2026 Trends + Outlooks with Nina L. Kovner

January 13, 2026Nina KovnerBlog, GROW

A Shift Toward Discernment: 2026 Trends + Outlooks for Pro Beauty

For the past several years, I have shared a Trends + Outlooks conversation with my clients to help make sense of what’s happening, not just in beauty, but in the world, shaping how people choose, spend, and engage.

This year’s conversation, A Shift Toward Discernment, felt especially important. Not because everything is new but because so much of what we’ve been navigating in recent years has come into focus. A tipping point, so to speak.

This Isn’t About Predictions
This conversation wasn’t about chasing trends or guessing what’s next in the beauty industry because I don’t have a Magic 8 Ball, lol. It’s about discernment: the ability to slow down, pay attention, and make decisions based on what actually works, instead of reacting to noise, pressure, or fear.

My approach has always been the same:
I listen closely to salon owners, hairstylists, educators, and pro beauty brand leaders.
I pay attention to real conversations and recurring patterns.
I layer in the business and economic context.

Everything I see is filtered through the same lens I’ve used for years: Care. Trust. Value. Client experience. Brand fundamentals.

The Economic & Emotional Context
Since 2023, we’ve been living with ongoing uncertainty, rising costs, tighter margins, and emotional fatigue around money and decision-making. Salon clients and beauty pros are more selective, more value-conscious, and less tolerant of friction or disappointment.

What Discernment Looks Like in Pro Beauty Right Now
The fundamentals haven’t changed, but how they show up has.

Care
Care is how people feel in your space, your chair, or your brand.

Trust
Trust is built through consistency and follow-through.

Value
Value isn’t about more services, more products, or more noise; it’s about delivering on what your brand promises, in a way that feels good

Why Simplification Matters So Much
One of the strongest themes in the 2026 outlook is simplification as a response to overwhelm.

Simplification reduces overwhelm and decision fatigue. It makes care, trust, and value easier to experience.

Simplification doesn’t shrink businesses and brands. It strengthens them.

The Opportunity Heading Into 2026
The salons, hairstylists, and beauty brands that will do well in 2026 won’t be the loudest or the fastest.

They’ll be the ones who:

  • know who they serve, how they serve, and why they serve
  • double down on the client and customer experience before, during, and after the appointment or engagement
  • make decisions based on the fundamentals
  • choose alignment over distraction

That’s what A Shift Toward Discernment is really about.

Enjoy the 2026 Trends + Outlooks replay below, and if you have questions, please reach out to me at nina@passionsquared.net

Happy New Year! Ily.

Little Things Make a Big Difference in The Salon Experience

June 12, 2024Nina KovnerGROW

The salon experience you create and deliver is your brand

Let’s talk about something close to my heart: creating unforgettable experiences in your salon. It’s not just about hair; it’s about every little touch and detail that makes your clients feel valued, cared for, and truly special. It’s about building trust with your clients and creating memorable salon experiences that keep them coming back to you and sharing their salon experience with their friends, online and off.

Imagine this: Subaru of Portland has a dog wash area connected to the service waiting room. Cute, right? It’s such a simple yet thoughtful and memorable touch that transforms a mundane waiting room into a space where customers feel acknowledged and appreciated. And this is perfectly aligned with the Subaru brand, as one of their brand promises is ‘Subaru Loves Pets” and one way they show that is through their longtime partnership with the ASPCA and Bark. Now, let’s translate that into your salon.

Experience Is Your Brand

Your salon brand isn’t your logo (logos are part of your salon brand identity) or your Instagram feed; it’s the experience you create. It’s how you make your clients feel when they walk through your doors. Experience is a big part of your salon brand promise. It’s what sets you apart from the salon down the street. What’s important to remember is different clients value different things, thus, having clarity around your salon brand story is so important, as it helps you create the most relevant “little things” that your salon clients value.

Here are a few examples of some little, yet significant, things you can do to elevate your client experience as long as they are aligned with your salon brand story:
  • A hook in the bathroom for coats and bags: It’s the small conveniences that show you’ve thought of everything.
  • An easily accessible phone or tablet charger: Keep your clients connected and stress-free.
  • A lap desk for clients who need to work: Show that you value their comfort and time.
  • A cup holder at your station: Eliminating friction, such as where to put your cup, shows clients you really care.
  • A footrest or an extra pillow: Comfort is king and queen and all the things.
  • Specialty beverage and snack service: Elevate the experience with a touch of luxury.
  • Affirmation cards to take home: Leave them with something joyful to remember you by.
  • Silent appointments: Respect their need for quiet and personal space.
  • An elevated shampoo experience: Make it more than just getting their hair clean.
  • Hot and cool towels: A touch of spa-like comfort that’s simple and valued.
  • Cozy blankets and pillows for lash clients: Comfort during those longer appointments is worth it.
  • Noise-canceling headphones for lash and nail clients: Help them escape the noise.
  • Simple confirmation process: Make scheduling simple and convenient.
  • Product samples: Who doesn’t love a free gift?
  • Thank you notes: Never underestimate the power of gratitude.
  • Respond to awesome reviews: Show your appreciation for their support and time.
  • Neck, shoulder, or hand massages: Who doesn’t love a little extra pampering?
  • Foot waxing with pedicures: Add value and convenience to their experience.
  • Neck massager and back support options: Comfort is key for mani/pedi clients.
  • New client welcome gift bags: Make them feel special from day one.
  • Blanket warmers for facials: Little touches of cozy luxury.
  • Hand or foot massage with facials: Elevate their relaxation and create more value.
  • Disposable eyeglass handle covers for color clients: Thoughtful and practical. We love!
  • Facial steamer for shaves: Add a touch of spa vibes to your barber services.

Building Trust, Showing You Care, Adding Value

Each of these small touches builds trust, shows your salon clients you care, and adds immense value to your salon clients’ experiences. It’s about making every visit to your salon more memorable, so they can’t help but come back—and bring their friends.

Remember, it’s the little things that make a big difference. Stay focused on creating those magical moments that set your salon apart. 

The tools and strategies inside Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty professionals help you have clarity around your salon brand, which helps you decide which “little things” you want to build into your salon experience, build a strong foundation to make more aligned decisions, save a ton of time, money, and energy, and feel more confidence, courage, and joy. Click here to learn more.

Much love, in service to you-

Nina

Nine Reasons Salons Are Still Growing Their Business in 2024

June 6, 2024Nina KovnerGROW

Executing the fundamentals, consistently, is what grows a salon business and brand long term

No, not all salons or hairdressers are slow, regardless of what your particular TikTok algorithm may tell you. If you listen to the PEOPLE PASSION PURPOSE podcast, you’ve heard me talk about this the last few years because I saw it coming.

If you are in A School, or have taken Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty professionals, you’ve heard this too.

Some salons and hairdressers’ business has slowed down, however, some salons are thriving, having record months even, including most of our client’s salon businesses.

While there is a ton of context, nuance, and variables as to why some salons are slow and others aren’t, below are a few reasons most of our clients who own salons are doing awesome.

Nine Reasons Salons Are Still Growing Their Business in 2024

1. They didn’t overcorrect or overreact to economic pressures because they understand their salon brand and how the decisions they make impact their salon business long-term

2. They have a clear understanding of lifetime salon client value and make their decisions with that in mind

3. They understand the difference between healthy boundaries and walls

4. Their salon prices are aligned with their brand promise and market position

5. Their Client Agreements are clear, kind, and aligned with their salon brand

6. They remain simple and easy to do business with

7. They’re passionate about salon client experience and consistency

8. They invest time and energy into post-experience follow-up and communications with their salon clients which I wrote about here

9. They are wise, compassionate, empathetic, awesome leaders and salon owners who care deeply for their clients, teams or tenants

Is everything perfect? No. Because perfection is a myth.

Are they doing everything in their power to create salon spaces that make their clients, teams, and tenants feel like they really matter? Yes.

The tools and strategies inside Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty professionals help you have clarity around your salon brand, build a strong foundation to make more aligned decisions, save a ton of time, money, and energy, and feel more confidence, courage, and joy. Click here to learn more.

Much love, in service to you-

Nina

Trademarks and Your Salon Brand Name

May 24, 2024Nina KovnerGROW

It’s all in a name

From Module 2 of Creating Your Awesome Brand, A Complete Course for Beauty Professionals

Your salon brand name helps communicate your salon brand story and helps connect you to the clients, teams, and tenants you wish to serve. And part of naming your salon brand is knowing if it is available to use and hasn’t been trademarked by another salon.

A trademark is part of your salon brand’s intellectual property, which holds immense value and is worthy of protection.

Trademarks protect the investment you made in creating your salon brand name, including your signage, website address, social and digital page names, printed materials, etc. 

Last week I had three conversations with salon owners on trademarks, and it has been a highly misunderstood part of brand development in the salon industry, so I want to bring attention to trademarks and your salon brand name. This is what we share with our clients in One On Ones, in A School and also in Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty professionals.

In one conversation, the salon was told by ‘experts’ that they did not need to trademark their salon brand name. It took me less than one minute doing a search on the USPTO website (the US patent and trademark database) to learn someone already has the name trademarked in Class 44, the trademark class for salons. UGH.

While I am not a trademark attorney and am not, and will never give you legal advice, I have three decades of trademark experience, being responsible for some of the most valuable trademarks in the professional salon product space, including receiving a gazillion cease and desist letters from conglomerates with way more attorneys on staff than I had, along with helping our clients the last twelve years at Passion Squared.

Things To Consider When Creating Your Salon Brand Name

  1. Is the name aligned with your salon brand story?
  2. Is the name already trademarked in the Class you want to use it for? (Hair salons are Class 44)
  3. Is the name available as a web address and site?
  4. Is the name available to use as your brand email address?
  5. Is the name available on social pages?
  6. Is the name available on digital pages?

Trademark Investment

  • USPTO Directly $250 + (I don’t usually recommend this as it can be overwhelming for some)
  • Legal Zoom $649 +
  • Attorney $2000 + est It takes anywhere from six months to one year to secure a registered trademark, depending on the USPTO and the complexity of the mark.

Cost of Creating A New Salon Brand Name If Your Current Name Is Trademarked by Another Salon

  • New website address
  • New email addresses
  • New social page names
  • New digital page names
  • New signage
  • New printed materials
  • TIME ENERGY MONEY ++++++++

This is just one of many tools and strategies inside the Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty professionals. Because when you have clarity around your salon brand, you have a strong foundation to make more aligned decisions, save a ton of time, money, and energy, and feel more confidence, courage, and joy. Click here to learn more.

Much love, in service to you-

Nina

Five Questions To Help Create Your Salon Brand Promise

May 23, 2024Nina KovnerGROW

Trust is built on promises kept

From Module 1 of Creating Your Awesome Brand, A Complete Course for Beauty Professionals

What is a brand promise?
• How you solve the problems of the clients you serve
• The experience you deliver
• The expectations you set
• How you want your clients to feel

Different Audiences, Different Promises

When crafting your salon brand story, you likely have more than one audience unless you are a solo independent.

• Employment-based salons
Clients and team members

• Lease based salons
Clients and tenants

Example Brand promise for clients
Your clients may value relaxing experiences because previous salons they’ve been at feel chaotic.

Brand promise for teams
Your team may value working in an environment that is grounded and relaxing because their previous salon was toxic and chaotic.

Same. But different.

Five Questions To Help Create Your Salon Brand Promise
1. What does your salon brand experience look and feel like?
2. How does your salon brand solve the problems of your people?
3. What is the expectation you are setting for the experience of your salon brand?
4. How do you want your people to feel?
5. What do you want your people to say about your salon experience?

Having clarity of your salon brand story, which includes your salon brand promise, helps you simplify your decision-making process, make more aligned decisions for your salon business, set clear expectations, and connect with the people you wish to serve, whether it be salon clients, salon teams or salon tenants.

With that clarity, you will save a ton of time you waste not making decisions, or making ones that are not aligned with your visions and goals, have more confidence, and courage, and feel so much more joy. 



This is just one of many tools and strategies inside the Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty professionals. Because when you have clarity around your salon brand, you have a strong foundation to make more aligned decisions, save a ton of time, money, and energy, and feel more confidence, courage, and joy. Click here to learn more.

Much love, in service to you-

Nina