357 The 4 Disciplines Behind Every Salon Success Story

[upbeat music] We live in a world where there is an overabundance of information, and as a result, information on its own now has very little value because on Google or AI, there's an answer to literally every question. On YouTube, there's a video of literally every technique, and on podcasts and online courses, business lessons like this are readily available. But despite access to all that information, most people still don't change. For example, they know that they should exercise, but they don't. They know that they should save money, but they don't. They know they should increase their prices. They know they should post on social media. They know they should have difficult conversations with staff. But despite knowing all that, most people still don't do it. So when it comes to succeeding at anything, a lack of access to knowledge isn't the problem. The problem is that there's a gap between knowing and doing. I'm Anthony Whitaker, and welcome to this week's episode of the Grow My Salon Business podcast. I spend a lot of time thinking about success, what it is and what it isn't, and why some people seem to find success earlier than others. And I spend a lot of time helping hairdressers and salon owners become more successful at what they do. Now, many of us spend a lot of time looking for the secret, the key, the one thing that we think will change everything. We read all the right books, we attend seminars, we work through courses in the hope of finding the difference that will make the difference. And don't get me wrong, all those things are important, and they're definitely part of the process that will bring about change. But the problem is that most people are looking for a shortcut. They want it to be easy, and they want it to be instant. They don't want to put the work in. But unfortunately, to really succeed at anything, it requires putting the work in. And if change and success is the end goal, then there are additional ingredients that are needed to be added into the mix, so to speak. So what are they? Where are they? And how can you get your hands on them? Well, I've got four words written down in front of me, and I think that these four words are the four words that underpin all success, and it's having mastery over these four words that is the key to succeeding. Now, I spent well over 30 years working with salon owners in dozens of different countries. I've interviewed hundreds of successful people on this podcast, and I've watched careers flourish and businesses fail. Different personalities, different countries, different opportunities. But underneath all those differences, I've noticed the same four words turning up again and again. The problem is these four words are not particularly fun. They're definitely not new, and they're not sexy, and they're certainly not instant gratification or even quick to show results. But I can't think of anyone in any area of life, whether it's playing a musical instrument or playing football or cutting and coloring hair or succeeding in business, where these four words or principles or disciplines don't apply. And it's that word, disciplines, that is the first hint into what those words