The One Book Every Salon Owner Should Use to Fix Culture Fast

Starting Fresh? Start With Culture
If you're a salon owner starting over, or a stylist opening your own space for the first time, there's one often-overlooked piece that determines how your business grows: culture.

You can have the best color formulas, the most beautiful space, and a fully booked calendar—but if your culture is chaotic, you’ll burn out, lose good people, and repel the right clients.

There’s one book I recommend to every salon owner looking to build a healthy, positive, high-performing environment: "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz. It’s simple, powerful, and completely salon-applicable.

Let’s break it down.

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word: Culture Killer #1 = Gossip

Gossip is poison in a salon. It drains the vibe, breeds resentment, and creates unspoken tension.

Being "impeccable with your word" means:

• Speaking with honesty and integrity.
• Avoiding trash talk (even if it feels justified).
• Shutting down gossip—whether it's about clients or coworkers.

Pro tip: This applies to self-talk too. How often do we say, "I suck at hair," or "I’m not good enough to lead a team"?

Impeccable means: speak power, not poison.

2. Don’t Take Anything Personally: It’s Not About You

Your stylist left. A client didn't rebook. Someone criticized your leadership.

It’s easy to spiral.

But most of the time? It's not personal.

Taking things personally creates toxic tension in your team. It turns simple business decisions into emotional warfare.

Instead, use every situation as data:

• Why did that client leave? Was the consultation clear?
• Why did that stylist quit? Was there open communication?

Separate your identity from the feedback.

3. Don’t Make Assumptions: Clarity is the Cure

Assumptions create more conflict than actual problems.

Examples:

• "She switched stylists, she must hate me."
• "They didn’t text back, they must be mad."
• "Everyone knows the vision." (They don’t.)

Salon success demands transparent communication.

As a leader, don’t assume your team understands your standards, your workload, or your goals.

Tell them.

Over-communicate until it becomes impossible to guess.

4. Always Do Your Best: What It Really Means

Here’s the truth: your best won’t look the same every day.

Some days your best is visionary leadership. Other days, your best is just showing up.

Doing your best means:

• Staying consistent with pricing and service (even for friends).
• Not coasting on autopilot with regulars.
• Rescheduling clients if you’re truly burnt out.
• Blocking self-care time before you're running on fumes.

Owners, your energy sets the tone.

Implementation: Make It a Salon Standard

Want to build trust, reduce drama, and improve retention? Make "The Four Agreements" part of your hiring and leadership.

How:

• Print it. Hand it out to new hires.
• Explain it. Share how you live it.
• Reinforce it. Use it in feedback conversations.

Example: Instead of calling out gossip directly, reference: "Hey, remember Agreement 1? We protect our energy here."

It creates a shared language and a clear code of conduct.

Final Thought: Culture Isn’t Built by Accident

The salons that thrive aren’t always the ones with the best decor or biggest marketing budget.

They’re the ones with intentional, respectful, and growth-centered cultures.

You don’t have to fix everything at once.

But if you're starting fresh, start with this: Live the Four Agreements. Then lead others to do the same.

Your dream team is possible. And it starts with what you believe, say, and model every day.

Want more salon leadership tools like this?

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