Culture is the heartbeat of your salon, but it needs constant attention to stay strong.

In this episode, Samara and Jen give a behind the scenes look at the Culture Reset Masterclass, where they’ll unpack what it really takes to build a team culture that’s calm, connected, and accountable.

They share personal lessons from years of leadership, the moments that worked, the ones that didn’t, and the game changing mindset shifts that transformed how they lead their teams.

💡 In this episode, you’ll hear:

• What the Culture Reset Masterclass will cover (and why it’s so needed right now)
• The one culture mistake most salon owners make
• How to rebuild trust and motivation in your team
• Real talk on boundaries, burnout, and brave conversations
• Why this reset could change your 2026

If you’ve been feeling off balance with your team, unsure how to reconnect, or just need a fresh start for the year ahead, this masterclass is your moment.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Greetings

00:24 Diving into Culture

00:59 Masterclass Insights and Reflections

05:00 Team Dynamics and Values

07:30 Practical Tips for Team Meetings

08:20 Upcoming Culture Masterclass Details

Mentioned in this episode:

💛 A HUGE Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors - Timely

We’ve partnered with Timely to bring you something special:

➡ Enjoy a 14 day free trial to see how Timely can transform your salon.

➡ New customers get 50% off their first 3 months.

If you've been thinking about levelling up your salon systems, this is your moment. Timely is designed specifically for salons. Helping you manage bookings, clients, staff, and more with ease.

Use the code SALONRISING at checkout or click the link below to to claim the offer. 👇

Timely

💖 Celebrating Our Podcast Partner – Christophe Robin, proudly distributed by McM Imports

We’ve partnered with Christophe Robin and MCM Imports to bring you something beautiful:

➡ Experience the Christophe Robin Discovery Box — curated by pro ambassador Monique McMahon.

➡ Inside, you’ll find her handpicked favourites — the hero products she swears by in the salon.

It’s your invitation to explore the range and discover why Christophe Robin has become a quiet obsession among stylists who know their craft.

Click the link below to request your FREE Christophe Robin Discovery Box, exclusively through McM Imports. 👇

MCM

💛 It’s Time to Reset, Realign, and Feel Good in Business Again

On October 29th, join Samara LIVE inside The Culture Reset Masterclass.

If your salon or solo business has been feeling a little off, this 90 minute session is your space to pause, reflect, and realign.

You’ll reconnect with your purpose, clarify your values, and set boundaries that protect your energy, so you can step into the new year feeling grounded, clear, and inspired.

Alongside the session, you’ll also receive your own Culture Reset Plan a practical guide you can use with your team or by yourself to turn reflection into action and keep your culture strong all year round.

✨ 90-Minute Live Masterclass
✨ Includes your own Culture Reset Plan
✨ For salon owners and solo operators
✨ Recording included
💸 Save 5% with code POD5 at checkout

Click below to Join Now 👇

Culture Masterclass

Welcome back to the Inner Sanctum Salon Rising, the podcast mini moments brought to you by Timely. Good morning, Samara.

Felt like a good morning. Jennifer. Felt like a formal introduction was required. Excellent. With all the clapping that's been going on in the background. Yeah. Some finger guns up at Richard.

Welcome. We thought we would talk in a little bit into culture. Culture makes sense. Yeah. We haven't done this for a while, right? We have not spoken into culture rages. So we are doing a new culture, masterclass, which we're so excited about. We did a finance masterclass only a few weeks back ready for Christmas.

Where I thought it would be at the beginning of the year and where we are now is, is really different. But I've really stayed instinctual and really thought about different areas of how things make me feel. Yeah. And learning as a business owner to do them rather than not. And having those kind of braver conversations and really feeling in where your team is feeling different.

So those culture pieces, because I will talk into this masterclass on times where I haven't and it has absolutely bitten me in my ass. Yeah. Okay. And these are things that I don't discuss openly and honestly on the pod guys. Yeah. 'cause it's more of a public forum and it's just not appropriate to it's appropriate.

Discuss those things. Yeah. And I just, you know, and as much as other people will do it. I am not that person. I will never, ever, I never ever want anyone to listen to this pod and feel. Hurt by things that I've said and things like that. So I'm really conscious on how I can protect other people's peace at the same time.

But when we are in a masterclass, I can be a little bit more freer and I will, you know, talk into things a little bit more of once and transparent about your actual experiences with things. Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, and I think those things that I have learnt have been massive for my growth of who I am.

And. Obviously when it was in, it was very sticky. But it's really, yeah, helped me form who I am and I just wanna help other business owners be able to kind of sit more in these gut instinctual moments where, you know what you need and you are not listening. Yeah, yeah. And also how to just foster at this time of year, how to foster your team.

How to, you know, not be overgiving, but then. Not give enough as well. Like it's that really fine boundary that I, and that line that I feel like I've, got where you are still running a business, you still have people that work for you. And you still can love them deeply, but you've still gotta make sure that there's a boundary line put in place, otherwise you end up feeling resentful.

And I've had that happen. Absolutely. And that's actually not fair because you've. Projecting that resentment onto someone that doesn't even sometimes know Yes. That they've done anything. Yes. 'cause it's this whole transaction that you've created in your own mind. Yes. That you didn't even invite them to that party.

Yes. You know? Absolutely. So one of the things that we go into, which I really love, is back into the values as well. Yeah. And I think in life and in. Business, it's really important to like stick back into your values and go like, oh, like we've said, values change. Yep. If I looked at my values three years ago to what my values are now, some would be very concreted because my values are very concreted in some areas, but in other areas it would feel different.

Yep. And I think we need to make choices from the values that we're sitting in now. So being able to do this with your team, we've had values put in place with my team a long time ago and I haven't reset that. And I think it's time and being that different team and that different unit, it is time to reset that.

Yeah. Not being the huge team anymore, having the smaller team and what does this look like for us and how do we wanna feel? And also like having those questions for them for their 26 year. Yeah. You know, and this is both for solo artists and for teams, but. You know, when I look at the team part of it, it's, and, and, and the solo artists, like, how do you want to feel next year?

Yeah. How do you want them to feel? What do they want to see for their year? Like, because so often we make decisions based on what. We think they want or they don't want, and we need to like kind of get in a little bit deeper. So one of the questions you have with your team, you're like, what do you wanna feel next year?

I wanna do loads of more education. And then you like offer them all this education. Everyone's like, oh, I don't wanna waste my day off. So it's like very, instead of doing that, it's very thoughtful. Like, okay, how many do we actually want? Yeah. What does that actually look like? What specific we want? Is it Yeah, it to be.

How can I keep you feeling inspired? What do you wanna do when it comes to targets? Are you happy with our product line? It's just having, you know, lots of open-ended conversations with your team. So we're running through this in the masterclass, because I just think sometimes you need those moments of being like, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah.

Oh yeah, that makes sense. Oh yeah, I probably need to go that. And I think the nice thing is like it's something that constantly changes and you have to go back and reassess all those things, the core foundations of it. Stay the same. Yes. But what you're looking at in each of those foundations changes all the time because of who you are, who your team is, or what is happening around you.

Yeah. So you've always gotta go back and look at it. And I, I, every time I teach, I go, oh, I need to get back into that myself. Well, that's the whole point of it. It's just that self-reflection, right? Yeah. It's like, oh yeah, I tell people to do that. I need to do it. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. 'cause then that would make me feel heaps.

Calmer and I would know what our trajectory is and I'm not gonna avoid anything. And that yes, that feels good. Yeah. Yes, I'm gonna do that. That's where I'm going. But just little moments too, when it comes to culture. I, I can't wait to share the little things that I do a little differently with my team now.

And little like tips that I've had, that I'm like, oh, that works. And it's just from those moments of reflection, Ooh, that works. You know? Yeah. Everyone talks about, I hate it when we have team meetings because everyone just like looks at me like. And I have flipped it and do something a little bit different now, but it's not that different, that I want to share with people because those things make it all feel easier.

Yeah. I don't want to have a moment where I'm talking at my team. My team's like this.

like this.

Yeah, it's the worst and everyone that understands that's feeling me on that. So like I've changed some things when it comes to that, but also a little bit of prep for next year too. Yeah. I think if we don't put those meetings in and those little things in and those little touch points in, um, then nothing really happens.

It's a 90 minute class. What day of the week is that? It is a Wednesday. Okay. It's all recorded, so if you are with clients that day, you will get it, sent to you on our portal and all the little things that we have in there. Um, and if you're listening to this later, you can still purchase it and have it for yourself for now.

But yeah, there's lots of little goodies in there. There's, you know, we take a big course that we have and find these little gems in all of it and create our master classes from that. Yeah. And, you know, I think it's just a really affordable way for people to be like, that's exactly what I needed. I just need those grab moments.

And I think also, even if you've done, the culture offerings in the past, because things do evolve and change, it's absolutely worthwhile doing it again. As we've said before, like even if you know it, sometimes you just need someone to tell you again. Yes. And then you'll do it. I tell myself I need to tell myself to do it.

Yeah. Oh, listen, oh, as I'm doing the mud a master class, I'll be like, yeah, I hear your sister. Yeah. Yeah. Amazing. Uh, thanks for tuning in. Thanks guys. See you soon.