Inviting a thoughtful, open minded and now tight-knit group of individuals to Bali to Power Up their business with a compelling, clear and vulnerable take on Business in 2025, Smiths Collective Brands should be notably proud of their first ever Business Retreat, writes Cameron Pine.
Providing a new level of retreat and connection for salon owners looking for real solutions to their life in a competitive salon businesses, May 18 to 21 hit deeper than the usual conference. In an environment exclusively booked for them thanks to a Tanadewa Resort and Spa buyout, every attendee tackled the fear of staying relevant, increasing profit and embracing change, while enjoying the remarkably calm surrounds of Ubud’s mountains with limited distractions.
In an area known for its lush, spiritual and deeply immersive atmosphere steeped in Balinese Hinduism, connection became the heart of the cause and the icing on the cake for facilitators Brian and Jane Smith. Long on their bucket list and notably a dream come true for their humble business of leading global brand distribution, Smiths Collective Brands, an intimate group of fewer than 50 walked away with a rewarding set of new skills and friendships.
No strangers to the salon landscape, Brian and Jane have had a penchant for distributing leading unique brands since the ‘90s, having built cult product ARTec to monstrous success before it was acquired by L’Oréal in 2003. Ever since, their commitment to bringing products that add true value and new service opportunity to a salon business has been their stronghold. Currently with a portfolio of brands salon owners love including REF Stockholm, INNOluxe, Fabriq, Pure Elements + Pure Pact and Color Defence, many salon owners took to Bali with one focus – to better connect with the two speakers hosting the event, Sharlene Lee and Sophia Hilton. Attendees also sought to better understand themselves and how to work smarter and increase their numbers and mindset level in an increasingly challenging environment. Sharlene’s incredibly honest and vigorous approach to numbers and Sophia’s sense of self was a double-threat the sold-out event was hoping to achieve.
Brands like INNOluxe pushes the boundaries of hair repair so that colourists can experiment with colour and style without worrying about damage, while REF is a globally renowned Swedish hair care brand with a true passion for creativity, innovation, and high-quality product. For Smiths Collective Brands, Brian and Jane’s success continues to come down to their gentle kindness and generosity in both life and business. Thanking each guest for their support to make their dream of running their own conference dream a reality, a heartfelt and teary speech by Brian showed guests a real passion driven by human touch in business that makes our industry special.
“We’ve been salon owners, we are still salon owners, we are educators, technicians and Brian spent nine years as a technical director in New York, we’ve always been in the industry,” Jane Smith said, giving guests the confidence that coming to Bali was more about being grateful for their presence than a brand-pushing agenda.
Determined to be unlike any other business forum where speakers preach and delegates take notes they will never put into action, Sophia chose the outdoors over an office vibe, taking guests to the garden on bean bags, to really goal set, write down some clear traits and disperse limiting behaviours that are stopping their relationship with their business being the reward they hoped for. Heralding back to the theme of Powering Up, topping up your cup first in sustainability was the first priority.
Hearing Sophia’s story of how she has evolved as a person alongside her business and the resilience required to create ‘Not Another’ to be bigger and more unique than she ever dreamed, was the human touch some were needing. It was understanding how this evolved to become the business of her dreams that also helped others open up their blockages, before being in a position to better service their current state of play in business. Admitting how retreats helped save her mindset and taught her to plan ahead for her true purpose in business, walking the walk and immersing herself in the environment days prior was key for Sophia.
“This retreat was just as much about paying it forward as it was about the content that I focused on,” Sophia said. “Delegates connecting with themselves and understanding their limitations first and foremost rather than being overwhelmed with information. You’re probably going to see a very different side of me than the Internet, and that’s what I love especially about these retreats. We are all muti-faceted humans, I like to dance in a nightclub in a bikini and also cry my eyes out doing yoga.”
“What I would love in this retreat is to embrace a different side of you. What side of you is this retreat going to bring out and how it is going to help you go home better equipped to cope? It’s different to the retreats you’d have been to in the past and for a reason,” she added.
Mental blocks, fear of failure, limiting beliefs, imposter syndrome and that inner critic, Sophia covered it all while also divulging some more personal truths about her journey and what lights her up about the stage of career she’s currently at. Making our experience personal but still measurable led well into Sharlene’s accountability speak that shows many salons still don’t do an adequate consultation at every client and returning client visit, or track numbers regularly enough to ensure all staff are getting their commissions.
The session involved working out each attendee’s “conflict style”. The test involved choosing between two options that best described one’s behaviour in conflict situations, with a focus on salon-related scenarios. Participants discussed their varying approaches to conflict, illustrating the diversity in handling workplace disputes and how communication styles and time and place dramatically affect outcomes in a complex work environment.
Potentially becoming the most dynamic duo to speak at a conference, Sophia and Sharlene’s approach, while both significantly different, were designed to create bigger thinking and real change, from setting intentions to the numbers and back-end detail we often ignore or forget to teach our team.
Sharlene Lee and her son Declhan Lee presented together for the very first time, showing the real value of having people in your business to drive areas better than you can yourself.
With the Circles Shadowing Program having a waitlist of more than 120 people, this was one way to find out just how Circles keep growing their business with true year on year growth. With a background in marketing, Declhan takes care of all the back end in Circles and his influence is noticeable through systems and procedures they shared with all of us. Emphasising the importance of innovation in improving business processes without discarding existing systems, the key, they showed, was to enhance current efficiencies using modern tools.
Declhan advocates a balanced approach between systems that leverage what works for front of house and staff and applies new technologies, such as Vish, Slack and beyond, to streamline problematic areas. This strategy aims to build efficient salons and workflows, ultimately leading to overall improvement in business operations.
“Most salon owners are complaining, saying how many are starting on their own and leaving for self-employment flexibility but if we are giving them the same amount of money as they would in self-employment and show them the sums and numbers to earn the same in our brand then why would they move to self-employment salons?” Most people are not giving them enough to make enough in their own brand and we show you how we can,” Sharlene said.
“The key is to use innovation to enhance the processes. I’m not saying you have to go home and get rid of everything that you’ve got set up in the salon. I’m saying you need to look at it again and maybe we can enhance it. I’m all about enhancement, not destruction. Take time in your business. Identify where things are efficient, then use those same principles for something that wastes your time,” she added.
Sharlene also spoke about team retention and pricing.
“If you follow me, you know that I put my prices a lot on my social media. I really wanted to do this to elevate our brand. Why are we so embarrassed to say that we charge $1,500 for a service? It’s this pricing that filters down to our emerging stylists and apprentices to ensure every service is properly quoted,” Sharlene said.
Sharlene shared her journey from buying their first salon in 1991 to expanding to two locations, highlighting the importance of consistent branding, team development, and effective marketing that has led Circles to its cult status today. Metrics such as $8,975 in additional revenue from add-ons on a single day were shared, underscoring the effectiveness of strategic consultations and upselling.
With a focus on technology to enhance efficiency and client experience, Dechlan and Sharlene covered the importance of communication platforms like Facebook Messenger, Slack, and MailChimp, and the use of middleware to connect various systems in the back-end so they help with ensuring we charge our worth every step of the way. It’s this open communication at front of house, automation, and integration that aim to streamline operations to reduce manual tasks and provide a unified workflow that every team member follows. Examples of automation included employee onboarding, payroll calculations, and client feedback management. Integration was demonstrated through a seamless onboarding process using Slack, Xero, and Vish. The goal for Circles is to help more salons utilise the tech-driven salon tools that benefit both staff and clients and decrease grey areas and a lack of understanding that leads to a lack of increase in client spend.
Ultimately, the priceless value of the retreat came in so many ways through standing and repeating affirmations to listening to Sharlene’s signature honesty that is so often missing in salon business. It’s not a coach telling you how to do something, it’s salon owners showing you how they get to the figures they do
‘When people spend two days with us they can see straight away how they can make 10 grand extra, it’s just the consistency that is part of our culture,” Sharlene said.
Many realised just how distracted, overstimulated, or out of sync they’ve been with themselves prior to the conference. Without constant notifications, social media, or work demands, salon owners often confronted an inner stillness they didn’t know they were missing or avoiding. Deep connections formed, emotional experiences were shared with once strangers in a safe setting and the aftermath was unexpectedly cathartic and bonding.
From understanding their conflict styles to workplace happiness, wellbeing, communication both online and offline, team dynamics, evolving technology and what motivates staff in real time each day to hit their goals to ensure they won’t leave, Power Up ushered in true potential for industry growth. Most importantly, the gratitude and relationships formed are priceless.
What some of the guests said:
“I loved the Power Up retreat that gave us time to truly connect and Sophia helped us slow down and be present in the room. Sharlene’s business tips were unbelievable, there was zero gatekeeping, I will definitely be back next year,” said Kirby Lago from Pélo by Lago.
“What I really got value from was being in such an amazing intimate group of people. Sharlene and Sophia’s information was all invaluable to my business,” shared Donna Grayson from Headhunters.
“All the integrations that Sharlene has in her salon that she showed us goes into running her salon and how she made it so successful is a true inspiration for me. I’m going home wanting to do so much more in terms of integrating my systems and streamlining the business,” said Mariah Rota from Cole Hair Studio.
For more information visit www.smithscollectivebrands.com.au
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