Are you running your salon—or is your salon running you?
Filipe Santos runs nine salons across New York, New Jersey, and Miami. He joins Jason Townsend on Sh!t I Told My Hairdresser for a blunt conversation about salon ownership, making money, and why being everyone’s best friend can cost you your business.
We get into hiring hairstylists for work ethic over technical skill, setting expectations, and building systems that keep salon owners from feeling held hostage by their staff. Filipe also explains his approach to salon contracts and non-compete agreements.
Then we’re calling out salon coaching red flags. Before you hand someone thousands of dollars to fix your business, can they show you the receipts from theirs?
Plus: raising salon prices without the guilt, creating better client consultations, and why salon owners need to start working together before outside investors decide the industry’s future.
IN THIS EPISODE
• The emotional decisions that undermine salon leadership.
• Hiring for energy, work ethic, and alignment.
• Staff boundaries, accountability, and salon systems.
• Non-competes, NDAs, and investing in stylist education.
• Salon coaches versus mentors with proven experience.
• Shared education and buying power for independent salons.
• Private equity and the future of salon ownership.
• Price increases, pre-booking, and communicating your value.
EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00 — Meet salon owner Filipe Santos
02:00 — The biggest mistakes salon owners make
06:00 — Hiring for attitude, work ethic, and alignment
11:00 — Salon contracts, non-competes, and training investments
21:00 — Salon coaching red flags: show the receipts
25:00 — Mentorship, leadership systems, and business education
27:00 — Salon buying power and working together
29:00 — Private equity and salon consolidation
34:00 — Taking ownership of the industry’s future
37:00 — Raising salon prices and explaining the value
40:00 — Better consultations, pre-booking, and client retention
43:00 — Filipe’s final advice for salon owners
CONNECT WITH FILIPE SANTOS
Follow Filipe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chop_safil/
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Salon owners: have you ever felt like your staff was running your business? Stylists: what makes a salon worth staying at? Tell us on Instagram.
Follow Sh!t I Told My Hairdresser, leave a rating and review, and send this episode to a salon owner or hairstylist who needs to hear it.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shititoldmyhairdresser/
Website: https://shititoldmyhairdresser.com
The discussion of contracts and non-competes reflects personal experiences and opinions, not legal advice.
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