This episode features an interview from 2018 with Megan Holzerman, the Manager of PA201. In this podcast, we hear about how she discovered her calling at Sport Clips, the ways she balances motherhood with managing her store and tips for successfully leading a healthy team.
| Episode Air Date |
Guest Name |
Guest Title |
Topic(s) |
| July 24, 2019 |
Megan Holzerman |
Manager |
Strategies for being a successful manager |
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Transcription:
Chad Jordan: All right. This is Chad Jordan with the sport clips hall of fame podcast and I am in Pennsylvania today. I'm at PA201 and I just had a fabulous MVP experience by the manager and I invited her to do a podcast with us and she is joining us. We're lucky enough to have her with us. Why don't I have you introduce yourself and tell me the name of this store so I get it correct.
Megan H: My name is Megan Holzerman and we're at Sport Clips in Bensalem, PA201.
Chad Jordan: All right. How long have you been, first of all, how long have you been working at Sport Clips?
Megan H: Sport Clips, I've been here for six years.
Chad Jordan: Six. You've been here longer than I've been here. Now, how long have you managed this location?
Megan H: About five years.
Chad Jordan: Okay. Give me a quick rundown on, so you've been here six years, you are 21 so you've been working here since you were 15. Got it. Give me a quick glimpse into what your career has been like, maybe, before Sport Clips. Did you start right out of school? What? Give me that rundown.
Megan H: Well, before Sport Clips, I worked at a few privately owned full service salons and I worked at a barber shop in Philly. I learned most of my men's haircut experience with the barber shop.
Chad Jordan: Did you go to school here in Pennsylvania or-
Megan H: I did. I went to school at Jean Madeline.
Chad Jordan: Okay. Did you know, out of high school, this is what you wanted to do or is this something that you discovered along the way? What?
Megan H: It just fell into my lap, I would say. I was in college for nursing and I wasn't really a fan of doing that. I'm more hands on, want to be happy experiences with people.
Chad Jordan: Yeah. Not saving people's lives and seeing some not get saved-
Megan H: Yeah, that's a whole different level. That could also be sad. Haircuts, you can always make someone happy and make their day. My sister actually recommended that I pursue this as my career and it's been working out wonderfully.
Chad Jordan: Oh that's neat. You've always had it in your heart to help people.
Megan H: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: You just didn't know what path that was going to be until college. That's neat because, you know, I do a lot of these interviews and some people since they were five years old ... last week we interviewed Tiffany Allen, a rookie coach of the year in St Louis, and she was cutting her Barbie's hair and Ken dolls hair, you know, as a kid and always knew that's what she wanted to do. There is something very common in the heart of every stylist that they want to help people and they want to make people feel better. Right? You've already connected that and discovered that even in college. All right. You were working at a barber shop in Philly and then Sport Clips called, or you said, "I want to change." How did that, what happened?
Megan H: One of my clients who I was servicing for about two years had recommended Sport Clips. They weren't comfortable in the barbershop setting because they followed me from the full service. It's a whole different atmosphere. It's way more family friendly and comfortable at Sport Clips. Once they recommended, I gave a call and I came in and put my application in.
Chad Jordan: You started as a team member or an assistant or-
Megan H: As a stylist.
Chad Jordan: Okay. Just as a stylist and quickly ... the team leader here was who?
Megan H: Kara and Tim.
Chad Jordan: Okay. They recognized, "We gotta get her make her a key holder." What was that process? A week later you're a key holder or-
Megan H: It was about eight months later I was offered the assistant manager position. Within about six months, I would say, I was offered the management position.
Chad Jordan: At the same location or did you have to move?
Megan H: Same. I've always been at this location.
Chad Jordan: Okay. All right. Great. You've been managing here for, you said five years?
Megan H: Just about five years.
Chad Jordan: Give me, what has changed with you over the course of those five years?
Megan H: I definitely learned a lot in my management position. I have way more patience than I've ever had. Just the way to talk to people certain ways. Just communication. I've learned so much. I'm really not sure what else. I feel like I learned so much and worked so hard.
Chad Jordan: How about this, were you a mom when you started working here?
Megan H: No.
Chad Jordan: Okay. All right. Tell me a little bit about that. I mean, so many of our listeners are mothers who work for a living. You're married, correct.
Megan H: Yes.
Chad Jordan: Married and a mother of two boys and they are aged-
Megan H: One will be five. My younger one just turned two.
Chad Jordan: Okay. You've literally juggled motherhood and management their entire lives.
Megan H: Yes. I took on managing this store when my son was about six weeks old, so it was a little tough-
Chad Jordan: You literally came back from maternity leave and walked in as the manager, essentially. Walked back in here as a manager.
Megan H: Yes.
Chad Jordan: Can you describe for me the emotions that go into, I mean I'm a dad, but I have a wife that stays home and takes care of kids. Explain to me how does that feel? When you come back, now you're managing a location. I imagine it's pretty stressful. You know, some stress involved. Right. Then you got a baby at home, waiting for you and crying when you leave, and you're crying when you come in and you've left him. How did you juggle all of that?
Megan H: It was definitely overwhelming at first. We had an area manager at the time. She now lives in California, but she-
Chad Jordan: Who is it?
Megan H: Kay. She really worked close with me, trained me very well for the position and she was always there for me to call if I needed help, whether I needed parental advice or management advice. She definitely gave me a good start to my managing career and I still, things that she has taught me, I still hold with me to this day. Obviously, I've worked my own thing in with managing and everything as well. I would definitely say Kay was a big help. Then along with my team leaders, they're very, you know, hands on as soon as I needed to call or ask a question. Kara, specifically, was always there and willing to help me.
Chad Jordan: I've certainly seen where team ... you probably already know this, team leaders love their managers and so when they have a manager that they can really rely on, treat her like a daughter or if a son, if it's a guy but, or part of the family. I don't know if that's been your experience, if they have been kind of adoptive parents or brothers and sisters to you or whatever-
Megan H: I gave Kara a Mother's Day card this year.
Chad Jordan: Oh, that's sweet.
Megan H: Yeah, definitely, you know, being with them for six years, it's been amazing. I love everything about it.
Chad Jordan: You and I talked a little bit, by the way, I think I mentioned I've got a great MVP haircut. We talked, obviously, while that was happening in the chair and afterwards we mentioned a little bit about Huddle. You attended, how many times have you been to Huddle?
Megan H: I've attended three separate times. My first year managing, I did not attend. A little too hard to leave my newborn. Then while I was pregnant with my second son, I did not feel comfortable flying. I missed that one-
Chad Jordan: Was that in Vegas? You didn't want to go to Vegas either?
Megan H: No, that was San Antonio.
Chad Jordan: San Antonio? Okay.
Megan H: Yeah. The assistant manager, Greg, went in my place, which was an amazing experience for him as well. I don't plan on missing any more Huddles, so he's a little upset.
Chad Jordan: Well, Greg will have his own store one day, maybe. The reason I'm asking is can you tell me, so we have people listening today that might not work at a Sport Clips. Maybe they work at another brand. Huddle is our annual convention where managers, sometimes assistant managers get to go get further education, get this great experience with the team leaders that are the franchisees of Sport Clips and executives at the company. Can you give us a glimpse into what, besides clocking in Monday through Sunday, I know you don't work Saturday, Monday through Sunday, all day, everyday kind of feeling that you would get from a typical salon. What other experiences does a manager get at Sport Clips that you think maybe other places don't?
Megan H: Definitely you feel like family. It's a second home. There's never a day that I walk into work and get stressed out or anything. We all work together, help each other out. I've come from other, like I said, privately owned salons and it was just so different and here just so much more friendly. We all have each other's backs and we all help each other out, whether it's with a haircut or covering shifts. It's just really nice to be able to depend on each other and count on each other without expecting anything in return.
Chad Jordan: Can you describe to me other educational opportunities that you get? Do we kind of just drop you in a Sport Clips and leave you? What exactly is happening.
Megan H: Not all. All of the advanced training classes are wonderful. We try to attend as often as possible.
Chad Jordan: Is that once a year? Once a month? Once a week?
Megan H: Oh, they're offered every month. Sometimes multiple times throughout the month. Usually about a week span that you have to go to these classes.
Chad Jordan: Are they locally? Do you have to travel far?
Megan H: For us, at our location, it's pretty local. Our training center is about a 10 minute drive. I know for some other locations it may be about 45 minutes, but either way still think that's great. We get paid to attend our training classes and we learn a lot and we make new friends when we're there.
Chad Jordan: These trainings, are they Sport Clips specific or are you with other brands? Other hairstylists?
Megan H: No, it's always Sport Clips.
Chad Jordan: Okay, all internal. You have how many team members here at this location?
Megan H: We have nine.
Chad Jordan: Nine, okay. A couple assistant managers?
Megan H: Yes.
Chad Jordan: How do you feel you have grown? We talked about what's changed over the last five years. How do you feel you have grown with your team? Are there any, what I'm trying to find out, are there any tips or tricks you can provide other managers, maybe, that are just starting out? Think back to your first week walking here, you're sleep deprived because you had a six week old and all that, but what's a good piece of advice you could give a manager who is maybe walking into a fresh opportunity to really help him or her along, especially in their first year or so?
Megan H: Definitely have patience. Makes sure you let your team know that you do care about them. The individual learn, learn about them and their lifestyles. Not every stylist that you come across is going to be the same person and have the same wants. Just learning the individual and what their wants and needs are and doing what you can to fulfill that.
Chad Jordan: What are some ways you show appreciation to your team members?
Megan H: We try to switch it up because sometimes if we keep it the same it can get a little old and boring. Recently, we had a shout out board where the team all took turns shouting each other out. "Hey, your hair looks great today." "Awesome job on your MVP" One that was funny, "Great job working on the child with the helicopter mom," because we all get those. Great stuff. Right now, we have a raffle. We have the daily goals, so every time we, as a store, as a whole, hit our daily goal, we have two opportunities to enter into a raffle and at our pep rally, which is this weekend, we'll be pulling from the raffle and one lucky stylist will win a pedicure to go and have, you know, some pampering. Just a little way to say thank you.
Everyone likes getting pedicures in the summer, too. Besides that, we have the chalk markers. I always try to write on the mirrors when it's their anniversaries or it's their birthday or they have a big life experience, such as Rebecca getting married last week. We all get balloons and give balloons to each other at the stations when it's birthdays. I try to get small gifts. Cherry just had a birthday. I brought her in something small the other day. Again, things that are more individualized to that stylist. It's not everyone's getting the same thing. It's everyone's getting something that I'm hoping they would like.
Chad Jordan: What I love is A, you're taking the time to do it and B, you're personalizing it. For managers or future managers out there, just going out of your way and, I mean, is this very time consuming? Is it taking 40 hours of your week to go out every way or do you find now you're in a rhythm and this is you are thinking this way as a manager and so you just consider it part of what you need to do and you do it.
Megan H: Yeah, definitely. It does not take 40 hours. One thing that I did learn recently is I started adding anniversaries and birthdays in my calendar on my phone because just writing them down, sometimes I would realize at the last minute that it was someone's birthday and I'd have to scurry around, but this way I have it in my phone. I have a week before reminder, a day before reminder. I have more time to plan and think about what I'm going to get them, again, to make it more personalized to that person.
Chad Jordan: You had mentioned pep rallies. Who's coordinating those? Are you helping out with them?
Megan H: I'm very much involved with the monthly pep rallies. We do try to rotate it. Last month, we had two stylists run the pep rally who are very good at doing makeup and everything. They did makeup tutorials. We do try to hand over to reins once in a while and let someone else run. Yeah, for the most part the management team takes care of that.
Chad Jordan: Can you give me, that was a great one, what you just mentioned, the makeup tutorial. Can you give me two or three, you know, "Gee whiz, these were home run pep rally ideas," that maybe other stores across the country could benefit from?
Megan H: Yeah, definitely. We had our two assistant managers run a pep rally a few months back and so they went out and got, what is that, with the color dots?
Chad Jordan: Twister?
Megan H: Yeah. Sorry. They went out and got the game twister and they worked very hard on it. They had each color represent a different product line. When you spun the dial, they picked from that color product and ask question and whoever answered the correct answer, so it was a product knowledge game with Twister, kind of, bunched together. That was really a lot of fun. Super hilarious.
Chad Jordan: Yeah. They literally had to put their, their right hand on the orange circle. Okay.
Megan H: Yeah. It was great. We always do recognition at pep rallies as well. We usually always do a team member of the month where the management team puts cash together. One person gets cash and gets recognized for going above and beyond. Besides that, we always try to do some type of fun game. A few times we've done a product knowledge bingo where we ask questions. I don't know if you've ever gone to a trivia night at a local restaurant?
Chad Jordan: Yeah.
Megan H: We made a Sport Clips trivia.
Chad Jordan: Cool.
Megan H: That was a lot of fun. Just a lot of games. We always try to take something from the outside and make it Sport Clips related. We've done Family Feud, we've done Jeopardy and all Sport Clip themes. Lots of fun.
Chad Jordan: Yeah. That is definitely the key for a pep rally. Having it and having it be fun, engaging and if you can win some stuff even better, obviously. Okay. I know we're winding down here. Give me something or someone that currently inspires you.
Megan H: Well, that's a tough one. I would definitely say my team leader, Kara, inspires me a lot. I've learned a lot from her specifically over the years and I really do look up to her. Probably my mom, too. My mom, she's a very funny lady and she just can take anything and make it a happy day. Both. So, I guess my mom and my second mom.
Chad Jordan: Right, yeah.
Megan H: They're both great people.
Chad Jordan: They both Mother's Day cards.
Megan H: Yeah, they totally did.
Chad Jordan: Also, we don't sugar coat things there. No life, no job, no company is perfect. What is one challenge that you face as a manager at Sport Clips and one solution or answer to, maybe, facing that challenge?
Megan H: I would say right now our main challenge is we're not having many people apply to the store and we are a very fast growing store. We're getting to the point where we need additional stylists on and, you know, putting ads out. That's what we usually always do. Try to social media. We have our own Facebook page for the Bensalem store, but a solution to that is we're going to start reaching out more frequently to the local schools and everything. Let them know that we are in demand and we are hiring them.
Chad Jordan: Do you have an ambassador from this location for the-
Megan H: Not from this location.
Chad Jordan: Okay, but in the area you do that go represent Sport Clips?
Megan H: Yes, definitely. I think from one of our team leader's other store there is an ambassador for that.
Chad Jordan: Okay. Anything else that you want us to know? Either about you, about your story or your team leader, your job?
Megan H: Just that I, honestly, I have clients ask me all the time, "Oh he's been here so long. What's keeping you here?" I just love the company. It's really such a great place to be. Like I said at the beginning, I don't feel like I'm coming to work when I walk in here. We come here and we have fun all day. We can joke with each other, our clients. That's the number one thing when we get a new client in, they just always comment on the atmosphere and I take a lot of pride in that because it is really important to have a great energetic atmosphere. And when someone can pick up on that on their first visit, it's just amazing. Just being happy and loving what I do.
Chad Jordan: I can vouch for that energy here and I certainly felt it when I came in this morning and felt it with even the clients that I've seen come through here. Kudos to you and your team and best wishes on another great five years as manager. You hit the 10 year mark.
Megan H: Thank you.
Chad Jordan: Thanks everybody for listening.