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Name: Daryl Hurst
Title: President & Chief Operating Officer
Company: Sola Salons
Units: 737
Age: 44
Years in franchising: 13
Years in current position: 7 months
In the competitive world of franchising, a leader’s approach can make all the difference.
For Daryl Hurst, president & chief operating officer of Sola Salons, a part of Radiance Holdings, success isn’t just about numbers. It’s deeply rooted in his people-first and people-focused philosophies that he applies at the salon suite franchise, which now boasts more than 700 locations.
Hurst stepped into his current role seven months ago following his tenure as president of Driven Brand’s Maaco Corporation. He has a proven track record and brings years of franchising experience to the table.
“My primary role/focus is to take care of our people and help support their success—franchisees, support team, and beauty pros,” he says.
This isn’t lip service; it’s the cornerstone of his leadership. Hurst champions a strong, collaborative culture built on clear direction, motivation, accountability, recognition, and removing obstacles for his team.
Hurst says he honed his leadership style from bad leadership experiences, and he’s been mentored by exceptional leaders. “Leadership is not about power,” he says. “It is about serving others.”
Collaboration is a hallmark of the culture where Hurst operates, especially when it comes to decision-making. He believes that working together, creating plans, and getting buy-in from those involved will get the best results.
Looking ahead, Hurst says Sola Salons plans to continue opening new locations, introducing technology solutions, and supporting franchisees and their beauty professionals.
“Our commitment to innovation and empowerment will continue to drive our initiatives,” he says.
What is your role as COO? As a leader, I must be focused on building a strong people-first culture that drives results through providing clear direction, motivation, accountability, and recognition/rewards while also removing obstacles that prevent success. This can only be done by establishing a strong and collaborative leadership team to create a robust brand strategy that ensures support for franchisees, our corporate operators, and the support team.
How has Covid-19 affected the way you have led your brand? I think the pandemic taught leaders to be more flexible with ways of working and team members to be more adaptable to their working environments. Leaders now have to be more trusting of their team members to achieve results with less supervision and identify new ways to effectively collaborate and build relationships with and among their teams. It’s challenging for sure, and I miss the daily in-person interaction, but I am also thankful to have and give the flexibility of remote/hybrid ways of working.
Describe your leadership style. My leadership style is being a humble, people-focused, servant leader who inspires transformational change while driving results. I prioritize empathy and resilience, believing in leading by example and maintaining open lines of communication. It’s crucial that our team feels heard and valued, especially during times of uncertainty. I believe in creating a collaborative leadership team and developing a bench of talent where results, accountability, connection, laughter, vulnerability, and recognition are part of our team’s DNA.
What has inspired your leadership style? A few things:
What is your biggest leadership challenge? Knowing when my team and I are taking on too much. But when you are a highly ambitious and results-driven team, this is bound to happen. When it does and you realize it, you and your team have to quickly reprioritize and reset expectations before frustration and mediocre results deflate morale.
How do you transmit your culture from your office to frontline employees? It starts with truly caring about people and helping them feel that they are truly on a team that cares about them and their future. My entire leadership team is always available to every member of our team. We listen and take action. We focus on creating a fun, inclusive, and accountability-driven culture that is generous with recognition and rewards.
How can a COO help their CMO develop and grow? Aside from the obvious of taking time to learn their strengths and opportunities, it is creating a development plan together. I recommend being well aligned with business objectives and helping address challenges. They have a high-stress/demand role. Trust them to do their job, don’t micromanage, and support them. Marketing often gets the blame when business is slow and rarely gets the credit when it’s not. Business performance accountability never lies with one leader/department.
Where is the best place to prepare for leadership: an MBA school or OTJ? This likely depends on the person and their learning style. Just because someone earns an MBA, it doesn’t mean they are ready to lead. The education will certainly be beneficial. However, nothing can truly replace the experience of leading a team through wins and challenges, developing an individual for promotion, making heat-of-the-moment decisions in tough situations, or knowing when you have started to confuse compassion with compromise and need to remove someone from the team.
Are tough decisions best taken by one person? How do you make tough decisions? I am not an autocrat, and I struggle to think of any tough decision that belongs with one person when it comes to operating a business. My team leads as a committee: We make decisions together, we share ideas and plan together, we win together, and we fail together. Making tough decisions as a leadership team, and sometimes as a larger team, means multiple perspectives and outcomes are heard. While we might not all agree to start, we always align on the result and how it will be communicated to the team. This creates trust and buy-in and helps everyone move on quickly.
Do you want to be liked or respected? Both. I believe you can achieve both but maybe not from everyone to whom I would choose to be respected. Caring about other people—their state of being, not what they think of me—has always been a core value of mine. I speak genuinely, approach with positivity and without judgment, act with integrity, listen with concern, and give respect. I have found this approach usually makes me likable and always earns me respect.
Advice to COO wannabes: I have never liked the word “wannabe” as it usually implies that you can’t be the thing you want to be. I believe you can if you are truly willing to do what it takes. My advice is to work hard, pay attention to the details, become a forever learner, set goals, learn from failures, be adaptable, and prepare yourself for the path because it is never going to be what you thought. Surround yourself with people who make you better and believe in you, and don’t ever give up.
Describe your management style: Partnership, solution based, proactive, macro-management.
What does your management team look like? We are women and men who, first and foremost, truly care about other people and their success, are highly driven/competitive in nature, and have diverse experiences across multiple industries in both corporate and franchise environments.
If you mean who are my direct reports, they are SVP of marketing, VP of corp ops, VP of fran ops, and director of L&D.
How does your management team help you lead? While very independently motivated, they are all highly collaborative and supportive of each other and their teams. They stay true to our core values, never stop developing their people, remain focused on our mutually decided upon objectives, and embrace our culture of accountability and recognition.
Favorite management gurus: Do you read management books? Good to Great by Jim Collins and Master Mentors by Scott Miller.
I also enjoy the Masterclass app. Here are a few that I have taken:
Critical Leadership Training by Jocko Willink; The Art of Negotiation by Chris Voss (I have also read his book on this), and The Power of Mindset with leading experts.
What trends are you seeing with consumer spending habits in your stores? We’ve observed a significant shift toward personalized beauty experiences. Clients are increasingly seeking services tailored to their individual preferences, leading to a surge in demand for independent beauty professionals who can offer customized treatments.
How is the economy driving consumer behavior in your system? Economic fluctuations have heightened consumers’ focus on value and quality. Clients are more discerning with their spending, prioritizing services that offer personalized attention and superior results. Our franchise model, which empowers beauty professionals to operate independently, resonates with this shift as clients appreciate the tailored services provided by dedicated beauty professionals.
What are you expecting from your market in the next 12 months? We anticipate continued growth in the demand for independent beauty services. As the industry evolves, more professionals are seeking autonomy in their careers, and clients are gravitating toward personalized experiences. This positions us well to continue to expand our footprint and support more entrepreneurs in establishing their own spaces.
Are your franchisees bullish or bearish about growth and adding additional units? Our franchisees are optimistic about growth. The consistent demand for salon suites and the success of our existing locations have instilled confidence in the scalability of our model. Many franchisees are exploring opportunities to open additional units to meet the growing demand.
Are commodity/supply costs any cause for concern in your system? While fluctuations in supply costs are an inherent aspect of any business, our franchise model mitigates these concerns. Since individual salon owners manage their own operations and supplies, they have the flexibility to adapt to cost changes, ensuring minimal impact on the overall system.
In what ways are political/global issues impacting the market and your brand? Global events and political climates inevitably influence consumer behavior and market dynamics. However, the beauty industry’s emphasis on personal care and well-being remains resilient. Our franchise model, empowering individual entrepreneurs, provides agility to navigate these challenges effectively.
How much influence does your IT department have on your brand? Our IT department plays a pivotal role in shaping the Sola Salons experience. By developing and implementing technological solutions, they enhance both franchisee and client interactions, ensuring seamless operations and superior service delivery.
How have your company’s tech tools changed over the past five years? Over the past five years, we’ve significantly upgraded our technological infrastructure. Notably, we’ve launched a new CRM platform to support franchisees, streamlining operations and enhancing client engagement.
How does technology influence your decisions? Technology is integral to our strategic decision-making. It provides us with data-driven insights into market trends, client preferences, and operational efficiencies, enabling us to make informed choices that drive growth and enhance the franchisee and client experience.
Are you using AI? How? Yes. We are exploring the integration of AI to enhance our services. For instance, AI-powered tools are being used to streamline appointment scheduling and client communications, providing a personalized and efficient experience.
How do you measure your ROI on technology investments? We assess the return on investment for our technology initiatives by evaluating improvements in operational efficiency, franchisee satisfaction, and client retention rates. Metrics, such as reduced administrative time, increased bookings, and positive feedback, provide tangible indicators of success.
How did/do you create a culture where use of technology advancements is welcome and used? Cultivating a tech-friendly culture involves continuous education and demonstrating the tangible benefits of new tools. We provide training sessions and resources to help franchisees integrate technology into their operations seamlessly, fostering an environment where innovation is embraced.
What time do you like to be at your desk? This varies for me as I often work odd hours based on workload, time of the day, my energy levels, how focused I’m feeling, and how creative I am, which all vary by season and meeting load. I also think about the needs of my family. I might start any time between 7 to 9 a.m. This varies as I commonly work in the evening after everyone is in bed, and my end time will often influence my start time the next day. After 20 years in the restaurant industry, it still feels like my brain is most active in the evening (dinner rush time).
Exercise in the morning? Wine with lunch? I like to walk in the morning but not a full-on workout. I prefer to do those in the afternoon or evening. I only drink caffeinated drinks with lunch—lots to get done!
Do you socialize with your team after work/outside the office? Somewhat. We are all mostly remote and only see each other when we are traveling to the same destination for work. The general extent of our socialization is meals together or texting each other fun family updates: sharing pet pics, our kids’ accomplishments, or just something funny that happened. I do hope there is some golf or other fun activities in our future.
Last two books read: I know you are only asking for two, but I am listing the three from this month as I really enjoyed each one, and they are all deserving of recognition:
What technology do you take on the road? I am pretty simple: laptop and cell phone.
How do you relax/balance life and work? First and foremost, I enjoy spending time with my family and our three dogs. I love to cook, spend time outside, hike, swim, listen to music, watch good shows, and read/listen to books.
Favorite vacation destination(s): Without a doubt, the beach, preferably a tropical one.
Favorite occasions to send employees notes: To be clear, I am usually one to call vs. write a note but either way: birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, times of emotional stress, and when they are just humming along doing a wonderful job and not looking for any recognition.
Favorite company product/service: I have to show Amazon some love here. First, I love the entrepreneurial founding story of Amazon. Next, I am so impressed with the continuous business evolution and growth of services. Lastly (and most importantly), I really enjoy the convenience of shopping from home. I rarely brave the daunting task of finding what I need in a store (if they even have it in stock) and much prefer to have it delivered hassle free the next day.
What are your long-term goals for the company? Our long-term vision is to continue empowering beauty professionals by expanding our network of salon suites, fostering a community of independent entrepreneurs, and maintaining our position as a leader in the salon suite industry.
How has the economy changed your goals for your company? While economic shifts present challenges, they also offer opportunities to adapt and innovate. Our core mission remains unchanged, but we’ve become more agile in our strategies, ensuring we support our franchisees effectively and meet the evolving needs of beauty professionals and their clients.
Where can capital be found these days? Capital can be sourced through traditional financial institutions, private investors, and franchise financing programs. We assist potential franchisees in exploring various financing options to facilitate their investment in a Sola Salons franchise.
How do you measure success? Success is measured by the satisfaction and achievements of our franchisees and the beauty professionals they support. High occupancy rates, positive feedback, and the growth of our community are key indicators of our impact and effectiveness.
What has been your greatest success? One of our most significant achievements is reaching more than 730 locations, providing spaces for more than 20,000 independent beauty professionals to thrive. This milestone reflects our commitment to empowering entrepreneurs in the beauty industry.
Any regrets? There are always lessons to be learned. We view each challenge as an opportunity for growth. Our focus remains on continuous improvement and supporting our community of franchisees and beauty professionals.
What can we expect from your company in the next 12 to 18 months? In the coming 12 to 18 months, we plan to accelerate our growth by opening new locations, enhancing our technological offerings, and further supporting our franchisees and beauty professionals.