Nikki Sanderson: The Journey From Employee To Owner

Ever found yourself yearning to break free from the daily grind and build something truly your own? Nikki Sanderson, the owner Capelli  Salon Studio, did exactly that, transforming her hairstyling flair into being the owner of the business. Join me, Mackenzie Kilshaw, as I get up close and personal with Nikki to unwrap the layers of her entrepreneurial journey, from taking the helm at the salon to doubling its size amidst a global pandemic's chaos. Her story isn't just about business growth; it's a deep dive into the heart of what it takes to rise above doubts, defy stereotypes, and lead a team to victory.

As the conversation unfolds, Nikki recounts the pivotal conversations with the salon's previous owner that paved the way for a seamless transition. She shares the secrets behind navigating the challenges of salon ownership, from maintaining staff morale to expanding her business against all odds. Her transparency about the emotional labor involved in leadership and her strategic decision-making during uncertain times offers a wealth of insights for anyone with aspirations of steering their own ship in the stormy seas of entrepreneurship.

Nikki demonstrates that the core of a thriving business lies not just in the hands of its owner but also in the collective strength and harmony of its team. Listeners will walk away with a heightened understanding of personal and professional growth, armed with the knowledge that choosing the right people to join your journey is pivotal to crafting an enduring legacy. So, sit tight for an episode brimming with wisdom, inspiration, and the raw truth of what it takes to transition from a dreamer to a doer in the world of business.

We are looking for Sponsors for our show! 

We have a variety of sponsorship packages to suit every business and budget. 

If you have a business that you would like to promote to thousands of people, send us an email at podcastwinning@gmail.com or message us through Facebook or Instagram.

A Huge Thank You to our sponsor,  Just for You Day Spa and Wellness. Just For You is Canada’s Premier Day Spa with 5 locations in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The award winning luxury spa features Lia Reese Cosmetics and Iconic Betty Jewelry that you can also purchase online. Visit www.justforyoudayspa.com to book your service or to purchase a gift card! 

Chapters

• 0:27 From Employee to Owner
• 12:53 Taking Risks in Salon Ownership
• 20:20 Transitioning From Stylist to Salon Owner
• 31:02 Challenges of Being a Responsible Owner
• 34:37 Transitioning From Employee to Owner
• 40:41 Choosing the Right Clients Is Important

Transcript

Shauna Foster: 0:27

Winning is your guide to making it in business. Join our award-winning host and entrepreneur, Mackenzie Kilshaw, and special guests in casual conversations that will educate and inspire you on your business journey. Winning will help you learn the hard lessons the easy way, with guidance from celebrated entrepreneurs and business leaders. It's fun, it's informative, it's Winning.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 0:52

Hello, welcome to Winning. I am your host, Mackenzie Kilshaw, and today's guest is Nikki Sanderson. Hi, Nikki, hi, how are you?

Nikki Sanderson: 1:00

I'm really good. How are you? I'm so good. Thank you for having me my very first podcast.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 1:06

Oh, I love it. I love hearing that you're going to be such a great guest. If you don't know Nikki she is a dynamic and accomplished hairstylist whose journey began in 2014. She started as an assistant, she moved to a full-time stylist and she was making over $100,000 a year, which is amazing. Her success led her to actually purchase the salon. She became the owner of Capelli' S Studio in Saskatoon in 2020. We're really going to talk a lot about her transition from being an employee at a business into being the owner. Also, something extremely cool she expanded the business just eight months into her ownership and doubled the size of the salon. We're going to talk about that too. Thank you so much, Nikki, for being here. Why don't you just give the audience a little bit of an idea of more of who we are?

Nikki Sanderson: 2:01

Okay, well, yes, thank you, I'm so excited to be here. Yes, my name is Nikki. I became Nikki when I started at the salon. I was known as Nicole. When I started there, there was three Nicolels that worked there, so we all had to get these nicknames. That's kind of how Nikki became to be. My family always called me that growing up, but pretty much I was always Nicole. My high school girlfriends are still a little bit weirded out when they hear Nikki, because that's just how everybody knows me. Now that's basically my name. But yes, I'm Nikki. I'm 31 years old.

Nikki Sanderson: 2:33

I grew up in Medicine Hat in Alberta. It's a small town well, not a town, it's more of a city of about 60,000 people. That's where I graduated high school. When I graduated high school, I moved away. I could not wait to get out. I moved to London, Ontario, for just about a year. My sister lives out there, so I tried that out for a bit and then I decided to come back. I just missed my friends and my family and I moved to Calgary and I lived there for about three years. I was just kind of figuring out my life at that point.

Nikki Sanderson: 3:03

I was young 20s, very young 20s. I always had a passion for science, like biology and chemistry. But even though I failed it in high school, I still I really liked it. So I did go to the UofC for one semester. I took, you know, sciences. I potentially had a dream of becoming a microbiologist or you know something like that Marine biologist. But I really quickly learned that that's not at all how I excel in learning. I was failing pretty quickly within that first semester.

Nikki Sanderson: 3:43

I had always loved doing hair. When I was younger I had more of an unhealthy passion with my hair. I was coloring it like every day and you know I would have mental breakdowns in my bathroom when I was a teenager if it didn't work out good. But nonetheless I was always braiding, you know, my friend's hair, my mom's hair, coloring their hair, whatever it was. So I knew that I always had that underlying passion for hair and the reason that I didn't pursue it in when I came out of high school is just being in a smaller city.

Nikki Sanderson: 4:11

There's kind of always that mentality or stereotype that o don't make a lot of money, they don't like their job, they're just doing it. You know they're not really passionate about it and that I knew like no matter what I did in life that I didn't want that to be me. I mean, it's not bad to say, but I knew I wanted to make money and be successful and be independent on my own. I knew I didn't want to go to a job every day, that I hated just kind of all those things, but I didn't think that you could really do that with hair unless you moved away to like New York and became some celebrity stylist or you know, moved to Toronto and worked downtown Toronto or something. I just I didn't think that you really, you know, made any money, and this is like 15 years ago as well too. So I think now, with the rise of Instagram that's obviously you know the narrative has become quite different regarding hair. Like you know, it's an awesome career, so, anyway.

Nikki Sanderson: 5:03

So I dropped out of a university in my first semester I think it was like December and I remember telling my dad like I'm not doing this anymore, like I'm going to hair school, and he's like, oh, that's great, like I think that you'll be really great at that, and he just automatically kind of knew that would be a good task for me. So I decided to work for a little bit more in Calgary just to save up some money and do a little bit of traveling before I committed to going to hair school. And at the time my sister and my mom had kind of relocated out to Saskatoon, since I was living in Calgary. And so I decided to come to Saskatoon to go to hair school because I knew I wouldn't be able to really work at all because it was a full time kind of you know school schedule. So I drove out to Saskatoon and I couldn't believe I was now living in Saskatchewan. I just was like I'm going to get out of here as soon as I can, like I'll move back to Calgary as soon as I can, because I cannot live in Saskatchewan. That was terrible. And then, yeah, I went to hair school and I absolutely loved hair school. Like looking back on it, you know I would never want to be in hair school again. But I just remember I went into it just bright eyed and I couldn't wait for my career to happen. And so, yeah, I really liked hair school.

Nikki Sanderson: 6:10

And then they told me about a salon owner named Alicia in the city and she owned a salon called Capelli. I had never even heard of it. I was almost done school pretty much, but I had never even heard of Capelli until they mentioned her and that she had done New York Fashion Week. And from that moment, I was like I have to work for this woman, like I need to meet her, I need to go to her salon. And yeah, I reached out and she was just about to have her second baby and so, you know, I don't even know if she was really hiring or what the kind of deal was, but, yeah, I basically kind of harassed her until she gave me a job there.

Nikki Sanderson: 6:43

And then, you know, even at that moment, I was like I'll work here for a year, I'll become an assistant, I'll get that, you know, maybe get my journeyman here or whatever, and then I'll go back to Calgary to, you know, be a successful stylist there. But you know, as I got into it at Capelli, I just realized like this is, this is for me like Alicia was a great mentor and, yeah, I just I fit in right away and I just found my groove there. And, yeah, within I trained up in 2015, June to December, and on my first year, in my first year on the floor, in 2016, I brought in over a hundred thousand in revenue, which, to me. I didn't know. You know, I was just working hard and I loved it. I didn't know that that was quite unheard of, and then it kind of just went up from there. So, yeah, I mean, I've been able to be quite successful as a stylist pretty quick. I don't know. I think that happens when you're really passionate about it and you want to have success for yourself.

Nikki Sanderson: 7:40

Then I bought it in 2020 as our owner moved on to her tech company. She started an app for the hair salon community and she had to go pretty hard into that. That kind of opportunity came up for me and I had never even wanted to be a salon owner. I thought it would be. Obviously, Alicia had a great salon, but just seeing the struggles that she went through, I just was like no, I can't imagine going through that. It's just so great to wake up every day and only have to worry about yourself. You come and you do clients, you go to bed. You don't have to worry about anything, and that's what I thought I wanted.

Nikki Sanderson: 8:14

Then the sale of the salon came up and she had kind of mentioned it and told me about it. If it wasn't me that bought it, it was going to be some random person and I just don't think I could work for anybody but Alicia. I took over and away. I went two months after I bought it, six weeks or something. We closed down because of COVID. So that was a huge struggle, but lots of learning happened in that time as well. Then we reopened and probably four months after that or five months I expanded. The restrictions were just too limiting for us. Obviously. They went on for two and a half years or something. We just had no opportunity for growth had we stayed in that smaller space and stuff. Now I'm here almost four years later. I guess four years time flies.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 9:10

It does. Honestly, I want to backtrack a little bit because, first off, when you said you went to university and then you kind of failed at that in reality failed if you weren't doing good in your classes but always had that passion for hair, following what you love doing, look at the path you're on now, really yeah. Also, I hear it all the time just a hairstylist. For many of the trades, oh, I'm just a hairstylist. People will say that about themselves even. Or oh, he's just a plumber or just an electrician or what have you and the trades I mean your very first year as a full-time stylist, making over $100,000, that is amazing. And I know it's grown from there with the growth of taking over ownership, expanding and everything else. But it just shows you that there is no limit. When you love doing something and you're passionate about it, there's no limit of what your income can be.

Nikki Sanderson: 10:12

Absolutely and that, yeah, you can become anything like you know, you can be anything and start your own business at it. And as long as you have a passion for it or even just an understanding of business, you just want to see your business succeed, then you can honestly do anything. And the thing I love about hairstylists is, sure, there are just hairstylists Like in any industry, there are people who just do that and they might not be as passionate about it. It's just the job. That's totally fine. But if you move into that next level of you know it's your career, it's your passion, you're growing.

Nikki Sanderson: 10:43

All that stuff there, honestly, is no limit to hairstylists. I have heard of some hairstylists in LA making a million dollars a year. Right, their haircuts are $2,500. Like, the thing with hair that I love so much about it is that you can go from zero to 100 so quickly. There's no like there's no rules or limits as to how much you can make in every year. And and, yeah, at the end of the day, I get that we provide services but we're artists and when you're an artist, you can, you don't have to cap out at anything. Like people painters, you know charge $20,000 for a painting, like, if somebody's going to pay it, then you can make it. So I mean, obviously, as long as the quality is there and everything. But yeah, that's one thing that I love about about this industry as compared to other trades. Like a plumber, you can't, you know, come charge $50,000 to Change a toilet out.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 11:36

I mean maybe I don't know, bu n know my know husband , know, yeah, exactly.

Nikki Sanderson: 11:43

We'd be doing it. But yeah, with hair, I mean honestly like if you got that passion, you built that clientele, you, you know, have that brand behind you, then the sky's the limit, so it's really cool.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 11:55

Yeah, exactly, we're going to go a lot through your story about going from being an employee to the owner. But I also want to go back to one thing COVID and I know so. My store I had a physical clothing store was just down the I'm forward down or something. Yeah, yeah from Nikki. So I mean, we saw each other all the time. Of course, I got my hair done there and you guys shopped with me and whatnot. But before we get really into your story, I want to talk a little bit about something you said about COVID, where you had to expand because of the restrictions. And it's almost like the opposite of what people think, because most people downsize during COVID right, got rid of their office space or whatnot to say, but you guys actually, by expanding, that's what kept you going and really now has given you even more success. So do you want to talk a little bit about that? Totally.

Nikki Sanderson: 12:52

Yeah, absolutely yeah. So when I bought the salon, it obviously was one day we had 10 stations but we had nine operating chairs, because one just wasn't really in a good spot, yeah. And then the restrictions happened. Our chairs were just a little bit too close together, so we could only have every other one operating and I think at the time we maybe had eight stylists or eight, or nine, or not even probably. So, yeah, that was five, four or five chairs that we could only use now. So from nine till three, one person stylus came in to use that chair and then from three to nine, the next one came in. So it was almost just like shift work. You had to be really, like you know, tight on your schedule and I mean, yeah, we could have just stayed that way as well. But I just think about, you know, I don't, if I was a stylist and I didn't own the salon at that point, I would not want to work that way for three years, two years, you know just not even having the ability to like be able to stay late for a client because somebody was in that chair, and you know it. Just, it was really packed in there as well.

Nikki Sanderson: 13:57

Also another reason that I decided to expand was the bay next to us had been vacant for probably about a year and, yeah, at that point I kind of well, yeah, when it did become vacant, our old owner before she sold it and had the idea to sell it. She wanted to expand and hopefully take that. But then she decided to sell and then when I took it over, I was like, oh, maybe one day it'll still be open and you know I can have the opportunity to expand. But obviously, like I'm just buying this salon right now, so it's not a good idea to do it right now. And then we closed and yeah, when we were really opened, like obviously we were only open for six weeks, I only had six weeks of money as a new business and the bank account. And then we closed for two months, yeah, and we had no money.

Nikki Sanderson: 14:42

And then to reopen under those restrictions, I just knew that if that space ever got leased which it honestly probably could have, because I feel like post COVID, there was a lot of new businesses popping up. Almost, like you know, people were inspired to start these new businesses and I actually think that somebody was looking at the space, but I ended up getting it just because we were already the tenants there. But yeah, had that space been taken, we would have had to move locations completely. I probably wouldn't even bothered expanding right away, probably wouldn't even expand it at all. So, yeah, I just saw the opportunity and you know, you make a little plan, you run the numbers and if you just, you just have to hire more people and I just figured that would be the least. Of my problems, you know, is just finding people. So, yeah, we did it and I haven't looked back since. It's not like it's been easy all the time, but it's definitely something I don't regret at all. It just pushes us into that next level.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 15:40

Yeah, that's awesome and really you took a really bad situation, which was our people can only work half time really they're working part time hours and you took that into doubling the amount of staff you had. Totally, yeah, which is crazy. I'm hard to believe.

Nikki Sanderson: 15:58

Yeah, I mean, when those stylists are off for two months too, and now they've come back and now they're so limited in their schedule, like that's not fun either. So I just I had this fear I guess you could call it that the people that I had with me, which were awesome people that eventually, after so long they would just go find a new job because they don't wanna work like that. And I wouldn't have wanted you either. So yeah, I mean, I don't know, the risk is risk, it's all the same. I'm kind of learning. So you know, I don't know, it was a good choice for sure. And we ended up yeah, we ended up doubling the space, the chairs, the revenue. Like, honestly, we doubled the revenue.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 16:35

So it worked, I guess yeah, and your expenses probably didn't double, right, right, yeah.

Nikki Sanderson: 16:41

Increase, but not double. Yeah, exactly, the rents obviously doubled, but you know that's kind of a fixed cost and doesn't really change. So I mean the power I don't even honestly, I don't even know what the power bill is in months. Maybe that's a bad thing, but it gets paid, so I don't know. But yeah, it was just. It was the move for sure.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 17:02

Yeah, okay, let's go back a little bit risk. So the former owner is like, hey, hey, nikki, thinking about like I got to sell my salon, are you interested? Are you like absolutely no? Or are you like, yeah, I mean, you're not risk-inverse? Clearly, you expand during a pandemic. So where you're just like, yeah, I'm buying this, this is it, or were you? Did you have to think about it for a long time?

Nikki Sanderson: 17:29

How did that go? Well, yeah, it's not like one day she just came to me and asked me the question flat out, right? I feel like her and I have always been really close. She's always shared business ideas with me, like I feel like I always kind of knew what was happening at the salon and we would have these long talks all the time and I just feel like for five years she really got me to this point to where it wasn't so scary anymore.

Nikki Sanderson: 17:53

So, as she's moving along with her other business and the topics of who's gonna buy it and all that stuff and how she's gonna move along and all that stuff, so obviously I just kind of became the next in line and I think at first I definitely wanted to keep her on almost as like a co-owner for one to two years and that was our original plan. Was to do that because I just like the thought of the bank accounting in my name, like being PST. I was like where do you even go to pay PST? I don't even know what that is like. You know, who do I call the file taxes? Like I just had no idea. So, yeah, she was gonna come on as a co-owner and we I think it was September of 2019.

Nikki Sanderson: 18:33

We went on this retreat together and that's where we decided I would buy the salon and that she would be co-owner though December of 2019, we were signing loans to get funding and at that point I was just like no, you know what I can do this. I don't think that at the end of the day, I have her, no matter what, she's always the phone call, text and meet up away. Yeah, so I didn't feel like that would even serve any of us any purpose. Yeah, and then by February 1st, I owned the salon right out. So, yeah, there was that period that I thought that I would need somebody to help me, and I do have her to help me, but, yeah, you don't need that. So, unless you know nothing about the business, you need somebody to like guide you through like the process. But, like I had said, I feel like for five years she kind of got me to that point.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 19:24

So it was good yeah, that's good. So you were prepared and probably we're gonna get into this about transitioning. But did you think you were prepared and you weren't really prepared, or were you prepared cause I feel like, yeah, like I feel like I was, like I know everything that's happening, and then you start and you're like holy crap, I don't know anything that's happening.

Nikki Sanderson: 19:46

Right, I'm almost like the office that I feel. Like in your own head you think so, not negatively, but I just how could I do this? Like I don't know anything, like I've never paid PST, like how do you make sure that you're good on payroll, like all that stuff? And then you just do it and you're like okay, like it's not that bad. I think you just think that this mountain of things that you have to do, yes, it's very intimidating, but you just kind of do it. It's like anything in life, right, but yeah, yeah.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 20:18

So yeah, yeah, transitioning. So you went from being a full-time stylist and I know you were one of the busiest, probably stylist in the salon so you go from literally seeing clients all day long to now you not only have to see clients but you also have to run the business right. So you now are responsible once you sign that paper and you're the owner. Like you just said, you're responsible for paying the taxes and paying your staff, and I know in the hair industry ordering product right, like you have to get the color in, you have to get the retail products in. Somehow you have to make sure that your team is all a community and they're all getting the education they need and whatnot. So how do you make that transition from being a full-time stylist to now being a stylist and the owner?

Nikki Sanderson: 21:37

Yeah, it was. Honestly, that's been one of the hardest parts, like even still to this day, because, like I said, I loved being a stylist, like knowing that you go to work, you wake up, you go to work, you do hair and not to make that sound monotonous but you just know what your goals are for the day and you leave feeling good. I did this for people. I made them feel great. You don't take anything home with you, really, unless you had a terrible day at work, which is far between. But yeah, it just was easy. Nobody's calling you for this and that and whatnot. If something goes wrong, like there's a matter for you, right? So that was always the best part about doing hair. If you wanted to make more money, you just go in and you do that. You can just take time away like no one's gonna need you, essentially, right, like if you're just, if you're a stylist, like you can just take off whatever you want and you take vacation.

Nikki Sanderson: 22:25

Go for two months, yeah, yeah, it's not a big deal, right? So that was always the best part, for sure. And then I moved into being an owner and now my day is taking care of all these people which I do honestly love so much. But, yeah, it's no longer just about me. I'm responsible now for everybody else's career, which is like a blessing, for sure, because I'm somebody who needs to be motivated and I thrive on that and getting to the next step and all that stuff. So the pressure almost of having all these people's career in my hands is kind of what keeps me going almost.

Nikki Sanderson: 23:02

But yeah, my brain almost I think I've had the toughest time with is just as the owner. You're not behind the chair anymore, so now you have to come up with things to do in the day, and not that there aren't enough things, but what am I gonna work on now? What needs my attention now? And I have a very hard time like focusing on that because I'm constantly getting distracted. It would at home or at the salon, it's all the same.

Nikki Sanderson: 23:27

But the thing that I love most about being behind the chair is just like you're just doing hair. You're washing hair, you're blow drying hair. Now you're coloring it. If you made a mistake, you fixed it, whatever, but your task is right in front of your face. And that's what I loved, and I have definitely had a challenge of coming in and prioritizing what needs to be done. And then, if I didn't do 10 things today, then I walk away feeling like a failure, like you know what I mean Like I didn't do anything today. So in reality, that's not the case. But, yeah, sometimes I do have struggles now with you know, if I have to make content, or, yeah, make a newsletter or something like that, it's, it's. I feel like I'm taking forever to do it. So, but I'm getting better at it.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 24:10

So really, your day to day tasks and life have changed a lot, because it's not you standing with your client anymore and doing their hair. It is now doing a whole bunch of other things.

Nikki Sanderson: 24:23

Right, exactly, and I definitely have more flexibility in my day now for sure, like I don't have to be, I always do try and be present in the salon. I think that's a big thing that helps with the culture and just helps people feel like I'm there for them. Is, you know, I try to be there Tuesday, like I'm not behind the chair, so I'll be there Tuesday mornings, you know, nine till three or two or three, but then I have the option to kind of you know if I have an appointment or something I can leave. Wednesdays has always kind of been my really long day behind the chair. I'm there for anywhere from fall to 13 hours and that day is kind of just like I'm a stylist right now, you know.

Nikki Sanderson: 25:01

But then when something goes wrong on, it's usually on a Wednesdays, you know dishwasher breaks or something goes wrong and then it's just chaotic. And then, yeah, Thursdays I usually you know just up recently I've been working from home a little bit and Fridays I'm back in the salon, just, you know, being there and helping people out, and some Saturdays I go in and some Saturdays I'm behind the chair, not too much anymore. But yeah, I kind of keep that day for myself and Sundays for myself, and then Monday I'm, you know, doing podcasts but this type of thing, like you know, maybe meetings or appointments and stuff Like that. So I definitely have more flexibility in my schedule now, but everything is my responsibility now, right? So even if.

Nikki Sanderson: 25:42

I come home. I'm still working sometimes, which you know it is totally fine, but it's not like I'm just you know taking off for the week or anything like that.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 25:52

Yeah, exactly I like how you said that Saturday and Sunday is your time, because, yeah, especially when you're new I mean, you're now a few years doing this but I think a lot of times what happens is we're like, oh, I'm the owner, now I have to be there or I have to be working, and we forget about ourselves, our literally ourselves our physical health, mental health, relaxation, spending time with your family and friends and all those things, because you're so focused on the business and it is so important to really schedule yourself that time right so you can recharge and rest and relax and everything else.

Nikki Sanderson: 26:30

Yeah, and I think that's no matter what industry you're in. I think it's super important to have that time. You know I'm never not answering my phone if something is like falling apart at the salon. I'm never going to be like, oh no, it's my time, like figure it out yourself. But I think it's very important that everybody business owner, stylist or wherever you work that you do have those days.

Nikki Sanderson: 26:51

My thing has always been in my expectations of you know, employees is like when you're scheduled to work, you work hard, like I want your 110%, and then when you're off, like don't worry about it, like you take your time off, you take vacations, it's never going to be a problem. But yeah, as long as you're, you know, giving it your all and putting that hard work in during your working hours, you know if you want to come in on your day off and do content totally like that's your choice to do that. But yeah, I'm never going to force somebody. You know, even with like clients, like even if it was, you know, a correction or something like I hope that you get them in during your working hours and on the very rare chance that you have to do it outside of your hours, I guess that's just part of the industry. But I would never say to somebody yeah, you're going to have to stay, you know, on a Sunday and do this like that's your time. So, yeah, yeah.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 27:42

Yeah, and that's a good outlook because you're showing your team how important it is to take care of themselves.

Nikki Sanderson: 27:48

And for sure. And yeah, as the owner too, I feel like you know, maybe it's different in another industry, but if the salon falls apart, if I'm not there for a Saturday or if I take a week of vacation, the salon is falling apart, like obviously I didn't hire the right people, I'm not doing my job properly, right, like I should. I want to be there and I am there, but if I'm not for some reason and it things blow up like what does that say about the business? That doesn't function that well by itself, right? So yeah, kind of the balance that I want to have is that I will be there, I am always available in there, but if I'm not, for some, reason if something comes up, then everybody's good.

Nikki Sanderson: 28:24

you know it's got a good system in place, so yeah.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 28:27

Yeah, that's a great point, because most people look at success as financial, like, oh, we make money, we make good money, okay, great, but having the right people on the right procedures in place, you shouldn't have to be at your business all day, every day that's. You shouldn't have to do that because your business should be able to run without you there. That, to me, is the real sign of success.

Nikki Sanderson: 28:52

Totally, and especially now that I'm not just doing hair. I would be there if I was doing clients all day, and now I'm answering emails, editing content, making content, like doing all these things that don't necessarily require me to be at the salon, and sometimes it's. You know, our salon has 15 chairs now, probably like 14 staff members, and you know we've got this big table at the front and if I sit there and work, I absolutely love it because I can be present in the salon. But then, you know, the stylists are coming up to talk to me, which is fine. You know my clients or other clients walk in. They want to chat, like you know, distributors they're coming in to chat, like the phone rings, all that stuff. So it is quite distracting, but I do still want to be there. But sometimes I just have to work from home to have that quiet time and, yeah, I think that that's not a bad thing.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 29:39

No, I agree, I always think it's funny too, and you probably feel the same. But when you said that it's kind of distracting, I used to do that too. Sometimes I'd be like, oh, I'll just go to my store and work for a few hours and all of that ended up happening was my staff asked me questions and I'm like, if I wasn't here, would you have texted me that or would you have just they're like I probably would have just done it. I'm like, yeah, like you don't need to ask me, then just do what you think you should do. And it is good to network with your, with your client, even if they're not your client, like they're coming to your business.

Nikki Sanderson: 30:10

But you're right, there is also that point where you don't get anything productive done because you're just spending time visiting and answering and chatting and answering the phone, you know, and all that stuff, hanging coats up, like which you know sounds like, yeah, but I want to be there. Somebody walks in and somebody's not at the front. Then you got to, you know, greet them, hang their coat up, which you know is obviously expected, but yeah, then it, anything I'm working on, like I said, my brain gets very distracted and then I just 30 minutes go by and I'm like, oh, yeah, I was supposed to be working on that thing, so, and then it's three o'clock and then I'm going home.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 30:47

So, yeah, exactly, oh yeah, hours fly when you're in your business, like you don't realize, like oh, it's only lunchtime and all of a sudden it's four and you're like, how did that happen?

Nikki Sanderson: 30:58

Yeah, and I accomplished nothing.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 31:00

Yeah, yeah, exactly yeah. What has been the most challenging thing for you with this change?

Nikki Sanderson: 31:10

I would probably say, just challenge it. Yeah, like being now responsible for everybody. You know you got to check in on everybody and make sure you know everyone's growing and loving their work, which, at the end of the day, you know if you don't, then do something about it. You know, it's not like I'm babysitting or anything, but I think sometimes that because I mean, I was kind of always somebody who never needed that Like I'm just like I had a leash obviously that inspired me and all that, but I never needed like I'm feeling something today, like I need like motivation and you know I just I kind of made it for myself and I knew what I wanted and nothing was really going to stop me.

Nikki Sanderson: 31:55

Sometimes it is, you know, a little, a little hard sometimes when you have to do that for people, but that's just part of of being the owner and I, yeah, I wouldn't change it for anything, but I would just kind of say that is feeling with people's not everybody's personality, but just a certain type for sure. And, yeah, trying to make sure that everybody's always feeling good. And yeah, because sometimes you know you're not feeling good and I, yeah, I don't know.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 32:24

It's true. And you're taking on everyone else's stress kind of as your own right, like to make sure that everybody's happy. Everybody's doing what they're supposed to be doing. How can you improve things? There's a problem? What do you do that? Even if you don't think about it, you're taking on that load yourself now right. Where before that wasn't your problem.

Nikki Sanderson: 32:46

Yeah, exactly, I would just maybe hear about it through. You know what I mean. I didn't even have to ever deal with it. But yeah, and just you know the hardest part, just I don't know. There's just you know, some months are so great and overall, overall it's been great. Some months are very hard and you know, when you're feeling down, the team feel like they feed off that energy as well. So it's very hard sometimes to make sure that you're keeping like I'm keeping myself motivated when I come in. You know I can't be moping around and I don't. But imagine if your owner just did that and you're like, oh okay, well, that's not the energy I wanted today. So you know, above everything that you go through as an owner, you always have to remember that there's, you know, 10, 15 other people looking at you. You know who will immediately, like change their behavior based off how you're acting. So sometimes that's hard to for sure.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 33:40

Yeah, do really. You're putting everybody else before you.

Nikki Sanderson: 33:42

Yeah.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 33:43

Yeah, you're really under the microscope for sure when you're the owner, because how you handle situations, your attitude, all of that, people are looking for you. Like you said, Alicia was your mentor. You are the mentor now to many of the stylists there, so they're looking at you right. So you have to bring that positive energy and problem-solve and all of that everything.

Nikki Sanderson: 34:06

Exactly, yeah, be the cheerleader for everybody. And I mean honestly, I do love it. I love my job so much in this position that I've changed into. But yeah, I think that would be. The hardest part is just dealing with so many personalities and you know so many people want different things and have different work ethics. Not like a bad standard, but yeah, it's just. You know what you see in one person. You wish you could duplicate it across the board almost, and you know, if it doesn't happen that way, then you're kind of like okay.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 34:36

Yeah, yeah for sure. What has been the best part about going from an employee to the owner?

Nikki Sanderson: 34:43

Ooh, that's a good one. Um, the best part, I would. Maybe this sounds like a little selfish, or not even selfish, but just looking at everything and being like wow, like I didn't obviously create that by myself, like I've got a whole team of people that have equally played an important role, but when you look back on it, you're like wow, I did that, like I really I think that that's just such a cool thing. And then you know this person's successful, or going on this to this class, or you know their dreams are coming true because of a part that I played, and you know I think that that's like really cool and a huge motive. Yeah, factor in my motivation that keeps me going is is seeing that for sure. Yeah, it's awesome.

Nikki Sanderson: 35:29

Being the owner is honestly awesome, like I said, like more of a flexible schedule to an extent, for sure, but it's more pressure having everything on me. But it is cool just to look at how it all comes together and to be like I did that, like that, you know, with me.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 35:47

So, yeah, obviously there's a lot of people that help out, but no, it's something definitely to be proud of and I can tell you from someone that's started a business, ran business, sold a business, moved on the relationships that you have with your team. Those relationships are lifelong. Like I still have people that work for me now my business. I opened my business 10 years ago already. I have people that worked for me 10 years ago. I have one staff member I'm not old enough to be her mom, but I kind of always feel like her mom a little bit because she was like 18 when she started for me. N s. She called the other day hey, would you be a reference for the? You know, like you still have those bonds with people and seeing what an amazing woman she's become like that brings me so much joy. And it really has nothing to do with my business, it's just those connections with your team. They're life changing for sure. Yeah.

Nikki Sanderson: 36:45

And your team, honestly, is your biggest. It's the biggest thing in the business, for sure, because, yeah, without clients you wouldn't have any revenue, you wouldn't have a business, but it does start with your team.

Nikki Sanderson: 36:55

Like, imagine calling into a business and their customer service department is atrocious, like you would never shop there, right? So I think it really boils down to who you keep on your team and that's one of my biggest things is who we hire, who we have to let go if it's not working. But yeah, I'm a huge supporter of my team because I honestly think without them who they were we would not be where we are today. So I will always, you know, stick up for them. You know, obviously within reason, but yeah, they're the person that I fight for and stick up for.

Nikki Sanderson: 37:28

And you know we have policies in place and you know we've changed up how we charge for things and all that, just so it supports them and betters them. For sure, because you know, I don't want them to ever feel like, you know, I'm just only there for the money and I don't care about them, because that's it's almost the opposite Like I care so much about them and their success because that's what I had. And you would never want to feel like your boss or whatever is against you, right, like you're going to, you're walking on eggshells if you know you have a customer complaint or customer said this or that or whatever. Like yeah, I'm going to, you know, I'm going to be on their side, but also on the customer side too, if that makes sense.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 38:10

But yeah, yeah, I think, too, having the team that you have also comes back to you, because that's who you hire and that's who you train and that's who you mentor, right? So a lot of that is you, which you should be really proud of?

Nikki Sanderson: 38:26

Yeah, totally. And I mean, yeah, it's just who you surround yourself with. Like, I don't want to work with people I don't like either. You know, yes, there's different personalities you have to deal with in a day, but I want to work with people I like and I'm sure that they feel the same and you know they want to work with people that they like.

Nikki Sanderson: 38:39

So it's kind of like, you know, if we hire somebody new, it's a mutual decision among the team, Like, do we like this person? Does everybody get along with them and see them doing well here? And you know, for a couple of people, like, no, not really. Then okay, that's not a problem. Like, you know, I don't not trust their judgment because, yeah, if you have a good team, you want to make sure that those people end up liking coming to work and all that stuff. So, for sure, I think it's important to, yeah, as an owner, support your team the best that you can, because that'll end up coming back into your business and you'll end up having clients that love your staff and love your business.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 39:11

So yeah, yeah, and that's the best philosophy to have, right, because, at the end of the day, your staff is happier, you're happier, your business is better. It's a win across the board, right.

Nikki Sanderson: 39:23

Definitely yeah, and the happier staff that feels respected and valued and, like they're, you know, have the potential to earn. Like a great wage equals happy customers, because that's the energy that they're seeing as well, right? So if everybody was miserable and hated their life, then the client would be like I don't want to be there. So then it would just be yeah, instantly fall apart.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 39:43

So yeah, I love that. Do you have a most important lesson that you've learned from going from an employee to the owner?

Nikki Sanderson: 39:52

Yes, that's a good one too. I don't know how to put it into like an eloquent phrase, I guess, but I would probably say the only person holding you back is you. I guess. If you're probably wondering why things aren't happening for you, I would think that they're looking in the mirror, because I truly believe that good things come to people who work hard for them and have a great attitude and outlook on life and you know, they're able to be flexible and adapt to change and all that stuff. I've worked with people who definitely no longer work there, but you know, you'd ask them one little thing and it would be a fight. You know those type of people. But then they're wondering why, you know, why this, why that? Why am I not busy this?

Nikki Sanderson: 40:42

And I just think it's such a full circle thing like my big, my thing that I always tell people to is you go into any situation and any job whether you honestly like it or not. If you don't like it, then leave. That's your choice, right. But if you go into a situation and you're just like, what can this do for me? What can this person do for me? I'm only here to you know, take what they can give me. It's not going to be a very long relationship, I feel like. But if you go into every relationship, work, whatever, saying how can I add value to this day, what can I do that's going to make this person's day better or easier, whatever, honestly, is how I always went into work. Just how can I make the day better? All that stuff when I was a stylist and it got me to this point. And you know, if I didn't like the salon then I would have left. But I love the salon and I feel like that's because of my outlook on it.

Nikki Sanderson: 41:35

So yeah, I just I would say, like probably the only person holding you back is you, and you know everybody wants and even if you don't want the thing you still want to make decent money and everybody wants to like their job right. But, yeah, sometimes the only person getting in your way is you.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 41:53

So, yeah, yeah for sure. Look at yourself, if you what were presented with the opportunity to buy the store or the salon and you would have said, no, I don't think I can do it.

Nikki Sanderson: 42:04

That would have been the end of that right and like look what you've done yeah, yeah, or just yeah, had a generally bad attitude or you know, just push back on everything.

Nikki Sanderson: 42:14

And you know there's been some hard conversations that the former owner has had with the team previous team and, um, some went good, some didn't, all that stuff, but I just was. I remember always being like, yeah, whatever you got to do to make sure that this place stays open, I'm fine with, because I don't want to lose my job, right, but yeah, I left and moved on somewhere because I didn't like what was happening when I wouldn't have owned it. And I get that not everybody wants to own. That's that's what I thought, too, right, and but but not everybody has that too. Like you have to be, you know, a certain type of person to want to take this on for sure. And um, yeah, I don't think that everybody has that ability for sure, but I didn't want to own it either, and and now I do and I don't work at it at all. So, yeah, sometimes you just have to be open to the opportunity and and take them as they come, because you never know what one year, two years, five years is gonna look like.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 43:03

So, for sure is there anything you wish you had known?

Nikki Sanderson: 43:09

Yeah, definitely like going into it. I think I was a little naive, for sure. Um, just regarding, like, what people would say to you and you know how not everybody's on your side at the end of the day, like, even if it appears that way. Um, so I wish I just would have not tried to give so much to some people just because I thought, oh, like I am so desperate to keep them on, you know. Um, yeah, I wish I just would have like realized that I want to keep my team, obviously, but some, some people you just can't keep on your team. They're just it's just too toxic and it drains you and it's only going to be bad in the long run. So, yeah, if you ever have people like this on your team, just get rid of them.

Nikki Sanderson: 43:56

So I'd be, some advice for sure.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 43:58

Nikki, I didn't learn that until many years in. I call it breaking up with people, and it also goes for clients. It's okay to break up with clients totally oh my gosh yeah that is.

Nikki Sanderson: 44:10

That is a huge thing too, is that? Yes, one thing that I've learned as well is not everybody's your client like you don't need to do the hair of every single person in the city. That is not even possible, right, there are some people who do not get your business. They don't get the way that you operate, they don't respect your policies, and that's actually like a huge rule that I have, too is I I believe in customer service to the 10th degree, but if you don't respect my team and the policies that we've set in place because of certain things that have happened, then they can't have you in the salon.

Nikki Sanderson: 44:41

Like that's just, you know, just because you're a customer, like seeking out services doesn't give you the right to come here, like it's a two-way thing, right, so that's a huge thing that I then we don't fire a lot of clients. It's maybe one to two a year. But, yeah, if you don't respect their policies, like you don't agree with them, that's totally fine, but it's just not going to be the salon for you. But we, a business, has to have policies in place for a reason, and and yeah, and that just supports the salon, it supports the staff members, it makes people feel like they have, you know, like a clear path of what's going to happen and yeah, so that's a huge thing too. It is everybody's your client yeah, not everybody's your client.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 45:19

It doesn't matter what your business is. You are not the place for everyone and don't try to be. This is a great way to end here, because you cannot ever be everything to everyone, so find your niche, stick to it right, yeah, and and people, you know, clothing people, some people don't see the value.

Nikki Sanderson: 45:38

And expensive clothing, yeah, quality clothing not everybody sees the value in just hair, even just a $30 haircut. They don't care what it looks like, right? So they're not going to like the $100 haircut, they're not, certainly not going to like the price of it and I'm not going to notice the difference between the $100 and the $30 one. So they're definitely not our client, for sure.

Nikki Sanderson: 45:55

And yeah there's just different levels of you know what a customer pays in every industry cars, houses, all that stuff. So you just have to find what that client likes and it's could not be yours and that's totally fine. You can't be like heartbroken or feel like you failed or you have terrible customer service every time you know there's an upset customer or you have to like let somebody go, it's just, it's just how it is so yeah, I agree that that old saying the customer is always right is wrong.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 46:27

That's what I always say. No, the customer is always right until they're not right right. So if they're wrong, they're wrong.

Nikki Sanderson: 46:34

Yeah, it does happen, like our policy of the salon is. You know, 90 over 95 percent of complaints or issues get fixed like we'll deal with it, absolutely, we take that on. And then there's a very small amount where, like I said, you're just not our client, you're never going to get it, you never we're going to respect anything, no matter what we do, it's not going to be good enough. And then you just have to let go of them. And yeah, obviously those are going to be ones that write reviews and you know, have, you know create the biggest uproar. But then you have to remember all the thousands of other ones who love your business and you know you would literally do anything for to keep them and you've got to find your good clients and do anything to keep those ones for sure yeah, the old 80 20 rule right.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 47:18

20 percent of your people are going to bring you 80 percent of your revenue.

Nikki Sanderson: 47:22

So find those 20 and treat them well yeah, and how it's so much more expensive to find a new client as it is to keep your existing ones.

Nikki Sanderson: 47:29

So you know, obviously we do want new clients, but if you're just not the right fit, then I, just I as a business owner, like there's stress I'm willing to take on, but I just I cannot deal with the stress of a continually like upset client who's just always causing problems, like just not respecting policies, like you know. I just I can't deal with it. It's just I don't even want to.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 47:50

So well, and you don't have to. That's the glory of owning your own business.

Nikki Sanderson: 47:54

You say goodbye and that's that yeah, yeah, then that's a nice thing too, is you get to set your own policies and make make the final decision, and yeah, that's kind of nice too.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 48:02

So yeah, for sure, Nikki. Thank you so much. This time has just flown by. It literally did. It's already been 1 minutes. I know I don't even understand how this happens, but I know people are going to want to know more about you and more about Capelli. So where is the best place for them to find you?

Nikki Sanderson: 48:19

Definitely Instagram my tag. What do you call it a handle? Yeah, it's a Nikki, a Capelli, that's. Yeah, that's where you can find all of our team members, their name, at Capelli. It's kind of the thing that we've taken on. So, yeah, you can find me there to reach out if you have any questions awesome.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 48:36

Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. I love your transition and I have been there from the start. I feel like seeing you, so I'm very proud. Congratulations on all of your success.

Nikki Sanderson: 48:46

Mackenzie, you're welcome h h having having having me on.

Mackenzie Kilshaw: 48:48

It was so much fun it was. Thank you so much and to everybody listening, we'll see you on the next episode. Thanks for listening to winning. Be sure to subscribe to get all of our new episodes. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the podcast, please share it with others, post about on social media and leave a rating and review wherever you listen to winning. To catch all of the latest from us, you can follow winning podcast on Instagram a winning podcast, facebook at Facebook winning podcast Winning and Podcast on twitter at Twitter winning a pod. Winning was created and is produced by me, mackenzie Kilshaw Mackenzie music created by summer for Summer me f by Seth Armstrong. Special thanks to shana foster for Shauna voicing Foster our opening and, of course, a huge thank you to this episode's guest. Thanks again for listening and I'll see you on the next episode.