074 Embracing Opportunities: Lessons in Success and Adaptation with Andrew Jose

I am an optimist, I believe it’s the only way to be. But, I also believe that it is really important to always be learning, and that means learning from what worked and also learning from what maybe didn’t turn out exactly the way you planned. Many people are terrified to deviate from 'their lane' and as a result, miss all sorts of potential opportunities in business. Whereas other people see or create numerous opportunities and are flexible in their approach throughout their career. Some people will try something and if it doesn't work out exactly the way they first envisaged they see it as a failure and give up. Other people learn from everything, they pivot and constantly adapt to changing scenarios. My guest on today's podcast is a very good friend of mine and someone who has definitely influenced my career. He is a hairdresser, serial entrepreneur and London based salon owner Andrew Jose. Andrew has always been someone who explores every opportunity that comes his way, and like all of us sometimes those opportunities lead to success and other times they may not always work out the way you first imagined. But regardless of whether it's one of his many successes or something that perhaps didn't turn out how he first envisaged he always learns from it and moves on. In today’s podcast we discuss: What are the important things to look for when going into a business partnership? Knowing when it’s time to expand your business. The value of being a brand ambassador and The lessons involved in developing your own hair product line. And lots more!   In This Episode: [01:42] Welcome to the show, Andrew! [02:00] Andrew shares his background and career. [03:48] Andrew discusses what he learned about being in a partnership, the good and the bad. [05:41] What do you wish you had known before opening a business? [07:47] Andrew speaks about the first client he had when he opened his salon. [09:45] Andrew believes you can change your world with a good haircut. [11:38] Listen as Andrew shares when he knew it was time to expand his business. [14:45] What is the key to a successful expansion? [16:02] Andrew discusses what he learned from expanding into Prague. [18:50] Andrew speaks about his experience with a franchise model in Japan. [22:18] Andrew shares about being a retail brand ambassador for Pantene. [25:49] What impact did it have on your salon when you took those years away? [27:44] Andrew discusses how to become a professional brand ambassador. [31:14] Andrew talks about the retail and professional products he launched. [33:38] Formulating the products took time, but they got picked up by national retailers quickly. [35:25] Andrew speaks about what destroyed the brand and why it isn’t around anymore. [37:43] A logistics issue with Boots was one reason. The second thing was a cap that didn’t fit the shampoo bottle, which caused leaks. [40:31] JLife, the professional brand, did really well in the U.S. until a marketplace change caused distribution issues. [44:24] Andrew took over a school in London, he shares why and where it is now. [49:30] Andrew discusses the business model shift to independent salon suites. [51:54] The repurposing of malls and shopping centres is happening all over the world. [54:00] Andrew believes that it’s all about experience now. [55:58] How do you keep yourself relevant? [57:17] Andrew speaks about how he handles it when things don’t work out as expected. [59:29] Thank you so much for being on the show!   Links and Resources Grow My Salon Business    Find Andrew Jose Andrew Jose Email @andrewjosesalon Facebook  @andrewjose Twitter  @andrewjwjose Instagram