John Mosley is a big name is barbering, but it is his big personality, love of learning and business know-how that have led him on a path to success. We sat down with Mosley to learn about his best business tips and why he is always a lifelong student.
Courtesy of Vagaro
John Mosley is a big name in barbering, but it is his big personality, love of learning and business know-how that have led him on a path to success. We sat down with Mosley to learn about his best business tips and why he is always a lifelong student.
BLP: What are some of your top tips for hiring and retaining top talent in barbershop/salons?
John Mosley (JM): It starts with the interview and screening process, which is important and should include
different aspects. After a more technical interview, consider having them sit down with
the team and come shadow for a day or two. Taking steps like this will help both you and
them see if this is the best fit and ultimately lead to lower turnover rates. For current
employees, offering continuous educational opportunities to help build up the team and also offering incentives will help them become more willing to stay.
BLP: Why is it so important for
all professionals, especially those in the barbering and beauty worlds, to truly be
lifelong learners of their craft?
JM: I think for us as beauty professionals, barbers included, the more we
know through education and the more we learn, the better off we're gonna be. Not only are we making sure we’re able to provide the best possible services and overall
experiences to our clients, but we’re then also opening ourselves up to different markets
to allow different revenue streams to come in.
BLP: How does diversification in your business play into those multiple streams of
revenue?
JM: The more that you can scale your business, the more you’re going to have better profit margins
because you're doing more than the average person. You're offering more than the
average salon, barber or stylist that is in your area, and I think that's the key. What is
everybody else doing? Then, you take that up a step or two to be able to know more and ultimately give more.
BLP: How do you stand out among
the white noise and really find your unique selling point?
JM: Personally, the uniqueness about me is that I'm showing up as myself, and I think that's
what makes people resonate with wanting to be a client of mine. They know that they
could come in and talk to me about anything. I'm going to have fun with
them, but more importantly, they know that I'm going to be very consistent with
my work. A strong suit of mine is that I could do more than your average barber.
I know how to color and do all hair types and textures, and I think that's the
benefit of being able to not just say I have a niche but more so I could actually do all of it.
BLP: Why should branding and marketing be a priority for salon and barber professionals?
JM: Seventy eight percent of small businesses fail because of poor business planning and poor
marketing. Most people think their barbershop or salon is their brand or the name of
their shop is the brand, and that's not it at all. Your brand is actually you because that's
your story. What’s the reason behind why you wanted to open up a salon or why you
wanted to open the barbershop? That's your brand story. The values and principles
and things that you apply to your brand is your brand identity. That's where the value of
the brand comes in and where you have the best opportunity to attract the right people.
BLP: How does social media play
into your marketing strategy?
JM: Social media plays a big part in what we do nowadays with marketing in the
industry. The reason why is because you can essentially push one button and have
your brand speak to the rest of the world. You can target audiences in different areas
very easily with your social media marketing.
You can set up campaigns for specific messaging, but more importantly, when people
come back to your social media page, that is your lookbook! You want to stay very
consistent with your marketing. The old school method made us paid so much
money to do marketing and get ads out, whereas here with social media, you don’t
necessarily have to do that anymore. You control your brand’s destiny. You’re able to put
out what you want, and you’re able to speak your brand better than anybody else.
BLP: What is the biggest mistake that causes salon/barber pros to fail or struggle?
JM: You might have done well
in school, and you think that coming out of it, you're already “good.” So, you maybe cut
yourself off from learning, whether it’s from the people around you, educational
programs, industry events, etc. So, if you shut yourself off, you get caught up in this
spot to where you're no longer growing because you're stuck in your ways, saying, “I
know enough.” If you get comfortable and complacent, you’ll get stuck there. You’ve got
to stay a student of the game because it's ever evolving.
BLP: How does technology benefit your barber business and your clients?
JM: With the integration of automation, it actually gives you the opportunity to not have to
always be connected to or holding your phone or computer. Simply taking a little time
out of your week, or periodically, to set up and/or adjust your automations is so beneficial
not only to streamlining your operations but also the human side of your client
relationships. The more we establish the automation side of what we do in our industry
will give you more time to focus on your passion and truly take your time with your
clients.
When it comes to AI, so many of us are fighting AI and why? It’s just another
tech tool similar to other things in our lives already: you update your iPhone and you
periodically change your TV's out. Even in the beauty and
barber profession, we change what tools we use from time to time. So, why wouldn't we
use AI and get with the current times? Live I’ve said before, time is your real currency.
So, AI is a tool that we can use to give us time back. We've been so used to using AI,
but we’ve just never really referred to it as AI. Apple Maps, Siri, Uber technology is all a
form of AI, so it's like we already use it in certain areas, but when it comes to how we
can incorporate it into our business, some of us tend to be intimidated. I think AI is an
amazing tool that has allowed me to function both as a business owner and as a
creative a whole lot more and a whole lot easier.
BLP: What should salon/barber pros consider booking software and ditch the pen and paper?
JM: You can't be afraid to go digital. You want to know where your money is coming from?
You want to know how much money is coming in? What's your profit and loss? The only
way to really track it is through digital because then every transaction appears in your
reports. Compare that to where we used to maybe just say, “This $65 haircut in cash is
just going right in my pocket” and not actually tracking sales or profits. So software like
Vagaro helps you identify what’s working in your business, where sales are stronger,
what trends are you seeing, what needs to be improved and ultimately how can you
optimize to actually expand your business.
For example, revenue-based funding like Vagaro Capital is transactional-based. So, if
somebody has a certain number of transactions that shows they're responsible with
more money, Vagaro may be willing to give them that. It’s all built into the software. That’s the benefit. So many people want to grow their business, but if you're
not tracking everything, then how are you going to have the proof in numbers to go to a
bank and get a loan or even go to Vagaro and say I'm worth this much?
BLP: Why is mentorship in the beauty industry something you’re so passionate
about?
JM: Mentorship is a powerful piece of all our lives. The reason why is because that person
has either walked the direction you're going in and coming back, or they're walking in
that direction and telling you what's happening ahead. They might know exactly what
you’ve been through and where you’re at in your business, what you might hiccup on
and what you might see. That’s the power. Somebody that's gonna guide you and help
you navigate those rough terrains, but more importantly, give you the sense of “If I
made it, you could too, just trust the process.”
BLP: Who was your mentor?
JM: My mentors are my mother and my family. My mother had success in the beauty
industry and my sister’s had success in the beauty industry. So my mentors came from
inside the house, my family and also my my brother Rodrick Samuels. He was the first
Barber Educator I’ve seen and I was like, “Yo, I like that, I want to educate like him,” and
now we’ve both won Educator of the Year at NAHA.
What Makes Vagaro Different?
This booking software is all the same? Think again with Vagaro. Check out these points of difference.
1. "Connect" with your staff, so you can keep them.
2. Vagaro’s AI gives you time back. Who wouldn’t want that?
3. Vagaro works for any size salon, from small to large.
4. Make your branding stand out with Vagaro.
5. Market with ease with a host of options with Vagaro.
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