PhorestFM Episode 336: Scott J. Buchanan on Purpose, Connection & Community

Episode transcript

[00:00:00] Scott J. Buchanan: Together, we’re stronger. Individually, we’re weaker. It’s just the way it is. Sometimes we’re so busy trying to protect our little corner. And, really, when we can open up the corner and everyone can play on the same field, it’s a much more joyful way to be. And when you can connect, and you can grow a relationship through conversation, that’s how you, that’s how things blossom.

You know, if you think about anything that’s gone wrong in your relationships, it’s because of a lack of conversation. 

[00:00:36] Season 10 Intro: We have an obligation to the industry that we serve, that we serve it in the right manner. Being a business owner ain’t for the weak. The expectations are just different. There’s always a way. When you’re born into something this special, you can’t help but fight for it. 

[00:00:48] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Céad Míle Fáilte! One hundred thousand welcomes to the PhorestFM podcast, brought to you by Phorest Software. I’m your resident host, Alex Bélisle-Springer. On the show with me today is Scott Buchanan, dream builder, president and owner of Scott J. Salons Group, and current president of Intercoiffure America/Canada.

I’ve been reflecting on community and connection a lot over the last two or three years. Well, as an autistic person, to reduce it to that singular slice of time actually feels wrong because the truth is these are themes that have occupied a lot of brain space my entire life. But in the last two or three years, personal experiences, courses I’ve taken, the work we do at Phorest, conversations I have with guests on the podcast, and even the theme of the summit earlier this year have all brought the power of community and connection back to the forefront in a major way.

And though I prefer to speak for myself, I also know that I’m not alone in this. I know this because isolation and feelings of isolation have been brought up in more than a couple of episodes this year. And we know that social isolation and loneliness in general are widespread issues. According to the World Health Organization, it’s increasingly becoming a priority public health problem and policy issue across all age groups, with data showing that 16% of people worldwide, or one in six, experience loneliness.

We know that being a business owner is isolating. A lot of people feel alone in the experience. In 1862, the term act of connecting meant the meeting of one means of travel with another. I find this interesting because if I actually deconstruct and reorganize this definition, my brain goes to one person meeting another, traveling with each other for a while.

And anyone who has traveled, especially alone, knows how much your own journey flourishes when you lean into connecting with the people you meet along the way, even just for a few minutes. In community, everyone adds their thread. We grow together. The way I see it, community and connection are of course not the same, but connection can lead to community, and community ideally leads to connection too.

Again, the way I see it, community is a circular economy of choice, care, love, service, and presence. It’s recognizing wholeness in one another. It’s mutual support, grace, hope, accountability. It’s also hard and vulnerable. So when I think of all that, it makes the acts of connecting and engaging in or building community a mindset backed by actions, which is why I think I like the concept of being a good villager.

Everything in life, from, for the parents out there, the chaotic, beautiful journey of raising a child to the high-stakes pressure of building a beauty business brand or running a salon, spa or clinic, it takes a village. And the sooner we realize or remember our interdependence, the sooner we can move away from what keeps us isolated.

Scott J. Buchanan knows this well. With his 35-plus years of experience in the industry as a stylist and a leading salon owner, he’s the president and owner of Scott J. Salon Group. Scott is someone who understands richness comes in many forms, some of which money has nothing to do with. Someone who understands that another person’s success does not diminish theirs.

In fact, it strengthens the entire ecosystem. And so he asks, “How can I help? And who can I connect you with?” As he mastered his skills and grew his business, he earned a claim for his transformative makeovers and presentation prowess. In collaboration with Aveda, he journeyed across the country to educate and impart his philosophy on enhancing inner beauty, superior artisanship, and community impact, striving to raise consciousness in and about the beauty industry.

Scott has also been a distinguished member of Interqua Fur for over 20 years, serving on various committees and the board. And in November of 2024, he was announced and welcomed as the latest president of Intercoiffure America/Canada. His involvement, though, extends beyond Intercoiffure. He has held leadership positions in other industry organizations such as the Professional Beauty Association, where he served as chairman.

He’s also recognized for his commitment to the industry and his philanthropic support for numerous charities, including the Sloan Kettering Institute, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Heritage Day, and the National Rainforest Preservation. In this warm and reflective episode, we explore what becomes possible when we stop protecting our corners and instead start building common ground, have the conversation fear keeps us from having, and move through life with a mindset of being of service to others.

Some of my favorite conversations on the podcast have touched on these ideas, and so naturally, I’m really excited to share this conversation between him and I with you all. Scott, thank you so much for joining me on PhorestFM. I mean, we were going to do this in Montreal, but everything in its own time, and I feel like if we’re connecting today, it’s for a reason.

So welcome to the show. You’re in Chicago right now, correct? 

[00:05:56] Scott J. Buchanan: Yes, I am. Thank you. Hi, Alex. Hi, everybody. It is great to see you. And I also believe everything happens in divine timing. You don’t get caught up on things that you wanna do, and they don’t happen. 

[00:06:08] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Exactly. We caught up a tiny little bit before, but the last time we met up was, again, Montreal, early May.

Um, things were just, just starting to get warm here in Montreal. Um, and I mean, the energy in the room — we were there for the spring gathering for. The theme of the event was the power of connection. And, um, I’m curious, I guess, to kick us off, what has stayed with you from that weekend? 

[00:06:40] Scott J. Buchanan: Oh, the power, the connections that were made, the connection, the, um, just the overall, you know, you always plan a great show and you always think it’s gonna be great, but, you know, I used the power of connection, the, our membership, the guests that were there, the interaction of everybody, the, the willingness to really connect and learn and the people really came with an open mind to get, get things and learn things.

And, and the power of connection, I’m, I’m still going around the country. I, I was up in, Calgary. I, I was over in Atlanta since, since then. And everywhere I go that I meet someone that was there, I, I hear that, that the power of connection because I think I made the theme that power of connection because that’s really what it’s about, connection, community, that’s what Intercoiffure America/Canada is.

And I, I though, let me go with that power of connection as the, um, as the theme because it’s the most underutilized thing that all of us have as a business strategy. 

[00:07:42] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:07:43] Scott J. Buchanan: I really believe. 

[00:07:45] Alex Bélisle-Springer: I’m, I’m curious, was connection always something you naturally leaned into and understood as something extremely powerful?

Like in the, in the sense that, you know, were you always the type to build relationships with people and, and making that an integral part of how you moved through the world through, you know, business, through employment, whatever it was? Um, obviously speaking to business more specifically now, because you’ve been, you’ve been in business for over 40 years and I feel like anyone who’s sustained that kind of success has had to build a lot of meaningful connections along the way.

[00:08:22] Scott J. Buchanan: Well, absolutely. Connections and, and, um, who, who you talk to and the being opened and saying yes to things is, is absolutely a part of my success, um, or growth, I should say. Success is measurable by who to, who calls it. 

[00:08:38] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Right. Yes, absolutely. 

[00:08:39] Scott J. Buchanan: But, so growth, I would say, or opportunities. Um, yeah, you know, I, I mean, I, I went to high school and I, I dropped out of high school when my mom died and I was kind of a lost person.

And, I quit high school when I was 16 and went and worked in a nursing home. And when I was about 19, I kind of decided I needed to figure out what to do. And I saw an ad on TV, for Wilford Academy in Manhattan and I was living in Long Island and I said, “Let me go do that. It’ll piss my father off.”

And, it did. And, you know, I, I went and all of a sudden I was like, “Wow, I kind of been pretty good at this and wow, I like this and I like the connection.” And I, you know, so it, you know, you never know where the, the light bulb’s gonna turn, you know, you just have to kind of go with the flow a little and, you know, and then eventually I, you know, I went to a place with great education out in New Best in Manhasset and, I learned from him, Michael Mazzei was my mentor and, he, he had an amazing business and amazing philosophy.

And, and then when I came into Manhattan and, went out on my own, that’s when I realized about the relationships, you know, and, and, and, you know, I had, I had real great connections with my guests and I loved connecting with my guests. And, and from there, I realized that connection was really what it’s all about.

You know, I, I still believe today that, you know, it’s 80% experience, 20% technical when you look at the salon world or you look at Scott Jay, my own salons in Manhattan or anywhere I go around teaching, it’s 80% is the experience and 20% is the technical, but yet sometimes we spend 80% of the time learning the technical and 20% of the time not even thinking about the experience.

So – 

[00:10:25] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:10:25] Scott J. Buchanan: For me, you know, I’ve done a lot and as I’ve evolved and, um, as my life has gotten bigger and business and opportunities have come, I’ve realized more and more that the, the relationships, the conversation is the relationship. Mm. You know, I became a certified, teacher of Susan Scott’s Fierce Conversations, which is an amazing book, and it’s all about the conversation is the relationship and how to have conversations central to your success.

So it’s always been a part of me and it’s grown more as I’ve gotten older. 

[00:10:56] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. I mean, you mentioned even just the, the start like working in the, in a nursing home. I feel like that’s another big place for human connection. 

[00:11:07] Scott J. Buchanan: Oh, yeah. I had my wing of people. I loved them. I knew I worked on this floor that they were not really all there.

And, you know, if they’re not all there and you put down a train for them for breakfast and they, you don’t make the coffee right, they don’t know how to ask how they want their coffee. So I used to find out how everyone liked everything by trial and error. And, you know, I took care of my wing – Mm. Like there was nobody’s business, you know, and I loved doing it all, making their coffee, making sure I cut up their pancakes and, you know, I treated them like my grandmother – 

[00:11:37] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah.

[00:11:37] Scott J. Buchanan: Basically. And, and I loved it and they loved me and it was a very rewarding job. I was just like, enough changing diapers. Yeah, 

[00:11:44] Alex Bélisle-Springer: that’s fair. 

[00:11:46] Scott J. Buchanan: I did get to the point where I was like, okay, that’s enough of that. 

[00:11:49] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s so fair. 

[00:11:50] Scott J. Buchanan: And I hated needles, so I didn’t go to nursing school. 

[00:11:53] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Also very fair.

I share, I shared that hate of needles with you, definitely. Oh yeah. Um, even though every time I get my blood drawn, the, the, the, the nurse is like, “So you’re good with needles, you’re fully tattooed?” And I’m like, “Yeah, not the same thing. No, not great with needles.” No, not 

[00:12:11] Scott J. Buchanan: at all. Oh, I’m terrible. I say, always say to them, “Listen, I look big and co – but I’m a big baby and I’m gonna start talking to myself as soon as you start prepping my arm, I’m gonna turn my head and just ignore me.”

And they’re like, “Really?” And then they, at the end they’re always like, “You are a baby.” I’m like, “Yeah, I told you.” ‘Cause I already get hyper just the thought of it. 

[00:12:31] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 

[00:12:33] Scott J. Buchanan: So – 

[00:12:34] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Relatable. It’s 

[00:12:34] Scott J. Buchanan: funny. 

[00:12:35] Alex Bélisle-Springer: So you so if you, if you place so much importance on, on, you know, the, how to have conversations and, and leaning into, to connection with people, how does that look like, um, in your own salons?

Like, do you, do you have something that’s specifically focused around, like, training for that four staff who come into your businesses? Um, you were just saying, like, you know, the 80 / 20, you know, most times we focus more on the technical. Do you focus some training on, on some of the, the communication connection stuff?

Oh, 

[00:13:07] Scott J. Buchanan: absolutely. Absolutely. We have training in my education for my interns. We have salon meetings. I’m always bringing up, communication. I, I teach pieces of the fierce conversations to the, to the team, because it’s, it’s really a life skill. It’s not so much something that’s just for hairdressers. It’s really a life skill.

I mean, we all have to interact with people in, in our, in what we do in our world mostly. 

[00:13:32] Scott J. Buchanan: And, you know, and so to be able to figure out how to have better communication skills is a big, is a big difference. There’s also, you know, format learning and learning how people listen. You know, I teach my managers that because you have to learn how to lead people.

I, I didn’t know how to lead people. And, you know, I grew my company to 240 employees, and I had five locations in Manhattan. That was a pretty, a lot of people to lead. Yeah. And everything was self-taught, you know, from running the business, from the numbers to the P&L, to, you know, the, the people side of it and the leadership side of it.

And leadership is more than, you know, just coaching and saying right or wrong. You have to learn how to lead and connect with people and, really motivate them and, and get, let them be a part of your, part of your vision. You know, I find that a lot of leaders think it’s about, you know, just saying, “This is what we’re gonna do.”

And it’s like, no, and more and more this generation, more and more you have to bring them in to be a part of. 

[00:14:30] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:14:30] Scott J. Buchanan: And so, you know, one of my favorite sayings is people help support what they help to create. 

[00:14:36] Alex Bélisle-Springer: And – Wait, 

[00:14:36] Scott J. Buchanan: can you repeat 

[00:14:36] Alex Bélisle-Springer: that? 

[00:14:37] Scott J. Buchanan: I tell my t – help, people help support what they help to create. So you need to bring people in and help them create your process you want.

I had, I had them pr – create the experience we wanted as a team at Scott J. What are the behaviors behind everything that we do to e- engage the guest from the guest experience? What’s the welcome look like? What does it look like when they come into the front desk? What does the phone call look like? What does the shampoo experience look like?

What does the service experience look like? What does the end of the service experience look like? All of those things require, create the experience. 

[00:15:15] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Mm. 

[00:15:16] Scott J. Buchanan: And, you know, what is that, what is that gonna look like? And what’s the extra added values that you do? And how do you make it a wow? I, I, you know, I’m always learning.

I, I love this other book I give a lot of, I give my team members, and I’ve had numerous meetings on it, is, um, Lessons from the Mouse, which is – I’ve never heard of that one. Dennis Snow. Oh, it’s Dennis Snow. It’s a really great read. And they actually, the book you can actually have a group read with it because they summarize very easily.

And it’s from Dennis Snow and he, he used to run Disney. And I don’t think there’s a business on earth that’s better than Disney as far as experience. And there’s so many, correlations to the salon business as, as to Disney. And, you know, like, for instance, they, he talks about, they talk about backstage and on stage.

So there’s the back room and then everything when you open the doors in the salon, you’re on stage. Yeah. Yeah. So when you’re sitting talking to the receptionist and yelling at her because she booked you wrong, the guest at the next register that’s checking out is in your play because she’s on stage. So you have to realize that she’s listening to that and that’s part of her experience.

[00:16:24] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:16:25] Scott J. Buchanan: And when you really go into it like that, it’s, it’s eye opening. And I, when I, I teach a lot around the country and, um, when I talk to people and teach that, it, it’s very op – mind opening and just amazing. And delivering the wow. Mm. What’s the wow? It’s the unexpected. So I ask my team, what are, what, what, how did you deliver the wow to that guest?

You have 10 guests, you gotta deliver 10 wows. Everyone comes in expecting a good haircut. The smile is not anything extra. 

[00:16:52] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:16:52] Scott J. Buchanan: Being nice is not anything extra, but what’s the extra? ‘Cause there’s a lot of places to get your haircut. 

[00:16:59] Scott J. Buchanan: Especially in Manhattan. 

[00:17:00] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What’s, well, well here, what’s, what’s a wow moment that really, like maybe from, from one of your, team members, that was delivered that really floored you in the last like year?

[00:17:14] Scott J. Buchanan: Hmm, that floored me in the, you know, sometimes it’s the little things. It’s the, you know, a client saying, “You know, I’d really love a Diet Coke when we ask them for a drink and we don’t serve Diet Coke.” And her turning around and going to the front desk and getting the, intern to go next door and get a Diet Coke for her.

[00:17:32] Scott J. Buchanan: Simple. 

[00:17:33] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:17:33] Scott J. Buchanan: Simple things, you know, just the, the, the, you know, the more inde – intense consultation, the more in depth consultation that kind of goes above and beyond the what are we gonna do today. 

[00:17:45] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:17:46] Scott J. Buchanan: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, the little things. It’s, it’s not always big things and people think the wow has to be big.

It’s just those little, you know, we, we do a neck and shoulder massage. We do a hand treatment. 

[00:17:57] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Mm. 

[00:17:57] Scott J. Buchanan: You know, those are just extra things that make people feel good. 

[00:18:02] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Do you know what? You’re so right. Y- you know Patty Monahan Phorest? 

[00:18:06] Scott J. Buchanan: Yes. 

[00:18:07] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Well, this reminds me of something. So we, we had an internal meeting that we call a canteen session.

It’s long story short, in this context, Patty and I co-facilitated a session for Phoresters with a guest speaker for Pride. And afterwards, Patty and Larissa on the people team, she organized the session. Um, you know, the three of us were chatting on Slack and Patty said, you know, “I don’t, I feel like I didn’t do much here, but thanks for having me, as part of the ELT.

It felt important for me to be here.” And I said, “Well, I’ve known you for 10 years, and when we talk about allyship, you know, especially around Pride Month, we often think about the big gestures people make in June, but really it’s how, how you show up consistently in small ways over time. And, and you’ve always done that with me.

You’ve always shown care and I’ve always appreciated it.” So I, I just love to hear that you’re echoing the same idea in the context of things an owner can do in their business, um, you know, that it’s often the small, consistent things that matter most. 

[00:19:07] Scott J. Buchanan: Yeah, absolutely. You know, and, and my, my partner always says to me, and, and I, and I say it to everybody, it’s like, “How are you, what are you demonstrating?

How do you demonstrate that?” Mm. 

[00:19:16] Alex Bélisle-Springer: You 

[00:19:16] Scott J. Buchanan: know, words are so easy. 

[00:19:18] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:19:18] Scott J. Buchanan: But it’s how, what are you demonstrating? 

[00:19:20] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:19:20] Scott J. Buchanan: How do you demonstrate care? Don’t tell me you care. Demonstrate it. Don’t tell me you love me. Demonstrate it. 

[00:19:25] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Mm. 

[00:19:26] Scott J. Buchanan: Don’t tell me I’m, you know, how are you demonstrating everything that you wanna do?

And so I’m, I, I always stop and think about that. It’s like, okay, what am I doing? You know, and with Intercoiffure, it’s the same thing. You know, I really wanna, I have a very big, um, vision for its purpose, you know, which, you know, really, is because we are the voice of the employee based, salary-based salon owners.

That is, you know, something that I wanna get out there because it’s a, it’s, it’s a, it’s the crux of the industry – uh-huh. Really. And, you know, not saying anything bad or good about independence or s- salon suites, it’s just, you know, there, we’re the only community out there. And, and so to, the power of that is, and to be the voice of, is really important to me.

And so I have to demonstrate that. I have to, I have to go out there and find the connection points to, to have those kind of conversations. 

[00:20:20] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:20:21] Scott J. Buchanan: And, and really demonstrate it. So that’s what I’m trying to do as the president of that. 

[00:20:26] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. So, so tell me about, you know, maybe the, the key people along the way who led you to this journey with Intercoiffure.

[00:20:36] Scott J. Buchanan: It’s interesting. Michael Mazzei, who was the owner of New Best & Company, where I first got my first job, he was a part of Intercoiffure and I was his, intern for about three or four years. And, so all along when he would be on the phone and I’d be the human hair clip holding up the hair next to him, or getting hit on the comb with my hand.

Um, because I wasn’t paying attention after the 15th haircut, or the 447th haircut, I should say. Um, but I always said I wanted to be a part of that. I thought in my head, you know? And so when I left and opened my own business, that’s when, at the time, it was 1995 or 1994, I think. And, um, that’s when I called him and said, “I wanna, I want you to sponsor me.

I wanna come into Intercoiffure.” And he was thrilled to do it. And so he did it. And, you know, I, I, like anything, I’ve had love-hate relationships, but I never left it because I’ve always felt that, um, you know, there was a real core purpose for it. And I, and I enjoyed the community that was there and the people I met.

And, you know, I’m a big one for, um, going out there and meeting people. And I think that’s one of the things that if I had to tell someone younger today, it’s like, go out and say yes to things. I was a big yes person, you know? I said yes to so many things, you know, that all of a sudden I was, I, I was the chairman of the Professional Beauty Association for a while.

I was in, Intercoiffure. And then, you know, I worked with Sheila. I worked under. I was on the board since Lois Christie, so that’s like three or four presidents before me. Yeah. I’ve been on and off the board. And, you know, it just so happened I came on after Sheila Wilson. Um, I was her first vice president and she planted a lot of beautiful seeds that was taking the direction into a, where I thought it would needed to be.

And I just didn’t want to, not help really make it grow. 

[00:22:33] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:22:33] Scott J. Buchanan: And so that’s why I said yes, when the members, voted me in. And, you know, I continue to think I have a few more years left to really root the vision that I have for Intercoiffure to be really the Switzerland of the beauty industry and encompass, you know, brands and, and, and schools and teachers and Beacon students.

And I’m doing a lot of collaboration with other associations, um, just to be under one roof so that we can really propel the industry forward, you know? Um, the, purpose statement of ours is to serve as a prestigious space for salon owners to connect, collaborate, and propel the beauty industry forward.

And that’s exactly what I wanna do, all aspects of the beauty industry, because it’s got many beautiful threads to it, including technology and Phorest like yourself and the people within Phorest like yourself. I think you are an amazing person yourself to be a part of this tapestry of the beauty industry, which is what I hold so dear.

And that’s kind of why I, our Fall Atelier, which is in October, is called the Tapestry of Beauty. You know?

[00:23:45] Alex Bélisle-Springer: I love the word too. It’s so, it’s so accurate. It’s so on, like. Yeah. 

[00:23:51] Scott J. Buchanan: Oh, yeah. I get goosebumps with it, you know? And I just, you know, it’s the fabric and community of connection and growth, you know?

And I just, you know, I, I already have, like, I’m talking to the, my video person to kind of create my opening video. And I’m just, I get all over the board because there’s just so many things that you can do because everyone adds their thread, you know? Everyone has a story. 

[00:24:13] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:24:14] Scott J. Buchanan: You know, you have a story, I have a story, and, and we also have our story within the industry.

And I just think it’s just magical. And that’s what I like to get out in people because I think that’s what we need. 

[00:24:25] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. When I hear the word tapestry, my brain, you know, immediately goes to just how rich and layered this industry is. It’s pretty special. I didn’t come up through the industry. I found my way into it when I joined Phorest 10 years ago.

But before that, I worked in sound recording and honestly, I’ve never worked in or even been adjacent to another industry that feels quite like this one. 

[00:24:48] Scott J. Buchanan: Right. Well, I would say that the threads between music and this are very s- sort of similar. 

[00:24:53] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah.

[00:24:53] Scott J. Buchanan: Cause you’re dealing with artists, you’re dealing with creatives.

[00:24:56] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:24:56] Scott J. Buchanan: You’re dealing with a lot of right-brained people. 

[00:24:58] Alex Bélisle-Springer: True. 

[00:24:59] Scott J. Buchanan: Not so much left brain. You’re not, like, in a law firm. 

[00:25:01] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:25:02] Scott J. Buchanan: You know what I mean? 

[00:25:02] Alex Bélisle-Springer: I was in the advertisement space, so less music than—

[00:25:06] Scott J. Buchanan: Oh, no, you have to have a little. Okay. 

[00:25:07] Alex Bélisle-Springer: But still creative. Still creatives. 

[00:25:09] Scott J. Buchanan: Yeah.

[00:25:10] Alex Bélisle-Springer: yYeah. 

[00:25:11] Scott J. Buchanan: Well, you, you need the left brain too, you know?

[00:25:13] Alex Bélisle-Springer: That’s true. 

[00:25:14] Scott J. Buchanan: The real balance is to be totally balanced. 

[00:25:16] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:25:17] Scott J. Buchanan: But, I’m not one of those. I’m more on the right. But I, you know, life, life makes you organized – 

[00:25:23] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:25:23] Scott J. Buchanan: When you grow. 

[00:25:24] Alex Bélisle-Springer: That’s true. 

[00:25:25] Scott J. Buchanan: Or did me anyway. 

[00:25:26] Alex Bélisle-Springer: So, so I know that, um, for Intercoiffure America/Canada, the first president was back in 1960. 

[00:25:36] Scott J. Buchanan: Yes. 

[00:25:37] Alex Bélisle-Springer: I wanna talk about your vision, but I’m curious to, to know what the founding father vision was back then and where your vision is taken Intercoiffure in the next few years or where you hope it took.

[00:25:50] Scott J. Buchanan: Well, you know, we’re still international. We have a Mondial side – uh-huh. That’s a European side. And I think in the beginning, you know, back in the ’60s, it was a completely different era than it is today. We don’t have the social media we have. We don’t have the, the, the computers though. I mean, the whole way to connect is completely different, you know?

[00:26:09] Scott J. Buchanan: And so then I think that the beginning was really about, you know, um, artists and o – you know, salon owners getting together and trying to merge the world, you know, with, with being able to celebrate, artistry. 

[00:26:25] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Mm. 

[00:26:26] Scott J. Buchanan: And so Intercoiffure was the, you know, the elite percentage of, of 1% of salons in the, in the US.

And they merged in with Europe, which had that. And it was a way to get, you know, back and forth, fly back and forth and show each other your work. I mean, now it’s much, much easier. You can do it on Zoom. I mean – 

[00:26:45] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:26:45] Scott J. Buchanan: You know, um, but we still, we still wanna do that. I mean, I’m still, looking, like I’m going to a, the Paris, they’re having a show in Paris in September and a couple of our members are going over and I’m going over there and, you know, we bring them here and, you know, we’re trying to get them on our stage.

And so, I, I think it was just really, it was a different time where, you know, being, global was much harder. So they created a community, to do it. And now that’s different. But, you know, for me in North America and Canada, it’s about us creating this community of, of salon owners that wanna grow, that have the same challenges being employee based and salary based and inspiring each other and helping each other just not feel alone, you know, and not feel, because sometimes you can feel like, am I doing it right?

Am I really doing this? And so it’s nice to get with other people and, and learn together and share best practices. Our owners forums are amazing for that because they’re small little groups, which thank you Phorest for sponsoring them. I think you, you see the power in it, your brand does. 

[00:27:54] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:27:55] Scott J. Buchanan: You know, that whole, it’s about the relationship and, you know, you have to be in conversation to have a relationship.

[00:28:01] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Agreed. So what are some of the conversations that you’ve been hearing this year? So to c – for context, um, I was, I was on LinkedIn last week and, I’m sure you know Leslie Perry, PBA. She posted something on LinkedIn last week where she was telling essentially, like, she’s been traveling a lot lately, spending time with school owners, national chainsalon leaders, independent owners, barbershops, educators, all that.

And she was saying that it was interesting to her that no matter where she went, the conversation was almost always the same, like, how do we train the next generation? How do we recruit and retain talent? Um, et cetera, et cetera. And, and, you know, the, the, the post was a, a few, a few more lines, you know, a- added lines around just, like, the worries about the future and, and we’re all trying to build some things sustainable.

We’re all trying to create opportunities for people. And she ends with, “The more conversations I have, the more convinced I am that we’re far more alike than we are different. If we want a stronger future, we have to spend less time protecting our corners and more time building common ground. The future of our industry won’t be shaped by what separates us. It’ll be shaped by what brings us together.”

And I’m wondering if that resonates with you in the conversations that you’ve been having, hearing everything. 

[00:29:21] Scott J. Buchanan:  I love that. That whole last line is, I love Leslie anyway, but I, now I really love her because that is, I mean, that’s where our world needs to be.

It’s like things are much better together. It’s like, you know, years ago when I was growing up, you didn’t, you didn’t let the hairdresser get the guest’s phone number. You know what I mean? It’s like a, a guest’s gonna go where a guest wants to go. You know? What we can do is just shine our light and be collaborative.

And there’s plenty of everything to go around, and we need to look at the industry in the same way. It’s like, together, we’re stronger. 

[00:29:54] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:29:54] Scott J. Buchanan: Individually, we’re weaker. It’s just the way it is. And so, you know, I think, you know, there’s, there’s lots of things that have to go on and sometimes we’re so busy trying to protect our little corner.

[00:30:05] Scott J. Buchanan: And, and really, when we can open up the corner and everyone can play on the same field, it’s a much more joyful way to be. 

[00:30:14] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:30:14] Scott J. Buchanan: And, more powerful financially, connect-wise. And I think this generation and the younger generation in schools, it is about connection because they’ve grown up so disconnected and, you know, through the COVID and through, you know, machines like their computer that, you know, when you can connect and you can grow a relationship through conversation, that’s how you, that’s how things blossom.

[00:30:42] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Hmm. 

[00:30:43] Scott J. Buchanan: You know, if you think about anything that’s gone wrong in your, in your relationships, it’s because it’s lack of conversation. 

[00:30:50] Alex Bélisle-Springer: I would have to agree with that. 

[00:30:51] Scott J. Buchanan: No, I, I, I ask myself, I ask myself all the time, you know, what con – what’s, what conversation am I missing? Do I have any missing conversations?

[00:31:01] Alex Bélisle-Springer: That’s a powerful question. 

[00:31:02] Scott J. Buchanan: That means conversations that are in my head that I haven’t had with people. You know, it’s like an inventory at night. How did I treat everybody? How did I, was everybody good? I, I mean, I do that, but it’s like, is there something I s – I should be saying that I’m not saying? 

[00:31:17] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Mm.

[00:31:18] Scott J. Buchanan: Because when I say it, it frees me and frees the other person. 

[00:31:21] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:31:22] Scott J. Buchanan: And when I can, and when I don’t have those in my backpack, all those conversations I’m not having, I’m lighter. I’m freer. I, I can flow through the world more fabulous and be joyful. When those conversations, it weighs me down. 

[00:31:39] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Did you, have you ever noticed like what, is, is there, is there a thread even between the conversations that stay in your head, the conversations that you would say like are missing?

Is there a thread as to like why sometimes they, they stay in your head? Is it fear? Is it – Fear. Yeah? 

[00:31:57] Scott J. Buchanan: Fear. Absolute fear, fear of the outcome, fear of how you’re gonna react, fear of, you know, all right, I know this road is cracky, but at least I know the road. 

[00:32:08] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Mm. 

[00:32:09] Scott J. Buchanan: You know, all of those things. But, you know, it all goes back to trusting, you know, you have to just trust.

You have to, you know, that this conversation was, was supposed to happen with us today, not back in May. 

[00:32:21] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:32:22] Scott J. Buchanan: Not when I was at the show and you were at the show and we were gonna do it on the side in a room and beep, baba. You know, we’re more centered today than we would’ve been then. 

[00:32:30] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Absolutely. 

[00:32:31] Scott J. Buchanan: You know, so – 1000%.

You know, all of those things. And, and so I, you know, you can’t, I always say you can’t pick and choose when you’re gonna have faith. Mm. You know, faith is or it isn’t. You’re either in the moment or you’re not gonna live in the moment. You can’t decide, okay, now I’m gonna live in the moment because I like this moment, but now I’m gonna force this moment because this is an uncomfortable moment.

You have to have faith in the whole, you know, and it’s, and it’s, it’s a, it’s a job. And as a leader, you know, I’ve gotten much more comfortable with that because I remember the freeing time as a young salon owner when I had someone working for me and I said, “If they ever left me, I would go crazy. I wouldn’t have any money.”

You know, and as soon as I realized I’m okay no matter what, my world changed, my leadership changed, my being changed, you know, because when you walk around the world on edge and a little bit skitsy, everyone feels it. 

[00:33:27] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. I agree. Yeah. Actually, I’m, I’m curious about something and I’m gonna try sharing my screen, which I’ve never done on this platform before, so bear with me.

Um, but, a couple years ago I took this brilliant course. It had everything to do with justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, which, um, where I was introduced to a framework, built by Slow Factory and it’s called Roles for Collective Liberation. Now, I’ve gone back to it quite a bit since, not only within the context of the course, but more broadly, you know?

And, and it looks at the idea that if we wanna build new worlds, we each have different roles to step into. Now, on LinkedIn, you have DreamBuilder as a title. So I’m curious whether any of these other roles may resonate with you. So on the left here, there are the more creative callings, you know, advocate, artist, communicator, designer, healer, luminary, problem solver, et cetera.

And then on the right, you have the pragmatic skills. So analyst, architect, developer, engineer, inventor, so on and so forth. Um, for those listening to the episode, I’ll link this in the show notes. But looking at those, which ones feel most like you, whether in your role as a business owner or as president of Intercoiffure America/Canada, um, or in terms of where you hope to take things next?

[00:34:59] Scott J. Buchanan: Hmm. I gotta look at it a little closer. Hold on. Well, communicator, always, communicator would absolutely resonate with me. 

[00:35:10] Alex Bélisle-Springer: So telling stories. 

[00:35:10] Scott J. Buchanan: Visionary would resonate with me. Telling stories. Receives downloads from the universe to guide people, absolutely. You know, I sit quiet when I’m confused. I go into silence immediately.

You know, before I go on stage or before I have to make a presentation, I sit in meditation. It’s one of the things I do. You know. I’m always trying to, um, come from a place of calm. So visionary in this, in this place, in this category, yes. Um, inventor. 

[00:35:47] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Inventor? Yeah. 

[00:35:50] Scott J. Buchanan: I, I, I would say, you know, without even looking at this, the other thing I like to do besides dream building, because to me, I’m about making other people’s dreams.

And I really feel as a salon owner, that’s what I’ve done – and that’s what I’ve done over the years is, you know, really given people opportunity. And that’s for the reason I grew to five locations and 240 people was because I had a great education program going on and I had wonderful people that stayed with me and I still have people with me 38 years that have made wonderful livings and gr – bought houses and went on vacation and raised families.

And that’s what I do, you know, like towards, it’s like that’s my purpose is to give you an opportunity, through, through what I can do. And I also love connecting people. I love meeting people and I love putting you together with you so that you two can both thrive. That to me is a huge blessing because when I see you two thrive, I love you, Alex, and once I know you, and if I know you need something, I’ll look for the person and connect it to you because that will make me happy.

And that, that’s just, that’s kind of my internal go ahead, you know? And I, and I don’t stop. I do it everywhere I go, whether it’s, you know, personal things at home or in church or in other places that I’m, that I’m a part of. I just, I love connecting people. I love making people better and helping them thrive in their own way.

[00:37:16] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. I relate to that a lot actually. I’ve, I’ve often described myself as a connector and I feel like it’s, it’s not, um, well, I guess it’s not lost on me that I’m, that I’m here in the podcast, you know, connecting with people and doing webinar related things for Phorest. It kind of, kind of makes sense. It aligns.

[00:37:36] Scott J. Buchanan: I also love luminary here. Inspires people to rise beyond their expectations. 

[00:37:42] Alex Bélisle-Springer: How does that show up for you?

[00:37:42] Scott J. Buchanan: I am a problem solver. Oh, well, listen, you know, you’re also part therapist when you’re a salon owner and when you’re a hairdresser. So I have a lot of, you know, I have a lot of young people that come to me and, you know, when I was, I got sober at 30 and, you know, before 30, I, I did everything, you know what I mean?

I was, at beginning I thought I would just cut hair, do drugs and have a life. And you know what I mean? And it changed. So, you know, I, I coach a lot of my, my team members on just life, you know, and how to, and, and, and, and, you know, being that, that person that knows you need to go out all night, but you can’t stay out and get that, get drunk.

So really inspiring people, you know, to understand, you know, see, see in themselves what they don’t see in themselves, what I see in them. Yeah. And giving people the opportunity, that’s, that’s the same as connecting in a way, but in a, in a different kind of way. Like, I don’t know, I just, I see things in people that I inspire, you know.

Sometimes I look at hairdressers that I’ve, that have worked with me and I have a girl now that’s been doing tons of editorial work. She doesn’t work for me anymore, but she’s done tons of. And I did nothing but inspire that. And she didn’t belong behind the chair in, in a, in a commercial place. She did, she belonged behind the camera with, with Vogue and with, with the, with stage.

And when I see her post on, on, you know, Instagram and stuff, I’m just so happy because I know I gave her the foundation that let her start to fly. 

[00:39:16] Alex Bélisle-Springer: That’s so special. 

[00:39:18] Scott J. Buchanan: You know, and that’s, that’s, that’s beautiful. So, you know, and of course a problem solver. The problem is I sometimes try to solve your problems when you don’t want me to solve your problems.

[00:39:28] Alex Bélisle-Springer: I mean, I feel like that’s a, that’s a, that’s a natural kind of tendency that many of us have, I feel like. 

[00:39:33] Scott J. Buchanan: Yeah. I mean, my partner brings it up to me quite a few times. 

[00:39:37] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah, I was thinking of my, like, some past partners brought it up with me as well. 

[00:39:41] Scott J. Buchanan: You know, it’s kind of like, “Could you just let me tell you?”

[00:39:43] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah, yeah, yeah. 

[00:39:44] Scott J. Buchanan: I’m not asking you for a solution. I’m sorry. I’m a solution person. 

[00:39:48] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. I’ve, I’m trying to get better at being like, “Do you want me to just hear you or do you want me to help you with this?” 

[00:39:55] Scott J. Buchanan: That’s what I try to do, exactly. Those words, exactly. When I can remember. 

[00:40:00] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yes, that’s exactly.

[00:40:03] Scott J. Buchanan: Yeah. And I’m not, my scale is the other way. It’s really not that way yet, but yes. 

[00:40:07] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:40:07] Scott J. Buchanan: I do do that, but not often enough, I don’t think. 

[00:40:10] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Well, listen, it’s a work in progress for me as well. So I, I feel you. Exactly. 

[00:40:17] Scott J. Buchanan: No, I love this. 

[00:40:18] Alex Bélisle-Springer: I know. It’s brilliant. I, and, and like I said, I’ve gone back to this framework so many times across different projects, different stages, different conversations.

And, yeah, I’ll send you the link, of course. Um, but thanks for walking me through the roles that resonate with you. They feel so aligned with what I saw you embody at Intercoiffure, the spring, gathering. And that was the first time we’d met in person. So, you know, for it to come, to come through so clearly, it’s, it’s, yeah, I don’t know.

It’s, it’s just really cool to be having this conversation with you now. Um, I’ve also been working recently on a, on a, on another podcast episode, which will have aired by the time this conversation comes out, but it was looking at the moment this industry or our industry is in, particularly in the UK and Ireland.

And there’s a lot happening there around government and policy alongside, you know, a noticeable rise in booth renting. And in some ways it feels like the UK and Ireland are, are now experiencing a shift that happened in the States a few years ago. So from your perspective, from what you’ve seen at shows through Intoquafour and your conversations with members, wh- what moment do you think the industry in the US and Canada is in right now?

Where are we at, especially with the boom of AI? 

[00:41:32] Scott J. Buchanan: Well, I think there’s a lot what you just said. So – Yeah. I think, you know, when you’re talking about being in Ireland and England and being just catching up now to, um, the salon suites and booth rental and renting chairs, I’ve always said, because I’ve taught, business, salon business to salon owners for the last 22 years around the world.

I’ve been to Australia, Germany, Italy. Um, you name it, I’ve been there. Um, Japan. And I’ve always noticed, um, that from a business perspective, they’re about 10 years behind us from a business perspective. From an artistic perspective, we look to them. 

[00:42:14] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Mm. 

[00:42:14] Scott J. Buchanan: Um, but they, you know, they are usually, you know, behind us as far as business practices.

And you’re just basically saying that the salon suites have been here and we’ve already got, we’ve, the pendulum has already swung all the way to the left. Yeah. And I really believe right now, the brands are recognizing and it’s swinging back and more people are coming back to employee based, salary-based salons for a lot of reasons because, you know, I think when I was younger, that wasn’t around, so a lot of people stayed and, and stayed in salons, you know, and very few went up because it’s a very expensive proposition to go out and build a, a 10-chair salon and, and, and build it and do it.

Whereas you can go in and rent a suite that’s already outfitted for you and just bring your clientele and make money. But the, the, the challenge I see with that is that a lot of people are not great marketers. They don’t have, you know, they have, they don’t realize how much they rely on the clients that the salon gives them.

And, um, they don’t realize all the other things that, that working with me, in my salon under Scott Jay that I do for them, such as answering the phones, taking care of the clients, get, washing the towels, ordering the inventory, getting the supplies, cleaning, you know, all of those things, that’s an extra piece that you don’t get.

So I feel that the, the, the pendulum is swinging back and the brands, I, I, a couple years ago, I would say were very much more about trying to go after these, servicing them and forgetting us. And they’re coming back and realizing that, um, this is, this is where it’s, where it’s easier. And, um, because if you grow me 5% in my company, 5% is much easier than growing an individual 5%, but you’re gonna get out of an individual unit.

Um, you know, Gordon Miller, my, the, General Manager of Intercoiffure America/Canada, he always says that, you know, and it was a really true statement when we talk about this, you know, independence wouldn’t be around if it wasn’t for the employee based, salary-based salons. 

[00:44:21] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:44:23] Scott J. Buchanan: And so what I’m finding is that, you know, a lot of them, they, they, they have to start, you know, they might start out the first year or two being okay because they’re getting them 50%, 100% of their money, but then they’re not growing their business, you know?

Every business has, attrition. And like, I, I teach that and you have to watch that leaky bucket and you have to be filling that bucket with new clients because you’re automatically gonna lose clients. And sometimes I feel that when you’re in the suites on the third floor, you’re not, you’re not busy marketing and you have to be marketing.

And like I, that’s what, that’s my job is to market for the people in my salon. I bring them to the door, your job is to do the experience. And, and I talk to my team and I say, “At the end of the day, you can grow your brand within my brand. You are a business owner. You own your chair with me. I have 36 business partners in Scott Jay.”

[00:45:20] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:45:20] Scott J. Buchanan: 36 hairdressers that own their own business with me. And we align on all of the, the, the, the, the external things of the, how the, the place runs and the experience we wanna give. And then we have our, what, what you do behind the chair affects me and what I do affects you. So we have our meetings and our wellnesses.

It’s about our individual businesses that collectively, we culturally sit in the same community under Scott Jay. But they own their own brand. They can make as much money as they want and they can lose it. You know, sometimes I do well, I do wellness, which is my monthly, my, my check-ins with them. When I do wellnesses with them, they say, “Oh, Scott, I was so slow.”

I said, “I know.” When you’re slow, I’m slow. Very simple. 

[00:46:05] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:46:06] Scott J. Buchanan: You know? And so, I think, you know, I think it’s going back. I, I think, you know, independence and, and th- this new wave is just another way of doing business. And sometimes people spend too much time trying to fight it versus just own your own space and do your own thing and communicate with your team, show them who you are, get them on board, be, be business partners with them.

You know, I, there’s a, a salon owner down in Florida, Luca and Alan at Pure, and they, they’re, they’re in a, their stores are in, in malls that have salon suites. They have not lost one person. Why? Because they just communicate and they, they put growth in front of their people. 

[00:46:53] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah. 

[00:46:54] Scott J. Buchanan: You know, if I, if you can show people growth, why would you wanna leave?

And if they wanna leave, but then they leave. Yeah, exactly. 

[00:47:00] Alex Bélisle-Springer: I 

[00:47:00] Scott J. Buchanan: don’t know if I answered that question of yours, but – 

[00:47:02] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Yeah, yeah, for sure. And I mean, I guess, like, the other part of the question, and I know it was a loaded question, so, um, but it, it was like, you know, we’re, we’re talking about the power of connection throughout this whole, like, last 45 minutes.

And, um, I’m wondering where you feel or how, what are your feelings around, you know, the, the, the boom that we’re seeing with AI and how that impacts personal connection, human connection, you know, I, I think, I think we all feel like it’s never gonna replace the experience in, in the salon, 

[00:47:35] Scott J. Buchanan: you 

[00:47:36] Alex Bélisle-Springer: know, but – 

[00:47:36] Scott J. Buchanan: I love AI.

I love the power of AI and I, and I think it’s gonna empower us to have more human connection. And that’s where I really, you know, we did a, um, a show last year in the spring. The last spring was in Las Vegas and I did a two-day event, probably the first one really in the beauty industry that was all about AI and what AI is doing.

And I, and it was about AI and connecting the heart. And so – AI and connecting 

[00:48:03] Alex Bélisle-Springer: the heart. Okay. 

[00:48:04] Scott J. Buchanan: And connecting the heart because it was about AI using AI to give us more time to have the one-on-one relationship. So if we wanna look at, first, let’s look at the front desk, you know? If you can use AI to streamline some of the repetitive things that you have someone calling on the phone, answering the phone, doing those robotic things, and that front desk can spend more time on the salon floor, either meeting the guests in the retail area and connecting about retail or makeup, or meeting the guest in the salon floor and really guiding them through an experience and making sure that they’re getting, you know, the level of ex – human experience they need over there, that’s a better use of their time than being on the phone saying, “Hold on, let me book this or I’m just confirming tomorrow’s appointment, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba.”

So, you know, I say use AI to help you streamline those processes that happen behind the scenes so that you can spend more time making human connections on the floor, in the experience, in the moment. Because at the moment, no matter who you are, you know, if you have 60 people coming through your front door in a day, those are the connections that are gonna give you another 60.

So use the human touch there and AI can give you that time. 

[00:49:27] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Well, from Into Kofir’s mission to everything you’ve just shared, there’s just such a clear ali- alignment with Phorest’s mission and how we’re also approaching AI, you know, using technology to create more space for meaningful human connection.

Phorest will be joining you at the Fall Atelier so I’d love for you to talk about it more. You mentioned the theme, the, the tapestry of beauty earlier. What are you building for the event and, and what can people expect? 

[00:49:53] Scott J. Buchanan: Oh, thanks. Yeah. I mean, we’re gonna. It, it’s, it’s one of our bigger events, in New York at the Hilton, and it’s October 3rd through the 5th, and it’s gonna be an amazing weekend of, tapestry of connection where we’re gonna connect and collaborate through all different areas from AI to artistic to, to visionary hair to, um, to leadership skills to, um, just all the things that make up the beauty industry are gonna be elaborated on.

And, and a lot of connection. Like, I still believe the power of connection. So I’m gonna be, you know, mixing people up, getting you to meet new people, expanding your world. You know, I thought one of the biggest things, takeaways in, in, in the spring one was when I mixed their tables up and. You know, and you had to sit with someone else.

Yeah. You know, people, I thought they weren’t gonna like it. People absolutely loved it. They’re like, because we’re a great community, but sometimes we get stuck in our pods. 

[00:50:58] Season 10 Intro: Yeah. 

[00:50:59] Scott J. Buchanan: And so I wanna, I wanna open up our pods because I believe when you open up the pods, you get more life experience and you get richer results.

Um, so yeah, I’m really excited about, um, all of it. We’re gonna have an amazing, um, planning an amazing evening show. I know you were at the one in Montreal, which was a cabaret.

[00:51:21] Alex Bélisle-Springer: It was stunning. Such a cool evening. Such an amazing experience. Big shout out to yourselves and, and Inner Sense, honestly, for sponsoring that.

[00:51:31] Scott J. Buchanan: Yes. Innersense was amazing. And we’re gonna have an amazing one I’m planning. It’s very top secret because, you know, now I gotta up myself so there’s, there’s that thing of, oh gosh, it was great. And then it’s like, oh no, what am I gonna do next? So, um, I, I’m really trying. I’m not gonna put too much out there because I don’t wanna keep it too high.

Then it’s the expectation. But yeah, I’m, I’m excited. And, you know, having people like Phorest, I feel I personally, and I think Intercoiffure America/Canada is very aligned with Phorest and, you know, we both are there for the right purpose, which is to better the industry. And to raise the bar. And you know, when we stand together, we’re much stronger than when we stand apart. 

[00:52:15] Alex Bélisle-Springer: I absolutely agree. And what a beautiful note to close on. Scott, if someone’s listening and wants to connect with you or is interested in becoming a member of Intercoiffure, where should they go to learn more?

[00:52:28] Scott J. Buchanan: Well, they, they can email me at, scott@Intercoiffure.com is always a way. They can go and, and DM my personal, um, Scott J. DreamBuilder_DreamBuilder. Um, also, you can go on our website and sign up for our newsletter, especially if you’re in the industry, and you wanna just see what we’re doing. You can go right on Intercoiffure America/Canada and right there pops up, sign up on our newsletter.

We have, weekly newsletters that are all d- done in different categories. AI is one week, or business is another, artistry is another. We also do amazing, podcast. It’s called The Connector. It’s on Spotify. Gordon Miller right now is our host. Amazing host also. We have about 10 or 15. Yeah, we do some re – he’s an amazing guy.

I’m blessed to have him, be a part of this, community. And he does great podcasts, so listen to that so you can get to know who we are and what we’re feeling like. And, you know, I’m, I’m opening up the shows a little, so it’s not just members only. It’s really, if you wanna come see who we are, you can come play at the shows and see exactly who we are and meet our members.

I have the most amazing members from all, all aspects of the industry and, you know, really powerful business-minded people with huge businesses that, um, share the same problems as we all do. 

[00:53:53] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Mm. Well, I have to say, the, the minute I walked in, I felt that. Like, I mentioned before we started recording, right?

I’m, I’m naturally a bit more of an introvert. Well, a lot more of an introvert. So industry shows can sometimes feel overstimulating or activating for me at the least. Um, but even at the opening reception in the spring in May, I, I remember thinking, “Oh wait, this is cool. We’re, we’re all good here.” Um, there was so much warmth in the room and, and that stood out really, like, immediately.

And it continued through, throughout the entire weekend. So kudos to you and, and your team, everyone involved for creating that kind of environment. 

[00:54:32] Scott J. Buchanan: That made me feel very good. Thank you. It’s a lot of hard work by a lot of people. Yeah. But thank you. That’s, that’s what I’ve always felt, and that’s what I wanna continue to feel, even if there’s 500 people in the room.

[00:54:44] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Mm. Yeah. Well, it’s definitely present, so thank you for that. Thank you for all your intentionality and care behind all you do. 

[00:54:52] Scott J. Buchanan: Thank you. 

[00:54:53] Alex Bélisle-Springer: Scott, I’m sure we’ll talk again soon, but for now, I’ll link everything we mentioned in the show notes, and I’ll keep cheering you on from the sidelines, following what you’re building, and celebrating all that you’re doing.

[00:55:04] Scott J. Buchanan: And hope to have you on our podcast. 

[00:55:07] Alex Bélisle-Springer: I would be honored. 

[00:55:08] Scott J. Buchanan: Okay. Absolutely. I’ll talk to Gordon. 

[00:55:14] Alex Bélisle-Springer: I absolutely adored every part of this conversation with Scott, and I’m gonna leave you on a string of questions. Who’s in your corner, your community, or constellation of care support? Who do you consider to be partners?

Who shows up when things get messy? Who offers a perspective you hadn’t considered and reminds you that you aren’t navigating this fast-paced, ever-changing landscape alone? How can you expand it even just slightly today, this week, or this month? Who might you be able to connect someone you know needs it with?

That’s what I wish to leave you with this week, because that’s how I would argue we ensure that the future of beauty isn’t just about looking better. It’s also, and perhaps even more importantly, about being better to one another. For the past nine seasons, PhorestFM has been steadily putting down roots, growing slowly but steadily like the trees in the Phorest forest.

Oh, and did you hear that Phorest recently became B Corp certified? You can learn all about that on our website. But coming back to this, every episode’s been its own brand of fertilizer, carrying insight, knowledge, lessons, new ideas and stories. And from small seeds, the show has grown enough to change the landscape.

But there is a but. If we’re going to explore and shape what’s next together, we need as many voices as possible in the conversation. And for that, we need your help. We’re just about to start gathering submissions for this year’s season finale, so if you’d like to contribute to that episode, do start thinking about who you’d like to write an appreciation letter to.

It can be to the industry at large, an organization, a colleague, or even a client. Alternatively, every bit of engagement with the episodes you listen to helps the show reach that many more people in the industry. So leave a comment on Spotify or tag us in, on a post on social media, leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

I encourage you to take just one small action. If you’re listening to the show on Apple Podcasts, then I’m really calling on your help specifically with this one. The link is in the show notes. And I honestly cannot wait to hear what’s resonating for you this season so far. Thanks for spending the past hour or so with us.

Le keyla toma jig fas.

Together, We Grow.

Related links

Connect with Scott on Instagram @scottj_dreambuilder_

Learn more about Intercoiffure USA/Canada

Learn more about the Phorest Summit & secure your tickets for 2027!

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