Your retail shelves are glistening with gifts, the local café has memorised your coffee order, and Mariah’s serenaded you thirty times before noon – the silly season’s in full swing! We turned to three leading clinic owners to learn how they support their teams through the year-end hustle. Here’s how Rachel Diaz, Karla McDiarmid, and Gry Tømte tackle the busiest time of year.

Maintaining Team Stamina

Gry at HÜD and Rachel at LoveBeauty underscore the importance of giving their teams adequate time to recharge and deliver quality care. Gry ensures her team has the time, training, and resources they need by maintaining regular one-on-ones and open lines of communication.

Similarly, Rachel ensures each therapist has enough time between clients to reset, keeping energy levels high. By prioritising a consistent routine, Rachel keeps her team connected and supported, allowing them to show up for clients with genuine energy.

At Macquarie Medispa, Karla takes a similar approach. “It’s about booking a realistic amount of treatments – we don’t suddenly change just because it’s Christmas,” she shares. She helps create a balanced environment where therapists can focus on what they do best by sticking to a sustainable pace and ensuring her team isn’t overworked.

Recognition and Reward

Consistency emerged as a clear theme among all three businesses when recognising their teams’ hard work and rewarding their dedication.

For Rachel, daily gestures make a big difference. “We’re all about recognising hard work in real-time,” she shares. And, of course, there’s always the big celebration to look forward to. This year, the LoveBeauty team await a yacht party! A steady supply of coffee and snacks keeps spirits high before they set sail.

Gry emphasises creating an environment where effort doesn’t go unnoticed. “Random acts like a paid couple of hours off, a thank-you card, or a simple voucher go a long way. Don’t underestimate the power of small, thoughtful gestures to keep morale high.”

Through a monthly incentive program, Karla ensures her team always feel valued. By knowing each team member’s love language and motivation style, Karla keeps celebrations authentic and meaningful.

Preventing Burnout

For Gry, she believes burnout goes beyond busyness. “Burnout often happens when people care deeply but don’t see progress,” she explains. “As leaders, we need to connect effort to impact and find the balance between pushing for growth and recognising when to let our team catch up.”

Rachel advocates for self-care and connection. “Stay hydrated, eat well, and take breaks. Regular check-ins, even during peak times, are essential for staying connected,” she says.

Karla has one word for avoiding burnout: boundaries. “Say no when needed, and don’t take on too much. Look after yourself and book yourself in for treatments! Practice what you preach by being the model for self-care,” she advises.

With solid support and a sprinkle of fun, these salon pros have cracked the code for surviving the season. And if Mariah’s on repeat, well…at least the team is singing along!

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