Starbucks: How Losing Focus On The Brand Experience Cost Them Barista & Customer Trust

May 29, 2025Nina KovnerPodcast

In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, I unpack Starbucks: the iconic brand that built its success on human connection and consistent experience, and what happens every time it drifts away from that brand promise.

From Howard Schultz’s bold 2008 shutdown all U.S. stores to reconnect with the baristas and Starbucks experience, to this year’s decision to cut 30% of the menu, Starbucks follows a familiar pattern: build, overcomplicate, break trust, and then attempt to refocus on their brand and what made them successful to begin with.

I share what salon owners, hairstylists, and beauty brands can learn from Starbucks about brand drift, operational alignment, and the myth that “more” always means better.

Because it’s about the coffee, or haircuts, or bottles of shampoo, it’s about the entire experience. And when that breaks, so does trust.

In This Episode:

• The real reason Starbucks shut down all US stores in 2008, and what that bold move teaches us about leadership and brand clarity
• Why cutting 30% of the menu is about more than efficiency, it’s about restoring the brand experience
• How complexity inside the store created chaos, stress, and emotional disconnect for both baristas and customers
• What the new dress code reveals about the disconnect between brand story, business goals, and the experience
• What salon owners, stylists, and beauty brands can learn about staying focused, building trust, and aligning the decisions you make with your brand story

If you are a salon owner, salon coach or independent stylist, and want to have a deeper understanding on how to not only create a brand story, but also, how it connects to every decision a salon makes in their business, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty pros.

Thank you for listening, leaving a rating or review, and sharing this episode with a business bestie who can benefit from the lesson.

Taylor Swift: How Storytelling, Emotional Connection, and Healthy Boundaries Built A Personal Brand

May 22, 2025Nina KovnerPodcast

In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, I break down one of the most iconic personal brands in the world, Taylor Swift.

This isn’t a fangirl episode (though I’m a Swiftie, duh). This is about a personal brand and consistent leadership, grounded in brand clarity, emotional connection, and healthy boundaries.

From how Taylor speaks the language of her audience to how she uses storytelling to build trust and community, this episode explores the exact strategy behind her global impact.

You’ll learn how to apply Taylor’s brand genius to your salon, business, or beauty brand, including real-world takeaways for hairstylists, salon owners, and beauty marketers.

In This Episode:

  • A breakdown of Taylor’s brand story and why it works
  • Lessons in client communication from Taylor’s inclusive language
  • Why emotional connection builds long-term relationships and lifetime client value
  • How healthy boundaries are part of brand strategy
  • What it looks like to care deeply while protecting your energy

I also share how Taylor’s music and the Eras Concert Tour helped me heal through deep grief. This one’s personal, and yes, there were a fear tears shed.

If you are a salon owner, salon coach or independent stylist, and want to have a deeper understanding on how to not only create a brand story, but also, how it connects to every decision a salon makes in their business, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty pros.

Thank you for listening, leaving a rating or review, and sharing this episode with a business bestie who can benefit from the lesson.

Target: How Knee-Jerk Decisions Break Trust and Erode Lifetime Customer Value

May 15, 2025Nina KovnerPodcast

In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, I break down Target’s trust crisis, not as a political conversation, but as a brand case study.

Why did loyal shoppers like me, who went to Target every week, walk away? What lessons can salon owners, hairstylists, creative entrepreneurs, and beauty brands learn about lifetime customer (and client) value, consistency, and the cost of making decisions that are totally off-brand?

I contrast Target’s missteps with Costco’s long-game brand clarity, sharing real-life examples of how knee-jerk decisions can break trust and shrink long-term loyalty, and lifetime client, team, and tenant (booth renter) value.

In This Episode

  • Why I, a decades-long Target shopper, stopped going, and why I’m not alone
  • The hidden cost of knee-jerk decisions that break trust with loyal customers (and clients)
  • What Target’s inconsistency teaches us about lifetime value in both retail and salons
  • How Costco’s long-game clarity contrasts Target’s missteps — and why it matters
  • What happens when brands react out of fear instead of staying rooted in their brand promise
  • Real-world examples of salon owners accidentally making knee-jerk, off-brand decisions, like:
  • Changing client, team, or tenant Agreements based on a few negative experiences
  • Client shaming social media content
  • Constantly shifting brand identity in search of instant results
  • Responding to online reviews before taking a pause
  • Asking a team member to leave immediately after they give two-week notice

    This episode is a must-listen for salon owners, hairstylists, beauty brand leaders, and creatives who want to build something that lasts.

    If you want to learn more about creating your brand story and how to connect all the dots in your salon business, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, A Complete Course for Beauty Pros.

    Thank you for listening with an open heart and mind, and sharing this episode with your business besties!

    Aveda: From Salon Experience and Relationship Building Innovator To Fracturing Lifetime Customer Value

    May 8, 2025Nina KovnerPodcast

    In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, we’re diving deep into the legendary story of Aveda: how it rose to beloved icon status, what fueled its global success, and how it lost its way.

    As a former beauty brand VP, educator, and lifelong observer of Aveda’s rise and evolution, I break down the brand’s rise under Horst Rechelbacher’s visionary leadership, its pioneering of nature-powered beauty, wellness, and the groundbreaking experience design that set it apart.

    We dive into how Aveda’s sale to Estée Lauder shifted its trajectory, the disconnect that followed, and the hard lessons every salon owner, hairstylist, and beauty brand must learn to protect their own brand trust. From brand clarity and experience rituals to salon partnerships and loyalty, this is a powerful lesson in what it takes to build a sustainable brand and what happens when you drift from your core brand story.

    Whether you’re a salon owner, stylist, or pro beauty brand exec, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways on brand story, staying focused, and rebuilding trust when things go off course.

    In This Episode:

    – What made Aveda the blueprint for nature-powered beauty brands

    – The role of aromatherapy & sensory experience in lifetime client value (the amount of happiness, joy, referrals and revenue a client brings you over the lifetime of your relationship with them)

    – How clear brand stories, including brand promises, fueled growth, and where clarity faltered

    – Lessons on brand erosion: leadership shifts, inconsistency, lost connections and broken promises

    – What salons & pro beauty brands can learn (and apply right now)

    – Why clarity, consistency, and care are everything

    If you want to learn more about creating your brand story and how to connect all the dots in your salon business, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, A Complete Course for Beauty Pros.

    Thank you for listening with an open heart and mind, and sharing this episode with your business besties!

    Costco: A Masterclass In Trust, Brand Promises, and Lifetime Team and Member Value

    May 5, 2025Nina KovnerPodcast

    In the premiere episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, Nina dives deep into one of the greatest brand loyalty stories of our time: Costco.

    Through personal reflections as a newer Costco member (yet longtime studier of the brand) and decades of experience in brand strategy, Nina unpacks why Costco continues to build lasting trust, while other brands seem to be breaking it.

    This episode breaks down the fundamentals behind Costco’s success: their unwavering commitment to lifetime customer value, keeping brand promises (no matter the pressure), investing in their people, and always playing the long game over short-term gains.

    Nina connects these lessons back to the pro beauty industry, creative small businesses, pro beauty brand execs, offering real-world takeaways on how clarity, consistency, and true care are at the heart of every enduring brand.

    Whether you’re a salon owner, hairstylist, creative entrepreneur, or brand leader, this episode lays the foundation for understanding what it really takes to build and retain trust.

    If you want to learn more about creating your brand story and how to connect all the dots in your salon business, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, A Complete Course for Beauty Pros.

    Thank you for listening and sharing this episode with your business besties!