Beauty Business Strategies
The podcast where salon, spa, medspa, barbershop, and lash studio owners — just like you — learn quick tips to make more money, inspire your team, and create world-class client experiences.
Beauty Business Strategies
Transforming Salon Culture by Valuing Every Voice with Michell Bartlein
On this episode, we sit down with Michell Bartlein, owner of Savoye Salon in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Certified Strategies Coach, and recent Salon Today Top 200 winner in the Culture category. Michelle shares her personal journey of transforming Savoye Salon into a thriving community where team members are valued as equals, fostering a culture of trust, collaboration, and innovation. From annual retreats that reinforce trust to a brand identity that unites rather than divides, get ready to learn how to cultivate a workspace where everyone plays a critical role in the game.
Conversation highlights:
0:27 Winning the Salon Today Top 200 for Culture
4:00 Running a salon like a championship basketball team
7:09 How communication feeds your culture
9:40 The Three C's of Culture
15:16 Addressing conflicts while maintaining harmony
19:12 Navigating tough conversations
21:12 Michell's one tip for strengthening your business culture
Watch the video of this episode: https://youtu.be/6acnba8_6rk
To learn more about how Strategies can help you create more profit, fun, and growth potential for you, your business, and your team, schedule a free 60-minute strategy session:
Schedule a free 60-minute strategy session: https://strategies.com/free-coaching-session
Strategies: https://www.strategies.com
Salon/Spa Business Coaching: https://strategies.com/memberships/
In-Person Salon/Spa Seminars: https://strategies.com/seminars/
Podcast: https://strategies.com/podcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strategies4biz/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strategies
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@strategies4biz
The Beauty Business Strategies Podcast is designed to give salon, spa, medspa, barbershop, and lash studio owners, just like you, quick tips to make more money, inspire your team, and create world-class client experiences.
Welcome to the Beauty Business Strategies Podcast. I'm Christy Hardy here with Michael Yost, and today we are joined by Michelle Bartlein, who is the owner of Savoy Salon out in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and a certified strategies coach and the newest Salon Today Top 200 winner in the culture category. Welcome, Michelle, we're glad to have you, hey. Michelle Hello're glad to have you. Hey, michelle. Hello, congratulations on that award before we get started. It's a real honor to be nominated and to be the true award winner, in the culture category especially. It's a really important one.
Speaker 3:This was my favorite one. This is the one I always want to win, because I without culture, there's nothing. So this one really spoke to me and I was like, yay, it was a celebration with our team. Honestly, it was a, it's a celebration for our team and, um, it just solidifies. You know that we're we're on course. It's not that we have a perfect we're're on course, and when I do these applications because they're pretty lengthy, kind of like an, it's like a test to see, you know, a validation of, like a check and balance process. It's a check and balance like okay, are we really doing what we say we're doing? So it is, it's very exciting. Thank you, that's awesome, yeah that's so cool.
Speaker 2:I mean, the culture piece is an awesome thing, like you just kind of had said, and I'm curious to know, like, what is this? Why is this the one that you kind of somewhat answered it, but really, why is this the one that you want to win?
Speaker 3:I, you know, I have to go back in 2012, when I started. I took over Savoy. I purchased Savoy it was a, it was a young company and took it over and I realized, okay, this is not how I want to work, live any of that. So it was like okay, there's, there's something that I have to change and, of course, you know I can talk about, I mean, strategies is a big part of it, but I am you're not going to see me reading a lot of fictional books. I'm always reading the self-help books and whatnot, and everything was very parallel when it came to business, and leadership is number one.
Speaker 3:But if your company culture is not healthy, there's really not much to it. So it was like, ok, we got to, I got to figure out. You notice, I always say the word we, because this is not just me, am a, I play at the same level as the rest of the team and I think that is the. That's something, as an owner, I find really important to get down to earth with that. You're not bigger, better, you don't. You don't walk on a pedestal, things of that nature. It's get down to their level, because you're no different, you just play a different role on that team. So as soon as then I learned that culture was going to make the shift of what I didn't like, because it was just a country club. A good culture builds trust, yeah.
Speaker 2:I think that's I was going to say. I think you bring up the the key word there. You know that idea of trust, but I think you hit on it, which is we all have to play the role the same way, like we're not. I mean, our roles are all different, but we're all playing that same game is maybe the better way to say it. Well, we each have different roles in the game of our business, it still is we're all playing that same exact game, and I think that's what you just were sharing, michelle. Which is so important is, you know, your culture is one that's built on this idea of hey, listen, this might be my title, this might be my job description, but you know it takes all of us playing this you know our specific roles to be able to achieve what we want to achieve.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, I go back to. I grew up playing basketball and I used to. When I was in my salon and spa, I used to reference basketball a lot, and we're right now in Husky season, but it's, you know. I think about the different roles, as you were saying, like there's a coach that is leading this team. That is just as important as that. You know, the person who is the point guard, the person who is the center. There are so many pieces that are so specific but so necessary to all be involved. You know, at the same level of passion, and it doesn't matter if you're the owner, if you're a stylist, if you're an esthetician or front desk person. It's, you know, it's truly is about being on the same court, on the same field together. So that's awesome.
Speaker 3:You nailed it. I too am a basketball person at heart. Analogies, using a lot of analogies with your team to get them to a place of understanding that whole concept. That it's not about what is the show with the miracle. It's not about the name on the back. It's about the you know it's the team name. It's not about you know Bart line on the back. It's about the you know it's the team name. It's not about you know Bart line on the back of my shirt. It's about it's the voice lawn spa.
Speaker 3:We're all in this together, yeah, and, and we really did, um, we do retreats. It kind of runs in the let's try that again. It runs me into cause. I get really excited about a retreat. Our retreats are, um, something that we do every year. Um, and we have a focus, and one year we did that. It was focused all around that. We even got shirts that had their last names on the back and then Savoy on the front and they really started rallying around it.
Speaker 3:So what I'm getting to is it's getting analogies to get them to understand. It really isn't about, in fact, we don't have the word manager, we don't have the word director, things of that nature. We all know what our roles are in the company and we also let it happen organically. So I'm tapping into and finding what they're really good at and letting them run with it, because they all bring fantastic contributions to the culture. And so, there again, it's bringing that trust in.
Speaker 3:It doesn't matter if you're two months into being at Savoy, if you're new, it doesn't mean you're going to sit down and do nothing. It's like what do you got to contribute? You have something which leads into personality of you. You have something which leads into personality. You know personality is a big aspect into if you fit into our culture. That's how we hire. You know, if you've got that mentality, that you're motivated, you're teachable, you're coachable, you know it just leads into the next piece. So what I would say is you know we look at those fine details that most don't look at instead of looking at. You know, here's our. Okay, we've got our goals that we want to reach. We don't look at the goals. We break everything down, which includes culture. We break everything down into areas that will make the biggest impact.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it always ties back. I'm sorry to cut you off. There Is communication, one of those key areas Like how do you communicate with your team around culture?
Speaker 3:For sure. So right out of the gate, when we're interviewing, we do kind of have a process to it. When we're interviewing, we do kind of have a process to it. I meet with somebody first and then it comes down to our team. Our team does the interviewing. So the communication piece right there is, you know, they're reading into the personality, like I said, and then they'll do the assessments of their skills and whatnot. But right there we're laying out communications really important to us. So more honest you can be with us all around, the more that we're going to grow together. And it goes back into that team thing, like you were saying. We're in it to win and we're trying to find the team players that are going to bring the best pieces to the table. So then, communication. I was talking to you earlier.
Speaker 3:I removed myself from having really formal sit downs. Yes, we do performance reviews regularly, but even those when I do interviewing, I get really down to earth with them as well. I don't want it to be stuffy, I want them to be in their natural state. I want them to feel that safety and that connection with us right out of the gate. But then we have coffee talks, so our one-on-ones.
Speaker 3:Just come sit in my office. My door's always open. I actually have sticky notes on my door, so if my door is shut, it might just be that you know I'm recording something, I'm listening, but otherwise there's a sticky note. Come on in. My door's always open. I want to know what's going on in their world. I want them, you know, friendly, I want to be friends with them, and the more that you can get to that concept of being on a friendly level instead of it, I'm your boss, you're the employee they're more open to telling you things I can read into. You know, if they seem down one day it's like, hey, you all right, but again, communication. I want them to feel very comfortable, being comfortable talking to each other myself. That again, that goes back to I'm not higher than them. We're in this together. So communication is absolutely one of our key values.
Speaker 2:I think one of the things that I love that you're sharing that, and one of the things that's kind of hitting my brain is I'm almost hitting these idea that there are like three C's around culture, culture's three C's, cause you mentioned a couple of things just mentioned communication. You know is is something, but I love that you talked about. You know, prior to this too, you you talked about contribution and you talked about and again, all this does to us is connection. So, we think about contribution, connection and communication being the key to culture.
Speaker 1:I like it. There's a T-shirt in here somewhere I know there's a.
Speaker 3:T-shirt in here.
Speaker 2:I just got to figure it out. It's coming to me as I'm sitting, but I like the idea of contribution. You talked about that, you know, earlier, and it really kind of hit me, as you were, the way you were talking and listening to what you're sharing is, I think one of the keys is showing people how they can contribute and giving them ways to give a contribution, to be a part of something that does make that connection with something. But you know, I think that is a big building block when we talk about culture and how do you grow a stronger culture? People have to feel a part of it and I think that's where a contribution comes in.
Speaker 2:What do you do, like, let's say, for example, I mean, you know in your business now, michelle, you probably have brand new people that are part of your business how does someone? How can you get someone? How do you show them contribution or being able to contribute there? But also, how do you kind of hold with that with someone that may be now the opposite end of the spectrum, maybe someone that's been with you for, you know, 10 years, 15 years, however, right, more longevity when is? How does that play in both sides of that?
Speaker 3:In contribution. You're saying, like, how do they contribute to the team in general?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I think there's. How do they contribute to the team, how do they contribute to the culture, how do they just even contribute to the business on the day-to-day? That makes them feel as though they have a place in there, which I think all of that leads to, that that, to me, is at the heart of that whole culture piece that you have in your company. So, yeah, I mean, whichever way you want to look at it, whatever lens I think is the right one, but I'm looking at it like this.
Speaker 3:So it's, it's so. I'm looking at it like this so you have to remove yourself again as the owner. That it's micromanaging. Don't go away from the micromanaging and having things be just so uber structured. We have tons of systems.
Speaker 3:I have a younger one where you know I always ask them in a review or even a one-on-one. You know their coffee talks, you know what's speaking to you right now. What do you love to do? What is what's you know coming at you? What do you feel like you want to tap into? Because it changes as their career goes on and so, like I have a younger one and she's like I really want to take care of, like the newsletter, I want to do a newsletter and I want to do, like, um, some imagery up in the front on this board and she just runs with it. I trust her enough. I don't even look at the newsletter anymore. I don't because I trust her, but I let her and she's only been with us three years, so what does that do to somebody new that comes in? They're like wow, I can expand on areas I want to grow in. I don't push services if they don't want to do a certain service. They're uncomfortable, it's whatever it may be, but I want them to prosper in areas that they love, and they come up with new services all the time.
Speaker 3:So then you flip on the other end of the spectrum and so I have some that are, you know, like me, about 30 years in the industry. Your body starts to say nope, can't do that too much anymore. They go into different leadership roles, like we do a huge fundraiser it's going on right now For Earth Month. We have a beanbag tournament we've done for many years and we make money for the Great Lakes and she heads all that. So if you think about the advertising, the community connection and there's another C Michael, we really like get involved in our community and they also allow me then on my end I'm very involved in our community and it does bring, it does contribute to that culture piece.
Speaker 3:Again, it contributes to the growth of our company because customers love seeing that. They love seeing our connection within us. So I mean just tying in from every moment you're in the company. It's really letting you pick and choose some areas that you want to play into it. So there's never like a definitive like here's what you do at the first year, and here's what you do at your 30th year. It's what? What makes you sing? People hear me say this a lot. It's what makes you sing, what makes your heart sing, because if you're singing, we're all singing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. You really are fostering innovation within your team. It doesn't have to come from you as the owner. As something new, let's try something. I think that's awesome. That's really great. That's really great.
Speaker 2:What makes your heart sing, christy, oh my gosh right.
Speaker 1:Nothing like putting me on the spot right, connection right. I think we all get into this business because of it. I want to be a part of something that is making the world a better place, whether it's just in our small little community or the greater community. I think that's it's probably something that is ingrained in many of us that are in this industry for sure. All right, so I'm going to flip the switch on you. I have a question for you, michelle Michael. You pipe in on this one too. What steps can salon owners take to address conflicts constructively?
Speaker 1:and maintain harmony. So, like we are talking about things that make it feel like kumbaya, everything is always perfect at Savoy or at Strategies, or you know. Insert name what happens when it's not?
Speaker 3:How do you deal with that? And I pridefully say at this point I mean, this is how many years in the making. We don't have that. But I will tell you how it got to this point. We don't have that because we really foster the concept of you know, teaching in the moment, coaching in the moment, um, and you know, of course not in front of a customer or anything like that. But it doesn't make sense to me to come tell me something and then it's, it's, you know, it's just regurgitated. I may say a different go, take care of it. So we work at it like any other relationship. If it's a marriage and I that's the analogy I use this is just like a family. We have to respect it as a family. There are going to be times that we grumble at each other, but we have to, we have to take care of it right in that moment. We don't go to sleep mad, right? Yeah, but how did it get to that point?
Speaker 3:It was in several meetings. Our staff meetings are work sessions. They're very organized. We work on a topic. The last one we've been doing is self-reflection. That was one of our last topics was self-reflection. We got really deep into that. But when you really foster that kind of thinking it gets them to be self-sufficient and I want them to be solutionists. Yeah, so you know the conflict's not there. But it took a long time to be able to get them to open up and trust this whole idea.
Speaker 3:To be really fair, when anyone leaves Savoy, I pridefully go. You know it hasn't been over conflict. They leave because they have children. They move out of the area. They just, you know it hasn't been over conflict. They leave because they have children. They move out of the area. They just, you know, for whatever reason, just they choose not to be in the into the profession anymore and usually, again, it goes into children.
Speaker 3:But you know, I feel really prideful that we're. You know it's part of our, our, our vision and our mission is to create a chain of good in the community and beyond. You know so we part of our, our, our vision and our mission is to create a chain of good in the community and beyond. You know so we're, we're really setting that tone of. I hope, no matter when they, if they leave, they still have these skill sets, that they're doing this out in their families, they're doing this out in the community. So it goes a lot further than just in Savoy, but really that if there were a conflict, okay, if we rewind, christy, yeah it. This is the steps that I would. I would coach somebody to do as well. Um, you know, don't do it when you're angry, like if you give yourself the 24 hour rule. Get the emotion out of it.
Speaker 3:Second of all, write down the things that you feel are important you need to talk about. That's a key, isn't?
Speaker 1:it. I always thought that was a huge key. I wrote down stuff all the time, I didn't want to forget what was important. I also need to really reanalyze what I was going to talk about.
Speaker 3:Asking them. Okay, so you have your perception of what happened in that conflict. What is their perception? Perception is it's different to everybody. Make sure you're you're listening to hear their words and be fair. Don't interrupt them. Let them talk, hear what they have to say and then work together. Ok, so clearly we have to get through this. What do you see as a solution? What do you see? Let them answer, that's great. And then come to a compromise and a timeline and some steps. So nobody loves tough conversations. I don't know. My husband laughs because he thinks I love tough conversations. I'm like, no, I love resolution, I love getting through them. I think that's I don't like when things are, when people aren't getting along. I want to find peace. So I think that's why maybe it looks like I like tough conversations, I like peace. So it's how, how can you find peace? And it's listening and you know finding a solution and you know working together. Back to that collaboration yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Well, I was going to say I think that's you know, I love what you shared and I think that's part of the key is, I think, when you think about conflict, I think conflict happens because there is lack of communication, and really that's one part of it, sure, but staying with even what we've kind of used as our just kind of stumbled upon theme in some ways, but it's when people feel disconnected. That lack of connection I think that's the heart of where conflict probably starts is the fact that there wasn't a lot of great communication around maybe a certain area, a certain topic, whatever, and I feel disconnected from that. And therefore, now, I think that's where we get off on, you know, different wavelengths, different opinions, different thoughts on it. So I love what you shared. You know, michelle, with that is just, you know it's like all right, how do we recenter ourselves sometimes? You know what does that need to look like? Like I said, with that is just you know it's like all right, how do we recenter ourselves sometimes. You know what does that need to look like? Like I said, if that means, like you just shared, that means taking a 24 hour, just kind of moment, writing some things down, getting clarity, and I love the fact it's like going for it. Let's find, let's be solution based, resolution based around, again, clearly, communicating makes all the difference in the world. Based around, again, clearly communicating makes all the difference in the world. So this is awesome.
Speaker 2:As we kind of wind things up here, michelle, I've got one last thing just for me personally. I've got one last question for you is if you had to give just one tip like what's the one after everything we talked about today, maybe it's in that same vein or maybe it's something kind of different that brings it all together. But if you had to share one thing that you say hey, listen, new business owner comes to you and says I want to strengthen my culture and boom, what's your? What's your one tip, the biggest thing you'd stress to someone?
Speaker 3:Oh, there's a lot of tips, ok. So you all know I'm a big believer in brain dumping, so I think it's just getting down, brain dumping the things that annoy you in your business and then finding solutions to that and then making a game plan. But it all comes down to you have to be really honest with yourself as a leader. There are things that we have to work on, um, and it's always, it's, it's continuing, um, and a lot of it ends up on our plates of are we listening? Am I being a good listener? Am I paying attention? So a lot of self-reflection on that regard, but definitely just brain dumping and just getting getting that all out of your head, because it brings a lot more clarity of what needs to happen, and being honest, uh, honesty, honesty, honesty, honesty.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love it. Again, culture starts with a leader. I love how you, you know, dialed in on that and uh, that's awesome, great stuff.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Do you have any words of wisdom on what you would feel?
Speaker 2:Listen, I cannot follow that type of wisdom there, because I think that I think that really is.
Speaker 2:I mean, I think that really is so true is. I'm glad you said it, michelle, because I have to say when I asked the question I didn't have my immediate answer in my brain. Yeah, but you're exactly right, michelle. It's, if you want a culture, it has to start with leadership. It's, if you want a culture, it has to start with leadership.
Speaker 2:And really, the only thing I would add to it and you were saying it, I'll just kind of maybe express it differently is what's important to you your values, the vision that you have for your company, the passion that you have for your company. That's where it all has to start, that's the formation of a culture. People are attracted to your passion, your values, the things that you feel strong about. And so I would say, like I said, it's just building on what you were really saying there, michelle, but it's just exactly that it starts with you and then it's just a matter of staying with that and again allowing people then to kind of wrap it all together. That and again allowing people then to kind of wrap it all together, allowing people then to contribute to that clear communication around that clear connection with that. Then suddenly, a culture boom, it's there.
Speaker 2:There it is. It's amazing and then you're winning awards. Then you're winning, that's right.
Speaker 3:Then you're rolling in the awards there, michelle I have to put one little piece into what you just said, michael, because to me this was an eye-opener, one of those self-reflection pieces. Yes, your vision and your values are all. We start them, but as you grow in your culture and it gets deeper, it shifts a little bit. Like I'll look at our values and go okay, that might not be my personal value at home, but it's a value for us at Savoy.
Speaker 1:And this is what we developed.
Speaker 1:So this is now a collective behavior, right, it's a collective, that's huge awareness for owners too, I think, because we had that same kind of scenario and conversation that happened in our business and it truly was wait, that's not my personal value, like that wouldn't be my top five was wait, that's not my personal value, like that wouldn't be my top five. And then we discussed it as a, as a team, and it was number one. You know it was such a need within our business culture. It was so. It was super eyeopening. So great, great. To end on that point, michelle, it has been an absolute pleasure diving into culture with you. We'll do it again and if you out there need any help with your culture or your beauty business strategies, definitely click on the link within the description below and we would love to chat with you. Michelle, thank you so much for joining Michael and I today. Thanks, michelle.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much.
Speaker 4:Thanks again for listening to the Beauty Business Strategies podcast. If you liked this episode, be sure to hit follow To learn more about how strategies can help create more fun, profit and growth potential for you, your company and your team. We invite you to schedule a free 60-minute strategy session by clicking the direct link in the description of this episode.