Leadership Podcast with Stef Fox

Real conversations about leadership, retention, and performance in the

professional beauty industry.

▶ Watch on YouTube
🎧 Listen on Spotify

Latest Episode...

Growing A Salon With Partners

How do you scale a salon business from 7 team members to over 100 across multiple locations without losing your culture—or your mind? Is bringing on trusted team members as business partners the secret to sustainable salon growth?


In this episode of the Stef Fox Podcast, Stef sits down with the powerhouse leadership team behind Privé Salons: Monica, Aliscia, and Dayna. Together, they unpack how they turned stylists into co-owners, built a tight-knit culture across three salon locations, an aesthetic studio, and a suite model, and navigated the messy realities of balancing business, motherhood, and leadership.

▶ Watch on YouTube
🎧 Listen on Spotify

RECENT EPISODES

Rest: The Key to Better Leadership Decisions

Most leaders think they'll rest when the work is done. The problem? The work is never done.
In this episode, Stef Fox shares why rest isn't a reward for working hard—it's one of the most powerful leadership strategies you have.

Drawing from leadership research and her own experience as an entrepreneur, salon owner, and leadership coach, Stef breaks down how intentional rest improves decision-making, regulates your nervous system, and transforms the energy you bring to your team.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

Why Your Salon Doesn't Have a Coaching Culture (And How to Get It Back)

How do you keep your top stylists engaged, motivated, and growing in your salon? Is compensation enough, or is there a bigger leadership piece missing?


In this solo episode, Stef Fox dives deep into one of the most powerful levers for salon retention and business growth: building a true coaching culture. She unpacks why so many salon owners fall into the trap of "check-the-box" coaching, how backhanded compliments (like the infamous "butt sandwich") shut down growth, and what it actually takes to remove performance blocks for your team.

The 70% Commission Myth (And What Actually Keeps Stylists)

Is offering 70% commission really the secret to keeping top salon talent—or is it a hidden trap for salon owners?


In this episode, Stef Fox and Jen LeBlanc break down one of the most controversial topics in the beauty industry: salon compensation structures, stylist retention, and the true cost of high commission rates.

About the Podcast

The Leadership Podcast with Stef Fox explores the leadership behaviors that drive retention, performance, and sustainable growth inside of businesses.

Through real conversations with business leaders and practical insights from doctoral research, the podcast helps business owners and managers lead with more clarity, confidence, and capacity.

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