Image Skillnet

Year 3 of 360 Salon Leadership & Management is officially underway! 🎉

This week we welcomed a new group of industry professionals as they began their eight-month leadership journey with Bronwyn Conroy Beauty & Advanced Skincare School

A key part of 360 is giving indusrty leaders the opportunity to learn from expertise both within and beyond hair, beauty and wellness, bringing fresh perspectives into areas that directly impact their teams and businesses.

First up this year was Austin O’Malley, Founder & Performance Coach at Hexagon Performance, who joined the group for a session exploring performance, high-performing teams, workplace culture and wellbeing.

We were also delighted to welcome back Sarah McGarry, a graduate of the very first 360 programme, who returns this year as a mentor to the new cohort 💚

Three years in it’s fantastic to see 360 continue to grow and to see previous participants now bringing their own experience back to support the salon leaders coming through after them.

We can’t wait to see what this year’s group brings to the table!

This programme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union 🇮🇪🇪🇺

What training would make a difference to you in 2027?

If you work in Ireland’s hair, beauty or wellness industry, we want to hear from you. Tell us which skills you’d like to develop and what training your team needs. Your answers will help shape Image Skillnet’s 2027 training calendar.

Have your say in our Training Needs Analysis survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CSLNW9V

Salon owners spend a lot of time in the thick of things. Looking after clients, solving problems, supporting the team, keeping standards up and making sure the business keeps moving. Finding the time to step back and look at how you’re actually leading it is another story.

The Brave Salon Leader: The Clarity Shift gives salon owners and managers one dedicated day to do exactly that.

Led by Valerie Finnegan Cahill, founder of VF Consultancy and owner of Ikon Hair Cork, the workshop gets into the realities of salon leadership: where your time and energy are going, where you might be carrying responsibilities your team could own, how clear your expectations really are and the behaviours that are shaping your salon culture.

Valerie brings more than 45 years of industry experience to that conversation, and her own salon, Ikon Hair Cork, was named Hair Salon of the Year at the 2026 Professional Beauty & Hair Awards.

It’s practical, reflective and grounded in real salon life with the aim of leaving you with a clearer picture of where your leadership needs attention and one manageable shift to take forward.

📅 Monday 5 October 2026
⏰ 10am–4.30pm
📍 Accademia, Dublin 8
💶 Image Skillnet Member Price: €145

Find out more and book your place via the link below:
https://www.imageskillnet.ie/events/brave-salon-leader-2/

Grey blending has been around for a while but as more clients choose to embrace their natural grey rather than automatically covering it the opportunities for salons are evolving as well!

Hairdressers Journal reported earlier this year that 86% of hair professionals surveyed said they had seen an increase in clients embracing their greys. The latest issue of Professional Beauty & Hair Ireland explores how meeting that demand requires much more than learning one grey-blending technique.

Existing colour, natural grey pattern, hair condition, maintenance expectations and the client's end goal can all influence the approach. Techniques can range from micro-weaving and babylights to balayage, glossing and colour correction, making consultation and up-to-date colour skills particularly important.

There’s a business opportunity too. While clients may move away from frequent root coverage, the grey-blending journey can create opportunities around ongoing maintenance, homecare, retail and longer-term client relationships.

The trend is actually still evolving, with Hairdressers Journal recently highlighting “grey blonding”, combining natural grey with complementary blonde tones.

👏 A shoutout to Professional Beauty & Hair Ireland for the grey-blending feature in their latest issue, which inspired us to take a closer look at this one.

Are you seeing more clients asking about grey blending? And is it an area you’d like to see more training in?

Sources: Professional Beauty & Hair Ireland, Sept/Oct 2026; Hairdressers Journal, 2026.

Is there an area of your technical work you’d like to feel more confident in?

The Broadstone Education Clinic with Nicola Lawless takes a different approach to training. There’s no fixed curriculum. Instead Nicola will work with each participant to identify the areas they need support with and tailor the practical training accordingly.

That could mean cutting and shape building, short or long hair, blow-drying and finishing, sectioning, consultation or simply refining a technique you’d like to perform more consistently.

With a maximum of just 7 participants, the day allows for plenty of hands-on coaching and individual feedback.

📅 Monday 28th September | 10am–4pm approx.
📍 The Hair Company Broadstone, Dublin 7
🎟️ €151pp

Find out more and book your place: https://www.imageskillnet.ie/events/broadstone-education-clinic/

Got two minutes? Tell us what training you would like to see from Image Skillnet next year!

Whether there is something you want to learn, a challenge you need help tackling or an area where you feel more training is needed, this is your opportunity to have your say.

We use your responses to help shape the upcoming year so the more we hear from you the better we can support you, your team and your business 💚

Complete our 2-minute survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CSLNW9V

A last-minute place has just become available on our previously fully booked 360° Salon Leadership & Management Programme.

We’re getting ready for the third instalment of this incredibly successful programme with Bronwyn Conroy Academy, starting on the 21st of September.

Delivered over eight months, 360° is designed for salon and spa owners, managers and emerging leaders who want to step back from the day-to-day and spend dedicated time actually working on their business.

The programme covers the areas that have a real impact on how you run and grow a business including leadership, team culture, financial management, strategy, marketing, HR, client retention and profitability.

Participants finish the programme with an actionable strategic plan for their business and an ITEC-endorsed Bronwyn Conroy Beauty & Advanced Skincare School special purpose certificate.

If you or someone you know has been looking to strengthen their leadership and management skills and take a more strategic approach to running their business, this could be the perfect timing!

❗️One place available❗️

Starts: 21 September 2026
📍 Stillorgan, Dublin
🎟️ Image Skillnet member price: €530

Find out more and apply via the link in the comments 💚

This Image Skillnet course is co-funded by the Government off Ireland and the EU 🇮🇪🇪🇺 For more info visit eufunds.ie

📣Happening tomorrow!!📣

FREE webinar for Image Skillnet members on personal finance, helping you better understand budgeting, saving, managing debt and planning ahead with confidence.

Led by one of Ireland’s leading financial wellbeing educators, a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA), bestselling author of Mindful Money, and founder of Mrs Smart Money.

Sign up for free via the link in the comments 💚

⏱️1-2pm
🗓️Tuesday 8th September
💻Online

Money Matters: Practical Money Skills to Get Ahead • Image Skillnet By Kel Galavan (Mrs Smart Money) Build confidence with your finances through this practical lunchtime webinar led by financial wellbeing educator Kel Galavan, aka Mrs Smart Money. This accessible session covers the foundations of personal finance, helping you better understand budgeting, saving,

New dates added for the Waxperts Female Advanced Bikini Wax Course!

This course is designed for qualified beauty therapists and waxers who want to build their confidence, refine their technique and deliver a more comfortable treatment for clients.

This practical, hands-on training covers five female intimate bikini waxing styles, from basic and extended bikini to Brazilian and Hollywood, alongside client care, positioning, hygiene, aftercare and the Waxperts waxing technique.

📅 Tuesday 8th, 15th or 29th September
📍 Waxperts Academy, Dún Laoghaire
⏰ 10am – approx. 1/2pm
💶 Image Skillnet member price: €210pp
🎓 AIT accredited

Participants must already hold a basic waxing qualification and will need to bring a model on the day. All equipment and supplies are provided.

Places are extremely limited. Find out more and book via the link in the comments 💚

September is here and even though December feels like a while away, now is an excellent time to get ahead of some of the jobs that become much harder once the end-of-year rush begins!

Here are 5 things worth checking in your hair, beauty or wellness business this September 👇

📦 Stock: Look back at what you used last autumn and think ahead to what clients are likely to need over the coming months.

📅 Rebooking: With holidays ending and routines returning now is a good time to get clients thinking about their next appointment, especially since those bookings start bringing us closer to Christmas.

💶 Pricing and costs: A busy diary doesn't necessarily mean a profitable one. When did you last work out what your most popular services actually cost to deliver?

👥 Your team and diary: Rotas, annual leave, opening hours, skills or training gaps... what could you sort now that will be much harder to deal with in November or December?

🎄 Christmas: Stock, gift sets, vouchers, booking availability, cancellation policies, opening hours and promotions. You don't need to have it all sorted in September but getting a few things out of the way now could save a lot of pressure later.

Is there anything you'd add to the September checklist?