EP395: The Secret Garden’s Gender‑Neutral Salon Playbook
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Today, we are diving into how inclusion can power growth in your salon business. Let's cue the intro. This is How to Cut It in a Headdressing Industry podcast show with Dom Lohane, episode number 395.
to how to cut it in the hairdressing industry podcast. The show that gives you the insights, inspirations and information to take your hairdressing and barbering careers to the next level. And here's your host, your host, Dom LaHaye.
Welcome back to How To Cut It In, the hairdressing industry podcast show with myself, Dom Lehane. And today's episode is sponsored by Keratin Complex, one of the most recognized names in professional smoothing. Powered by Keratin, their treatments smooth, straighten, and transform hair without harsh bond breaking. Now, to discover the KC Rio restorative keratin system and see why professionals worldwide trust Keratin Complex, then do go and visit keratincomplex.co.uk. Today I'm going to be joined by Darren Cunningham and George Waterfield, owners of The Secret Garden in Leicester, which is known for creating a truly welcoming LGBTQ plus inclusive space that's also commercially sharp. Now, for this episode, we are going to be learning how to move from ladies, gents to gender neutral length and time pricing appointments, making your services and language more inclusive without hurting the margins.
And also, George and Darren are going to tell us about how they have used some simple marketing plays like DMing influencers and hooking up with some smart collaborations that opens up doors to press, brand work, and even a Netflix premiere. You're going to hear how they launched fast, pivoted through Leicester's lockdown during COVID by working from a garage and how they turned a pride flag hate incident into a 140 person show of community support. If you want to future proof your pricing, culture and brand, this one is for you. So let's dive into it. Today's How to Cut It podcast. Welcome to the podcast. How are you doing? Here we are. We are here in the LWPR studio. Very nice. Great to have you both here.
Pricing without labels, building a salon where everyone belongs. So I think let's set the scene firstly. Darren, if I was to walk into the secret garden today on a busy day, what would I see, hear and feel? You would see...
are a safe space and you would feel safe as well. You'd see an inclusive salon basically where everyone's welcome.
It's got a really nice touch to it. George, what's the mission? What's the vibe? What's genuinely making your salon stand out from a normal salon?
I think we do naturally just stand out, Dom, because I think what we represent in our industry and what we show is actually still quite niche. I don't see a lot of salons promoting that they're LGBT friendly. And I think it's something that we have naturally fell into. So it's really interesting that we've really grown within that now.
We've got a flag behind us as well. So for our audio listeners, check out the videos because you'll see the flag. And I guess that I want to get to that story in a bit. But I do want to really get a feel of the salon. And you described a little bit of a busy day. What would you say your clients comment on most with your salon?
I like to feel that we're just very welcoming and very genuine people. Like, you know, you're nipping around someone's house and having the hair done, but we're still in that gorgeous professional environment.
And the problems, is there a problem that your business is trying to solve?
as a salon I think in 2026 half the myth I think that people just don't get it yeah I think it's all a big education I think it's it's great that we're on here talking to you Dom about it because I think it's all about education I think as you know we've had a lot of hate on the salon with the flag and everything and like you say we'll get on to that I do really keen to get on to that because I think that's I saw this on your Instagram but we'll keep people holding on in there for that So I think it's all just about educating, really.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–10:21
2
How did The Secret Garden founders describe the salon’s LGBTQ+ welcoming atmosphere?
10:21–15:06
3
What were Darren and George’s early hairdressing journeys and influences?
15:06–36:23
4
How did the pair go from idea to opening The Secret Garden salon?
36:23–43:44
5
How did they pivot during COVID using a parents’ garage to save the business?
43:44–48:55