It was almost 10 years ago that the first ever Vivo Salon was opened and now there are over 90 Vivo Hair and Skin Clinics across New Zealand. It has been an incredible journey to watch and we’ve loved seeing them grow.
We spoke to Executive Director, Lynden Mason, to ask him about what he loves about the industry, his business journey and the importance of empowering your staff to achieve success.
Watch Vivo’s story in this short video, and read on for the full interview.
How did you get into the industry?
“I got into the industry by accident. I was looking for a new challenge after selling my last business when I discovered the hairdressing industry. It’s one of those industries where once you get into it you see the opportunities and the passion, and I’ve been hooked ever since! This month marks 10 years in the industry for me.”
“For me personally, success is creating an environment where people can follow their pathway, follow their passion, follow their dreams, and achieve what they’re looking for.”
What’s the best part about working in the industry?
“The best part about working in the hairdressing industry is the people. It’s pretty amazing to have a workforce where people turn up to work every day, with the main goal to make people feel good about themselves. You don’t get that in many industries and you can’t beat it.”
How would you define success?
“I would define success as achieving whatever is important to you. For some people that’s financial, for some people it’s learning and education. Everyone has a different pathway.
“For me personally, success is creating an environment where people can follow their pathway, follow their passion, follow their dreams, and achieve what they’re looking for. That’s a different thing for every member of our team, and I know that success for Vivo is based on being able to cater to all those different career pathways that people want to achieve.”
If you had one piece of advice for other business owners in the industry what would that be?
“My one piece of advice would be to value your staff. Create an environment in your salon that allows your staff to be themselves, to achieve, and to develop as people.
“Try not to micromanage but instead trust in people and build ways for them to succeed and achieve their version of success.”
What is Vivo’s business focus at the moment?
“At Vivo our main focus is to get people to come in again and again and again, or in other words, retain our clients.
“The way that we aim to achieve that is by focusing on the experience. It’s not enough to be technically brilliant, it’s about how you make people feel, how they enjoy their time in the salon and whether they feel listened to and heard. It’s about that complete customer experience, that’s what truly leads to success.”
<insert pull quote> “KPI’s are numbers but really what they represent is actual behaviours, outcomes and experiences that happened in a salon. What Kitomba does brilliantly is it turns experiences into numbers that you can measure and monitor, and it makes it really easy to do that.” </insert pull quote>
Why do you love Kitomba?
“I love Kitomba because it’s very easy for our teams to use and make appointments which is fundamental. I also love Kitomba because it’s constantly evolving and growing!
“Perhaps most importantly – I love the range of reports that it offers. For me as a business owner, Kitomba delivers reports about all the key information that we need for our business. We believe that KPIs are important, but it’s about focusing on the right KPIs.
“KPI’s are numbers but really what they represent is actual behaviours, outcomes and experiences that happened in a salon. What Kitomba does brilliantly is it turns experiences into numbers that you can measure and monitor, and it makes it really easy to do that.”
What are your favourite Kitomba Reports?
“My two favourite Kitomba Reports are the Future Value report and the Business Summary. I like the Future Value report because at Vivo we have a value which is “own it”. What future value tells us is which of our teams are really taking control of their careers, their appointment books, booking their future clients and utilising their time most effectively.
“I love the Business Summary report because it has such a range of things to look at. One of the key things about the Business Summary measurements are that they are reflections of true happenings in the salon. So I can look at a salon’s Business Summary and know exactly what’s going on for each stylist, in terms of what their weeks have been like, and it’s really powerful to be able to make good decisions quickly.”
Vivo has been entering The Industry Awards for a number of years, why is it so important for your business?
“The hairdressing industry is a really connected industry, and in New Zealand it’s even smaller, everyone knows everyone! Entering the awards is a really important thing because it’s about being part of the industry and contributing.
“Attending the nights is always great fun, there’s lots of entertainment, lots of people letting their hair down and enjoying themselves, and that’s what our industry’s all about.
“As well as that it’s about recognition, that’s another thing I think that our industry is good at. Giving credit where credit’s due, seeing when people are leading from the front and then applauding their efforts. It’s a fantastic night!”
How did it feel to hear Vivo Chancery announced as 2020 New Zealand Hair Salon of the Year at The Industry Awards?
“When I heard that Vivo Chancery had taken out the New Zealand Hair Salon of the Year award I was so incredibly proud. I know in the background how much blood, sweat and tears Peter and his team have put into achieving this.
“They set this goal over a year ago and they’ve worked every single day focusing on winning this award. It’s a very competitive field and a very competitive category that they were trying to win. So when I heard that their efforts paid off and they were going to get the recognition they deserved for their efforts, it was an incredibly proud moment.”
Watch our interview of Peter talking about his win at The Industry Awards 2020.
Lynden Mason is the Executive Director of Vivo Hair & Skin Clinics. Along with his business partner James Carlisle, they have built their continuously expanding brand from the ground up. For more information on their business journey, head to their website.
Want to find out if Kitomba can help your business thrive like it has for Vivo Hair and Skin Clinics? Book your free demo where we’ll discuss your business’s unique needs, goals and vision, and what features will help you to achieve your business goals this year and beyond.
Read more customer success stories:
