MENU
SEARCHJill Higginbotham, salon owner and Eufora business trainer, shares the essential components of successful leadership.
Salon Owner and Eufora Business Trainer Jill Higginbotham suggests questions owners can ask employees guided by her S.O.S. Leadership style.
Leadership is a rewarding and challenging role. Successful leadership requires commitment and continuing education. Many salon owners find leadership the most difficult part of the job, voicing common concerns such as management and people skills.
Successful salon owner, and Eufora Business Trainer, Jill Higgenbotham, admits that over the years she has made many mistakes when leading her team and probably lost some great team members as a result. Determined to hone her own leadership skills, she asked herself the one question that changed her management style for good.
“How can I lead in a way that encourages people to feel heard, understand expectations, and feel supported?” was the springboard for the development of her own leadership system, which has evolved through years of trial and error, including reading, and listening to, the best advice the beauty industry has to offer.
Today, Higgenbotham refers to her system as S.O.S Leadership, and openly shares with other salon owners the three simple caveats behind the acronym.
S for Socratic Leadership. The art of asking questions to lead an individual to a solution.
O for Open. The courage to speak openly and honestly with all team members.
S for Servant Leadership. Knowing how to engage with, help and support individual team members and the collective team.
When asked for advice how to employ S.O.S. Leadership, Higgenbotham provided the following examples of how she has used it in her salon.
Socratic. “Your rebooking rate is at 45%, what do you think you can do to improve that? What obstacles are you facing?” Questions like these will spark conversation, and more open-ended questions help lead the team member to finding the solution.
Open. “In order to be promoted, your rebooking needs to be around 75%. Those are the expectations we both agreed to when you were hired; to ensure your success we need to get you there.” This is an honest, open communication and a reminder of expectations.
Servant. “How can I support you? Is there a system we can put in place to better help you achieve the goal? Would you like to practice the rebooking script?” This conversation positions you as a leader who would like to mentor and serve, so the team member feels supported when it comes to growth and goal achievements.
Higgenbotham suggests all salon owners struggling to communicate with their team give S.O.S. a try. The system has a proven track record of success, and, most importantly, it guides leaders to a better understanding of their role, often sparking fresh and innovative solutions. The number one benefit? “Ultimately, S.O.S. leads to a great team culture. My team knows I will support them and that I have their back when it comes to achieving their goals!” says Higgenbotham.
For salon owners interested in learning more about leadership and salon success, Higgenbotham invites owners to join in the monthly Eufora Salon Owner Network meetings, or check out additional business education offerings online at eufora.net.
About Eufora:In a category that is crowded with rampant brand over promising, the Eufora voice stands out as honest, real, and personal. It takes its cues from the vision of company founders, Don and Beth Bewley, who, in 1997, started a hair care company built on a foundation of passion, integrity and caring for the professional salon world. Today Eufora is recognized globally for a vision that extends beyond the innovation of people and planet friendly products, delivering on a promise to provide incomparable programs to nurture the next generation of salon professionals.
After moving to Colorado and teaching at a cosmetology school, Allison Stock joined Zandi K as a stylist, eventually becoming part of the Leadership Team, Education Team and Master Bridal Team. Today, as Director of Operation, Stock is Owner Nicki Wenz's right hand, managing human resources and operations, education and career development, and coaching and culture.
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
Scott maximized her micro-salon by transitioning from stylist to strategic owner, focusing on recruiting and station-sharing. By prioritizing her ownership role over behind-the-chair work, she grew her team to six stylists within the two-chair, 150-square-foot space before eventually moving to a larger facility.
The former CFO of Perdue Farms and owner of Hardy Seafood, Terry Owens delivers a wealth of wisdom and strategies for entrepreneurs in his new book, "Business is Simple."
After scaling her single-location salon business, SALON TODAY 200 Honoree Amy Pal recently sold her six-location Whip Salon for seven figures. Using the six Ps for maximizing a business's value, she's ready to help her peers do the same.
Buried inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are federal solar tax credit changes that deserve your attention now. Two of the credits that matter most to commercial property owners, the Investment Tax Credit and the Production Tax Credit, are still available, but only if you move fast. A third, the Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Deduction, has a hard termination date that is closer than most people realize.
Up to 40% of hair stylists ghost the salon interview stage, leaving owners trapped playing endless phone tag with uncommitted applicants. This data-driven report breaks down why traditional job boards create recruitment friction and reveals the modern messaging strategies high-growth salons use to get pre-qualified talent to actually show up. Learn how to transition from cold calling to high-conversion conversations that protect your time and fill your chairs.
Sponsored by Beautista
Spit fests, hostile threats, and even an overachieving matchmaker--SALON TODAY readers share their craziest client tales and how their team handled these tough situations with professionalism and grace.
Keeping your appointment book full when clients are in vacation mode takes more than a good Instagram post. It takes a plan. The 2026 Summer Marketing Calendar from Meevo gives salon, spa & med spa owners a month-by-month roadmap with sharp themes, key opportunity dates, and campaign ideas specifically designed for the beauty & wellness industry. Here’s to your summer season working as hard as you do!
Sponsored by Millennium Systems International
AI is transforming the beauty and wellness industry, and the future is about empowering people, not replacing them. Discover how Phorest AI helps salons, spas, and med spas across North America respond faster, personalize every visit, and keep human connection at the heart of the client experience.
Sponsored by Phorest
Owner Michaella Blissett-Williams credits her General Manager Gloria Hortua with [salon] 718's year-over-year, double-digit growth and says she's been able to scale the company to eight locations because she can rely on Hortua to manage daily operations.
Shine Time: Aluram’s High Shine Line Delivers Moisture and Shine with Clean Ingredients
Sponsored by Aluram
Elyse Rogers is an uplifting presence at The Headroom who makes the team feel heard even in stressful situations. Owner Danielle Cherewyk sings her praises in this installment of Meet the Manager.
Despite a slight and predictable decline in client traffic for Q1, resilient pricing power is driving year-over-year revenue growth in salons. The KIM Report's Alain Audet reviews the data and what it's telling us about the state of professional beauty.
Same-store revenue grew just 2% for the second straight year—and new guest visits declined across every segment of the industry. The 2026 Benchmark Report reveals where growth is actually happening, which verticals are pulling ahead, and what the data says about where your business stands right now.
Sponsored by Zenoti
Hair restoration is entering a new era driven by regenerative science. This paper explores how Exosome technology is transforming treatment outcomes by targeting hair loss at a cellular level. Discover why EXOGROW is leading this shift.
Sponsored by Dermapenworld
A salon brand is much more than a logo. In this thought-provoking blog, Leon Alexander, Ph.D., walks you through the difference. SALON TODAY suggests sharing this article with your team and leading a discussion at your next huddle, asking the team to define your business's brand.
