Four books every salon owner should read

Multi-award winning salon owner, Lorenzo Colangelo reviews four motivational books that have helped him on his way to success. BOOK 1: Good to Great by Jim Collins The Blurb: After a five-year research project, Collins concludes that ‘good to great’ can and does happen. In this book, he uncovers the underlying variables that enable any type of organisation to make the leap from good to great while other organizations remain only good. Rigorously supported by evidence, his findings are surprising - at times even shocking - to the modern mind. Why I read it: This book was recommended to me by a consultant client of mine.  I wanted to look for inspiration outside the industry and look at how bigger companies think and operate. Best Bits: I took quite a lot from this but, in particular, I learnt about looking at your business as a bus journey. The author talks about you as the driver of the bus and about knowing where you are heading, how to pick up the right people who want to go to the same destination and also about how and why people leave the bus. How I implemented it:  The key here is communicating your vision with your team and ensuring that they are all on the same bus journey with you! Recommendation: Highly recommended to help you plan more effectively and strategise more effectively. Keep this book near at all times! Rating: 5/5   BOOK 2: FISH! By Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D., Harry Paul and John Christensen The Blurb: FISH! isn’t just about work. It’s about making every moment of your life count. Readers use its practical wisdom to improve business performance, but they also use it to renew their spirits and strengthen their relationships with family and friends. FISH! is about rediscovering the amazing power that is inside each of us to make a positive difference—wherever we are in life. It’s effective for team training or to help staff connect personally with The FISH! Philosophy. Why I read it: I was challenged with some negativity in my team and this book was recommended by a client. What I took from it:  I took EVERYTHING!  It is a great book, simple, easy to read and understand.  It is based on four key principles – Be present, Have fun, Make someone’s day and Choose your attitude.  We implemented this strategy into the salon– with all the team, part of our review system is based on this principle and every staff member is regularly reminded of it.  The principles are great for anyone in the service industries. Recommendation: Highly Recommended for implementing with the whole team for a happy work place. Rating: 5/5   BOOK 3: The Four Agreements by Dom Miguel Ruiz The Blurb: In The Four Agreements shamanic teacher and healer Don Michael Ruiz exposes self-limiting beliefs and presents a simple, yet effective code of personal conduct learned from his Toltec ancestors. Full of grace and simple truth, this handsomely-designed book makes a lovely gift for anyone making an elementary change in life, and reads in a voice like one would expect an indigenous shaman to sound. Why I read it:  I wanted to see if there was something I could be doing to be a better business owner.  Again this was recommended to me by a client of mine. What I took from it: The four agreements!  I have them up on my office wall to remind me every day. Be impeccable with your word, Don’t take things personally, Don’t make assumptions and always do your best.  They are very good rules to live your life by, not just your business! Recommendation: This was more of a spiritual, personal development book than a business one, however, it is definitely one I would recommend it for your own personal awareness and self-development Rating:  5/5   BOOK 4: The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle The Blurb: The phenomenal bestselling self-help book of its generation - for spiritual followers of the Dalai Lama and Deepak Chopra. Eckhart Tolle demonstrates how to live a healthier and happier life by living in the present moment. Why I read it: Personal development as this was a book that several people had mentioned to me as it is one of the original books on mindfulness What I took from it: Very good at helping you focus your mind and to develop skills to practise mindfulness each day to get better clarity to your thinking. Recommendation: Probably the most ‘spiritual’ of my recommends which can put people off, but the techniques for mindfulness are well worth reading up. Rating: 4/5   Lorenzo Colangelo is the Director of award winning salon - The Gallery in Southborough.  The salon with a £1Million turnover, employs a team of 28 and has been a huge part of the Southborough community for over 30 years.  The self-confessed ‘Hairdresser turned Business Man’ has recently started sharing the business strategies that have led him to build up a highly successful UK salon.