# Salon Team Building: Recruitment, Leadership, and Retention | Ash Fortis | Stylist & Owner, XO Hair Lab | Director of Education & Global Artistic Development, Sharkfin Shears

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-hairdresser-strong-show-3898070/salon-team-building-recruitment-leadership-and-retention-ash-fortis-stylist-owner-xo-hair-lab-director-of-education-global-artistic-development-sharkfin-shears
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-hairdresser-strong-show-3898070/salon-team-building-recruitment-leadership-and-retention-ash-fortis-stylist-owner-xo-hair-lab-director-of-education-global-artistic-development-sharkfin-shears.md
Podcast: [The Hairdresser Strong Show](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-hairdresser-strong-show-3898070)
Published: 2026-05-11T11:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://hairdresser-strong.captivate.fm/episode/salon-team-building-recruitment-leadership-and-retention-ash-fortis-stylist-owner-xo-hair-lab-director-of-education-global-artistic-development-sharkfin-shears
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/70c50813-0cfd-41ec-b391-e85f4dfbc472.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-hairdresser-strong-show-3898070/episodes/salon-team-building-recruitment-leadership-and-retention-ash-fortis-stylist-owner-xo-hair-lab-director-of-education-global-artistic-development-sharkfin-shears
Duration seconds: 2608

## Resource

In this episode, Ash Fortis , owner of XO Hair Lab and Director of Education at Sharkfin Shears, breaks down what it actually takes to build and retain a strong salon team. From recruitment and assistant training to leadership, communication, boundaries, and retention, Ash shares how structure, support, and clear expectations create a salon culture where people can grow and stay. 🚨🎤Ash will be joining the Owner’s Panel at our upcoming Conference, Beauty Business Brunch 2026 in DC , where we’ll go deeper on leadership, management, growth, and what it really takes to build a strong beauty business from the inside. 👀 Learn more and join us: https://www.hairdresserstrong.com/beauty-business-brunch Key Takeaways: 🔅Recruitment cannot be reactive - If you wait until you desperately need someone, you are already behind. Strong owners build applicant flow and relationships before there is an emergency. 🔅Hire for self-motivation and reliability - Ash names self-motivation and reliability as two of the top traits she looks for when building a team, no matter the role. 🔅Create the environment for people to thrive - New talent needs clear expectations, support, education, and structure if they are going to succeed inside the business. 🔅Give people systems before judging their performance - Handbooks, service lists, double-booking systems, downtime expectations, and clear salon policies help people understand how to meet the standard. 🔅Assistants should feel utilized, not used - A strong assistant program includes mentorship, education, hands-on learning, and a visible growth pathway. 🔅Growth timelines should be individualized - Some assistants may be ready in six months, others may need a year or two, depending on skill, timing, professionalism, and readiness. 🔅Leadership is servic…

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