At least that's how I envision the last hour of Salon Business Success: A Salon Owner Management Forum at America's Business Show in Chicago, March 28. After an eye-opening exploration into today's consumer mind by Reuben Carranza, CEO of P&G Salon Professional North America, and four enlightening presentations by some of the country's most successful salon owners, I'll moderate a fast-paced salon owner panel that promises to give attendees business food for thought for the year to come. 

John Moroney with Stacey Soble
As the leader of salon development for P&G Salon Professional, John Moroney explains why the Salon Business Success: Salon Owner Management Forum at America's Beauty Show is a 'can't miss' event for any owner who wants to focus on salon growth.

Scroll down to catch the audio interviews of all the panelists!

As we began assembling this panel, it's been interesting to note the differences and similarities of the salon owners represented. We've got a fairly even balance of men and women represented. About half have their roots in hairdressing and several still perform services; while others have backgrounds in different areas of business. About half own multiple-location businesses, while the others have built strong single establishments. And, I'm proud to say, more than half have been honored in the SALON TODAY 200. As they've built their salon operations over the last few decades, they've each developed their own specific areas of expertise, which promises an interesting assortment of ideas and opinions.

In addition to Carranza, the panel includes Eva Scrivo, owner of the Eva Scrivo Salon in New York; William George, owner of the James Joseph Salons in Boston; Deborah Schmidt, owner of Mitchell's Salons & Spas in Cincinnati; Jason Hall, co-owner of Red 7 Salons in Chicago; Frank Gambuzza, co-owner of Salon Visage in Knoxville, Tennessee; Ginny Eramo, owner of Interlocks Salon and Day Spa in Boston; and Frank Gironda, owner of the Frank Gironda Salons and Day Spas in Chicago and president of Cosmetologist Chicago. John Moroney, P&G's salon business development leader, who will serve as moderator for the forum, also will be on hand to field questions. 

To give you a taste of the great ideas that'll be flying, I posed a different question to each of the panelists and recorded their responses. Pick a few, listen in, and gather some fresh inspiration for doing business in the next decade:

William George with Stacey Soble
William George, owner of the James Joseph Salons in Boston, talks about the importance of maintaining the right product mix in his inventory, as well as his process for determining when to add new products and let slow sellers go. 

Deborah Schmidt with Stacey Soble
As owner of Mitchell's Salons and Day Spas in Cincinnati, Ohio, Deborah Schmidt is witnessing clients stretch appointments just like every other salon. Here,she talks about her approach for facing this with understanding and why it's important to keep loyalty strong for future growth.

Eva Scrivo with Stacey Soble
Eva Scrivo owns Eva Scrivo Salon with husband Arik in Manhattan. Here, Eva addresses her successful method for seamlessly incorporating product needs into the service by focusing on
technique.

Jason Hall with Stacey Soble
With David Kafer, Jason Hall owns two RED 7 Salons, located in Chicago and Evanston, Illinois. Hall shares how their business kept sales strong during the past two years by incorporating numerous value-added experiences into each guest's service.

Frank Gambuzza with Stacey Soble
With his wife Belinda, Frank Gambuzza owns Visage Salon Spa Studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Here, Gambuzza stresses why he thinks teaching clients how to style their hair at home should be part of the everyday service and not the subject of a special class.

Frank Gironda with Stacey Soble
As the president of Cosmetologists Chicago, Frank Gironda, who also owns the Frank Gironda Salons and Spas in Naperville, Illinois, discusses the importance of an association when it comes to building your own salon business.

Ginny Eramo with Stacey Soble
In Boston, Massachusetts, Ginny Eramo owns makes advanced education a top priority at her Interlocks Salon Spa. As her staff travel the world in search of the best opportunities, Ginny talks about how she shares those accomplishments with her clients, her community and the local media.

Don't miss the live opportunity! Tickets for the class, which is worth three CE hours, are $50--or $25 for members of America's Beauty Network. For more details or to order tickets, click here or call (800) 883-7808 or (312) 494-3040.

Learn how to take back your clients! Read the story and hear my audio interview with P&G CEO Reuben Carranza by clicking here.

I'll see you there, and don't forget to bring your toughest management questions and put our panel to work!

Stacey Soble has been involved in the conversation of salon business for 14 years-as a reporter, a consultant and as the editor in chief of SALON TODAY.

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