
[:[00:23:56] Samara: Then they're like, oh. And especially I think for us, like going from really big, going from 14 at one point.
But then I have clients say to me when it was, I had clients say this to me the other day. She was like, I came in once, or I came in a few times when it was that big. And she was like, it's like a nightclub in here. It was like a rave. Yeah.
She
was like, I hated it. Definitely
[:[00:24:13] Samara: different vibe. She's like, I had to leave.
Yeah. So when you, and then you realize this is actually what I wanted
to create.
Yeah. The fact that the salon feels so quiet and peaceful and calm and like
[:[00:24:26] Samara: really
[:[00:24:31] Samara: Yes.
[:Do you feel like we've got an overload of clients?
[:[00:24:42] Tegan: Yes.
[:[00:24:44] Tegan: And you
[:Oh.
[:to that
moment panic, you just kind of keep going. Panic. And I think, not until I'm reflecting
[:[00:24:59] Samara: Yes,
[:[00:24:59] Samara: You know what I
[:[00:25:00] Samara: I don't know necessarily if that was based on numbers.
It was not based on numbers. You're just like we're saying no to, we've said no to three. Like this week I had to be okay with the fact that three people have gone somewhere else 'cause they couldn't get in straight away. But I just have to be okay with that. But
[:They come to your brand, they come to your feeling. It's not, it's not like they're going somewhere else. 'cause they want to.
[:[00:25:23] Tegan: They had to.
[:[00:25:25] Tegan: And I think,
[:This is not
the match that works anymore.
Yeah. Because I can't, like, I don't wanna run the business anymore of making sure that someone has a full, completely free column in case Joe Blow wants an appointment.
[:[00:25:50] Samara: I have to be okay with the fact that that doesn't work like that anymore. And I wanted
[:[00:25:54] Samara: place
[:you actually need to acknowledge
what a cool place you're in.
Yes. You are so busy. You could not fit three people in this week.
[:[00:26:06] Jen: overflow
[:[00:26:07] Jen: We marketing
[:people
throwing shit at the wall, just hoping something's gonna stick.
Celebrate
that. I know. And I'm getting to that point now 'cause I feel, but I was like, but then the noise in your head goes, but what happens if you are too busy and you say no to everyone and then you have
a week where no one's like,
where you've got space and you're not booked, like
[:won't get girlfriend.
[:noise on the other side of that, It's learning, but
[:[00:26:33] Samara: is
[:we're so used to hiring.
Yes. You see like,
I don't know,
15 people on a wait list. You're like, perfect. Let's bring someone in. And then when you're hiring in that space, you are not picking the right
person. Yes. So
you, I
[:talk on that because
you did do that a couple of times, didn't you? And you were like, this is not right. Did you hire a few people and it wasn't right.
[:[00:26:58] Samara: you're down to two
you are like
fucking higher. Yeah.
Like you're like higher is like someone working and
at that point
it also feels like crickets.
There's no one. '
[:people, like people who want to work for, you want to see the culture that you have.
[:[00:27:21] Tegan: What are you putting online that feels like a culture? When there's just a few people? Like, I think
that's where you kind of go, oh, I
can't put that up.
There's only three of us. Like,
but I think people
wanna see your culture and they wanna see your salon. Yes. And that's where the right people will come.
[:[00:27:39] Jen: Agreed.
[:but
yeah. What was the question?
[:was
[:[00:27:44] Jen: some of the hires that you were like panic hires.
[:I've done that before Definitely.
Where I'm like, you got the job doing blah, blah, blah. But I think I now do like the shadowing, the two week shadowing where I can kind of see where they're at. Mm-hmm. Like, it might not be their, their skill level is like up here, but I think it's the personality.
[:[00:28:09] Tegan: Um, that,
if that's everything for
me now,
like I'm not hiring the best hairdresser on the Gold Coast.
I just wanna walk into my salon, feel calm, happy, and everyone feel like a loving environment. That's all I want.
[:[00:28:26] Tegan: I'm like, I'm not
striving to be the best hairdresser
on the Gold
Coast anymore. I just wanna enjoy walking into my salon.
[:[00:28:34] Samara: may
I
feel like I am exactly in that space. This was like, make fierce mum.
Um, I just like,
I
just. You almost hit a point when you've been in business for like, feel like when you're young and, and you're getting into business, you're just like, I need to be the best on the Gold Coast. I need best sell on Best Head. Like, you know, all the fucking Gold Coast bulletin bullshit that I did.
You have to like, you're proving something. Yeah. I need to be the best. I need to keep up with everybody else. I need to do more. And that's Allen looks better. So how can I do more? And then you get to this point where you're just like, I just wanna fucking love gonna work.
[:[00:29:07] Samara: I just wanna love gonna
[:I said to mom, I'm stepping off the floor like I need to be a leader and oh
[:[00:29:14] Tegan: And then mom's like, but you, but you love doing it, your love. And I'm like,
I know. Like I literally
do a new person and I'm like.
oh my God, this is amazing.
And they're probably like, whoa.
[:[00:29:27] Tegan: I'm like cheering myself on you.
[:[00:29:33] Tegan: I'm like,
look at you before.
[:[00:29:35] Tegan: And now
[:[00:29:38] Samara: do. But
[:[00:29:40] Samara: again
[:[00:29:42] Samara: when you have a big team, like when the team's built up, you go, okay, my job now is not to be on the floor. My job is to be leading the team, which I think is important regardless of how big your team is.
Agreed. But then that also becomes bullshit because I don't want to do that job also. I
[:And I'm like, is this really going on in the salon? And then I was thinking, is this even, is this person even talking about the right person? Yeah. Or is, are they the manipulative one? Yeah. Like what's going on here? Yeah. And walking in there and going, I don't feel good in this space. Yes. Like everything has to change.
[:[00:30:51] Tegan: go to their house and ask them what's going on?
[:[00:30:56] Tegan: We've called each other before she's, someone's texted me and said. We need to chat tomorrow. Should I just drive to there
[:[00:31:05] Tegan: I'm like,
go,
[:why are you not already there?
Knock on the door.
[:[00:31:11] Jen: you calling from the
[:[00:31:13] Speaker 22: Like, so
[:I'm not gonna sleep a week and someone's gonna ask me to go on a holiday in six weeks. Like,
[:[00:31:21] Speaker 22: oh, that was so stressful.
[:[00:31:28] Jen: Yeah.
[:[00:31:30] Tegan: fear I, that's how I
felt in the last two years. I'm like, if everyone leave.
[:[00:31:34] Samara: I'm like,
Tegan, do you wanna just open a salon together?
Just you. And I just like somewhere in the
[:the premises.
[:[00:31:46] Tegan: But yeah, I just feel like if you're not feeling the passion and you're not walking in there and going shit. Yes. Like, I bloody love being here. What's it about?
[:[00:31:54] Tegan: exactly.
I think this is your life. Like, I think the fear that your business is your baby. Yeah. Like why are we pleasing other people who are making it not right.
[:Will I be able to support myself? Will I be able to pay my bills? Will I be able to support my family? Will I be able to, or. Is this where I go bankrupt? And I think this is the financial piece that by having those numbers, by knowing what those numbers are, by being able to be like, okay,
[:Yeah. And I never looked at the numbers. Like I'm like deep, deep, deep in business and I was not like really tracking hardcore. And in the last two years I did get a finance guy to help me profit first. Shout out Richard.
but
he has brought me back like I was
drowning.
Like, I was like, we're gonna have to close.
Like
I
can't go on not making money. I'm
[:[00:33:00] Speaker 22: crippling over here.
[:[00:33:05] Tegan: nah, we'll go on.
[:[00:33:07] Tegan: Doing. If you've got
passion, love, and creativity, you'll make it.
[:won't.
If you know your finance answers, you may.
[:I
redid my vision.
I've redone how I want the salon to feel because you can't do it for free.
[:[00:33:53] Samara: Yeah. 10 years. You
can't,
do this year from face. We're back.
[:back baby.
[:[00:34:04] Tegan: Yeah.
But it's not only
like I can do all the services, but when you're trying to hold a team as well, build a new team.
Yeah. Like I'm building. Oh, like at the moment I've got a new team, shout out. Love you all. But I am like in the rebuild stage, I would say I'm rebuilding. Mm-hmm. I'm 10 years in, but we're on the rebuild and I am focusing a lot on the numbers, and I'm getting, I'm focusing a lot on marketing.
[:[00:34:31] Tegan: Because it's 2026. How can you not?
[:[00:34:34] Tegan: different. Like people aren't coming in different from like Yes. Word of mouth. Of course. But if they're not, if they don't even know you exist, they're not coming in.
[:[00:34:43] Tegan: And I need to feel three columns at the moment with new, new people.
And I think as well, changing your mindset on getting new clients in.
[:[00:34:53] Tegan: Like, I was like, but where are my favorite regulars gone. Like, they're gone. But I think instead of mourning that, get excited for the new people choosing you. Mm. Like they're choosing you for now, not who I was 10 years ago. Yeah.
They're excited to come and experience and feel amazing in our space with our new staff. Who are bloody amazing.
[:And I was like, calm down. I trained Courtney. We're good.
Like I've been doing this shit for
22 years. You're in good hands. Yeah. And when you finish,
[:[00:35:40] Samara: changing.
[:[00:35:41] Samara: loved what they either,
[:And I can see how it's
[:team, team that ours, our personality to win.
To win them back. Yeah. To win them back. Put your, get your team to put that new spin on it. I've got you. How can, and I always say to a client. I am not consulting you with her notes.
[:[00:36:08] Samara: I'm consulting you as a new, with what we
[:[00:36:10] Samara: at
[:[00:36:12] Samara: What do in front of us, what do you not love?
How can I and where you want to be you, where do you wanna be? Yeah.
[:[00:36:24] Samara: later. And then I'm like, you're telling me this, but your notes say that, so let's, like you're now telling me that you're ready to go lighter.
I don't want like, but yeah, it's hard because you still have people go and, and then at the end when you win 'em over, you're like. You are welcome.
[:[00:36:40] Samara: I love
[:[00:36:41] Samara: job.
[:[00:36:43] Samara: Killed it. Killed it. I had
a client.
I
[:I'll send the before and after into the group chat.
[:information Tell
me how good I'm, I had a client that I looked after and she was from one of my other staff members who left. And she was quite nervous, but we talked the whole time and she's just one of those people that's meant to be with me. But then she sent me, so she kept writing down things that I was saying that she was like, this is really helpful.
This is really like, she'd be like, okay, I need to try
Sunil. So she wrote it down, she
was like, okay, Samara, Rocky Road is like this. And then I told her like how Tracy had respond to an email. She's like. Oh yes, I'm gonna respond like that. And
then she sent me
[:she'll be
going 3, 2, 1. And we're on.
[:you'd put it, she record the whole thing, put the whole thing into chat, GPT, and then sent it back to me and said, this is a recap of my appointment.
And sent it back
to me.
And since she's also sent me messages being like, Hey, just so you know, I tried some Sun Devil, I'm looking forward to our next appointment and when we can, what the recaps gonna look like from that.
Yeah. But like then words of affirmation, you just feel like, yes, this is why I do what I do. Yes, because we're getting,
and but I feel like
when you
just run the business and you don't look after anyone new
[:[00:37:55] Samara: You almost don't get that feeling of like, that feeling of changing someone, of helping someone.
But I think as
[:[00:38:02] Samara: do someone new, always.
[:Mm-hmm. Like this isn't helping them. They're not growing from finding like they're not working on their rebooking rate. They're telling me, Joe Blow in the back room. Did
this. We're not growing. Yes. Like, I'm just a listening. Yes. You know? And it doesn't have to be like that.
[:[00:38:37] Tegan: When you're in it with them, I feel like Agreed are
[:[00:38:40] Tegan: respecting and they can feel your passion too.
It rubs off on them. Yeah. Like I think
I
also had a moment where. I was walking around the salon and I always would walk past and be like, wow, your color looks amazing, and like cheering everyone on. But I was like, I'm just not hearing that. Like we've lost that. You know where you're walking in the salon and you walk past your friend's hair and you go, wow, well done.
That looks amazing. It's like, where did we lose this along the way?
[:[00:39:07] Speaker 3: Does everyone do that or just me?
[:[00:39:11] Tegan: Well,
[:[00:39:13] Jen: amazing.
[:Feel like, I think the girls have gotten so used to it though, that Laura and Ndy just do it. Or Laura goes, babe,
check my color out.
Yeah,
[:what I did. We had
the
[:[00:39:25] Samara: it was like,
I am dead over myself.
Like I'm dead
over myself. Just
r okay, look at me. I've never been hotter. Yes. And I was
like this as, this is the affirmations
[:[00:39:37] Samara: need,
[:that's the connection and the confidence a client is leaving the business in.
And that's, that's the main goal
[:[00:39:43] Tegan: Like seeing the people leave rebook and really wanna come back. I
[:and
your client number is large. Yes. Like you think about this, I've really reflected on this lately. So when you have 11 team members, you, you, your client number is far, is huge, right?
Yeah. 150, 200 clients a week.
You
think about what you can give, you can give to maybe 40 of them. If you had 40, you could give
[:[00:40:11] IMG_2421: yeah. You
[:'cause I've worked out, that 40 to 50. I can be in the salon and give the sweet spot too.
But anything more than that, you can't give your little bit
which clients
love, right? Yeah. There's that extra, but the same thing now is I can look at the appointment book from the week before. And even if they weren't my client, if they were Lauras or Indies or tos, I can know generally what was going on with them.
So I can know if I need to text them and be like, Hey, just thinking of you for this. Or I hope this went well. I hope that went well. That all of a sudden the salon becomes really personalized again, where you actually are really in deep with the clients that you're taking care of and you realize that's what got lost along the way.
And you can't do that when it's massive. When it's massive. 200 clients a week. You can do it when it's 50.
[:people.
[:it's too hard to scale that.
And we think we need to scale that for a reason. But it's too
[:[00:41:22] Jen: Yeah.
[:[00:41:27] Jen: Yeah. Yeah.
[:[00:41:31] Jen: What feeling do you want your salon to have?
[:[00:41:45] Jen: Yeah.
[:[00:41:50] Samara: Yeah. Yeah.
[:[00:41:52] Samara: And I think the thing is, is the feeling's not always,
[:[00:41:58] Samara: know when
[:[00:41:59] Samara: not,
it's not
always us. Exactly. And I, I experienced this for a while, so I had a staff member that was with me, I'm not gonna name names, but I had a staff member who was with me for years. Love it to absolute bits, but by the end they're tired.
[:[00:42:13] Samara: Yeah,
[:[00:42:17] Tegan: hanging on. Isn't
[:they didn't
know if they needed a change or whatever it is.
Yeah. So you know, they, you love 'em. They love you. They leave, they have like, they, this particular person moved away, then they came back. They came back for
a,
I don't know if they'll be back again, but came back to help us out for a day. And I have ne, and this she'll know it is when I talk about it, but
this particular, we're all trying to
work it out.
This
part,
[:[00:42:46] Samara: it's okay.
[:[00:42:48] Samara: particular staff member. Would like, we laugh 'cause we're like, you know, she's, she can be moody and she's like, doesn't like to be spoken to before, like midday. And so sometimes you could feel that in the mornings. The day that she came home and she'd missed it.
She just walked in like
[:fresh air.
[:and then she like, at the end of the day she was like, I've had the best day ever. I just want this day to keep going. I could do another 12 hours. This is the best day of my life. I've had the best day ever. I love our clients. I've done the best day.
[:[00:43:15] Samara: the feeling. Yeah. 'cause sometimes they dunno until they know what's happening
[:[00:43:17] Samara: salon and they didn't.
[:[00:43:19] Samara: She didn't change our culture because we, I know she loved being here, but sometimes they don't, they don't realize until they've had time out, until they've come back.
They're like, yeah. This place is
[:[00:43:31] Tegan: Yeah. Like
[:[00:43:32] Samara: I love my
filtered water.
I love my
hair,
I love
my
dishwasher. Like, and it wasn't
[:[00:43:40] Samara: it wasn't until she came like,
she was like, no more tap water. And I was like, you're such a brat. But you know, it wasn't until like so
her in the salon that day. but I think that's when it's time.
[:doing. Yes.
It's a feeling.
[:[00:43:59] Jen: feeling. I think also it's why that it's not always a great thing to have had the same people doing the same thing for six plus years.
[:[00:44:08] Jen: Do you know what I mean? Like you do need that little bit of freshness coming through.
But I
[:[00:44:26] Samara: Yes.
[:But when you're in it, it's hard
'cause you're like, oh.
[:And she's like, I just have to let you know, like I love you and I love our memories and I'm so grateful to you. And I was just like,
I just needed this so much. And I was like, I needed this so much because the words of affirmation thing, sometimes you need to be told that you were enough while they were there.
Yeah. You know, people leave your businesses
sometimes need know, you hold
onto it. You're
like, you're like,
why didn't I do enough? Why wasn't I enough? And that client, that staff member's like, but you were enough. I just, it was just a different journey. Yeah. But that's not what you think you are. Like, I didn't do enough.
I didn't hold enough. I
probably should
[:[00:45:30] Samara: Yes. Um,
[:[00:45:31] Samara: I was like, I just can't tell you how much. That means, yeah.
'cause it means that you didn't leave the business for me. You know what I mean? Yeah. And that's how it feels. And until you own a salon, you can never truly understand that.
[:[00:45:54] Samara: Um,
I would probably quit,
[:say. work at my salon.
[:[00:46:02] Speaker 22: No, I think,
[:[00:46:04] Samara: think you can.
No,
but I always think it always would hurt. Yeah. But then I think
[:[00:46:20] Samara: that though
[:punches. Yeah.
[:when I've taken feedback and I'm so broken by
it. Yeah. But then
when have you ever not
seen me take it on though and try and do something different?
[:conversation.
[:[00:46:32] Stereo Mix: list,
[:No, but I'm saying is exactly as Tegan said.
Yeah. You are in all the fields for a long period of time.
When someone
says you are doing a
bad job change, you are in the feelings for a long time.
[:Like I did not know
that
you all felt like this. And I'm grateful for the feedback and moving forward, this is what will.
[:[00:47:04] Tegan: we're doing. Well, we just think, well,
[:they're doing best that we can
[:[00:47:08] Samara: in that moment with the knowledge that we have at that time, which is always changing.
But then that's what I mean about saying like if someone said to us it's you. Like I look back a hundred percent. It was me at times. 100%. I also know, I think you also have to be okay with the fact that you also learning and and growing. 'cause when people leave it's always you. You're like, it was my fault.
Yeah. Fuck, I'm shit. I like things suck and I am sucking at this. When you are in that feeling, you and I both would've done that. It's not
like, oh, have
fun then it's not my problem.
You are like so feeling it. But I think the other thing on that then is you have to almost teach yourself to be like. I'm, I also did a good job.
Yeah.
[:as a young business person, I was like, why are they leaving me? Yes, yes. Like why, like you are saying, and then now I'm like, no, they're leaving because that's their next step. Yes.
[:[00:48:03] Tegan: that I can't give the next step.
Like that's what it is. It is what it is. And just get some fresh energy in. Yes. Yeah. Like love them hard and build what you've built.
[:[00:48:15] Tegan: Like we can't expect everyone to stay forever,
[:Yeah. Because
that's
how you rebuild a new business from. I know I am a completely different. It, it while being the same. I'm a different leader to how I used to be. Oh,
[:[00:48:34] Samara: But
[:[00:48:38] Samara: No.
[:[00:48:40] Jen: and that's the
[:And I'm feeling stronger now because I'm like, I know where I need to go. I know. Like I know what I want. I
[:[00:48:49] Tegan: think though, whereas it is
probably 10 years
ago, what did I want? I don't know, a few clients in my salon.
[:[00:48:55] Tegan: fun.
[:Like I think
I, I
think you are getting back to who you wanted to be 10 years ago. Yes. Yeah. I think that's a difference in it is,
[:[00:49:05] Jen: maybe you just didn't know what it looked like then.
[:So ego, but
then you think, thought, what's the next step
[:staff? I'll look for another salon.
[:[00:49:22] Tegan: My husband one day I am like, we are going to get another salon. He is like, ah, no. And thank God. Like what would've
[:I think it's almost coming back to what the original vision was. You get distracted over the years.
[:[00:49:40] Tegan: I got, I, I've started doing kinesiology and I was stuck like the first time I went I was like completely stuck because my body was so shocked with what hap like with so many people coming and going that I physically couldn't move forward.
Like I couldn't see past
here.
And
then I feel like when I've invested in making myself feel good, everything else
has
followed.
[:[00:50:09] Samara: Stop
stashing your issues and your tissues.
[:[00:50:12] Samara: Um,
I went to worst case scenario. Amen, sister. And then I could come back from that, like exactly what? Reverse, what's that?
Reverse engineering. I just went to worst case scenario and then now I feel like well,
[:can happen.
[:Yeah. I
come
[:[00:50:30] Samara: is fine.
Yeah.
[:[00:50:35] Tegan: as a business owner.
You do. And for so long, like the last two years,
my sister would be like,
can you please just go get your eyebrows waxed? And I'd be, I physically was like, I don't have time. Like I can't spare a second. I need to work on this business. Like we are coming back. Yeah. But I think it's, when you give yourself that space in that time, you feel better.
Everything else just feels better.
[:[00:51:03] Tegan: I said that you can't pull from an empty cup.
[:[00:51:10] Tegan: Yes.
[:It
[:[00:51:14] Samara: Jen's like, I've
gotta go to mainland.
And I was like,
[:about it, don't like
Exactly. I'm
[:what
I'm hearing is you don't want to go, but you feel you're forced to. She's like, no, but I
do want go.
and I was like,
really? Because all I can hear in your voice is like.
Oh, I dunno how I'm, I dunno what day I am gonna go.
Dunno
[:[00:51:36] Samara: shingles again. And then as it come, the end of the conversation, I got the message the next day I've decided not to go. And I was like, I think that's a great idea.
[:It's in us to be like, we have to go to the education. We have to be at the front. Like, I love education as
you do.
[:[00:51:50] Tegan: Um, and I just feel like for so many years I'm front and center. I just don't anymore to be like, and then one day I'm like, I think I need to focus more on being a leader than I do at putting foils in.
Yeah.
[:[00:52:02] Tegan: the people I need to send to the courses are my people, not me.
[:[00:52:07] Tegan: But it's really hard every time they go, I'm like, what are they doing? Are you videoing the whole thing?
[:[00:52:15] Tegan: I'm still in that I'm, I'm still like a
[:sitting
[:[00:52:18] Samara: least my team also, like, I just think there's only so many ways we can do hair.
Yeah. I'm kind of like that. I'm like, I just wanna do just. Yeah. I dunno. I think
[:[00:52:39] Samara: Agreed.
[:[00:52:43] Samara: Yeah.
[:[00:52:51] Samara: Yeah, I do. It doesn't exist
[:[00:52:56] Samara: in, but it's the best for your clients. It's not the best. What is the best? All I wanna do is be the best for the clientele that I have.
[:[00:53:03] Samara: And that's someone completely
[:[00:53:13] Jen: Yeah.
[:[00:53:16] Samara: Yeah, agreed.
[:[00:53:22] Tegan: You're
[:[00:53:24] Tegan: still on the Gold Coast.
[:[00:53:30] Tegan: But it feels right. You should do it. Yes. Like
I think you've just
gotta know when, when that time is.
[:[00:53:36] Tegan: If you feel excited to do it, do it.
Yeah. If you don't, it's not right. Let's just, yeah.
[:[00:53:42] Tegan: business, right? Get your eyebrows waxed
[:thing catch up
with your
French. If The most
exciting thing for you at that point was just literally being at home and reading a book, or literally just being able to do the emergency
[:Yeah,
[:[00:54:00] Jen: Oh, as I said, like I would've felt it was the greatest thing ever. But you were there. Horrendous. If I was, yeah. If I wasn't there, I would've been so upset about it.
[:[00:54:15] Jen: Yeah.
[:[00:54:21] Samara: I think also though, you've gotta learn to be okay with that because it builds resilience in your children.
[:[00:54:26] Samara: Like I feel like my children, it has built a certain level of resilience in who they're as people, because my life is not completely and utterly dedicated to them because it can't be, that's not what life is.
And do you know what, and I've seen this, you don't generally, as you grow up, have someone completely and utterly dedicated to you.
[:Like, we're getting to that point where these young people.
Are heading off into the world to live their own lives. And because they have dedicated themselves wholly and solely to that role, they are lost.
[:[00:55:10] Jen: Yeah, they are lost. Yeah.
[:[00:55:13] Jen: With who they are. Without that, and don't get me wrong, like I'm really dedicated to my children, but I know who I am as well.
Yes.
[:[00:55:21] Jen: You know what I mean?
[:We were just talking about this with like going back from maternity leave.
[:[00:55:27] Tegan: Like
it'd be
nice if we could all have a year off, but that's like literally impossible. Yeah. People wouldn't have done that. You wouldn't have done that.
[:[00:55:35] Tegan: Um, but the moments that you are with your kids, it's so much more special.
I feel. You're more present. You're like, let's do it. Let's play, let's do like all the things. Whereas if you're with them every day, you're like, oh, have breakfast, go to the park
[:You would like, I just, that should be side gigging
[:[00:56:03] Samara: I just, that's not how I function. And I'm okay with that because, but we're used
[:[00:56:07] Samara: so many
[:[00:56:08] Samara: like touch my children, how to fun. You know, I definitely, I definitely have under diagnosed a DH, adhd, as does Sadie.
I can teach her how to harness that as something that she, but I think it's just working out how that feels in your business. How you can support your business. Yeah. How you can love your business, but also be a mom.
[:And
have the boundaries. Yeah. Like where you can have the boundaries and they won't always be there.
[:[00:56:32] Tegan: Like the boundary that you set may have to move, but,
[:then
before we log off.
What was,
I'm gonna go hard first. What was one of the biggest challenges apart from this? What was one of the biggest challenges that you've had in business in the last 10 years?
[:[00:56:53] Samara: biggest piece of advice you could give someone that you went through?
[:[00:56:58] Speaker 3: I
[:[00:57:00] Speaker 22: Um,
[:what
am I doing? Like this is my baby, this is my business and I need to work out what feels good for me.
And yeah. Go from there. You can't make everyone happy.
[:[00:57:29] Tegan: you can do your best.
[: [:pushing through the last two years because I nearly gave up a lot of times. And. Like having such a strong supportive system for me, like my husband, my family, everyone cheering me on, like, don't give up yet.
[:[00:57:57] Tegan: things happen, 'cause don't wanna give up when it's not right. Yeah. Like I wanna, I wanna choose to move mo on whenever that may be, but I don't wanna have
to do
it, you know? Yes.
[:[00:58:07] Tegan: Like, I think another thing,
[:Because generally that's just because it's hard and sticky and you don't wanna deal with it. Like, you're like, this feels yuck. Well, so I'll just get rid of it. 'cause it, burn it down feels yuck. Burn it down.
[:um. Look, I
think it was Caitlin, um, business coach, Caitlin, she was like, you are all young.
Like, you're not retiring now. Yes. Like, whereas I feel like a lot of the industry was like.
get
off the
floor and blah, blah, blah. Yeah. And it's like, when I'm off
the floor, what am I doing?
Yeah. Like I've only got three people to look after. Like, you still need to be making money.
[:[00:58:48] Tegan: We're young enough, we are smart enough and we can work hard.
[:[00:58:51] Tegan: Like, I think,
[:[00:58:59] Jen: wrestle, I wrestled with that for so long. Me too too. Because as I approached that, 'cause
[:[00:59:03] Jen: the norm. It's like I, when I was approaching my forties and it was like I had this picture in my head that You're
[:[00:59:10] Jen: You Yeah,
[:[00:59:11] Jen: yeah. It's like you, well you just, you know, out to pasture. She goes, if she was a horse, they'd shoot her. You know, like that's, that's just it. And it's,
[:I'm kind of like, yep. Yeah.
[:[00:59:49] Jen: all
[:That's all you want in life.
[:[00:59:51] Tegan: I think it's, that's literally
[:Right? Yeah. And yeah, maybe I definitely did some things not so. Right. And I will alter that try. But we're better human. But we're human. We're never going, no one is ever leading because how you lead one person to how you lead another one is gonna be really, really different.
[:Yes. You know what I mean? Like it's,
[:[01:00:22] Jen: How you lead someone as a 20-year-old as opposed to how you lead someone later on. It's different.
[:[01:00:26] Jen: Different. It's just different. It's so different. Different. And it's okay.
[:[01:00:28] Jen: Different doesn't mean bad, but that's all
[:[01:00:32] Samara: Yeah.
[:[01:00:34] Samara: hindsight's a beautiful thing. But I wouldn't change anything. And you probably wouldn't
[:[01:00:40] Samara: Yes.
[:[01:00:52] Tegan: be
better for everyone.
[:Love that. I love that.
Well,
thanks guys.
Thank you.
[:having me.
[:need questions.
[:[01:01:02] Speaker 19: You're You're so valuable.
[:ever happened
to this
earth, the greatest cheerleader there ever was. Yeah.
[:[01:01:13] Samara: Tegan's
[:[01:01:14] Samara: She's back.
[:[01:01:14] Tegan: back, baby.
[:[01:01:16] Jen: Thanks so much for listening everyone, and we will be back very soon. Goodbye.
