Data-Driven Salon Summit Explores a Variety of Business-Building Topics on its Second Day

Artificial Intelligence, building wealth in your beauty-based business, and profitability were themes for Day 2 education at Data-Driven Salon Summit 2026 in Austin, Texas.

In the morning, Glammatic’s Ameet Kallarackal kicked things off by taking the audience through the salon client journey and identifying areas where AI could improve efficiency, personalization, and retention, and areas where over-automation can damage trust, culture, and long-term growth. Then, Strata Salon Systems’ Terra Harvel used real financial data and real-life salon exits to explore how owners can shift their business from being income-dependent to enterprise-level assets that build legacy wealth.

In the afternoon, Refined Beauty’s Jennifer Alvarez showed how salons can use AI, automation, and smart marketing systems to turn cold leads into consistent revenue, rebookings, and raving fans. Hott Salons’ Lia Hakim, The Headroom’s Danielle Cherewyk, and Revamp Salon’s Celene Dupuis uncovered profit traps and showed owners how to build systems, scale with intention, and learn to lead high-performing service providers. Summit Salon Business Center’s Kristi Valenzuela demonstrated how salons can expand beyond traditional services and create meaningful revenue through high-value treatments and head spa services. And, SALON TODAY’s Stacey Soble led a fast-fire Ask the Expert panel featuring Kopsa Otte CPAs and Advisors’ April McDaniel, Innersense’s John Cutrone, SalonClouds+’s Dilan DeSilva, Infiniti HR’s Eva Dupont and Illume Financial Strategies’ Kristin Stutz.

In between mainstage sessions, attendees could customize their education by choosing breakouts and workshops on a variety of topics, including healing leadership fatigue, developing smarter metrics to build revenue, understanding hair loss and catering to client with thinning hair challenges, turning client data into revenue and loyalty, leading four different generations, and the benefit of membership programs.

In between educational sessions, attendees had plenty of time to find new opportunities to grow their businesses by visiting booths in The Partners and Solutions Pavillion, and build community by networking with one another. 

Next year’s Data-Driven Salon Summit will be held May 15-17 in San Diego, California. For more information visit datadrivensalon.com.